My Most Valuable Books

In which John Green introduces you to the eight most valuable books among the 3,000ish books in his family's home library.
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Book club: www.lifeslibrarybookclub.com/

[@scootinand]

That final book is * pounding fists angrily on a desk * THE. SWEETEST. DAMN. THING. I. HAVE. EVER. HEARD! AAAAAGH!

[@AxxLAfriku]

i was a boy. they were 138 girls. can i make it any more obvious? thats right, i had a crazy dream last night. HAHAHAHAHA!!! im the funniest youtube star ever. youre welcome for laughing dear scot

[@ElizabethTheJedi]

Ditto!

[@lyndsaybrown8471]

Absolutely!

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

Yeah, that's just too amazingly adorable for anyone's good.

[@IrisGlowingBlue]

Plus "The Spring And The Fall" is just SO GOOD of a title for such a sweet collection! It's SO GOOD

[@beepboopbeep5369]

Not having a signed copy of your sibling's book has such a strong sibling energy Edit: my uncle (mom's younger brother) is a well know-ish author in our little state and we have a couple of copies of each book he wrote and none of them are signed as well! I thought I would add this because oh gawd it's such a sibling thing to do

[@AccidentalNinja]

What an oversight!

[@supersquip]

It also, for Green books specifically, is the more difficult to find edition, making it arguably more valuable

[@icepick117]

I mean, I don't have a signed copy of my sibling's book, but my sibling has not written any books, does that have the same sibling energy? (/s) 😂

[@infrabread]

I think it's a coin toss whether the note would be saying how much you as a sibling means to the making of the book, or a misspelled, 1 sentence insult.

[@Twosocks42]

@@infrabread I could see Hank leaving something like "Butts are legs?!" as an inscription. :P

[@higginsj]

My late father read the Hobbit to me and my siblings when we were younger, and in his final months got a Folio Society edition inscribed: "If you can lose yourselves in these fantasies you will wander where I have wandered and wonder where I have wondered." I've cherished those words and that book ever since he passed 22 years ago.

[@vlogbrothers]

That is such a beautiful inscription.

[@aluralorrell3297]

😭😭

[@BettieDees]

That is a wonderful quote!

[@aleatoirefrancais]

This almost brought me to tears- so beautiful.

[@nongotonukoso7904]

❤how beautiful

[@inem6474]

One of my most valuable books is Turtles All The Way Down, which has John's signature, a DFTBA, and a spiral drawn with a different sharpie. It's incredibly special to me because of that signed page, tuataria, the scavenger hunt, the fact that I love the book, and also because it arrived one day when I was having a breakdown after being severely depressed for a while, and that book was one of the very few things that made me stop crying at the time.

[@zz7254]

My Turtles copy also has a "DFTBA" in it and it ranks among my most valued books. I never imagined it would affect me as much as it does, but I cherish that message and I will make sure I never forget to be awesome

[@GSPV33]

I'm sorry you have to bear such a burden. I hope you're doing alright these days.

[@inem6474]

@@GSPV33 Thank you, I'm working on it with my therapist. Some days are easier than others, and I'm trying my best to be kinder to myself on the tough days

[@Kissarai]

I only have about a dozen physical books in total, but my signed copy of Turtles All the Way Down is one of them. Reading it was the first time I truly understood why representation matters so much. I had never seen a good depiction of OCD and I don't think he ever even named the disorder throughout the whole story. It's well used because I loan it out regularly.

[@Ani]

I don't know how allowed it would be on KZbin, but I would LOVE to see a "John Green reading" of a book like Sula _along with_ the marginalia.

[@ChristopherSmith-il6fo]

It could be fair use depending on how much he focuses on his commentary

[@EliStettner]

People have posted full readings of 50 shades of gray on KZbin before. As long as it couldn’t be construed as an audiobook, and was more a reading, especially of particular passages, it would definitely be fair use

[@JK-ir2yo]

I agree, I wish I could get John's reading of all of his books

[@SevenHunnid]

I smoke weed everyday so I decided to make my habit into something productive so now i smoke weed on my KZbin channel xD

[@drakep271]

​@@SevenHunnid I respect the hustle lmao

[@Grace-E-21]

John you (and Sarah as co-author of The Spring and the Fall) have just reminded me that I have in my possession a binder full of every e-mail I sent my paternal grandmother (Grandma), as well as her direct responses, between the time I first got an email address, and the last email I sent (sometime in my Junior year of college) before she and my paternal grandfather (Poppy) moved in with my parents. Poppy died in December of 2020. Grandma died almost four weeks ago. I'm going to go dig up that binder when I get home from work. DFTBA and thank you both very, very much.

