The Casual Optimist
@casualoptimist.bsky.social
www.casualoptimist.com
Reposted by The Casual Optimist
A look at some of the most beautiful and unusual examples from the first 100 years of the "modern" book cover, since the rise of publishers' bindings circa 1820: https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/the-art-of-book-covers-1820-1914
January 14, 2026 at 8:45 PM
A look at some of the most beautiful and unusual examples from the first 100 years of the "modern" book cover, since the rise of publishers' bindings circa 1820: https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/the-art-of-book-covers-1820-1914
Notable YA Covers of 2025 - this really is a post for fans of illustrated book covers:
www.casualoptimist.com/blog/2026/01...
#books #illustration #YA
www.casualoptimist.com/blog/2026/01...
#books #illustration #YA
January 14, 2026 at 2:55 PM
Notable YA Covers of 2025 - this really is a post for fans of illustrated book covers:
www.casualoptimist.com/blog/2026/01...
#books #illustration #YA
www.casualoptimist.com/blog/2026/01...
#books #illustration #YA
Reposted by The Casual Optimist
Here's my look back at some of the YA book covers that caught my eye last year. There's a ton of great art and illustration - particularly fantasy and horror - if that's your thing...
www.casualoptimist.com/blog/2026/01...
www.casualoptimist.com/blog/2026/01...
Notable YA Covers of 2025
Happy New Year! I hope you’re keeping safe and well. I just re-read the introduction to my 2024 YA post and it says pretty much everything I was going to say about young adult covers this tim…
www.casualoptimist.com
January 13, 2026 at 3:00 PM
Here's my look back at some of the YA book covers that caught my eye last year. There's a ton of great art and illustration - particularly fantasy and horror - if that's your thing...
www.casualoptimist.com/blog/2026/01...
www.casualoptimist.com/blog/2026/01...
A little later than planned, but here's my look back at some of the young adult book covers from last year...
Notable YA Covers of 2025
Happy New Year! I hope you're keeping safe and well. I just re-read the introduction to my 2024 YA post and it says pretty much everything I was going to say about young adult covers this time around too, which is a bit annoying! There are still plenty of great covers this year, but trends sometimes move slowly, and it does make me worry that these posts are getting a little stale and predictable.
www.casualoptimist.com
January 13, 2026 at 2:14 PM
A little later than planned, but here's my look back at some of the young adult book covers from last year...
Reposted by The Casual Optimist
I loved watching this quick video recap of how Penguin designer Elisha Zepeda made the book covers for 10 books that came out in 2025. Zepeda has a much longer look at his process on YT. [instagram.com]
10 book covers I designed that were released in 2025
www.instagram.com
January 12, 2026 at 4:30 PM
I loved watching this quick video recap of how Penguin designer Elisha Zepeda made the book covers for 10 books that came out in 2025. Zepeda has a much longer look at his process on YT. [instagram.com]
"Fuck AI! Film poster art forever!"
@seekandspeak.bsky.social's Notable Film Posters of 2025
www.seekandspeak.com/notable-film...
@seekandspeak.bsky.social's Notable Film Posters of 2025
www.seekandspeak.com/notable-film...
Notable Film Posters 2025 - seekandspeak.com - Made by Brandon Schaefer
Notable Film Posters 2025 Fuck AI! Film poster art forever! Below are posters made by other people throughout the past year that I think are particularly swell. Posters are arranged alphabetically by ...
www.seekandspeak.com
January 8, 2026 at 4:16 PM
"Fuck AI! Film poster art forever!"
@seekandspeak.bsky.social's Notable Film Posters of 2025
www.seekandspeak.com/notable-film...
@seekandspeak.bsky.social's Notable Film Posters of 2025
www.seekandspeak.com/notable-film...
Reposted by The Casual Optimist
Jan Tschichold, Redrawings of the Penguin logos, 1947
Scanned from Pioneers of German Graphic Design, Callisto Publishers GmbH, 2017 #jantschichold #penguinbooks
Scanned from Pioneers of German Graphic Design, Callisto Publishers GmbH, 2017 #jantschichold #penguinbooks
January 8, 2026 at 7:12 AM
Jan Tschichold, Redrawings of the Penguin logos, 1947
Scanned from Pioneers of German Graphic Design, Callisto Publishers GmbH, 2017 #jantschichold #penguinbooks
Scanned from Pioneers of German Graphic Design, Callisto Publishers GmbH, 2017 #jantschichold #penguinbooks
Reposted by The Casual Optimist
Identity — The Story of Czech Graphic Design is a seven-part series available on YouTube that “introduces viewers to the history of Czech graphic design”. [kottke.org]
The Story of Czech Graphic Design
Identity — The Story of Czech Graphic Design is a seven-part series available on YouTube.
