Great Book Cover Designs – The Bookcase No.2
Published Dec 4, 2019
Includes affiliate content
Yes, it’s OK to judge a book by its cover.
If you’re anything like us, sometimes you do buy a book (or two) just because that cover looks so damn good. Here are some of our favorites this month:
James Turrell: A Retrospective
Sporting a striking pink and purple cover, this restrospective book explores nearly fifty years in the career of one of the most fascinating artists of our time, James Turrell. Featuring specially commissioned photography by Florian Holzherr.
Ed Templeton: Wayward Cognitions
‘Wayward Cognitions’ is a collection of photographs by Ed Templeton, chosen from his archives spanning 20 years. The cover design doesn’t include the book title or the author’s name, resulting in a minimal and simple, yet strikingly bold approach with the intriguing image of an eye.
Still Lives: A Novel by Maria Hummel
‘Still Lives’ is the story of a young editor at an LA art museum that finds herself pulled into the disturbing and dangerous world of a famous artist who goes missing on the opening night of her shocking new exhibition. The cover is a great collage combining geometric shapes, bold colours and portrait imagery.
In Progress: Jessica Hische
‘In Progress’ is a rare glimpse at an artist’s creative and technical process, with over 250 images from the sketchbooks of iconic designer and hand letterer Jessica Hische. The book includes everything from rough sketches to refined final artwork for big clients such as Wes Anderson, NPR, and Starbucks, making it a fantastic resource for those interested in the art of hand lettering.
California Design, 1930–1965: “Living in a Modern Way”
A fantastic compilation with 350 images representing the Californian aesthetic in all its facets — furniture, ceramics, metalwork, architecture, graphic and industrial design, film, textiles, and fashion. The colored lines create an interesting pattern and timeline composition.
Curiosity and Method: Ten Years of Cabinet Magazine
Enclosed inside this beautiful minimalist orange cover is an anthology with the first 40 issues of Cabinet, a magazine that uses “essays, interviews and artist projects to present a variety of topics in language accessible to the non-specialist, encouraging a new culture of curiosity”.
The Name of the Game is a Kidnapping
The cover for ‘The Name of the Game is a Kidnapping’ by Keigo Higashino makes excellent use of negative space combined with an interesting black and white optical pattern for an eye-catching effect. The story is a plot-driven, sleek novel of low-down crime in the world of high business.
Ecstasy: A Novel by Mary Sharratt
‘Ecstasy’, the historical novel by Mary Sharratt, tells the fascinating story of Alma Schindler, a strong young woman and ambitious composer. The cover is beautifully illustrated making it a great addition to any bookcase or coffee table.
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