Last Updated on November 28, 2023 by Louisa
If your bookshelf is looking a little drab in color, you might want to consider adding some more books with a red cover.
Red is the color of passion, romance, and burning heat. You might expect a lot of books with red covers to be romance books, but there are so many genres that have striking red designs.
To help you find the best reads for your bookshelf, I’ve picked my favorite books with a red cover, from highly-acclaimed reads to non-fiction novels, to romance and young adult, fantasy, sci-fi, and even children’s books!
Your bookshelf should look aesthetically pleasing too. Here are my favorite red cover books!
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Acclaimed Books with A Red Cover
Let’s begin our list with the best highly acclaimed books with red covers. These are some of the world’s best sellers and award-winning authors.
1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Griffindor Edition) – J.K. Rowling
If you’re looking for a beautiful book with a red cover, then you will love the Griffindor Collection of the Harry Potter books.
The Philosopher’s Stone (Or Sorcer’s Stone for the Americans) is the first book in the iconic series by J.K. Rowling.
It’s when Harry first learns that he is a wizard and can finally leave the home of the Dursleys to attend Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry.
It’s where he meets his friends, Ron and Hermione, and has his first adventure to find the Philosopher’s Stone.
The Griffindor Collection sees the entire book in a vibrant red colour, the colour of Harry’s school house.
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2. The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time – Mark Haddon
Christopher John Francis Boone is a 15-year-old boy who lives with his father, Ed, and sees the world a bit differently.
Though he can name all the world’s countries and capitals, as well as every prime number up to 7,057, he has very little comprehension of human emotions.
One day, Christopher discovers the dead body of Wellington, the neighbor’s dog, and begins to look into the dog’s death. Despite his father’s repeated cautions, Christopher examines the crime site and interviews the residents of his street.
During his investigation, he uncovers a more complicated conspiracy than was initially evident.
This is the story of an eccentric teenage kid who clings to order, copes with family turmoil, and attempts to make sense of the world as he sees it.
On a deeper level, this is a novel about difference, being an outsider, and viewing the world in an unexpected and revealing manner.
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3. Farenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury
Ray Bradbury’s international bestselling novel Fahrenheit 451 is a timeless classic, telling a gripping story of a bleak, dystopian future without books.
The story follows Guy Montag, a fireman, whose job is to destroy illegal objects – books, along with the houses they are found in.
He never questioned the destruction, until one day he meets a woman who would rather die than see her books destroyed.
Then his young neighbor, Clarisse, introduces him to a world where people can see the world through the pages of a book instead of the mindless noise from TV.
Suddenly, the fireman questions everything.
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4. Good Girl, Bad Blood (A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, Book 2) – Holly Jackson
Good Girl, Bad Blood is the sequel to the bestselling novel, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. Only Pip is no longer a detective, despite the podcast covering her previous investigation of uncovering a murder case going viral.
But when someone she knows goes missing, and the police do nothing, she finds she’s back in the detective seat.
Jamie Reynolds disappeared on the night of the sixth-year memorial for Andie Bell and Sal Singh.
As Pip begins to unravel the mystery, more of the town’s secrets are uncovered.
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5. The Rosie Project – Graeme Simsion
The Rosie Project is a hilarious doctor romance novel that’s narrated by an odd and anti-social genetics professor as he tries to find true love.
Don Tillman is a brilliant professor who thinks it’s time to settle down and find a wife. But instead of looking in bars or on dating apps, he designs an experiment to find his perfect match – The Wife Project.
Rosie Jarman meets all the criteria of The Wife Project, but Don disqualifies her, but Rosie has another project of her own. She is looking for her biological father.
As Don is a DNA expert, he helps her on her quest, called The Father Project. As the pair begin working together, the pair develop a fondness for each other, which grows into something stronger.
Soon Don must realize that love cannot be controlled by science.
