While I work on an epic post-ALA post, I found two interesting cover trends I thought I’d share. Both are sort of water related.

First up, let’s talk sea glass hearts:

Everything Beautiful by Simmone Howell — This one came out in 2008 and this particular cover is not the American, but the original Australian one. I like it much more than the American one, which you can see here.

Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler — This 2009 book reminded me a lot of Jenny Han’s Summer I Turned Pretty.

But I Love Him by Amanda Grace — A forthcoming 2011 title from Flux that’s supposed to be quite edgy.

I actually like how the covers work on all of them, but I particularly like the color contrasts on the last one. The yellows against the black really pops.

The second cover trend I picked up on was the girl submerged in water trend. Check this one out:

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma — Penguin was pushing this one hard at the conference and it looks excellent. Not to get all cover lovey, but the title on the advanced copy is even raised so it has a nice feel to it, too. This is a summer 2011 title.

Displacement by Thalia Chaltas — For those of you who don’t remember, this is the author of Because I Am Furniture, which I reviewed back in the day here. I loved the verse and am so eager to read her newest. This is a summer 2011 title.

Would You by Marthe Jocelyn — This 2008 title was the first I can think of with this sort of image to it.

A Blue So Dark by Holly Schindler — This 2010 title has a really fitting cover for a book about depression. *Bonus: She reads and reads points out that this particular cover is a lookalike to two other books. Thanks for the heads up . . . or would that be heads under?

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodgin — This one, admittedly, has a male on it, too.

I was going to add Lurlene McDaniels’s Breathless to this, but when I looked at it again, it was actually a guy submerged. Of these covers, I like the first and second best, but they’re for different reasons. I love the multiple-sensory experience (yes, experience) of Imaginary Girls but I really dig the yellow on Displacement. I know, though, there is another girl under water cover. If anyone shares it in the comments, I’ll post it up.

Thoughts? Other similar covers?