hardcovers

The latest books by Kim Harrison and Kelley Armstrong have joined Charlaine Harris and Jim Butcher in getting hardcover releases. It’s a definite sign of the popularity of the genre.

This is great for the writers, because they’re getting more money and attention. And the increased visibility is great for the fans, because more novels of this type are getting released.

It still makes me just a little cranky. My book budget is already stretched, and my shelves are nearly full. There are only a few authors that I buy in hardcovers these days, as much for space reasons as financial ones. So for some authors I have to remember two sets of release dates, the date I can get their new book from my city’s library and the one when I can buy a paperback copy.

I know, I know, poor little me.

I’m just hoping they don’t start putting out too much urban fantasy in that larger trade paperback format. Now there’s an annoying trend. They’re more expensive, less portable, and don’t fit in very well with my shelving system. People keep trying to tell me that they’re better quality paper, but that’s never something that’s mattered to me in everyday reading. I’d rather have something cheap that will easily fit in a purse or even a large pocket.

Maybe I’m strange, but I’d rather own more books than fewer really nice editions.