I’ve seen a cover trend over the last few years I really like. These books would look really neat together on a display, especially with appropriate props, when they’re all available. They’re a mix of adult and young adult, but they have one thing in common: cassette tapes. They’re visually appealing, and the way the tapes themselves have been incorporated into the cover varies enough they don’t at all look like double takes. I also appreciate none of these books are historical novels. At least for me, there’s not really a feeling of nostalgia in the covers, either.

When I was compiling these, I thought there might be a couple more out there. If you can think of what those might be, drop a comment and I’ll add them. All descriptions come from WorldCat.

Supergirl Mixtapes by Meagan Brothers (April 24, 2012): Sixteen-year-old Maria leaves her father and grandmother in Red Hill, South Carolina, to live with her mother, an artist who lives with her young boyfriend in a tiny apartment in Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

Greyhound by Steffan Piper: When Sebastien Rane’s mother can’t be bothered to take care of him, she sends him to his grandmother’s across the country on a Greyhound bus. I’ve read and reviewed this one.

Love is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield: A memoir, in which, Rob Sheffield, a veteran rock and pop culture critic and staff writer for “Rolling Stone” magazine, tells the story of his musical coming of age, and how rock music, the first love of his life, led him to his second, a girl named Renee.

Talking to Girls about Duran Duran by Rob Sheffield: Sheffield gets two books on this list. When he turned 13 in 1980, Sheffield had a lot to learn about women, love, music and himself, and here he offers a glimpse into his transformation from pasty, geeky “hermit boy” into a young man with his first girlfriend, his first apartment, and a sense of the world. It’s all here: Inept flirtations. Dumb crushes. Deplorable fashion choices. Members Only jackets. Girls, every last one of whom seems to be madly in love with the bassist of Duran Duran. Sheffield’s coming-of-age story has a playlist that any child of the eighties or anyone who just loves music will sing along with. These songs–and Sheffield’s writing–will remind readers of that first kiss, that first car, and the moments that shaped their lives.

Maybe that one is a bit more nostalgic than the others in terms of content, but I don’t get it from the cover.

Way to Go by Tom Ryan (Spring 2012, Orca books): I couldn’t find this one up at WorldCat yet, so I’ll just go ahead and direct you to Tom’s website for the lengthier description. I think of all the cassette tape covers, this one is my favorite. I love the lime green and how vibrant a feel it has. This one stands out on a shelf without a problem. (After I posted this, Tom got in touch with me to say the cover changed a little bit — you can check out the amended cover here. Same cassette tape, different title font).

Even though these aren’t all YA or all adult covers, these are books that’ll work with either audience, particularly because of the music tie-ins. It’s interesting, too, they’re all illustrations, rather than stock images (though arguably the Brothers title isn’t, but the writing on it sure is).

Can you think of any others to add with a cassette tape on the cover?