This week saw the release of T. Cooper’s Real Man Adventures, a provocative and heartfelt memoir about his life as a transperson, told in an episodic, refreshingly free-from style. Plus, it has a super sexy, pulp fiction-inspired cover. To celebrate this great book and its excellent window dressing, we’ve gone in search of some other titillating book covers, from the vintage to the more contemporary. Keep in mind that our idea of sexy isn’t those greased torsos you see on so many romance and YA book covers today (just too obvious) — nor is it the sleepy-eyed women being awkwardly objectified (or worse) on many ’50s pulp covers. It is rather campy, though. We just can’t help it. Click through to swoon over a few of the sexiest book covers of all time — and since this is by no means an exhaustive list, and beauty is always in the eye of the beholder, add your own sexy favorites in the comments.
Real men fight sharks in bikini bottoms.
Covet not. Designed by Allison Saltzman.
Every girl’s dream cowboy.
But of course.
D.H. Lawrence is one of the masters of sexy books, so of course he would be one of the masters of sexy book covers. This one looks like the best time on the beach you’ve ever had.
The subtle tanlines make this bikini-clad babe sexier than your average pulp fiction cover model.
Consider this one a stand in for Penguin’s entire new series of Bond covers, designed by Michael Gillette.
We can’t put our fingers on it, exactly, but… maybe that’s the problem. Designed by Christopher Moisan.
We’re not exactly sure what is going on here, but we’re pretty sure it’s sexy. Our only qualm: we really wish that horse was a unicorn.
The subtlety (and okay, that title) is what makes it sexy.
We’re not fans of this novel. But we are fans of this golden Atlas.
This one’s cheating a little, since this cover is John Gall’s original design, rejected for being too scandalous. Scandalous it is, and uncomfortable, and awful, and, yes, admit it, sexy. Just don’t think too hard about the book’s content.
Ah, concealment. Designed by Mario Pulice.
This cover has everything — bodacious fairy-girl, shirtless dude, and a giant ant getting stabbed in the abdomen. What, that last part isn’t sexy? We didn’t notice.
Consider this our nod to the entire oeuvre of books like these, which seem rather off-color (and sometimes downright outrageous) with today’s mindset, but still manage to be pretty darn titillating. This one, at least to our eyes, is scandalous without being offensive. After all, she’s about to kick his ass, right?