Most Beautiful Books of 2022 – A Holiday Gift Guide
A Holiday Gift Guide
Most Beautiful Books of 2022
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Hello and welcome to my sixth annual holiday gift guide! This post is where I review the most beautifully designed books published during 2022, to help you find something special to gift to your family and friends, or identify new treasures to add to your own shelves. This year has had an amazing selection – I think because so many books were delayed during the pandemic years.
The best books of 2022 are listed below, loosely sorted by genre, and any book with a star (★) next to it is also visually reviewed in the video above. If I recommend a book in this list, you can rest assured it’s not just the physical beauty that counts – I do also read any book I recommend on this site, and I only include books where I think the contents are beautiful too ツ .
Bookshop links are included below if you are interested in buying any of the books for yourself. Some of the links are affiliate links (and thank you if you use them!) but please do support your local bookstore as a priority if you can. If you’re new here, and you’d like more regular recommendations, you might also like to check out my regularly updated lists of special editions, pre-order offers, and subscribe to my occasional newsletter.
And now, on to the books!
Children and the Young at Heart
★ Stocking Filler Alice in Wonderland Editions
These two pocket-sized hardback editions were released in limited numbers to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Both feature foiled page edges and covers, and classic John Tenniel illustrations with blue text (for Alice) or red text (for Looking-Glass). Macmillan, 9781529094268.
➤ Find Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
➤ Find Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
☞ You also might like to check out my collector’s guide to recommended Alice editions
★ Snow White and other Grimm's Fairy Tales [Interactive Edition] by MinaLima
An illustrated collection of 23 of Grimm’s classic fairy tales with nine interactive features ranging from a pop-up forest and pull-tab mirror for Snow White and a wall of thorns encasing Sleeping Beauty to a three-dimensional ball gown for Cinderella and a pop-up tower for Rapunzel.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
☞ See the MinaLima Interactive Children’s Classics page for more in this series.
★ Snow White by Sarah Gibb
An exquisitely illustrated picture book based on the original story by the Brothers Grimm.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
★ Mouse's Wood: A Year in Nature by Alice Melvin
An delightfully illustrated novelty picture book with die-cut flaps that follows the woodland ramblings of Mouse through the change in seasons.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
★ Aesop's Fables by Robert Ingpen
Each of these little fables is bound up with 2000 years of wisdom and truth. From Aesop we know that a mouse is too weak to withstand the strength of a lion, yet too mighty to be bound by ropes. Beautiful watercolour illustrations.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
★ The Golden Age: Ovid's Metamorphoses by Ovid, adapted by Heinz Janisch, illustrated by Ana Sender
From ‘The Story of the Origin of the World’ to tales of Midas, Pan, Europa, Apollo, Daphne, Narcissus, Echo, and Fama (the goddess of rumor and stories), here we learn of the multifaceted world of Ovid’s Metamorphoses retold by award-winning Austrian author Heinz Janisch.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
★ The Biggest Bible Storybook by Kevin DeYoung, illustrated by Don Clark
Beginning in Genesis and ending with Revelation, DeYoung provides engaging retellings of various Bible stories, placing them all within an overarching storyline.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
★ How the Stars Came to Be (Deluxe Ed) by Poonam Mistry
A new folktale about the night sky. This special deluxe edition features a newly illustrated cover printed on a satin silk finish book cloth, with gold detailing and edges.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
The Midnight Panther by Poonam Mistry
Panther is not like the other cats. Leopard has beautiful spots, Tiger has impressive stripes and Lion has a magnificent mane. Panther is small, shy and dark. One night he decides to go and find out where in the jungle he really belongs. A beautifully illustrated fable about courage and finding your place in the world.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
A is for Bee - Ellen Heck
A fascinating exploration of animal names across different languages, accompanied by large, bright scratchboard illustrations.
Levine Querido, 9781646141272 (US)/ Pushkin, 9781782693628 (UK)
➤ Find US edition at Amazon | B&N | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
➤ Find UK edition at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
★ The Journey (Big Panda and Little Dragon) by James Norbury
Continues the adventures of two unlikely traveling companions as they embark on a path that brings them farther from home, and closer to each other and themselves.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
The Girl of Ink & Stars by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, illustrated by Olia Muza
Illustrated edition with bonus chapter. Forbidden to leave her island, Isabella dreams of the faraway lands her cartographer father once mapped. When her friend disappears, she volunteers to guide the search. The world beyond the walls is a monster-filled wasteland – and beneath the dry rivers and smoking mountains, a fire demon is stirring from its sleep.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Puffin Clothbound Editions by various authors
A couple of new titles in this series of UK hardback editions with pretty foiled cloth covers.
