Publishers regularly bring out special edition books to entice readers to buy a copy of a book they already own. Often, these are books that are either literary classics or more recent bestsellers with a cult following. Here, we've collected together five special editions that have come out recently. These are books that have been recommended on Five Books and are well worth reading.
Classics scholar Madeline Miller has attracted a huge following for retellings of mythical tales, and we’re big fans here at Five Books too. Both A Song of Achilles, her retelling of the Trojan War through the eyes of Patroclus, and Circe are available as special edition books:
Often, editions of The Great Gatsby display the cover of the original 1925 edition. Authenticity is important, but isn’t this special painted edition prettier? It features gold sprayed edges, a dark blue ribbon marker, an embossed cover, and a gold-foil title:
Stephen King’s memoir, On Writing, is an incredibly moving book and an inspiration for anyone who is struggling. This special, 25th anniversary hardback edition of On Writing only seems to be available in the UK. However, the 2020 paperback edition available in the US, with a photo of King with his feet up on a desk, has its own charm.
Fantasy seems to be a popular genre for special edition books. There are beautifully illustrated Lord of the Rings box sets, with illustrations by Alan Lee, who worked with Tolkien’s son, Christopher, on the books as well as consulting on the look of the movies. For this list, we’ve chosen a more recent book by R.F. Kuang. The Poppy War is the first book in her fantasy trilogy set in China, and in this hardback collectors’ edition comes with sprayed edges. The second book in the trilogy, The Dragon Republic, is also already available in a special edition.
Editor’s note: Not all the special edition books displayed on this list are available outside the UK, as publishing rights vary by geography.
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