USA vs UK book covers: who designs them better? (feat. my British husband)

Name: USA vs UK book covers: who designs them better? (feat. my British husband)
Uploaded: 2025-09-09T10:10:34.308Z
Duration: 26 min 56 s
Channel: The Library
Description: USA vs UK book covers: who designs them better? (feat. my British husband)

The Library

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7 Video Views·Sep 9, 2025 #bookcover #books #reading

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Three, two, one. What? Are you just doing this to surprise me? Yeah, I need to get the UK points. Hello everybody, I am here with my wonderful British husband and we are going to be judging. You're welcome. So we're going to be going through these book covers and deciding UK or USA. I'm expecting this to be a biased selection in favor of the US. I haven't seen any of these book covers yet, so it's going to be a surprise to me. It's going to be fun. I tried to do some books that both of us have read, some books that neither of us have read, and some books one of us has read, maybe one of us hasn't read. Some of these I don't even know what they're about, so it's like just judging the cover themselves. And some of these I have so many thoughts on these covers. Oh boy. Because I am very passionate about cover design and you love covers as well. It's like one of the greatest joys about, I think, being a reader, is like finding, you know, a beautiful cover. I always judge a book by its cover. You cannot, you really cannot. I mean, it's the first thing you see when you're browsing the shelves. Exactly. First, we have Normal People by Sally Rooney. I have so many thoughts about this because this is one of my favorite books of all time. This one I am torn, but I think I have an answer. But I want to hear your thoughts. Leon hasn't read it. No. Do you know what it's about? Some people who are probably normal. I don't know. I'm immediately more drawn to one of them. Okay. Not because it's British? No, just based on the colors. Oh, okay. I mean, the illustrations are fine on both. Don't really have a strong opinion on either of them. I also don't know what their relevance is in the story. Yeah. But I do find one of these more pleasing to look at. Okay. So, yeah. Okay. Do you want to count down? Three, two, one. Oh my gosh. Okay, so can I explain my rationality? Okay, so Normal People is an Irish novel, and it's following these two teens that are in their last year of high school, or I guess like A-levels, and then they're going to go to university. And we follow them in that span of time. And it's a lot about their connection. They have a really, really deep connection to one another. And their names are Connell and Marianne. And it's kind of like when you're with them, they are the entire world to each other. But then when they're outside around other people, like Connell is really self-conscious. And he keeps Marianne a secret from his friends, because he's like super popular, and all his friends are like kind of judgmental. And Marianne's seen more as like a snobby outcast, I guess you could say. What I love about the UK cover is that it puts them in a sardine can, and they're just hugging. And I feel like the symbolism of that, and how like when they're together, they are each other's entire world. And they're kind of like closing themselves off from everything else, and like covering their relationship up. But kind of like trying to reveal it, but it's like a metal can. And I just feel like there can be so much symbolism in that design. And I love how everything else is just empty space and empty color. But I do love the aesthetics and the design of the US cover as well. So this is a really tricky one. But I feel like the UK cover really captures the story, which is what makes it interesting having not read it, and then me having read it. Yeah, I mean from what you've explained, the illustration on the UK edition tells more about the story. I don't really get much from the faces on the US edition. I do like that they're different colors though, because I kind of feel like that shows maybe like their different personalities, or their different perspectives. Yeah, to be honest, I mainly just don't like the color on the UK edition. I still really like the aesthetic of the US one. Okay, interesting, very interesting. Okay, off to a good start. Next up, we have Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell. I have not... I started reading this book, and I didn't continue on because I wasn't really in the mood for it at the time. I have one of these editions. Yeah, this is a very easy decision. Okay, for me too. Even quicker than the previous one. Okay, ready? Yeah. Three, two, one. It's so beautiful. I'm such a sucker as well for navy blue and gold foil. Yeah, I was about to say, I really like the contrast between the... It's like a rich blue. Yeah, and I don't love like the scroll behind the title and the author's name. I had a feeling we would both agree on this one. Next up, this is a book that Leon has read and I have yet to read, and that is The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. I think I have an answer for this one already. I need a few more seconds. Okay, take all the time you need. Because like normal people, maybe you could explain like if one sort of symbolizes the novel. Yeah, what? You're taking a real close look. I'm just seeing what the little scenes are in the US edition. The US edition is very busy and slightly cluttered, but I also really like it. The UK one is nice, but it's definitely... I don't know, I feel like