Charlotte’s Web – E. B. White
Tales of the Greek Heroes – Roger Lancelyn Green
➤ Find Charlotte’s Web at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
➤ Find Greek Heroes at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
☞ See the Puffin Clothbound page for more in this series.
★ The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse: The Animated Story by Charlie Macksey
Charlie Mackesy’s beloved The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse has been adapted into an animated short film, coming to AppleTV this Christmas. Charlie’s distinctive illustrations are brought to life in full color with hand-drawn traditional animation and accompanying hand-written script.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
★ Disney Twisted Tales collector's editions by Liz Braswell and Jen Calonita
These retellings of Disney classics are Australian hardbacks (glued), with exclusive new covers and matching sprayed page edges.
Inside the Body by Joelle Jolivet
Cleverly designed, annotated flaps and die-cuts allow readers to explore the wonders hidden underneath our skin, with four large-scale figures that unfold to illustrate the muscles, nerves, circulatory system and skeleton in meticulous detail.
➤ Find it at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
★ A Natural History of Mermaids by Emily Hawkins and Jessica Roux
In the Folklore Field Guide series, featuring a silver-foil-embossed cloth cover, a ribbon marker and sprayed silver edges, this gorgeous volume is filled with beautiful illustrations and precise notes detailing the secret life of mermaids.
➤ Find it at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
☞ See the Folklore Field Guides page for more in this series.
★ The Fairy Atlas by Anna Claybourne, illustrated by Asiain Lora Miren
A mix of fairy ‘facts’ and short retellings of some of the most magical fairy tales.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
★ Hocus Pocus by A Jantha, illustrated by Gris Grimly
An illustrated novelization that retells the story of the classic film alongside stunning original artwork from Gris Grimly.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
★ The Land of Stories: Wishing Spell (10th Anniversary Illustrated Edition) by Chris Colfer
Through the mysterious powers of a cherished book of stories, twins Alex and Conner leave their world behind and find themselves in a foreign land full of wonder and magic where they come face-to-face with fairy tale characters they grew up reading about.
Anniversary edition: Illustrated special edition.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
★ The School for Good and Evil (Collector's Edition) by Soman Chainani
Every four years, two girls are kidnapped from the village of Gavaldon. Legend has it these lost children are sent to the School for Good and Evil, the fabled institution where they become fairytale heroes or villains.
Collector’s edition, with reversible dust jacket and decorative endpapers. (Mine did not have the advertised blue page edges.)
➤ Find it at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
➤ Signed collector’s edition at Waterstones while stocks last
★ Asterix by by Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo
A lovely gift edition of the first five books: Asterix the Gaul, Asterix and the Golden Sickle, Asterix and the Goths, Asterix the Gladiator, Asterix and the Banquet.
➤ Find it at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
A Children's Literary Treasury edited by Anna James
In her second compilation for the British Library, children’s author and commentator Anna James delves deep into the collections to present stories for comfort, inspiration and adventure. Illustrated throughout with both classic beloved illustrations and new archive finds.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, illustrated by Chris Dunn
This unabridged large-format version of this timeless tale of adventure and friendship is beautifully illustrated by Chris Dunn, with vivid watercolours. Originally released via Kickstarter.
➤ Find it at Amazon
Culture of Clothes by Chaaya Prabhat
A riot of colours in this joyful celebration of costumes and colours from around the world.
➤ Find it at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Faber Bedtime Stories illustrated by Sarah McIntyre
A collection of stories that are full of hope and courage, brimming with positivity.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
★ And Everything Will Be Glad to See You: Poems by Women and Girls, edited by Ella Risbridger, illustrated by Anna Shepeta
A wide ranging and uplifting collection of poems by well-loved poets that is guaranteed to inspire, delight and empower, including Maya Angelou, Wendy Cope, Lucille Clifton and Christina Rossetti, to newer voices such as Amanda Gorman, Yrsa-Daley Ward and Amineh Abou Kerech.
➤ Find it at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Classics Series
★ Little Clothbound Classics - various authors
Four seasonal collections of 12 books each are being released.
These are small novella sized companions to the clothbound classics series.
➤ Links to all the books
☞ See the Little Clothbound Classics page for more in this series.
