The most beautiful book covers: 2022 edition (January to June)

Hello everyone! Welcome to another blog post. The second one this month! I’m so happy to be blogging more often and I hope that I can keep this going for longer than I did earlier this year.

Today I’m bringing you a Book List post! I really like making these posts and I know you’ve liked them in the past, so I’m hoping you like this one too. This time I’m going to be talking about some of the prettiest covers I’ve seen from books that have been released in the first half of this year.

Based on my research I’m sure that there are lots of other covers that are beautiful and deserve to be on this list, but I didn’t want to make this post too long, so I only chose 20. This list has no particular order, all of them are equally beautiful to me. You can find the Goodreads link to each book in the titles and covers.

Without further ado, let’s begin!

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Title: Echoes and Empires
Author: Morgan Rhodes
Release Date: January 4th, 2022

Josslyn Drake knows only three things about magic: it’s rare, illegal, and always deadly. So when she’s caught up in a robbery gone wrong at the Queen’s Gala and infected by a dangerous piece of magic—one that allows her to step into the memories of an infamously evil warlock—she finds herself living her worst nightmare. Joss needs the magic removed before it corrupts her soul and kills her. But in Ironport, the cost of doing magic is death, and seeking help might mean scheduling her own execution. There’s nobody she can trust.
Nobody, that is, except wanted criminal Jericho Nox, who offers her a deal: his help extracting the magic in exchange for the magic itself. And though she’s not thrilled to be working with a thief, especially one as infuriating (and infuriatingly handsome) as Jericho, Joss is desperate enough to accept.
But Jericho is nothing like Joss expects. The closer she grows with Jericho and the more she sees of the world outside her pampered life in the city, the more Joss begins to question the beliefs she’s always taken for granted—beliefs about right and wrong, about power and magic, and even about herself.
In an empire built on lies, the truth may be her greatest weapon.

This is one of those books that I added to my TBR almost solely based on the cover (before even reading the summary which is also very intriguing and made it go up on my priority list). I love the spooky vibes of this cover, the smoke, the realism of the art especially with the main character… the color palette is also amazing, that golden dark theme is one I haven’t see much of in book covers and I loved it.

Title: Love Somebody
Author: Rachel Roasek
Release Date: January 11th, 2022

Sam Dickson is a charismatic actress, ambitious and popular with big plans for her future. Ros Shew is one of the smartest people in school–but she’s a loner, and prefers to keep it that way. Then there’s Christian Powell, the darling of the high school soccer team. He’s not the best with communication, which is why he and Sam broke up after dating for six months; but he makes up for it by being genuine, effusive, and kind, which is why they’re still best friends.
When Christian falls for Ros on first sight, their first interaction is a disaster, so he enlists Sam’s help to get through to her. Sam, with motives of her own, agrees to coach Christian from the sidelines on how to soften Ros’s notorious walls. But as Ros starts to suspect Christian is acting differently, and Sam starts to realize the complexity of her own feelings, their fragile relationships threaten to fall apart.
This fresh romantic comedy from debut author Rachel Roasek is a heartfelt story about falling in love–with a partner, with your friends, or just with yourself–and about how maybe, the bravest thing to do in the face of change is just love somebody.

The way the title was placed on the cover with the hearts replacing the “O”s gave the cover such a good touch and it goes really well with the them of this book. I also adored that pastel color palette.

Title: Fire Becomes Her
Author: Rosiee Thor
Release Date: February 1st, 2022

In Rosiee Thor’s lavish fantasy novel with a Jazz Age spark, a politically savvy teen must weigh her desire to climb the social ladder against her heart in a world where magic buys votes.
Flare is power.
With only a drop of flare, one can light the night sky with fireworks . . . or burn a building to the ground — and seventeen-year-old Ingrid Ellis wants her fair share.
Ingrid doesn’t have a family fortune, monetary or magical, but at least she has a plan: Rise to the top on the arm of Linden Holt, heir to a hefty political legacy and the largest fortune of flare in all of Candesce. Her only obstacle is Linden’s father who refuses to acknowledge her.
So when Senator Holt announces his run for president, Ingrid uses the situation to her advantage. She strikes a deal to spy on the senator’s opposition in exchange for his approval and the status she so desperately craves. But the longer Ingrid wears two masks, the more she questions where her true allegiances lie.
Will she stand with the Holts, or will she forge her own path?