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Non-Fiction Books with A Red Cover
If non-fiction is more your vibe, don’t worry. These are the best non-fiction books with red covers.
6. Anonymous Sex – Hillary Jordan
Anonymous Sex is exactly what it says on the cover – a collection of erotic stories by 27 authors, with no names attached.
Compiled by bestselling novelists Hillary Jordan and Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan, this book of erotica explores the diversity of the bedroom.
With stories of love, obsession, domination and submission, and even using intimacy for revenge. There are some funny steamy stories and fairy tale stories too. There is nothing that hasn’t been covered in this book.
While the authors of each story have been listed, none of the stories are attributed, so it provides readers with the fun game of guessing who wrote what.
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7. The 48 Laws of Power – Robert Greene
This New York Times bestselling novel is all about gaining or defending against control.
Robert Greene and Joost Elffers have drawn influence from over 3,000 years of power into a definitive list of 48 principal laws of power.
Backed up by philosophies from Machiavelli, Sun Tzu, and Carl Von Clausewitz to Henry Kissinger to P.T. Barnum. It’s all about finding how to conquest power for yourself, either in self-defense, or simply understanding how it works.
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8. Stepmotherland – Darrel Alejandro Holnes
Stepmotherland is a collection of poetry from Darrel Alejandro Holnes who moved from his home in Panama to America.
His poems are a collection of coming-of-age ideas where he explores themes of coming out, family, and finding a place in society.
The poems cover a range of emotions, from sadness to celebrations of life. It is a lyrical journey of one man’s travels and self discovery.
Stepmotherland won the Andrés Montoya Poetry Prize.
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9. Stop Overthinking: 23 Techniques to Relieve Stress, Stop Negative Spirals, Declutter Your Mind, and Focus on the Present (The Path to Calm) – Nick Trenton
Are you someone who overthinks everything? You wouldn’t be alone.
Nick Trenton, who has a MA in Behavioral Psychology, has carefully pieced together this novel Stop Overthinking, which offers 23 ways to overcome negative thoughts and reduce stress levels, so you can live a life without worry.
It’s a no brainer than overthinking causes huge problems, from demotivation to unhappiness. Stop Overthinking is an empathetic book that aims to walk you through specific obstacles with proven techniques for helping to rewire your brain.
This book is based on scientific approaches and teaches you not only how to change your thought processes but to recognize your triggers.
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10. Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience – Brené Brown
Atlas of the Heart is about the eighty-seven emotions and experiences that make up a human. Brene Brown has created a guide to enhancing the fundamental skills needed to create meaningful connections.
It explores the use of language and skills needed to create new choices and give second chances.
Through Brown’s extensive research and expert storytelling, she has created a definitive guide to becoming courageous and take enhance the power we each have to rebuild our lives.
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Young Adult Books with A Red Cover
Looking for a young adult book with a red cover? Then you’re going to love these YA novels!
11. Red Rising – Pierce Brown
Uncover the secrets of Mars, a terraformed planet home to a complex social hierarchy.
At the lowest end of this class system are the Reds, laboring away in harsh conditions.
Follow Darrow’s journey as he finds out that humanity has already been flourishing on the surface for generations.
With explosive action scenes, unexpected plot twists and high tension throughout, Pierce Brown’s debut novel Red Rising is nothing short of exceptional. Be prepared – it’ll be tough to put this book with a red cover down.
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12. Monday’s Not Coming – Tiffany D. Jackson
Monday’s Not Coming is a gripping novel about one teenage girl’s disappearance and the mystery around it, including the devastating truth.
When Monday Charles doesn’t turn up on the first day of school, only Claudia, Monday’s best friend, seems to notice. When she doesn’t show for a second week, something is seriously wrong.
Monday’s mother isn’t giving Claudia straight answers, and something doesn’t feel right. Monday’s sister, April, is also not giving anything away.
As Claudia begins to unravel the mystery behind her friend’s disappearance, she learns that no one can remember the last time they saw her. How can someone simply vanish?