★ New Chiltern Classics - various authors
8 new titles released in mid-2022
- Good Wives by Louisa May Alcott
- Peter Pan by James Matthew Barrie
- Silas Marner by George Eliot
- Far From the Madding Crown by Thomas Hardy
- Animal Farm by George Orwell
- Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
- The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
- The Romantic Poets by various authors
Chiltern Classics series: Pocket sized books with wonderfully textural covers, heavy weight paper, and gilded page edges. They are really quite adorable.
➤ Links to all the books
☞ See the Chiltern Classics page for more in this series.
The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald, illustrated by Anna and Elena Balbusso
Fitzgerald’s beloved account of the devastating costs of the American dream gets a fittingly gorgeous update in this oversized high-end art-book edition, elaborately decorated with more than 50 illustrations by the Balbusso Twins, housed in a shimmering die-cut sculpturally embossed slipcase.
➤ Find it at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | B&N | Beehive Books
☞ See the Beehive Books Illuminated Editions page for more in this series.
★ Persuasion - Jane Austen
The complete novel, featuring pockets throughout containing replicas of thirteen items from the story, re-created with exquisite calligraphy and painstaking attention to historical detail.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
☞ See my Pride & Prejudice Removable Letters Review for more in this series.
★ Little Women - Louisa May Alcott, illustrated by Marjolein Bastin
A beautiful, illustrated edition of the classic novel about Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, with removable inserts, including a self-made newspaper, a map, an invitation, and more.
➤ Find it at Amazon | Blackwells | Waterstones | Abes
☞ See the Marjolein Bastin illustrated classics page for more in this series.
★ Pride and Prejudice [Deluxe edition] by Jane Austen, illustrated by Bil Donovan
Illustrated by renowned fashion illustrator Bil Donovan with gorgeous original 4-color artwork as well as foil stamping, 4-color endpapers, and gilded page edges.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Harper Muse Painted Classics (series 2) by various authors
These are embossed hardcovers featuring Laci Fowler’s distinctive hand-painted art, decorative interior pages featuring pull quotes distributed throughout; matching ribbon marker; and gold page sprayed edges.
Most recent titles in this series include:
- Jane Eyre – Charlotte Brontë
- Little Women – Louisa May Alcott
- Persuasion – Jane Austen
- The Mysterious Affair at Styles – Agatha Christie.
➤ Find all the books
☞ See the Painted Editions page for more in this series.
The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton
Penguin Deluxe series: Paperbacks with French flaps, deckled edges, and beautifully illustrated covers – this one has cover art by Ruben Toledo, who also illustrated covers for the classic Penguin Couture Collection.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
☞ See the Penguin Deluxe Classics page for more in this series.
Myths & Legends
★ Macmillan Collection of Myths & Legends
A beautiful hardback treasury, containing over forty myths and legends from around the world, paired with blue line drawings and classical illustrations.
➤ Find it at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
★ The Great Book of Dragon Legends by Tea Orsi, illustrated by Anna Lang
Includes 16 short stories about dragons from myths, legends, and folklore around the world. A companion to the Great Book of Forest Legends.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
★ Egyptian Myths by Jean Menzies, illustrated by Katie Ponder
20 classic Egyptian myths alongside fascinating historical information.
➤ Find US edition at Amazon | B&N | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
➤ Find UK edition at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
☞See the DK Ancient Myths page for more in this series.
The Magic of Mushrooms by Sandra Lawrence and the Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew
Featuring images of over 100 fascinating species, sourced from the archives at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, The Magic of Mushrooms explores these fascinating organisms that are the centre of countless superstitions, folkloric tales and magical beliefs, as well as appearing in recipes and medicines both traditional and modern. A lovely companion to last year’s The Witch’s Garden.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
☞ See the Kew Gardens Folklore page for more in this series.
Mythical Irish Places by Mark Joyce
An encyclopedia of Ireland’s most magical, mythical and wondrous locations, from Newgrange to the Hill of Tara.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Welsh Monsters & Mythical Beasts by C. C. J. Ellis
Gorgeous watercolour illustrations of creatures from Welsh mythology, alongside fascinating history and lore.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
☞ See the Wool of Bat page for more in this series.
★ Spiritus Mundi by Elizabeth Sulis Kim
The term spiritus mundi describes the realm from which all creative and magical inspiration springs. This is a delightful illustrated anthology of creative writing revealing the connection between imagination and the divine.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
★ Lore of the Land: Folklore and wisdom of the wild earth by Claire Cock-Starkey, illustrated by Samantha Dolan
A richly illustrated compendium of folklore and wisdom from the land, skies and seas. A nice companion to Lore of the Wild.
