Well folks, it’s been another tough year. but as we wrap up 2021, it’s helpful to remember the good parts, the little and big pleasures that helped us. And yes, a beautifully designed book can be one of those pleasures, especially when we’re still spending more time at home than we’d like.
so you know the exercise. For the sixth year in a row, I asked some of my favorite professional book cover designers (34 of my favorites, in fact) to pick their favorite covers from the last twelve months. they returned with a grand total of 101 glorious covers, representing the work of 67 different designers for 54 different labels. all of their picks, along with what they had to say about them, are below.
You are reading: Cool covers for books
But, as you know if you’re a frequent reader of literary hubs, I’m also into statistics, and so I’ve counted down the best of the best for you here. feel free to skip that part if you just want to see a nice art book. Either way, I think you’ll enjoy it :
the best of the best book covers:
first place (tie, with 8 mentions each):
anna north, outlaw; cover design by rachel willey (bloomsbury, january) pola oloixarac, tr. adam morris, cute; cover design by thomas colligan (fsg, march)
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second place (6 mentions):
kristen arnett, with teeth; cover design by lauren peters-collaer (riverhead, june)
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third place (tie 5, with 5 mentions each):
jonas eika, after the sun; cover design by lauren peters-collaer (riverhead, august) chang-rae lee, my year abroad; cover design by grace han (riverhead, february) wole soyinka, chronicles from the land of the happiest people in the world; cover design by linda huang (pantheon, september) joy williams, harrow; cover design by kelly blair (knopf, september) richard zenith, pessoa: a biography; cover design by yang kim (liveright, july)
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honorable mentions (tie 3, with 4 mentions each):
melissa broder, milk fed; cover design by jaya miceli (scribner, february) tamara shopsin, laserwriter ii; cover design by tamara shopsin (mcd, october) rebecca solnit, orwell’s roses; cover design by gray318 (viking, october)
The publishers with the most covers on the list:
first place (12 mentions): knopf
second place (8 mentions): riverhead
third place (6 mentions): fsg
The designers with the most different covers on the list:
first place (6 covers): janet hansen
second place (tie; 5 covers each): lauren peters-collaer, na kim
third place (4 covers): tom etherington
the best month for book covers:
first place (13 covers): September
second place (tie to four; 10 covers each): February, March, July, August
third place (tie; 9 covers each): June, October
Anna North, Outlawed; cover design by Rachel Willey (Bloomsbury, January)
This pop art collage style is definitely having a moment of popularity, and there’s no shortage of excellent designs to choose from. Rachel’s stands out to me because of the playfulness and surreal quality. The cover instantly drew me to this book and portrays the story perfectly.
-lauren harms
I love the collagey mix of western and magritte. everything about this cover is so funny.
-june park
This book stopped me in my tracks every time I passed it this year. design is doing very, very well, using surrealism, collage, and color to deconstruct gender and gender archetypes.
-david litman
the colors! the sources! the texture! I am always drawn to this cover whenever I see it in a bookstore. I want this as a poster. this says “western”, but also “not your grandfather’s west”.
-sarah brody
a fresh and stylish take on the traditional western genre. I love the color palette and the surreal, almost dreamlike effect of the collage.
-yang kim
have i ever made it to one of these lists without including rachel willey? impossible.
-na kim
I love how this cover plays on western tropes (a cowboy hat, bandana, and slab serif typeface), but then subverts them with a healthy twist of fun, country style rarely seen in the genre .
-erik carter
I feel like the r.o kwon quote also applies to the cover design. so cool how rachel takes familiar elements and makes them feel fresh.
-thank you
mona is the best cover of the year. it’s so iconic it might as well be hung in the hall of fame.
-june park
there’s something so amazingly weird and psychedelic about this that it almost reminds me of a 70’s polish movie poster. beautiful, beautiful typography and I love how the letterforms mirror the organic shapes of the illustration.
-david litman
a colorful mess, I can’t stop looking.
-tyler comrie
beautiful! fun! cool!
-janet hansen
immediately eye-catching! the illustration and type here are very fun and eye-catching.
-yang kim
This cover is so awesome. every time I look at the face, I find something new in art. the collage and the letters are so strong that they could exist as separate entities.
See Also: Mentor Texts for Teaching Narrative Writing: Picture Books, Short Stories, and More – NCTE
-emily mahon
typography and illustration working in perfect harmony.
-luke bird
Without a doubt the best cover of the year.
-na kim
Kristen Arnett, With Teeth; cover design by Lauren Peters-Collaer (Riverhead, June)
This is so simple and clever! I love how the letters in the title make up the teeth!
