You can’t judge a book by its cover, but you can admire a beautiful cover design anyway. At least, that’s how the Bookish editors feel about it. Here, we’ve rounded up April 2019’s best book covers and selected three favorites in each genre. We suggest adorning your shelves with these beauties in addition to, of course, reading them!
Fiction
Sabrina & Corina by Kali Fajardo-Anstine
Artwork by Gustavo Rimada
Henry, Himself by Stewart O’Nan
Design and illustration by Colin Webber
The Cage by Lloyd Jones
Design by W. H. Chong
Nonfiction
Design by Nick Misani, art direction by Ingsu Liu
Mind Fixers by Anne Harrington
Design by Matt Dorfman, art direction by Sarahmay Wilkinson
When You Learn the Alphabet by Kendra Allen
Design by Kimberly Glyder
Mystery & Thriller
Design by Na Kim
The Department of Sensitive Crimes by Alexander McCall Smith
Design by Kelly Blair, photograph by Ilona Wellmann/Millennium Images
A Good Enough Mother by Bev Thomas
Romance
Design by Elizabeth Turner Stokes, illustration by Monika Roe
Design by Colleen Reinhart
A Duke in Disguise by Cat Sebastian
Art by Christine Ruhnke
Science Fiction & Fantasy
Storm of Locusts by Rebecca Roanhorse
Illustration by Tommy Arnold
Amnesty by Lara Elena Donnelly
Design by Vault 49
Emily Eternal by M. G. Wheaton
Design by Natalie Chen
Young Adult
How to Make Friends with the Dark by Kathleen Glasgow
Design by Jen Heuer, art design by Alison Impey
The Meaning of Birds by Jaye Robin Brown
Design by Jessie Gang, art by Elliana Esquivel
Forward Me Back to You by Mitali Perkins
Design by Cassie Gonzales
Young Adult Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Descendant of the Crane by Joan He
Design by Ellen Kokontis, illustration by Feifei Ruan
We Rule the Night by Claire Eliza Bartlett
Design by Karina Granda, art by Billelis
The Raven’s Tale by Cat Winters
Design by Hana Nakamura, art by Shane Rebenscheid
Middle Grade
Orange for the Sunsets by Tina Athaide
Design by Laura Eckes, art by Olivia Duchess
The Library of Ever by Zeno Alexander
Design by Ellen Duda, art by Matt Rockefeller
Picture Books
Mango Moon by Diane de Anda, illustrated by Sue Cornelison
Art by Sue Cornelison
Lion of the Sky: Haiku for All Seasons by Laura Purdie Salas, illustrated by Mercè López
Art by Mercè López
Gondra’s Treasure by Linda Sue Park, illustrated by Jennifer Black Reinhardt
Art by Jennifer Black Reinhardt