➤ Find US edition at Amazon | B&N | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
➤ Find UK edition at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
★ Gender Swapped Greek Myths by Karrie Fransman, illustrated by Jonathan Plackett
For thousands of years, Greek Myths have been told and retold. Switching the gender roles in these retellings makes clear that brutality and bravery was reserved for men, while women were wicked witches or helpless maidens. Buy it for the pretty illustrations! A companion to Gender Swapped Fairy Tales.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
★ Nectar of the Gods by Liv Albert, illustrated by Thea Engst
Punny Greek myth–inspired cocktail concoctions based on Gods and Goddesses, accompanied with delightful illustrations and myth retellings.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Fiction
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
In 1960s California, Elizabeth Zott is an unconventional female scientist whose career takes a detour when she becomes the star of a beloved TV cooking show.
Waterstones exclusive: UK hardback with chemical elements sprayed on the page edges.
B&N exclusive: US hardback, with extra chapter, designed endpapers, blue sprayed page edges, and an ‘interview’ with Elizabeth Zott, the main character.
➤ Find signed, sprayed edition at Waterstones
➤ Find B&N Exclusive at Barnes & Noble
★ Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Thief by Maurice Leblanc, illustrated by Vincent Mallie
An omnibus collection of the first 9 novellas about Arsene Lupin, a charming thief and master of disguises.
This illustrated edition features dozens of black-and-white and full-colour illustrations and plates including numerous two-page spreads.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
★ The Secret History - Donna Tartt
30th anniversary edition, with cloth spine. Under the influence of a charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at a New England college discover a way of thought and life a world away from their banal contemporaries. But their search for the transcendent leads them down a dangerous path, beyond human constructs of morality.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
★ The Bell Jar: Illustrated Edition by Sylvia Plath, illustrated by Beya Rebaï
Plath’s classic semi-autobiographical novel brought to life with haunting b&w illustrations.
➤ Find it at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
★ The Bell Jar: Illustrated Edition by Sylvia Plath, illustrated by Beya Rebaï
★ Scattered Showers – Rainbow Rowell, illustrated by Jim Tierney
Nine charming, witty love stories featuring princes, trolls, imaginary boys and the return of Simon Snow.
Waterstones exclusive: UK hardback signed by the author with rainbow sprayed page edges.
➤ Find it at Waterstones
First printings of the trade editions of this book will also have special features, including duotone illustrations by Jim Tierney, patterned endpapers, a white ribbon bookmark and sky-blue stained page edges.
US Trade Edition: US hardback with pale blue sprayed page edges.
➤ Find US at Amazon
UK Trade Edition: UK hardback with red sprayed page edges.
UK International Edition: UK hardback with clouds painted on the page edges.
➤ Find UK edition at Amazon
★ Looking for Alibrandi (30th Anniversary) by Melina Marchetta
Josephine Alibrandi is seventeen and in her final year at a wealthy girls’ school. This is the year she meets her father, the year she falls in love, the year she searches for Alibrandi and finds the real truth about her family – and the identity she has been searching for. This deluxe edition includes an exclusive introduction by the author and colour illustrated section that contains facsimiles of the original edited manuscript, photographs, reviews and articles.
➤ Find it at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
★ The Little Match Girl Strikes Back by Emma Carroll and Lauren Child
Bridie works hard to feed her family, selling matches on the streets of Victorian London. After an incident leaves her with only three matches left, the magical strike of each one sees her tumble into visions of a brighter future. Realizing she has the power to change her own fortune, Bridie leads the match factory workers out on strike, achieving the remarkable through their unity and courage. A feminist retelling of the classic tale.
➤ Find at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Waterstones exclusive: UK hardback, signed by the authors with a red ribbon bookmark.
➤ Find it at Waterstones
The Pothunters: 120th Anniversary Edition by P. G. Wodehouse
Suspicion abounds at St Austin’s School when two silver trophies, or ‘pots’, are stolen from the cricket pavilion. Jim Thomson, a talented sportsman who due to an unfortunate series of coincidences could be thought to be the burglar, resolves to clear his name. (I haven’t yet seen this one in person, the low price suggests gluebound and not particularly sturdy, just a fun edition of his first novel for Wodehouse fans).
➤ Find it at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and The Mysterious Affair at Styles [Special editions] by Agatha Christie
Two more classic mysteries in the HarperCollins ‘special edition’ series binding. These UK (glued) hardbacks have spot foiling on the covers and decorative endpapers. The Mysterious Affair at Styles includes for the first time the original courtroom climax as an alternate ending.
