Where 2021 was the year of the book blob, this year there’s been both a push back against the cover design trend, as well as a movement away from it being the defining book cover design of the year. Certainly, there are still the colorful blobs, but they’re not as abundant as they were just a year ago. And despite what design blogs have speculated to be the cover trends of 2022, the reality is, no single trend seems to define this year. A lot of what we’ve seen play out in previous years continues on this year, making it especially interesting to consider what the best designs were in 2022. What goes into determining a good book cover is both subjective and objective. It’s subjective in that it’s going to appeal to some readers more than others, especially if those readers have a proclivity for certain aesthetics: illustrated vs. photographic, single images vs. montages, stark covers vs. busy covers, covers which are font driven vs. those which aren’t. It’s also objective: good art is good art, and for books particularly, good art makes a book come off the shelf. It sells the story, and objectively good art both stands out and fits in. Readers who like a certain type of story can use cover art to find their next read, as much as those covers can help elucidate a book’s genre, tone, and mood. We’ve rounded up our picks for the best book covers of 2022. They include something for everyone, with books from across genres and styles. All of the covers below include credit to the design team, as best as finding that information is possible. This is the annual reminder that information should be easily available on author websites, publisher websites, and other ready sources for readers. —CJ Connor —Jamie Canavés —Susie Dumond —Isabelle Popp —Margaret Kingsbury —R. Nassor —Danika Ellis —CJ Connor —R. Nassor —Leah Rachel von Essen In addition to the stories being bang-up, the covers have been, too. I love this simplicity of this ’90s VHS style cover. It’s nostalgic, while also being very much of the era when Roseanne was a huge hit. The color palette is perfect, the lower-letter titling evocative, and its pop culture roots clear. —Kelly Jensen —Leah Rachel von Essen —Kelly Jensen —Susie Dumond —Annika Barranti Klein
