Top 12+ Best Book Covers of 2025, Picked by Graphic Designers

Goddess Complex by Sanjena Sathian

Chosen by: Hanna Barczyk

“Two women are at the center of the cover. The art instantly drew me in with its soft, warm tones contrasted by the bold, heavy font playfully composed over the cover. The two women, their black hair falling off their shoulders, share an expression that feels both austere and calm. Their eyes gaze directly at us, holding a mysterious quality. The way their bodies lightly touch creates shapes in the negative space that almost act like windows, guiding the eye through each section of the cover. The pink background, with its subtle texture, adds a sense of limitlessness. It feels intimate yet inviting.” —Hanna

Lili Is Crying by Hélène Bessette

Chosen by: Hanna Barczyk

“I love this cover’s experimental use of collage, which creates a layered and intriguing story. A faint portrait of a woman appears in the background, partially obscured by light pink, with only a cut-out of her eye clearly visible. The title is cleverly placed as teardrops falling from that single visible eye. It’s the overall simplicity in tone that delivers such deep, rich, textured meaning.” —Hanna

Sister, Butcher, Sister by KD Aldyn

Chosen by: Lisa Errico

“I am partial to clever typography, so this cover caught my eye. The face hidden behind ‘she’ was indeed alarming and hair-raising.” —Lisa

We Are Green and Trembling by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara

Chosen by: Hanna Barczyk

“This cover feels clever, mysterious and surreal, while maintaining a strict sense of simplicity. The light pink background paired with the collaged leaf, cut out in the shape of eyes, gives me the sense that this will be a transformative and adventurous book. It feels poetic and fresh.” —Hanna

Hollow by Taylor Grothe

Chosen by: Lisa Errico

“I adore the unsettling and eerie nature of this design. The eye peeking out of the bird’s body both intrigues me and gives me full-body chills!” —Lisa

Beta Vulgaris by Margie Sarsfield

Chosen by: Elisha Zepeda

“It’s a super simple cover that instantly caught my attention, in part because it looks so similar to 2023’s Kittentits. I read horror quicker than anything else and love a good debut voice, so will give this one a try.” —Elisha

The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami

Chosen by: Elisha Zepeda and Hanna Barczyk

“I loved Lalami’s The Other Americans. She is very brief and understated, remind[ing] me of Raymond Carver. This cover is very different from her previous releases, [and I’m] excited to see if the tone will be different in the writing as well.” —Elisha

“A thick purple border frames an orange square that feels like it’s stretching endlessly into a black abyss of nothingness. At the edge, a small person stands as if they’re gazing into the void. This cover grabbed my attention with its poetic use of colors and shapes to create a story. It immediately piqued my curiosity, making me want to know more about what The Dream Hotel is about.” —Hanna

Eat the Ones You Love by Sarah Maria Griffin

Chosen by: Lisa Errico

“This cover stopped me in my tracks—it is weird and wonderful. The use of carnivorous plants is both alarming and alluring, and the connection between the eyes has certainly piqued my interest.” —Lisa

Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce

Chosen by: Lisa Errico

“The contrast between the rip and the intricate floral wallpaper creates a sense of unease and dread. The hole in the wall kept drawing my eye. Upon further inspection, and to my horror, I realized I had caught the eye of someone else.” —Lisa

Wild West Village by Lola Kirke

Chosen by: Elisha Zepeda

“This cover did its job. I know nothing of the author, but the illustration and colors are so well done that I have to at least pick it up for a few chapters.” —Elisha

Hazelthorn by C.G. Drews

Chosen by: Lisa Errico

“The drama in this cover is palpable, and I love the tension of the woven thorns and botanical elements wrapped around the title and face—it feels very claustrophobic.” —Lisa

Flashlight by Susan Choi

Chosen by: Elisha Zepeda

“Top-tier cover, following the huge success of Choi’s Trust Exercise. One of those designs that makes me almost certain I’ll love the book.” —Elisha

About the experts Elisha Zepeda is a book cover designer with Penguin Press. His design work combines modern and vintage flair paired with a minimal aesthetic. His work has gone viral by way of fast-paced process videos on social media, and his first designs with Penguin are hitting shelves this fall. Zepeda’s latest designs include Boy from the North Country by Sam Sussman, The Future of Truth by Werner Herzog, Transplants by Daniel Tam-Claiborne and Clay by Jennifer Lucy Allan. Lisa Errico is a freelance book cover designer and illustrator living in Yorkshire. Errico has worked on special editions for companies such as OwlCrate, Book in a Box, FairyLoot and many more. Errico’s art is inspired by the natural world and all things magical. Errico has designed covers for The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst for OwlCrate, Shoestring Theory by Mariana Costa for Book in a Box, Grave Matter by Karina Halle (Special Edition) and Coeur Noir by Ruthann Jagge. Hanna Barczyk is a German-Hungarian artist and illustrator who resides in Montreal and uses emotion and concept to create meaningful illustrations. She believes art is a way to connect, feel empathy, tell stories and create social change. With her colorful, bold and minimalist style she transforms complex ideas into simple creative solutions. She has collaborated with clients such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Apple, META, the New York Times, the New Yorker, TIME, the United Nations and Penguin/RandomHouse, among many others.

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