[@sarahprunierlaw9147]

May their memories be for a blessing.

[@Grace-E-21]

@@sarahprunierlaw9147 Mashallah, thank you so much.

[@hazelalperin3816]

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[@emilyblack7342]

As she tells it, Don Quixote changed my mom’s life. She wanted to lend me her copy, the one her boss gave to her in the 80s, but she couldn’t find it. My mom never cries over objects - she can throw away her high school prom dress as easily as a stained tshirt - but she teared up when she realized it was gone. We have 19th century botanical guides and histories in our library, written by her ancestors, and that copy of Don Quixote was more valuable than any of them. Sentiment is a hell of a variable when it comes to books, isn’t it.

[@maddie9602]

Probably the most precious books to me are a set of the Dragonlance Chronicles, a fantasy series from the '80's. They're paperback books of a not-particularly well-known series, and they're in _terrible_ condition (curling pages, covers disintegrating, the bindings are starting to fail), probably would be tossed in the recycling if I tried to donate them because even charity wouldn't want them. But they were my dad's favorite books as a kid, and he passed them down to me, and because of that, they're more precious to me than my special edition copy of the Lord of the Rings, my fancy leather-bound copy of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, or my signed copy of The Anthropocene Reviewed. Sentimental value is a powerful thing.

[@pnuthead13]

My name comes from Don Quixote but we simply had a paperback copy at home. My uncles picked the name as they were studying the book at school.

[@chocolateer8907]

So you’re telling me I have a signed copy of Hank’s books but John doesn’t??

[@vlogbrothers]

Correct.

[@emilymartin5418]

@Telepture go away, loser bot, you're not wanted here

[@sarahprunierlaw9147]

Hank really needs to fix this! Also does this means John feels like he can cry again or are they metaphorical tears?

[@AnimilesYT]

@sweet home 7 I like how your comment gets more and more illegible 🤣

[@hjewkes]

@@vlogbrothers John, I believe you established the standard of signing every copy of your first edition that Hank was obligated to follow. So in reality, Hank signed hundreds of thousands of books for you.

[@karensprague8857]

I have many books that are near and dear to me, but the only book to which I have an attachment to an individual copy is the 1970 Good Housekeeping cookbook. My mother had that cookbook since before she got married. It's about 3 inches thick, and absolutely stuffed with all the basics you could need as a home cook. I'm told it was hardcover when she got it, but I have no memories of it having a cover, since it is so well used that the whole cover came off. It's just a thick paper tome, the front and back and binding covered in clear packing tape as our way of protecting it. You can tell which recipes have been reused over and over and over, because their pages are littered with decades-old stains. It has the chocolate cake we make for birthdays, the chocolate cream pie that was the first recipe I got really good at as a teen, the cinnamon bread we make every Christmas. Notes in the margins on recipes we've adjusted. I'm sure it's worthless monetarily, but it is extremely valuable to my family.

[@jorgec98]

You should scan the pages to preserve it for the future in case it gets damaged beyond repair

[@gtfoitsana]

My most valuable book is a yellowed first edition copy of Better Homes and Gardens Favorite Houseplants. Not because I am a plant enthusiast or have a thumb that is hoping to keep some foliage alive but this particular copy has handwritten annotations in Vietnamese, where my dad would jot notes on how to propagate plants and translations of English words such as "remedy" and "enclose." My dad is a POW transplant from Vietnam and his solace is gardening. One of my favorite things about my dad is his garden and the bright flowers he has circling our house. He proudly posts about it on Facebook every day and I like to think of this book as the guide to his happiness after a turbulent life.

[@Danicou]

❤ This warmed my heart. Thank you for sharing this internet human.

[@winterkeptuswarm]

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[@Yavanna16]

This is beautiful! Thank you for sharing!

