A common idiom we often hear is “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover”. And while this is good advice on the whole, sometimes it just doesn’t apply to actual books. There are books whose covers are works of art. And here are some of my faves…

A small aside – all of the books showcased here are from my personal collection and most were purchased with my own money.

Crimson Peak by Guillermo del Toro. While it might not have done well at the box office, the books it inspired are works of art unto themselves.

The official art book. It is stunning with a plethora of pictures from the movie and behind the scenes. There are also in depth characterizations of the main characters as well as “news articles” of events mentioned in the movie.

One of the limited edition hardback novelizations. Easily one of the prettiest books I own. It comes with a slip cover and is autographed by Guillermo del Toro on the inside.

Even the end pages of the book are lovely to look at and include the theme of moths that is prevalent throughout the story.

Those who are familiar with the Final Fantasy series of video games are likely also familiar with the name Yoshitaka Amano. Amano has done all the title art for the games since the beginning. This lovely artbook has copies of his prints from Final Fantasy to Vampire Hunter D.

When one of my favorite artists joined up with one of my favorite authors, I simply cannot resist. Especially when it involves one of my favorite comic characters. Not only is the story lovely and sad but the artwork inside is exquisite.

The first series of books that earned me a bit of recognition on this site. And also the first books where the author thanked me for my review! The covers do not do the stories justice.

Older computer gamers – especially ones like me who were playing in the late 90’s – will likely recognize the name Myst. They were games that were unlike anything seen up to that point. Puzzle games that really made you think.

Only three books were released and they were only available in hardback for a very limited time. All three of mine are in new/like new condition are among the “You’ll have them when you take them from my cold dead hands” group of books I own.

While many of the books I review on here are considered ‘serious’, I am a fan of more humorous stories as well. Terry Pratchett and Christopher Moore are two personal faves.

I recently referenced this book on a Twitter thread and it is one I recommend to all of my friends. I actually own two copies of this book, one the trade paperback and the second this special edition. It’s made to look like a real Bible with gilt edged pages and a ribbon bookmark. Even the cover is leather tooled with gold.

How can I talk about books without mentioning Terry Pratchett? I became a fan of his with the first Discworld book I borrowed from my local library and I’ve never looked back. This is one of the special editions of Paul Kidby’s Imaginarium artbook. A thick and heavy book it has art both familiar and brand new from Pratchett’s Discworld books.

This last group of books are included, not because they’re pretty, but because of what they mean to me. These are books from my grandmother’s immense collection, taken from her house after she passed away.

I don’t know if you can see, but one of those books is my beloved Sherlock Holmes. All of these books are from the late 40’s and 50’s and while they may be falling apart, they are still deeply loved.