According to the experts—graphic designers, book cover designers, and more—these 25 book covers are the standout designs of the year. For support in writing this article, Parade also took into consideration the opinions of New York Times and Washington Post editors. Keep reading for the 25 best book covers of 2021.
25 Best Book Covers of 2021
1. After the Sun by Jonas Eika
Press: Riverhead Cover design: Lauren Peters-Collaer Art: Dorian Legret From the big bold type to the vibrant use of color, After the Sun by Jonas Eika evokes a lot of emotion and is sure to get the reader’s attention while sitting on the shelf.
2. LaserWriter II by Tamara Topsin
Press: MCD Cover design: Tamara Topsin White and black, there’s nothing simple or conventional about the LaserWriter II book cover.
3. The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor
Press: Penguin Cover design: Paul Buckley Originally, The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor had a completely different look for its book cover. Now reintroduced in 2021 with a new contemporary cover, this National Book Award-winning novel has been given an updated look a la designer Paul Buckley.
4. The Four Humors by Mina Seçkin
Press: Catapult Cover design: Na Kim A thought-evoking collage graces the cover of The Four Humors by Mina Seçkin.
5. 100 Boyfriends by Brontez Purnell
Press: MCD x FSG Originals Cover design: Na Kim A fascinating but complex line-drawing, the book cover of 100 Boyfriends by Brontez Purnell uses symbols and a palmistry-esque design to metaphorically illustrate the lives of queer men the interior of the book explores.
6. Milk Fed by Melissa Broder
Press: Scribner Cover design: Jaya Miceli Seemingly simple to the naked eye but much more complex in theory, it’s the three-color color scheme and retro vibes of the font for lovers of Milk Fed by Melissa Broder.
7. Outlawed by Anna North
Press: Bloomsbury Cover design: Rachel Willey The Outlawed cover said, “Let’s give ’em something to talk about!” Featuring a background of clouds that then becomes the face’s dreamy silhouette, the surrealism and bright colors are sure to eye-catch.
8. Orwell’s Roses by Rebecca Solnit
Press: Viking Cover design: Gray318 With a straightforward red background, it’s the artistry of the white rose-and-thorn illustration (and how it bleeds into the author’s name) that makes it a standout.
9. With Teeth by Kristen Arnett
Press: Riverhead Cover design: Lauren Peters-Collaer Big, fun, and unapologetically edgy, we’re not saying you should judge a book by its cover but if you did, you should definitely pick With Teeth by Kristen Arnett.
10. Mona by Pola Oloixarac
Press: FSG Cover design: Thomas Colligan There’s so much to look at when peering at the cover of Mona by Pola Oloixarac. Psychedelic, abstract, and unlike any other cover this year, many designers in the biz have asserted that Thomas Colligan deserves the title of best cover of the year for this one.
11.Pessoa: A Biography by Richard Zenith
Press: Liveright Cover design: Yang Kim Layered in a bright, collage-like effect, Pessoa: A Biography is one of the fan-favorite memoir covers of the year by far.
12. My Year Abroad by Chang-Rae Lee
Press: Riverhead Cover design: Grace Han Full of fun play with geometric shapes and lively, engaging typeface, the cover of My Year Abroad feels approachable and exciting.
13. Antonio by Beatriz Bracher
Press: New Directions Cover design: Janet Hansen Hand-drawn and deliciously minimalist, readers could stare at the line-drawn eyes in the Antonio book cover for hours on end.
14. Greedy by Jen Winston
Press: Atria Books Cover design: Rodrigo Corral From the handwritten effect of the font used for the Jen Winston’s name and “Notes from a bisexual who wants too much” to the boldness of the magazine-ransom-letter font, the cover of Greedy looks and feels big.
15. My Friend Natalia by Laura Lindstedt
Press: Liveright Cover design: Sarahmay Wilkinson There’s a lot to unpack with the My Friend Natalia book cover but upon first glance, the mysterious tone of it all is the first thing the reader notices.
16. Are You Enjoying?: Stories by Mira Sethi
Press: Knopf Cover design: Janet Hansen The brighter, rainbow moments of the Are You Enjoying?: Stories book cover is highlighted and dramatized by the darker parts of the jacket.
17. Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask by Anton Treuer
Press: Lakota Cover design: Rodrigo Corral Studio Art: Jana Schmieding The beadwork of the Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask is a beautiful, direct nod to the Indigenous people talked about throughout this book’s pages.
18. I Was Never the First Lady by Wendy Guerra
Press: HarperVia Cover design: Stephen Brayda Art: Liset Castillo Dark but playful, it’s the work with color that brings the I Was Never the First Lady cover to the forefront of the mind.
19. The Weightless World by Adam Soto
Press: Astra House Cover design: Tyler Comrie What’s the best part of The Weightless World’s book cover? Is it the gaping black hole that evokes so many questions? The metallic rainbow of colors that cascades away from it? Or the empty, blank canvas the rest of the jacket provides?
20. Chronicles From the Land of the Happiest People on Earth by Wole Soyinka
Press: Pantheon Cover design: Linda Huang Chronicles From the Land of the Happiest People on Earth by Wole Soyinka is not only a Nobel Prize winner; its book cover is noteworthy, too.
21. Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
Cover art by Na Kim Press: Knopf Art: Na Kim Clever and perfect in every way, Crying in H Mart is bold and red with ramen noodles and chopsticks working to frame the title.
22. A Shock by Keith Ridgway
Press: New Directions Cover design: Jamie Keenan The carved-out effect of the A Shock book jacket is surprising, interesting, and hard to look away from.
23. God of Mercy by Okezie Nwoka
Press: Astra House Cover design: Sara Wood Hauntingly beautiful, the God of Mercy book cover is deep in dimension, evocative, and its hand-drawn fire eyelashes are unexpected.
24. Shutdown by Adam Tooze
Press: Viking Cover design: Jason Ramirez With coronavirus droplets in red and a disrupted, simple barcode on the Shutdown cover, it’s the concise Helvetica font that really drives the drama of it all home.
25. A Symmetry by Ari Banias
Press: W.W. Norton & Company Cover design: Sarahmay Wilkinson Photograph: Zoe Leonard As emotional as most would expect a poetry chapbook cover to be, A Symmetry’s black-and-white, out-the-plane-window picture does not disappoint. Next up, check out the most anticipated reads of 2022.
