Memoir Monday... Graphically speaking

The Golden Voice by Gregory Cahill, Illustrated by Kate Baumann 

In Battambang, Cambodia, in the year 1967, singer Ros Serey Sothea, known to her family as Little Cricket, has been making her name around town, performing at weddings and talent shows despite her periodic bouts of stage fright. Music is a fun distraction from her day job boiling and selling snails, not to mention the political violence that has gripped the country. When she’s offered the opportunity to sing on Cambodia’s National Radio, she goes against her mother’s wishes and runs off to the capital, Phnom Penh. Soon she has a top radio hit and is performing for the Cambodian royal family. Her rising star breeds resentment in some of the other radio performers, including crooner Sos Mat (whom she nevertheless agrees to marry). When the royal family is ousted in an American-backed coup, Ros finds herself forced to write patriotic songs for the new regime. The new political reality doesn’t prevent Ros’ star from rising even higher, though it does wreak havoc on her personal and romantic life. As disruptive as the new government is, however, it is nothing compared to the one waiting in the wings—the brutal communist regime known as the Khmer Rouge. Cahill and Baumann bring Ros’s story to life with subtlety and grace. The writing is economical but effective at capturing the characters’ various personalities. “I think big city living made little cricket soft,” Ros’s mischievous brother tells her when she returns briefly to work on the family farm. “I can just picture you sitting in a French cafe ordering expensive coffee and saying ‘ooh la la.’ ” Baumann’s art is particularly stunning, rendering the shiny studios of Phnom Penh and the green of the countryside in vivid color. Ros’ brilliant but short life makes for an excellent avenue to explore this tumultuous period of Cambodian history and demonstrates the ways that music can capture the spirit of a people—even after the musician is gone. A compelling graphic novel documenting a lost musical history.

I was reading Kirkus Reviews and came across this graphic novel. I had no idea who they were talking about. When I read this same blurb from Kirkus Reviews about Ros Serey Sothea , I was so intrigued. My knowledge of that time period and the Khmer Rouge is from a high school history class many years ago. But that's the thing about books, they open up a whole new world to anyone who wants to discover and learn more. And so, I started reading about Ros Serey Sothea, her music, the era that she became popular and the take over over by the Khmer Rouge. There is a sad ending to her story, but some of her music has been saved, and Ros Serey Sothea's life story has been saved by Gregory Cahill, who wrote this graphic novel, but who also made a documentary about Ros Serey Sothea. A great deal of care and detail went into the writing and illustrating of The Golden Voice. It was important to everyone involved to be accurate with the history and the life of Ros Serey Sothea. I look forward to reading this... keep an eye out for my review in the future.

Published by Life Drawn, an imprint of Humanoids, this will be released this Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023 

The Sunday Salon and... Books That Have Gone to the Birds... or have birds, are about birds, heck if you like birds read this!

Welcome to The Sunday Salon! It's the place where Book Bloggers from around the world share their bookish finds with one another in a virtual place called The Sunday Salon. Thank you to Deb at ReaderBuzz for keeping us all together on Sundays and hosting The Sunday Salon now! I also visited with Kim at The Caffeinated Reader, another Sunday gathering place for us bookish people called The Sunday Post and the ladies at Mailbox Monday.

Who knew that such a little blackish bird from 19th century Europe would cause such a stir in the U.S. and be one of the most prolific songbirds of today. I have never considered them songbirds myself. I have always seen large groups of them in various places causing havoc. Most birders I know have always thought of them as pests. They are considered invasive by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. They can do a lot of damage to crops, kick birds out of their natural habitats and female Starlings are known to replace their own eggs in other birds nests. BUT, there is another side to these birds. And I've read quite a bit lately to make me take a second look at these fascinating "non-native" birds... 

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    Some interesting facts about Starlings...

*All the European Starlings in North America descended from 100 birds set loose in New York's Central Park in the early 1890s. The birds were intentionally released by a group who wanted America to have all the birds that Shakespeare ever mentioned.

