A Librarian's Guide to Judging Books by Their Covers
Published on September 22, 2026
By Abby B.
We’ve all heard the saying: Don’t judge a book by its cover.
It’s good advice for life. For books? It’s a little more complicated.
Book covers exist to be judged. Every color, font, illustration, and photograph is chosen to tell you something before you’ve read a single word. A well-designed cover sets expectations. It hints at a mood, a genre, or the kind of reading experience waiting inside.
As librarians, we spend a lot of time helping people find their next great read, and we can confidently say that first impressions matter. A striking cover is often what gets someone to pull a book off the shelf. That’s not shallow. That’s good design.
But a cover is only the beginning.
Some of the most memorable books come in surprisingly understated packages, while some of the most beautiful covers lead to stories that aren’t the right fit for every reader. The fun is in finding out. Read the inside flap. Sample the first page. Maybe that book you weren’t looking for suddenly becomes the one you can’t stop recommending.
That’s one of the best things about browsing the library: there’s no penalty for taking a chance. Drawn to a title because of its gorgeous artwork? Check it out. Curious about something that looks completely outside your usual reading habits? Give it a try. If it’s not for you, simply bring it back. The shelves are full of possibilities.
So perhaps the old saying deserves a small revision:
Judge a book by its cover, but don’t let the cover have the final word.
Let it spark your curiosity. Then let the story decide.
To celebrate the art of the book cover, I pulled together a few titles from our collection that made me stop and take a second look. Each caught my attention for a different reason, and each is a reminder that sometimes the best way to discover a new story is to simply follow your curiosity.
There’s something wonderfully unsettling about this cover. The exaggerated portrait and muted, almost sickly colors give it an off-kilter quality that makes you want to know more. It’s a fitting introduction to this darkly funny novel about a fading socialite determined to find someone to kill her before her next SoulCycle class.
Subtlety is not the goal here. The neon palette and flaming candles give this cover the look of a very strange party invitation. It’s colorful, chaotic, and just a little bit mysterious. The story inside is equally unconventional and explores the complicated ways people can become entangled in one another’s lives.
The enormous, unblinking eye creates an immediate sense of unease, making it difficult to walk past without wondering what’s going on. Inside, you’ll find a strange, genre-bending story involving artificial intelligence, identity, and a man trapped in a horrifying dreamscape.
Main Characters by Bobby Palmer
The cover captures a moment of quiet tension: two people moving in opposite directions, seemingly unaware of each other. What connects them, and why do they appear to be moving apart? That question carries into this sweeping love story, told through the perspectives of the people who watch Clara and Seb fall in and out of love.
This cover feels immediately confrontational. The bold colors and oversized design dare you to look away, setting the tone for a story about people who can’t avoid facing what they’ve done. Two people who have hurt the same woman must confront their actions, as the novel explores culture, love, and forgiveness.
Attitude comes through loud and clear in the woman staring out from behind the title. Furious, unhinged, and impossible to ignore, she’s the perfect introduction to Violet West—a crime journalist dealing with an increasingly disturbing stalker while also reckoning with the legacy of a mother she never asked to inherit. Sharp, darkly funny, and unsettling, the story promises trouble from the very beginning.