I think this will be my first one of the year with my goal being 6.
So, I have only recently begun wanting to buy ALL the fancy new editions or special editions or book box editions of books by authors I know and love or even books that I already own by those authors because they are so pretty! I don’t think I ever used to really care about that. Maybe it was because I worked at the bookstore and was always getting my books with that great discount that it wasn’t worth it. However I have a couple authors who keep releasing special new editions of their books and I want to buy them all! I know I have some fellow blogger fans who feel the same way. I will call out one, hope she does mind, but Jess at A Great Read, she might be giving me FOMO from seeing all her beautiful editions of her favorite authors’ books in her weekly wrap-up posts.
Plus, the SmartyPants Romance line has a few books that started in one “branch” or series and then they moved them to their own different series for that author and then they re-do the covers. And I already have the original covers usually, but I love the new ones too, so far though I’ve held myself off from those though! Penny Reid also has some of her books that crossover to other series, and since Beard Science is also part of her Cletus and Jen mystery series, she made a matching cover for that.
Meghan Quinn has so many of her books that she releases a paperback version, and then will also do a hardback version with illustrations inside. Every year around Christmas she also does special “blackout” cover editions, and I feel like I need to buy one every year. Not to mention the 10th Anniversary bodice ripper covers she put out for a few of her books. The first picture below I got the illustrated cover because even though I already had the pink one, I don’t care for the “hot guy” covers as much as the illustrated. Second are the two blackout covers I’ve bought. Third are the illustrated editiions. Fourth are the bodice rippers. I did get one of the bodice rippers through from the author as a thanks for being on her review team though!
There are also authors that are getting new covers as their books get picked up by more traditional publishers and it moves away from their self published original covers. Or the opposite at times. One such book got a new title because they thought the original series titles were maybe why they didn’t sell with the word “wiener” in the title, even though that’s part of why I bought them.
I know all of this first started when certain series the last book would get a different cover, and then the publisher would go back and re-do the other books in the series, and I’d want them to match. Or when they make movie/tv covers for books that happens too. So in the picture below, Amy Daws redid the original cover on the left to the pretty more object/less half naked man cover in the middle. And then of course when they made the Passionflix movie of the book, I had to buy that cover too, lol.
Or when series books get combined into one big volume.
As I mentioned above even though I love romance, I’ve never been the biggest fan of the half naked man on the cover, so it’s been nice to either see more of the illustrated/comic looking covers, which I know some romance readers don’t like because they think it makes it harder to know if the books are spicy or not, or else the covers with just objects on them. Helena Hunting rereleased her Pucked series with the object covers. And I had to also get the hardback of the first book in that series since it will always be one of my all time favorite books.
And another author did a hardback version of one of my favorite books for its 10 year publiversary as well. So I had to have that too.
So I could also go back and share a few PR boxes or other types of boxes I bought from authors, but I’ll stop with the pictures for now. And I am waiting for my special Illumicrate edition of Bride by Ali Hazelwood as well. Later this year will also be the Kickstarter special editions of Penny Reid’s Knitting in the City series, I think I just ordered one of them. I even want to pre-order the Obsidian new cover from Jennifer L. Armentrout, as well as one of the special hardcover editions of her Wicked trilogy.
Tell me, do you love these special editions or ones that your favorite authors put out? Are you or do you wish you could buy them all? I want to, but just can’t afford to, so have had to tell myself no so many times! I also won’t let myself sign up for those subscription boxes because I need to know what my money is getting spent on. I don’t need surprise books as I have too many I bought on purpose that I haven’t read yet.
Or are you the type who only reads e-books, so you save yourself the spending of money on these extra fancy books?
Let’s discuss your feelings on this topic!
As always let’s enjoy the video that goes with the title to my discussion post, because it feels like I can never have enough books!
While I would love to buy special covers I am just not buying hardly any books but digital. The only one I’ve considered lately are the Emily Wilde books (the UK versions) which are so pretty.
I really refuse to pay money for digital, although I do for the digital audiobooks. I really only read ebooks that were freebies or advanced copies.
I love special editions but I try to be super choosey about which I buy. I tend to save those for books I truly loved and made an impact on me. Or a top tier favorite author. Otherwise I’d go broke and run out of room in my library in the first month. LOL One of my favorites is my special edition set of Devney Perry’s Lark Cove series. It was part of a kickstarter campaign and while truly pricey, the books are stunning. I saw the new Obsidian editions and while I loved that series, I’ve convinced myself to pass on those. 🙂
Yeah, the sad thing is that even with trying to keep to just favorite authors like you I end up spending too much, lol.
