Buying Classic Books: My experience with different editions

I wanted to share my experience with the different editions of classics I’ve bought in the last year.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:11 Where I buy from
02:08 Ebooks
03:47 Paperbacks
11:17 Hardcovers I’d like to buy
17:20 My Hardcovers
31:16 Outro
32:20 Outtakes
Project Gutenberg: www.gutenberg.org/
Feedbooks: www.feedbooks.com/
Classic Book Haul: • Classics Book Haul
Music: ‘Auckland’ by VYEN
‘Bongo Madness’ by Quincas Moreira
________________________________________________________________
Instagram: / nerdykathi

[@ghostyjulia]

I 100% agree about the different heights of the black spine logos its SO ANNOYING

[@NerdyKathi]

Thank you! 😂

[@princepeterwolf]

I am so happy I have stumbled across your channel Kathi! This was so informative, and so soothing. This might sound as an odd remark, but thank you so much for talking like a normal person, I'm so sick of booktubers always yelling and overexagerating their reactions and opinions, and you are a breath of fresh air!

[@NerdyKathi]

Thank you so much for the kind words, I very much appreciate it. 😊

[@Z-zilla]

Exactly. Other tubers are always "I WAS SO EXCITED" and then I buy the book, read it and am nowhere as excited as they were. Or perhaps I misunderstood and they were rather egg-cited? Can't tell...

[@Paromita_M]

Really loved hearing you discuss classics and where you buy from. A great video.

[@NerdyKathi]

I'm so glad you enjoyed it Paromita. And thank you for always taking the time to comment, I very much appreciate it.

[@rsant7599]

This is the best, honest reviews I got from these editions. Thank you so much. Please keep doing more :)

[@NerdyKathi]

Thank you very much for the kind words. I'm glad you found it useful.

[@thegr8raju]

Stumbling upon your channel today is one of the best serendipitous discoveries I've had in a while. This video was very informative and I loved it a lot. Watching it made me really happy! So thank you for that :)

[@NerdyKathi]

What a lovely thing to say, thank you very much.

[@williamegan6756]

Thanks Kathi! I am collecting some of my favourite Austen books in hardcover, and your advice has been very helpful! Those Chiltern editions look amazing. I’d also never heard of Flame Tree, but will definitely check them out. Thanks again!

[@NerdyKathi]

I'm so glad it was helpful. 😊

[@ttowntrekker5174]

So glad I discovered your channel! I've just begun building a classics collection and was lost re the various editions. Thank you!

[@NerdyKathi]

Thank you so much for the kind words. I'm glad you found the video useful.

[@michaelkennedy2057]

thanks for your review. I appreciate your time spent going over all of these editions. Best regards. Mike

[@NerdyKathi]

Thank you for the kind words. 😊

[@T-M123]

Chiltern has because a favorite of mine! I do enjoy those lovely covers! One-off my favorites was Jane Eyre and A Christmas Carol!

[@NerdyKathi]

They are both beautiful looking books. Let's be honest, most of them are stunning. 😊

[@Katt_Dubbs]

I'm so happy that this video was in my KZbin video recommendations! I'm excited to watch more of your videos 😊

[@NerdyKathi]

Thank you so much and welcome. 😊

[@nettyknits]

Hi Kathie. This classic podcast just popped up on my feed. I love the Chiltern Classic series. I saw them in QBD and fell in love with the covers. They’re so pretty. I agree with you about the garish cover on the Louisa May Alcott book you showed. I was given the Jane Austin one for a birthday gift and have given it to my daughter- it’s just too bright with its blue and gold. She likes it very much. Look forward to seeing you soon 💕

[@NerdyKathi]

Hi netty. I'm still so in love with the Chilterns. I actually do have the Jane Austen from Barnes and Noble. Perhaps if I find one I like better I'll gift mine. Thank you so much for sharing.

[@vesperdrns]

Hello Madame! I'm discovering your channel with this video and I really love hearing you talking about books (+ as non native english speaker you're easily understandable which makes it even better!)

[@NerdyKathi]

Hi Vesper, thank you very much for your kind words. I'm glad you find me easy to understand.

[@dearmodi1325]

Loved this video. Just what I needed. Thank you!