*Starlings are great vocal mimics: individuals can learn the calls of up to 20 different species. And in the case of Mozart, he found that his Starling actually mimiced one of his movements.

*Starlings turn from spotted and white to glossy and dark each year without shedding their feathers. It's called "wear molt". And actually they're quite beautiful when they molt   and show off their iridescent colors. 

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But all of this "research" into Starlings started with a simple book cover... I came across Amanda Linsmeier's book, Starlings, and couldn't take my eyes off it. How gorgeous is that cover?! When I started googling the book, another book popped up. That book was Starling House by Alix E. Harrow. That's a pretty cover, and the book sounded good too. So then I was all in and just googled "Starling" and found Mozart's Starling by Lyanda Lynn Haupt, a Naturalist. So, this week's Sunday Salon is all about books with Starlings. Either on the cover or part of the story. And here they are...

 Starlings by Amanda Linsmeier...

 Kit’s dad always said that her grandmother was dead.

 But when Kit’s father dies suddenly, Agatha Starling, his 

 mysterious (and very much alive) mother, invites Kit and her mom   to leave North Dakota and spend the winter holidays at her home.   Agatha lives in a small apartment even though she still owns   massive Starling House, the old family home that’s since been   turned into a museum. When Kit and her mother arrive in   Rosemont, a Stepford-like small town in Wisconsin, for Christmas,   what awaits her isn’t a quaint holiday with her long-lost   grandmother but a horror-filled trip complete with creepy   townsfolk, magical roses, disembodied voices, and even a   mysterious death. When Kit’s mother suddenly disappears under   strange circumstances and her grandmother seems more    preoccupied with an upcoming New Year’s town festival, Kit knows   something is not right. She is forced to rely on herself and her few   new Rosemont friends to figure out what is really going on and what exactly is keeping Rosemont seeming so outwardly perfect. This is an original and fast-paced horror novel with elements of fantasy. While the prose is at times overly embellished and the supporting characters lack significant depth, the deliciously chilling plot advances swiftly toward a conclusion that will leave readers delightfully creeped out and thoroughly content. Main characters are White; Kit is bisexual, and there is some diversity in race and sexual orientation among supporting characters. A foreboding, flower-filled, feminist horror story. 

I absolutely judged this book by its' cover. I think it is gorgeous. Because of that I read more about it and the story seems intriguing to me. I did not expect it to be a horror story either. In my eReader right now! Starlings by Amanda Linsmeier was published this past June 2023 by Delacorte Press.

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 Starling House by Alix E. Harrow...

 A grim and gothic tale... about a small town haunted by secrets that   can't stay buried and the sinister house that sits at the crossroads of it   all.

 Eden, Kentucky, is just another dying, bad-luck town, known only for 

 the legend of E. Starling, the reclusive nineteenth-century author and i   illustrator who wrote The Underland—and disappeared.

 Before she vanished, Starling House appeared. But everyone agrees 

 that it’s best to let the uncanny house—and its last lonely heir, Arthur   Starling—go to rot. Opal knows better than to mess with haunted 

 houses or brooding men, but an unexpected job offer might be a chance   to get her brother out of Eden. Too quickly, though, Starling House   starts to feel dangerously like something she’s never had: a home.

As sinister forces converge on Starling House, Opal and Arthur are going to have to make a dire choice: to dig up the buried secrets of the past and confront their own fears, or let Eden be taken over by literal nightmares.

I really love this cover too. And gothic tales are a old reading favorite. This has gotten a lot of great reviews and Alix E. Harrow is a Hugo award winner. AND, Starling House is actually Reese's Book Club pick for October! I picked up a copy and I'll be reading this soon. Starling House by Alix E. Harrow was just released Oct. 3, 2023 by Tor.

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  Mozart's Starling by Lyanda Lynn Haupt...

  A bird lover discovers the joys of living with a starling.

