As is now Literary Hub tradition, I am pleased to present the best book covers of the year–as chosen by some of the industry’s best book cover designers.
This year, I asked 54 designers to share their favorite covers of the year, and they came back with a grand total of 167 covers (NB: for the purposes of this list, series concepts will be counted as single covers), representing work by 105 different designers for 83 different imprints at home and abroad. This year, there was somewhat less consensus than usual–the first place citation only got 8 mentions, compared to last year’s 12, and only 62 covers were selected by more than one designer, leaving over 100 selected by only one–which ultimately just means we have more exciting book covers to look at than ever. All of the designers’ choices, and their comments, are below.
But first . . . the stats.
The stats:
The best of the best book covers:
First place (8 mentions):
Jeff VanderMeer, The Southern Reach series (10th Anniversary redesign)
design by Pablo Delcan (Picador, July)
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Second place (tie–7 mentions each):
Kaveh Akbar, Martyr!
design by Linda Huang (Knopf, January)
Liz Moore, The God of the Woods
design by Grace Han (Riverhead, July)
*
Third place (tie–6 mentions each):
Solvej Balle, tr. Barbara J. Haveland, On the Calculation of Volume (Books 1 & 2)
design by Matt Dorfman (New Directions, November)
‘Pemi Aguda, Ghostroots
design by Sarahmay Wilkinson, art by Day Briere (W.W. Norton, May)
*
The presses with the most covers on the list:
First place:
New Directions (14 books)
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Second place:
Knopf (7 books)
*
Third place (three-way tie):
Riverhead (6 books)
Astra House (6 books)
FSG (6 books)
*
The designers with the most different covers on the list:
First place:
Alex Merto (6 covers)
*
Second place (tie):
Luke Bird (5 covers)
Janet Hansen (5 covers)
*
Third place (tie):
Tyler Comrie (4 covers)
Suzanne Dean (4 covers)
*
The best month for book covers:
First place:
September (23 covers)
*
Second place:
October (22 covers)
*
Third place:
July (20 covers)
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The full list:
Jeff VanderMeer, The Southern Reach series (10th Anniversary redesign); cover designs by Pablo Delcan (Picador, July)
If you hand Pablo Delcan a brief that includes “biological contaminants,” “peculiar creatures,” and a greenlight for holographic foil, he’s going to knock it out of the park. That fact is as immutable as there will be weather tomorrow. These covers are unlike any others I’ve seen and their hideous beauty feels perfectly matched to the writing.
This new cover and series redesign fit the books so well…the holographic foil! The distorted animals! I can’t get over it.
The whole trilogy is a work of art. This cover is brilliant, beautiful and terrifying.
Perfectly weird covers to match its perfectly weird contents. Such a good blend of creepy and beautiful.
It is so striking. The use of foil is not redundant but adds to both theme and effect.
Incredibly weird, which is so right for this series of beautifully and deeply weird, opaque books.
Mesmerizing art ✔️, holographic foil ✔️, sculpt emboss ✔️. This one is for the collectors.
I am very jealous that Pablo got to design this cover. But I am not mad because it’s so good. But Pablo if you’re reading this, I am jealous of you.
Kaveh Akbar, Martyr!; cover design by Linda Huang (Knopf, January)
The figure saying “a novel” was perfect, but the addition of “New York Times bestseller” in a speech bubble took this to a whole new level.
Great use of negative space. Clever way to add a bestselling line.
Eye-catching! Minimal! Negative space!
Boldness and restraint in equal measure—an instant classic.
Iconic.
Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar succeeds in making its 2-color palette feel rich. And like Model Home it feels like a throwback, but refreshed for 2024. The oversized, condensed serifs are as sharp as the cartoon character’s blade ought to be! I love that the publisher embraced the designer’s restraint—leaving all that bare, unexamined space for the main character and reader to explore.
Martyr! was the most memorable cover of the year for me. So fun and perfect in every way.
Liz Moore, The God of the Woods; cover design by Grace Han (Riverhead, July)
This one has already been comped a million times in our cover meeting, for good reason! I also loved the read and understanding the symbolism of the pink paint drip made me love the cover even more.
After reading this book—I love the pink drip for what it represents. So subtle, a little creepy, and just hits the mark.
I’m sure this will top the lists everywhere. There is something about that bubble gum pink drip on the green painting that no one can stop thinking about. Am I supposed to feel this way?…I’m not sure of the feeling I’m feeling when I look at that drip.
This cover manages to hit so many notes—it’s atmospheric, taut, beautiful, ominous, inviting. An incredible balancing act.
I was instantly inspired to learn more about the book and to see if I could gleen what that perfect clean pink drip represented. I did not figure that out of course but I was brought to the purchase page, which is a win. This design is toggling the thriller and literary fiction crossover genre so well with the wise use of this particular typeface. I also love how the art extended itself well to the publisher’s marketing materials.
That pink drip! It’s perfect.
Love the contrast of imagery here, and the use of vertical space. Don’t think I’ve seen classical oil painting upcycled like this before, and in such a satisfying, tactile way.
Solvej Balle, tr. Barbara J. Haveland, On the Calculation of Volume (Books 1 & 2); cover design by Matt Dorfman (New Directions, November)
If there was such a thing as an anti-2024 book cover, this is it. No large type or remnants of a human element,
yet still so emotional and warm. I’m both in awe and my heart is sinking. Love it, a lot.
A colorful little squiggly thing, circumscribed by a ribbon of type: how else do you calculate volume?
A really lovely series design, so soft and warm.
VERY classy gradients.
I’m already a sucker for time loops; this dizzily otherworldly constrained/unconstrained aura seals the deal.
Love the mix of organic and geometric forms here. Plus small type working beautifully. The design speaks volumes!
‘Pemi Aguda, Ghostroots; cover design by Sarahmay Wilkinson, art by Day Briere (W.W. Norton, May)
On first glance I was convinced this was a Jane’s Addiction album from the 90s. Surprise, it’s not. And after a playlist deep-dive I could not find anything remotely resembling it, but still can’t shake the familiar feeling, which tangentially fits the theme of being haunted by the past. I love the dark fairytale imagery, block print border, and stretched type.
