They say you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but let’s face it, we all do (at least some of the time). You know you’ve bought a book because you found the cover so irresistibly appealing that you just knew the book had to be great.

Having spent most of 2020 hunkered down at home, I’ve had plenty of opportunity to stare at my books (there are bookcases in the living room, family room, master bedroom, guest bedroom, and office). And December is the time for year-end “best of” lists, so here are my 10 favorite book covers from this surreal year.

Best Cover of the Year