 One day, glimpsing a gathering of starlings outside her window,       bird-watcher and naturalist Haupt (The Urban Bestiary:               Encountering the Everyday Wild, 2013, etc.) happened to recall 

 that Mozart kept a pet starling, a choice that seemed to her           extraordinary. Starlings, she reveals, are among the most “reviled”   birds: invasive, aggressive, omnivorous, and destructive. Some call   them “rats with wings” and would happily obliterate the entire s   species. They oust other birds from their nests, voraciously eat food   crops and feed from cattle and swine troughs, and cause $800   million in agricultural damage each year. Orphan starlings are   killed if brought to animal shelters, which is how Haupt happened t   to raise one herself. Weaving together cheerful memoir, natural   history, and biography, the author celebrates her “insatiably social” pet starling, Carmen; investigates Mozart’s experience with his avian “companion, distraction, consolation, and muse”; and offers intriguing details about starling behavior. Mozart discovered his starling in a bird shop in Vienna, when it apparently was able to sing a motif from one of his concertos. Fascinated by this bit of lore, Haupt has discovered that starlings, rare among birds, are able to mimic sounds. Carmen, for example, has a repertoire of 15 phrases, including “Hi, honey,” and “C’mere, honey!” Haupt is completely entranced by her feathered friend, allowing her to fly freely around the house, perch on her shoulder or in her hair, and scamper across her fingers as she writes at the computer, making changes to documents and emails that Haupt thinks is evidence of her intelligence. Of course, the bird poses some problems: she swallows things that could kill her (a rubber band, a garbanzo bean), and she poops constantly, everywhere. Like all birds that fly a lot, starlings need to eliminate waste that can weigh them down. Haupt provides visitors with “poop shirts.”

Linguists, audiologists, ornithologists, music historians, and Mozart’s many biographers contribute to this lively investigation of a small wild bird.

This book really piqued my interest. When it popped up in a search for "Starling", I didn't expect a story-like naturalists book about Mozart, his love of his startling intertwined with a story of Lyanda Lynn Haupt's pet starling. Not to mention some history of the starling thrown in. Who knew having pet starlings were a thing? Who knew about Mozart and his pet starling? I'm hoping that this book is in the same vein as Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery, which was about her friendship with an Octopus named Athena. (I loved that book and if you haven't read it you should! It is so fascinating and really made me fall in love with Octopuses (yes, it's octopus-es) Here's a link to my review back in 2016). However the book turns out, I just bought a copy to read. Look for my review sometime in the future. Mozart's Starling by Lyanda Lynn Haupt was published by Little, Brown Spark in 2018.

What's Your Favorite Book with a Bird in it?

Weekly Update...

Monday, Oct. 2nd... Mailbox Monday about 3 books great sounding books I received advanced copies of from publishers last week. 

Tuesday, Oct. 3rd... Release Day Review of The Twelve Months of Christmas by Sheila Roberts. A heartfelt and heartwarming story perfect for the Holiday season! 

Wednesday, Oct. 4th... It was Banned Books Week this week! I always read a banned book for Banned Books Week and this year I chose to read Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. Click the link to check out about Banned Books Week and Nineteen Minutes. 

Friday, Oct. 6th... First Lines Friday was from a book that is a strange combo of Mexican Horror films and Nazi's. 

Saturday, Oct. 7th... I wrap up Banned Books Week with 2 books I found that show the reasons for diversity and the need for all books to be available to all people.

That wrap's it up for this week! Hope you found something interesting here today! And share what interesting books and bookish things you're reading and doing this week!

Happy reading... Suzanne

2 Books to Wrap Up Banned Books Week...

The Arabic Quilt

The Great Banned-Books Bake Sale

Both written by Aya Khalil, illustrated by Anait Semidzhyan

As we wrap up Banned Books Week, I wanted to share two books I was reading about this week. The Arabic Quilt and The Great Banned-Books Bake Sale by Aya Khalil. The first book I read about was The Great Banned-Books Bake Sale and I thought it was a great book for children to read about to understand about what banned books were. But when I read about why author Aya Khalil actually wrote the book, I was even more interested....

"They banned my debut, so I wrote a picture book about it."