➤ Find Roger Ackroyd at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
➤ Find The Mysterious Affair at Styles at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
☞ See the Christie Special Editions page for more in this series.
Marple - Various Authors
A new collection of short stories featuring the Queen of Mystery’s legendary detective Jane Marple, penned by twelve bestselling and acclaimed authors. I found the interpretations of Jane to have differing levels of ‘believability’ but it was mostly a fun read.
➤ Find UK edition at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
➤ Find US edition (deckled edges) at Amazon | B&N | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
With A Mind To Kill (James Bond) by Anthony Horowitz
007 – accused of M’s murder – is smuggled across the Iron Curtain in a deadly game of subterfuge and double cross with the lethal SMERSH.
Waterstones exclusive: UK hardback, with 007 stencilled on the page edges.
➤ Find it at Waterstones
Fantasy & Science Fiction
★ Amber Spyglass [Illustrated Edition] by Philip Pullman, illustrated by Chris Wormell
A stunning full-colour illustrated gift hardback of the third book in Philip Pullman’s beloved His Dark Materials trilogy.
➤ Find it at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
★ The Silmarillion, written and illustrated by J. R. R. Tolkien
A special edition of the forerunner to The Lord of the Rings, illustrated throughout in colour by J.R.R. Tolkien himself and with the complete text printed in two colours.
Illustrated edition: Hardback, with stencilled green page edges, Tolkien’s own paintings and drawings for the first time, two colour printing, and a letter written by Tolkien in 1951 which provides a brilliant exposition of the earlier Ages.
Collector’s note: A companion to the matching Lord of the Rings edition released last year.
Deluxe edition: Hardback in a slipcase, quarter-bound with blue leather, including Tolkien’s own paintings and drawings for the first time, two colour printing, and a letter written by Tolkien in 1951 which provides a brilliant exposition of the earlier Ages. Unique to this edition are two poster-size, fold-out maps revealing all the detail of Beleriand as the tales grew, an illustrated booklet featuring ‘A Brief Account of The Silmarillion and its Making’ by Christopher Tolkien, and a printed art card reproducing ‘Taniquetil’.
Collector’s note: A companion to the matching Lord of the Rings limited edition released last year.
➤ Find illustrated edition at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
➤ Find deluxe slipcased edition at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
The Fall of Númenor by J. R. R. Tolkien, illustrated by Alan Lee
J.R.R. Tolkien’s writings on the Second Age of Middle-earth, collected for the first time in one volume.
Special edition: Deluxe slipcased special edition.
➤ Find standard edition at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
➤ Find special slipcased edition at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
★ The Rise of the Dragon by George R R Martin, Elio M García and Linda Antonsson
Volume 1 of a lavish visual history of the Targaryen Dynasty.
➤ Find US edition at Amazon | B&N | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
➤ Find UK edition at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
★ The Dragon Universe by Ablaze
An illustrated encyclopedia, which combines extraordinary texts on the history of dragons, with illustrators from around the world – from John Howe, designer of The Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia, to Todd Lockwood, illustrator of Dungeons & Dragons, and Olivier Ledroit, creator of the Chronicles of the Black Moon and Adrian Smith, one of the authors of Warhammer, and more. A beautiful art book for the dragon-lover.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
A Voyage to Arcturus - David Lindsay, illustrated by Jim Woodring
Lindsay’s gender-bending work of visionary sci-fi as brought to life through Woodring’s psychedelic illustrations.
Beehive Books Illuminated Edition: High-end art book with more than numerous illustrations housed in a shimmering die-cut sculpturally embossed slipcase, printed on uncoated acid-free paper, and published in an oversized 9×12″ trim format.
❦ Peek inside this volume and read more about the Beehive Books Illuminated Editions here…
➤ Find it at Amazon
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber
Book 2 of the Once Upon a Broken Heart series.
UK first printings: UK hardbacks will have one of 4 different gold stamped hidden cover designs under the dust jacket.
➤ Find standard UK edition at Amazon | Blackwells
➤ Find signed edition at Waterstones
B&N exclusive: US hardback, signed by the author, includes a bonus chapter from Jacks’ POV, and has a unique cover and case stamp. A matching exclusive edition of the first book is also being released (see below).
Note: this is also the same edition as the Indigo Exclusive.