Hello???!? This is amazing! I really love the role of the fire in this cover, how it falls down the girl’s dress and takes almost half of the cover. It is simply magical. Also when it comes to the girl I can’t quite tell if it’s a picture or a drawing, which says a lot of just how perfect this cover is.

Title: In The Serpent’s Wake
Author: Rachel Hartman
Release Date: February 1st, 2022

MIND OF THE WORLD,
OPEN YOUR EYES.
At the bottom of the world lies a Serpent, the last of its kind.
Finding the Serpent will change lives.
Tess is a girl on a mission to save a friend.
Spira is a dragon seeking a new identity.
Marga is a woman staking her claim on a man’s world.
Jacomo is a priest searching for his soul.
There are those who would give their lives to keep it hidden.
And those who would destroy it.
But the only people who will truly find the Serpent are those who have awakened to the world around them—with eyes open to the wondrous, the terrible, and the just.

The colors. The colors were the thing that killed me. When you think of snakes you don’t usually think of purple, right? But this cover sold that concept perfectly. There are many elements in this cover but everything works and blends perfectly well: the ship, the girl, the ocean waves, the snake… the more I see, the more elements I find in this cover, which is something I’ve always loved to see.

Title: The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea
Author: Axie Oh
Release Date: February 22nd, 2022

Deadly storms have ravaged Mina’s homeland for generations. Floods sweep away entire villages, while bloody wars are waged over the few remaining resources. Her people believe the Sea God, once their protector, now curses them with death and despair. In an attempt to appease him, each year a beautiful maiden is thrown into the sea to serve as the Sea God’s bride, in the hopes that one day the “true bride” will be chosen and end the suffering.
Many believe that Shim Cheong, the most beautiful girl in the village—and the beloved of Mina’s older brother Joon—may be the legendary true bride. But on the night Cheong is to be sacrificed, Joon follows Cheong out to sea, even knowing that to interfere is a death sentence. To save her brother, Mina throws herself into the water in Cheong’s stead.
Swept away to the Spirit Realm, a magical city of lesser gods and mythical beasts, Mina seeks out the Sea God, only to find him caught in an enchanted sleep. With the help of a mysterious young man named Shin—as well as a motley crew of demons, gods and spirits—Mina sets out to wake the Sea God and bring an end to the killer storms once and for all.
But she doesn’t have much time: A human cannot live long in the land of the spirits. And there are those who would do anything to keep the Sea God from waking…

Possibly one of the prettiest covers I’ve seen in my life. It’s just so etheral, it makes me feel peace just by looking at it. It is simply art, a masterpiece. In here we can also see many elements that work perfectly well together.

Title: An Arrow To The Moon
Author: Emily X.R Pan
Release Date: April 12th, 2022

Hunter Yee has perfect aim with a bow and arrow, but all else in his life veers wrong. He’s sick of being haunted by his family’s past mistakes. The only things keeping him from running away are his little brother, a supernatural wind, and the bewitching girl at his new high school.
Luna Chang dreads the future. Graduation looms ahead, and her parents’ expectations are stifling. When she begins to break the rules, she finds her life upended by the strange new boy in her class, the arrival of unearthly fireflies, and an ominous crack spreading across the town of Fairbridge.
As Hunter and Luna navigate their families’ enmity and secrets, everything around them begins to fall apart. All they can depend on is their love… but time is running out, and fate will have its way.

This cover captures the title very well. I think that’s pretty evident. This is also one of those books I instantly added to my TBR when I saw this cover. The colors remind me of the ocean and the night at the same time which I think it’s not quite easy to capture.

Title: The Lost Dreamer
Author: Lizz Huerta
Release Date: March 1st, 2022

Indir is a Dreamer, descended from a long line of seers; able to see beyond reality, she carries the rare gift of Dreaming truth. But when the beloved king dies, his son has no respect for this time-honored tradition. King Alcan wants an opportunity to bring the Dreamers to a permanent end—an opportunity Indir will give him if he discovers the two secrets she is struggling to keep. As violent change shakes Indir’s world to its core, she is forced to make an impossible choice: fight for her home or fight to survive.
Saya is a seer, but not a Dreamer—she has never been formally trained. Her mother exploits her daughter’s gift, passing it off as her own as they travel from village to village, never staying in one place too long. Almost as if they’re running from something. Almost as if they’re being hunted. When Saya loses the necklace she’s worn since birth, she discovers that seeing isn’t her only gift—and begins to suspect that everything she knows about her life has been a carefully-constructed lie. As she comes to distrust the only family she’s ever known, Saya will do what she’s never done before, go where she’s never been, and risk it all in the search of answers.

