The 52 Book Club: 2025 Challenge discussion

17. A Book Picked Based On Its Spine


Instead of picking a book by its cover, this prompt is all about picking a book by its spine! Stroll the library or your local bookstore and see what pops out at you. This could also be a great opportunity to finally finish a book from your own bookshelf, or to scope out what reads are on a friend’s bookshelf too.

This prompt is all about personal preference, so what sort of spines stand out to you? Is it a certain color or font type? Graphics or none? Thick books or skinny ones, the options are endless! And remember, just because we’re picking a book based on its spine, it doesn’t mean that we have to read a physical copy. Once you’ve picked your book, feel free to read or listen to it in any format!

Check out our Goodreads List for examples

I picked Raspberries on the Yangtze. the book has a delicious looking raspberry on spine but also an S&S logo at bottom. by Karen Wallace

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust

I chose Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas for this book

The Bear and the Nightingale. Been on my TBR for a while and I love the wrap cover of the dark, snowy forest.

I read Monstrous Heart by Claire McKenna, 2 Stars

I read The Chicken Sisters by KJ Dell ‘Antonia, chosen because of it’s bright yellow spine, and intriguing title.

I pulled Amélie Nothomb's Le Crime du comte Neville off my local Amnesty International bookstore's French-language shelf because I'd seen Nothomb recced so much on GR and insta.

I read Goddess of Filth. It has a spine on the spine of the book.

I read The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins for this. I had picked up the book awhile back but was perusing my bookshelf and this spine caught my eye. Would recommend.

I read The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren! I love a good tropical spine! 🤩

I selected Dear Child by Romy Haussmann.

Robert Kroetsch, The Studhorse Man -- it has a lovely lilac purple spine /cover with the author's last name and title down the spine in yellow and pink!

Dancing at the Pity Party

With a title like Code Name Badass: The True Story Of Virginia Hall on the spine, how can I resist?

The Yiddish Policemen's Union - Michael Chabon

I read Stargazing for Beginners by Jenny McLachlan because the spine was a golden color and I thought it was really pretty! It ended up being a YA book which is fine with me and I was able to pass it along to my teenage daughter! It was a super cute read!

I read The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick.

The Bookshop of the Broken Hearted by Robert Hillman https://cdnbookworm.blogspot.com/2022...

I read Stay with Me by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀. I liked the colors from the spine view.

I read Mr. Penumbra’s 24-hour bookstore. The spine glows in the dark!

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner . Picked up more for the cover than the spine.

I read "My Seven Black Fathers: The Men Who Made Me Whole” by Will Jawando

I read The Ten Thousand Doors of January, beautiful spine. I also used it for the Summer Genre Challenge-Fantasy.

"Ways to Disappear" by Idra Novey. By the way, it fits in Bilingual Characters, too, if you are looking for an excellent title for that category!

RaLynn wrote: "I read Mr. Penumbra’s 24-hour bookstore. The spine glows in the dark!"

That is so cool!

The Ashes of London.

I did Reckless Girls. I read this book a while ago but it has a pretty spine. It was a nice mystery with a good setting

Midnight at the Blackbird Café

Beautiful spine and cover.

I ... don't know if I've ever picked a book based solely on its spine ... but I did pick this one based on the *title* on its spine! I read "Remember," by Lisa Genova. Interesting insights into how our brains work.

Q by Christina Dalcher, ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I read On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden.
It's a 500+ page YA Sci-Fi LGBTQIA+ Romance graphic novel with a thick, beautiful spine.

I read Jo & Laurie by Margaret Stohl. This book's spine has a nice, old-fashioned style that immediately caught my eye.

"How Not to Fall in Love" by Jacqueline Firkins