[@NerdyKathi]

Thank you so much. I am glad it was useful.

[@willk7184]

What a delightful and informative video. I'm inspired to start my own classics collection now. 👍

[@NerdyKathi]

Thank you and you should. 😊

[@azhure333]

First I want to say I loved loved this video. I’ve heard you few times talk about how you buy the same books if you like a new addition book cover and I wondered why. It was nice to see your opinions in this. Second, the white line not aligning it must be the most frustrating thing in the world. 😂

[@NerdyKathi]

I'm so glad you enjoyed it. 😊 That white line! 😂

[@PoiemaLee]

New subscriber here, and also a lover of classics. I collect hardcovers and found this video very interesting and helpful!

[@NerdyKathi]

Welcome and I'm so glad you found this video useful. 😊

[@joyceredman2136]

You have a wonderful collection of books, all different editions!

[@NerdyKathi]

Thank you so much!

[@given2501]

omg i have 4 of those Timeless Classics and I ADORE them. I'm mostly a fan of Everyman's Library editions because of the aesthetic.

[@NerdyKathi]

The Timeless classics are some of my favourites. I like some of the Everyman's library editions, but not as much as other editions. Thank you so much for sharing.

[@jamesdavies542]

Loved this video so much 😊

[@NerdyKathi]

Thank you so much. 😊

[@betinaceciliafeld9854]

This is the first of your videos I watch (Hi, nice to meet you!) and I was so pleased to see some loved showed by the Wordsworth Classics, the paperbacks I mean. They usually get lots of negative comments because of their covers but I quite like them and I even prefer them over Penguin Black Spines when I can find them.

[@NerdyKathi]

Hello and welcome. I didn't know people don't like the Wordsworths covers. Each to their own I guess. Thank you for sharing.

[@ReadingIDEAS.-uz9xk]

Best wishes with your reading. Can't beat the classics.

[@NerdyKathi]

Thank you. 😊

[@given2501]

Great video! I have 3 books (Dorian Gray, Moby Dick and Phantom of the Opera) in chartwell classics and though i agree that they stick out, i personally think that placing them all together on a separate shelf or placing them horizontal with decor on the sides seems to work. The biggest selling point for me was their size (😅) and flexibility.

[@NerdyKathi]

If there were more titles I wanted, I agree grouping them together they would look lovely. They are gorgeous books. Maybe I'll succumb and buy one. 😊

[@skeller61]

Thank you for this tour of editions! As I near retirement, I have a few thousand dollars to spend replacing my bookshelves of nonfiction special interest books with classics and other fiction works. I bought one book each from several publishers to see which really inspired me. I have to admit, I’ve really fallen for the Folio Society (FS) books. I’ve also just ordered my fifth and sixth Easton Press (EP) editions. I can’t see having a library of Easton Press books, simply because they all look the same on the shelf. I know that’s the point for some people, but for me, I like a little of the personality of each book to show on the spine. There are two editions that you didn’t mention that I think you may like: the Everyman’s classics (EC) and Library of America (LoA). For my absolute favorites, I’ll spring for the FS or EP edition, but for the many others that I want to read eventually, EC is my go to for single volumes and LoA for complete collections of particular authors. You may or may not like the aesthetics of the dust jackets (particularly LoA); however, you can take the jackets off, if you want, and have very elegant, single tone clothbound covers that I think you might like the look of. The EC color code the cloth covers based on when they were written, which is also a nice touch. Another edition I’ll mention, though many of these are too colorful for your taste, I’m afraid, are the Wordcloud Classics (WC). They are flexible cloth covers and have a moderate amount of classic titles. They are very reasonably priced and look like they’ll hold up to repeated readings. Thanks again, for your video!

[@NerdyKathi]

You are most welcome. It's a great idea to buy from several publishers to discover which you like best. I would take a shelf full of Easton Press myself. 😂 Since the video I have come across more of Everyman's Library editions but they are not to my taste for the most part. I suspect the LoA may not be easy to find in Australia. I have not heard of Wordcloud Classics so thank you for that.

[@radroatch]

This channel is so wholesome ☺

[@NerdyKathi]

Thank you very much.