If I had to describe this cover in a word it’d be “magic“. The girl in the cover has such a captivating gaze, it is impossible to not feel mesmerized by this cover. I love how all the different colors here make a perfect harmony too. I also adore how the title blends a bit with the background and the little strings of light.

Title: Blood Scion
Author: Deborah Falaye
Release Date: March 8th, 2022

This is what they deserve. They wanted me to be a monster. I will be the worst monster they ever created.
Fifteen-year-old Sloane can incinerate an enemy at will—she is a Scion, a descendant of the ancient Orisha gods.
Under the Lucis’ brutal rule, her identity means her death if her powers are discovered. But when she is forcibly conscripted into the Lucis army on her fifteenth birthday, Sloane sees a new opportunity: to overcome the bloody challenges of Lucis training, and destroy them from within.
Sloane rises through the ranks and gains strength but, in doing so, risks something greater: losing herself entirely, and becoming the very monster that she ahbors.

One of my favorite covers from this post. I love the bold colors of it, how fire makes its way throughout the cover, that beautiful tipography, how strong and beautiful the girl looks. It gives a vibe of strength, battle, bravery.

Title: A Magic Steeped In Poison
Author: Judy I. Lin
Release Date: March 29th, 2022

I used to look at my hands with pride. Now all I can think is, “These are the hands that buried my mother.”
For Ning, the only thing worse than losing her mother is knowing that it’s her own fault. She was the one who unknowingly brewed the poison tea that killed her—the poison tea that now threatens to also take her sister, Shu.
When Ning hears of a competition to find the kingdom’s greatest shennong-shi—masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making—she travels to the imperial city to compete. The winner will receive a favor from the princess, which may be Ning’s only chance to save her sister’s life.
But between the backstabbing competitors, bloody court politics, and a mysterious (and handsome) boy with a shocking secret, Ning might actually be the one in more danger.

Another one of my favorites. There is something about books written by Asian authors that I love and it’s how their covers always seem to capture the vibes of the story in an artistic, ethereal way. I love how this cover seems to have all the colors of the rainbow and the blend and work so well together.

Title: Hotel Magnifique
Author: Emily J. Taylor
Release Date: April 5th, 2022

All her life, Jani has dreamed of Elsewhere. Just barely scraping by with her job at a tannery, she’s resigned to a dreary life in the port town of Durc, caring for her younger sister Zosa. That is, until the Hotel Magnifique comes to town.
The hotel is legendary not only for its whimsical enchantments, but also for its ability to travel—appearing in a different destination every morning. While Jani and Zosa can’t afford the exorbitant costs of a guest’s stay, they can interview to join the staff, and are soon whisked away on the greatest adventure of their lives. But once inside, Jani quickly discovers their contracts are unbreakable and that beneath the marvelous glamour, the hotel is hiding dangerous secrets.
With the vexingly handsome doorman Bel as her only ally, Jani embarks on a mission to unravel the mystery of the magic at the heart of the hotel and free Zosa—and the other staff—from the cruelty of the ruthless maître d’hôtel. To succeed, she’ll have to risk everything she loves, but failure would mean a fate far worse than never returning home.

The colors?? Those feathers?? The tipography?? Just everything about this cover is flawless.

Title: I Am The Ghost In Your House
Author: Maria Romasco Moore
Release Date: April 19th, 2022

Pie is the ghost in your house.
She is not dead, she is invisible.
The way she looks changes depending on what is behind her. A girl of glass. A girl who is a window. If she stands in front of floral wallpaper she is full of roses.
For Pie’s entire life it’s been Pie and her mother. Just the two of them, traveling across America. They have slept in trains, in mattress stores, and on the bare ground. They have probably slept in your house.
But Pie is lonely. And now, at seventeen, her mother’s given her a gift. The choice of the next city they will go to. And Pie knows exactly where she wants to go. Pittsburgh—where she fell in love with a girl who she plans to find once again. And this time she will reveal herself.
Only how can anyone love an invisible girl?
A magnificent story of love, and friendship, and learning to see yourself in a world based on appearances, I Am the Ghost in Your House is a brilliant reflection on the importance of how much more there is to our world than what meets the eye.

I think this cover captures the essence of the story perfectly. It is hard to look away from this cover. It’s eye-catching and everything about it feels carefully thought. In my opinion it’s one of the best book covers of the year.

