Judge a Book by Its Cover
By Madison Lutz and others
Let’s be honest, we all judge books by their cover. While it’s not a great philosophy to follow when it comes to most other things—judging a book by its cover is what pulls us in and motivates us to pull a book off the shelf. These covers could just be aesthetically impressive (coffee table ready!) or be brilliantly representative of the contents of the book (like a trailer for your next great read).
Whatever the reason, sometimes a book’s cover alone is enough to immediately add it to an ever-growing TBR (to be read) pile! You’d think that as booksellers we’d see enough covers to be immune to the siren call of the beautiful cover but alas—this list decisively proves otherwise. So please, go right ahead…
Judge all of these books by their covers.
Walking Practice by Dolki Min
This cover is disturbing yet…whimsical? And playful? Which is an odd mix but the gruesome creature mixed with the bright and warm color palette and expressive line work does just that! Haven’t read this one yet but as a queer horror sci-fi novella—I am certainly intrigued! Plus there are illustrations throughout the book that are done by the author just like the cover.
– Madz
The Queen in the Cave by Julia Sarda
To be fair, I love everything that Julia Sarda has illustrated. Everything she does is creepy, colorful, and captivating. This book is like a classic folktale pulled from a mysterious trunk at the back of a cabin in an enchanted forest. It tells a story of adolescence and growing up that will stay with you from childhood to adulthood and hit you even more once you’re older.
– Madz
Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo
Love the cover so much I got it tattooed.
– Pax
The Employees by Olga Ravn
Just like its cover, this book is weird, wild, and magnificent. As soon as I finished, I felt an urgent desire to immediately read it again.
– Bex
Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie
Rushdie wrote this book for his son while in hiding and exile. It is as much an ode to his separation from his son as it is an ode to stories - particularly the power they hold, and the love they bring.
– Bex
Thrust by Lidia Yuknavitch
This book is weird and sexy and devastating, and once you finish, only then do you understand how perfect the cover design is. Containing a few key plot elements combined into one bizarre piece of art, this cover entices you to read the first chapter, and after that, you’re hooked until the end.
– Amali
Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig
When I finally got my hands on a galley of this incredible upcoming debut, I literally could not stop staring at the cover. All I can say is I am obsessed, and cannot wait to dive right in.
– Amali
Your Driver Is Waiting by Priya Guns
Oh, this cover absolutely slays. The style is reminiscent of pop art; it’s punchy and eye-catching. Look beyond the hot pink, and the cracks in the mirror, the flames on the pine-scented air freshener reveal something wild and sinister about this ride. Your Driver is Waiting, about a queer, South Asian rideshare driver and her explosive romance with a customer, promises an exhilarating read.
– Aatia
The Nineties by Chuck Klosterman
A testament to simplicity! Chuck Klosterman’s retrospective on the best decade in recorded history was nostalgic, embarrassing and illuminating. The cover features a relic of the past, a clear phone, which only hints at the gems of nostalgia found within the book. If you lived it, The Nineties will certainly touch on some long-buried memory for you. If you missed it, I don’t know, I guess you’ll have to catch the next one, The Aughts? The Two-Thousands?
– Aatia
Yearbook by Seth Rogan
You think this book will be another bullshit celebrity memoir, then you look at the cover, take off the dust jacket and see that it’s really a fabulous piece of art. You read it and it’s a funny, touching, interesting collection of stories (with lots of weed jokes) and the cover makes complete sense.
– Mike
Cult Classic by Sloane Crosley
Elegant and culty is really exactly what this cover tells me and that’s mostly what the book inside is. Except it’s also really funny which makes the cover’s elegant touch kind of a joke as well. I also love the color palette on this one. I find myself staring at it to relax. Maybe I should join a cult?
– Mike
Every Title From Astra House
I would say that generally FSG produces the coolest covers in the business. They are out of the box and make me pick up books I don’t think I’d otherwise read. Astra House is a new kid on the block that also does that to me regularly. It makes sense because the same genius art director is responsible for art at both imprints: Rodrigo Corral. Just look at covers like The Town of Babylon, Identitti, and Dogs of Summer and tell me you don’t want to know what’s going on inside! Or the beautiful illustration on the cover of Becoming Abolitionists or the perfect simplicity and recognition of Takedown. These folks are hitting it out of the park in the cover department every single time.
– Mike
Pathetic Literature, ed. Eileen Myles
The ethos of this enormous book of pathos is perfectly captured by Nicole Eisenman's strange and surreal painting "Tail End" that graces the cover. The image feels collagesque, with surprising proportions and cubist distortions leading the eye around a desolate landscape under a bright yellow, if not unsettling, sky. Inside, Myles has collected a genius patchwork of "pained, awkward, queer, trans, gleeful and ever-jarring” writing from 106 writers that invites us to look at the world from a more curious position. The vibes are immaculate. 10/10
– Colleen
Pure Colour by Sheila Heti
This big green Ellsworth Kelly oval is everything! I want to eat it, I want to breathe it, I want to crawl in and live inside it. And that’s also how I felt about Sheila Heti's Pure Colour. Strange and poetic, emotional, and colored by a covetous desire to know life and to feel from a perspective other than our own. Simply a genius design choice by Na Kim, one of the best in the industry, so really no surprise there!
– Colleen
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Not only does this book have a gorgeous cover that makes me want to head straight to the beach to go snorkeling, but it’s also an excellent read. Four words: OCTOPUS POINT OF VIEW Full of humor, wit, and wisdom, this book follows an unlikely pair: a seventy-year-old widow and Marcellus, an imprisoned Giant Pacific Octopus. A book about community, friendship, grief, and a bit of mystery, you’ll love it, start to finish. P.S. Also listen to the audiobook for Marcellus’ POV in his voice! P.P.S. May I also suggest the Baby Octopus Finger Puppet book from our kid’s section for a fun read-along pal? The octopus looks JUST like Marcellus.
- Ali
Honorable Mentions
