Judging Books by Their Covers: My Favorite (& Least Favorite) Designs

I know, I know, we’re not supposed to judge books by their covers. But let’s be honest: we all do. That one book you impulse-bought just because it looked like art? Yeah. Same. Covers catch our eye, set the tone, and sometimes, tell us exactly what kind of ride we’re in for.

Here are the covers I’m obsessed with—and the ones I secretly wish I could hide behind other books on my shelf.

Cover Crushes

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh – A classical painting, pink text, and an eerie blank stare. Iconic.

Circe by Madeline Miller (UK edition) – That bold, copper-toned illustration of Circe’s face? Worth framing.

The People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry – Clean, bright, and actually matches the fun, flirty vibe of the story.

The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling – That upside-down haunted house? I’m sold.

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry – Old-timey and weird in the best way.

Bunny by Mona Awad – Pink, frilly, unhinged. I knew before opening it that I was gonna love this book.

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov – There’s a giant black cat. That’s it. That’s the reason I bought it.

Covers I Pretend I Don’t Own

Movie Tie-Ins – I bought the original cover. I searched for the original cover. But somehow, the only edition available was the one with the awkward movie still slapped on the front. Look, I came here for storytelling, not a C-list actor’s intense stare. These covers feel like they’re trying too hard to be cool and just end up ruining the vibe.

Romance Covers with Zero Effort – If I see another stock photo of a guy with abs and no personality, I might scream. I’m not saying every romance cover needs to be high art, but could we at least try for something that doesn’t look like a gym ad? 

Mid-2000s YA Fantasy – You know the ones. Over-filtered faces and way too much sparkly text. There was a time when I thought these covers were cool. That time has passed.

Final Thought

I’ll never stop loving a beautiful cover or side-eyeing one that makes me cringe. Design doesn’t tell you if the book is good, but it definitely tells you how it wants to be seen. And sometimes, that matters just as much.