Decorative Pages & Sprayed Edges – A Compendium pt 2
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Decorative Pages & Sprayed Edges: An Archived Compendium, Part 2
My old page got too image-heavy to load properly, so I had to split it into two parts. This page includes books published in 2019 and earlier years.
For more recent books from 2020 onwards, please visit part 1 of the series.
This page is an illustrated list of books I’ve found with interesting fore-edge treatments, including unique designs on sprayed edges, painted edges and decorative stencilled edges. I started keeping track actively around about 2017, but have been backfilling earlier years as I come across them. Most of the earlier books are out of print, but if you’re a collector, it’s fun to know what is out there so you can keep an eye out for them!
I do include up-coming preorders in the list as well as books that are out of print, so please bookmark part one of the compendium or subscribe if you’re a collector of such features!
Bonus: If you’re interested in a video tour of the prettiest sprayed-edge books in my collection (and/or reading a little history about them), please visit the related post here.
List last updated 8 July 2021.
Navigation: Jump to ← 2020 and later || 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 and earlier
2019
Queen of Nothing by Holly Black
FairyLoot, December 2019
FairyLoot exclusive edition with foiled wibalin cover, and flowing green snakes stencilled around the page edges.
Blood Heir by Amelie Wen Zhao
Illumicrate, December 2019
Illumicrate exclusive edition with stencilled blood dripping down the page edges.
The Boy Who Fooled the World by Lisa Thompson
Waterstones, Nov 2019
Cole fools the world with a little fib and finds himself trapped in a huge web of lies.
Waterstones exclusive edition with decorative stencilled page edges.
Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
Waterstones, Nov 2019
‘A story of subterranean libraries, hidden clues and wildly inventive magic‘.
Waterstones exclusive edition with decorative stencilled page edges and hidden cover designs.
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
Illumicrate, Oct 2019
‘Tessa seeks refuge with the Shadowhunters, a band of warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons‘.
Illumicrate exclusive edition with decorative stencilled page edges and gold foiling.
Frostheart by Jamie Littler
Penguin, Oct 2019
‘A young boy called Ash and his disagreeable yeti guardian find themselves on a sleigh ride into adventure’.
Waterstones exclusive edition with decorative stencilled page edges.
Dork Diaries: Spectacular Superstar by Rachel Renée Russell
Simon & Schuster, Oct 2019
‘Nikki Maxwell and her bandmates are looking forward to an awesome tour, but it quickly turns awful when Nikki’s frenemy, MacKenzie Hollister, weasels her way onto the tour as a social media guru ‘.
Waterstones exclusive edition with decorative stencilled page edges.
Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell
Pan Macmillan, Oct 2019
‘A book for everyone who ever wondered what happened to the Chosen One after he saved the day. And a book for everyone who was ever more curious about the second kiss than the first.’ Sequel to Carry On.
Waterstones exclusive edition with decorative stencilled page edges that match the dust jacket pattern on Baz’s suit.
Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
Transworld, Oct 2019
‘A festive shopping celebration’.
Waterstones exclusive edition with candy cane sprayed edges.
The Way Past Winter by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Chicken House, Oct 2019
A wintery folk tale about bravery, sisterhood, goodbyes and beginnings.
Waterstones exclusive with decorative page edges.
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
Bloomsbury, Sep 2019
‘A story of love, family, sacrifice, and the power of place, set in small town Pennsylvania’.
Waterstones exclusive edition with delft pottery stencilled edges, patterned endpapers and a bonus essay.
Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron
Illumicrate, Sep 2019
A girl with no gifts must bargain for the power to fight her own mother’s dark schemes—even if the price is her life.
Illumicrate exclusive edition with a snake stencilled onto the page edges.
Darkdawn by Jay Kristoff
Harper Voyager, Sep 2019
Mia Corvere, gladiatii, escaped slave, and infamous assassin, is on the run. Pursued by Blades of the Red Church and soldiers of the Luminatii legion, she may never escape the City of Bridges and Bones alive. Her mentor Mercurio is now in the clutches of her enemies. Her own family wishes her dead. And her nemesis, Consul Julius Scaeva, stands but a breath from total dominance over the Republic.
Goldsboro exclusive edition with stars on black page edges. Most were signed, limited and numbered, but a few extra un-numbered copies were made available.
Into the Crooked Place by Alexandra Christo
Fairyloot, 2019
The streets of Creije are for the deadly and the dreamers, and four crooks in particular know just how much magic they need up their sleeve to survive.
Fairyloot exclusive with red and white sworls on the page edges.