In this first year of AI overlord/overload, I feel myself yearning for evidence of the human hand—and this cover delivers. The bold, commanding typography feels refreshingly unconventional, and that pop of red in Day Briere’s art is the perfect finishing touch. My fave cover of the year.
The textures and patterns of the illustration are gorgeous, and the minimal colors are used so well. The type mirrors the energy of the illustration while still letting it shine. It all comes together so beautifully.
Really wonderful execution and use of art and ornament. The simple choice of setting “Ghost” in a more condensed face brings this design to life.
I love the poster-like effect of this composition. The type treatment beautifully compliments the art without overpowering it.
The cover for ‘Pemi Aguda’s story collection Ghostroots took me back to my art school days of hoarding woodblock-printed alphabets and seeking their digital variants with names like Poplar and Oak. I was charmed by the designer’s instinct to combine that chipboard-esthetic with African ornament and full-color illustration. The sweet fawn resting in a bed of Ben-Day dots begged me not to pass it by.
Robert Plunket, Love Junkie; cover design by Oliver Munday (New Directions, May)
Smart! Cheeky!
Butt!
Nice bum.
Bottoms up.
Just when I thought I didn’t need to see any more pink background covers…perfect!
Holly Wilson, Kittentits; cover design by Eli Mock (Zando/Gillian Flynn Books, May)
The photocopied paper effect lends a gritty tone. Fun, irreverent imagery and color palette.
So fun, so punk and I love a cat reference :)
I love the retro xerox/90s feel here.
Perfectly encapsulates the vibe of a xeroxed, 90s zine.
The gritty xeroxed texture, the cat face with single tear, and the restrained palette is all so good, alongside that amazing title.
Miranda July, All Fours; cover design by Helen Yentus (Riverhead, May)
This cover completely captivated me from the moment I first saw it. I’m confident this will be the crowd favorite. From the inventive hand-made type to the art selection and color palette, everything just works.
The type takes you on a tour around the cover and then becomes a gateway to the painting lying beneath, it’s perfectly balanced.
I love how the hand drawn type pushes out to become a frame.
I love how considered the lettering is, yet it also feels so loose and spirited. The juxtaposition of painted modern type with the classical painting makes it so eye catching.
Sublime.
Kaliane Bradley, The Ministry of Time; cover design by Alison Forner, typography by Andrew Footit (Avid Reader Press, May)
Dynamic, beautiful use of typography to create movement and depth.
I love the overall simplicity of this design and the color palette. The subtle mashing of time periods in the different elements is so clever!
Love this 3-D type treatment floating in space.
Favorite cover and favorite type of year!
I’m always a sucker for 3-D typography. This is my new favorite. Sorry, Breakfast of Champions.
Nam Le, 36 Ways of Writing a Vietnamese Poem; design by Janet Hansen (Knopf, March)
Brave and satisfyingly brilliant.
I said this almost a decade ago, and I’ll say it again: Janet communicates so much with the barest of moves. The oversized letterforms of the author’s name make a powerful statement about identity. I love the way they contrast beautifully with the small, curvy title. Paired together, they are a work of art—a Franz Kline painting.
I’m just a sucker for a well-executed all-type cover.
NAM. VIET NAM. BIG TYPE? GOOD.
Scott Guild, Plastic; cover design and illustration by Tyler Comrie (Pantheon, February)
I love how playful this is, and the way the chunky letterforms dance around the plastic house.
An obviously perfect concept executed perfectly. The weirdness of the ‘sim’-like woman sitting at the edge of the bed really gets me.
Tyler is so versatile. This is very clever and fresh.
This concept is fun, fresh, and so well executed.
Helen Oyeyemi, Parasol Against the Axe; cover design by Grace Han (Riverhead, March)
I’m drawn to optical art like a bowerbird to blue, so there’s no denying this one for me. Ignore what I said earlier about theater kid energy, this cover is pure sensory overload and I can’t get enough of it. This feels like the perfect analog to the kaleidoscopic premise and how about that color palette?!
I stared at this cover for way too long. Such a treat, especially in person.
Every time I see this cover it catches my eye. Great use of color.
This design is a striking departure from the author’s other books, and is unlike any other cover I saw this year. The optical illusion, color palette, and stark geometry all merge in a way that is strangely, surprisingly likeable.
José Donoso, tr. Leonard Mades, Megan McDowell, Hardie St Martin, The Obscene Bird of Night; cover design by Joan Wong (New Directions, April 23)
Whimsical, wavy, and wonderful.
I love a brown cover, this reminds me of a dream.
Is this what happens when you overdose on the absinthe with the convent at the afters?
Glen James Brown, Mother Naked; cover design by Jon Gray (Peninsula Press, June)
Besides being a huge fan of medieval drawings, I love the playfulness of the interaction between type and figure here, and the unexpected bright green of the background.
The perfect pairing of old and new; seamless integration of type and image. Jon manages to translate medieval type and imagery into contemporary art.
I have no idea what this book is about, but I wanna read it because the cover looks so damn fun! That sausage pink + acidic green combo makes it even more intriguing.
Cameron Russell, How to Make Herself Agreeable to Everyone: A Memoir; cover design by Arsh Raziuddin, art direction by Rachel Ake (Random House, March)
Great design and great use of collage. This cover has an intimacy to it that feels fierce and vulnerable.
Great elements all around. I especially love how the title rephrases depending on how it’s broken.
Collage has always presented an unfamiliar organic-ness to me. The combination of organic and order is great.
Zach Williams, Beautiful Days; cover design by Chris Bentham (Hamish Hamilton, July)
Left no crumbs! Every inch thoughtfully designed, fun, action packed, yet still so clean and balanced.
The movement of the type alongside the collage is excellent.
Sarah Manguso, Liars; cover design by Cassie Gonzales Vu (Hogarth Press, July)
Quiet and at the same time audibly hissing with barely contained rage.
