Here are 30 of the best book covers of 2020 that have wowed book lovers worldwide and are the focal points of bookshelves during these challenging times.
Tag: book covers
The Amazing Book Covers of Kavalier and Clay
It has been 20 years since Michael Chabon’s legendary novel was published on September 19th, 2000. In that short time, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay has won a Pulitzer Prize, and many many other awards.
The book follows two cousins, Joe Kavalier and Sam Clay, as they reunite when Joe comes to America to escape Nazi Europe. The pair combine their skills, Joe the artist, and Sam the writer, to navigate the newfound world of comic books. It follows their careers, and intertwined love lives: Sam struggles with his queerness in a time when it wasn’t accepted and Joe falls in love with a woman he can’t have. Chabon lets readers into a world that is torn by war and patches it with the love and creative connection that the two cousins share.
It is incredible that in only 20 years the book has become a modern American classic. But, what is more incredible is the number of book covers that it has gone through.
There is a quote in the book that reads, “Forget about what you are escaping from. Reserve your anxiety for what you are escaping to.” Here are the TAAOKAC book covers. There are so many of them and they are all amazing. They say not to judge a book by its cover, but hopefully, after seeing these, TAAOKAC will be something you want to reserve your anxiety for and escape into.
Happy 20th.
1. The first edition published by Random House in 2000
image via amazon
2. The 2001 paperback edition with Houdini on the cover
image via goodreads
3. the post-Pulitzer edition in august 2001
image via goodreads
4. The Italian Edition in 2001
image via goodreads
5. the Swedish edition in 2002
image via goodreads
6. the german edition in 2004
image via goodreads
7. the french edition in 2004
image via goodreads
8. the Chinese edition in 2012
image via goodreads
9. the rebranding of all Chabon books to look this way in 2012
image via goodreads
10. the polish edition in 2019
image via goodreads
11. the new paperback edition in 2012
image via goodreads
12. the gorgeous limited edition illustrated edition that costs $135
image via the folio society
featured image via empireonline.com
‘Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ Characters as Book Covers
Animal Crossing: New Horizons couldn’t have come into our lives at a better moment. The impossibly entertaining and serene game is full of adorable characters we can’t help but love. But have you ever wondered what these characters would look like as book covers? Well, wonder no more!
1. Tom Nook as A Long Petal of the Sea
Tom Nook has been the most important character in all the games of the Animal Crossing franchise, but in New Horizons he comes back with a very chill look. The color and general vibe of his outfit reminds me of the cover of this Isabel Allende novel. They both look like a warm and peaceful day at the beach, a perfect getaway after a long day of managing the island.
2. Isabelle as Milkman
We can all agree that the most iconic character in all of Animal Crossing has to be Isabelle, right? With her yellow fur, pink shirt, and infectious smile, Isabelle looks like a summer sunset—much like the cover of Anna Burn’s novel, Milkman.
3. Timmy and Tommy Nook as Feel Free
Timmy and Tommy are an adorable duo, and they are basically identical copies of their mentor, Tom nook. Just like him they have a relaxed appearance, while also looking lively and cheerful. The cover of Zadie Smith’s Feel Free fits them like a glove.
4. K.K. Slider as The Outsiders
It is rare to see K.K. Slider without his guitar, and you can always count on him to bring life to a party with his great music skills. And while K.K. Slider doesn’t wear any clothes, if he were to wear some, his staple piece would definitely be a leather jacket, making him look like the cover of S.E. Hilton’s classic novel The Outsiders.
5. The Able Sisters as Such a Fun Age
Just like the cover of Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid, the Able sisters (Mabel, Sable, and Label) are fun and fashionable. With this lively pattern and bright colors, the Able sisters would be ready to assemble the perfect outfit for you at their tailor shop.
6. Flick as Ninth House
Flick, a newcomer and bug enthusiast, looks like a the member of a punk band. With his combat boots, checkered pants, and choker, Flick deserves to be compared to a book who looks as badass as he does, and that book is Leigh Bardugo’s Ninth House. The dark look plus the slithering snake making it’s way down the cover matches his aesthetic perfectly.
7. Blathers as The Secret History
While this museum curator doesn’t exactly look like The Secret History, there couldn’t be a cover to better suit Blathers. With his intellectual look and love of art, the cover of this Donna Tart novel featuring a classical statue goes with Blathers perfectly. The cover would probably even be something you’d find in his museum along with the fossils and bugs.
8. Celeste as Useless Magic
Other than running the museum gift-shop, Celeste also loves to stargaze. And what other book is more perfect for a night of stargazing than this lyrics and poetry collection by the one and only Florence Welch? The color palette also matches Celeste’s feathers, and her heart probably bursts the same when you call her adorable!
