The 17 Best Book Covers Of All Time, Ranked
Normally, I wouldn't judge a book by its cover. I would judge it by the blurb. But here I have gone astray from my path. I have judged 17 English language books by their covers and ranked them.
17.kaddish.com by Nathan Englander
This modern and loud art cover was designed by Tyler Comrie.
16.A Small Fortune by Rosie Dastgir
This colorful, yet minimalistic cover design was done by Nicole LaRoche in 2012 for the first edition of the book.
15.All The Lives We Ever Lived: Seeking Solace in Virginia Woolf by Katharine Smyth
This book was published in 2020, and the cover design was done by Michael Morris.
14.A Teaspoon of Earth and Sea by Dina Nayeri
Published in 2012, the cover of A Teaspoon of Earth and Sea was done by Atticus Waller and is one of the best examples of the fusion of text and image in book covers.
13.Instructions for a Funeral: Stories by David Means
This prominent and eye-catching cover was designed by Jonathan D. Lippincott in 2019.
12.More Than This by Patrick Ness
11.The Color Purple by Alice Walker
This Pulitzer Prize-winning book has seen countless versions of book covers.
10.Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
Initially released in 1997, this particular cover was designed by Nick Gaetano for the 25th anniversary edition.
9.To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee
8.I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
This is one of the iconic book covers designed by Janet Halverson in 1969.
7.A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams
Considered a canon of American literature, A Streetcar Named Desire's cover art was done by Alvin Lustig in 1947.
6.Joseph Anton: A Memoir by Salman Rushdie
This beautiful mosaic cover designed by Isaac Tobin is distinct from all other covers of this book.
5.Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Considered one of the OGs of the dystopian novel, this outdated yet beautiful cover design of Fahrenheit 451 was by Joe Pernaciaro and illustrated by Joseph Mugnaini in1953.
4.The Godfather by Mario Puzo
Even if you aren't an avid reader, there is no way you haven't heard of The Godfather. Yes, because of the iconic 1972 movie. This minimalist cover design was done by S. Neil Fujita, while the illustration was done by John Kashiwabara in 1969.
3.The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
One of the most notable book covers in American literature, this cover was created by Spanish artist Francis Cugat in 1925. It is also believed that this was the only book cover Cugat did and that the cover influenced the novel.
2.The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Another one of the most notable book covers in the world of literature, this design has been reproduced as posters and merchandise numerous times. It is said that Salinger was very particular about the presentation of his works. This particular cover was designed by Salinger's close friend and neighbor E. Michael Mitchell in 1951.
1.Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Like the other books on the list, Catch-22 has also seen many versions when it comes to the covers, but the original 1961 version by Paul Bacon is still pretty iconic.
