USA vs UK book covers: who designs them better? (part 2) Feat. my British husband!

[@avipsha3922]

Am I the only one who LOVES the UK cover for Small Things Like These much more? 😭

[@DancingBats]

I agree! It’s so much nicer 😍

[@denisefreitas6727]

I agree with you.

[@falan307]

I love the UK one hands down.

[@jaye6446]

I also preferred the UK cover but after finishing the book literally 5 HOURS AGO, I feel the US cover does more accurately capture the mood of the book and now I enjoy both covers equally

[@sindhuraj6600]

I love UK cover for Small Things Like These

[@huangqiuyi9003]

Just a fun fact, the cover for UK version small things like this is a cut from a famous painting ( the hunters in the snow - Pieter Bruegel the Elder). I absolutely adore the painting for its homecoming in a cold winter feeling. I feel it’s a bit like the ending of the book. So UK this round for me😊

[@nubutor]

Wow thats crazy! To think the author used a world famous painting as a cover. wow

[@Jane4077]

My parents had that painting on their wall at home so for sentimental reasons I would also go with the UK version.

[@itsrox9339]

19:33 the way Leon was so relieved that you picked the UK version too 🤣🤣 his life flashed before his eyes.

[@LiliGrosserova]

I have the Vintage Earth edition of the Overstory and it's so much better than the original UK/USA version. Also, one of my favourite books ever!

[@silverplim]

You guys are literally the sweetest 🥹🥹🥹🥹

[@rachell773]

curling up with my orange cat to watch this video 💕 love you carolyn!!

[@CarolynMarieReads]

Aww love you (and your orange cat) too 🤍

[@bacyna]

I think when Carolyn read the blue sisters she will change her mind . The one sister on the cover makes sense...

[@CarolynMarieReads]

Ooo intriguing!

[@itsrox9339]

Agree! The UK cover is stunning and makes sense. This was one of my favorite reads of 2024!

[@bacyna]

@@itsrox9339 yes yes 🌸

[@denisefreitas6727]

I often prefer the UK covers, but i loved both covers of "The Kamogawa Detectives". Love you, guys! Keep making videos together! ♥️♥️☺️😉

[@Sarahac8]

Hello! I'm a US-based book cover designer so this is such a fun video! I'm going to add my thoughts, too! 1. Small Things Like These-US (I just love the woodblock printmaking style. It's bleak and beautiful just like the story). 2. The City and Its Uncertain Walls-US (I guess I'm alone here but I love the US cover!! It's whimsical and mysterious) 3. Blue Sisters-no preference here. Maybe slightly the US just because it shows four beautiful paintings instead of just one. 4. Intermezzo-this one is sooo hard!! Grace Han (US designer) did a BEAUTIFUL job and so did Kishan Rajani for the UK cover! I'm going with US because I slightly prefer the type choices 5. The Overstory-US (This is an iconic cover) 6. Babel-UK (the type treatment with the illuminated manuscript style letters *chef's kiss*) 7. In Memoriam-no preference, both beautiful! 8. The Komogawa Food Detectives-US 9. There There-UK 10. The Heart of a Dog-UK 11. The Flat Share-US (I prefer the illustration and the way the cover is divided. Good composition) 12. The Bear and the Nightingale-UK (the illustrations remind me of Russian/folklore style art. So lovely!) 13. Moominland Midwinter-UK 14. Grand Central Station-US

[@marshacasner1800]

Love this series sooooo much. Love all the different covers.

[@booklady8888]

Very cute video. Below are my picks. 1-usa, 2-uk, 3-usa 4-uk, 5-uk, 6-usa, 7-uk,8-usa, 9-usa, 10-usa 11-usa, 12-usa, 13-uk, 14-usa, Enjoy your day and happy reading 📚 😊

[@ohanaarmy2506]

I found my votes same as Leon except for babel book, I read the book and the silver touch made more sense for me as what the book is about, exactly as Carolyn said the ripped paper, the vertical title... it matches the story perfectly. btw highly recommended enjoy it!

