Articles

Popular Pages

Welcome! The content on this site is somewhat eclectic as it reflects my knowledge base and interests. The articles are based on my years of collecting, original research and generous contributions from fellow collectors – I try not to duplicate content that has already been done well elsewhere. For whatever reason, some of this work resonates more with passers-by than others, so below are some of the most popular pages on the site.

Book Swag

Get your hands on pre-order campaigns, offers and other book swag.

Special Editions

A compendium of upcoming books with unique features, and archives of special older editions to enjoy.

Barnes & Noble Collectible Classics

A complete list of all the books published in the Barnes & Noble Leatherbound Collectible Classics series.


MinaLima’s Interactive Classics

An introduction to MinaLima’s delightfully clever interactive editions of children’s classics.

Folio Society Rainbow Fairy Books

A collector’s guide and video tour of the coveted Folio Society editions of Andrew Lang’s fairy tales.

Bantam Agatha Christie

A collector’s guide to the complete Bantam’s vintage mystery collection of Agatha Christie’s works.

Junior Deluxe Editions

A collector’s guide to this brightly coloured and cheerfully illustrated vintage children’s series.

"Best of" Lists and Gift Guides

Who doesn’t love a good “best of” list? Every December I make a list and video review of the most beautiful books I’ve seen published during the year, as well as a bit of a gift guide if you’re looking for a present for someone special. I also do preorder anticipations a couple of times a year along with other seasonal compilations for Hallowe’en and Christmas.

Popular Genres

Not all books are easily categorised into a specific genre, so you will find some series may appear under more than one heading. But hopefully these links will help you browse through your favorite style of literature.

Classics

Beautiful collections of classic novels, modern classic fiction, Shakespeare plays and poetry.

Children’s Literature

Delightful vintage collections and stunning contemporary designs that include classic children’s literature titles.

Contemporary Literature

Beautiful editions of more recent and contemporary literature.

Myths, Legends & Folklore

Books that are based on or retell fairy tales, folklore, myths and legends are a special focus of my collection.

Fantasy & Science Fiction

Collector’s editions of speculative fiction titles, including classic fantasy and science fiction novels.

Pop-ups and Paper Engineering

Surprising pop-ups, clever paper engineering and books with removable ephemera.

Mystery

I love solving puzzles, and Agatha Christie is the queen of crime and cozy mysteries with clever solutions.

Non-Fiction

Beautiful editions of biographies, histories and books on books.

Poetry & Plays

Beautiful poetry collections and special editions of Shakespeare’s classic plays.

Illustrators & Authors

I have a special love for certain illustrators and authors. I’ve created special sections on the site for those where I think I can help provide more information for collectors than is available elsewhere on the web.

Charles van Sandwyk

Whimsical fairy artist and Folio Society darling with his own private press.


Janet & Anne Grahame Johnstone

Twin illustrators best known for their popular vintage fairy tale collections, but who illustrated all sorts of other beautiful myths and legends.

Errol Le Cain

Famous for the gorgeous jewel tones in his stunning fairy tale books, as well as several animated films.

Edition Comparisons

These collector’s guides will help you if you are looking for the ‘best’ edition of a particular title, or if you collect certain titles and would like to peek inside the volumes I think are the most beautiful.

Alice in Wonderland

A collector’s guide to the best and most beautiful editions of Alice. (You can even video tour my huge collection.)

The Secret Garden

A comparison of some of my favourite editions of this classic.

Mary Poppins

A short illustrated bibliography of the best Mary Poppins books.

Publishers

Some publishers are better known for their beautiful book editions than others. I usually tag posts with this information, but these are a couple of the most popular publisher searches on the site.

The Folio Society

The Folio Society are renowned for their stunning design, beautiful covers and high quality bindings.

Penguin

Penguin produce excellent scholarly editions that are affordable, with many beautiful series to their name ranging from popular Puffin paperbacks, to their less well-known deluxe limited editions.

Introduction to Collecting

If you’re new to collecting, I’ve written a few articles which include tips on collecting and explain some of the lingo you are likely to hear.

A Book Collector’s Glossary

Explanations of common terms and acronyms used by collectors.

Top Tips for Buying Books

5 helpful tips for new collectors – from how to save money to the difference between collecting and hoarding.

Finding fancy books

An introduction to my book-buying secrets.

Other Bookish & Fun Stuff

As I mentioned, it’s an eclectic site! Here are a couple of articles on book-related things you might find interesting…

Bookish Things

Book-related goodies, paraphernalia and ephemera to entertain a bibliophile.

Literary Tarot

Reviews of my favorite literary-themed tarot decks.

Archives

Yes, I’m a digital hoarder! Head down into the stacks and see what pages have been tucked away into the archives… These range from expired preorder offers to abandoned publications.

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