We all have our things that we go a little extra on, don’t we? Well, there’s cover buying and then there’s this. I love to choose books because the cover design is stunning – it’s the worst reason supposedly to choose a book but it rarely does me wrong. But I will often spend an extra penny just to get the edition of a book I really want; to get that version of the cover that looks prettiest.

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly event hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and this week’s prompt is:

Ten Books of Which I’ve Bought Specific Editions

This was a fill in the blank prompt so it’s not exactly that. Perhaps this isn’t totally wild but I will never be one of those bookworms who can just deal with any old cover. I love my books to look pretty – I check those measurements online before I commit to a buy: nobody wants a 179mm book – GHASTLY. So the following ten books I have bought specific editions of for particular reason – let’s explore!

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1. King of Scars
by Leigh Bardugo

Let’s start with an easy one. Whilst there may only be one cover designed for this book (as far as I am aware) I decided that this was a book I needed to have in the hardback version. After seeing all the pretty pictures of how the naked cover of the book was embossed, it seemed positively sinful to settle for a mere paperback (as if the gorgeous cover isn’t enough). Perhaps this may seem like a ‘so what’ decision for Americans in the crowd tonight, but hardbacks cost sometimes double the price of the paperbacks in Australia so it’s a Big Deal, okay?

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2. And I Darken
by Kiersten White

I think that both of these covers are quite pretty. However, I definitely prefer the left version when it comes to what is most fitting for the story. I remember seeing this cover for the first time and being blown away by how eye-catching the girl is on the front. I would love to know if this is artwork or if someone was dressed up for this.

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3. Between Shades of Gray
by Ruta Sepetys

I feel like it’s not hard to see here why I would be picky over this one. Though, perhaps it is just my personal taste. The left cover is the version I adore – the close up of snowflakes on the eyelashes is so intimate and really tucks you into the sad atmosphere that I’m sure comes with this book. The right look very basic and unimpressive.

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4. Pantomime
by Laura Lam

I mean, just LOOK at the abomination on the right! Absolutely not. If I was Ms Lam I’d be thrilled that someone recognised the dire need for a cover redo and produced the masterpiece on the lefthand side. This is a book I’ve been meaning to get around to for ages – I just haven’t heard anyone else talking about it but oh how I love the cover. Who could resist such a beauty in the bookshelf?

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5. Sleeping Murder
by Agatha Christie

This is just one example of my preferred editions of Agatha Christies. The left, once again, is the edition that I have. In fact, Christie’s books are probably my most favourite to collect. There are many different covers for them but the ones where her autograph is used as the font for the author’s name are so pleasingly perfect when lined up next to each other. I frequently hunt through secondhand bookstores to find these editions – it’s terrific fun!

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6. Daughter of Smoke and Bone
by Laini Taylor

I must say in this case that I believe the right version looks a lot better in person; I’m unsure if it’s just the American cover or the hardback cover. However, I do love the more put-together look of the left. This is the version I have and I have spent a lot of effort ensuring that the rest of the series is in the same edition (it’s quite confusing because whilst the last two books do have a matching version to the first, they’re style is different and it confused me greatly to start with).

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7. The Binding
by Bridget Collins

This is another example of a book I bought in hardback form because it’s just so beautiful. But this was also a surprise – I found a hardback version of this when I was travelling in Dublin and when I removed the dust jacket I was blown away but how FREAKING STUNNING this book is naked. You would not believe it! It’s unbelievable. I prayed this wouldn’t tip me over my luggage allowanced and carted this all the way back to Australia with me.

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8. Spare and Found Parts
by Sarah Maria Griffin

This one is a little different from the others. Whilst I do prefer the left cover (which is the edition I have), that is not the sole reason I bought my copy. I’ve never understood why they made the right edition topsy-turvy, it makes me uncomfortable. But the edition I found in a Waterstones in Cork, had sprayed black edges. I will always buy a book if I find it has colourful edges; I cannot help myself.

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9. The Night Manager
by John Le Carré

Naturally, the modern version on the left is so much more appealing. This is actually a special version I found in an independent bookstore. It certainly cost a lot more than I could’ve got such a classic book for but I had only recently just watched the TV series with my beloved Tom Hiddleston starring in it and I thought it was absolutely worth it. It’s so shiny in person.

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10. The Darkest Minds
by Alexandra Bracken

Now this is an issue I need to fix. The edition I have is the right edition and it’s gross. I hate it. When I bought the second book, I bought the equivalent version to the middle edition (which I think looks super shit on book one but better on book two) simply because that’s the cover for the Australian paperback. I’m fine with this. But I do LOVE the left edition and would be very happy to buy this series in the American hardbacks because those covers are NEXT LEVEL.

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That’s a wrap!

What book did you NEED specific edition of?

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~~ Kirstie ~~

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