[@lez41086]

While doing a research project on my favorite poet, Robert Frost, in my sophomore year of high school, I discovered he wrote a a collection of short stories for kids called "Stories for Lesley." I couldn't believe my favorite poet had a book with my name! Spelled correctly! Unfortunately, I couldn't find the book because it went out of print in the early 80s. My mother, being the amazing woman she is, stored away all this information. Three years later, she and my dad gave me a copy of this book for my high school graduation. It has the loveliest inscription of how excited they were for me to go out into the world and write my own stories. I don't know how much the book is worth in dollars and I don't care. To me, it is priceless.

[@LeopardMask12]

That last one reminds me of a book my Dad has, and has ordered copies of for the people close to him in his life, which he named Decade Full Of Dreams. When he and his three closest friends at the time went their separate ways for college and such, they kept in contact by writing letters in a specific way, in a sort of letter chain that passed from one person to the next. They wrote about the girls they met, the things they were studying or doing, philosophy, mental health, world events, everything - and all this in the late 60s, when -society- the social order was changing, and three of them were participating in protests while one was stuck in Vietnam, and just so much was happening. Somehow, Dad ended up with all those letters, and he transcribed them into one book, which for a while was called the Book of Friends, before he settled on the name. He's a collector of old and rare books of all kinds, and this video made me realize that probably the most valuable book in our house by far is Decade Full Of Dreams.

[@DisasterAster]

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[@Quintinia]

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[@ueblay]

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[@HelenRosemarySmith]

That's amazing!

[@photofaery]

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[@azx9995]

It's possible that an unsigned first copy of a book by the Green Brothers might be quite monetarily valuable.

[@ananyaravikumar5069]

Or it may be one of those situations where something is more rare, but not necessarily more valuable :P

[@naomiruthsmith]

My great grandfather (my maternal grandmother's father) wrote a diary/memoir of his time living in London during the Second World War. To my knowledge, there is only one copy of it in existence, it is handwritten, and it is by far the most valuable book in my family's possession, at least to me. And it is very well written and absolutely FASCINATING, not in the least because 1. my grandmother, who passed away when I was in my teens and whom I love dearly, features in it quite a lot, and 2. it is incredibly detailed (e.g. I could tell you quite precisely how the war impacted the schedule of his train to work from Caterham, in the suburbs, to Central London - with actual, specific timings!). The man was clearly a real nerd - who very obviously adored his kids - and I love that so very much.

[@sjokkoladehjerte]

That's so cool!😄 Gives me nerves about, the need to back it up, somehow, if the worst were to happen to it, that it makes certain it didn't happen to the only copy. Have you scanned/photo'd it?

[@AUnicorn666]

It would be amazing for historians and other nerds if you wrote that down online and shared it! I'm super intrigued and would want to read it!

[@KristenRowenPliske]

That is awesome!

[@ravendangernavy3575]

I would love to read this but please at the very least make a backup/copy of it somehow if it were ruined it would be devastating

[@cynhanrahan4012]

Transcribe it! I have my father's journals, the earliest of which are written in rapidly degrading pencil. I made it a point to decipher his outrageous handwriting and type the whole giant 3 ring binder. His later journals were written with green felt tip pens. While they are not degrading, my ability to decipher his handwriting in the sort of mushy green ink is. I also have some of his books, specifically those that he read to us far above our age level while working on his MFA. Poe and Twain. I love both authors. But going back and reading them as an adult has given me an entirely different perspective. And since Dad's thesis was on colloquial linguistics in American literature, I know far too much about lips and tongues and breath used to sound like the works were written (Twain won out). These are almost as valuable to me as my father's handwritten works, since they were the actual books he read to us.

[@spacey-sam]

One of my favorite valuable books in my home library is a signed copy of The Giver that I found in my local used book store for like $3, I didn’t even know that it was signed when I bought it, and I didn’t find out until a couple months later when I was going through my library with my embosser and I found it 😅

[@vlogbrothers]

Wow! Lois Lowry is a longtime favorite of mine. -John

[@pas.]

