Beautiful Books of the Month: October

Now that the end of October is fast approaching, I've decided to make good on a posted promise made a few optimistic weeks back.  What happened you ask?  Did I run out of pretty books to post about already?  Never.  If anything, it's always a struggle to figure out which book to pick next.

I don't want the 'Beautiful Book of the Month' to be purely about special hardback editions of established books or reissued paperback cover designs.  There will be plenty of those anyway because I usually can't resist buying them, but this is meant to be a celebration and exploration of truly remarkable books from all genres and topics.  I have a wide variety of interests and I want that reflected in this blog and in these posts.  

I love books about everything and anything, so it'll be an interesting challenge to see if my eclectic tastes work well on this blog or if it'll just end up a confusing jumble of random stuff.  Much like how things are usually organized in my head. 

For the sharp-eyed readers that may have noticed the slight variation in this month's post title, that is not a typo.  One reason for delay, other than my tendency towards procrastination, was that I wanted to include a book that wasn't released quite yet and I couldn't post about the other two without including the third since they make such a lovely set.

Dolly, The Small Hand & The Woman in Black 

By Susan Hill

Published by Profile Books

Three fantastic hardback ghost stories just in time for Hallowe'en!

This is slightly shameful for me to admit to since I've been a bookseller for about 13 odd years now (both odd in the sense that I think it's about that long and odd that I'm even admitting to a fact that ages me quite a bit), but I haven't read any of Susan Hill's extensive back list before deciding to pick up The Woman in Black to read before seeing the film adaptation.  Like many other book lovers, I couldn't bring myself to watch the film before reading the book.  After all, the book is almost always better than the film.  What better excuse to buy the adorably small and exquisitely lush hardback edition I had my eye on for the last few months?  Better yet, why not also purchase the matching copy of The Small Hand that somehow I talked myself out of buying 2 years ago because my strong desire for it was based solely on the pretty cover?

While I would never fully endorse judging or choosing a book by its cover, since one of my favourite books has a rather horrific cover image, surprisingly enough over the past year I've been pleasantly surprised that buying some random books purely on their aesthetic appeal hasn't steered me wrong.  I've read some fantastic fiction this year thanks to clever eye-catching designs.  Because of the overwhelming competition between new releases, the constant threat of ebooks and the rapidly shrinking shelf space in bookshops, publishers have realized the importance of giving a bit of extra care and attention to titles that they truly believe in.  Customers do notice that extra effort whether they are conscious of it or not.  If you're presented with a table of similar looking objects that are basically built in the same fashion and there is a single object that stands out; one that seems to have been crafted differently, wouldn't you want to know why someone chose to do that?  What made that other object distinctive enough to warrant special attention?

October 2012 ISBN: 9781846685743	September 2010 ISBN:  9781846682360	September 2011 ISBN:  9781846685620

The above three do exactly that.  They inspire curiosity about their contents, lure you in with their beauty and fill you with desire for ownership.  All those feelings stirred before you even reach down to pick up the book to read the blurb on the back cover.  Oh those clever and crafty publishers get me with that all the time.

Not only are Susan Hill's charming miniature hardbacks a visual feast for the eyes, but they are a real treat to touch.  The book jackets are created using slightly heavier paper stock with the cover design embossed on top giving the novellas a pleasing tactile feel.

Detail of Woman in Black Cover

They also make a wonderful gift set for any book lover or horror enthusiast.  With Hallowe'en  and Christmas just around the corner, there isn't a better time to give a love one the grisly gift of chills, thrills and ghastly kills.  Just suggest reading with the lights on.