I bought this book based on the title and my expertise and experience with the book’s subject, but after I had the book in my hands, my feelings changed. The cover is formidable, but also the fade is everything. It could be the exhaustion of it all, or just the way liars disappear in plain sight, or how we just let them fade away so we can live. I now keep the book face out on the self in my home because the cover.
Spot-on type design for Unreliable Narrator / Nature of Stories Itself.
Marie-Helene Bertino, Beautyland; cover design by Thomas Colligan (FSG, January)
What a singular thing of beauty. I can’t remember the last time something so graphic felt so astonishing. The playfulness of the script—chef’s kiss!
I’m currently reading Beautyland, and I keep flipping back to the cover to look at the title beaming outwards from that tiny point of light in the void—it deepens in meaning with each turn of the page.
Amanda Lee Koe, Sister Snake; cover design by Vivian Lopez Rowe (Ecco, December)
A design that manages to reference the title in the most unexpected way possible. Also the green background and red nails—electric!
So glad I looked at this week’s releases to spot this one to include! So effective and done confidently. The pared back simplicity works excellently at the blessed thumbnail. And then up close, I’m further intrigued—is it a mannequin? Must read more!
Incredibly smart and clever. Love everything about this.
Marina Yuszczuk, tr. Heather Cleary, Thirst; cover design by Kaitlin Kall (Dutton, March 5)
I love the composition here. The combination of the marble statue against the bright red and pink. The cheeky bite mark. A little scary, a little sexy. So much fun.
The contrast of textures: marble statue and punctured paper makes my brain happy. Modernity from history. This cover stuck in my mind all year!
I’m a sucker for this color palette. Fun, and makes me want to know more. I want all vampire novels to look like this!
Fernando Vallejo, tr. Yvette Siegert, The Abyss; cover design by Janet Hansen (New Directions, June)
Everything here clicks for me (and love the split translation copy).
Feels like a haunting question. So beautifully and simply done.
Yasmin Zaher, The Coin; cover design by Jaya Miceli (Catapult, July 9)
Every time I see it, I’m mesmerized by the figure (from a photo by Isabelle Wenzel). Weird, beautiful, and set against the most perfect background color.
Jaya knows how to put emotion into a book cover one million ways. Iconic photograph + great color.
Such a striking image—I love this bizarre posture.
Bojan Louis, Sinking Bell; cover design by Tom Etherington (Dead Ink, February)
You could spend hours investigating this cover, it reveals so much each time I see it. The imperfections are perfect and I love the frames that aren’t framing anything.
It takes a true expert in color to incorporate so many hues at once while still maintaining readable typography
Beautifully-executed, vibrant collage. I just love looking at it.
Tom Allan, On the Roof; design by Louis Gabaldoni (Profile Books, August)
This made me smile when I saw it, so clever!
What is more delightful than a book inspiring its own playful objectification in this way?
I love the elegance and simplicity of this approach. The cover works on its own terms, but also becomes a house when you start reading it. Brilliant!
Ian Frazier, Paradise Bronx; cover design by Thomas Colligan (FSG, August)
Love the tactility and personality of this cover. It almost feels like a real piece of graffiti you’d see on a random block as you’re heading towards the subway.
Thomas has such a special talent for making nonfiction covers just as exciting as fiction covers, if not more. I love this maximalist NY moment jam-packed with character.
Ella Baxter, Woo Woo; cover design by Nicole Caputo (Catapult, December)
Stunning typography. It’s brilliant.
I love those jarring green eyes paired with the smart and sexy font and color choices. Startling in the best way & I can’t look away…!
Christoph Dallach, tr. Katy Derbyshire Derbyshire, Neu Klang; cover design by Jack Smyth (Faber & Faber, August 13)
This one leaves me speechless.
Embodies experimental German psychedelic rock beautifully.
Tom Wolfe paperback reissue series; design by Alex Merto, illustrations by Seymour Chwast (Picador, August & November)
Of course the legendary Seymour Chwast was the perfect illustrator for these reissues, but I’d like to also call attention to Alex’s design system–from the wry typeface to the clean, horizontal rules. They feel fresh and frame the illustrations into collectable classics.
When a redesigned backlist makes you want to buy them all, the design is definitely working.
Stevie Smith, Not Waving but Drowning; cover design by Pete Adlington (Faber & Faber, October)
So cute, so simple, so pure. I’m immediately drawn in and must know every emotion this little frog is feeling.
So sweet, so sad. Darkly funny, much like Stevie’s poetry.
Olga Tokarczuk, tr. Antonia Lloyd-Jones, The Empusium; cover design by Lauren Peters-Collaer (Riverhead, September)
Mesmerizing, but also, how did you get this approved? Asking for a friend.
Bolaño reissues (By Night in Chile/Antwerp/The Return); cover design by Michael Schmelling, illustrations by Mike Adams (Picador, September)
Imagine a grubby corner bookshop with a rack for local zines—these would fit in fairly well, I wish to acquire them all.
Perfect oddballs! I love them!
Forrest Gander, Mojave Ghost; cover design by Rodrigo Corral (New Directions, October 1)
I love how the pulp board background transforms into sand and the shadow suddenly comes to life.
So much can be said with so little when the idea is smart. Thank you to the designer for the beauty and simplicity of Mojave Ghost by Forrest Gander. The quiet wit of this cover sings to me.
Rivers Solomon, Model Home; cover design by Alex Merto (MCD, October)
Uncanny and disturbing in the very best way.
The cover for Model Home by Rivers Solomon froze me in my airport-bookstore-browsing tracks. Was it the flood of toxic swamp-green overprinted with black? Was it the eerie Alice in Wonderland-sized eye passively peering through the second story window? Or simply the font choice: a 1980s dark alley mashup of medieval Uncial x Victorian Copperplate . . . those truncated capital “S”s slithering up through the suburban lawn? In a word, YES!
Puloma Ghosh, Mouth; cover design by Adriana Tonello (Astra House, June)
These images are great together and the reduced palette really helps relate them to one another. So minimal and yet so suggestive.
This cover makes me squirm, in the best possible way.