-laywan kwan
witty and eccentric fun, with a biting edge (pun unavoidable).
-allison saltzman
lauren did a great job with this cover. the design is so whimsical and graphically striking that I can’t help but want to pick it up and read it.
-jared oriel
Fun and effortlessly bold.
-na kim
It’s wonderful when art and title work together as perfectly as they do on this cover.
-colleen reinhart
See Also: The Best Books on The History of Economic Thought – Five Books Expert Recommendations
This jacket catches my eye every time I see it. so much simplicity and yet so much emotion in the form of that mouth full of typography.
-kelly blair
Jonas Eika, After the Sun; cover design by Lauren Peters-Collaer (Riverhead, August)
I’d rather not admit how many books I have purchased because of Lauren’s cover designs. Her work is always fresh and expertly crafted. I’m especially drawn to her use of color, and this title is no exception. It’s electric in person – a design that could easily turn muddy is crisp and legible. I want to know her pre-press secrets!
-lauren harms
Vibrant colors and big letters are every editor’s favorite style, but after a while it can be hard to do it in a fresh and intriguing way – the beautiful lettering on this cover combined with the intense contrasting colors makes it effective.
-lucy kim
beautiful typography, color palette, the whole package!
-jared oriel
The colors are as reminiscent of a psychedelic sunset as an oil-stained rainbow. the way the type seems to emerge and shine on its own immediately gives it dimension. I could spend forever looking at this cover.
-sarah brody
i don’t know how lauren got to be a designer, but she always seems to approach a book cover in a slightly unusual way: she never goes back to using a nice font on a pretty image. i love how this looks in 3d peeking through a sheet of aluminum foil reflecting an amazing sunset.
-jamie keinan
Chang-Rae Lee, My Year Abroad; cover design by Grace Han (Riverhead, February)
I’m a sucker for perspective type and dimensional design; this is probably my favorite. Love the shapes, the texture and the off-register colors. This feels big in such a fun, funky way.
-david litman
a particularly nice composition of shapes, colors, texture and typography.
-allison saltzman
so many layers to get lost in, but what stands out is grace’s typography choice: the round characters match the five circular shapes. my eyes pop in the best way
-stephen brayda
This cover is so playful, evocative and incredibly beautiful. the best gift for the eyes!
-lauren peters-collaer
I love the way this cover conveys a subtle narrative through its wobbly shapes and type moving in all directions.
-stephanie ross
Wole Soyinka, Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth; cover design by Linda Huang (Pantheon, September)
This is such a bright and dynamic design. Love the rich pink and chartreuse green, the zany arrangement of type and artwork, and the wonderful illustration. This title has a lot of text and Linda Huang did such a great job with it! Such a unique and sharp cover.
-kelly winton
you have to see it in real life! the colors are very vibrant. the way the elements are arranged is fun and playful, but everything is clear and legible.
See Also: Mentor Texts for Teaching Narrative Writing: Picture Books, Short Stories, and More – NCTE
-emily mahon
a really attractive and memorable color palette, and the long title handles very well within the space.
-stephanie ross
gosh this is the longest title ever and I’m so inspired by how the type is really funny but clearly legible between dots in the illustrations. the masterful design and simple color palette combine to give this cover so much wonderful and crazy energy.
-lucy kim
The deft touch in the dance between type and image in this jacket draws you in and takes you along for the ride. this is such an energetic and elegant solution for a jacket with a long title.
-kelly blair
I am totally captivated by this strange and beautiful image. the horse, the drops, the weird physics at work, what’s going on? I love it.
-lauren peters-collaer
The horse trapped in that black pond is an image as sublime as it is devastating. I also love how the choice of serif, with its bulbous ends, complements the shape of the black spots.
-linda huang
The combination of the lush green background and the surreal floating horse is incredible.
-jenny carrow
a classic design and typographic treatment juxtaposed with a surreal style & disturbing image… and that green! totally captivating.
-sarahmay wilkinson
simple, elegant, smart. I’m intrigued.
See Also: Mentor Texts for Teaching Narrative Writing: Picture Books, Short Stories, and More – NCTE
-emily mahon
Richard Zenith, Pessoa: A Biography; cover design by Yang Kim (Liveright, July)
A great modernist design and an original way to play with a portrait on a cover. Loved the title font treatment, the soft colors, and particularly enjoy how the subtitle looks like a stamp—such a perfect detail. Has a lovely depth and charm to it while also encompassing the subject’s enigmatic life.
-kelly winton
what a refreshing bio layout.
