Detail of the cover of Victoria Redel's I Am You (2025) (image courtesy SJP Lit) Walk into any bookstore in the United States lately, and the shelves and new-release tables resemble group exhibitions.

A Book Review art director selects the book jackets that surprised him, delighted him and stayed with him this year. A Book Review art director selects the book jackets that surprised him, delighted ...

Take a genteel painting, maybe featuring a swooning woman. Add iridescent neon type for a shock to the system. And thank (or blame) Ottessa Moshfegh for getting there early. Clockwise from top left: ...

Readers have always judged books by their covers. And when covers start looking like they're the result of a handful of prompts instead of well thought out creative briefs, the concerns are multifold.