Elias Canetti, tr. Peter Filkins, The Book Against Death; cover design by Jamie Keenan (New Directions, November)
This cover makes me feel a beloved nostalgia for quieter, more classic designs. In the sea of similarities in cover design we see today, this classic yet modern, smart and intriguing portal is a breath of fresh air. It is bold in its quietness and suits the subject perfectly.
This brings to mind the haunting ending of the movie The Vanishing (the original one, from 1988, please) but in a much, much more cheerful, Pushing Daisies way. Love.
Anoushka Warden, I’m F*cking Amazing; cover art by Nancy McKie, lettering by Lynn Buckley, art direction by Emily Mahon (Doubleday, April)
An amazing combination of just the right imperfectly perfect illustration and hand lettering.
A pitch-perfect encapsulation of the title, in all its deadpan hilarity.
Richard Price, Lazarus Man; cover design by June Park (FSG, November)
That plume of orange brings this cover to life.
Painterly. Classic.
Olivia Gatwood, Whoever You Are, Honey; cover design by Jaya Miceli, art by Steven Wilson (Dial Press, July)
There is an edginess to the melting art as it guides your eye down the cover.
This falls squarely into “covers I experience viscerally” territory. It’s almost as if the artwork is melting over the type in real time.
Ferdia Lennon, Glorious Exploits; cover design by Gregg Kulick (Henry Holt, March)
Hilarious! Brings me joy.
This cover could easily have been too silly, but the muted orange, leftward glance, and slightly angry expression create a Goldilocks balance between funny and intriguing.
Eugene Marten, Layman’s Report; cover design by Kate Sinclair (McClelland & Stewart, August)
I loved the vintage vibes of this cover, and what fun fonts!
It feels nostalgic and contemporary at the same time.
Paola Ramos, Defectors; cover design by Chantal Jahchan (Pantheon, September)
One of those covers that, after seeing it, you just nod and say “yep, of course” and accept that nothing else could possibly have worked better.
Minimal and impactful!
Akwaeke Emezi, Little Rot; cover design by Kishan Rajani (Faber & Faber, July)
Zoomed-in, gooey mouth AND brown background! The number of times I’ve been told no to each of these things on their own… and combined! Look at this beauty! Don’t you just want to feel it? Could anyone let me know what finish this has? Lol. Kishan strikes again!
Sally Rooney, Intermezzo; cover design by June Park and Rodrigo Corral, art by June Park (FSG, September)
It’s subtle but textured. It’s a cover that is already beautiful when you pick it up but becomes more brilliant as you get to know the story.
Miranda Darling, Thunderhead; cover design by Luke Bird (Scribe, May)
It’s the pearls, they’re floating on a plane between me and the rest of the cover and it is mesmerising.
So beautiful and strange. I don’t know what’s going on, but I want to.
Ángel Bonomini, tr. Jordan Landsman, Novices of Lerna; cover design by Jonny Pelham (Peninsula Press, November)
A beautifully simple and elegant cover.
There’s something so pleasing about the way that this cover can be viewed from almost any angle, and it still works just as well.
Victoria Kielland, tr. Damion Searls, My Men; cover design by Adriana Tonello / Rodrigo Corral Studio (Astra House, August)
Playful, eerie, and also elegant—a perfect combination.
Strange and unexpected. I like the way the body parts look like hovering, unsettling, abstract thoughts.
Phoebe Giannisi, tr. Brian Sneeden, Chimera; cover design by Pablo Delcan (New Directions, July)
This stands out so much in a landscape of large lettered, brightly coloured, shouty book covers. Understated, off-kilter and brilliant.
This cover is pure poetry. I’m drawn to the marks, their gesture and placement, and intrigued by the mythology of this lyrical ram.
Susan Lieu, The Manicurist’s Daughter; cover design by Juliana Lee (Celadon, March)
This design creates such a sense of place. A universal place that could be anywhere and offers an entry to the story. You can hear the electricity humming.
THIS book HAD to have THIS design. It’s perfect.
Betsy Lerner, Shred Sisters; cover design by Amanda Hudson (Grove Press, October 1)
Love this clever collage, really catches the eye.
This design has stayed on my mind all year. I find it both timeless and totally fresh.
Emily Witt, Health and Safety; cover design by Linda Huang, photo by Luis Nieto Dickens (Pantheon, September)
This cover is going for a mood and absolutely nails it. The tension is palpable and utterly compelling.
The type makes my eyes work across the cover in a way that echoes a huge semi-full venue, it makes me feel like I’m there.
Thomas Grattan, In Tongues; cover design by Alex Merto (MCD, May 21)
I want to zoom in twice over.
I may be biased since this cover uses my favorite shade of pink, but Alex’s Merto’s design hit this one right on the head. Loved this cover as soon as I saw it.
Rebecca Ivory, Free Therapy; cover design by Luke Bird (Jonathan Cape, March 14)
This cover is playful, joyous, and confidently simple. The perforated tabs add a fun tactile element, transforming it into a considered and highly covetable object.
A delight!
Rita Bullwinkel, Headshot; cover design by Lynn Buckley (Viking, March 12)
This cover is so striking (no pun intended). The gradients, the texture, the photo, the typeface. Harmonious. Perfect.
This has such a lovely combination of the brutal and the beautiful.
Rae Giana Rashad, The Blueprint; cover design by Robin Bilardello (Harper, February 13)
The weaving of the snake and bird between the maze is so powerful, and the tension between the snake’s tongue and the bird’s eye is a satisfying detail. I love the unique color palette as well.
Full disclosure: Robin and I work in the same art department, so I had the privilege to watch this cover evolve into the brilliance that it ended up as. Nonetheless, it’s a magical example of a perfect collage in an unexpected layout. The silver labyrinth works best IRL.
Mosab Abu Toha, Forest of Noise; cover design by Arsh Raziuddin (Knopf, October)
One of those covers you feel rather than see; as captivating as the poems inside.
A beautiful cover, full of emotion.
Sheila Heti, Alphabetical Diaries; cover design by Na Kim (FSG, February 6)
Of course she did!
The typographic gymnastics and simple use of color are incredible.
