Judging books by their covers, 21

Just want to share some books whose covers I love! Once every 4 weeks, I'll post 4 books and super short synopses of books whose covers catch my eye.

1. Country People: A Novel by Daniel Mason (Random House, 2026): Joyous, absurd, and life-affirming, Country People is a luminous exploration of marriage and parenthood, the nature of belief and the power of stories, and the ways in which we find connection in an increasingly fragmented world.
2. Of Venom and Vengeance by Mikayla Bridge (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2026): On an island ruled by pageantry and pain, power comes at an impossible price.
3. Fishbone Cinderella by Elizabeth Lim (Del Rey, 2026): A bracelet. A curse. And golden fishbones to be returned to the sea...
4. Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst (Bramble, 2026): In the third book of the Spellshop series, Marin and Perri, begin transporting refugees, finding them new homes where they can start over. One such refugee is Dax, a composer who refuses to leave behind his instruments, no matter how much she tries to emphasize the gravity of the situation. Intrigued by his stubbornness, his passion for stories, and his charming smile, Marin discovers perhaps she isn’t saving him ― maybe it’s the other way around.