                                                                                               ...Aya Khalil

Aya Khalil was inspired to write the story of The Arabic Quilt based on her own experiences growing up as an immigrant. Her family moved to the United States from Egypt when she was one, and eventually going to elementary school, Aya was the only Muslim in her class. This made for some challenges for Aya and in an essay she wrote for We Need Diverse Books she recounts some of these challenges, including when a classmate tells her to "Go Back to your country". I can't imagine going thru all of that at such a tender age. Fast forward to Aya writing The Arabic Quilt, getting it published, the book enjoying a place in school libraries and book stores. This was her debut book. A book she believed in. It was very popular. The Arabic Quilt was published in February of 2020 and by the Fall of 2021, Aya was told that her book was on a list of banned books in Pennsylvania. 

I googled about The Arabic Quilt to find out why it was banned. All I could find was that it was banned period. So, I decided I would ask Aya Khalil herself. I found her on Facebook and messaged her. Her reply was this...

" The only reason it was banned was because it was on a list of diverse books and the district took off all the books on that list for no reason told."

Can you imagine a school taking all the diverse books off the shelf?! The ban was short lived with the help of student protests, which eventually lead to her writing The Great Banned-Book Bake Sale. She kept the same characters in her new book from her first book, which I think is wonderful! 

"For a period of time, students weren’t able to check out The Arabic Quilt from their libraries, and this picture book could have been the only book with a positive portrayal of an Arab Muslim."    

                                                            Aya Khalil from her essay, " They banned my debut, so I wrote a picture book about it"

The simple quote above shows one example for the need for diversity in books. And what Aya when thru with her children's book, The Arabic Quilt, shows us how important the freedom to choose what books you want to read is. School libraries are sometimes the only place for a child to borrow a book to read. Limiting these books, banning these books, hurts children. 

Reading Aya's experiences in school touched my heart. Reading about these books touched my heart. If you'd like to learn more about Aya Khalil and her experiences, follow these links to her Blog Post in Kidlit in Color  and her essay on We Need Diverse Books. 

Here is a wonderful review of Aya Khalil's book The Arabic Quilt by Ronna Mandel of Good Reads with Ronna.

Read about Aya Khalil's book The Great Baned-Books Bake Sale at Goodreads.

What books did you read or read about during Banned Books Week?

I hope you found the stories behind these childrens's books as interesting as I did. And I hope during Banned Books Week you found something great to read!

Happy reading... Suzanne

      

First Lines Friday... from Silver Nitrate

An Engorged, yellow moon painted the sky a sickly amber hue, illuminating a solitary figure. A woman, standing between two sycamore trees. It had rained, and the earth was slippery as, breathing with difficulty, she ventured toward the cabin. The woods felt awake and dangerous, with the sounds of crickets and rolling thunder in the distance. There was a humming. Was that a bird? It was too high-pitched, that noise. The woman pressed a hand against her lips and stared at the cabin, with its welcoming lights. But that oasis of warmth was distant. A twig snapped, and the woman looked behind her in terror. She began to run.

                                        ...Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

As I was looking at the new eBooks available to borrow at my local library, I saw this book cover. Wow, look at those terrified eyes! Then I recognized the author, who wrote Mexican Gothic, a gothic horror novel, that has been on my TBR list for a while. So how could I not read the description...

"NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the New York Times bestselling author of The Daughter of Doctor Moreau and Mexican Gothic comes a fabulous meld of Mexican horror movies and Nazi occultism: a dark thriller about the curse that haunts a legendary lost film—and awakens one woman’s hidden powers."

I thought the first lines were intriguing... then I read the first page and really was intrigued... So another horror story? a cursed movie? Okay, I'm interested... 

What do you think? Do the first lines hook you?

You can listen to a sample of the audiobook or read a 15 pages of the book at PenguinRandomHouse

Fall In Love Giveaway!

I follow author Marie Bostwick on Instagram and she posted this Fall In Love Giveaway! It includes 8 books including her book, Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly! How awesome is that! Follow the link above to enter (and be quick... this giveaway ends midnight 10/6). Good luck!!

It's Banned Books Week!

Banned Books Week October 1st to October 7th, 2023!

