30 Book Covers So Strange You’ll Forget the “Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover” Rule

I'm a firm believer in the phrase "don't judge a book by its cover." After all, some of the greatest stories ever written have been wrapped in dull or uninspired jackets. But let's be real for a second—some book covers make it very hard to stick to that philosophy. Whether it's the baffling artwork, hilariously bad design choices, or titles so wild they seem like parody, these covers demand judgment (and a lot of side-eye).

These aren't just questionable design choices; they're conversation starters. From sci-fi novels with covers that look like they were made in Microsoft Paint to romance books with titles so cringe-worthy they could be memes, this list proves that sometimes, the outside of the book is the real story.

So while I'll always try to give books a fair shot, these 30 covers might just have me breaking my own rule. Dive in and prepare to wonder, "Who approved this?"

Author image for John Summers John Summers
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