9. C.J. as Where the Crawdads Sing
If there is something that C.J. loves doing, it’s fishing. Not only does his fishing outfit makes me think of Delia Owen’s novel, I can also picture him roaming around the cover of Where the Crawdads Sing. He would definitely be sitting on that boat, throwing his fishing rod into the lake, and sitting back waiting for a fish to bite the bait.
10. Cherry as The Haunting of Hill House
Cherry’s red fur and black outfit is another classic Animal Crossing looks. Her spiderweb shirt looks straight out of a horror movie, and her tendency to staying up until late at night reminds me of a certain haunted mansion. Shirley Jackson’s classic horror novel The Haunting of Hill House goes with her aesthetic perfectly, but of course she’s too sweet to ever scare you like that.
There’s so many amazing and adorable characters in this game that it’s impossible to fit them all into a single article, so, what other characters do you see as book covers?
Feature image via nintendo
Iconic Book Covers line the Halls of a High School
What better way to encourage reading, than by covering the hallways with book covers. At Mundelein High School, in Chicago, Illinois, the hallways of their English department have been transformed into iconic book covers. The book covers are right near the classroom doors, inspiring students to pick up a book.
Image via Forreadingaddicts
Image via Forreadingaddicts
This transformation happened over the Christmas break, just in time for the students to return to school in a new year, and to a new hallway. The project was designed by Visual Image Photography, using vinyl murals to turn the walls into big books. Some of the books that were chosen, as pictured above are All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. Others include Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Bear Town by Fredrik Backman, and Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. These books are a good mix of classic and modern literature that hopes to inspire students to read books from the past and present.
Based on the pictures, the designers did an amazing job on these murals. Students and teachers alike will definitely be enjoying them, prompting more visits to the library this year. Anything to get more people reading is a great thing, and these stunning hallways just might inspire other schools to do the same.
Featured Image BeFunyCollageMaker
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Ranking LotR Covers From Best to Worst
You have the hottest takes on the Hobbit covers, and now you have them for the Lord of the Rings as well!
Chinese – Fake! :'(
Image via Good eReader
I usually only put ACTUAL covers, but this one snuck up on me. Maybe just because I wanted to believe. It’s simple, elegant, and look at the figures. I don’t care if it’s real, it’s pretty, and I need it. Literally just take my money. Too good to be true.
11/10
Pencil
Image via Reddit
There’s a lot to like here, and not just because I grew up with this edition of the hobbit. They’re pretty, the style is consistent, and you know I like a set that looks like a set. Still not perfect – the color leeches over time, which might be tonally consistent, but visually it’s weird.
9/10
Goth
Image via The Literary Omnivore
These are pretty good. Dark, simple, have elvish and gold. Weird, old school illustrations. I don’t know what the significance of the yellow, red, and blue is, but it’s not objectionable, and we get the ring motif. I like it, but it’s not blowing my mind.
8/10
Forest
Image via WorthPoint
These are pretty! I like the illustrations, I like the subtle colors, I like that the set looks consistent, but the illustrations should be different! Like, the same style, but different illustrations. I want unity, but I don’t want it to be boring.
7/10
Monotone
Image via Tolkien Collector’s Guide
I like the colors, I like the art, I like that it’s retro. That said, it doesn’t have a lot of character. It’s bland. You have a stupid maybe eagle, it’s all pretty general, and it looks like it was made by an algorithm. Ultimately? Meh.
6/10
Simple
Image via Adazing
I like the bright colors, I like the really metal illustration of the horse and the wraiths, but the first one with Gandalf is so bright, there’s just tonal dissonance. The middle one is perfect, because it’s vivid and menacing, but the others feel lopsided.
5/10
Ink?
Image via Open Culture
This is a mess. I like the first one so much – it’s simple, it’s thematic. We’ve got elvish, fire, rings. The second one is ugly and I don’t know why you’d do that. That green is bad, idk if that’s supposed to be an eagle, and don’t get me started on the third one. Pass.
4/10
Elfish
Image via Adazing
We’ve got the tricolor look again, but all the pretty art is covered up. I’m pretty sure the tree on the third book is just taken from a hobbit cover. I’m not even that into the movie font. The scale doesn’t play with the eagle. Disappointing.
3/10
Nightmare
Image via Adazing
I have every question. The eagles look like crows. The last one seems to be an army of snakes. The first is just a tree? All that purple doesn’t make any sense. It’s all so dark it looks like none of it is. No tone at all, just a heap of nonsense.
2/10
Realistic
Image via Nerdalicious
God I hate what they used to do to fantasy books. I hate it. Gandalf looks like he’s offerning you drugs, the winged hat looks incredibly silly, and I’m horrified that’s an elf with a mullet. The purple’s too bright. An elf with a mullet! Ffs.
1/10
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Featured image via Zoom Comics
