Favourite Covers!

DSC_0991 If I am browsing at a bookstore the first thing I reach for is an interesting looking cover.

DSC_1001DSC_1011Here are some of my favourites;

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Alice Stickers!

My Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland decals arrived in the post today courtesy of Esty.  Now to decide what to do with them.  I am thinking of using them to decorate some bookends.

The pictures by Sir John Tenniel are classic and depict Lewis Carroll’s tale perfectly.  He drew over 90 illustrations for the Alice books!

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Alice in Wonderland Quotes

Caterpillar using a hookah. An illustration fr...

Caterpillar using a hookah. An illustration from Alice in Wonderland (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Some quotes from the classic story that make me smile;

“But I don’t want to go among mad people,” Alice remarked.
“Oh, you can’t help that,” said the Cat: “we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.”
“How do you know I’m mad?” said Alice.
“You must be,” said the Cat, “or you wouldn’t have come here.”

Alice laughed. “There’s no use trying,” she said: “one can’t believe impossible things.” 
“I daresay you haven’t had much practice,” said the Queen. “When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” 

“Who are YOU?” said the Caterpillar.
This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, “I–I hardly know, sir, just at present– at least I know who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.”

The White Rabbit put on his spectacles. “Where shall I begin, please your Majesty?” he asked.
“Begin at the beginning,” the King said gravely, “and go on till you come to the end: then stop.”

“Mad Hatter: “Why is a raven like a writing-desk?”
“Have you guessed the riddle yet?” the Hatter said, turning to Alice again.
“No, I give it up,” Alice replied: “What’s the answer?”
“I haven’t the slightest idea,” said the Hatter” 

Quotes taken from – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Expensive Collectable Books

title page of the 1865 edition of Lewis Carrol...

title page of the 1865 edition of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If I ever win (or earn) vast amounts of money, these are the first edition books I would like to purchase;

*Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. By Lewis Carroll – Printed in 1866, $17,500 (US)

*THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF NICHOLAS NICKLEBY – Printed in 1839 and includes a signed letter from Dickens, $5,500 (US)

Catcher in the Rye J.D Salinger – Printed in 1951, $40,000 (US)

The Hobbit: Or There and Back Again J.R.R. Tolkien – First Edition 1937, $57, 592 (US)

*CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY  Roald Dahl – Signed First Edition 1964, $19,250 (US)

Five On A Treasure Island Enid Blyton – Printed in 1942, $4689 (US)

THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE C.S. Lewis – Signed First Edition 1950, $57, 592 (US)

The Woman in Black Illustrations by John Lawrence Susan Hill – Signed First Edition 1983, $493 (US)

So all I need is a total of $202,616  and my collection can begin!

Does anyone else have a First Edition wish list?

Incredible Book Collections

Alice in Wonderland

To follow up on a previous post (Book Collections –  Alice in Wonderland),  I have been researching book collections/collectors.   I discovered that the University of British Columbia’s Rare Books and Special Collections Department  has over 200 editions in their Alice Collection and over 500 other items which certainly puts my mere 15 to shame.

Charles Dickens

The Robert D. Fellman Dickens Collection includes more than 150 volumes of Dickens’ writings (including first editions).  I have a small collection that I am quite proud of.  They look fairly old, I don’t know when they were published.   To have a first edition would be remarkable but unfortunately way out of my price range.

My Charles Dickens set

My Charles Dickens set

Enid Blyton

Another collection that I have been working on is attempting to obtain as many Enid Blyton books as I possibly can.  At the moment I have around 50.  She wrote over 150 novels alone so I have quite a way to go.  The Seven Stories National Centre for Children’s books purchased an Enid Bylton collection from her eldest daughters Estate which included an unpublished novel.

Martin Bodmer

He is perhaps my book collecting inspiration.  His private collection consists of over 160,000 items with some printed before the 1500s.  One day I hope to view the collection which is located in Switzerland at the Fondation Martin Bodmer World Literature Library.

Can any one else provide any information on book collections?  
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