I feel like this is my most anticipated post every year. I mean, I don’t know what you all anticipate, but *I* anticipate it. Book covers are my jam. Little mini works of art! So I love looking back through what I’ve read and finding the most gorgeous ones.
I don’t know if book covers have been getting prettier, or if I’ve just been more drawn to pretty ones since I started blogging, but wow, I read a lot of books with gorgeous covers this year! Aaaaaannnnnddddd here they are!
Pin the Collage!
Is it obvious that I have a type? 😳😜
I’ll show the covers a bit bigger so that you all to be able to see them more clearly and so I can talk about them and include some series. These are in no particular order (except my top 3 favorites at the end).
*If you’re interested in any of these books, the pictures above link to Amazon US (affiliate links, so that you can help support this blog at no additional cost to you!), but the ones below do not.*
These are the covers I own, and I was admittedly never a big fan. But while rereading them this year, I took the time to really look at them, to pay attention to the artwork, the details, etc., and they grew on me. They all have nice artwork that really includes a lot of detail from the stories, and maybe there is a bit of a nostalgia factor. Also, it’s hard to tell on a computer screen, but in real life, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the most absolutely gorgeous shade of blue I’ve ever seen.
I love the dark, glowing look of these, and the second one really brings to life the creepy beings from the book.
I’ve always loved these. They’re fantastic, and they capture the intensity of the story and fit the books perfectly.
These are also just awesome covers with artwork that’s kind of rough in style, but in a great way! And if you look closely, you can see a person in the gun (alluding to the way the gun is kind of sentient).
These three also have a rough kinda style, and I love it! Beautiful Beast is just gorgeous with its whirlwind of flowers and pink/red colors. (The cover for that one has changed, but this is the one it had when I read it.) Time’s Children looks so fantastical. American Hippo keeps it simple, but it works really well with that text.
This one is technically not a cover, it’s kind of the “cover” for Ch. 1 of the comic, but I couldn’t resist slipping it in because not only is the art amazing, I love the whole feel of it with the pose and the facial expressions and the dynamic between the characters.
You gotta love supernatural creatures, and the art on both of these is absolutely gorgeous!
These are some of the only covers here that don’t have people on them. They’re just as gorgeous though! Cadaver & Queen and Djinn City are also quite minimalistic, but I love them.
These two have such realistic artwork that it’s incredible. (At least I think Trail of Lightning is an illustration?)
The Midnight Gardener is so pretty and kind of magical with beautiful colors. The Root has amazing artwork.
My Top 3
Interestingly enough, not only did I read these three in 2018, they were also released in 2018. And aren’t they gorgeous??? I know I’ve been using that word a lot, but just look at these. Temper has those blue and brown colors, the fractured moon, the intense character, the unique font. Pack has such a cool design with the little town forming a silhouette of a wolf, even using the moon as the wolf’s eye (which is perfect because the book is about werewolves in a small town). And if I had to choose one absolute favorite cover this year, it’d be The Reign of the Departed, illustrated by Micah Epstein (who also illustrated The Last Sun). This was a book that I just had to read when I saw the cover. Sometimes I just completely fall in love with a cover, and this is one of those times. The black, teal, and brown color combo. The amazing, detailed artwork. The unique layout. The interesting wooden man. The whole mysterious vibe. I love it!
Check Out the Rest of My 2018 Top Ten Posts!
Best Book Covers from Books I Read in 2018 – Runners Up
Best Book Covers from Books I Read in 2018
Top Ten Characters from Books I Read (and Games I Played) in 2018
Top Ten Books I Read in 2018 (+ Some Non-Bookish Things)
I love this post and I enjoyed looking at the covers while reading your thoughts about them. I also recently appreciated the art of making book cover designs when I watched a TED Talk in Youtube by Chipp Kid, a cover designer. Since then I pay more attention to the details of an art cover. I am not a big fan of faces on the cover tho. I noticed that I am drawn to book covers that has texture. The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon is one good example of what I’m talking about. Among the covers above, I like Pack and The Djinn City. There’s enough about the book but there’s also a hint of mystery. Why was the djinn got ni face? Are the wolves good or bad?
I am glad that you like the Mary Grandpre illustrations if the Harry Potter series like I do. When I go to book store nowadays, there are so many different editions and art covers already but the original art covers are still the best for me.
Thanks! Ooh, that sounds interesting, maybe I should check that out! I love faces on covers, but only when they’re Illustrated, because then I know it’s actually what that character is supposed to look like. A good character illustration can really help me connect with the character. I’m not so much a fan of covers with stock photo people though. I know a lot of people don’t like any faces though! And the covers that are pure design can be absolutely gorgeous. Texture is interesting too!
I feel like the original covers are so underrated. They’re still very pretty!
Pack, Beautiful Beast, and The Midnight Gardner stand out for me. Pack’s cover is probably the most interesting, because it is sort of abstract, but all the elements are still recognizable.
Those are all such gorgeous ones, and yeah, the cover for pack is so artsy and interesting!
I’ve always really liked the cover for Cadaver & Queen. It’s very striking! And I’m a big fan of the U.S. Harry Potter covers because they do tend to have a lot of detail.
-Lauren
It is very striking! And I love all those details on the Harry Potter covers.
Love this post! So many gorgeous covers. I remember when I first saw The Pack and I thought the cover was stunning. I also really love Trail of Lightning:-)
Thanks! I also loved the cover of Pack from the very first time I saw it!
These covers are all brilliant! I especially love the hippo one. It’s very eye-catching.
