Why it’s fun to have different versions of the same book!
Think about your favorite book of all time…. like of ALL TIME! Got it? Chances are, it’s not the last book you read, but a book that you read a while ago. A book that you keep coming back to again and again. It may just speak to you on a deep and personal level. It may have been a gift from someone special. Or, maybe it’s something from your childhood that fills you will nostalgia and warmth. Whatever your reasons, if your favorite book has been in print for a while, then that book has probably been reprinted… from hardcover to paperback… in an ebook… in different languages… in special editions… new covers… new material from the author… the list of possible reasons for an updated version of your favorite book are endless. While it may seem crazy to some, true fans will go above and beyond to collect different versions of their favorite books for any number of different reasons. If you have not yet gotten an extra copy of your favorite book, here are just a few reasons on why I have multiple different versions of one of my all time favorites - Harry Potter.
Safety
If you are a book lover like me, chances are you bring a book with you wherever you go - on long car rides, on a plane, to your local coffee shop, on your morning commute to work, etc. Bringing one or multiple books on vacation is basically a given for any dedicated reader. Unfortunately, every time you take a book out of your house, you run the risk of damaging that book in some way. You could trip and drop you book in a puddle, spill coffee on it, get it full of sand and water, warp the pages from too much sun… the different ways in which a book could potentially be damaged are endless. I even ran over a book once because I forgot it was on the roof of my car lol. Keeping a book in perfect condition can become increasingly challenging the more you take it out with you, and the more often you read it. Solution? Buy an extra copy of the book! If you have a favorite book, then keep one pristine copy save on your shelf, and take the extra copy with you wherever you go. You won’t have to worry about damaging your book when you know that you have an extra copy at home safely on your shelf, in perfect condition. Being prepared with an extra copy will save you the heartache of ruining your favorite book.
Hardcovers vs. Softcovers
Let’s face it…. hardcover books are absolutely beautiful in so many ways. They often have gorgeous dust jackets, and equally gorgeous inside covers. Hardcovers always look amazing on your shelves, and they are usually the first format available when the hottest new books are first released. Let’s also face it… hardcover books are heavy! They are not always the easiest to travel with. Besides being heavy, hardcovers can be bulky, and their jackets may be easily dented or damaged. Trying to travel with a box of hardcovers is not an easy task. Solution? Softcovers! Softcovers are much easier to manage, take up less space, and are easily transportable. So once again, if you have a favorite book that’s a hardcover, go out and get yourself a softcover copy. Besides all the safety reasons mentioned above, you’ll be less likely to hurt your back lugging around a bag full of softcovers. Besides, the jacket and cover of your favorite hardcover might just have an equally beautiful softcover cover.
Aesthetics
Are you a visual person? If so, nothing is more aesthetically pleasing than having a bookshelf full of matching book covers and spines. If you are someone who buys every single new book as it is released, this may not be an issue for you… but if you are someone who discovers are particular author or series that has already been out for a few years, chances are that the books in that series have been reprinted. Books can be reprinted for any number of different reasons - hardcover to softcover, extra material from the author, anniversary editions, etc. When new editions are printed, they usually come with a new and updated cover. Say you pick up an old book at a tag sale and you fall in love with it. You may then run to your nearest book store to find more books in that series or by the same author. Chances are that you may not be able to find a new book that matches the old one you found. Nothing is more frustrating than having a series collection that does not match (unless you’re not a visual person in which case it may not bother you :)). So, if you want all of your books to match, you may have to hunt down new reprints, or older versions of the books in order to get them all to match.
Special Editions
Ah… the beloved special edition. As I mentioned above, books can be reprinted for any number of different reasons. Anniversary and other special editions are generally reprinted versions of your favorite books, with extra special features. For example, they could have a specially designed cover, maybe be a large illustrated version, or have specially printed pages that look like gold. Whatever the reason, the most popular books always have beautiful special editions of some kind. Having a special edition of your favorite book is a wonderful experience for any book lover. Do I need an illustrated edition of Harry Potter? No… but oh man do they look amazing on my bookshelves. Again, this could be a visual thing, or it could be just for the love of the book. Whatever your reason, buying another copy of your favorite book is totally worth it for an extra special edition.
Support Your Favorite Author
Do you have a favorite author? If so, then in true fan girl/boy spirit, you may go out of your way to support your favorite author by buying every single book and version that they publish. Especially if that author only has a small number of books, you may want to collect every edition to support your favorite author. The more money they make in sales, the more likely their publisher will push their newest books out to you faster. So, buying hardcovers, softcovers, e-books, and even audio books can really help support your favorite author, and help them bring their stories to the world.
Collectors
I consider myself a bit of a collector. Do I need copies of Harry Potter from different countries around the world? Not really…. but do I WANT different copies of Harry Potter on my shelf? Heck yes! It is so much fun to collect different versions of this book. Whenever someone asks what they should bring me back from their travels, I have an easy answer for them… pick me up a copy of Harry Potter. No one needs a reason to become a collector. Everyone has something that they love to do, love to collect, it just happens to be Harry Potter books for me. Your pure fandom joy, and pure love of reading are enough to get you started searching out different versions for your favorite book. One word of caution… once you start, you may not be able to stop!
At the end of the day, it’s true that some people will think you’re crazy for buying multiple copies of the same book. It’s also true that no one may ever understand your special love for a particular author, book, or series. That’s OK! Whatever your reasons, whether it’s one I listed above, or something else, there is nothing wrong with owning multiple copies of the same book. In the reading community, I actually think it’s a point of pride to see how many different versions of the same book you can get. My record is probably SUPER small compared to some, but so far I have 6 copies of the first Harry Potter book:
Hardcover - Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone (American version)
Hardcover - Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (UK version)
Softcover - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Chinese version)
Softcover - Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone (perfect condition)
Softcover - Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone (“travel” condition)
Hardcover - Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone - Illustrated Edition
What’s your record? How many different versions do you have of your favorite book? Come follow @Kris_Reviews on Instagram or Facebook, and let me know why you have multiple copies of your favorite books.
Happy Reading!!!