Have I mentioned that it's Banned Books Week?! What is Banned Books Week? Here's what the ALA (American Library Association) writes about it:

"Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in libraries, bookstores, and schools. Typically (but not always) held during the last week of September, the annual event highlights the value of free and open access to information and brings together the entire book community — librarians, educators, authors, publishers, booksellers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas"

It's the 21st century and still we have book burners and censorship. I think that the point here is that parents should be involved in what their children read and help them understand what they are reading, guide them in choosing appropriate material for their curious minds. BUT, let's not infringe on the reading rights of another child, whose parent may not wish to ban a certain book. Most banning and censorship takes place in the most accessible (and free) place to check out a book - a library! Let's not make reading a privilege. 

What do YOU think?!

Are you reading anything special for Banned Book Week?! I have opened the pages of Jodi Picoult's book Nineteen Minutes. Nineteen minutes is about a school shooting and its' aftermath. This was originally published in 2007. 

In 2015 Nineteen Minutes was "Challenged at the Gilford (NH) High School. Challenged but retained at the Kennett (PA) High School despite a parent’s complaint that the content in the book is not suitable for high school students. The award-winning novel depicts a school shooting in a fictional New Hampshire high school. The novel contains depictions of physical violence in public schools and a scene of graphic sexual activity."

In 2007, Ms. Picoult actually gave out books to classrooms in schools and was invited to one of the schools to discuss the research that went into the writing of Nineteen Minutes. A young man stood up and said he didn't have a question, but wanted to say "this October I was gonna bring a gun to school. Then my teacher assigned 19 Minutes, and I started reading, and I realized I wasn't the only person who felt like I do." 

Want to read more about Banned Books Week? You can read more at PEN America, The American Library Association and here's a list of the 50 most banned books in America right now from Readers Digest. It's a very interesting list.

Let's read a banned book this week!

Release Date Review... The Twelve Months of Christmas by Sheila Roberts...

 

The Twelve Months of Christmas by Sheila Roberts

Published by Mira 

Release Date: October 3, 2023

Today marks the release of Sheila Roberts newest book (and new Christmas read),The Twelve Months of Christmas! Yay! I always look forward to a new book from Sheila, because I just love her books! They never, and I mean never, disappoint me! What did I think of her newest book, The Twelve Months of Christmas? Here's my review...

Ho Ho Humbug-that's what Christmas was for Sunny, Arianna and Molly. Sunny, newly married and her stepkids basically hate her; Arianna, newly divorced and sharing her young daughter with a jerk of an ex, and that means him having her for Christmas too! And Molly, who is tired of the snarky customers she has at the Post Office where she works.  So, what's a girl to do after Christmas wasn't very Christmasy? Well, a Christmas do-over of course! And that's exactly what these 3 friends choose to do, together! These ladies decide to keep the spirit of Christmas all year long and celebrate "Christmas" every month (ever hear of the Christmas Easter Bunny?!). At first the celebrations were just the 3 of them, but then more and more of their family and friends joined in ultimately becoming the Christmas they all wanted and needed thru-out the whole year.

Along the way, we get to know Sunny, Arianna, Molly, their families, and their lives. You can't help but step into the story and feel like you are walking along side these wonderful characters, dealing with their struggles, but also their celebrations. I have to admit I did shed a tear or two along the way, but in the end it was nice to see these women choose to lift each other up when times are tough and show us what true friendship is. 

Sheila Roberts is a wonderful writer. Her books are heartfelt, sprinkled with romance and just a touch of humor. The Twelve Months of Christmas is all of that and more. A great Christmas read or anytime read when you want to satisfy that need for sitting down with a good book. I really enjoyed spending time with Sunny, Arianna, Molly and their families. The story kept me engaged, and I was sorry to turn that last page and say goodbye. Thank you, Sheila Roberts, for another great read!

P.S. Sheila always has some great recipes in the back of her books, and this one includes Dirt Cake which sounds deelish!

**I received a copy of this book from the author for a honest and true review. Thank you Sheila, I loved it! 

Mailbox Monday... What books came my way last week...