-jenny carrow
The more you examine this cover, the more moments of intrigue draw you in. yang really designed this “repeating pattern” in a fun and fresh way with a truly vibrant color palette.
-jared oriel
I love how the layers give a special touch to pessoa.
-thank you
one of my favorite covers of the year. a beautiful and super cool take on a genre we all know often leads to the over the top & everseen: “picture of a boy” + type. each element is so carefully composed and clearly considered here, I can feel it! yang kim knocked this one out of the park.
-sarahmay wilkinson
Melissa Broder, Milk Fed; cover design by Jaya Miceli (Scribner, February)
Let us not forget about this early in the year cover with a brilliant, minimal, eye catching illustration that not only makes you want to read the book but also inspired you to frame it and place it up on your wall. Beautiful palette, bold design, iconic image.
-nicole caputo
clever, funny, subversive, flashy: this cover is a fantastic distillation.
-lauren peters-collaer
Another instantly iconic cover, the retro type and cheeky illustration make this a conversation piece for sure.
-colleen reinhart
See Also: The Best Books on The History of Economic Thought – Five Books Expert Recommendations
very good. what a perfect combination of image, colors and font.
See Also: Mentor Texts for Teaching Narrative Writing: Picture Books, Short Stories, and More – NCTE
-emily mahon
I can’t stop looking at this. that horrible condensed garamond, all slightly low res and all the elements that seem to be stuck together without thinking. I bet it took years. it’s a brilliant cover.
-jamie keinan
so fun and accessible even with a limited palette.
-tyler comrie
It made me smile. a new version of a very specific visual language from the past.
-stephanie ross
Looks like someone had too much fun here. I love the commitment to form and technology.
-linda huang
Rebecca Solnit, Orwell’s Roses; cover design by Gray318 (Viking, October)
Reminds me of an old box of chocolates, both simple & delicious. Gray318 never ceases to amaze and delight!
-sarahmay wilkinson
an incredibly beautiful combination of typography and imagery. simple but striking.
-nicole caputo
what a beauty! flowers woven in elegant san serif type are so pleasing to the eye. I love the rich but muted colors and the spines on the stems. a timeless design.
-kelly winton
a beautifully striking design that is almost one color.
-jenny carrow
Sam Riviere, Dead Souls; cover design by Jamie Keenan, paper engineering and photography by Gina Rudd (Weidenfeld & Nicholson (UK), May)
-Jaya Miceli
so neat and clever, I want to hold this but I’m afraid I’ll tear up the perfect paper folds.
-stephen brayda
I’m a fan of all kinds, paper cut, jamie keenan covers.
-ploy siripant
a disturbing cover, both elegant and disturbing. I think he has a lot of power because he is so succinct in his description of violence and trauma.
-allison saltzman
wow… that contemplative face and the deep tones of the art are beautiful. the way sara introduced the element of surprise with the textured typography and illustration makes it feel so fresh.
See Also: Mentor Texts for Teaching Narrative Writing: Picture Books, Short Stories, and More – NCTE
-emily mahon
perfect layout/cropping, amazing use of photography, illustration and hand lettering. this is a real gut punch. There’s a silent scream here that you can’t get away from. what has this child seen?
-alison forner
Beatriz Bracher, tr. Adam Morris, Antonio; cover design by Janet Hansen (New Directions, March)
The simplicity of this cover is deceiving—the scale and tension of the entirely hand-drawn elements create a beautifully compelling representation of its subject.
-lucy kim
this achieves such mood with such economy. the three os used to convey the three different points of view are exciting.
-lauren peters-collaer
a master minimalist, janet hansen’s restraint knows no bounds!
-sarahmay wilkinson
Steven Carroll, O; cover design by Gray318 (4th Estate (UK) February)
-Jaya Miceli
the curl of the o to reveal a woman full of color: such a simple and effective way to communicate that there is a story behind the story.
-alison forner
this has everything I like to see on a book cover: a bit of trompe l’oeil, something annoying like the o not being glued perfectly, something hidden to add a bit of intrigue, some torn paper to hint at danger and some really small guy to make the big guy look even bigger (and vice versa)—bingo!
-jamie keinan
This cover is so clever. I love the subtle treatment of the typefaces and the simplicity of the artwork and how it blends perfectly with the title. the artwork looks like a boat or it could also be rocks, which is a very clever way to draw attention. a cover that requires a closer look always wins me over.
-kelly winton
nice textures in an unexpected design.
-tyler comrie
-jaya miceli
Tomás Q. Morín, Machete; cover design by Bráulio Amado (Knopf, October)
-Na Kim
always on board with a roaring tiger pattern.
