I Always Judge a Book by Its Cover

Happy Birthday, Turk! by Jakob Arjouni. War violence meets childlike simplicity in this design. Who would guess the two could go together? Yet the message is executed marvelously with this cover, as is usually the case with Arjouni novels. The black background efficiently offsets the red and greyscale color scheme. The title and author sit within what appear to be cutouts, giving the design a rough, crafted feel. The knife, too, looks like a one-dimensional cutout that is nevertheless creepy in its spattered and cruelly-shaped state. The “blood” running off the knife is like a ball of yarn, something that a child could have crafted. This roughly-hewed design exhibits a dangerous yet childish approach to a clever war thriller.

Readers’ Average Rating: B

The Fates Will Find Their Way by Hannah Pittard. Although there is no discernible pattern of text or color scheme to this design, I can’t help but be drawn to the blocks layout of this cover. The different squares are all colorful and in no particular order, yet it is the randomness that works so well. I like that each word in the title has its own block, again with no logical placement. The typography has a chalk-like quality, which adds to the somewhat haphazard design. I’d like to think that the random aesthetics were placed purposely, as a way of symbolizing the many possibilities surrounding and following the mysterious central event of the novel. Finally, one can’t help but see those imaginary little splotches of black between the corners of each block—perhaps it’s a mind trick to buy the book!

Readers’ Average Rating: B+

Johannes Cabal the Detective by Jonathan L. Howard. I love the comic book design of this cover. It works especially because of the “detective” aspect—it seems perfectly natural to pair a Holmes-style mystery with a steampunk-style appearance. The red details against the muted background colors work to pop certain cartoonish elements. Finally, the seemingly unrelated images, like the rather ominous detective, the blimp, and the looming storm clouds, are definitely intriguing.

Readers’ Average Rating: B+