Amazon's Best Covers of 2009

Amazon is tallying votes for their best covers of 2009. They have several categories and good selections for each. Yet they give us only 6 covers to choose from. Really!? Still fun to do, though.

This is yet another smart promotional idea from Amazon that comes not coincidentally on the heels of Cyber Monday. No wonder their stock price has just surpassed its 1999-2000 levels!

Here are my selections:

• The Interrogative Mood (not having the title on the cover always takes moxie)
• Lost City of Z (love, love, love the massive type integrated into the jungle foliage)
• Our Noise (very indie look for a very indie topic)
• Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind Everyday Cooking (unusual concept for a cookbook—kudos to the designer for coming up with this cover!)
• Ayn Rand and the World She Made (fantastic photo choice especially for a book that is critical of her)
• Morbid Curiosity (this one caught my eye in the bookstore)
• The Map as Art (adore the 'upside down' US map idea)
• Notes from the Dog (just so friendly!)
• The Girl Who Played with Fire (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo cover is even more beautiful. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest... not so much.)
• The Prince Penguin Classics edition (great typography)