I’m working on my 2018 reading recap, but first, I want to acknowledge pretty book covers. Just like with people, it’s what on the inside that counts, but book covers are important. Good ones are visually appealing and artistic. Great ones tell you something profound about the story. It’s possible I’ve bought books just because they’re beautiful. (Hello, Penguin clothbound!) Today I want to share my favorite 2018 book covers. (I only include books I’ve actually read or this post would be way too long.) I hope my fellow cover-lovers will enjoy this post as much as I did putting it together.
The Perfect Nanny by Leila Slimani
The image on this cover is prim and proper. It’s clean and straightforward, but the story in this book is anything but. The Perfect Nanny is the story of a disturbed woman and the children in her care. This cover is striking because of the juxtaposition between it and the darkness of the novel.
This Will Be My Undoing: Living at the Intersection of Black, Female, and Feminist in (White) America by Morgan Jerkins
Morgan Jerkins writes with boldness, so this cover is a good match for her essays. The photo is beautiful, enhanced by the intense yellow color against the black and white.
The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer
The color scheme of this book jacket is fantastic. This is a book that looks great at all angles; I love seeing this spine on my shelf. I like how parts of the white letters are tucked behind the colorful lines. If I hadn’t read this book and saw it in a bookstore, I’d pick it up immediately just based on the cover alone.
Social Creature by Tara Isabella Burton
Social Creature is a novel about young women whose lives are falling apart, even though things on the outside look good for a while. The heavy, smeared eye makeup on this cover gets your attention for sure, but it says something about the story and how being beautiful isn’t enough.
I’d Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life
by Anne Bogel
This cover is a drawing of Bogel’s own home library. To quote the youths, this is #goals. I want a library ladder with every fiber of my being. Until I get one, I can at least look at and enjoy this beautiful book cover.
Small Fry by Lisa Brennan-Jobs
I like the font choice here and the floral touch, but I love this cover even more after reading about its creation. The cover’s designer, Alison Forner, wrote an article for Lit Hub about the experience of creating this cover. Included in the article are other covers Forner came up with before deciding on this one.
What are some of your favorite 2018 covers? Do you too like the ones I shared here?
Andrea Is Reading 