[@Victoria-kl7su]

I like the 2nd cover for Babel but only if it is a whimsical, magical fantasy book, if it is more serious than that then the first cover - that’s why it matters to me whether I’ve read the book or not - some covers are more aesthetically pleasing and some are a better fit for the story

[@ohanaarmy2506]

@Victoria-kl7su great point and actually it is! But I can’t say it's purely fantasy cause I founded more to dark academia genre. It has the magical Silver bars which is also lead me to the first cover. Don't want to spoile but read it and you will understand me😂

[@rachitgupta1819]

I'm so excited to see your new video!! It came out just in time for dinner, perfect timing 🥹🫶🏻

[@CarolynMarieReads]

Wonderful! I hope you enjoy both your meal and the video ☺️

[@Hannah-fi2by]

I really enjoy these videos! I often prefer UK covers, so this direct comparison was vey interesting to watch. Small things like these by Claire Keegan - USA The City and its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami - UK Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors - UK Intermezzo by Sally Rooney - USA (I really love this cover! Might be biased though because my favourite colour is yellow..) The Overstory by Richard Powers - USA Babel by R.F. Kuang - USA (I own the US edition, though I do love the foiling on the UK one!) In Memoriam by Alice Winn - USA The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai - UK (even though the cat on the USA one is adorable!) There There by Tommy Orange -UK The Heart of a Dog by Mikhail Bulgakov - UK (The US cover is a little unsettling..) The Flat Share by Beth O’Leary - USA (Love the colours) The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden - USA (Have read it and think the US cover represents the story better. Also I looove the font) Moominland Midwinter by Tove Jansson - UK By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept by Elizabeth Smart - UK (I hate the circle around the title but like having the picture, however I can’t get over the circle, so UK) 7 UK 7 USA I’m surprised. I thought I’d like the UK covers more.

[@judytombaugh2990]

Loved this video and agreed with Carolyn on all but 1

[@munirafatima3414]

I love watching these videos because I am consuming bookish content but not necessarily increasing the number of books that I need to read 😅 You both are super cute ❤

[@hmm6411]

I love the photo on the wall. Thanks for the video.

[@jamgart]

I think with the first book. I love the image on the uk one but absolutely hate the font and the way the title is so tiny but the author name is massive. So, I’d vote for the us one as well 😊

[@vanessalaughtland4417]

1 - UK (although I agree with the comments on the US one) 2 - UK 3 - UK 4 - UK (entirely colour scheme) 5 - US 6 - UK (I prefer silver to gold and like the vertical layout) 7 - US 8 - US (colour scheme again) 9 - UK 10 - UK (but I dislike both ahha) 11 - UK 12 - US 13 - UK 14 - US

[@mariaplesar]

aaaaaaaaaah I love your videos so much!!!❤❤❤❤❤

[@hej.anneli]

Yay, a second part in this series

[@carolrodenbeck2381]

This was fun!! Good points and reasoning by you both but USA won my tally in the end. Please do more of these comparisons.

[@mariasmiles68]

I went to an author event for J. Ryan Stradel and he was asked what book he would recommend, and it was The Kamogawa Food Detectives. I think you both had good arguments for the covers you chose.

[@deborahlee7496]

love this seriessss

[@CarolynMarieReads]

So glad ☺️

[@__loveball]

“you do what you do best!” “talk?!” 😂😂 love hearing you talk Carolyn!

[@shannonhughes8488]

In Memoriam is soooo good you need to read it!

[@alyssaeden6977]

Love this series!!! I may have missed this somewhere, but I’m so curious to know how you both met!

[@candyhyojung1860]

here are my picks for each one:) 1. small things like these - uk (the painting just feels a lot more wintery to me and nostalgic whereas the us one feels too christmassy. i haven't read it and ik it is set in the lead up to christmas but still) 2. The City and Its Uncertain Walls - uk (it's just much more aesthetically pleasing) 3. Blue Sisters - they're both pretty similar so i don't mind. the uk one feels more sadgirl litfic. and the us one has a model on who used to be very heavily used in aesthetics and fancasts for blue sargent from the raven cycle so it just tickles me seeing her on a book with blue in the title. 4. Intermezzo - uk (love that one. the us one i really hate the yellow and it feels too busy and i don't like the look of the chess pieces from above or the chess board as the whole cover. if it was only like a bit in the middle of the cover i think i would like it more. but the blue and the framing on the uk one is just too good) 5. The Overstory - uk (i just like the perspective a lot) 6. Babel - uk (i've not read it but i know a lot about it and i love the symbolism with the silver and the tower being like torn out of the landscape (although the illustration is on the back lol) and i don't like the font on the us) 7. In Memoriam - uk (now.. i love the us one but i don't think it represents the book at all!! i love this book and it does have a hopeful, positive ending but most of the book is quite dark and focused on the war and how it changes them and their relationship. and i think the us cover makes it seem more like a post-war brideshead revisted type like recovering from the war and moving on to better hopeful days and the partying and decadance of the 20s. so it's beautiful but it doesn't fit at all) 8. The Komogawa Food Detectives - us (but this one is hard. i really love the colours of the us and i prefer the cat it's so cute! but the uk one feels a lot more like a japanese lit book to me like very reminiscent of the cat who saved books and all those ones. so it feels more appropriate and marketed better but i just love the green and orange and the cat in the bowl of the us) 9. There There - us (just much cleaner) 10. The Heart of a Dog - uk (goofy but not scary) 11. The Flat Share - us (feels more representative of the book) 12. The Bear and the Nightingale - us (i like both but the us gives me a much more winter fantasy folklore vibe with the house and the light shining into the snow) 13. Moominland Midwinter - uk (much more detailed and i love the blue. the us one is quite bare) 14. Grand Central Station - us (don't like the uk colour scheme and the us one puts you much more in the story) uk 8 us 6 loved hearing all your commentary too and where we agree and don't:)