-stephen brayda
what’s better than a tiger on the cover of a book? twelve tigers on the cover of a book!
-erik carter
Michelle Zauner, Crying in H Mart; cover design by Na Kim (Knopf, April)
This cover is masterful in its avoidance of the obvious; It somehow evokes the experience of sharing food, crying, and graphic representation of the H Mart logo with barely any literal representation.
-erik carter
na is great for capturing the core of a text in the simplest yet most memorable way possible. crying at h mart is just another example of that and, I’m sure all of my fellow Asians agree, deeply felt.
-june park
such a brilliant composition and clever use of the image as part of the typography. It’s also comforting to see this particular image with the title.
-nicole caputo
Meredith Westgate, The Shimmering State; cover design by Chelsea McGuckin (Atria, August)
A beautiful cover that lets us know that something is not quite right by how the image and the type seem to be flowing like an oil slick.
-laywan kwan
the way the oil slick (or soap bubble?) plays with type makes this cover so intriguing and ominous, while the bright colors invite the reader in and the place is full in the.
-colleen reinhart
See Also: The Best Books on The History of Economic Thought – Five Books Expert Recommendations
Eley Williams, The Liar’s Dictionary, cover design by Emily Mahon (Doubleday, January)
Excellent use of a three-dimensional object within a design, graceful combination of illustration and photography, and spot-on funny: we all peacock with our words.
-allison saltzman
I love the contradictions of this cover: smart, but dumb; serious, but humorous; academic, but… no. prompted me to see what it was all about. mountains! who knows!? the two-dimensional peacock strutting under the weight of the three-dimensional book… taking on too much weight. challenging the reader to question the authenticity of your upload! great.
-gretchen mergenthaler
Fleur Jaeggy, tr. Gini Alhadeff, The Water Statues; cover design by Arsh Raziuddin & Oliver Munday (New Directions, September)
Only a few elements needed to elevate this. The empty space makes this design feel whole.
-stephen brayda
a beautiful 2021 update of man ray’s “tears” photography. logically so bad, tears are never so perfect, but aesthetically so good.
-erik carter
I spent a while looking at this cover and was struck by the three perfectly aligned eyes. I feel like this one is deceptively simple and the cut out section reveals an inner truth only found in the book itself. Na kim’s separate covers for each part of the trilogy are also fascinating, with different iterations of the same image.
-sarah brody
this is so good. the clean white guy somehow manages to be serious and quirky at the same time and blends beautifully with the manipulated image. I love how simple yet superbly effective the scrolling/swapping/tiling of the eyes is.
-jamie stafford-hill
Nathaniel Mackey, Double Trio; cover design by Rodrigo Corral (New Directions, April)
Double Trio: Love a Baldessarian blob. Each cover in this series has wonderful art.
-tyler comrie
bold, brave, intelligent and very original.
-luke bird
a super commercial book cover, but that doesn’t stop it from looking great. as vertical as possible and I love how the image falls somewhere between photographic and illustrative for that blockbuster movie poster feel.
-jamie keinan
another beautiful color palette! I think it can be hard for commercial thrillers to look new and different, and still invoke the category. david’s design expertly unites the two. it’s fresh, yet iconic with a classic twist. suspenseful, yet warm and eye-catching.
-lauren harms
Robbie Arnott, The Rain Heron; cover design by Na Kim, art by Kate MccGwire (FSG Originals, February)
Just mystifying! Na has given us a perfect jewel box to puzzle over, made tactile with touches of spot gloss.
-ann kirchner
I just want to touch it.
-thank you
Lauren Groff, Matrix; cover design by Grace Han (Riverhead, September)
So beautiful. The weathered golden rays and textured painting with more modern type really hits that right balance of evoking a story from the past with a contemporary feel.
-yang kim
I’m obsessed with this typeface, as well as the golden heavenly rays that make the cover appear to glow.
-sarah brody
Ethan Hawke, A Bright Ray of Darkness; designed by John Gall (Knopf, February)
Like all of John’s work: bold, timeless, and brilliant.
-janet hansen
impressive in its simplicity, brilliant in its execution. a welcome nod to the classic fictional designs of the 1960s and 1970s.
-luke bird
I’ve seen this I don’t know how many times this year and every time I love it all over again. the font, image, and title all work perfectly together, and the black and pink on white really pop on the shelf. simple, bold and smart.
-jamie stafford-hill
very funny and smart. the combination of the fonts and the lollipop really make the cover stand out.