it doesn't... Okay, I think I've decided. Okay, ready? Yep. Three, two, one. Hey! Yeah, all these sort of different scenes going through the windows, I guess they are. Yeah. Are these supposed to be airplane windows? They do look like airplane windows. The book is about all the lives that this woman could have led. All the different paths that her life could have gone down. These illustrations in the windows are basically different variations of how her life could have turned out. Okay. Yeah, I love that. I think that's really cool. And I feel like you don't get as much from the UK cover. Like, is it supposed to be a library? I can't really tell. Is there a reason why it's like rainbow inside? Genuinely no idea. Also, like the... The eye? Yeah, the eye. It's like a candle? Yeah. Oh, because it's a midnight library, so it's like lighting it up? Maybe. And the cat, is there a reason? Is there a cat in the book? Yes. Okay. Next we have... I honestly... What's fun is I don't remember what the next one is. Okay, so next we have... Oh, okay. This is a book that neither of us have read. I've never heard of it. Don't really remember what it's about, but it's Weather, a novel by Jenny Offill. To be honest, I don't remember what it's about. But I feel like that's fun because you can just judge it for the cover design. I have a clear favorite. I think I've decided as well. Okay. Yeah, I can't say much about the illustrations in terms of their significance, but... Yeah, me either. I do prefer... I think it has something to do with weather. Yeah. And clouds. Yeah, I have a hunch. Yeah, I prefer the aesthetic of one of them. Okay, ready? Yep. Three, two... Oh wait, no, no, no, no. Oh, I was like, what on earth? Oh my god. I was gonna say, I was so expecting you to pick the US one. Yeah, the colors, the textures, and just the interesting composition. Right? Of the different illustrations. And then the UK one is just quite boring. I think it's a photo of the sky and then just a bunch of arrows. It looks very clip art-ish. Yeah. It looks like it's a stock image where I feel like the US cover really looks like a lot of thought and design work went into it. It's just a lot more interesting. Yeah. And I love the colors. And the type, the font of the title and the author and everything. Yeah. Okay, see, US is doing pretty good. Yeah, I think the US is beating the UK so far. Yeah. Definitely a biased selection. No, trust me, trust me. Okay, ready? Next we have... Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. This is another one where I have so many thoughts and I'm... You're already voting? Okay, well, I'll join you. Yeah. I specifically bought the whole Faber and Faber collection of Ishiguro's works because I love his books. I do really like the US cover, but I just feel like the UK cover symbolizes the title. There's a cassette tape that the main character plays and it's a song called Never Let Me Go. Right. And so I love that there's the cassette tape partially in shadow, partially in the light. And I love the composition. I have both editions actually in person because this is one of my favorite books of all time. And I still do. I just love the UK cover. They're beautiful. Yeah. What do you prefer? I do like the US edition. I'm just a sucker for the Faber and Faber series of Ishiguro. I want you to read it so badly. Oh my god. One day, one day. One day. Maybe in a few years. In a few years. A few? No. Okay. Next we have... Ooh, The Cat Who Saved Books, a novel by Suzuki Natsukawa. I actually want to read this book. I was just looking at it the other day and I was... This is what I do a lot. I go... I open two tabs. One Waterstones, one US Amazon or Barnes & Noble and I'll pick... I want to read this book. Which cover do I like more? And I'll try to decide. So I was actually looking into getting this book. I do know which one I like more. Do you know what it's about? The title kind of gives it away, but... Yeah. I believe it's about a young boy who grew up in a bookshop that his grandfather owned. And then his grandfather passed away. Something has to do with this cat comes into his life and the cat and he go around saving books. Okay. I'm quite torn. Really? Yeah. I have a very clear favorite. Okay. I think I've made my mind up. Okay. Three, two, one. I think the clouds are also gold foil or there's some gold foil on the cover. And I just think it's such an interesting composition. I love how the cat is like walking through the books and it's not directly facing us. I feel like the one on the left... It's really cute and it's sweet. And I like how it's just sitting on the book staring at you. But it's boring. It is a little boring. Yeah. I feel like just the one on the right is such a beautiful composition. I love the colors. Yeah. The UK one's nice, but less interesting. Yeah. Next up. Okay. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. Remember I showed this to you? Oh, you did mention this. Yeah. We went to Barnes & Noble the other day and I was telling you... You probably already know which one I prefer because I think I told you. Okay. Okay? Yeah. Three, two, one. What? Are you just doing this to surprise me? Yeah, I need to get the UK points. I think the US one feels cluttered in a way. Really? Just a lot of elements of it overlapping. Whereas the UK one is just a lot cleaner. And I like that the background is just plain off-white. And then you have the color from the title and the illustration popping out. I mean, the US one's okay. I think it's just too colorful for me. Too colorful? But the pinks and the yellows and the blues... Yeah, but you have the plain background. Okay. So it balances. Yeah, whereas the US is just color all over. I feel like what I like about the US one and what makes it feel less cluttered is the fact that all the shapes are very simple and they're just textured. There's not a ton of detail. It's just textured shapes. We both haven't read this book, but I've heard a lot about it and a lot of people love it. And it's about this woman who I think works in an aquarium or some kind of animal sanctuary. And she befriends the octopus, but the book is in the octopus's perspective. You know how much I love anthropomorphic animals, like when animals act human? But I kind of don't like that it's holding the cleaning products. I should say I also prefer the font on the UK edition. Really? I prefer the font on the US. We always agree. This is so interesting. The only thing I don't like about the US cover is that it has the read with Jen from, I think it's Good Morning America, the TV show. And I think they have a book club. And that sticker doesn't come off. It's printed on the book cover. And I hate when publishers do that. Okay, very interesting one. We should now read this and decide again. Yeah, maybe in a few years. Oh my gosh, March 2025. Leanne and I would always say whenever we would talk about a book that we wanted to read, but it wasn't super pressing. We would always be like, oh, we'll get to it in March of 2025. March of 2025 is going to come. Yeah, we're going to have all these books we need to read. Okay, the next one. We have A Love Story for Bewildered Girls by Emma Morgan. Me either. But I feel like what I love about deciding between these two is they're the exact same design, but different colors. Yeah, decided quite easily. Okay, me too. Ready? Yep. Three, two, one. A, very nice. Yeah. Why? I think it's just more legible and the colors are just nicer to look at. Absolutely, could not agree more. The UK one is just a bit hard to read and just kind of painful. Yeah, I agree. The US one is just soothing. I agree. Very good. Cool. Nice. Okay, next we have Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. This one, I have a lot of thoughts about. Do you mind if I share them with you? Go for it. Okay, so I have the US edition of this book and I didn't really love it when I bought it, but I really wanted to read the book at the time. Did I read the book? No, it is still sitting on my shelves unread. Then they came out, I think recently, if not recently, I just found this UK edition that I think is absolutely beautiful. I'm already voting. Okay, I will join you. Okay, I love the UK edition so much. I love the colors. I love the font. I love the composition. I also think, because I've seen the Studio Ghibli movie, that it just captures the story so beautifully. I really don't like the font on the US edition. The moving castle, that's not really how I picture it in my mind. Maybe because I picture it as the one in the Studio Ghibli movie, but so yeah, this is a clear winner for the UK for me. Also, the UK one has an appraisal from Neil Gaiman, so. Exactly. Have you seen Howl's Moving Castle? I haven't. Oh, it's so good. Yeah. Okay, we're adding it to the list. Next up, oh, Circe by Madeline Miller. Can you tell which one I like more? Okay, I'm voting already. I love the UK edition so much. Look at the cover. It's all gold foil. I will say the gold on the US edition is all gold foil, but look at the... Oh wait, they're different. I forgot. I didn't realize they're different. Okay, the bottom one. Oh, right. Is the one that I like a bit more. I do like the top one too. I meant to show, I think it's the bottom UK one is the one that I have. I think it might be a Waterstones exclusive edition, but it's so beautiful. Under the dust jacket, it's all gold foil. Oh wow. And then they also have amazing maps as well. I mean, is that not gorgeous? It's so pretty. It's not bad. Really? Oh, okay. I'm like, how on earth? I truly think this is one of the most beautiful books that I own. And it just perfectly captures the story. Yeah, yeah. It came out, I think around the time that I was still working at Barnes & Noble. And I remember getting so angry because I wanted to read the book so badly, but I didn't like the cover that we had. And I was like, I just want the UK edition. So I ended up ordering it. Well, let's pretend this wasn't an unfair showing. Okay. How is this unfair? We have like four images of the UK, one of the US, and we have a physical copy of the UK one. And the US one is nowhere to be seen. Sorry, I'm sorry. But I agree. Hey, unbiased, unbiased opinion. Okay. Yeah, we're good. Another very easy one. Do you want to? Yeah. The American edition makes me angry. Why? It looks like another stock image with a font that they didn't really think much about. And they put like random mathematical symbols on it. Whereas the UK edition, you have the three sparrows, which could symbolize the professor, the housekeeper, and her son. And then we have all the notes attached to the tree. Because the main character has short term memory, and he puts notes on his suits to remind him of different things that he needs to remember. And so I feel like it's just such a beautiful symbolic representation of the story. Yeah, I agree. I love it so much. I will say I don't think the symbols are entirely random. Maybe some of them are. But I know, wasn't there a part about E? Significance of E? Potentially. They're definitely Pi. Yeah. But I get what you mean. And the image looks like a stock. And it's one of the covers that's shiny. I also really like the whole line