[@jamesduggan7200]

In the abstract the UK's Murakami has the great color coordination but doesn't offer any story while the USA edition stands out immediately as a couple walking hand-in-hand thru time, which I like a lot.

[@Victoria-kl7su]

I think the cover you prefer also depends upon whether you have read the book or if you were buying it to read. For instance, ‘Small things like these’ - the U.K cover is far more beautiful and interesting to me but if you have read the book then the US cover seems more fitting so maybe the test is to only rate books you have read or books you haven’t read rather than to mix them in the same video. I think if you are buying blind then you are much more likely to go for aesthetically pleasing so cover design, if you have read it there’s a far greater thought process behind the choice - does that make sense?

[@aeonism]

playing along with yall but i have like 0 art/design background so im just talking out of my ass 😮‍💨 1. small things like these - us (has a more coherent visual message + not a fan of the larger author name design of the uk one) 2. the city and all its uncertain walls - uk (i just don't like the font of the us one like im sorry thats all it takes for me) 3. blue sisters - uk.. or is it (i dnf'ed this at 30% but i think the uk one has the more fitting vibe. However! i preferred the us cover while reading as it helped me visualize all the sisters better) 4. intermezzo - uk (was vehemently against the yellow for the longest time but i think i'm warming up to it now. uk one is still more striking to me though) 5. the overstory - us (im sorry the uk one isnt giving anything) 6. babel - uk (basing this on how connected it is to the story) 7. in memoriam - us (echoing all ur comments) 8. the kanagawa food detectives - us (i prefer the composition of the uk one too but... the cat is cuter in the us one) 9. there there - uk (i actually dig how visually busy it is. the us one looks very academic nonfiction to me) 10. the heart of a dog - us (chose this solely through the process of imagining which cover i'd rather pick up on my shelf if i had either) 11. the flat share - us (i dig the layout + the colors are so much cuter in the us cover) 12. the bear and the nightingale - uk (i hate how compressed all the text feels in the us one, though i agree it's much more immersive) 13. moominland midwinter - ? (i actually cant choose, both of them look equally cute to me.. though maybe i'm just a purple lover) 14. by grand central station i sat down and wept - us (probably my least favorite batch. cant stand the title design choice of us cover but i'm willing to forget it exists and just stare at the image)

[@bimurtyaganguli6442]

1. USA (same reason) 2. UK (same reason) 3. UK (much more fill the frame with one pic. The font of the title has letters of same height) 4. UK (same reason. Less busy) 5. USA (colour palette, smaller symmetrical fonts, piral with texts centred aligned) 6. UK (more clear font positioning. Centre vertical arrangement. The orientation of the text is similar to that of the towers. Less busy) 7. Neither but UK (better colour composition, more geometry) 8. UK (much better font positioning and less busy) 9. Neither but UK. (USA's colour is too vibrant for me) 10. UK (same reason) 11. UK (colour palette and minimal colour composition) 12. UK (same reason) 13. UK (same reason) 14. USA (more context)

[@jayare6691]

for some reason I like the US cover for heart of a dog so much more I was surprised the UK one was the favorite lol

[@TheLinguistsLibrary]

Love this series!

[@larrymarshall9454]

To me, the UK has won this battle for a long time. I so miss being able to buy from Book Depository and, in part, for this reason.

[@AllyEmReads]

Okay with Grand Central, for some reason I just cannot read the UK cover. When the picture first came up I couldn't figure out what book it was because the font is just too curly for me lol

[@simelly_6813]

Without going too much into spoiler territory, the UK cover of Babel fits the story way better in my opinion. The "language" is the tower itself, which is a very important theme within the story. Something you may not realise or notice if you haven't read the book.

[@hopedavis285]

Hi! I love videos like this! Just so you know, there’s a special US edition of intermezzo that is orange.

[@PatrikOrjes]

My favorites out of these are definitely Small Things Like These, Babel and Moominland Midwinter. I have a hard time choosing between the UK and USA cover for both Small Thing Like These and Babel but the UK cover for Moominland Midwinter was an easy choice since it's so beautiful.

