My Top 5 Covers for January 2025
Welcome to 2025! Have you been catching up on your reading lists? I sure have been.
Now, last year, I did a top 10 for every month. While I impressed myself with the commitment, it was tiring to hunt down the credits for 120+ books (yes, the math is right—on some lists I snuck in one or two more book covers).
This time ‘round, I’m stripping things back and sticking to 5 per month, just so I don’t go crazy.
That being said, here’s my picks for January 2025.
Note: presume that I have not read any of these books unless I’ve indicated as such. Any observations made about the story the covers represent and its quality are only based on the synopses and the cover.
#1
Book Cover Designer: Regina Flath (Instagram | Website)
Regina has also designed:
A Sweet Sting of Salt by Rose Sutherland
Immortal Pleasures by V. Castro
The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White
Book Cover Illustrator: Haylee Morice (Instagram | Website)
Recognise any of these covers Haylee has also designed?
A Crane Among Wolves by June Hur (Fae Crate subscription box edition, 2024)
The Bond Dissolution Omegaverse series by Eliana Lee (Fae Crate subscription box edition, 2024)
Having read an e-ARC/DRC of the novel, Haylee’s illustration and style is a perfect match to capture the story’s seamlessly whimsical, other-worldly, zen magic and aura. The white paired with the lavender and muted cobalt makes for a calming look. I can’t help but want this as a postcard.
#2
Book Cover Illustrator: Jason Chuang (Instagram | Website)
Jason also did the other UK editions of the Celestial Kingdom series
The stars and lantern-dotted night sky backdrops the beautiful titlework and highlights the vast divide between the immortal and mortal realms, subtly nodding at the larger promise that weighs on the MC’s mind (hehe got to read an e-ARC of it). Stylistic mountains, clouds, palaces, and lotuses continue the look of traditional Chinese ink paintings seen in other covers for SLT that Jason did, creating a new cohesive instalment that also makes the story feel old and passed-down.
#3
Book Cover Designer: Kerri Resnick (Instagram | Website)
Hello?! You definitely would’ve heard of these books Kerri has designed:
You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao
Bright Ruined Things by Samantha Cohoe
Tweet Cute by Emma Lord
Book Cover Illustrator: Kiuyan Ran (Instagram | Website)
Other titles Kiyuan has also done:
Spindle of Fate by Aimee Lim
Kindling by Tracie Chee
Maqilian in the Night series (2022 republication)
Red, gold, tan, and muted navy: rich colours that paint a humble but heroic picture of the rise of Bruce Lee. The watercolour, rough edges of the shadows and light give it an aged look, a visual metaphor of an old story standing the test of time.
#4
Book Cover Designer/Illustrator: unknown
Strange Pictures indeed. The eclectic medley of vaguely childlike drawings breakdowning of the world combined with haunting visuals convince me that past and present are hypnotically twisted and confused with each other in this horror-mystery.
I cannot look at the bottom right corner. Just. *shivers*
#5
Book Cover Design: Harper Art Team
Book Cover Illustrator: Galen Dara (Instagram | Website)
Ooh, look at these titles Galen has done!
Daughter of Redwinter by Ed McDonald
The Right Sort of Monsters by Kelly Sandoval
Fairy Tales are for White Folks by Melissa Yuan-Innes
It’s the twilight-palette, ink-over-watercolour cousin of Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar, cover-wise. The dynamic shapes and organic lines are complemented by a flowy (perhaps familiar) font to keep the composition’s flow. Implementing drop-shadows instead of bezels for the text is a good choice for the eyes so the reader has somewhere to look to to rest.
What do you guys think of these covers? What are the books you’d put on your top 10 for January 2025?
Strap in for another year of books, fellows.