[@itsrox9339]

Hello Kathi, very lovely and informative video! You may like the Everyman’s Library hardcover editions. I have 2 and they seem to be very good quality and look beautiful with and without their dust jackets! Hopefully they are available in Australia :)

[@NerdyKathi]

Thank you Roxane. I have seen some of the Everyman's Library editions and they don't appeal to me, but I do believe they are available in Australia.

[@useupwearout5029]

Oh how I wish you were my neighbor! This was a wonderful video....just the information I tend to look for.

[@NerdyKathi]

What a sweet thing to say, thank you so much.

[@catherine4261]

thank you for making this video it helps a lot

[@NerdyKathi]

You're very welcome!

[@user-cm5tv3qg8o]

Thank you so much for this video!

[@NerdyKathi]

You are very welcome!

[@maelenaorellanapalma9702]

Thank you for share your beautiful collection

[@NerdyKathi]

My pleasure 😊

[@MounaimKamel]

thank you for shaing your experience, beautiful video i have a few of these, especially from knickerbocker, barnes and noble, and Canterbury classics, you should check them too

[@NerdyKathi]

Thank you very much and I'll look out for Canterbury classics.

[@CS-rh2ce]

Great video! you should give the Oxford classics a try. They are paperback and along with Pengiuns they are some of my favorites. They are white instead of black and are very clean with covers that usually have nice illustrations.

[@NerdyKathi]

I don't think they are readily available in Aus, which is a shame as they look really good. I'll keep an eye out for them. Thank you!

[@sherrirabinowitz4618]

Thank you I bought the Wordsworth of Little Women and I love it!!!

[@NerdyKathi]

So glad you are loving it. 😊

[@Kite562bookishreviews]

I have to agree with you on the timeless classics hardcover books; even though I think the company is called rockpoint publishing here or they could be completely different companies I do not know for here in the U.S. however, the designs of the books look the same. I'm making my way through the,complete tales of H.P. Lovecraft Timeless classics edition, I've also was recently gifted the complete tales of sherlock Holmes in the timeless classics edition and they're both gorgeous! I have a mix of hard and soft cover books and manga on my shelf ; to me as long as the book is physical and the font is not too small, it'll be a book I'll dive into whole heartedly! 😊❤📚

[@NerdyKathi]

I'm looking forward to going through Lovecraft as well. I'll have to see if the publishers have brought any more out. Thank you for taking the time to comment. 😊

[@BobLikesPizza99]

Great video! This is super picky I realize but I hate it when a nice hardback edition has the UPC code permanently printed on the back.

[@NerdyKathi]

Thank you, and I don't agree it's super picky. I hate the stickers that aren't stickers that are on the front of some books. I loathe them.

[@vanessamay3689]

New sub. I live in NZ and getting penguin editions from Australia. Thanks for your video.

[@NerdyKathi]

Very welcome.

[@Michajeru]

I just this morning discovered your channel and I like very much what I see. I enjoyed this video and certainly learned from it. I have started building a classics library and which editions to buy has become an issue. I rather like the Barnes & Nobel Classic Collectable editions. The Chartwell Classics are really excellent and inexpensive. As for paperbacks, I am certainly going to check out the Wordsworth paperback Classics. I hope the text doesn't run close into the spine - this is one of my big dislikes in many paperback.

[@NerdyKathi]

I'm glad you found the video useful and I agree about text running too close to the spine as I refuse to break the spines on paperbacks. Enjoy building your collection. 🙂

[@DisHammerhand]

I love the Pan Macmillan collection. The color on the spine is a sort of burnished bronze. They are pocket sized. I like how compact and cute they are. I buy my Eastons used. I can't afford new ones. I generally can find them in excellent shape. They are very, very nice.

[@NerdyKathi]

The Pan Macmillans look really nice, just not for me. Ah if only I could get some Eastons, but perhaps because I'm in Australia even second hand ones are expensive when you include postage,

[@DisHammerhand]

@@NerdyKathiI had noticed that shipping between OZ and the US is ghastly. I am glad you showed the Flame Tree Classics. They had Washington Irving's Legend of Sleepy Hollow & Other Tales that Macmillan does not so I ordered one. They are nice little books the same size as the Macmillans. You are right about the font. It is thin and light. Macmillan is thicker and darker. Macmillan bought the Collector's Library from CRW. The books were always sewn binding cloth covered pocket size. They used to have red covers with striped jackets in various colors with clear titles in black on the spines. Made them easy to read on the shelf. The redesign made the cloth covers light blue with a beautiful blind stamped design on the front cover. The jackets are much harder to read on the shelf.