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13. Fight Like A Girl – Sheena Kamal
Sheena Kamal is an award-winning thriller author, and Fight Like A Girl is the author’s debut Young Adult novel about a teenage kick-boxer who is learning to grieve the loss of her father.
Trisha is a teenage girl of Trinidadian descent, who grew up in a house of violence. She’s now learning to channel her violent tenancies by channeling them into Muay Thai kickboxing.
Her father’s presence is fleeting, and he seems to be there one minute and gone the next. When he does arrive at their townhouse in Toronto, he becomes aggressive towards her mother, something that Trisha can never seem to get off her mind.
One day, while Trisha was learning to drive with her mother, her father stumbles in front of her car while drunk and is killed. Her mother seems to deal with is well, seemingly at peace, but Trisha doesn’t know how to feel.
Her mom finds a new man in her life, and similar patterns are repeating. Could the same thing happen again?
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14. The Swans of Fifth Avenue – Melanie Benjamin
Babe Paley is a glamorous member of New York high society. She’s appeared on Vogue and is adored by her friends, Swans Slim Keith, Gloria Guinness, C. Z. Guest and Pamela Churchill.
Babe has everything – good looks, money, influences and a prestigious husband. But underneath the facade, she longs for true love and connection.
Truman Capote is a genius with a big personality, and Babe and her friends are captivated by him. Truman is invited into their glamourous Manhatten life, including gossip of Babe’s inner circle.
But he is also a writer, and writers need to write then there’s a story to tell. Babe and her friends had no idea of the destruction he has on their glamorous lives.
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15. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens – Becky Albertalli
Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens is an award-winning novel by Becky Albertalli, and is now a major motion picture film. It was the winner of the Best Young Adult Debut in the William C. Morris Award in 2016 and was longlisted for the National Book Award.
It follows 16-year-old Simon who is a not-so-openly gay teenager who is not ready to come out. When an email is sent to the wrong person, his secret is at risk of coming out.
Now Simon has to push himself out of his comfort zone. With the risk of losing his friends, and losing a shot with a guy he’s head over heels for, Simon struggles to keep everything under his hat whilst not giving himself up.
This novel is a funny, coming-of-age novel set in the 21st century, with geeky romances and lots of tender moments.
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Romance Books with A Red Cover
If you love a good romance book, you’ll be pleased to know red is the color of passion. These are the best romance books with red covers…
16. A Court of Thorns and Roses – Sarah J. Maas
Sarah J. Maas’ A Court of Thorns and Roses will definitely be right up your alley if you’re hungering for books with a red cover.
In this novel, we meet Feyre, an unruly huntress who gets captured by Tamlin—an ancient and lethal faerie—after she kills a wolf in the woods.
Trapped on his estate, Feyre feels her fiery hatred for her captor evolves into a just as strong passion.
But as new threats to this fantastical world become unveiled, will her actions be enough to save the faerie lands from impending doom, and is she willing to give it her all?
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17. Olga Dies Dreaming – Xóchitl González
Olga Dies Dreaming is a debut novel by Xochitl Gonzalez, and tells of how a status-driven wedding planner learns to handle her social ambitions and absent mother in the wake of Hurricane Maria.
Olga and her brother, Pedro are popular members of their Latinx neighborhood in Brooklyn. But despite being well-loved in their public lives, behind closed doors much is different.
Olga had given up on love until she meets Matteo, who forces her to deal with her long-standing family conflicts.
Her mother abandoned her and Pedro when they were children for a political cause, leaving her to be raised by her grandmother. In the wake of Hurricane Maria, her mother is back, bringing with her a bunch of unresolved emotions.
This is a love story of hope, family resolve, and building emotional bridges.
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18. Love & Other Disasters – Anita Kelly
Love & Other Disasters is about the first openly nonbinary contestant on a beloved cooking show, who falls in love with a clumsy competitor.
