When your love for books is of a maddening kind and your thirst to possess every interesting book you come across tends to fly off the rails, it’s time to draw an organized wishlist. Doing so will not only add gems to your collection but will ensure that you don’t run out of money every month. Here are various types of books that you should save up for.
1. A hardback. Hardbacks aren’t cheap but some of them have such stunning covers and engravings that they are totally worth the one-time-splurge. I am yet to find a splendid edition that I absolutely adore.
2. One with deckle edges. Now many people don’t like rough edges on their books. It makes flipping the pages and smelling them a bit uneasy. But deckle edges are unique and suit certain elaborate volumes. It adds an already worn out, imperfect look. The Puffin Chalk editions have not only deckle edges but really artsy covers.
3. Flexibound books. The Word Cloud Classics are some of the most eye catching flexibound books. Much like its namesake, flexibound covers are flexible and have a velvety smooth feeling. They are neither hardcovers nor of a flimsy paper quality.
4. Movie/TV Tie in. As much as I don’t like book to TV adaptations, some book covers undergo a drastic (wonderful) change after the movie or TV show has been made. They make the original covers look not as alluring and drool worthy.
5. Graphic novel. I still haven’t outgrown the “books with illustrations” phase. Call me a kid, but thats the truth. Graphic novels could be in color or b/w and twice as expensive but for those of us, who enjoy some sketches in between the text, graphic novels are a keep.
6. Epistolary novel. This is my personal favorite kind of book. Epistolary novels have snippets of letters, journal entries, emails, text messages, posters and other such documents which convey some meaning with regard to the book. Some epistolary novels even have lists in them. They make the story more individualistic.
7. Manga is a form of comic originating from Japan. They are filled with heavy artwork and not much text. The sketches are usually very detailed and at times, overwhelming. Because mangas have tons of volumes, they are quite the investment.
8. Anthology. I have never been a big fan of short stories, but of late many interesting anthologies have been cropping up. They are usually theme based and feature some really good combination of authors.
9. Sprayed edges. The only thing different about books with sprayed edges is that they are of another color. The page would be white but its edges would be another color entirely. Its a treat to the eye, that’s all!
10. A boxset. It is wise to not buy all the books in a series before trying out the first one, to see if you like it. But buying a boxset is altogether a different kind of joy. Especially if you know for a fact that you are going to enjoy it all.
11. Leather bound. These books last ages in their pristine condition and have a varied feel to it. Most leather bound books are classics and have a tad bit superior look on a shelf.
That is all I can think of now. Even though some of these editions are going to leave gaping holes in my wallet, I am sure they are meant to belong on my shelf! If any more ideas come up, I will definitely be adding those. And if you have any comments please feel free to do so 🙂
Cheers!
Meera
The Life Stories 