➤ Find it at Barnes & Noble
★ Signed editions also available while stocks last at Barnes & Noble
➤ Also find exclusive edition of the first book Once Upon a Broken Heart at Barnes & Noble
➤ Find standard US edition of Never After at Amazon
City of Bones (Mortal Instruments #1) by Cassandra Clare
Celebrating the fifteenth anniversary of Cassandra Clare’s City of Bones, where Clary Fray first discovered the Shadowhunters, a secret cadre of warriors dedicated to driving demons out of our world and back to their own.
Collector’s edition: UK hardback with new cover artwork and a special letter from Cassie.
➤ Find it at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
★ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix [Collector's Illustrated Edition] by J.K. Rowling, illustrated by Jim Kay and Neil Packer
The fifth book in the beloved, bestselling Harry Potter series, an oversize edition that is brilliantly and profusely illustrated.
Standard edition
➤ Find UK standard edition (Bloomsbury) at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
➤ Find US standard edition (Scholastic) at Amazon | B&N | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Deluxe edition: Oversized clothbound hardback in slipcase with high quality paper, two ribbon bookmarks, a special art print, and a bespoke packing carton.
➤ Find UK Deluxe Edition (Bloomsbury) at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
➤ Find US Deluxe Edition (Scholastic) at Amazon | B&N | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Morrighan by Mary E Pearson
A richly illustrated and romantic origin story of Mary E. Pearson’s Remnant universe, the world of Dance of Thieves, Vow of Thieves and the New York Times-bestselling Remnant Chronicles.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1) (Collector's Edition) by Marissa Meyer
A teenage cyborg must fight for Earth’s survival against villains from outer space in this excellent science fiction Cinderella retelling.
Collector’s edition: Slipcased US hardback with new cover design.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Sword of Destiny: Tales of the Witcher by Andrzej Sapkowski, translated by David French
The second book in Andrzej Sapkowski’s The Witcher series in terms of story chronology.
Illustrated edition: Illustrated special edition.
➤ Find it at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
A deluxe edition of the modern classic that predicted the metaverse. Hiro lives in a Los Angeles where franchises line the freeway as far as the eye can see. The only relief from the sea of logos is within the autonomous city-states, where law-abiding citizens don’t dare leave their mansions. He spends most of his time goggled in to the Metaverse, where his avatar is legendary. Includes new material and decorative endpapers.
➤ Find at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Fairy Tale by Stephen King
A spellbinding story of mysterious houses, parallel worlds and reluctant heroes as an ordinary high school kid discovers a portal to a universe populated by classic fairy tale archetypes.
UK exclusives: Regular 1st/1st has navy boards; Indie bookshop edition has aqua boards, WH Smith has purple boards, and all have a quote on the spine. There was also a signed, limited edition released in a slipcase.
➤ Find it at your local Indie (make sure you get a first edition, first printing).
➤ Find it at Abes
Unraveller by Frances Hardinge
Kellen – a boy who has the power to lift life-destroying curses off others – must find a way to remove the one that hangs over his own life.
Waterstone’s exclusive: UK hardback with blue sprayed edges and a short story about the fate and nature of the Dancing Star, one of the haunting and mysterious creatures from the Wilds.
➤ Find it at Waterstones
Marvel Comics Library: Spider-Man Vol 1: 1962-1964
Oversized volume with the first 21 Spider-Man stories from 1962–1964, meticulously photographed from the most pristine copies of these rare comic books—a fine art celebration of the teen super hero in this inaugural volume of TASCHEN’s Marvel Comics Library series.
Taschen Limited Edition: Hardcover with ChromaLuxe aluminum print cover tipped into a leatherette-bound spine. Limited to 1000 copies. Pre-ordering from Taschen entitles you to preemptively secure the same edition number for all forthcoming Collector’s Edition titles in the Marvel Comics Library.
➤ Find LE at Taschen
➤ Standard (non-LE) also available at Taschen | Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Barnes & Noble Leatherbound Classics - various authors
Star Wars: The Bounty Hunter Wars by K. W. Jeter
A trilogy of novels about Boba Fett: The Mandalorian Armor (1998), Slave Ship (2001), and Hard Merchandise (2002).
Star Wars Legends: Tales of Kenobi by John Jackson Miller and Alan Dean Foster
Science fiction omnibus, bound in decorative bonded leather.
➤ Find Bounty Hunter Wars at Barnes & Noble
➤ Find Kenobi at Barnes & Noble
Demon in the Wood by Leigh Bardugo & Dani Pendergast
A ‘Shadow & Bone’ graphic novel: the origin story of the Darkling.
