Who Wears It Better in January 2026? #whowearsitbetter #books

It’s time for Who Wears it Better in January 2026? In this feature, I look at different book covers used for the same book.  In some cases, the cover is chosen by geography (e.g. North America or UK).  Other times, it’s based on the edition of the book (hardcover, paperback, kindle etc). Where it becomes confusing is when the book is given a completely different title! Just for fun, and because I love talking books, let’s see what different books covers I’ve noticed recently.  

NOTE: The Crowdsignal plugin I was using for polls hasn’t been updated in several months and is now triggering a security warning on my site, so I’ve had to remove it. I’m trying Jetpack forms now so let’s see how it goes this month.

Let’s review the results of last month’s battles!

Now onto:

Our January Battles (polls are now closed):

You & Me and You & Me and You & Me By Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees:

Our first battle this month is for two different covers for the same book representing different regions. They are both similar in that the cover shows a cassette tape with the tape rolling out of the cassette. But that is where the similarities end. The U.K. cover uses a more neutral cover background with the title popping in colour, while the U.S. cover uses a more vibrant background and the title looks as though it’s tape from the cassette. My winner in this battle is the U.S. cover.

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Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino:

Our next battle features two covers from different publishers. They couldn’t be more different, and to be honest, neither one really appeals to me. Still, based on my colour preferences, the Celadon Books cover gets my vote.

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Some Bright Nowhere by Ann Packer:

We have another cover battle, this time featuring the U.K. and U.S. editions. The two designs are strikingly different, and I expect the voting to be very close. While I appreciate the imagery on the U.K. cover, it doesn’t fully appeal to me. In contrast, the U.S. cover uses more vibrant colours that immediately catch my attention. For that reason, the U.S. edition is my preferred cover for this book.

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The Time Hop Coffee Shop by Phaedra Patrick:

Here is another example of two covers designed for different regions. Having read the book, I think both covers do an excellent job of representing its story and themes. I’m drawn to each of them, but if I had to choose just one, I would pick the U.S. cover, as it conveys more of the book’s magical realism to me.

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This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page:

Our final cover battle of the month once again features a U.K. cover going head-to-head with a U.S. cover. I’m very fond of both, even though they are quite different in style. However, I tend to gravitate toward more colourful designs, so my pick in this battle is the U.S. cover.

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So there you have it – Who Wears it Better in January 2026? I’d love to know which covers you prefer, so please vote to let me know!