[@NerdyKathi]

I can't deny pocket sized books are adorable, but I find them difficult to read. I think I have a set of the striped Collector's Library ones which I must have bought over a decade ago. Thank you for sharing that with me.

[@bunnygirlerika9489]

I'm a big fan of Oxford World Classics myself for paperback. For hardback I go Everymans Library.

[@NerdyKathi]

I don't think the Oxfords are as readily accessible here.

[@bunnygirlerika9489]

@@NerdyKathi that's a true shame.

[@LeonAvalos]

Just wanted to say you look and sound like you could be Cate Blanchett's big sister/mom, I mean that as a compliment. It was a pleasure listening to you and seeing some of the books in your collection!

[@NerdyKathi]

Wow, what a lovely compliment. Thank you so much. 😊

[@Sams911]

you make some enjoyable videos .. btw, living in the US, I've amassed a collection of Easton books .,. mostly the great classics, here in the used book stores, sometimes you can pick them up for as little as $15 US... the more in demand ones for as much as $40..

[@NerdyKathi]

Thank you very much and I am envious that we can't find many Easton books in Australian bookshops. You must have a wonderful collection. 😊

[@circleofleaves2676]

I agree about Dymocks. I recently got something through them and they sent the wrong edition. As any other book collector will know, we often carefully choose the books we buy. It is of course about the book's content, but the cover - the art, graphics, font, etc - can influence the feel of the book, and we love books where the cover seems to reflect how we feel about the book. A lot of book collectors specifically collect books by the same author that have the same cover artist/design, or in limited edition series etc. Dymocks essentially said "it's the same" and it's whatever the warehouse has at the time. It's just poor advertising. Don't advertise a product you don't have, and if substituting is an option, contact the customer and ask if they are ok with a substitute. As a disabled/chronically ill person it was going to be too fiddly to hunt around for the original edition I'd actually ordered, order it somewhere else, send the other one back. So I opted for 15% off the book which of course is measly because their book prices are so high. I won't be buying from them again.

[@NerdyKathi]

My apologies for the late reply but I have been away. Ah Dymocks. I had a very similar experience with them advertising one edition and sending me another. I was so disgusted by their attitude that I will never buy from them again either.

[@zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz9]

I love your bookshelf. It looks sturdy and heavy 😂

[@NerdyKathi]

Thank you and it's very sturdy. They're all solid pine with pine backing too.

[@zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz9]

@@NerdyKathi i wish i had 😀

[@Parasyte316]

As someone who collects manga the only thing I can say about the spines not matching up is welcome to the pain game. I’ve actually had to go through manga volumes and double check which ones looked less like a disaster.

[@NerdyKathi]

😂 It's annoying isn't it? Ah well, perhaps it only adds to the charm of a bookcase.

[@ttowntrekker5174]

Kathi Ive purchased several Easton leatherbounds off ebay in the $45 US range plus shipping.

[@NerdyKathi]

It's the shipping that's prohibitive for those of us outside of the States, and depending on how our dollar is doing they can be too expensive. I'm glad you found some though. 😊

[@Beresford-oe8zn]

Those Chiltern books are perfection

[@NerdyKathi]

I agree! I adore them.

[@elizabethurassa2811]

Great work. You may be interested in talking about Elizabeth Paradiso Urassa's books. They are very good for university students and may help the loved ones not to drop out of their studies. I appreciate what you are doing. Thank you very much.

[@NerdyKathi]

I'm not sure if this is self-promotion on your part but nevertheless your recommendation isn't really appropriate for my channel.