Dahlia Woodson is recently divorced and broke. Her only way to redemption is by competing in the reality cooking competition, Chef’s Special. Her entrance to the show goes down badly, with her falling over her feet and sending fish tacos soaring.
The incident captures everyone’s attention, including London Parker. They’re there to prove to the trolls, and her dad, that they can do this. They didn’t expect to fall in love.
As London and Dahlia battle it out for the prize fund, reality starts to become a fairy tale dream. Their relationship turns hot, in and out of the kitchen.
But when the competition ends, will they be able to make it together?
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19. The Shadow Between Us – Tricia Levenseller
The Shadows Between Us is a fae romance novel with a dark twist. It follows Alessandra, who is fed up with being neglected.
Kallias is the freshly proclaimed Shadow King, and he is Alessandra’s way out of the perpetual shadow cast by her sister, as well as her path to power.
Alessandra arrives at Court with only one goal in mind: to draw the king’s attention, marry him, and then murder him. But, she cannot let him be slain until they marry.
As assassination attempts are made, she finds herself attempting to keep the king alive to make her his queen, all while trying not to fall in love.
Eventually, they both grow more devoted, and considerate and their romance makes them both stronger.
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20. Love In Lowercase – Francesc Miralles
Samuel is a linguistics lecturer who thinks the New Year will bring him no new revelations. That was until an unexpected visitor comes bounding into his apartment in Barcelona and won’t leave.
Mishima is a stray cat. But more than that, the cat becomes the catalyst that takes Samuel out of loneliness and to places he’s never been before, and to meet new people he’s never seen before – even if it is only to visit the neighbor next door.
The cat also leads him to Gabriela, the long-lost love of his life. This is a sweet, romantic story about finding love with yourself as well as others.
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Fantasy/Sci-Fi Books with A Red Cover
Looking for a story from another world? Then you’ll love these fantasy and sci-fi novels with red covers!
21. Vicious – V.E. Schwab
Victor and Eli were college roommates who saw the ambition in each other. Finally, in their senior year, they boys begin to share an interest in near-death experiences and supernatural events.
They begin to see that under the right conditions, it’s possible to develop extraordinary abilities. When their thesis takes a more practical form, things go badly wrong.
Now, ten years later, and Victor has broken out of prison. He’s determined to find his former roommate, and now enemy, with the help of a young girl with nature obscuring abilities.
Meanwhile, Eli is trying to remove all the other super-powered people out there, with the exception of his sidekick.
Both men are armed with people with terrible powers, and driven by betrayal and loss. How will this quest for revenge end?
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22. Ruin and Rising – Leigh Bardugo
Ruin and Rising is the third book in The Shadow and Bone series by Leigh Bardugo. Now, the fate of the nation rests on Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker from a once great magical army.
As Alina Starkov recovers from the battle, and an outlaw prince still on the run, much is left in turmoil.
Alina’s allies and enemies are all preparing for war, and only Alina stands between her country and the rising darkness that threatens to destroy the world.
To win she must use the power of a legend, but claiming the mythical creature may be the last thing she ever does.
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23. Battle Royale – Koushun Takami
Battle Royale is the internationally acclaimed futuristic novel set in a Japanese high school, where students are forced to fight to the death.
In this Hunger Games-style thriller novel by Koushun Takami, a class of junior high kids are taken to a deserted island and are given firearms. They are told to murder one another until only one person remains.
When it was first published, it was criticized for its violence but has now become a worldwide bestseller. If you’ve ever read Lord of the Flies, imagine a much darker version and you have Battle Royale.
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24. Stranger In A Strange Land – Robert A. Heinlein
If you’re looking for a book with a red cover, then the deluxe hardcover edition of the highly-acclaimed novel, Stranger in a Strange Land, is the perfect collectible to add to your bookshelf.
