Do we fall in love with the cover before the book? There are so many ways to interpret the question. In any case, rounding up the best covers of 2018 is something I look forward to every year. This year presented us with some brilliant covers. There was quite a lot of orange though I have not included many in this list. Designs by Suzanne Dean and Kimberly Glyder seem to have won my heart in 2018. Enough of the talking; enjoy the eye candy.
PS: It is very difficult to find the names of the cover designers as they are seldom mentioned (Wish Goodreads adds a block for cover designers). I have tried to give credit wherever possible. If I have made a mistake, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Or if you know the designers of those books where credits have been omitted, leave me a comment/message.
Kintu by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi
Cover design by Nathan Burton
One world (January, 2018)
The Girl in the Tower
Cover design by Aitch
Ebury (January, 2018)
The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar (Review)
Cover design by Suzanne Dean
Harvill Secker (January, 2018)
The Book of Joan by Lidia Yuknavitch
Cover design by Rafi Romaya
Canongate (January, 2018)
The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin
Cover design by Sandra Chiu
Putnam’s Sons (January, 2018)
Peach by Emma Glass
Cover design by David Mann
Bloomsbury (January, 2018)
Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi
Cover design by James Paul Jones
One world (February, 2018)
The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert
Cover design by Jim Tierney
Flatiron (February, 2018)
The Largess of the Sea Maiden by Denis Johnson
Cover design by Suzanne Dean
Jonathan Cape (March, 2018)
Circe by Madeline Miller
Cover design by David Mann
Bloomsbury (April, 2018)
The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer
Cover design by Ben Denzer
Riverhead books (April, 2018)
The Gloaming by Kirsty Logan
Cover design by Julia Connolly
Harvill Secker (April, 2018)
See what can be done by Lorrie Moore
Cover design by Johnny Pelham
Faber and Faber (May, 2018)
A stitch in time by Daphne Kalmar
Cover design by Karl James Mountford
St. Martin’s Press (June, 2018)
Swan Song by Kelleigh Greenberg-Jephcott
Cover design by Lauren Wakefield
Hutchinson (June, 2018)
A sky painted gold by Laura Wood
Cover design by Yehrin Tong
Scholastic (July, 2018)
Latitudes of Longing by Shubhangi Swarup
Cover design by Rashmi Gupta
Harper Collins India (July, 2018)
The Incendiaries by K. O. Kwon
Cover design by Jaya Miceli
Riverhead (July, 2018)
There, There by Tommy Orange
Cover design by Suzanne Dean
Harvill Secker (July, 2018)
Dear Mrs. Bird by A. J. Pearce
Cover design by Kimberley Glyder
Scribner (July, 2018)
This Mournable Body by Tsitsi Dangarembga
Cover design by Kimberly Glyder
Graywolf (August 2018)
Fierce Fairytales by Nikita Gill
Hachette books (September, 2018)
Everything Under by Daisy Johnson
Cover design by Kimberly Glyder
Graywolf Press (October, 2018)
Killing Commendatore by Haruki Murakami,
Cover design by Suzanne Dean
Harvill Secker (October, 2018)
Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Cover design by Mark Robinson
Mariner Books (October, 2018)
Flames by Robbie Arnott
Cover design by Studio Helen
Atlantic Books (November, 2018)
Evening in Paradise by Lucia Berlin
Cover design by Na Kim
FSG (November, 2018)
If you see me, don’t say hi by Neel Patel
Penguin (December, 2018)
The Blue Salt Road by Joanne M Harris
Cover design by Rabab Adams
Gollancz (December, 2018)
And some more
Virago celebrated the 80th anniversary of Du Maurier’s Rebecca with a beautifully stitched cover. The cover art was directed by Hannah Wood. You can see more of the creative process here. Another noteworthy cover that caught my eye is the design by Suzanne Dean for The Handmaid’s tale rejacketed copy. The design also won the ABCovereD awards this year in the Sci-Fic category. You can check out the shortlist of the ABCovereD awards here and it showcases some fascinating covers. Fox 8 by Saunders was republished this year by Randomhouse and it still remains a favourite (both cover and book). The cover design is by Chelsea Cardinal.
If you love looking at book covers, check out Delicious Book Covers of 2017.
Nice. The cover of “Latitudes of Longing” is particularly interesting. Got a feeling of Darwinism looking at that.
Agree with you that the cover does set the momentum when starting a book. One of the many things one misses in Kindle (also book mark :P)
Definitely. The beauty of the cover is lost in Kindle. I loved the cover of Latitudes of Longing. It really shows off the prominent place nature has in the narrative.
Love your selection! And really like that you tried to give credit to the cover designers! I love that 80th anniversary edition of Rebecca. 😮 It looks stunnnnniiing!
That one is a real beauty
These are gorgeous covers, and I hadn’t seen many of them, thank you so, so much for sharing! I am so in love with the A Stitch in Time one, it looks so pretty! <3
All the pretties! I was lucky to win a copy of Circe and the moment I opened the package I was astounded by how gorgeous the entire book is! I love the new cover for Rebecca. I want it on a dress hahaha I also want to read The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock!
Oh my word!! The eye candy. These all look so pretty.
Enticing covers indeed Resh. A way to trigger the dream of entering a book?
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
🙂
Love this post and really love the 1920s vibe on lots of your picks.
Absolutely beautiful! Off this list, my favorites would be The Girl in the Tower, The Mermaid and Mrs. Handcock, Circe, A Stitch in Time, and The Blue Salt Road. I hadn’t even seen the last two covers until this list – Wow! Have you read any of these titles?
I loved Circe and The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock and The girl in the tower. I want to read Blue salt road
I love the cover of the edition of Kintu I have but gosh! I’d love to have the one you featured above. I think I like it better.
Kintu is one of my favorite reads of 2018. Such a great story and writing.
Yes, such an ambitious novel indeed!
Wow, Swan Song is gorgeous! I haven’t seen that cover before!