Danzy Senna, Colored Television; cover design by Lauren Peters-Collaer (Riverhead, September)
This is such a strange colour scheme, but it works so well and there’s something about those two brown dots lining up with the eyes that grabs me.
Phillip B. Williams, Ours; cover design by Lynn Buckley; art by Damilola Opedun (Viking, February)
A more perfect painting for this book doesn’t exist. The attitude the painting exudes, the cropping, the nods to renaissance painting but with Black subjects. It’s just perfect.
The cropping of the painting and handlettered type—the emotional pull of this jacket is undeniable.
Frankie Barnet, Mood Swings; cover design by Kate Sinclair (McLelland & Stewart, May)
Give me a dog on a cover any day! Kate is a master at using retro imagery with unique type. See also her cover for Layman’s Report. Also love the US cover (by Rodrigo Corral). [ed note: both also on this list!] After seeing the two, I knew I NEEDED to read this book and what more is this job?
Missing Faces seems to be a thing at the moment, one of those bursts of design weather under no one’s control, but this one still deeply tickles my fancy.
M.T. Anderson, Nicked; cover design by Zak Tebbal (Pantheon, July)
Playfully medieval with gorgeous typography.
My role at Bindery Books has thrust me into the world of fantasy and noir fiction. It’s thrilling to turn the fantasy cover trope on its skull (!) as the designer of Nicked has. I applaud the simplicity of the thief’s brazen gesture, gripping the fearful half skull through its non-weeping socket; it illustrates M. T. Anderson’s title artfully.
Salman Rushdie, Knife; cover design by Arsh Raziuddin (Random House, April)
Brilliant, striking. Serene despite the violence of the knife wound. I can’t imagine a more perfect cover for this book.
Such a fitting solution that it feels impossible to imagine this book having any other cover.
Jenny Heijun Wills, Everything and Nothing at All; design by Terri Nimmo (Knopf Canada, August)
So weird and yet so beautifully balanced. “Essays” is the star of the show.
This somehow combines joy and uneasiness, and in such a beautiful way!
Laszlo Krasznahorkai, tr. Ottilie Mulzet, Herscht 07769; cover design by Paul Sahre / O.O.P.S. (New Directions, September)
Big and bleak, just like László!
Alison Espach, The Wedding People; cover design and lettering by Nicolette Seeback Ruggiero, art by Fabian Lavater (Henry Holt, July)
Great marriage (couldn’t resist…) of illustration and typography.
Ottessa Moshfegh, McGlue; cover design by Jonathan Pelham (Jonathan Cape, March)
The tension between the angular typography and the lush painting, the fantastic use of negative space, and the mystery of what lies outside the frame—this one is a stunner.
Nadine M. Kalin and Rebekah Modrak, eds., Trouble in Censorville; cover design by Ben Denzer (Disobedience Press, July)
So smart.
Mary Shelley, The Last Man; illustration by Eleanor Taylor, art direction by Elizabeth Yaffe (Penguin Classics, April)
Eleanor’s illustration integrates and breaks through the classic series design format adding dimension, lushness and a provocative peek into “a world where newly-forged communities and reverence for nature rise from the ashes of a pandemic-ravaged society” in this climate action fiction. Perfect in concept and execution.
George Orwell, tr. Ragnar Strömberg, 1984; cover design by Rasmus Pettersson (Modernista, March)
Everything Rasmus Pettersson does is brilliant. This Swedish edition of 1984 is not only gorgeous but manages to resist the usual Orwellian tropes.
Virginie Despentes, tr. Frank Wynne, Dear Dickhead; cover design by Alex Merto (FSG, September)
Perfect.
Neal Cassidy, Schroeder; cover design by Jamie Keenan (M&S Publishing, October)
That author type is so, so good. Every element is just really creepy. In a good way.
Dobby Gibson, Hold Everything; cover design by Alban Fischer (Graywolf, October)
So simple but so impactful. I love how the illustration feels at once otherworldly and familiar.
Bryan VanDyke, In Our Likeness; cover design by Joanne O’Neill (Little A, September)
Brilliant! Chef’s kiss! Immediately understood what might be under this cover and so beautiful. That tension between the hot pink splotches and the sparkle has me hooked.
Maggie Thrash, Rainbow Black; cover design by Joanne O’Neill (Harper Perennial, March)
I remember the ‘90s Satanic Panic from my adolescence, and this cover is a fantastic modern spin on that wild cultural flashpoint. I especially like the type treatment—the edges of the type vibrate, as if they had been repeatedly run through a Xerox machine.
Elizabeth Willis, Liontaming in America; cover design by Joan Wong (New Directions, September)
I have to limit myself to one Joan Wong every year, so I’m choosing this one, though I could easily pick The Obscene Bird of Night for the melty dreamworld nightmare goodness. Anyway. The lion, perched, folded into the loop. The mountain, nestled, in another. I’m in.
Victorian Granof, Sicily, My Sweet; cover design by Evi-O Studio (Hardie Grant Books, October)
This design is both extravagant and stunningly simple. A dessert itself.
Julia Kornberg, Berlin Atomized; cover design by Erik Carter (Astra House, December)
Pure energy exploding craziness but at the same time super controlled and refined.
Sloane Crosley, Grief is for People; cover design by Alex Merto (MCD, February)
Typographic perfection.
Leslie Jamison, Splinters; cover design by Jack Smyth (Granta Books, February)
I ordered this book immediately after seeing the cover Jack posted. Woah it’s so good, it feels broken.
Elisa Gabbert, Any Person is the Only Self; cover design by June Park (FSG Originals, June)
I’m a sucker for a painting on a cover and this beautiful, almost monochrome piece by Jess Allen works so wonderfully with June Park’s minimal design. Adding that red stripe is also genius.
Conor Kerr, Prairie Edge; cover design by Kate Sinclair (University of Minnesota Press, June)
This design reminds me of looking out of an airplane window, but instead of seeing something distant and expected, it is too close and too monstrous. The claustrophobia and minimalism work perfectly in concert.
Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, Catalina; cover design by Grace Han (One World, July)
It has a 1920s elegance that is timeless but is also ethereal in a way that is very contemporary.
Yoko Ogawa, tr. Stephen Snyder, Mina’s Matchbox; cover design by Suzanne Dean, illustration by Gerard Dubois (Harvill Secker, August)
Suzanne is a master of using the perfect illustrator for a cover.
Eliza Jane Brazier, It Had to Be You; cover design by Emily Osborne, art by Avinash Weersekera (Berkley, July)
The colors caught my eye immediately. A great twist on two genre styles, hitting the perfect tone. Suspenseful but bright and contemporary.
Nicholas Popper, The Specter of the Archive; cover design by Elisha Zepeda (University of Chicago Press, January)
Delicious.
Daniel M. Lavery, Women’s Hotel; cover design by Stephen Brayda, art by Thibaud Herem (Harpervia, October)
Love the delicate details in the windows.
Dunya Mikhail, Tablets: Secrets of the Clay; cover design by Janet Hansen (New Directions, September)
The collage of the author’s artwork lends an element of the archival while the small scrap of paper itself is suggestive of a tablet. Beautifully chaotic and considered.
Abi Maxwell, One Day I’ll Grow Up and Be a Beautiful Woman: A Mother’s Story; cover design by Janet Hansen (Knopf, September)
The feeling is that of a whole universe of competing sentiments—fragility/confidence, hope/reality, motherhood/childhood—forced into some kind of haphazard, contingent resolution. There’s a terrific sophistication at work here.
Helene Uri, Clearing Out; cover design by Sarah Schulte (University of Minnesota Press, November)
I admire Sarah Schulte’s designs. This cover is a lovely example of her artistry and understated elegance.
Asako Yuzuki, tr. Polly Barton, Butter; cover design by Emma Pidsley (4th Estate, February)
I love how unapologetically fun this cover is. The design absolutely sits within the crime genre market but done so in a way we’ve not seen before. I think a part of why this book has done so well is undeniably in credit to this gorgeous cover.
Jenny Erpenbeck, tr. Michael Hofmann, Kairos (paperback cover); design by John Gall, illustration by Tina Berning (New Directions, May)
Quietly beautiful and haunting. I love the tension created by the placement of the title.
Frankie Barnet, Mood Swings; cover design by Rodrigo Corral (Astra House, May)
There’s nothing like it out there. Love, love, love.
James Baldwin, Giovanni’s Room (Deluxe Edition); cover design by Megan Wilson, art by Beauford Delaney (Vintage, June)
Beauford Delaney’s portrait of Baldwin sings.
M.L. Wang, Blood Over Bright Haven; cover design by Aarushi Menon (Del Rey, October)
I love the choice to arch the type and sharp serif!
Chris Koslowski, Kayfabe; Hack Barlow cover painting by Brent Engstrom, action figure illustration by Jordan Speer, cover lettering by Kyle Letendre (McSweeney’s, August)
This is my most favorite cover of the year. The cover looks like actual action figure packaging, and the special effects are just the cherry on top.
Porochista Khakpour, Tehrangeles; cover design by Philip Pascuzzo (Pantheon, June)
A little bonkers and completely original.
Eliot Weinberger, The Life of Tufu; cover design by Oliver Munday (New Directions, April)
Just incredibly stylish and tasteful.
Timothy Snyder, On Freedom; cover design by Suzanne Dean, art by Anton Logov (Bodley Head, September)
This cover is a masterpiece of simplicity. Its striking art eliminates the need for a subtitle. It evokes the spirit of 1960s protest posters, brimming with raw, human energy. I love how the human-crafted essence shines through in both the art and composition. Honorable Dean mentions: Dogs and Monsters, the Murakami redesigns, Paper Boat by M. Atwood (unreal!), An Yu’s Sunbirth, etc… Suzanne has truly excelled this year!
Eugene Lim, Fog & Car; cover design by Michael Salu (Coffee House Press, July)
I love the multivalent minimalism at work here. Combined with the back cover and spine, this is a lovely object all around. Leave it to Michael Salu to give us the unexpected.
Kate Zambreno, Heroines; cover design by Nico Taylor (Corsair, July)
There’s an elegance to this cover that is combined with the confrontation of the eye contact photo and the chanting repeat of the type. The duality of feeling is incredibly striking.
Nour Abi-Nakhoul, Supplication; cover design by Luke Bird (Influx Press, June)
This looks like it comes from somewhere else. Nice to see a cover that stands out because, unlike everything else, it’s not colourful. I like how the image sits somewhere between being a photograph and a drawing and the reflection in the mirror tells us nothing.
Chris Kohler, Phantom Limb; cover design by Holly Battle (Atlantic Books, August)
Eerie & intriguing, such a great use of negative space.
David Lehman, Mary Jo Salter, eds., The Best American Poetry 2024; cover design by Jaya Miceli (Scribner, September)
It’s always a treat to see which repeating geometric shapes and colors will anchor this series each year. On this cover, I love how the painting’s background blends with the flat tan color to chop those red shapes into sharp triangles.
Yasmin Newman, Eat NYC; cover design by Evi-O. Studio (Smith Street Books, October)
Everything about the packaging of this book is iconic NYC! From the illustrations, to the sprayed edges, to how the table of contents are laid out.
Benjamin Breen, Tripping on Utopia; cover design by Tyler Comrie (Grand Central, January)
The type of cover that makes you go, “Damn it, I wish I designed this…”
Tony Tulathimutte, Rejection; cover design by Ploy Siripant (William Morrow, September)
The simplicity! I love a good fuzzy gradient.
Alice Winn, In Memoriam; cover design by Madeline Partner (Knopf, March)
Gorgeous use of white space. (Use your erase tool to knock out the quote bubble.)
Haruki Murakami, The City and Its Uncertain Walls; cover design by Chip Kidd (Knopf, November)
I included this cover because I’m so excited to read it! Murakami is one of my favorite authors. His work feels like a Southern Gothic style told through a Japanese lens, directed by David Lynch. Jeopardy!’s favorite book cover designer Chip Kidd really captures Murakami’s mysterious, yet human and relatable writing.
