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Sunday, December 13, 2009

Favorite Book Covers of 2009, Part Three: The Book Table, Oak Park, IL

The third and final list of favorite covers from independent booksellers, in this case, hometown favorite The Book Table in Oak Park, Illinois. They've chosen some wonderful covers from small, university and foreign publishers, so help me out with the credits if you can. In most cases, the titles are linked to The Book Table's online store, in case you're in a shopping mood.

Again, as in past weeks, there's a poll at the bottom. Vote for your favorite.

After the Fire, A Still Small Voice, designer credit to come:


Waltenberg, designer credit to come:



Never Trust a Thin Cook, designer credit to come:


What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, designer credit to come:


The Prince, design by Jaya Miceli:


We Saw the Light, design and illustration by Brad Norr:


Land of Necessity, design by Heather Hensley:


The Interrogative Mood: A Novel?, design by Alison Forner:


Hysteria Complicated by Ecstasy, design credit to come:


Invisible, design by Lisa Fyfe:


Planisphere, designer credit to come:


Arcana & Other Poems, design by Tony Frazer, photo by Alex Nikada:


Absinthe and Flamethrowers, design by Joan Sommers Design:


Nineteen Seventy-Seven, design by Gregg Kulick:



Nineteen-Seventy Four
, design by Gregg Kulick:



13 comments:

Shirley Clarke said...

Surprisingly, after all the beauties in previous selection weeks, these are almost all horrible! I guess there really is no accounting for taste, but none of these covers would have made it onto any short (or Long)list of mine.

It took some time to decide on the least worst. I voted for 'Hysteria Complicated by Ecstasy' because of the intriguing image but I feel it was let down by no type. I know someone will say a strong cover image doesn't always need type. And that's true sometimes. but this one... needed some.


my word verification: TYPELS. Cool!

orlando said...

disagree only somewhat. After the Fire is definitely beautiful, though I have no idea if it's appropriate. But I do agree that many of these were downright bad. The type for Arcana has a terrible relationship with the image! ick! And how disgusting is Absinthe and Flamethrowers?!
And the quality of the photograph in Never Trust a Thin Cook makes me uncomfortable. I've used a mid-decade consumer point and shoot for a cover before but I made sure it didn't look like it.
Snark McGee! I'm usually not like this...
typels! lapels with letterform pins?

Anonymous said...

Think Planisphere might be Quemadura/Jeff Clarke

Shorty said...

I think the first two (After the Fire, and Waltenberg) are absolutely beautiful. I want to own After the Fire, and I wish I had designed Waltenberg. I also love The Prince and The Interrogative Mood.

Thanks so much for posting these inspiring covers! And thank the good folks at The Book Table for their selections.

And, if anyone has some egg nog with a little rum in it, please pass it around.

Unknown said...

Waltenberg is by Michael Salu

Amy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Land of Necessity was designed by my colleague Heather Hensley at Duke University Press

Joseph said...

Anon 9:11: Noted! Thanks for the info.

Anonymous said...

Absinthe & Flamethrowers (Chicago Review Press) was designed by Joan Sommers Design

Anonymous said...

I actually like all of them except for the Murakami, which I think is especially hideous.
I can't even imagine how that one made it into this grouping.

orlando said...

haha! i hadn't scrutinized it since it was Murakami but you're right that's hideous!

Unknown said...

Did anyone notice that Jaya Miceli's design for THE PRINCE is a terrible PLAGIARISM of one of Borys Bilinsky's film posters for METROPOLIS?

You can see the original here: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1BxmeaStHSc/SCDamQ8CwTI/AAAAAAAAAGM/oz2AXZYESho/s400/metrop001.jpg

clipping path said...

I think the first and sixth one(After the Fire, A Still Small Voice and We Saw the Light)are absolutely beautiful. Good compilation. Thanks a lot for sharing...

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