There is a common misconception that books are all about the words printed on their interior pages. That is, in fact, a falsehood that we are here to rectify. It’s our firm belief that the most critical part of any book is its cover, upon which the book’s merits should solely be judged.
Sorry, writers.
With this in mind, we’ve compiled a roundup of the 50 best books—err, best book covers—of 2021. From typography-centric to fluffy, 2021 was a banner year for book cover designs, with our list encompassing an eclectic mix of styles, aesthetics, and vibes.
The Copenhagen Trilogy by Tove Ditlevsen – cover design by Na Kim
Dead Souls by Sam Riviere – cover design by Jamie Keenan, paper engineering and photography by Gina Rudd
O Beautiful by Jung Yun – cover design by Young Jin Lim
Languages of Truth by Salman Rushdie- cover design by Jon Gray
Aquarium by Yaarza Shehori – cover design by Thomas Colligan
How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue – cover design by Jaya Miceli
Black Girl Call Home by Jasmine Mans – cover design by Dominique Jones, photo by Micaiah Carter
White on White by Aysegül Savas – cover art by Lauren Peters-Collaer
The Plague by Albert Camus – cover design by Sunra Thompson
O by Steven Carroll – cover design by Jon Gray
I’d Like to Say Sorry, But There’s No One to Say Sorry to by Mikolaj Grynberg – cover design by Arsh Raziuddin with Oliver Munday
A Calling for Charlie Barnes by Joshua Ferris – cover design by Gregg Kulick
Antonio by Beatriz Bracher – cover design by Janet Hansen
Girlhood by Melissa Febos – cover design by Katya Mezhibovskaya
Shutdown: How Covid Shook the World’s Economy by Adam Tooze – cover design by Jason Ramirez
Novel 11, Book 18 by Dag Solstad – cover design by Peter Mendelsund
A Bright Ray of Darkness by Ethan Hawke – cover design by John Gall
The End of Everything by Katie Mack – cover design by Tom Etherington
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner – cover design by Na Kim
Rabbit Island by Elvira Navarro – cover design by Gabriele Wilson
The Ghost Sequences by A.C. Wise – cover design by Vince Haigh
Afterparties by Anthony Veasna So – cover design by Elizabeth Yaffe
A Shock by Keith Ridgway – cover design by Jamie Keenan
My Darling From the Lions by Rachel Long – cover design by Jakob Vala, photograph by Louisa Wells, modeled by Janine Tondu
Three Rooms by Jo Hamya – cover design by Kelly Winton
Winter in Sokcho by Elisa Shua Dusapin – cover design by Luke Bird
The Liar’s Dictionary by Eley Williams – cover design by Emily Mahon
Are You Enjoying? by Mira Sethi – cover design by Janet Hansen
This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno – cover design by Sara Wood and art by Howie Wonder
Nectarine by Chad Campbell – cover design by Dave Drummond
Morningside Heights by Joshua Henkin – cover design by Kelly Blair
Nobody, Somebody, Anybody by Kelly McClorey – cover design by Allison Saltzman
Gold Diggers by Sanjena Sathian – cover design by Stephanie Ross, illustration by Misha Gurnanee Gudibanda
Outlawed by Anna North – cover design by Rachel Willey
Mona by Pola Oloixarac – cover design by Thomas Colligan
My Year Abroad by Rae Lee – cover design by Grace Han
After the Sun by Jonas Eika – cover design by Lauren Peters-Collaer
Field Study by Chet’la Sebree – cover design by June Park
Harrow by Joy Williams – cover design by Kelly Blair
Mrs. March by Virginia Feito – cover design by Jaya Miceli
The Book of Mother by Violaine Huisman – cover design by Tristan Offit
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Pessoa: A Biography by Richard Zenith – cover design by Yang Kim
New Teeth by Simon Rich – cover design by Lucy Kim
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No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood – cover design by Lauren Peters-Collaer
Milk Fed by Melissa Broder – cover design by Jaya Miceli
The Atmospherians by Alex McElroy – cover design by Laywan Kwan
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LaserWriter II by Tamara Shopsin – cover design by Tamara Shopsin
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Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth by Wole Soyinka – cover design by Linda Huang
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With Teeth by Kristen Arnett – cover design by Lauren Peters-Collae
Night Bitch by Rachel Yoder – cover design by Emily Mahon
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