Waterstones exclusive: UK hardback, contains an exclusive letter from the author.
➤ Find exclusive edition at Waterstones
➤ Find standard edition at Amazon | Blackwells
Non-Fiction & Reference
★ The Magic of MinaLima [Interactive Edition] by Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima
A full-color illustrated compendium chronicling the magical twenty-year journey of acclaimed art and design studio, MinaLima, the creative genius behind the graphics for the Harry Potter film series.
Interactive edition: Interactive elements include the Marauder’s Map, the Black Family Tapestry, and Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes.
➤ Find US edition at Amazon | B&N | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
➤ Find UK edition at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
★ Around the World in 80 Birds by Mike Unwin, illustrated by Ryuto Miyake
Tells the stories of 80 birds around the world: from the Sociable Weaver Bird in Namibia which constructs huge, multi-nest ‘apartment blocks’ in the desert, to the Bar-headed Goose of China, one of the highest-flying migrants which crosses the Himalayas twice a year.
➤ Find at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
★ The Modern Bestiary : A Curated Collection of Wondrous Creatures by Joanna Bagniewska, illustrated by Jennifer N. R. Smith
From the familiar to the improbable, the gross to the endearing, The Modern Bestiary is a compendium of curious creatures. It includes both animals that have made headlines and those you’ve probably never heard of, such as skin-eating caecilians, harp sponges, or zombie worms – also known as bone-eating snot flowers.
➤ Find at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Plant Magick (Library of Esoterica) by Taschen
Explores the historic roots of plants in myth, religion, and magickal practices. Through essays, interviews, and more than 400 images-from ancient Egyptian stonework to 18th-century botanical illustrations, Plant Magick chronicles the beautifully symbiotic relationship between plants and people.
➤ Find at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
The Golden Mole by Katherine Rundell, illustrated by Talya Baldwin
A lavishly illustrated compendium of the staggering lives of some of the world’s most endangered animals.
➤ Find at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
The Book of Vanishing Species by Beatrice Forshall
From the dragonlike olm to the hawksbill turtle, Forshall records the existence of a host of remarkable creatures at risk of extinction through both illuminating text and stunning illustration.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
★ Creature by Shaun Tan
A beautiful collection of paintings, drawings, reflections and essays illuminating the author and narrative artist’s thoughts and advice for writers and artists, young and old.
➤ Find US edition at Amazon | B&N | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
➤ Find UK edition at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Art of Anthropologie by Anthropologie
Showcases how Anthropologie and its creative teams have been creating handcrafted displays, from grand seasonal decorations to small notes hidden in drawers, taking craft techniques to new heights.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Phaenomena by Giles Sparrow
The expansive and intricate Atlas Coelestis, created by Johann Doppelmayr in 1742, set out to record everything known about astronomy at the time, covering constellations, planets, moons, comets, and more, all rendered in exquisite detail. Through stunning illustrations, historical notes, and scientific explanations, Phenomena contextualizes Doppelmayr’s atlas and creates a spectacular handbook to the heavens.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Christmas
★ Paddington's Christmas Post based on the character by Michael Bond, illustrated by R. W. Alley
An interactive picture book that follows Paddington as he does his best to help the Brown family get ready for a very special Christmas. Five envelopes inside open to reveal a removable Advent calendar, Christmas cards, a bear-shaped Christmas tree decoration, and more.
➤ Find it at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
★ Clarice Bean: Think Like an Elf by Lauren Child
Clarice Bean kindles the holiday spirit in a full-color illustrated novel: “Christmas cannot be Christmas without the Christmas spirit, so it is important to keep an eye on it and not let it float away.”
➤ Find US edition at Amazon | B&N | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
➤ Find UK edition at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
The Very Merry Murder Club - edited by Serena Patel & Robin Stevens
A joyous anthology of Christmassy crime stories for young readers (the hardback was released last year).
Waterstones exclusive: UK paperback, with decorative sprayed page edges.
➤ Find it at Waterstones
A Ukranian Christmas by Yaroslav Hrytsak and Nadiyka Gerbish
A beautifully illustrated introduction to Ukraine’s unique Christmas traditions.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
★ Postal Bakes: Over 50 cakes and sweet treats to post by Lucy Burton
Over 40 easy yet decadent recipes, all made to be sent through the post, and small enough to come through your letterbox if you’re not home.
➤ Find at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Literary Gift Ideas
★ Revenge of the Librarians by Tom Gauld
An absolutely hilarious collection of literary cartoons that will ring true with any reader, author (or librarian!). Even has a cute removable ‘library card’ stuck on the front flyleaf.
