What makes a book cover cool? Although there’s no definitive answer to this question, a few factors might make a book cover cool. For one, a cool book cover makes any potential reader want to pick up and read it. The cover artwork should be eye-catching, visually appealing, and exciting, whether it’s a striking image or a clever design. The title and author’s name should be easy to read, so potential readers can quickly tell what the book is about and who wrote it. Finally, the overall look of the cover should be balanced, professional, and polished so that it looks like a book worth reading.
Cool Book Covers
Here are some of the cool book covers that we have seen recently. If you want some books with cool covers to inspire your next book cover, check out the list below.
1. The Dinner by Herman Koch
Starting off this list is a clever cover design that resonates with the novel’s short title. It features a fork and a knife on the sides of the scorched tablecloth, and the burn marks brilliantly unveil the book’s title and author’s name. The fonts used for this book cover are handwritten lettering, making onlookers feel like it’s a well-prepared dinner served while warm. It’s a clear reminder that cool book covers don’t necessarily require vivid illustrations and outlandish fonts—sometimes, it’s best to keep it simple and direct to the point.
2. Cogheart by Peter Bunzl
Gorgeous and whimsical-these words perfectly describe the next artwork in this cool book covers list! It’s a fantastic cover illustration with many elements combined, starting from the mechanical fox, the barrage balloon, the locket, the key, and the boy and girl walking upfront. All these figures are on top of a giant clock, reminiscent of London’s Big Ben. The enthralling mechanicals complete this clockwork treasure-inspired illustration and will surely make many people interested in how these elements contribute to the story in this book. It’s also a book cover that hints at what genre this book falls in: middle-grade, action and adventure, historical fiction, and steampunk.
3. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
The effective use of lines, shapes, and colors makes this book cover stand out from the rest of its peers on the shelf. It’s a clever demonstration of what readers should expect from the book, like the hints of adventure and battling trials the protagonist may face. Looking at the book cover closely showcases various points about the story’s protagonist and setting. The oasis in the background tells potential readers that the location may be somewhere in a desert, while the shepherd at the center could be the protagonist. The title and text below it are also on what appears to be a scroll, which says a lot about the time when the story in this book took place. Overall, this cool book cover does what it’s supposed to: giving interested readers a glimpse of the story yet to unfold on the book’s pages.
4. Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley
Don’t get confused with this book cover artwork. It’s simple yet enticing, especially since the text contradicts itself. Although the title says “Words in Deep Blue,” none of the text in this illustration shows that. The book title and author’s name are in a hand lettering font; you’ll find the former with a newspaper texture design. A bird made from a newspaper also prepares to land in this cover illustration, which may make readers curious about how this will relate to the story. This book cover is simple yet powerful, enough for young adult and romance fiction lovers to get a copy of this book for themselves.
5. VanWest: The Past by Kenneth Thomas
Regarding book covers, readers may find specific images repeatedly used to represent the book’s theme or as an embellishment. One of these is an image of an eye, often accompanied by the Earth. It’s a fantastic combination that may symbolize various themes, like seeing things from a new perspective or looking at the world from the past, which you’ll find describing this book cover. It effectively utilized this common image combination to communicate the book’s message while keeping its story a mystery. The simple choice of typography also makes the background illustration stand out. Cool book covers like this are eye-catching, upgrading the book into a page-turner that will keep readers busy reading all night.
6. Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer
Before the compelling yet haunting movie aired in 2018, it was a mind-bending sci-fi book that was utterly bizarre. Its book cover justifies this description, even if it only uses some text and an illustration. This book cover has a sense of foreboding, considering how a strange bright yellow-green plant entangles itself in the title’s bold typography. A large dragonfly hovers on top of the book cover, adding to the dark and eerie vibe this book is about to bring. Overall, the book cover does an excellent job of conveying the novel’s themes and creating a sense of intrigue and anticipation in the reader.
7. The Selection by Kiera Cass
Designing a book cover is a challenging feat. There are many things to consider, such as the title, the author, the genre, and, of course, the story. After carefully considering these aspects, readers will quickly find themselves eyeing this book on the shelf. The book cover features a lady wearing a gown, eyes fixed on something in the distance. Behind her appears a glass or mirror reflecting other ladies, hinting at an intense competition that may unravel in the book. The whole image gives off a feeling of luxury and opulence, with the title and author’s name in a pretty and elegant font. There’s also a crown right on top of the title, giving a good sense of royalty, luxury, romance, and intrigue. The book cover perfectly sets the scene for the story and will leave you eager to jump into this fascinating world.
8. Against Happiness by Eric G. Wilson
This cool book cover has so much impact despite its minimalistic design. It lives up to the book title, especially with how the cover illustrator designed its text. The use of yellow as a background was an excellent choice since it’s often symbolizing joy and happiness. Still, considering the title, the color’s symbolism becomes invalid with the title and author’s name arched like a sad frown. This book cover’s simple yet effective design is a reminder that sometimes, all you need is suitable typography and background color to have your readers reaching for your book.
9. Loneliness by John T. Cacioppo and William Patrick
See that dot on the white space of this book cover? It’s an intentional placement, a rather clever way to portray isolation, absence of connection, or feeling alone, which describes the book’s title. This subtle detail in the typography and the almost distance between each element in this cover effectively demonstrates the idea and theme this book is about to unfold. This book cover made it to the list of cool book covers because of its minimalist design and metaphorical feel concerning the book’s subject.
10. Surviving the End by VJJ Dunn
Without reading the title, one may assume that this book’s about the world, the human body, or something sci-fi related. The twist? Although the book cover resonates with the title, one wouldn’t immediately think that this book falls under the Christian fantasy, mystery, and suspense genre. It’s a brilliant and somewhat deceiving book cover that will make readers wonder what’s in it once they pick up this book from the shelf. The typography is also straightforward and not too decorative, helping onlookers focus on appreciating the cover illustration rather than relying on the title for the book’s overview.
11. Zoo City by Lauren Beukes
Some of the coolest cover designs in the industry combine typography and photography or illustration. For example, while this book cover is typographic, it’s unique and simply astonishing once you give it a closer look. It’s a sight to behold, and it’s easy to get lost in the minor details you’ll find. From its black and white design to the detailed drawing of the buildings, people, and animal parts featured in the book, used to form the letters of the title, it’s a literary and sophisticated design that almost instantaneously catches a reader’s eye. The boldness and undeniable beauty of this book cover keep the macabre and gritty nature of the novel a mystery, and it’s safe to say that this cover art effortlessly did what it’s supposed to do for the book.
Conclusion
Authors, illustrators, and publishers can do many things to make book covers look cool. You can use different colors, fonts, illustrations, and images to create a unique and eye-catching design. Special effects like holograms and 3D photos or playing with the typography can also make your cover stand out. You can create a unique book cover with so many variations you can modify, much like the cover illustrations in our list’s cool book covers.
For inspiration for your next book cover design, check out our Book Cover Ideas Blog!
