Top 5 Book Covers from 2019
Written by Ashley Tomlinson Associate RGD, Self Employed
I have always been an avid reader. As a kid I would hide underneath my blanket and read until the early hours of the morning. I am always updating my reading list and have found that diving into a book has helped me mentally during this pandemic. As a visual person, I always remember the covers of books I’ve read, here are my top favourites from 2019.
Know My Name
Author: Chanel Miller
Cover Design: Jason Ramirez and Nayon Cho
I thought this cover was beautiful before I learned that it was inspired by the Japanese art of kintsugi or “golden repair,” where broken pottery pieces are mended using lacquer and powdered gold, illustrating that the fragments of something broken can be made whole again.
The Testaments
Author: Margaret Atwood
Cover Design: Noma Bar
The cover of this highly anticipated sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale did not disappoint. Noma Bar’s illustrations are simple but impactful. If you look closely, there are nods to the plot of the bookhidden on both the front and back covers.
Queenie
Author: Candice Carty-Williams
Cover Design: Donna Cheng
Cover Illustration: Gerrel Saunders
I love how Queenie is the star of this cover, her braids are tucked into the title, ‘A Novel’ is cleverly placed above her ear resembling a tattoo and the fact that her face is not included on the cover. It’s reflective of her struggle to find a place between two cultures and figure out who she is.
Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland
Author: Patrick Radden Keefe
Cover Design: Oliver Munday
Simple but effective, this cover gives you all the information about the story. The green and orange lines are a nod toward the Irish Flag and the bold image of Dolorous Price staring over the edge of her turtleneck, the classic uniform of the IRA.
The Uninhabitable Earth Life After Warming
Author: David Wallace-Wells
Cover Design: Richard Green
Devastating to look at but effective in its execution, this cover really speaks for itself. The bee lying in the fetal position surrounded by nothing drives home the title and the crisis we face of global warming.
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Ashley Tomlinson Associate RGD
Self Employed
Ashley is a multidisciplinary graphic designer based in Toronto, Canada. So far her career has focused on editorial design at Studio Wyse and Clean Eating Magazine. A big lover of magazines and books (she loves storytelling), you can sometimes find her hanging out at Issues Magazine Shop or checking out books at the library. In her spare time she also co-writes a newsletter on pop culture called Shaping the Narrative which is just an excuse to write about all the books she’s reading. Always up for a conversation; her favourite topics include books, dogs and The Real Housewives.