It follows the story of a human raised on Mars who has just arrived on planet Earth. Valentine Michael Smith is the first of his people to visit Earth, and he struggles to understand society and the prejudices of human nature.
Meanwhile, his powers of telepathy, clairvoyance, telekinesis and teleportation make him a godlike figure to humans.
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25. Dry – Neal Shusterman
California is hit by a catastrophic drought, which forces one teen to make life and death decisions for her family.
The drought, or ‘Tap-Out,’ has been going on for some time. Everyone’s life is hanging in the balance.
When the taps run dry in Alyssa’s quiet suburban street, it becomes a warzone as people become desperate to save their families and hunt for water.
When her parents don’t return from their trip to get water, Alyssa has to make impossible decisions to save herself and her brother.
This harrowing dystopian novel of epic survival is a New York Times bestseller, and for good reason. It’s gripping from start to finish.
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Children’s Books with A Red Cover
Finally, here’s something for the little ones. Here are the best children’s books with red covers!
26. Little Red Riding Hood – The Brothers Grimm (Adapted by Candice Ransom)
Little Red Riding Hood is a classic fairy tale of a young girl who wishes to visit her Grandma in the woods, only to meet a terrible wolf along the way.
When she gets to her Grandma’s house, she realizes her Grandma looks different. Her Grandma has been eaten by the Big Bad Wolf, and he’s after Little Red next.
Fortunately, there is a helpful woodcutter in the forest who comes to save the day.
The story was originally written by The Brothers Grimm but has been adapted by Candice Ransom, with a more child-friendly and less terrifying storyline.
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27. The Gruffalo – Julia Donaldson
The Gruffalo is hailed as a Christmas story, but it can be read any time of the year.
It follows a mouse as it takes a stroll through the woods. Along the way, the mouse encounters all kinds of prey, wanting to eat the mouse.
But the mouse is clever, he invents an animal called the Gruffalo and says it will eat them if they hurt him.
When the mouse finally encounters a giant Gruffalo, what shall he do?
Written with rhyme and song, this is a beloved children’s stories that will be loved for generations to come.
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28. Diary of a Wimpy Kid – Jeff Kinney
Greg Heffley has just started middle school, where kids are just starting puberty and going through major life changed.
In this hilarious novel, Jeff Kinney illustrates the hazards and hilarity of growing up before you’re ready, told in the unique diary format of Greg.
In this debut novel, we meet Greg’shappy sidekick, Rowley. But when Rowley starts to become more popular, Greg sees it as an advantage and so unfolds a chain of events that tests their bonds of friendship.
It’s an honest and hilarious account of the pains of growing up, school life the challenges of childhood. Written about kids, for kids.
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29. Gangsta Granny – David Walliams
From the highly-acclaimed children’s author, Gangsta Granny by David Walliams is another hit with the kids.
It follows Ben, a young boy who is bored beyond belief. When he’s made to stay with his grandma, all she wants to do is eat cabbage soup and play Scrabble.
But Granny has an alter ego. She’s also an international jewel thief and hatched a scheme to steal the crown jewels.
She wants Ben’s help. Suddenly, Ben is not bored any longer.
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30. Fireboat – Maira Kalman
Fireboat is the gorgeously illustrated novel by Maira Kalman. It tells the story of the largest, fastest, and most vibrant boat of the 90s, the John J. Harvey fireboat.
That was until 1995 when the city no longer had a use for fireboats.
The Harvey retired, until one day, it was saved by a group of friends.
In 2001, the city blew up in flames and the fire department needed the Harvey to help tackle the fire.
Maira Kalman brings this inspiring true story to life in a vibrantly illustrated children’s book. It’s a story of how old heroes, no matter how much time passes, never die.
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Final Word on Best Books With A Red Cover
So there you have it, 30 of my favorite books with a red cover! I hope that you found something on this list that is not only enjoyable to read, but looks wonderful on your book shelf.
Did I miss anything from my list? Let me know in the comments!