Noémi Lefebvre, tr. Sophie Lewis, Speak/Stop; cover design by Sarah Schulte (Transit Books, October)
I’m a sucker for an original combination of images done in such an offhand, spontaneous, casual style. Dare I say, timeless and fresh all at once.
Graham Caveney, The Body in the Library; cover design by David Pearson (Peninsula Press, May)
You never see a cover with a giant swan. I love it. I love how the swan is smushed and bent to fit in the space. Poor swan. The type marries sooooo nicely with the illustration style.
August Thompson, Anyone’s Ghost; cover design by Keith Hayes (Penguin Press, July)
“It’s giving zine you were never cool enough to have stashed under your bed.”–Emily Temple ←YES
Sally Rooney, Intermezzo (UK edition); cover design and illustration by Kishan Rajani (Faber & Faber, September)
The composition of the illustration, the limited palette–a beaut!
Jimmy Buffett, A Salty Piece of Land (20th Anniversary Edition); cover design by Tim Green, art direction by Lucy Kim (Little, Brown, May)
This cover is so cool and groovy and weird and wonderful!
The Rosemary Tonks series reissues, cover design by Matt Broughton, illustration by Fien Jorissen (Vintage Classics UK, May 2)
Even with their 2D, flat illustrations, these covers feel incredibly dynamic, and I want to read these books knowing nothing about them. The curving type that envelops the illustrations are also really lovely!
Meg Ripley, Necrology; cover design by Luísa Dias (Creature Publishing, September)
I’m not sure I’ve seen a horror cover quite like this. It gives horror via sly—almost inviting—touches of sinister dread. Effective and well-done.
Sam Sax, Yr Dead; cover design by Andrea Settimo (McSweeney’s, August)
Wow! Die-cut peepers too.
Marcel Proust, tr. Lydia Davis, Letters to His Neighbor; cover design by Tyler Comrie (New Directions, November)
All the type is on the stamps!! Perfection.
Marie Tierney, Deadly Animals; cover design by Emily Mahar (Henry Holt, November 12)
It’s one of those covers that just gives you chills when you see it, both beautiful and unsettling.
Clare Sestanovich, Ask Me Again; cover design by Janet Hansen (Knopf, June)
So unexpected. Jarring, in a really good way.
Anna Noyes, The Blue Maiden; cover design by Kelly Winton (Grove Press, May)
I was immediately drawn to the craft in this design. Visually, the cover feels like it was composed by one or both of the story’s sisters, and conceptually, natural elements held in suspension works so well for the book’s themes. This elegantly eerie cover begs to be displayed face-out.
Iman Mersal, tr. Robin Moger, Traces of Enayat; cover design by Anna Morrison (Transit Books, April 2)
Such fantastic colour and texture.
Cherry Lou Sy, Love Can’t Feed You; cover design by Dominique Jones (Dutton, October)
I find something new to love in this design every time I revisit it. The colors, the textures, the scale(s), I love it all.
Rose Ruane, Birding; cover design by Charlotte Stroomer (Corsair, May)
I can’t really explain why, but this image, this typeface and these colours just work together so beautifully.
Jungeun Yun, tr. Shanna Tan, Marigold Mind Laundry; cover design and illustration by Holly Ovenden (Dial Press, October)
This cover is so cute and fun and packs a ton of information into a tiny package.
Caoilinn Hughes, The Alternatives; cover design by Lauren Peters-Collaer (Riverhead, April)
These colors are amazing, and who doesn’t love a sheep?
Benjamin Resnick, Next Stop; cover design and artwork by Clay Smith (Avid Reader Press, September)
Eerie, foreboding, surreal and undeniably cool. I love everything about it.
Francine Prose, 1974: A Personal History; cover design by High Tide (Harper, June)
Close your eyes and you can practically hear Steely Dan and Thin Lizzy riffing in the background.
Marie Mutsuki Mockett, The Tree Doctor; cover design by Kimberly Glyder, illustration by Cory Feder (Graywolf, March)
Such an elegant design. Beautiful illustration and movement.
Ryan Chapman, The Audacity; cover design by Luke Bird (Soho Press, April)
Clever mirroring of art and type.
Ania Card, Above Us the Sea; cover design by Emma Ewbank (Dead Ink Books, July)
The type is beautifully positioned to frame this arresting image.
Teju Cole, Tremor; cover design by Henry Petrides (Faber & Faber, September)
Henry has designed the PB series for these, and they’re all brilliant, but Tremor is my favourite. This cover so brilliantly captures the entrancing, fleeting visuals that this book evokes. The ink-trap type on this cover is also super confident and striking.
Henry Hoke, Open Throat (paperback); design by Alex Merto, illustration by Matt Buck (Picador, June)
The lion’s teeth-as-title is just brilliant. The neon pink really makes the whole cover come alive.
Johannes Anyuru, tr. Nichola Smalley, Ixelles; cover design by Jonathan Pelham (Two Lines Press, October)
This is another cover that brought me to the purchase page to find out about the yellow shape which represents a golden cd that seems to be part of a pivotal moment within the text. Another juxtaposition of a modern clean element with a textured lush painting creating gorgeous tension and interest and a cover that stands out.
Maureen Goo, Throwback; paperback redesign by Jenna Stempel-Lobell (Zando Young Readers, December)
A paperback redesign that stops you in your tracks.
Ángel Bonomini, tr. Jordan Landsman, The Novices of Lerna; cover design by Sarah Schulte (Transit Books, May)
Such a great example of an organic illustration and hand lettering working together harmoniously. The limited color palette makes the cover even more striking.
Tania De Rosario, Dinner on Monster Island; cover design by Olivia McGiff (Harper Perennial, February)
Scary-beautiful! I love the unique composition and the texture.
Derek Webster, National Animal; cover design by David Drummond (Signal Editions, September)
I am mesmerized by this shape-shifting sculpture, how it’s made of metal, but feels more like it’s composed of air, water, or even fire. It’s poetic in its own right while also capturing the collection’s theme. I take this one as a pleasant reminder that book covers don’t have to bring the energy of a theater kid during a manic episode to be memorable. Nothing against theater kids.
