The Best Special Edition Books to Add to Your Bookshelf

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo:Berkley; HarperCollins; Harper Voyager

Berkley; HarperCollins; Harper Voyager

Book lovers everywhere know the rush of finding a beautiful cover, especially when it comes to special editions of our favorite reads.Though book collector’s editions have been around for almost as long as the medium has, aesthetic covers, sprayed pages and new exclusive content has seen a boom in 2024. Retailers like Barnes and Noble and book subscription services like LitJoy and Illumicrate often sell exclusive editions of both new and popular backlist titles. The rise of visually driven online reading communities, like BookTok and BookTube, have also made users eager to show off eye-catching covers, page designs and artwork, particularly in the romance and fantasy genres, according toPublisher’s Weekly.“A book’s cover has always been an important marketing tool, but social media has made the aesthetics of books even more essential to catching readers’ attention,” Danielle Cantarella, associate director of children’s sales at Hachette, told the outlet. “The quality of the story always matters, but a beautiful package can create buzz for a title before anyone has even had the chance to read it.”

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Berkley

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Tor Books

The deluxe edition ofWolfsong, the first installment of Klune’s Green Creek series about a boy’s bond with his shape-shifting neighbors, has orange sprayed edges, a holographic cover and a new bonus short story.

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Harper Voyager

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Entangled: Red Tower Books

Howzell Hall’s new enemies-to-lovers romantasy novel gets a royal treatment with this special edition. Its enticing red, stenciled pages beg you to pull it off the shelves.

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HarperCollins

The collector’s edition of Reid’s dark academia fantasy is a book lover’s dream. In addition to new bonus content, the novel showcases antique design endpapers and sprayed edges that look like book shelves.

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Square Fish; Reissue edition

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Entangled: Red Tower Books; Deluxe edition

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Bloom Books

Score’s small town romance has a special edition that’s sweet as the story inside. With its flower-sprayed pages, ribbon bookmark and new end pages, the special edition looks like spring.

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William Morrow; Deluxe edition

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Harry N. Abrams

The first of Aster’s beloved fantasy series has a breathtaking collector’s edition, including a metallic slipcase, full-color illustrations and a bonus romance scene. You’ve never seen The Centennial like this before.

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Erewhon Book

Rath’s fantasy novel — the first of her Tuonela duology — is based in Finnish folklore. With its icy stenciled edges, reversible dust jacket and snowy cover, the deluxe edition brings all the best winter vibes.

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Park Row; Reissue edition

Publishing this January, this special edition of Penner’s beloved historical novel, set in an 18th century London apothecary shop, features a new gold cover and iconic butterfly sprayed edges.

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Hazelwood’s bestselling romance, about two scientists in a fake relationship, has a new collector’s edition on the way. The new edition features STEM-themed stenciled edges, new chapter heading drawings and a bonus chapter — aboutthatkiss — from love interest Adam’s point of view.

source: people.com