Judging a Book by Its... Well, You Know

December 16, 2014 5:32 PM

Do you like books for more than just the words inside? Here, thanks to MeFi's own Jason Kottke, are four and a half lists of the best book covers of 2014.
posted by Etrigan (8 comments total)

Colorless Tsukuru looks like a hand turkey and might be the only Chip Kidd cover I like.
posted by betweenthebars at 6:00 PM on December 16, 2014

(the actual lists, for those playing at home)

Nicholas Blechman of the NYTimes Sunday Book Review

Dan Wagstaff of the Casual Optimist

Jerry Lee, Buzzfeed

Liz Shinn and Alisan Lemay of Paste

and the half

Zachary Petit, from Print, June 2014
posted by Ufez Jones at 7:06 PM on December 16, 2014

Funny, is this a thing now? I just noticed a book about a book cover designers book covers. Why does this kind of meta seem just too meta?
posted by sammyo at 7:13 PM on December 16, 2014

A lot of nice covers there, but in the holiday spirit of complaining about things on the Internet I gotta say that I really don't like the covers to Wolf in White Van, which gives me a headache, and what seems to be everyone's favorite, The Book of Strange New Things. And the 'Bird' that Charlie Parker was – a fried chicken, or one in the yard – looks nothing like the one on this cover.

My favorite cover of 2014 appeared on The Intern's Handbook, really just a trashy action movie script in book form, but it moved quickly and kept my interest. Then again, I've always been a geek for office supplies.
posted by LeLiLo at 8:18 PM on December 16, 2014 [1 favorite]

Most of these didn't do anything for me. I kind of wish any of these lists had come with an explanation of why these people thought these particular covers were so beautiful, because since I don't I am left mostly mystified -- I don't personally think most of these covers are all that great, and I haven't gained any understanding of why someone else might.
posted by kyrademon at 3:36 AM on December 17, 2014

Where are the acacia trees?
posted by crazylegs at 3:50 AM on December 17, 2014 [1 favorite]

I get the feeling many of the designers love Wes Anderson.
posted by davebush at 7:40 AM on December 17, 2014

Oh! I have opinions on this!

For one thing, I'm intrigued that several of the lists feature Jeff Vandermeer's 3-in-1 hardcover instead of the individual books in the trilogy. Anyone can make a big single letter look cool; I think it was a far greater accomplishment to bring such a bold look to the entire series (especially with the difference in word lengths).

It's beautiful, but I still think it's a little unfair to include Ben Marcus' Leaving the Sea when it's a cover made to match The Flame Alphabet, which was a very distinctive cover when it came out in 2012, and is still the stronger of the two.

I'm pretty sure Peter Medelsund can do no wrong, as far as I'm concerned. I love the writing on his blog, and first hand accounts make him out to be the quintessential problem solving designer who can neatly arrive at the perfectly suited solution for a project.
posted by redsparkler at 10:50 AM on December 17, 2014