It’s been raining on and off in L.A. for the past three weeks, which makes me miserable and cold. Had to put on socks and turtlenecks when it hit 70 degrees indoors! 🙂
I bought rain boots at the beginning of March, thinking I’d wear them for a couple of days and put them in the closet until next year. But I’ve worn them every time I’ve gone out this month. Granted, that’s only 5 times but still—it’s supposed to be spring!
All this might have something to do with my current attraction to book covers with bright flowers or artwork or sunny locales. They’re like happy pills on gray days. I haven’t read the books but the covers have done their job in catching my eye.
Check them out below, with fake plot lines I just made up because I don’t like to read synopses before reading a book. (For real descriptions, click on the covers.)
On the day of a concert, a member of an ensemble gives his fellow musicians flowers that are actually man-eating plants because nobody puts bass in a corner.
A young woman goes home, taking not only the shortest but prettiest route, and stops on the way to see Grandma with a basket of bread and lots of wine.
A single woman in Sicily having the time of her life cavorting with lions, code for swarthy Italian men. I want to teleport myself into this cover.
While I’m mentally in Italy, why not visit a museum? This novel is about an expat venting his angst through his art, the subject of which is the teacher who was so rubbish at teaching the man rudimentary Italian, the man ended up getting his wallet stolen by a prostitute when all he wanted was to find the nearest bathroom.
After her boyfriend cheated on her, the woman in this story goes to France, where she becomes chic and fabulous and rubs his face in what he missed out on.
This one has a dark background and disturbing title, but the flowers are so pretty! And the descriptor says this is a novel about living. That’s good enough for me.
Which covers piqued your interest?
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In Kelley Armstrong’s This Fallen Prey, third in the Casey Duncan series (after 
In her highly moving memoir, Sarah McBride, the national press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign, invites the world into her struggle to not only become her true self but also fight for the rights of others like her.
This delightful picture book reads to the rhythm of the Mary Had a Little Lamb nursery rhyme in order to celebrate smart girls.
Los Angeles Times staff writer Amy Kaufman uses her insider knowledge and snarky love of the reality-television franchise to fill a whole book with details about The Bachelor, from tryouts through post-season fallout. Lest you think this is all fluff, Kaufman addresses the history of dating shows and delves into more complex issues of feminism and dating culture.
Harley McKenna has shot a man, buried a mother, and plotted revenge, but her most defining characteristic is being the only child of Duke McKenna—widower, gun runner, and meth dealer extraordinaire. Harley plans to take over the family business, but not before she transforms it by whatever means necessary.
Detective Inspector Joona Linna put serial killer Jurek Walter, aka the Sandman, behind bars years ago, so why are people who had tangential connections to Jurek still dying? Joona will have to confront his most terrifying nemesis again if he wants the living nightmares to end and to save one of Jurek’s victims.