-ploy siripant
Elizabeth Miki Brina, Speak, Okinawa; cover design by Janet Hansen (Knopf, February)
Such a beautiful example of less being more. I almost hold my breath when I look at this jacket. The power of the figure looking out at the world through that O is memoir perfection.
-kelly blair
so minimal and beautiful with clear consideration on every detail. a gorgeous, evocative palette, and the little piece of face feels intriguing and emotional.
-david litman
I love the mood laywan creates here, pairing the instagram feed with serene photography and topped off with layered raindrops. he feels seductive and attractive, but with a trepidation underneath it all.
-yang kim
a perfect expression of an instagram post presented as a book cover, and I love the addition of the water droplets that give it that extra dimension.
-lucy kim
Yaarza Shehori, Aquarium; cover design by Thomas Colligan (FSG, April)
I really admire the overall effect of this art and particularly love how wonderful and idiosyncratic the type is.
-lauren peters-collaer
This cover tickles every part of my brain, from unique branding to unusual palette. And that weird handwriting, a hybrid of script and template, shouldn’t work, but of course Thomas does, and the result is this weird, poetic piece of art.
-linda huang
the color caught my eye right away; everything is so vivid that the lid almost vibrates.
-stephanie ross
I have no words.
-janet hansen
Patricia Lockwood, No One Is Talking About This; cover design by Lauren Peters-Collaer (Riverhead, February)
The sky and dimensional illusion feels so cohesive. It’s so fun to look at!
-thank you
big book energy. perfect.
-june park
Virginia Feito, Mrs. March; cover design by Jaya Miceli, art direction by Steve Attardo (Liveright, August)
I love how at once fresh and classical this is; the unexpected POV angle, the beautiful type, and the splash of red in the “a.” All the elements come together like a Hitchcockian, paranoid fantasy. I hear a suspenseful violin crescendo when I look at this jacket.
-david litman
damn it. I love dave drummond’s concepts. would the art work without the title? it would still be intriguing and strangely beautiful. clean and messy. clearly more than just a doodle… just the right amount of shape and color variation to make the art “readable”… so yeah, maybe even without the title.
-gretchen mergenthaler
Chet’la Sebree, Field Study; cover design by June Park (FSG Originals, June)
I love the juxtaposition between the rigid clinical type treatment and the fluidity of the image. The handwritten author name in purple seems like a small moment, until you realize the entire thing actually hinges on it. The design is mysterious and cerebral—exactly what I imagine a “field study” of humanity would look like.
-alison forner
A completely unique cover, this one really caught my eye at the store. there’s a lot of tension here: flat vs. dimensional, muted vs. bold… it’s all a little awkward, and very intriguing as a result.
-sarahmay wilkinson
Evelio Rosero, tr. Victor Meadowcroft and Anne McLean, Stranger to the Moon; cover design by Janet Hansen (New Directions, September)
Reptilian and human at the same time, a composition that controls your eye and an image that leaves you with so many questions. Brilliant.
-nicole caputo
See Also: History eBooks – Download & Read Free History Books
I always love a book on a book cover, and there are so many here. it feels like you could get lost in endless replay.
-stephanie ross
Various authors, Penguin Green Ideas series; cover designs by Tom Etherington (Penguin Classics UK, October)
Thoughtful, timely, stylish, duotone beauties. The slipcase with the spines “in formation” is worth seeking out. These already feel like a contemporary classic of series design.
-luke bird
Yuri Herrera, tr. Lisa Dillman, Three Novels; cover design by Tom Etherington (And Other Stories, September)
I love Tom’s use of shapes and color blocking here. The cover feels so serene, and the muted palette is a nice touch.
-jared oriel
M. Leona Godin, There Plant Eyes; cover design by Janet Hansen (Pantheon, June)
Janet wins with this brilliant use of blind deboss for braille. The tactile quality matched with the optically distorting rays of purples makes for a simple but impactful cover.
-june park
Hanif Abdurraqib, A Little Devil in America; cover design by Michael Morris (Random House, March)
Stunning use of typography.
-na kim
Ludmilla Petrushevskaya, tr. Jane Guvaeva, The New Adventures of Helen, cover design by Natalya Balnova (Deep Vellum, November)
In a market that is saturated with illustrated covers, this illustrated cover feels totally fresh with its minimal color palette and fun interweaving of type and image.
-laywan kwan
Natasha Brown, Assembly; cover design by Lauren Harms (Little, Brown, September)
The book itself is physically small, light in your hand; with Lauren’s design, it becomes monumental.
