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review: rooftops of tehran

book info: on sale: now copy from: public library pages: 348 review written: 21.12.17 originally published: 2009 edition read: Penguin NAL 2009 title: Rooftops of Tehran author: Mahbod Seraji In a middle-class neighborhood of Iran's sprawling capital city, 17-year-old Pasha Shahed spends the summer of 1973 on his rooftop with his best friend Ahmed, joking around one minute and asking burning questions about life the next. He also hides a secret love for his beautiful neighbor Zari, who has been betrothed since birth to another man. But the bliss of Pasha and Zari's stolen time together is shattered when Pasha unwittingly acts as a beacon for the Shah's secret police. The violent consequences awaken him to the reality of living under a powerful despot, and lead Zari to make a shocking choice... my thoughts: This book was first published in 2009 and I remember adding it to my list around that time but never actually reading it since I preferred checking out library books to ...

The Secret

Who Wore it Better: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Mass

Who Wore it Better is an original meme I brought with me from Drugs Called Books. In it, instead of discussing fashion or cloths, we discuss book covers from different countries, and who has the best cover. The meme is co-hosted with the lovely Amanda and Stacie from Beautiful Bookish Butterflies and will be featured on her blog every other week, so check her out as well!  

This week we're taking a look at Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. I haven't read this one yet, but anybody who's anybody has and it's high on my list. I'm surprised by how few covers this book has (so far). I've actually brought you all (but one) the covers available on GR, and yes - it's only six! Shocking.
Unlike normally, I'm burrowing Amada's style and ranking them rather than just listing them in natural order.
#1 - UK/US - So, yeah. Technically, these are two different covers. But they are the exact same image, one with a light background and the other with a dark background. And I have a hard time deciding between the two. It's handsdown the best cover for this book, but one plays on the darkness I assume the book deals with (assassins!) and the other gives Celaena this frigid, cold, icy dominor which I also assume an assassin will have to master to do her job well.

#2: Dutch -  In terms of photoshop technique, #3 is probably better done. But I was completely won over by the colors of this cover, and Celaena looks so badass. She looks like an assassin, coming to avenge.. something.

#3: Original English hardcover: I was really conflicted on where to number this cover. Aesthetically, it's really pretty. I'm not ashamed to admit that's what initially attracted me to the book, before I realized it was way popular. But... it doesn't really have much, does it? She doesn't look like a kickass assassin, blade strapped to her arm or not. It all looks a little too serene.

#4: German - I pretty much hate this cover. Celaena kind of looks like a dude. There's nothing in it, for me. Most of the cover is just so darn boring, and the illustration is not even half good enough to make up for that.

#5: Romanian - This one is pretty bad, but not as bad as number 6. I think it's badly photoshopped. The face looks way off, and I think of the Ice Queen a lot more than deadly assassin when I look at it. And faeries, I get a faeries vibe.

#6: Spanish - What... what is this cover supposed to be? Is there meant to be anything appealing about this grey thing on this completely black background? Is there supposed to be anything to make me want to read this book here? Because is so, the publishers need to get a clue. Pronto. 

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