Myriam Lacroix, How it Works Out; cover design by Luke Bird (Jonathan Cape, January)
I love the reverse contrast on the type against a white background, the brutal cleanliness works so well with the severed finger.
Elaine Vilar Madruga, tr. Kevin Gerry Dunn, The Tyranny of Flies; cover design by Matt Dorfman (HarperVia, June)
Matt’s brain is something else. Beautiful.
Emet North, In Universes; cover design by Robin Bilardello (Harper, April)
I hope this cover exists in every universe. The shimmering portal calls to me as a designer and as a reader.
Andie Davis, Let Me Liberate You; cover design by Sarah Kellogg (Little a, July)
The colors, the patterns, the movement!
Boethius, Poems from On the Consolation of Philosophy; cover design by Andrew Bourne (World Poetry, November)
Andrew Bourne continues World Poetry’s run of stunning book designs. The cut-up type here is the perfect analogue to the translator’s approach in reshaping a centuries-old work.
Yáng Shuāng-zǐ, tr. Lin King, Taiwan Travelogue; cover design by Kimberly Glyder (Graywolf, November)
The collaging of textures, artwork and photography gives warmth and richness to a seemingly very simple composition. Like the very best design, the result looks effortless.
The Penguin Weird Fiction series; design by Chris Bentham, illustrations by Kate Dehler (Penguin UK, October)
All the covers I’ve seen in this series have been so bold, colourful and captivating, I love them!
Maureen Callahan, Ask Not; cover design by Lucy Kim (Little, Brown, July)
Three immediately recognizable women, and an evocative title make such a strong design. You want to ask them and know the story through their eyes.
Katherine Packert Burke, Still Life; cover design by Sarahmay Wilkinson (Norton, September)
I bought this in a real life bookstore when I saw it. I was like POW I gotta have that. Also, maaannnnnn, how she’d get that approved. Dang.
Marisha Pessl, Darkly; cover design by Casey Moses (Delacorte Press, November)
It reminds me of rainbow scratch art from childhood!
Ellen Mari Thelle, Blindernveien 4; cover design by Aslak Gurholt (Flamme Forlag)
Aslak Gurholt designs all the books for Norwegian publisher Flamme Forlag, whose covers remind me more of record companies like Factory and ECM than publishers. There is stripped back, minimal aesthetic that runs through all of the covers designed by Gurholt for Flamme, without it ever becoming a ridged template. In an increasingly sales driven industry, it’s refreshing to see a publisher do something so unique and interesting.
Margaret Atwood, Paper Boat; design by Suzanne Dean, paper art by Nathan Ward (Vintage UK, October)
Covers that transcend their main purpose will always capture my heart. This kind of design thinking buoys publishers among the POD squall.
Kengo Kuma, Point Line Plane; cover design by Tom Etherington (Thames & Hudson, October)
Restraint! Beautiful.
Ayşegül Savaş, The Wilderness; cover design by Anna Morrison (Transit Books, October)
Gorgeous and dreamy. The color palette feels unique and fresh.
Sergio de la Pava, Every Arc Bends Its Radian; cover design by Natalia Olbinski (Simon & Schuster, November)
I’m obsessed with the curved type on this cover. It really leads your eyes across the entire design.
Sylvia Legris, The Principle of Rapid Peering; cover design by Ben Prior (Corsair, May)
Subtle and simply beautiful.
Willy Vlautin, The Horse; cover design by Milan Bozic (Harper, July)
My daughter brought this book over to me in a bookstore and said, “I like this one because I like horses and I like orange juice.”
S.H. Fernando Jr., The Chronicles of Doom; cover design by LAmour Supreme (Astra House, October)
All about this comic book treatment and its details. The artist’s seal of approval on the top right is genius.
Patrick Rothfuss, The Kingkiller Chronicles set redesign; cover design by Micaela Alcaino (Gollancz UK, June)
Micaela’s redesign of these books is nothing short of masterful. Each cover is brimming with intricately illustrated elements that seamlessly come together in perfect harmony. These designs are truly captivating, inviting you to pause and savor every stunning detail.
Liliana Colanzi, tr. Chris Andrews, You Glow in the Dark; cover design by Jamie Keenan (New Directions, February)
Big fan of this arts and crafts project!
Rebecca K. Reilly, Greta & Valdin; cover design by Clay Smith (Avid Reader, February)
Love the simplicity and title play with the bag of limes.
Jedediah Berry, The Naming Song; cover design by Will Stahle (Tor Books, September)
Absolutely love new and creative ways to execute a silhouette. Will nailed it!
Alexandra Tanner, Worry; cover design by Alicia Tatone, painting by Shannon Cartier Lucy (Scribner, March)
I love the evocative combination of image and title.
Georges Bataille, The Absence of Myth (reissue); cover design by Matt Dorfman (Verso, November)
Love the use of clip art and playful type.
Cebo Campbell, Sky Full of Elephants; cover design by Tyler Comrie (Simon & Schuster, September)
Such energy! Everything about this is bold, and pulls me in. Great palette too.
Kōhei Saitō, tr. Brian Bergstrom, Slow Down: The Degrowth Manifesto; cover design by Ben Denzer (Astra House, January)
The infinite books on books is done so well here. Wonderfully simple.
Mark Haddon, Dogs and Monsters; cover design by Suzanne Dean, illustration by Neue Gestaltung (Vintage UK, August)
So bold and striking.
David McCloskey, The Seventh Floor; cover design by Pete Garceau (W.W. Norton, October)
My favorite spy novel cover this year. Pete created a fresh and simple series look!
Nanae Aoyama, A Perfect Day to Be Alone; cover design by Jack Smyth (Quercus, May)
Clever and warm.
Ironic Consolation Prize:
Melania Trump, Melania (Collector’s Edition) ($250); cover design by ??? (Skyhorse, October)
“I acknowledge that differing viewpoints are a natural aspect of human relationships.”