-ann kirchner
Violaine Huisman, The Book of Mother; cover design by Tristan Offit (Scribner, October)
-Jaya Miceli
James Tate Hill, Blind Man’s Bluff; cover design by Sarahmay Wilkinson (W.W. Norton, August)
I just keep trying to look over this…obstruction…(is it in my eye?)…to see who that man is. Talk about the viewer being put in the author’s head! Right-on cover imagery for this memoir.
-gretchen mergenthaler
Usually I’m ambivalent about bright and cheerful covers and see them as an industry necessity, but this cover just makes me smile. what makes it especially good is the rigor of the cut-paper aesthetic and the way the type is rendered with the same hand.
-linda huang
Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Velvet Was the Night; cover design by Tim Green / Faceout Studio (Del Rey, August)
I don’t even know what to say, everything about this is perfect.
-jamie stafford-hill
Cynthia Ozick, Antiquities; cover design by Abby Weintraub (Knopf, April)
In an age when big type dominates, I love seeing a design that begs you to look closer and examine it. Instead of broadcasting to the reader, this design makes you do the work. The delicate imagery and imperfect type work together beautifully—each element is a clue left for the reader to explore and ponder why it’s there.
-alison forner
Larissa Pham, Pop Song: Adventures in Art and Intimacy; cover design by Nicole Caputo (Catapult, May)
I love the handmade quality of the illustration and type, it makes the cover feel very intimate, which is perfect for the material.
-colleen reinhart
See Also: The Best Books on The History of Economic Thought – Five Books Expert Recommendations
Oscar Wilde, The Decay of Lying; cover design by Felix Koeberlin and David Pearson (Penguin Great Ideas Series, June)
This looks like an exquisite ransom note. The ornaments appear as if they were drawn by a feeble, bed-ridden hand, but Felix Koeberlin, the 10-year-old son of a type designer, provided the calligraphic inspiration.
-linda huang
Sergi Pàmies, The Art of Wearing a Trench Coat; cover design By Oliver Munday and Arsh Raziuddin (Other Press, March)
Such a clean use of imagery, type and space. I love the confidence of this cover. It has a tension that makes me stop and read the title. A bit of quiet amongst the hundreds of books shouting at you from the shelves.
-coralie bickford-smith
Lisa Taddeo, Animal; cover design by Zak Tebbal & Alison Forner (Avid Reader, June)
It’s hard not to stare back at this cover, and it’s the subtle adjustment in the pupils that really drive this design home.
-erik carter
Gus Moreno, This Thing Between Us; cover design by Sara Wood (MCD x FSG Originals)
Mesmerizing, with so many great little details.
-jenny carrow
Can you imagine receiving this by mail? This (faux fur) case designed by Gabriele Wilson, for Elvira Navarro’s Isla de los Bunnies, was meant to celebrate the first published two-line book of 2021.
-janet hansen
Rachel Yoder, Nightbitch; cover design by Emily Mahon, cover photograph by Nathan Biehl (Doubleday, July)
It’s red with big, white sans serif type and the handwritten dash of “a novel”—all things we’ve seen over and over. But you have never seen a cover like this before. It’s hard to believe a design could out-shock a title like Nightbitch, and Emily nailed it.
-lauren harms
Danielle Geller, Dog Flowers; cover design by Anna Kochman, illustration by Mike McQuade (One World, January)
Every element is so precise, but still human, warm, with ephemera beautifully evocative of a time and place.
-ann kirchner
Georgia Pritchett, My Mess Is a Bit of a Life; cover design by Holly Overton, art direction by Donna Payne (Faber (UK), July)
I am always a sucker for a title on an object and this design really engages me. It takes me back to being a child with my first carton of juice. Fits the tone of the book perfectly.
-coralie bickford-smith
Amanda Montell, Cultish; cover design by Joanne O’Neill (Harper Wave, June)
I feel like Joanne is the queen of picking stylish fonts! I also love the retro feel with the colors/pattern/texture, and the immediately recognizable stereotypical flying saucer.
-sarah brody
This was my favorite book I read this year and I also loved the cover. it has such a broad feel that it matches the epic story of the novel. I love the romantic colors, the clever typographic treatment, and the grainy texture. looks and feels like a classic.
-kelly winton
Katie Mack, The End of Everything; cover design by Tom Etherington (Penguin UK, July)
I love all that empty black space and how the rigid lines turn a bit fiddly when they get chopped. A fitting book to start your freelance career with?
-jamie keinan
Hermione Hoby, Virtue; cover design by Ben Denzer (Riverhead, July)
Love how the type works with the draping in the background.
-thank you
YZ Chin, Edge Case; cover design and illustration by Na Kim (Ecco, August)
Who doesn’t love some ripe tomatoes?