Last week there were some great books that came my way...

The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai...

What’s the one dish you’d do anything to taste just one more time?

Down a quiet backstreet in Kyoto exists a very special restaurant. Run by Koishi Kamogawa and her father Nagare, the Kamogawa Diner serves up deliciously extravagant meals. But that's not the main reason customers stop by . . .

The father-daughter duo are 'food detectives'. Through ingenious investigations, they are able to recreate dishes from a person’s treasured memories – dishes that may well hold the keys to their forgotten past and future happiness. The restaurant of lost recipes provides a link to vanished moments, creating a present full of possibility.

I received this eBook from Penguin Group Putnam. This is a best seller in Japan and I can't wait to start reading it! I love Japanese literature. There is a beauty and quietness in the way Japanese writers put word to the paper.  

Under a Gilded Sky by Imogen Martin...
In this epic and unforgettable love story, set in the wilds of Missouri and the glamour of high society Boston at the dawn of the Gilded Age, one woman’s life changes forever the day that a stranger turns up on her doorstep.  Missouri, February 1874: The last thing struggling homesteader Ginny needs is a scandal on her hands. But when a badly injured drifter arrives at Snow Farm in desperate need of medical attention, Ginny’s kind nature and good upbringing means she has no choice but to treat his wounds and care for him until he’s back on his feet, no matter the danger he might pose. Ginny’s been running the farm and looking after her fourteen-year-old sister Mary-Lou since their papa died two years ago, each morning pulling on his old leather coat and pushing her feet into stout boots that come up to her knees, before heading out to tend to the cattle. She’s determined to hold onto the one thing that connects them to memories of their parents – whatever the cost. And when their uninvited guest – Lex – is well enough he offers his help, and she surprises herself by accepting it. But not long after Lex moves on, Ginny realises that her heart has gone with him. And when the farm’s fortunes take a turn for the worse, she faces her hardest test yet. Can she save the only home she’s ever known, and everything she holds dear? And what if doing so means risking a chance at love and happiness she never expected to come her way?

I received this eBook from Storm Publishing. I just love the setting of a a farm on the prairie with strong women doing what needs to be done against all odds. Having the twist of a love story sounds pretty good too. 

The Hundre Loves of Juliet by Evelyn Skye...
A woman discovers that she is part of a legendary love story that spans lives, years, and continents in this modern-day reimagining of Romeo and Juliet. I may go by Sebastien now, but my name was originally Romeo. And hers was Juliet.It's a frosty fairytale of an evening in small-town Alaska when Helene and Sebastien meet for the first time. Except it isn't the first time. You already know that story, though it didn't happen quite as Shakespeare told it. To Helene, Sebastien is the flesh-and-blood hero of the love stories she’s spent her life writing. But Sebastien knows better—Helene is his Juliet, and their story has always been the same. He is doomed to find brief happiness with her over and over, before she dies, and he is left to mourn. This time, Helene is determined that things will be different. But can these star-cross’d lovers forge a new ending to the greatest love story of all time?

I received this eBook from Random House Publishing Ballantine. The premise intrigues me and who can resist a modern day retelling of Romeo and Juliet, especially with a new twist to the ending. 

What books did you add to your TBR piles last week?

 

Beauty and the... Book. Beautiful books and where to get them

Welcome to The Sunday Salon! It's the place where Book Bloggers from around the world share their bookish finds with one another in a virtual place called The Sunday Salon. Thank you to Deb at ReaderBuzz for keeping us all together on Sundays and hosting The Sunday Salon now! I also visited with Kim at The Caffeinated Reader, another Sunday gathering place for us bookish people called The Sunday Post and the ladies at Mailbox Monday.

It's starting to cool off in South Carolina. It makes me think of curling up with a good book on a comfy couch. Which makes me think of picking out a new book. Which made Me think how exactly do we go about picking out a new book? We are not suppose to judge of book by its' cover, but when we wander around the bookstore or library, looking for nothing in particular, aren't we looking at the artwork of the books? Either the cover or the spine, maybe a title, something that catches our attention, that makes us pick the book up and see what it's all about? 