In seven parts, the Identita series introduces viewers to the history of Czech graphic design. We will not only explore togethe
kottke.org
January 6, 2026 at 9:52 PM
Identity — The Story of Czech Graphic Design is a seven-part series available on YouTube that “introduces viewers to the history of Czech graphic design”. [kottke.org]
A little late to this but here are PRINT's picks of the best book covers for December 2025...
www.printmag.com/book-covers/...
www.printmag.com/book-covers/...
13 of the Best Book Covers for December 2025 – PRINT Magazine
Our favorite book cover designs of the month include an arresting painting by Darwinian artist Minna Leunig for Olga Tokarczuk's 'House of Day, House of Night,' and a whimsical cover by Jaya Miceli fo...
www.printmag.com
January 5, 2026 at 3:30 PM
A little late to this but here are PRINT's picks of the best book covers for December 2025...
www.printmag.com/book-covers/...
www.printmag.com/book-covers/...
Reposted by The Casual Optimist
Another late share. A big thanks to @casualoptimist.bsky.social for including two of my designs in this year’s roundup!
Notable Book Covers of 2025
Hopscotch by Julio Cortázar; illustration by Stephen Smith; art direction by Suzanne Dean (Vintage Classics / August 2025) Bestiary: The Selected Stories of Julio Cortázar by Julio Cortázar; illust…
www.casualoptimist.com
December 31, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Another late share. A big thanks to @casualoptimist.bsky.social for including two of my designs in this year’s roundup!
Mark Sinclair weighs in on AI vs the actual real work of design, and chooses his favourite book covers of 2025 for Creative Review:
www.creativereview.co.uk/the-best-boo...
www.creativereview.co.uk/the-best-boo...
The best book covers of the year 2025
Mark Sinclair picks his ten favourite book covers of the year, chosen for their “strong, characterful, challenging and exciting” design
www.creativereview.co.uk
December 15, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Mark Sinclair weighs in on AI vs the actual real work of design, and chooses his favourite book covers of 2025 for Creative Review:
www.creativereview.co.uk/the-best-boo...
www.creativereview.co.uk/the-best-boo...
For the folks waiting for Matt Dorfman’s list for the NYT, here it is (gift link):
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/14/b...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/14/b...
The Best Book Covers of 2025
www.nytimes.com
December 14, 2025 at 5:07 PM
For the folks waiting for Matt Dorfman’s list for the NYT, here it is (gift link):
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/14/b...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/14/b...
I missed this November book covers post from PRINT magazine. There are some nice selections here too...
www.printmag.com/book-covers/...
www.printmag.com/book-covers/...
23 of the Best Book Covers for Fall 2025 – PRINT Magazine
A crop of covetous covers, plus we talk to the illustrator and type designer behind the charmingly horrific cover for Jess Hagemann's 'Mother-Eating.'
www.printmag.com
December 12, 2025 at 3:47 PM
I missed this November book covers post from PRINT magazine. There are some nice selections here too...
www.printmag.com/book-covers/...
www.printmag.com/book-covers/...
The cover designers aren't credited (boo!), but there are some interesting picks here:
www.rd.com/list/best-bo...
www.rd.com/list/best-bo...
12 Best Book Covers of 2025, Picked by Graphic Designers
Go ahead, judge that book by its cover. Book cover designers picked the best book covers of 2025 and told us what makes them so great.
www.rd.com
December 12, 2025 at 3:44 PM
The cover designers aren't credited (boo!), but there are some interesting picks here:
www.rd.com/list/best-bo...
www.rd.com/list/best-bo...
Reposted by The Casual Optimist
Matchbox from the series Good Things from Edeka, Germany, Matchbox label Set, 1960s designreviewed.com/artefacts/ed... #coffee #caffeine #graphicdesign #illustration
December 12, 2025 at 1:29 PM
Matchbox from the series Good Things from Edeka, Germany, Matchbox label Set, 1960s designreviewed.com/artefacts/ed... #coffee #caffeine #graphicdesign #illustration
Reposted by The Casual Optimist
Lately I've been taking my web design inspiration from other disciplines and book covers have become one of my favourite sources. This is a great collection
Here it is! My list of the notable book covers (and trends) of 2025...