-tyler comrie
Sarah Everts, The Joy of Sweat: The Strange Science of Perspiration; cover design by Renald Louissant, art direction by Sarahmay Wilkinson (W.W. Norton, July)
What can I say about this, except that I want to reach out and touch it! I haven’t seen the book in person, but I sincerely hope some cash was spent to emboss and spot gloss those sweat drops. Between the blocky black type that interacts with the sweat, the orange gradient, and the small scientific element that punctuates the subtitle, the design decisions here are incredibly complex, but the result is effortless.
-alison forner
typography and colors are gorgeous. everything works great here.
-ploy siripant
Salena Godden, Mrs Death Misses Death; cover design by Gill Heeley (Canongate UK, January)
Atmospheric and very arts and crafts—right up my street (yep, cover design is so subjective). I love the illustration and the depth. The type sings out. There’s quite a lot going on but the balance is great.
-coralie bickford-smith
Adam Soto, This Weightless World; cover design by Tyler Comrie (Astra House, November)
Beautiful and intriguing. Great use of metallic effects; the iridescent colors, but most of all that dense, dark, black hole, just sucks you in. That “A Novel” isn’t printed but only embossed on the final jacket is a small but nice touch that complements the overall simplicity of the design.
-jamie stafford-hill
Dave Eggers, The Every; art direction by Sunra Thompson (McSweeneys, November)
A book with 32 DIFFERENT COVERS. Good lord. This project makes me so happy I could cry.
-janet hansen
Stuart Jeffries, Everything, All the Time, Everywhere: How We Became Postmodern; cover design by Zak Tebbal (Verso, October)
Pure madness.
-tyler comrie
Pik-Shuen Fung, Ghost Forest; cover design by Donna Cheng (One World, July)
Every element in the collage is lovely, and it’s intriguing for what it leaves out. Beautiful use of color, and the idiosyncratic calligraphy is at once antique and new.
-allison saltzman
dripping clouds are very intriguing. and beautifully combined with handcrafted letters that have been delicately splashed with water.
-laywan kwan
Melissa Febos, Girlhood; cover design by Katya Mezhibovskaya (Bloomsbury, March)
Katya distills a complex topic so elegantly; I was deeply moved by the typographic transition from girlhood to selfhood.
-ann kirchner
Ayşegül Savaş, White on White; cover design by Lauren Peters-Collaer (Riverhead, December)
It’s not an easy task to put copy over a painting that doesn’t distract or disappoint. The drippy lettering is full of character without compromising the art it sits on. I love it.
-june park
Paris Lees, What It Feels Like for a Girl; cover design by Tom Etherington (Particular Books (UK), May)
Flipping epic, full of energy perfect for the text. Feels so fresh.
-coralie bickford-smith
Harald Voetmann, tr. Johanne Sorgenfri Ottosen, Awake; cover design by Joan Wong (New Directions, September)
One of the most playful covers I’ve ever seen, so full of life and wit. The placement of all those elements was probably heavily labored over, but it feels so incredibly effortless.
-linda huang
manshen lo’s illustrations are beautiful, but the way jon has integrated them into the cover is what makes it such a hit. the way the rounded font mirrors the soft edges of the illustrative elements is particularly pleasing. It’s never an easy job to package up a follow-up to an international bestseller. it feels really cool.
-luke bird
Joshua Henkin, Morningside Heights; cover design by Kelly Blair (Pantheon, June)
The big type, the peachy color theme, and the floating suit and hat make this cover instantly iconic.
-colleen reinhart
See Also: The Best Books on The History of Economic Thought – Five Books Expert Recommendations
Michael Dobbs, King Richard; cover design by Tyler Comrie (Knopf, May)
A refreshing and modern take on a historical biography.
-ploy siripant
Every time I come across this cover, I feel like touching it, to see if the cray-pa drawing gets on my fingertips. . . the school art class feel of scratching words into thick pastel, working on a teenage tragedy. a perfect combination of hand lettering and art (abstract, but not) for this particular memory.
-gretchen mergenthaler
Kazuo Ishiguro, Klara and the Sun; cover design by Pete Adlington (Faber (UK), March)
Really loved this cover. The graphic simplicity had me from the start and it’s perfect for the story. When a cover is so beautifully thought through it makes me very happy.
-coralie bickford-smith
Shea Ernshaw, A History of Wild Places; cover design by Danielle Mazzella di Bosco (Atria, December)
This cover is so creepy yet beautiful! The inky-ness creates that ghostly atmosphere, while the trees remind us of a familiarly dark place…
-laywan kwan
super simple, super moving. the black and gold are striking on their own, but the use of negative space carries a lot of weight.
