Cover Lust: Classic Covers and Sentimental Favorites

I thought I'd take a different approach to Cover Lust this week and peruse old books. Books whose covers are utterly timeless or books whose covers remind me of the story within.

For example, Catch-22—a book I have read so much, the pages are barely attached to the spine and almost every other sentence is underlined. The cover is both eye-catching to a modern reader and heart-warming (at least to me).

The same for Slaughterhouse-Five, a book I first discovered in high school and still quote regularly. Just seeing those bold colors, and I get a little thrill. If you've never read Vonnegut, you should. You absolutely must, in fact.

And this book goes straight to my heart. I adored Nancy Drew growing up—I mean, I literally read all 56 original books (yes, I still remember how many there were) over the course of my 3rd grade summer break. Just a glance at one of these covers, and I feel 100% invincible ('cos admit it: Nancy was The Master) and 100% adventurous (I mean, Nancy and crew got to go everywhere). Plus, a single glance at the cover, and I can tell you vaguely what it's about. For example, The Spider Sapphire Mystery took Nancy to Africa, and I distinctly recall she and swoon-worthy Ned getting a furious rash after touching a poison suitcase. Oh, the intrigue!

But once I grew out of Nancy Drew, I moved onto the gothic mysteries of Mary Stewart. From Greece in The Moonspinners to France in Nine Coaches Waiting, Mary Stewart featured kick-butt heroines, sexy male leads, and a whole lot of mystery. But my favorite still remains The Moonspinners. That Mark was just too sexy—even to my 14-year-old self.

Finally, the book covers that really set my heart on fire—but literally hold NO modern appeal (because seriously, she's wearing neon spandex and atop a neon dragon on a neon sky. It's a lot of neon)—are the covers for The Dragonriders of Pern series.

I. Loved. These. Books.

I still love these books. No other world has EVER made me want to give up my entire life as much as Pern. I would still trade this ol' world for a shot at being a dragonrider or a Harper or a dolphin rider or anything in Pern.

What about you? What covers do you think have timeless appeal? Or what covers instantly make you feel warm and fuzzy inside?