A variety of book covers from 2022 on a colorful background

Trends

The book cover trends of 2022

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Dec 22, 2022

They say you should never judge a book by its cover. But let’s get superficial for a moment and talk about some of the year’s prettiest book covers and the trends that inspired them.

Book cover design is an art all its own, and in 2022, we saw trends like millennial pink and hand-drawn lettering make their way onto some of the year’s hottest books. While beauty’s in the eye of the beholder, there’s no doubt that book designers are going for the most “Instagram-friendly” looks they can find. With more books than ever catching readers’ eyes on social media, many look to what’s trending in the social space for creative inspiration.

We believe that all books are beautiful, but nevertheless pulled together this list of the most popular trends in book design, and some of the most eye-catching covers within them. So, feast your eyes on these 2022 designs, from illustrated styles to innovative photography and more:

Flowers, flowers everywhere

floral book covers

Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins

It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover

Violeta by Isabel Allende

The Honeys by Ryan La Sala


Abstract color blending

abstract colors book cover design

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka

The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty

The Family Izquierdo by Rubén Degollado


Illustrations

illustrated book cover design

Yerba Buena by Nina LaCour

The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner

I’m So Not Over You by Kosoko Jackson

Book Lovers by Emily Henry


Simplicity

simple book cover design

In Love by Amy Bloom

Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Dr. Julie Smith

His Name is George Floyd by Robert Samuels

The Nineties by Chuck Klosterman


Busy covers

busy book cover design

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

This is What It Sounds Like by Susan Rogers and Ogi Ogas

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

Pride by Stella Caldwell


Type-heavy

type-heavy book cover design

True Biz by Sara Nović

The It Girl by Ruth Ware

All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir

The Return of Faraz Ali by Aamina Ahmad


Photography

photography in book cover design

Nowhere for Very Long by Brianna Madia

An Immense World by Ed Yong

Bliss Montage by Ling Ma

The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka


Silhouettes

silhouettes in book cover design

Ocean’s Echo by Everina Maxwell

Jackal by Erin E. Adams

Under the Skin by Linda Villarosa

Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel


Text in pictures

text in pictures in book cover design

Don’t Go to Sleep by Bryce Moore

Dead Girls Can’t Tell Secrets by Chelsea Ichaso

Hokuloa Road by Elizabeth Hand

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell


Millennial pink

There’s Something About Merry by Codi Hall

The Town of Babylon by Alejandro Varela

The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston

Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan


To browse more eye candy, download the free Libby reading app and browse your library’s digital collection.

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About the Author

Annie Suhy has been working in the book industry since 2006. When she’s not working, practicing yoga, or petting cats, she’s doing paint-by-numbers and buying more plants. An avid poetry fan, her favorite collection is "The Splinter Factory" by Jeffrey McDaniel.

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