I’m glad you like these too! That one is very eye-catching!
I love how so many of these are original artwork and not just a photo with a title slapped on.
Karen @ For What It’s Worth
I’m not a fan of stock photo covers usually. I love original artwork!
So many gorgeous covers! Pack is interesting, although without any real frame of reference it’s a little tricky to work it out. The Midnight Gardener is truly stunning.
That is such a pretty one!
My favorite book cover was Lifel1k3 UK cover by Jay Kristoff. And in yours I do prefer Beautiful Beast.
That is a great cover! And I can definitely see why Beautiful Beast is your favorite of my choices!
Such beautiful covers! I personally love the cover for Temper! Great list! Here’s to 2019 & many more amazing book covers to dream about 🙂
Temper is a great one! And yes, more beautiful covers is always something to look forward to it!
Great choices! I don’t know where to look because they are all so pretty <3 Plus I love any list with Harry Potter on it <3
Thanks! It is a little overwhelming when they’re all together LOL.
Wow that’s quite the collage! Love it. The Nine is one of my favorites, I just love the colors- so vibrant- and I like that cover of American Hippo too. Even though I wasn’t crazy about the novella the cover is nice.
Trail of Lightning is amazing and I LOVE The Gorgon Bride cover.
The Midnight Gardener might be my fave.
I do love the colors and the style of The Nine, it’s just too bad the people are so small that it’s hard to see them! Yeah I have a couple books on this list that I love the cover of but wasn’t that crazy about the book itself LOL. Although I did really like American Hippo.
Those are all fantastic ones!
I LOVE that Rebel of the Sands cover! I need to read that one soon!
It’s so pretty! I hope you enjoy the book!
So many pretty covers! I’ve just added so many books to my TBR based entirely on appearance. 😂
Hahaha I love it 😄
I never noticed the person in the gun – how cool. I really need to start that series. I think my faves are Trail of Lightening, Temper and Pack. I just got Chaos Cocktail yesterday in a Secret Santa exchange – I’m so excited! And you are right, they are mini works of art!
The person in the gun is subtle, but it’s a nice touch. Those are all such great covers! I hope you enjoy Chaos Cocktail!
I love book covers too and these are all pretty amazing. Your three favorites were standouts for me as well, and I also really liked the Hell Divers covers. Great post!
I’m glad you like those three too! Thanks!
I really like your choices here and I have to agree in that there are a lot of gorgeous covers here! Also, it’s great that you included reasoning for the books too. Of all the ones you’ve listed here I think that Temper is my absolutely favourite. Something about that cover just DOES it for me <3 Great choices! I think I already said in another one of your posts by Children of Blood and Bone has a really gorgeous cover and I read it this year x
Thanks! The Temper cover really is great, I totally get why you love it. And I agree, if I had read Children of Blood and Bone, it would have been in this post too!
I still maintain that that gorgon pose defies the laws of physics! 😉
Yeah it probably does LOL.
I think Djinn City is one of my favourites, and I really love Pack too! So many beautiful covers!
Those two are so unique and stylistic, I love them!
I love the styles that you chose! I think my favorite of all of your choices is Rebel of the Sands. So neat!
Thanks! That one has such a pretty design!
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The two best book covers of books I read in 2018 were for “Smash All The Windows” by Jane Davis and “Ecstasy” by Mary Sharrett!
Ooh I just looked those up, and those are beautiful!
Oh so many pretty covers in this post. Yes you definitely love your artwork covers.
There was a series I read that had some pretty artwork cover, but changed it to silhouettes to better market it, the covers are still great, but I miss the artwork. I haven’t read as many books with artwork covers this year, although Beneath the Mists by Bonnie L Price is probably one of my favorite covers from this year because of the gorgeous artwork. And Kelly St Clare’s Pirates of Felicity covers as I love the amount of details on those and how well they fit the story. And Carol Van Natta’s covers are awesome too. I probably would find enough to do a whole post, but not sure if I will.
The Bang bang Boom cover is a great one, the artwork is so well done and I like how it gives you a feel for the characters and their dynamic. I probably should check out that comic.
The Chaos Cocktail cover is a great one too. And the Midnight Gardener has such a magical feel to it and I love how much it fits the title as it’s midnight and there’s a garden on it. Temper’s cover caught my attention when I spotted it on edelweiss, I didn’t request it, but it sure is a cover that stands out.
I do love my artwork covers LOL.
I hate when that happens. I see it happen a lot though, and it always makes me sad when covers switch from this totally beautiful custom artwork to a plain, sometimes not very well done, photo editing job. Beneath The Mists does have a gorgeous cover! And I love when cover is really fit with the book and include details from it.
I mean, I would love if you checked out the comic since I love it so much LOL. I am going to review it soon though, so you can wait and see if it sounds like something you’d like 🙂
Those are all such great ones!
I think Chaos Covktail might be my favourite! That figure on the cover just makes me want to know more.
That’s a great one!
I pay a lot more attention to cover art detail since I started following your Characteristics posts so thank you for helping me look and see better 🙂
Of these, Beautiful Beast appeals as a romantic cover and Djinn City is brilliantly eyecatching. I love the sense of movement.
Merry Christmas 🙂
Oh, yay, I love that you’ve started paying more attention to covers!
BB is a very romantic one, and I’ve always been drawn to that Djinn City one! Merry Christmas to you too 🙂
Ooh I love the one for The Nine and The Fall and The Trail of Lightening a lot. The Pack is pretty great as well. These are all new to me.
Those are all such pretty ones! I’m glad you like the Pack cover too XD