Top Ten Book Covers I’d Frame as Art
YAY! Love this topic, friends! How many times do we all see a book cover and ogle over it? I don’t know about you all, but I do it all the time. A pretty cover that actually reflects something relevant to the book–whether that’s a scene or an item or a general vibe–is one of the happiest little bookish moments. These ten…ish book covers are so pretty and perfect that I’d gladly frame them and hang them on my wall.
Blue Lily, Lily Blue: The Raven Boys #3 by Maggie Stiefvater
I am a big-time lover of Maggie Stiefvater’s Raven Cycle series, and when the cover for book three, BLUE LILY, LILY BLUE, was released just the other day, I got little flutters of excitement. I’ve always loved the way these covers look like paintings, but the colors and the way what I can only assume is meant to be Blue’s silhouette turns into those flowering vines make me giddy. So gorgeous.
The Wizard’s Promise: The Hannah Duology #1 by Cassandra Rose Clarke
Not sure what kind of vibe I’d have going in a room where I’d hang this cover, but it kills me every time I see it. Like, the skull and the antlers and the runes and the colors and THAT PONCHO THING. I can’t stop gushing over this cover.
Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson
The way the orange pops on this cover is so striking. And I love how it’s meant to represent both Tinkerbell, the narrator, and Tiger Lily herself. Mostly, though, the colors are so pretty!
The Hero’s Guide series by Christopher Healy
The best thing about the covers for these books isn’t just that the illustrations are PERFECT in every way, although obviously that’s a plus. The best part is that the illustrations don’t just appear on the cover. I’d frame any number of the illustrations from inside these perfectly fun books.
Dreamwood by Heather Mackey
There’s just something so wonderful about this cover. Maybe it’s because I love the woods. Maybe it’s because I love the stag and the wolf and the crow/raven/I’m not sure which bird that is. It’s probably at least partly because I love how lush it looks, and I love the sunbeams coming through the trees. You’d be hard-pressed to show me an illustrated cover that doesn’t strike me as lovely, friends. I have a big soft spot for them.
The Goose Girl: Books of Bayern #1 by Shannon Hale
I am so forever distraught over the paperback redesign of this cover that I refuse to even show it to you. It’s devastating, especially in light of how gorgeous and perfect and relevant in both content and tone the hardcover is. IT HAS CRACKLE ON IT. I just…
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, paperback edition
Do you know that it’s been some time since I shouted out this book around these parts? It’s true, if unbelievable. But I LOOOOOVE this paperback edition. I love the way the brushstrokes look like red waves and the way the horse looks sea-tossed.
Cruel Beauty: Cruel Beauty Universe #1 by Rosamund Hodge
I’ve always loved the way this cover is a rose and a winding staircase at once. The staircase is more relevant to the story than the rose, if I remember correctly, but it’s still pretty clever and stunning.
Seraphina: Seraphina #1 by Rachel Hartman
GUYS. This cover. Did you know that it’s an ACTUAL woodcarving? Like, someone carved this design into a piece of wood and they made the cover out of it. AND THEN for the paperback, they COLORED IT. Amazing.
Penguin Classic Clothbound series
These covers are so pretty, I could just pet them forever. As prints, I think they’d be gorgeous–some more than others, but still so pretty. I love the colors. The gray and red cover of JANE EYRE is one of my favorites.
Penguin Drop Cap Classics
DROP CAPS. I love them. I love typography, and these covers are AMAZINGGGG. I only have the “A”–PRIDE AND PREJUDICE (each drop cap represents the author’s last name. I’d buy these all, but I like this print of the letters that are out so far. Pretty, pretty.
Puffin Clothbound Classics
I’m a big fan of patterns, in case you weren’t able to tell. These are so adorable. I especially love THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS (bottom right) and PETER PAN (second from the top left).
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, Penguin Threads edition
Embroidery! The texture on this cover is super, and the colors, too. I haven’t read this one yet–for shame–but this cover just seems perfect.