Recently when I was wandering around online at Waterstones Bookstore, I came across their Special Edition Book section. Wow, some of these books were beautiful. Made me think (yes, lots of thinking going on this week), what else is out there? At which point I kind of got obsessed looking for special edition books. Here's what I found...

There are a few bookish places (stores/companies) that specialize in... well, beautiful books! Books that have special covers, special inside covers, special paper edges. There was a time where just having deckled edges made a book special, but now. OMG!

I bought Amelie Wen Zhao's book, Song of Silver, Flame like Night, second hand from a website called Pangobooks. It's a place to buy & sell your books. I had a good experience with buying this book, and because of that I might look here first for books I'm looking for. Unlike, say Ebay, Pangobooks is only about books. You can search by genre or a specific book. It's a fun bookish site for people who love reading and books. At the time I wasn't looking for a particular title, but I wanted to see if anyone had illumicrate books, and they did! 

Illumicrate is a book subscription service as well as a place to purchase some of those special editions without a subscription. They were actually the first book subscription service in the UK. Yes, they are in the UK, so shipping is a bit expensive, but if you want one of these beautiful books, you are going to pay it! (But grab what you want fast because these are limited editions and usually only offered for a specific timeframe).

So what are some of the things that make an illumicrate book special? First the dust jacket is usually a special cover made just for them and in cooperation with the author. The one I have here has a special silver foil for the title. Next the actual cover is usually beautifully made too. Mine has silver foil parts to it. Next is the endpapers, the paper that is glued onto the inside cover and is the first page, is has special artwork. And finally, if all that weren't enough, the page edges are sprayed, sometimes with a design, sometimes with just a color. This book, Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amelie Wen Zhao is one of the most beautiful page edges I've ever scene. OMG, the colors just pop.

       

 Interesting to also see the UK edition versus the United States edition side by side....

(usually I prefer UK covers, but the US cover is very pretty too)

Uk cover on left, U.S cover on right

Have you ever liked the UK cover of a book better than the US cover? 

Have you ever noticed the difference?

Here are a few places to get special edition books...

Fairyloot... Fairyloot is a fantasy subscription company, but they also have some special editions to purchase without having a subscription. 

Waterstones... Bookstore based in UK that is a "regular" bookstore that also has beautiful special editions specifically made for them. I have ordered from Waterstones when I wanted one of their special editions, a UK book cover (because frequently they are nicer looking) or sometimes when it actually is cheaper to get if from them than in the States. 

Goldsboro Books... Bookstore based in UK that specializes in signed first editions, and special editions.

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Here are some of my other special editions books...

Edward Gorey Edition of Dracula... Gorey illustrations thru-out, and a cool fuzzy cover.

The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake... A great start to a fantasy series that is kind of a mashup of Harry Potter and The Hunger Games. I am in the middle of this book and love it. Love the page edges and the inside front end papers depicting the characters of the story. 

The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman... The latest book in the Thursday Night Murder Club series. This will be my first book in the series, even though it's actually the 4th book, but I think they are stand alones, meaning I don't have to have read the other books to enjoy reading this one. I love the actual cover with the pink foil fox! and the matching sprayed page edges and end papers.

Now if you don't want to purchase special editions for yourself, these would make great gifts for that special reader in your life. The second hand market for these books isn't much cheaper and sometimes a lot more than what a new copy from the actual source is. The price is sometimes based on the rarity of the special edition. Some of these are not available directly to the U.S. market, so second hand market is the only way to get them. 

I've always loved UK edition covers on books. It use to be, in my humble opinion, that they were always nicer. Nowadays though that's not always the case. And although I have a few very nice special editions, for "normal" reading I think I will stick with "normal" books, where I won't be obsessing over taking care of the book, and G-d forbid I wrinkle the dust cover. I do treat my books with respect, but I don't live in fear of touching them. 

What do you think about special editions books? Are they worth it? Would you buy any? 

Hope you found something interesting here today! And share some interesting bookish things here!

Happy reading... Suzanne