BTT: First Edition Schmirst Edition

How about First Editions? Are they something special? Or “just another book” to you?

Don’t forget to leave a link to your actual response (so people don’t have to go searching for it) in the comments—or if you prefer, leave your answers in the comments themselves!

Oh, this is just rich, I tell you. This is pretty amazing because, late today, I’m posting my review of Allegra Goodman’s The Cookbook Collector and I’m still making my way through A. S. Byatt’s Possession. For those who haven’t read these lovely books, I’ll tell you,  spoiler-free that they both have strong bases in the world of book collection, that bizarre academic sport that always seems a bit materialistic, rather than, truly bookish, to me.

Now, if you know me at all, you know that I love my books and I like them in my front room, on my bookshelves to show off. However, I like them simply to loan out as trade paper backs and the occasional hardcover. I like my ARCs but those are for sentimental, pre-published reading pleasure, not some sort of first edition, leather-bound silliness.

I’m not much of a collector, more of an existential reader. I think, part of the reason I have my blog, is that I am able to track the books I’ve read in some sort of visual, if not tangible form, because a lot of my reading is done through the library or borrowed books. This gives me the sense of a collection much bigger than the one that sits in my living room.

I think, though, even if I were rich and or famous, I would, most likely, not seek out first editions or fancy books. I think, this is, most likely, just a product of reading too many books, lately (even Molly Fox’s Birthday) where seeking out specialty books just gets folks into a lot of sticky trouble!