Books I’ve Read With Birds On The Cover

Hello everyone,

I recently decided that I should think of more ways to be creative with my blog posts, and the best way of doing that is lists! Every book blogger loves a list, right?!

When I really started to think about it, there are endless possibilities. Hence this post. I took a quick glance at my bookcase and suddenly wondered, how many books have I read which contain a bird on the front cover? A random thought perhaps, but a nice idea for a fun blog post.

The answer by the way is eight, and here they all are!

Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman
For me, this is the most beautiful cover on this list, not least because of the magpie which is perched on the title and takes centre stage. This book does actually contain a magpie called Hermes, who is kept as a pet by the main character. I read this one earlier this year and while the plot was not always perfect, the writing was phenomenal.

Blood Of The Lost Kingdom by Kristin Ward
Mythical birds count too! This is the second book in the Daughter Of Erabel trilogy, which I read early in 2022. The series is largely inspired by Irish folklore and I love the atmosphere and celebration of nature which is a regular feature of Kristin Ward’s novels.


The Woman In The Painting by Kerry Postle
The birds on this front cover are just mere decoration within the gorgeous Italian backdrop. I really enjoyed this story, which is told from the fascinating perspective of Pietro, one of Raphael’s apprentices. It features a forbidden romance and is very character driven while allowing you to fully immerse yourself in its Renaissance Italy setting.

The Once And Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
A blackbird holds a pair of handcuffs from its bill on the cover of this simply magnificent book, which is one of the outstanding reads I have had in the past few years. It was extraordinarily rich with detail and I loved every little detail of the story, from the magic, to the fairytales, to the superbly realised characters.

The Glass Woman by Caroline Lea
This cover does a wonderful job of capturing the often dark an eerie atmosphere of this story, which is set in Medieval Iceland and always carries a sense of menace and foreboding. I love how as the bird flies, the vortex of branches simultaneously looks like both a tree and a giant nest.

We Watch You by NS Ford

The birds on this cover simply characterise the menace that is present throughout this book, which contains several different modes of storytelling. They are a perfect metaphor for oncoming danger and the image of them circling in the sky represents quite a haunting scene.

Six Of Crows and Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
Undoubtedly the most famous books on this list, crows are synonymous with this duology, providing a striking symbolism. I love how the image of the crow on both covers is used to create shapes and also reflect the atmosphere and intensity the story contains.

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Let’s Chat

What are your favourite books with birds on the cover? Have you read any of these books? Let me know in the comments!

Happy reading 🙂

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