Just out of curiosity, why do you have an embosser, and what do you do with it? :o)

[@pintpullinggeek]

My "most valuable" book would actually be a letter written to my great grandfather, a teacher, by the teacher he had replaced. In it the writer excoriated my ancestor about how he was failing his students by not teaching a proper syllabus. The writer was H.G. Wells. Oh, I also have a "Hanklerfish" AART which was an extra nice surprise when I opened it that Christmas because I didn't think the UK was getting *any* signed editions.

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

Wow, a letter from H.G. Wells, that's amazing! That's like a time machine!

[@cheshirecat512]

My torn and tattered pocket-sized copy of the U.S. Constitution is my most valuable book. Not because of its value to me as a citizen or as someone interested in the hypocritical ideologies of that time, though it is valuable in those ways too, but rather because a dear, important, influential mentor gave it to me, and it is steeped in those memories more than it is in history.

[@calvinpanini]

That's so cool!! I have a copy of the KJV Bible which has incredibly similar energy

[@marym361]

I have a copy of Because of Winn Dixie that my grandmother gave me in my Christmas stocking when I was 9 or 10 years old, and it is my most valuable book. It's physically unremarkable - not perfect, but not bashed up or annotated or stained. I don't think I've even written my name in it. Realistically, someone could replace it with an identical copy and I'd never know. But I've been reading *that* copy for years, and the story inside is precious to me in a way that my grandmother ever knew. When she died, I looked to my bookshelf for something comforting to read and Because of Winn Dixie was my first choice. It wasn't until days later that I realized the gift my grandmother had given me - a story for comfort even after she was gone.

[@JohnDRuddyMannyMan]

My reading copy of Lord of the Rings is a movie edition my dad gave me in 2001. I used it for a dissertation on Book to Film where I highlighted all the lines used or paraphrased in the films and illustrated any visual detail that was directly translated to screen in the margins :F

[@caitief3272]

When my husband proposed, he had a printed journal of the prior year, the moment he knew he was going to propose. It’s by far the most valuable book I own. A close second is a book of all the private messages we sent back and forth on the forum where we met that he gave me as a wedding gift, along with well wishes and advice from all our friends and family. He’s really amazing.

[@Enchanted_Owl]

I just wanna say, my signed copy of TAR is definitely my most valuable book 🖤🖤🖤

[@vlogbrothers]

ahhhh thanks! -John

[@chair547]

Same here

[@AlexDings]

Have you ever found out who got that one copy of The Anthropocene Reviewed that you signed last, writing a review of signing books on the page? Was it a nerdfighter? If so, that is definitely their most valuable book. I'm currently reading the book for the first time (I don't know what took me so long!) and it's marvelous.

[@vlogbrothers]

Yes it ended up with someone in North Carolina who had absolutely no idea what nerdfighteria is. But she seemed happy to get it, and a bit confused by all the hullabaloo. -John

[@boomersooner728]

@@vlogbrothers Honestly, that is just the best. I love the idea that it reached someone who didn't know to anticipate it and could just feel the love of this community.

[@clumsycluster1857]

Do you know what was the review of signing the books?

[@philippa_m]

This comment section is a collection of some of the most beautiful and profound short tales of love and loss in all their varied forms I have read in a long time. Thank you to John and everyone.

[@kamikazelove]

I own every book that Terry Pratchett has ever written. They are all battered, dog eared, and covered with the essence of historical snacks. They are important to me because they keep me alive when I am at my most grievously depressed.

[@rachelgrubbs]

I love this. I most e-read these days, but all my most beloved print books are in pieces.

[@MissingRaptor]

Those are signs of well loved books. Treasure them.

[@booksandquestions9135]

For one Valentine's day while I was working on a masters thesis thinking about the physicality of the book, my husband and I made each other pop-up books. He made book of flowers with a Middlemarch quote, and mine was a pop-up book with the text of e. e. cummings' "i carry your heart" and I think those are pretty high on the list of our most valuable books.

[@hayleyhorton5480]

I have a copy of the first book documenting the sinking of the Titanic (and other great sea disasters)! I got it at a very cozy bookshop, and have since discovered it is in better condition than the copy owned by the Titanic Museum. I used to be quite obsessed with the Titanic in middle school, so it reminds me of that time and has a bit of monetary value. Pretty cool!

