[Note from Frolic: We’re so excited to have author Marie Bostwick guest posting on the site today. She’s sharing some awesome paint swatch and book pairings. Take it away, Marie!]
Despite the old admonition to never judge a book by its cover, every booklover I’ve ever met does so from time to time.
And why not?
A gorgeous book cover piques our curiosity, tempting us to turn that first page to see what’s inside. It’s like an illustrated invitation to an adventure of the mind, and a lovely little work of art all by itself.
If you love books like I do, sometimes you’d almost like to jump right into one of gorgeous, lusciously-hued book jackets and live there. And you can, in a sense.
Here are 10 paint swatch pairings for some of my favorite new or soon to be released books to spark your imagination and inspire your next home decorating project.
The Restoration of Celia Fairchild by Marie Bostwick
Paired with Benjamin Moore 334 (Limon) and 796 (Nova Scotia Blue)
Yes, indeed, I’m starting off with my own new book. How could I not?
I am utterly in love with Celia Fairchild, a wise and funny syndicated advice columnist who has exceptional insight into everybody’s problems except her own and is in desperate need of personal restoration. I’m also in love with the book’s beautiful cover! I’d love waking up in a bedroom with walls painted in that sunny yellow!
The London Restoration by Rachel McMillan
Paired with Sherwin Williams 6868 (Real Red)
The vibrant real red on the cover is what drew me to Rachel McMillian’s tale of newly married Londoners separated by the ravages of World War II, trying to rebuild their marriage and the city they call home. But the fascinating story inside is what kept me turning pages! And wouldn’t that rich red make a great accent wall in a library or office?
Island Queen by Vanessa Riley
Paired with Benjamin Moore 760 (Baltimore Sky) and 173 (Happily Ever After)
No book lover can pass up a color called Happily Ever After, yes? And no book lover should pass up this rich and sweeping canvas of the historical West Indies featuring a woman determined to buy her freedom and paint the contours of her own fate. This incredible true story of a free woman of color is releasing later this year from reader favorite Vanessa Riley.
A Happy Catastrophe by Maddie Dawson
Paired with Sherwin Williams 6745 (Lark Green)
The bright, whimsical cover well-matches Maddie Dawson’s latest exploration of romantic and familial love, with unique characters and seasoned with just a sprinkle of magic. The sparkling blue-green books jacket is a perfect match to the sparking dialogue inside, and would look great on the walls of sunlit solarium/
The Enlightenment of Bees by Rachel Linden
Paired with Benjamin Moore 2022-40 (Banana Yellow)
With gorgeously exotic locations and a dashing hero, the unique stand-out cover of this woman’s fiction frames the story of Mia: a woman who embarks on a journey of self-discovery on an international humanitarian mission. This sunny banana yellow would make bold statement on the exterior of beachside cottage or bungalow.
The Nature of Fragile Things by Sue Meissner
Paired with Sherwin Williams 6536 (Searching Blue)
The somber blue-gray tones of this cover reflecting ravaged San Francisco is as enigmatic and alluring as the contents of this recent release which features two remarkable woman who meet pivotal moment in American history with resilience, tenacity and strength.
My Ride or Die by Leslie Cohen
Paired with Benjamin Moore 2001-10(Ruby Red)
With a ruby red cover that recalls those of Kate Clayborn and Beth O’Leary, My Ride or Die is an upcoming story of a strong female friendship undercut by the happenstance and unexpected—and unexplored—love.
The Ice Swan by J’Nell Ciesielski
Paired with Benjamin Moore 2063-70 (Cumulus Cotton)
This upcoming historical romance has Anastasia vibes and its frost-tinted cover perfectly captures the chill of Russian Princess Svetlana’s escape from Revolution-torn Petrograd to Paris where the Great War rages and a handsome Scots doctor await her. The billowy blue of this elegant cover would be a restful hue for a primary bedroom.
Incense and Sensibility by Sonali Dev
Paired with Benjamin Moore 2071-30 (Mystical Grape) and 2018-20 (Mandarin Orange)
This flavorful cover frames the lost and found again love story of Yash Raje and India Dashwood two opposites who delightfully attract in the latest sumptuous Austen retelling by own voices author Sonali Dev.
The Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson
Paired with Sherwin Williams 6677 (Goldenrod)
Sadeqa Johnson’s critically acclaimed and heart-pounding new book is as lively as its majestic cover color. Pheby Brown’s inimitable spirit and gutting story will draw readers in as deeply as its cover art does.
Marie Bostwick is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of heartwarming fiction for women. Marie lives in Oregon with Brad, her husband of thirty-seven years. When not writing, she enjoys quilting, reading, cooking, spending time with family and friends. Marie travels extensively, speaking at libraries, bookstores, quilt guilds, and at quilt shows. Marie’s latest endeavor is Fiercely Marie, a lifestyle blog that encourages women to live every minute and love every moment.
The Restoration of Celia Fairchild by Marie Bostwick, out now!
Evvie Drake Starts Over meets The Friday Night Knitting Club in this wise and witty novel about a fired advice columnist who discovers lost and found family members in Charleston, by the New York Times bestselling author of The Second Sister.
Celia Fairchild, known as advice columnist ‘Dear Calpurnia’, has insight into everybody’s problems – except her own. Still bruised by the end of a marriage she thought was her last chance to create a family, Celia receives an unexpected answer to a “Dear Birthmother” letter. Celia throws herself into proving she’s a perfect adoptive mother material – with a stable home and income – only to lose her job. Her one option: sell the Charleston house left to her by her recently departed, estranged Aunt Calpurnia.
Arriving in Charleston, Celia learns that Calpurnia had become a hoarder, the house is a wreck, and selling it will require a drastic, rapid makeover. The task of renovation seems overwhelming and risky. But with the help of new neighbors, old friends, and an unlikely sisterhood of strong, creative women who need her as much as she needs them, Celia knits together the truth about her estranged family — and about herself.
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.