[@nurahmed551]

Excellent

[@NerdyKathi]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@craigmckissick8840]

Great video! The Penguin Clothbounds are frustrating, I have quite a few and some I don’t mind looking worn but some look pretty bad once quite worn out in my opinion, 1984 being one of them, my Iliad just looks a mess when it was so beautiful to begin with. Some have an indentation that stop them from smudging like Dracula which looks brand new and has been well read, despite my garlic hand sweat (maybe there’s a supernatural element at work!). In general though I love the aesthetic and Penguins additional notes and drawings can be extremely useful. I’ve started getting Everyman’s editions now, do you have them in Australia? The binding is sewn which should hopefully make them last a lifetime and I would the price is very reasonable in the UK for the quality.

[@NerdyKathi]

It is such a shame about the Penguin Clothbounds because they're quite beautiful. Interesting that not all of them smudge. I don't like the look of Everyman's editions as much myself though they are reasonably priced.

[@k.feiring3525]

Wonderful video! I’m currently collecting a few Easton Press and Folio Society books. I’d love to try a Knickerbocker book! Do you know where in the USA one could find them? A website seemed elusive upon searching. You have a new subscriber. 😊

[@NerdyKathi]

Thank you very much. 😊 Ah I would love to own a few Easton or Folio books, maybe one day. I too could not find Knickerbocker's website, but I have seen them on Amazon so they must be available in the States. Happy hunting!

[@ScottysTCGShop]

Great video, check out Everyman's library as well. Their covers are a little boring but the book quality is superb.

[@NerdyKathi]

Thank you very much. I should have mentioned Everyman's Library editions, but forgot to. I'll confess their covers just don't appeal to me.

[@JadeStone8]

Try placing a coin or two ‘neath the bottoms of those lower banded books. It’s got to be cheaper than an anxiety drug prescription.

[@NerdyKathi]

I doubt I'll need an anti anxiety drug for something like that.

[@938quilt]

I went on a cruise iwth a friend ( we live in Texas, USA) around New Zealand to Australia and then stayed in Sydney 3 or so nights. we were walking around and found a bookstore and she had ot drag me out!

[@NerdyKathi]

Sounds like a lovely trip. 😊

[@theresas709]

In the paperback, I like the Oxford.

[@NerdyKathi]

I'm not sure which one is the Oxford.

[@Tasha9315]

Great video analyzing the different editions. I also have a similar video showing my classic collection while analyzing the editions. What do you think of the Everyman's library editions? I feel those are really good quality for a reasonable price.

[@NerdyKathi]

Thank you very much Tasha. I'll have to watch your video later. I forgot about Everyman's library editions! I have heard they are good quality as well but don't think they have as many available in Australia.

[@Tasha9315]

@@NerdyKathi Thanks:) True, they're not available in Malaysia either. I usually buy them from Book Depository.

[@938quilt]

thank you for the penguin cloth heads-up - that's ridiculous for it to smudge like that

[@NerdyKathi]

You're very welcome. I wish I had known about it before I bought them.

[@NC1195_]

I think you will like calla editions and Canterbury classics leather bound

[@NerdyKathi]

I'm wondering if the Canterbury leathers are also the Barnes and Nobles ones as I think that's what they come up as when I've seen them in Australia. They are lovely as well. The calla editions are beautiful but I'm not sure if they're all available here. But thank you for sharing that.

[@kaidne]

I also think Everyman's Library has great minimal hardcovers

[@NerdyKathi]

I recently bought one, Foundation by Asimov. They are a another good and reasonably priced hardcover. Thank you!

[@LittleMew133]

Cute pupper and catto.

[@NerdyKathi]

Thank you.

[@tracygregory8448]

Penguin classics are now a little expensive considering the hardback smyth sewn editions you can get for not much more, the introductions and notes in them are good though but don’t think they are as sturdy as they used to be.

[@NerdyKathi]

I agree that the Penguins are a little pricey. I'm not sure which are the smyth sewn hardbacks and I would always prefer hardbacks to paperbacks, though not the Penguin cloth bound ones. Thank you for sharing.

[@jesusdelcanto9715]

Isn't the font size of the Clothbound Classics a bit too small? Doy you find it friendly for reading? Besides what you mention about the covers.

[@NerdyKathi]

I didn't find the font too small on the Penguin Clothbound Classics. I found it very easy to read.

