JUDGING A BOOK BY ITS COVER

Designers pick the 15 best book jackets from the past year

We all know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. But it’s hard not to be influenced by that first impression. Publishers and designers know this and work hard to catch your eye — and get you to open to the first page. How well did they do this year? We asked five designers to judge the best book covers of 2022. Their choices highlight the variety of styles and techniques artists use to capture the essence of books and entice you to read them. Which are your favorites?

‘Butts: A Backstory’

By Heather Radke (Avid Reader), design by Rodrigo Corral

This “cheeky” (sorry!) cover did exactly what it was meant to do — it made me buy the book. I love everything about this design — the style of the illustration, the colors and the simplicity of the typography. But it’s all about the big idea here; It’s all about that peach. A+ for idea, A+ for execution, and A+ for the title and subtitle, too. Brilliant. — Gail Anderson, designer, writer and chair of the bachelor of fine arts design and advertising departments at the School of Visual Arts New York City

‘This Is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says About You’

By Susan Rogers and Ogi Ogas (W.W. Norton), design by Steve Attardo, illustration by Mike Perry

To its credit, the jacket launched a thought bubble before I even read the title: Wow, that cover looks like music! If I think too hard, I start to pick the design apart; does it feel too much like a particular kind of music? Maybe, but who cares? It’s just pure joy, and it makes science accessible. — G.A.

‘Strikethrough! Typographic Messages of Protest’

By Silas Munro (Letterform Archive), design by Silas Munro

The raised, clenched fist is the ultimate powerful and iconic symbol of protest. But the added indication of movement and the angled type really made this cover for me. The designer knew just when to stop designing. — G.A.

‘Losing the Plot’

By Derek Owusu (Canongate), design by Emma Ewbank

The twisted motions of the figures create a turbulent and evocative cover, immediately drawing in the viewer. At the heart of this book are the complexities surrounding a mother-and-son relationship, as well as the effects of displacement, which are mirrored visually by the art. It’s refreshing to see such powerful type, rendered as handdrawn, rough lettering encircling the pair. — Kimberly Glyder, a designer whose studio specializes in book design, illustration and lettering

‘The Rabbit Hutch’

By Tess Gunty (Knopf ), design by Linda Huang

A pierced heart hints at violence, but there is a tension here: The beautifully colorful background and elegant type suggest calm ... or maybe foreboding. Slanted type mimicking the arrow’s position pulls the entire design together even as there is a vast amount of open space on the cover. — K.G.

‘The Immortal King Rao’

By Vauhini Vara (Norton), design by Keith Hayes

At first glance, the circular lines suggest a topographic map — they fill the cover and seem all encompassing as they weave through the large title. The title type is both commanding and fluid, as the letterforms mimic the radiating lines. Cool gradient tones in the silhouette below and the moon (or sun?) above result in an overall dystopian, otherworldly feel. — K.G.

‘Terraform’

By Brian Merchant and Claire L. Evans (MCD x FSG Originals), design by Chloe Scheffe

This cover feels simultaneously classic and entirely new. It’s slightly reminiscent of 1970s science fiction covers (albeit much more restrained), and yet I’ve never seen anything quite like it. That custom type! That illustration! Is it a world? An eye? Something else? As a reader, I don’t typically gravitate toward science fiction, but this cover is so compelling that it made me want to buy the book immediately. — Alicia Tatone, an art director, designer and artist in New York

‘I Want to Keep Smashing Myself Until I Am Whole: An Elias Canetti Reader’

Edited and with an introduction by Joshua Cohen (Picador), design by Alex Merto, illustration by Ian Woods

I audibly gasped when I saw this cover. With the art taking up most of the real estate (as it should — it’s stunning), you’d expect the type to be quiet and unobtrusive. I love that Alex instead chose to set the type falling at angles that mimic those in the collage. — A.T.

‘The Come Up: An Oral History of the Rise of Hip-hop’

By Jonathan Abrams (Crown), design by Chris Allen, Rodrigo Corral Studio

I love the mix of typefaces and the treatment of the photos. It feels like a DIY flier inviting the viewer to an underground show, and I mean that as the highest compliment. — A.T.

‘Violeta’

By Isabel Allende, translated by Frances Riddle (Ballantine), design by Elena Giavaldi, illustration by Amanda Arlotta

This illustration is so enchanting and bright and mysterious. I want to know this woman’s story. The dreamy, gauzy style feels very fresh to me, and yet I get a hint of historic paintings. A perfect balance for this novel. — Lauren Harms, a freelance designer and art director

‘Mean Baby’

By Selma Blair (Knopf ), design by Janet Hansen, photograph by Peggy Sirota

I really appreciate that this fits the bill of a celebrity memoir with a big, stunning portrait, but the additional elements tell a story of their own and work so well with the title. Subtle little design flourishes hint at the tone of the book. — L.H.

‘Sea of Tranquility’

By Emily St. John Mandel (Knopf ), design by Abby Weintraub

I like to imagine St. John Mandel’s books as a series, and the covers Weintraub has designed work so well both on their own and together. They all have a dark sense of mystery. For this newest installment, I especially like the noise and fuzziness of the image. It gives a sense of static and uncertainty before you even begin to read. — L.H.

‘The Hours/ Mrs. Dalloway’

By Michael Cunningham/ Virginia Woolf (Picador), design by Pablo Delcan

Elegant and stunning double-cover approach. The relationship between the type and the illustration feels symbiotic, and the contrast between the two sides makes it all the more pleasing. — Luke Bird, a graphic designer and art director specializing in book design

‘Cold Enough for Snow’

By Jessica Au (New Directions), design by Janet Hansen

A beautifully clean take on the photographic collage cover. Calming and mysterious all at once, and the type almost “turns” as you read it. It’s brave to present the typography in this way, but it works so well. — L.B.

‘Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow’

By Gabrielle Zevin (Knopf ), design by John Gall

The elements on this cover jar so tremendously that it’s totally compelling. It feels fresh and exciting. — L.B.