The Taking of Annie Thorne by CJ Tudor
Penguin Books, August 2019
One night, Annie went missing. Disappeared from her own bed. There were searches, appeals. Everyone thought the worst. And then, miraculously, after forty-eight hours, she came back. But she couldn’t, or wouldn’t, say what had happened to her.
Waterstones exclusive sprayed edges with red paper dolls.
Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Tina Berning
Rockport, July 2019
A gripping exploration of the duality of human nature, with modern gothic artworks. First printings have white text along black sprayed page edges.
Figures of Speech (special edition) by Michael Darling
Prestel (May 2019)
This special-edition monograph, produced in close collaboration with the artist himself, explores his creative output in a three-books-in-one format.
“Personal copy” stencilled in black on the page edges.
Wham! George and Me by Andrew Ridgeley
Penguin (2019)
In this 1980s pop music memoir, Andrew Ridgeley lifts the lid on fame, fortune and working with George Michael.
Wham stencilled in orange on the page edges.
The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware
Vintage Publishing (2019)
What starts with a dream position in the Scottish Highlands ends in murder and intrigue for young nanny Rowen, in a compelling narrative that channels gothic horror, family drama and murder mystery.
Waterstones exclusive with key sprayed page edges.
Dark Age by Pierce Brown
Illumicrate edition (2019)
Fifth book in the Red Rising Saga.
Finale by Stephanie Garber (Caraval #3)
Fairyloot Edition (2019)
Caraval is over, but perhaps the greatest game of all has begun – with lives, empires, and hearts all at stake. There are no spectators this time: only those who will win, and those who will lose everything. Welcome, welcome to the Caraval’s Finale. All games must come to an end. The third book in the Caraval series.
Fairyloot exclusive edition with different cover art and card suits sprayed page edges. Most editions were signed, but some additional unsigned copies were also released.
Something to Live For [Waterstones Exclusive] by Richard Roper
Orion 2019
Contemporary fiction about the lies we tell ourselves to fit in, and the risk of falling through the cracks of life.
Waterstones exclusive with train tracks along the edges.
Birthday by Meredith Russo
Usborne 2019
A story traversing six different birthdays in the lives of two small town friends who were born on the same day – one of whom is transgender.
First printings all feature the rainbow edges.
Malamander by Thomas Taylor
Walker Books 2019
‘The briny world of Malamander may be inhabited by mechanical mermonkeys and diabolical villains but Herbert Lemon and Violet Parma are on a mission to find Violet’s missing parents and nothing is going to stand in their way.’
Waterstones exclusive edition with decorative stencilled page edges that continue the city from the cover art.
Song of Sorrow [Waterstones Exclusive] by Melinda Salisbury
Scholastic 2019
High fantasy young adult novel about a land in mourning, sequel to State of Sorrow.
Waterstones exclusive with decorative text along the page edges.
The Chalk Man by CJ Tudor
Penguin 2019
A thriller set in small town England, and the chalk men are initially used by a group of kids as part of a secret code, until they are co-opted by a murderer.
Chalk stick men figures on all page edges and the spine.
The Outsider by Stephen King
Hodder & Stoughton (2019)
An eleven-year-old boy’s violated corpse is found in a town park, and eyewitnesses and fingerprints point unmistakably to one of Flint City’s most popular citizens.
First paperback printings have a shadowy figure sprayed in grey on the page edges.
Lorien Legacies Reborn: Return to Zero by Pittacus Lore
Penguin/Michael Joseph 2019
The Legacies, Loric, Earth Garde and even the Mogadorians come together for a final, deadly showdown.
All first printings of the UK hardbacks in this series have ‘Legacies Reborn’ printed on the page edges.
Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Francis Vallejo
Folio Society 2019
Not only does Fat Charlie Nancy discover that his embarrassing old dad was actually Anansi the African trickster god, his life is about to be invaded and turned upside down by Spider, the magical twin brother he never knew he had.
All FS editions of Anansi Boys have spider webs sprayed around the page edges.
2018
Lateral Cooking by Niki Segnit
Bloomsbury 2018
The principles underpinning recipe creation.
Orange stepped design along the fore-edge, reflecting different sections in the book.
This Cruel Design by Emily Suvada
Penguin Books 2018
Sequel to This Cruel Design.
Waterstones exclusive. A breaking strand of DNA is printed white on black along the fore-edge.
Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver
Faber & Faber 2018
Literary fiction that weaves together stories from past and present of two families living in the same house in New Jersey as they navigate cultural shifts.
Pretty and detailed wallpaper pattern along the fore-edge.
Whistle in the Dark by Emma Healey
Penguin 2018
A mother turns detective to figure out what happened to her daughter during four days she went missing.
Waterstones exclusive with white birds along a black sprayed edge.
