Last year they were magnificent. The year before that set the standard. And now it’s time to hit the high notes once again.

In what can sometimes resemble a sea of tin-plate dinghies, these book covers are all daringly different luxury cruise ships.

(1) Literally eye-popping energy with a little penguin in the bottom left corner.

(2) I remember those colored circular stickers very well. And there’s a few faces I might want to blot out in my old school photos as well – if I could ever find them.

(1) Never underestimate the power of The Blob. Love how it’s just off-kilter as well, almost eclipsing the “L”

(2) It must have been a challenge to design a cover that could hold its own against the glorious subtitle “A Heartbeaking Work of Staggering Penis,” but I think this does the job beautifully.

(1) The playful pink poltergeist strikes again! Untidy or uncanny? Either way this cover has presence. At least we know it’s a glorious day outside that just ajar door.

(2) See the little human casting the long shadow? See where they’re standing? This one’s for anyone whose ever stood in the margins. With those staring eyes in the dark it would work equally as well as a Stephen King horror cover.

(1)The slightly uncanny, person-ish shape appears to be reaching out from behind prison bars. Wait, no! That’s a street intersection. Wait again…no, they’re definitely French windows. Ok, so maybe that’s actually the mythical dolphin-dog standing on it’s hind legs while trying to unlatch the door to it’s enclosure. I think you get the idea. Whatever way you look at it this cover is intriguing.

(2) For a non-fiction book about ghosts and hauntings, this cover is suitably mystery-shrouded. Not sure if you can see it along the right hand edge, but bonus points also for one of the more innovatively placed ‘Author of...’ mentions.

(1) When the flight attendants go through the emergency procedures on a plane, no one pays attention. When you put those same boring procedures on the cover of a novel, suddenly it’s interesting.

(2) Those slightly menacing red lines through the words may mean either there’s a psycho killer on the loose or a mad scribbler can’t hold it in any more.

(1) Gotta love mushrooms sprouting from a vaginal coral in a disembodied hand!

(2) The quality of that red ‘n green turtle saddle indicates it might just be hand-stitched.

 

(1) Gripping cover bar none.

(2) Precious Purple Rapunzel!

(1) The vagina images just keep coming.

(2) Love the multicolored 1970’s movie-credits font.

(1) Spot the nun. And bonus points for the funny angle on the dangling crucifix.

(2) Doesn’t look like anything else out there. This is what chaos on a book cover looks like.

(1) Weird and precise and, because of the shadows, a little threatening, somehow.

(2) Love Bird Woman’s thumb hooked around the C.

(1) Go the hand-drawn text!

(2) A splash of color in the most psychedelic way.

(1) MOTHER THING is a great title and the cover is a fiendishly comical delight.

(2) Two portraits juxtaposed in a very interesting, splotchy way.

(1) Which side indeed. A clever and convincing—and fun—take on the signage-style cover.

(2) Um……okaaaaaay. Viva la black hole spacetime!

(1) A blazing worm will get my attention every time. Including THIS time.

(2) A probing book that aims to get to the bottom of it’s subject. Sorry.

(1) When you’re an author and your first name is Rainbow – yes! – you get to feature an oval shaped upward-downward rainbow on your front cover.

(2) Color text on a B & W background works for me. Every time.

SEE IT HERE