Notable Book Covers of 2025
Hopscotch by Julio Cortázar; illustration by Stephen Smith; art direction by Suzanne Dean (Vintage Classics / August 2025) Bestiary: The Selected Stories of Julio Cortázar by Julio Cortázar; illustration by Stephen Smith; art direction by Suzanne Dean (Vintage Classics / August 2025) Final Exam by Julio Cortázar; illustration by Stephen Smith; art direction by Suzanne Dean
www.casualoptimist.com
December 11, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Lately I've been taking my web design inspiration from other disciplines and book covers have become one of my favourite sources. This is a great collection
Reposted by The Casual Optimist
LOVE looking at book covers.
I like the collage covers of "Slow Poison" (designer: Arsh Raziuddin) and the Mishima book (John Gall).
Also like the Erpenbeck (Oliver Munday).
"Food Person" (Janet Hansen) is quite fun.
Also "Time and Chance" (Joan Wong) and "Casanova 20" (Victoria Maxfield).
I like the collage covers of "Slow Poison" (designer: Arsh Raziuddin) and the Mishima book (John Gall).
Also like the Erpenbeck (Oliver Munday).
"Food Person" (Janet Hansen) is quite fun.
Also "Time and Chance" (Joan Wong) and "Casanova 20" (Victoria Maxfield).
Here’s my look back at some of the book covers and design trends of 2025
www.casualoptimist.com/blog/2025/12...
www.casualoptimist.com/blog/2025/12...
Notable Book Covers of 2025
Hopscotch by Julio Cortázar; illustration by Stephen Smith; art direction by Suzanne Dean (Vintage Classics / August 2025) Bestiary: The Selected Stories of Julio Cortázar by Julio Cortázar; illust…
www.casualoptimist.com
December 11, 2025 at 2:45 PM
LOVE looking at book covers.
I like the collage covers of "Slow Poison" (designer: Arsh Raziuddin) and the Mishima book (John Gall).
Also like the Erpenbeck (Oliver Munday).
"Food Person" (Janet Hansen) is quite fun.
Also "Time and Chance" (Joan Wong) and "Casanova 20" (Victoria Maxfield).
I like the collage covers of "Slow Poison" (designer: Arsh Raziuddin) and the Mishima book (John Gall).
Also like the Erpenbeck (Oliver Munday).
"Food Person" (Janet Hansen) is quite fun.
Also "Time and Chance" (Joan Wong) and "Casanova 20" (Victoria Maxfield).
Reposted by The Casual Optimist
Thread: What was typography like in the Soviet Union? “They did not just have 1 font everyone had to use. As a matter of fact, there were 39.” [bsky.app]
Pavel (@spavel.bsky.social)
Fonts are in the news, so I’m going to take the opportunity to port over an old thread: what was typography like in the Soviet Union? Spoiler: they did not just have 1 font everyone had to use. As a matter of fact, there were 39. One of them, you can see here, used to great effect for “Chernobyl.”
bsky.app
December 11, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Thread: What was typography like in the Soviet Union? “They did not just have 1 font everyone had to use. As a matter of fact, there were 39.” [bsky.app]
Here is Lithub's v. long list of the best book covers of 2025 as chosen by designers:
lithub.com/the-173-best...
lithub.com/the-173-best...
The 173 Best Book Covers of 2025
Per Literary Hub tradition, I am pleased to present the best book covers of the year—as chosen by some of the industry’s best book cover designers. This year, I asked 52 designers to share their fa…
lithub.com
December 11, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Here is Lithub's v. long list of the best book covers of 2025 as chosen by designers:
lithub.com/the-173-best...
lithub.com/the-173-best...
Reposted by The Casual Optimist
Here’s my look back at some of the book covers and design trends of 2025
www.casualoptimist.com/blog/2025/12...
www.casualoptimist.com/blog/2025/12...
Notable Book Covers of 2025
Hopscotch by Julio Cortázar; illustration by Stephen Smith; art direction by Suzanne Dean (Vintage Classics / August 2025) Bestiary: The Selected Stories of Julio Cortázar by Julio Cortázar; illust…
www.casualoptimist.com
December 11, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Here’s my look back at some of the book covers and design trends of 2025
www.casualoptimist.com/blog/2025/12...
www.casualoptimist.com/blog/2025/12...
Reposted by The Casual Optimist
BEHOLD, my list of the best movie posters of 2025.
The best movie posters of the year 2025
Daniel Benneworth-Gray picks his favourite movie posters of 2025, from Frankenstein to Pillion, Sentimental Value to Hard Truths
www.creativereview.co.uk
December 11, 2025 at 9:28 AM
BEHOLD, my list of the best movie posters of 2025.