[@melindaforry644]

I would say I normally like UK covers better. But this round I only liked 4 UK over US. They are: The City and It’s Unwritten Walls (no contest IMO), The Kamogawa Food Detectives (just looks more “mystery” to me vs US more cutesy), The Heart of A Dog (again, no contest) and Noominland. Love these videos 😊

[@Katt_Dubbs]

1: US 2: UK 3: UK 4: UK (I thought the same thing about the blue on the checker board!) 5: US 6: US 7: US 8: US 9: UK 10: UK 11: US 12: US (It is a much better narrative image) 13: UK 14: US

[@martinadevita8342]

- Small things like these: UK (because it gives me more the feeling of warmth I experienced reading it), but I like both - The city and its uncertain walls: UK - Blue sisters: USA, I prefer the four sisters in the cover - Intermezzo: both absolutely beautiful, but the blue one represents better the feelings the book gives - The Overstory: USA, absolutely - Babel: UK - In Memoriam: USA (it's gorgeousss and already tragic) - The Kamogawa Food Detectives: USA - There There: UK, because it reminds me of blood and it suits better the story and the voice of the narrator - The Heart of a Dog: UK, absolutely - The Flat share: USA, more original - The Bear and the Nightingale, UK - Mooninland Midwinter: UK, absolutely - By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept: USA

[@malissamoench8587]

"I found myself voting for the US a lot more than I thought." [Cutting out Leon saying he voted for the US more that he would've LIKED.] 😆

[@kurlykaitlyn]

Love this video!!

[@AngelGail8]

I love how USA brings out larger format paperbacks, in the UK we have to pay for hardbacks and they're so bulky. We have to wait up to a year for a paperback version.

[@Mortelle.0]

I love you two so much

[@circleofleaves2676]

I played along with you and I ended with a tie, 7-all.

[@theajohonnett7356]

Although I still think the US cover of the Overstory is best I don't think that that UK cover is the most common one. It's normally a more angled picture of a tree with a spine patterned like tree rings

[@myhandle321]

awww .. you guys are so lovely!! dont get disappeared 😁

[@ilmict]

Hi! If you like Russian classics, then I strongly advise you to read "12 chairs" by Ilf and Petrov. It's not exactly a classic, because the book was written in the 20th century, but it's still wonderful. It would be interesting to hear your opinion about this story

[@banglanovel]

Love all

[@victoriacollis1934]

UK 5 US 9 for me!

[@bananapeel892]

I think if you did more fantasy or sci fi books, the UK would easily win. I live in the US, and some of those covers are atrocious. Like the Discworld books. It seems like it’s getting a lot better, but even then the UK versions tend to be better.

[@6891x]

Why after the 3rd cover both have 4 points, shouldn't it be 3...

[@adriatic_alice1071]

As a swede, the US version of Moomin is an ABOMINATION.

[@konstantina09]

Call me silly, but the US cover of Intermezzo reminds me more of Murakami than the US cover of his new book 😅😅

[@myweakness1883]

It's interesting, so do all books have only one cover in each of the countries? Or did you have to choose the most popular for this video? Here where I'm from there are often SO MANY different covers of the same book, and I don't even mean special editions, just lots of publishing houses having different cover designs Makes book shopping much more difficult 🤣

[@NelsonChan]

I think usually hardcover and paperback of the same book have different covers, and some older book may have different covers for newer editions.

[@zinaberger8211]

My sister brought the us babel edition

[@MichelleP-t7o]

2. Usa

[@laura_npeace]

Wait, she is married???!!! 😲 I thought she was like 17 or something like that 🙃

[@MichelleP-t7o]

1. UK

[@MichelleP-t7o]

Never even heard of this

[@kimbarbeaureads]

US UK UK - Just because I like the girl's face better UK - I don't like yellow covers US - The UK looks like a hiking guide UK Neither, but the US looks like the story. The UK looks like a James Bond story Both, but the UK colors are better. Neither - The UK is hard to read and the US is too orange Neither, but the UK is less horrible. The nose on the wolf/dog is drawn weirdly. US - the colors are better UK - I like the Nightingale and the flower. US - The Moomins are cute, but I agree with everything you said about the UK US - It looks sad and the title is sad. UK wins by a nose

[@c_r_i_ss_y]

I’ve been paying so much attention to design cover as of late. Thanks to you two!! And I love learning about design work and illustrators. 🩶

[@Hadas4237]

I was sure you meant the usa cover when talking about heart of a dog, i hate the uk edition-- No hate to you two ofc just very different taste lol

[@MichelleP-t7o]

3. Neither or both. No opinion

[@marianacaffaro]

“The kamogawa food detectives” is boring, superficial and too simple