All Of This Is True by Lygia Day Peñaflor
HarperTeen 2018
A group of four teens who befriend their favourite YA author and she ends up writing a book about them.
Double sprayed edges reading ‘you can trust me’ one way and ‘tell me everything’ the other way.
The History of Bees by Maja Lunde
Scribner, 2018
An epic narrative that follows three generations of beekeepers against the backdrop of a global crisis that arises as our population of pollinators collapses.
Waterstones exclusive. Yellow and black stripes along the fore-edge.
Where Chefs Eat by Joe Warwick
Phaidon 2018
A guide to chefs’ favorite restaurants around the world (updated edition).
Features phrases sprayed on the page edges, including ‘from local favorites to high end’ and ‘from the real experts’.
Where to Drink Beer by Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø
Phaidon 2018
500 of the world’s most revered brewers reveal the little-known, eclectic, and surprising destinations they visit for their ultimate beer.
Features ‘beer’ in amber along the page edges.
Vox by Christina Dalcher
HQ/Goldsboro 2018
A dystopian set in a future America where women have been silenced by having the number of words they can speak rationed to 100 per day.
Goldsboro limited edition features the title ‘VOX’ stencilled onto the page block.
2017
Harry Potter, House Editions by JK Rowling
Bloomsbury 2017-
House Editions with edges sprayed in house colours, and scarf patterns on the facing page block for the hardback editions. Paperback editions are plain house colours.
The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles
Bloomsbury 2017
A YA urban fantasy romance thriller starring a supernatural bounty hunter who harvests souls (first part of a duology).
‘One More Soul’ stencilled along the fore-edge.
Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher
Orion 2017
Fifteen-year-old Zoe confesses her secrets to a stranger, Stuart Harris, locked up on death row in Texas.
Red birds sprayed onto the fore-edge.
This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada
Penguin 2017
A dystopian science fiction trilogy about gene hacking.
Waterstones exclusive. A strand of DNA is printed white on black along the fore-edge.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M Danforth
Penguin 2017
A young adult coming-of-age novel for a gay teen in rural Montana in the early 1990s.
Waterstones exclusive.
Wing Jones by Katherine Webber
Walker 2017
Young adult novel in which a mixed-race family is hit by tragedy in 90s Atlanta.
Gradient of colour from pink to purple on first print runs of the paperback edition.
Who Let the Gods Out series by Maz Evans
Chicken House 2017-2019
Slapstick adventures of the Greek Gods with lots of comic one-liners: Who Let the Gods Out, Simply the Quest, Beyond the Odyssey and Against All Gods.
Coloured page edges with white lightning bolt strikes.
Where Bartenders Drink by Adrienne Stillman
Phaidon 2017
Where the best bartenders go for the best drinks around the world.
‘Drinks’ in olive green stencilled along all the page edges.
Amelia Fang by Laura Ellen Anderson
Egmont 2017
Amelia Fang would much rather hang out with her pet pumpkin Squashy and her friends Florence the yeti (don’t call her beast!) and Grimaldi the reaper than dance at her parents’ annual Barbaric Ball.
A very small limited print run for the author with the characters on the page edges.
Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban, illustrated by Quentin Blake
Folio Society 2017 (OOP)
A Folio Society limited edition (1000 numbered copies, signed by the illustrator) of this classic set in post-apocalyptic Kent, in an England in the grip of a second Iron Age, and written in ’Riddleyspeak’ a fractured phonetic version of English. Decorative edges continue the watercolour cover design.
Where to Drink Coffee by Avidan Ross
Phaidon 2017
An insider’s guide to where the world’s best baristas go for a cup of coffee – 600 spots in 50 countries.
‘Coffee’ in brown stencilled along all the page edges.
2016
Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard
Orion 2016
Sequel to Red Queen. ‘Pursued by the vengeful Silver king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join the rebellion.’
White swords stencilled along blue page edges.
The Square Root of Summer by Harriet Reuter Hapgood
Pan Macmillan 2016
Young adult romance about love and loss.
White flowers stencilled along pink page edges.
Beetle Boy by Maz Evans
Chicken House 2016
A fun middle grade novel that also teaches you some interesting beetle facts along the way.
Limited print run with decorative beetle page edges.
Hamish and the Neverpeople by Danny Wallace, illustrated by Jamie Littler
Simon & Schuster (2016)
Hamish Ellerby and his friends must save the world from an army of huge thundering metal oddballs.
Special Sainsbury’s editions of the paperback had illustrations of Hamish and his friends stencilled in colour on the page edges.
Inferno by Catherine Doyle
Scholastic India 2016
A mafia romance.
