I always see book design contest online, but this one at www.venusfebriculosa.com where people submit designs for Lolita is the best. Frankly, it's because it's such a sexual book, and sexual, for guys, at least, equals visual. Lolita is about this old dude who's completely obsessed with this pre-teen girl. It's about every guy, not in the sense that every guy is a pedophile, but that the sight of someone can completely decenter a dude to the point that he'll do crazy ass things.
Anyways, here's my favorite of the winning entries:
I like spare covers and I like black covers. But how could you not be sort of disturbed by the image of the scrunchy? I mean it both represents young femininity, but it just looks... wrong. (Think orifice). I think it's a pretty good balance of innocence and luridness, and by good balance I mean like 30% innocence and 70% luridness.
I also like this one:
It takes a while to figure out what it's an image of. At first, I thought it was just some sort of patchwork, but it's not. I like how complex and abstract this one is.
Check the other covers and more commentary here.
that first one is brilliant.
the one that won would probably be the most viable cover. i was surprised @ how good all of the entries were.