The Book Cover Archive

There are many many great sites to visit for some creative stimulation. This is one of my latest. A favorite part of going to a book store, beside getting a new book, is checking out covers. That exactly what The Book Cover Archive offers. A self described archive of cover designs and designers for the purpose of appreciation and categorization.

Yes it's got some great features that make it design nerd heaven, like when you choose a cover you can learn everything from it's typeface to the art director, but it's also just plain fun. The site is simple and as far as I'm concerned well designed. I really enjoy taking in 50 books at a time, neatly organized in rows that scale to fit the size of your browser. You can search by pretty much everything, title, illustrator, art director, aurthor, etc. Plus they link right to Amazon, where you can buy the book who's cover you love but will probably never read.

Best part: You don't have to worry that all the people in the bookstore are snobishly looking down at you for picking up 'that' book. You liked the cover, or were at least drawn to it, even if it was awful once you got it in your hands, so you picked it up. It's not about the writing. It's about the design.

Go. Waste some time. Enjoy a good book cover.