The books has ‘Blood For Blood’ in decorative text printed in red along the fore-edge.
Where to Eat Pizza by Daniel Young
Phaidon 2016
Over 1,000 food experts and aficionados from around the world reveal their insider tips on finding a perfect slice of pizza.
Sprayed edges featuring ‘pizza pizza’ in red.
2015
A Thousand Nights by EK Johnston
Macmillan 2015
An inventive reimagining of 1001 Nights, set in a beautiful desert kingdom, with the action spurred forward by fierce love between two sisters.
Gold metallic decorative sprayed edges on all first printings of the UK hardback.
Alice in Wonderland, Classics Reimagined by Lewis Carroll and Andrew D’Aquino
Rockport 2015
The classic children’s tale illustrated with a mix of watercolour and collage.
Blue and green watercolour page edges featuring three famous phrases from the book: ‘We’re All Mad Here’, “Who in the world am I? Ah, that’s a great question.” And, of course, “Off With Her Head!”.
Pride and Prejudice, Classics Reimagined by Jane Austen, illustrated by Alice Pattullo
Rockport 2015
The classic romance illustrated in a delightfully romantic folkloric style.
White flowers on a brilliant orange page block along all the edges.
What Remains by Tim Weaver
Michael Joseph (2015)
Missing persons investigator David Raker assists one of the Met’s best detectives to solve a cold case murder.
First printings of the hardback edition have the word ‘missing’ stencilled in orange onto the page edges.
Hamish and the Worldstoppers by Danny Wallace, illustrated by Jamie Littler
Simon & Schuster (2015)
Hamish Ellerby and his friends have to save the world from the WorldStoppers and The Terribles.
Special Tesco editions of the paperback had illustrations of Hamish and his friends stencilled in colour on the page edges, while Sainsbury’s special editions had black Terribles figures along the edges.
Where Chefs Eat by Joe Warwick
Phaidon 2015
A guide to chefs’ favorite restaurants around the world.
Features phrases sprayed on the page edges, including ‘from local favorites to high end’ and ‘from the real experts’.
The Duke’s Children by Anthony Trollope.
Folio Society 2015
A Folio Society limited hand-bound edition of Trollope’s restored text. Presented in a solander box, bound in leather blocked in 22-carat gold and hand-marbled on all three page edges by Jemma Lewis. 480 hand-bound books from the limitation of 1,980.
2014
Half Bad by Sally Green
Puffin 2014
Fantasy set in modern-day Europe, mainly in Britain, where witches and humans (fains) live together.
First editions featured waxing and waning moon in silver sprayed on the pages edges.
The Rats by James Herbert
Pan Macmillan 2014
Graphic horror novel involving hordes of rats.
40th anniversary edition with die-cut rat hole on the front boards, glow-in-the-dark title, and black sprayed page edges with yellow rat eyes.
Edgar Allan Poe’s Stories & Poems, Classics Reimagined by Edgar Allan Poe, illustrated by David Plunkert
Rockport 2014
A collection of 12 classic stories and 12 poems by Poe.
Page edges are silver on black with Poe’s signature and a sketch of his face hidden under ink splotches.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Classics Reimagined by L. Frank Baum, illustrated by Olimpia Zagnoli
Rockport 2014
The children’s classic decorated with bold shapes and repeated patterns.
First printing hardbacks feature abstract shape decorations along gold page edges.
Grimm’s Fairy Tales, Classics Reimagined by the Brothers Grimm, illustrated by Yann Legendre
Rockport 2014
Graphic version of Grimm’s most popular tales.
First print runs for the hardbacks have text along the edges of the page block.
2013
Police by Jo Nesbo
Harville Secker 2013
Police officers are being slain along Oslo’s streets at the scenes of crimes they once investigated , but failed to solve, and the police urgently need Harry Hole to help.
First printings have ‘Police’ in white on a red background along the fore-edge.
2012 and earlier
Johnson’s Dictionary by Samuel Johnson.
Folio Society 2006
Facsimile of the first edition. Quarter bound in dappled brown calfskin with leather corners and hand marbled sides and page edges by Ann Muir.
Cheese Monkeys by Chip Kidd
Scribner 2001
A college novel set in the late 1950s at State U, where the young narrator has decided to major in art, much to his parents’ dismay.
Both the hardback and paperback editions have hidden fore-edge text printed onto the page block, reading ‘Good Is Dead’ when pages are fanned in one direction and ‘Do You See?’ in the other.
1066 And All That by W. C. Sellar and R. J. Yeatman, illustrated by John Reynolds
Folio Society 1990 (OOP)
Ink-spattered page edges on this irreverent schoolboy romp through British history.
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