Monday, November 14, 2011

Musing Mondays: Collecting and Reading What You Collect



This week’s musing asks…
Are you currently collecting any authors? Why?
Do you have all of their books? If not, why not? 
Did you buy all the books in the collection at the same time, or did you buy a book here, a book there? Have you actually read all of the collection? If not, why not?
I collect first editions of Booker Prize winning books but I don't buy the firsts until after I've read the books, unless I just happen to stumble across something cheaply, because they're very expensive. I don't have all of them and I probably never will, because some are just prohibitively expensive. And I don't want to buy the firsts of the books I haven't actually, you know, enjoyed.

I also collect Margaret Atwood first editions, a few of which I haven't yet read, but I've read most of her books. I'll pick up an A.S. Byatt first if I happen to find it reasonably priced but I don't seek them out. If I haven't read something in a collection, it's just because I haven't gotten around to it- same as my other unread books!

More Musing Mondays at ShouldBeReading.wordpress.com.

11 comments:

Marce said...

I don't know if I will ever spend money on first editions but I do love to get the hardcovers of Mary Higgins Clark. She was the author that got me into mystery.

Anonymous said...

If I did collect books by authors, I would also definitely pay the money for first edition!

Here's my MM: http://palmtreesbarefeet.wordpress.com/2011/11/14/musing-monday-collecting-by-authors/

:)

Anonymous said...

I wouldn't even have the slightest idea where to get first edition books, but it would be very cool to own one. :)

Sandy Nawrot said...

I'm a little envious of people who collect specific books. I do not. I just don't have the room. But, maybe if I get new bookshelves...

Zibilee said...

I have collected all the work of a few specific authors, but that was when I first began to be a serious reader, and I haven't done that in a long time. There are sets that I have collected that I haven't read yet, so hopefully, one day, I will get to indulge myself with some favorite authors!

bermudaonion said...

I collect autographed books but not of any specific authors.

bibliophiliac said...

I collect titles by Anton Chekhov. Any book, in any condition-if Chekhov wrote it, I want it. Also, I have several copies of Madame Bovary and Jane Eyre, two of my favorite novels. And I will buy anything by or about Anthony Trollope. There is no rhyme or reason to this, and I'm not really a collector, but I do have a few weird obsessions.

caite said...

well, I would never get rid of any autographed books I have..but first editions are very cool as well. sometimes very expensive, but cool.

Vasilly said...

Now that I'm thinking about it, I do collect Pulitzer Prize-winning plays. Many of the winners from the 1990s are great reads.

Alexia561 said...

Interesting discussion! The only author I really collect is Dean Koontz, as I'll buy anything he writes. Used to collect other authors, but they gradually disappointed me so I stopped buying their books.

I do have my collection of signed ARCs (via BEA) that I'll always cherish, but that's about it.

Kathleen said...

It is nice that you are collecting books that ,ean something to you. I've not settled on an author to collect as of yet.