[@NC1195_]

What do you think of everyman’s library especially the childrens classics with gold and black checkered spine.

[@NerdyKathi]

Oh I haven't seen the children's ones and they look beautiful. Perhaps they aren't available in Australia. What a shame, but thank you for sharing that with me.

[@NC1195_]

@@NerdyKathi thank you for replying.

[@Paromita_M]

It's not just you. I cover similar books with wrapping paper so they all look same because the publishers can't be bothered to ensure parity 😭.

[@NerdyKathi]

😂 I'm glad I'm not the only one. That is a good option.

[@Matt..S]

Books not lining up, worst thing for me. Absolute luxury problem, but still. I have all the books of David Mitchell(not the comedian), some of them sadly in paperback, but the majority in the hardcover first editions from the same publisher. Every. single. one. different. different height, different width, so the spine sticks out, some dust covers are velvety-sticky, others are plain paper, then glossy.

[@NerdyKathi]

Yes it is a luxury problem but still a very annoying one. Ah publishers. I have a 10 book series with 9 a regular hardcover and 1 the book club size. Grrr. so frustrating.

[@lani6447]

does the wilco edition have notes and introduction?

[@NerdyKathi]

I don't believe so, well not the editions I have.

[@LittleMew133]

Wordsworth's font size challenges me on weekly basis.

[@NerdyKathi]

I don't like small fonts either but I don't recall Wordsworth being too small. I'll have to check them again.

[@garyrobinson8665]

I just picked up paperback Oxford World Classics edition of Agnes Grey and I find it unreadable. Small letters and too much text on a page. The super white coloured paper doesn't help either. Just picked up a vintage hardback copy from a second hand shop which is miles better.

[@NerdyKathi]

What a shame. I haven't tried the Oxford classics and I guess I'll keep away as I have such poor eyesight. Thank you for sharing.

[@LAVIV007]

Of the Timeless Classics, those are top notch and have become collectibles thus their price in the market is going up quickly. Pity, their selection is very small; otherwise I would buy anything they print. B&N would be the best choice as for value for money and their selection. Nowadays, they print 1-2 books a year. Penguin cloth bound classics are a tragedy and a rip off. Most of the copies I have examined in shops have that smudging defect.

[@NerdyKathi]

I didn't realise they have become collectibles. They are well worth it in my opinion. B & N have some nice books no doubt but it is sad that Penguin haven't fixed that smudging issue.

[@LAVIV007]

@@NerdyKathi Timeless Classics Jules Verne collection used was over $100 last time I checked. Very few copies left on the market of whatever they've printed. Penguin, as I always turn to the Classics section in any book shop that I visit, I always take care to check the smudging issue with the Penguin cloth bound classics. Last couple of shops were Thalia Buchhandlung (Bookstore) in Mariahilfer Straße, Vienna, and the big Foyles at Charing Cross, London. Both are well known stores which keep high standards when dealing with books. I find it hard to believe that Penguin would call back their copies and fix/replace the many faulty ones.

[@PierreLeSang]

What about Folio Society books?

[@NerdyKathi]

You obviously didn't watch all the video.

[@PierreLeSang]

@@NerdyKathi I didn't. I watched as much as I could at 2x speed, sorry.

[@wolandbegemotazazello]

My decision is primarilly based o the translator.

[@NerdyKathi]

That's a valid point though I personally don't know enough about the different translations.

[@t0dd000]

That book that smudged and wore off... I have zero qualms about returning poor quality books. Or books damaged by shipping. (I never buy from Amazon for that reason.) Send that Penguin Clothbound back.

[@NerdyKathi]

I normally would but don't know if I even have the receipt anymore. Ah well, lesson learned.

[@Tams1978]

They all do that, unfortunately.

[@5hif7yx86]

great video Kathi. couldn't agree more about the penguin clothbound classics. i read the Count of Monty Cristo recently in that addition. Its a long and hefty book and when i was done with it i had completely destroyed the design on it. Really disappointing. Wont be buying anymore.

[@NerdyKathi]

I don't get why they are so popular when they are obviously flawed. It's a pity they haven't fixed the problem.

[@AN6370]

Why have you not posted in four months?

[@NerdyKathi]

I've been busy.