➤ Find US edition at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
➤ Find UK edition at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
★ Rooms of Their Own: Where Great Writers Write by Alex Johnson, illustrated by James Oses
Essays and illustrations on the writing rooms of 50 of the best writers around the world – from attics and studies to billiard rooms and bathtubs.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
★ Librorum Ridiculorum: A Compendium of Bizarre Books by Brian Lake
A celebration of all the weird and wonderful books that can be found in antiquarian bookshops, from Scouts in Bondage to Frog Raising for Pleasure and Profit.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
★ Great Novels: The World's Most Remarkable Fiction Explored and Explained by DK
Explores the finest novels from around the world and through time. Includes paintings, photographs, and artefacts help to tell the story of each novel and what inspired their authors; features superb images of first editions and manuscripts; includes quotations and extended extracts offer a flavour of each novel; and some “character maps” to show how characters relate to each other.
➤ Find US edition at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
➤ Find UK edition at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
The Art of the Illustrated Book by Julius Bryant
A remarkable study of the illustrated book, tracing its development across centuries and presenting some of the most important and beautiful examples ever created.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
★ Lang's Fairy Book Journals by Paperblanks
A variety of differently sized journals with beautiful Victorian illustrations from the first editions of Andrew Lang’s Green and Violet Fairy Books.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Abes
Papyrus: The Invention of Books in the Ancient World by Irene Vallejo, translated by Charlotte Whittle
“Journeying along the battlefields of Alexander the Great, beneath the eruptions of Mount Vesuvius, at Cleopatra’s palaces and the scene of Hypatia’s murder, award-winning author Irene Vallejo chronicles the excitement of literary culture in the ancient world, and the heroic efforts that ensured this impressive tradition would continue.” Lots of interesting anecdotes and insights from this Spanish writer – it covers everything from the birth of the alphabet to the Great Library of Alexandria. (Sadly, no illustrations, just an interesting read.)
➤ Find US edition at Amazon | B&N | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
➤ Find UK edition at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Novelist as a Vocation - Haruki Murakami
Murakami’s musings on the peculiar profession of the novelist, discussing his own creative process as well as the role of novelists in society in characteristically luminous prose.
Waterstones exclusive: UK hardback, with white stencilled design on black sprayed page edges.
➤ Find it at Waterstones
★ Phantomwise Tarot by Erin Morgenstern
When Erin Morgenstern was working on her international bestseller The Night Circus, she began a creative exercise to better understand the complexities of the tarot. This fantastical 78 card tarot deck is the result, with a black-and-white world that is a little bit circusy, a little bit Wonderland, and a little bit nocturnal phantasia of its own invention. It is a mix of myth and fairy tale, where each individual you meet may be an illusion, reflection, or distortion.
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Mayhem in the Library Jigsaw Puzzle
This 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle is also packed with 101 literary riddles to solve (using classic books that even casual readers will have heard of).
➤ Find it at Amazon
League of Lexicon by Two Brothers Games
A kickstarter success story (currently only available from Kickstarter or Waterstones) – this board game is perfect for all lovers of language, linguistics and lexicography.
➤ Find it at Waterstones
★ Botanica: The Herbalist's Tarot by Kevin Jay Stanton
Explores the biological roots of the Arcana with 78 fully-painted symbolic cards, rooted in classical Tarot interpretations as well as the lore and mythology of the plant kingdom.
Includes foil stamped, gilt-edged cards, printed 3.25″ x 4.15″ on premium heavyweight card stock with a golden dandelion charm, an embroidered patch, four stickers, and six Tarot-sized postcards.
➤ Find it at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Something Special
Visions of Beauty by Kinuko Craft
A magical oversized coffee-table art book with more than 300 drawings and paintings, printed in full color with pantone gold on 170g silk paper with edges adorned in gold leaf.
☞ See the Kinuko Craft Covers page for more in this series.
★ The Neverending Story by Michael Ende, translated by Ralphe Manheim, illustrated by Marie-Alice Harel
When ten-year-old Bastian is inexplicably drawn to a mysterious old book, he is transported through its pages to a world beyond his wildest imagination; an enchanted kingdom populated by dragons, unicorns, giants and sprites.
A simply stunning edition put out to celebrate Folio Society’s 75th anniversary – bound in blocked art silk, printed in two text colours throughout. One of my top books of the year!
➤ Find at Folio Society | Abes
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