Title: My Sister’s Big Fat Indian Wedding
Author: Sajni Patel
Release Date: April 19th, 2022

Zurika Damani is a naturally gifted violinist with a particular love for hip hop beats. But when you’re part of a big Indian family, everyone has expectations, and those certainly don’t include hip hop violin. After being rejected by Juilliard, Zuri’s last hope is a contest judged by a panel of top tier college scouts. The only problem? This coveted competition happens to take place during Zuri’s sister’s extravagant wedding week. And Zuri has already been warned, repeatedly, that she is not to miss a single moment.
In the midst of the chaos, Zuri’s mom is in matchmaking mode with the groom’s South African cousin Naveen—who just happens to be a cocky vocalist set on stealing Zuri’s spotlight at the scouting competition. Luckily Zuri has a crew of loud and loyal female cousins cheering her on. Now, all she has to do is to wow the judges for a top spot, evade getting caught by her parents, resist Naveen’s charms, and, oh yeah . . . not mess up her sister’s big fat Indian wedding. What could possibly go wrong?

The illustrations in this cover are just amazing. Also the amount of people?? There are SEVENTEEN people in the cover yet everything fits perfectly well. That, along with the beautiful color palette is what makes me love this cover so much.

Title: Don’t Call Me A Hurricane
Author: Ellen Hagan
Release Date: July 19th, 2022

It’s been five years since a hurricane ravaged Eliza Marino’s life and home in her quiet town on the Jersey shore. Now a senior in high school, Eliza is passionate about fighting climate change-starting with saving Clam Cove Reserve, an area of marshland that is scheduled to be turned into buildable lots. Protecting the island helps Eliza deal with her lingering trauma from the storm, but she still can’t shake the fear that something will come along and wash out her life once again.
When Eliza meets Milo Harris at a party, she tries to hate him. Milo is one of the rich tourists who flock to the island every summer. But after Eliza reluctantly agrees to give Milo surfing lessons, she can’t help falling for him. Still, Eliza’s not sure if she’s ready to risk letting an outsider into the life she’s rebuilt. Especially once she discovers that Milo is keeping a devastating secret.
Told in stunning verse, Don’t Call Me a Hurricane is a love story for the people and places we come from, and a journey to preserve what we love most about home.

The way the hair of this girl blends with the water is just… wow. It is simple, bold and captivating.

Title: Places We’ve Never Been
Author: Kasie West
Release Date: May 31st, 2022

Norah hasn’t seen her childhood best friend, Skyler, in years. When he first moved away, they’d talk all the time, but lately their relationship has been reduced to liking each other’s Instagram posts. That’s why Norah can’t wait for the joint RV road trip their families have planned for the summer.
But when Skyler finally arrives, he seems…like he’d rather be anywhere else. Hurt and confused, Norah reacts in kind. Suddenly, her oldest friendship is on the rocks.
An unexpected summer spent driving across the country leads both Norah and Skyler down new roads and to new discoveries. Before long, they are, once again, seeing each other in a different light. Can their friendship-turned-rivalry turn into something more?

This cover doesn’t have many elements in it, but it’s not necessary for it to successfully capture the essence of the story. Peace and calm come to mind when I see this cover and the color palette is perfect for a swoon-worthy romance like this one is.

Title: Out There: Into The Queer New Yonder
Author: Various Authors
Release Date: June 7th, 2022

Into the queer new yonder!
To conclude the trio of anthologies that started with critically acclaimed All Out and Out Now, Out There features seventeen original short stories set in the future from fantastic queer YA authors.
Explore new and familiar worlds where the human consciousness can be uploaded into a body on Mars…an alien helps a girl decide if she should tell her best friend how she feels…two teens get stuck in a time loop at a space station…people are forced to travel to the past or the future to escape the dying planet…only a nonbinary person can translate the binary code of a machine that predicts the future…everyone in the world vanishes except for two teen girls who are in love.
This essential and beautifully written collection immerses and surprises with each turn of the page.

I really liked the bright colors used in this cover. It is so bright and it brings me joy and peace just looking at it. My favorite part from it are all the different plants that were included in and that big bright moon.