-stephen brayda
Joan He, The Ones We’re Meant to Find; cover design by Aurora Parlagreco, illustration by Aykut Aydoğdu (Roaring Book Press, May)
This cover just blows me away. The stunning illustration with the handwritten title and the understated author name makes this cover feel like a true work of art.
-colleen reinhart
See Also: The Best Books on The History of Economic Thought – Five Books Expert Recommendations
Unwrap the cover for a full rack of spine design that delights all genres! It’s a playground for book lovers!
-ann kirchner
Robyn Creswell, Jonathan Galassi, eds., The FSG Poetry Anthology; cover design by Na Kim (FSG, November)
Simple, clean, classic . . . vintage yet modern. Fruit held up by the steady “Y” trunk? Am I reading too much into it? Does it matter? I want this cover art framed, poster-sized, hanging in my apartment . . . to make me feel like a hip, well-read lover of poetry.
-gretchen mergenthaler
Monica West, Revival Season; cover design by Tristan Offit (Simon & Schuster, May)
More and more, I feel myself drawn to super bold designs. This design by Tristan has been an exception. Every time I see this cover I want to pick it up. I love the beautiful sky, elegant type and the little dots of sparkle on the print edition. It’s quietly powerful.
-lauren harms
I love the playful illustration and the use of neon ink.
-jenny carrow
Kaveh Akbar, Pilgrim Bell; cover design by Hannah Bagshaw (Graywolf, August)
The amount of feeling conveyed by the delicate composition of the painting and type here is remarkable. At first glance it feels serene, and then the sharp spikes and the air around the type vibrate with a palpable edge.
-kelly blair
Chris Stuck, Give My Love to the Savages; cover design by Stephen Brayda, art by Arnold R. Butler (Amistad, July)
What IS this? I’m not totally sure but it looks fantastic in real life. The metallic effects and tactile finish are just brilliant.
-jamie stafford-hill
Tom McCarthy, The Making of Incarnation; cover design by Mario de Meyer (Jonathan Cape (UK), September)
This cover evokes such strong feelings of creativity through its use of organic shapes, sense of space, and typography, that makes this cover feel all the more three-dimensional.
-jared oriel
Mira Sethi, Are You Enjoying?; cover design by Janet Hansen (Knopf, April)
Stunning use of negative space and a trompe l’oeil effect. Topped with the book’s inquisitive title, the cover is irresistibly charming.
-yang kim
Evie Wyld, The Bass Rock; cover design by Kishan Rajani (Vintage UK paperback, August)
Both the US and the UK versions of this cover are fantastic, but I adore the missing woman’s head, the scrawled sideways title, and the combination of danger and whimsy in this version.
-colleen reinhart
See Also: The Best Books on The History of Economic Thought – Five Books Expert Recommendations
I love the colors, the illustration style and the gradient background. I think it’s a sophisticated twist on romantic illustrated covers.
-colleen reinhart
See Also: The Best Books on The History of Economic Thought – Five Books Expert Recommendations
Patricia Engel, Infinite Country; cover design by Grace Han (Avid Reader Press, March)
I love how the art and type were kept monochromatic which highlight the interplay of the gorgeous colors on this piece.
-lucy kim
I love the minimalist approach and the tiny peaks through the curtains.
-ploy siripant
Joshua Ferris, A Calling for Charlie Barnes; cover design by Gregg Kulick (Little, Brown, September)
I love the dimensionality, minimalism and the perceived motion of that phone left swinging off the hook.
-nicole caputo
Albert Samaha, Concepcion; cover design by Lauren Peters-Collaer (Riverhead, October)
-Jaya Miceli
Sara Jafari, The Mismatch; cover design by Abbey Lossing (Dell, August)
Another great illustrated cover! The characters’ expressions are perfect, as is the stacked title.
-colleen reinhart
See Also: The Best Books on The History of Economic Thought – Five Books Expert Recommendations
Ashley C. Ford, Somebody’s Daughter; cover design by Rachel Willey (Flatiron, June)
The slow reveal of the snake gets me every time I look at this jacket. There’s such a perfect balance of tension between the exuberant color palette and that lurking snake.
-kelly blair
Ellie Eaton, The Divines; cover design by Mumtaz Mustafa, art by Beth Hoeckel (William Morrow, January)
Everything about this cover is brilliant, the pink, the creepily cropped photograph and the slight overlap of the white dots and the type.
-colleen reinhart
See Also: The Best Books on The History of Economic Thought – Five Books Expert Recommendations