I don’t subscribe to book boxes so I mostly miss out on the really fancy editions. What I like is that publishers are doing special first printing editions that you can buy anywhere, as long as you preorder. I just pre-ordered Leigh Bardugo’s Familiar with black edges from Amazon. Bramble is also putting out really nice first print run books.
It is nice when they do that! I agree! That’s why I ordered the Illumicrate Bride special edition. The only really expensive bit was that it’s coming from the UK.
Welp! Welm you know me I’m a sucker for a special edition. I do try to limit what I buy though. But I will admit I slip up sometimes with Fairy Loot. It’s hard sometimes when I started obtaining a series with them then I just want the rest to match too! Or someone like The Bookish Box will decide to suddenly do Maria V. Snyder’s Poison Study which was an all time fave of mine and I found myself collecting her international books awhile back.
They are a few copies I find myself asking why did I do this to myself? Not so much Stephanie Garber’s books though! Lol. Those I may try reselling on Pango Books one day. Probably once I’m settled in my future place when I start putting them all away. Currently I’ve a stack of FL titles I didn’t have much interest in but didn’t want to lose my subscription spot. It is a bit of a sickness to want all the pretty editions.
I think I’ve talked myself out of JLA’s newly printed Wicked series. I was a little meh on the cover concepts. I will definitely need to preorder the new Obsidian one tho since I’ve collected that series too! As to whether I buy the rest of the series if they go that route remains unclear.
But yeah…I’ve got 3 authors I have a hard time saying no to when it comes to new editions! In fact Maria announced that both her US & UK publishers are reprinting the first Study trilogy and I may be ordering myself a set of each there too! Lol
I have a couple authors that I am having a hard time not buying all their special editions these days! I think seeing all your pretty books gives me FOMO, lol.
I only want to own all the editions of DUNE and Harry Potter. Every other book, even though I love them, I’m fine with only one edition. I have four editions of DUNE, seven editions of Sorcerer’s Stone, and five editions of the other six books.
Wow!!!! I have a couple different copies of some of the HP books, and I did buy one Hufflepuff edition when I was in Scotland last summer. I forgot to share that in this post!
I am one that reads primarily ebooks. Having said that, I do enjoy seeing alternate covers for books (and the reason why I have a monthly post about just that). I’m all about what brings you joy Lisa! Go for it!
I’ve got to cut back though, I’ve totally been spending too much on books in my stress related “treat myself” mood.
I ‘window shop’ drool over pretty special covers, but stick to whatever was the release cover and only for a few absolute fav authors. Otherwise, its eARCs, freebies, and sale ebooks.
You’ve got some lovelies there.
I used to just window shop. Then I let myself buy one, then it was just one more, lol.
I normally just ignore the special editions, especially if I already own the originals BUT I did have to get a couple of the bodice rippers from Quinn and Kim Holden put out a 10th anniversary edition of Bright Side that I needed as well. I need the authors to stop putting out cool stuff because my wallet doesn’t like it.
Same! My wallet is not happy.
I pretty much only buy/read digital these days. I’ll buy both audio and ebook if I really like them. But I don’t have bookshelves really anymore. I did buy (signed) three hard cover books of one series I loved recently for my limited shelf space. I think once I have real shelves, I’ll buy a few special sets, but more for display than reading.
As I look to possibly cut back and move into an apartment in the future, not for a while, but still, I realize my bookshelves will probably have to go at some point. For now I will continue to enjoy them!
Lately I’ve been ebook heavy. Most of my pretty print books are still in boxes from all the moving we do *cries in empty bookshelves*
I have been considering moving to an apartment after my dogs leave me, although that’s hopefully not for at least 5 or so more years. But then I know I won’t have my beautiful front room library and will have to determine what to get rid of!
I would love to have pretty books, but they’re not worth the money for me. I did recently replace a bunch of my classics with nicer editions. I only did it because my old classics were falling apart. I do love the new, pretty books.
I feel like they’re worth the money, I just don’t have the money, lol.
I don’t buy many books even though I am tempted. We spend most of our book money on letting the kids buy whatever they want. I get mine from the library or swapping sites.
As a school librarian I love that you let the kids spend the money that way! If I had kids I’d do that as well.