Title: The Silence That Binds Us
Author: Joanna Ho
Release Date: June 14th, 2022

Maybelline Chen isn’t the Chinese Taiwanese American daughter her mother expects her to be. May prefers hoodies over dresses and wants to become a writer. When asked, her mom can’t come up with one specific reason for why she’s proud of her only daughter. May’s beloved brother, Danny, on the other hand, has just been admitted to Princeton. But Danny secretly struggles with depression, and when he dies by suicide, May’s world is shattered.
In the aftermath, racist accusations are hurled against May’s parents for putting too much “pressure” on him. May’s father tells her to keep her head down. Instead, May challenges these ugly stereotypes through her writing. Yet the consequences of speaking out run much deeper than anyone could foresee. Who gets to tell our stories, and who gets silenced? It’s up to May to take back the narrative.

I am simply captivated by how the girl is trying to touch the surface of what seems to be water yet below we have a regular city street. That along with the beautiful colors and typography is what made me fall in love with this cover.

Title: The Song That Moves The Sun
Author: Rose Bright
Release Date: June 28th, 2022

Best friends Rora and Claudia have never felt more like their lives are spiraling out of control. And when they meet Major and Amir–two boys from one of the secret cities of the spheres, ruled by the magic of the astrological signs–they discover they’re not alone. There is a disruption in the harmony between the spheres, and its chaos is spreading.
To find the source of the disharmony, Rora and Claudia will embark on a whirlwind journey of secrets, romance, and powerful truths–about themselves, each other, and two long-ago explorers named Dante and Beatrice, who were among the first to chart this course toward the stars.
Inspired partly by the classic works of Dante Alighieri, this gorgeous stand-alone contemporary fantasy will captivate readers of Lore and Star Daughter.

The beautiful constellations, and what appears to be the gates of heaven are the things I loved the most from this cover. I also adore those swirls in the letters from the title. It’s a simple yet beautiful illustration.

Title: The Kindred
Author: Alechia Dow
Release Date: January 4th, 2022

To save a galactic kingdom from revolution, Kindred mind-pairings were created to ensure each and every person would be seen and heard, no matter how rich or poor…
Joy Abara knows her place. A commoner from the lowly planet Hali, she lives a simple life—apart from the notoriety that being Kindred to the nobility’s most infamous playboy brings.
Duke Felix Hamdi has a plan. He will exasperate his noble family to the point that they agree to let him choose his own future and finally meet his Kindred face-to-face.
Then the royal family is assassinated, putting Felix next in line for the throne…and accused of the murders. Someone will stop at nothing until he’s dead, which means they’ll target Joy, too. Meeting in person for the first time as they steal a spacecraft and flee amid chaos might not be ideal…and neither is crash-landing on the strange backward planet called Earth. But hiding might just be the perfect way to discover the true strength of the Kindred bond and expose a scandal—and a love—that may decide the future of a galaxy.

This is a gorgeous illustration, I adored it. I love how purple (which is one of my favorite colors) was included almost in the entire cover, even in the eyes of the boy.

Title: Improbable Magic For Cynical Witches
Author: Kate Scelsa
Release Date: May 3rd, 2022

A witchy, atmospheric lesbian contemporary romance set in Salem—from the acclaimed author of Fans of the Impossible Life. Perfect for fans of Nina LaCour and Becky Albertalli.
Seventeen-year-old Eleanor is the least likely person in Salem to believe in witchcraft—or think that her life could be transformed by mysterious forces. Ostracized by her classmates after losing her best friend and first love, Chloe, Eleanor has spent the past year in a haze, vowing to stay away from anything resembling romance.
But when a handwritten guide to tarot arrives in the mail at the witchy souvenir store where Eleanor works, it seems to bring with it the message that magic is about to enter her life. Cynical Eleanor is quick to dismiss this promise, until real-life witch Pix shows up with an unusual invitation. Inspired by the magic and mystery of the tarot, Eleanor decides to open herself up to making friends with Pix and her coven of witches, and even to the possibility of a new romance.
But Eleanor’s complicated history in Salem continues to haunt her, and she is desperate to keep Pix from finding out the truth. Eleanor will have to reckon with the old ghosts that threaten to destroy everything, even her chance at new love.

This is such a cute cover!! I love how they strategically placed the title in the sun, the setting is beautiful, and you can see the chemistry between the two characters in it so clearly. I looked at this cover once and immediately wanted to read the book.

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That’s all for this post! I hope you liked it. What was your favorite cover? Personally I fell in love with Blood Scion, I Am The Ghost In Your Youse and The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea.

What are some of your favorite book covers? Have you read any of these books? Let’s talk in the comments!

Until the next time 🤍

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