of, was it vintage? Yeah, vintage Japan. Yeah. Okay, see, UK is coming back. All right. Okay, this one is Miss Ice Sandwich by Meiko Kawakami. She is one of my favorite Japanese authors, but I have yet to read this book. I heard someone talking about it the other day, and I went to go look at it on Amazon. And I realized that the covers are quite different. And I was trying to decide which one I liked more. This is very interesting. Okay. They're both Pushkin Press, by the way, but one is UK, one is US. This is difficult. I'm leaning more towards one, but... Can I tell you what this story is about? At least what I know of it. So it's about this young boy. I think he's on the cusp of being a teen. I think he's 11 or 12. And he goes to the convenience store, and he has a crush on the woman in the convenience store who stocks the ice sandwiches. And it's about, I think, just him having a crush on her in his adolescence and growing up and having feelings for her. They give very different... Vibes? Vibes, yeah. One, two, three. Oh, interesting. Really, the only thing that I don't love about the UK cover is the circle where the author's name is. Okay. And I don't like how it's a bubble like that. But other than that, I do quite like it. But I kind of feel like I like the popsicles getting eaten. But I also feel like that's not an ice sandwich. So maybe I'm going to change my... You just convinced yourself into voting for the US one. I didn't say a single word. I'm not familiar with Japanese ice sandwiches, but... I mean, it's a sandwich. Yeah, I guess. And they freeze it? Or like... No idea. I think that's tomato. You mean tomato? Tomato. Tomato, lettuce, and cheese. That and was so southern. I don't know. I'm very conflicted. I think I am leaning towards the UK. Two votes for the UK. Next up, we have If Cats Disappeared From The World by Genki Kawamura. This is another one that I am very, very torn. Same. So this is about... I haven't read it. Leon hasn't read it. This is about a man who I think is about to die. It's like magical realism where he gets the choice to have one thing disappear from the world. If he can either live another day or live another year or something. I mean, I'm assuming a cat has something to do with his decision. Wait. I think this has been the hardest one so far. I know, I really honestly love both. Same. I could go either way, but I'm just gonna make a decision. Okay. All right. Three, two, one. You know what I love about it? I love the blue watercolor texture. I don't always love when there are people on the cover, but I love that it's like a back view. It's more of a narrative image. I do love the cat. I think that's a beautiful cover design and it's a beautiful cat. I do love the font on both of them. I think they're both really great compositions. I am gravitating towards the silent story on the cover of the US one. Yeah, I think you put it perfectly. Okay. I think this might be the last one. Ooh. Whoa. Okay, we have two UK and two US. I've never seen that second UK one, the pink one. What publisher? Potentially Vintage, because Vintage did the one all the way to the left. And I think these are their hard covers. This is very clear for, I think, both of us. Okay, should we vote and then talk? Okay. Three, two, one. Yeah. They're just so beautiful. I don't hate the one all the way to the right. I agree. I quite like that one, to be honest. I really don't like the... The US one on the left. The US one on the left, yes. Yeah. It doesn't give you anything. Like, I love the UK editions. And I love the new pink one, the hard cover. I feel like the illustration, the colors, so pretty. What do you think? We've both read this book. This is one of Leon's favorite books. I agree with you. I like the simplicity of the red one. I like the font. And then the illustration is also interesting. Maybe you can't get much from it before reading the book. But at least it looks very nice. And then once you've read the book, you can attempt to decipher the illustration. I think there are multiple interpretations. I think one would probably be that those are like trees with shadows indicating the woods. The Norwegian wood. Even though it's... Well, it's a song, but... And the story isn't set in... Norway. But then you could also see it as some of the characters going in opposite directions. Like the legs and shoes and feet. And then what do you think about the pink one? It's cool. And I think this, just the lower pink part, wraps around it and then you uncover it and it's more of the illustration. That is cool. I think that's it. That's it. Yeah. You also did a good job. Thank you. Designing. Thank you. Our little flag cards. Oh, mine's backwards. Thank you very much. Did it confirm anything for you? This did two things. Okay. It confirmed that UK covers are better than US covers overall. But it also showed me that there are some decent US covers. I agree. That they're not all... Terrible. I have been of the opinion... I didn't want to be so harsh. Maybe someone illustrated one of these. I know. I have been of the opinion that UK covers are better than US covers for years. But I have noticed as of late that there have been some really, really great... And there are currently really, really great US covers being designed. Yeah. I'd be curious to hear what everyone else thinks between these different editions. Yeah. Definitely vote down below so that we can see what you think as well. This was fun. I want to do a part two. Thank you guys so much for watching. We really hope that you enjoyed. Would you like to say it with me? Happy reading.