[@spacey-sam]

No way!!! That’s so cool!!! Do you mind sharing the name of the book? I was also obsessed with the Titanic in middle school so this sounds like a good read lol

[@pintpullinggeek]

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[@fairelvenlady]

My inner child who remembers my own summer or two of being obsessed with the Titanic (I read many books and ended up dragging my family to the touring exhibition or artifacts that was coming through the nearby science center at the time; my sister still complains about this.) finds this very cool.

[@hayleyhorton5480]

@@spacey-sam @pintpullinggeek It's called "The Sinking of the Titanic and Great Sea Disasters"! Originally picked up the Eyewitness book on the Titanic, and was hooked on learning more about it afterwards! Happy to own a little piece of history.

[@morganw2492]

5th grade me who was super morbidly obsessed with Titanic is very jealous. Also, I also got into it through the eyewitness book

[@thatjillgirl]

I have always been a reader, and for most of my life I've also been a bibliophile. (I regard them as separate but often overlapping categories: A bibliophile has great appreciation for the physical form of books, often regardless of whether they actually read them, and a reader has appreciation for the reading of books and doesn't necessarily care about the quality or type of form the book takes.) I love fantasy books the most, and I'm a sucker for a beautiful, classic leather-bound or cloth-bound book cover. So when my husband decided he wanted to marry me, he took it upon himself to write an entire fantasy novel whose protagonists were based on us, have it beautifully printed and bound, and then strategically place it in my home where I would discover it and read it. He is not a writer, nor is he very into giving or receiving gifts. He knew full well that I wanted to marry him, and he didn't need to go above and beyond on any kind of fancy proposal. He did it one hundred percent for love of me. Hands down my most valuable, most cherished book. I may very well decide to be buried with it.

[@junan6183]

That’s so lovely!

[@lindsay3917]

I have a longtime obsession with The Phantom of the Opera, and when I was in Paris I bought two copies of the book in French from the Opera Garnier, where the book is set. One is well-read and totally ruined by seawater, and the other has gold-edged pages and is still in its plastic packaging. I love them both and they totally embody the duality of well-used and well-loved versus keeping something nice. I bought them for about 10 euros each so they are probably worth very little but something about taking a book across an ocean makes it seem fancy.

[@adf4355]

John talking about his book collection is one of my favorite vlogbrothers sub-genres.

[@jacobhelbig]

i met you at springs once, in 2019, without ever telling you how much of a nerdfighter i am. we had a full conversation! thank you for everything you've written. it's helped me so much.

[@sarahprunierlaw9147]

This is so lovely!

[@misterscottintheway]

@Telepture Please stop spamming the chat

[@TravisRichey]

This is a fascinating topic because when I lost my apartment 3 years ago and then moved to Japan 2 years ago, I have to get rid of almost all my physical media. I just didn't have room for it. Hundreds of DVDs and Blu-Rays, dozens of CDs, and most tragically, a couple hundred books that I'd spent my life collecting. A first edition of "Jaws" that spoke to my love of the Hollywood blockbuster, a very impressive Stephen King Hardcover collection, the first printings of the excellent Timothy Zahn Star Wars trilogy, and many more that I loved. I got rid of *almost* all my books. I've never been a celebrity autograph hound, but signed copies of books are an exception. And in addition to some very cool copies of books signed by Clive Barker and Melinda Snodgrass, my 2 very favorite books because of their autographs are a copy of "Mostly Harmless" by Douglass Adams, and a copy of "Will Greyson, Will Greyson" with a very touching note from one John Green. ~Trav

[@dolores111]

John took time to explain very carefully how he scores his most valuable books, just he could not give a single of them a score. Brilliant.

[@lorenabpv]

one of my most valuable books is dear mr. potter. it was a lovely community project, it was the first thing i had a part in writing (i wrote to ginny weasley, who i still believe is the ultimate hp character) and it forever ingrained into me that stories are ours too

[@ZachBrannigan]

I struggled with reading and English courses in high school, which is something that I would consider a mixed issue of the teachers in those schools and the environment in the home that didn't help much. In 2014, I bought a copy of "The World Without Us" by Alan Weisman. Nothing special about it, it has no signatures and it's a little beat up, but it was the first book that I was able to pick up, read, and keep on reading. Audiobooks would come along later and now I've finished more books in sound than I have in print.

[@trainchomp6184]

I read that book for an AP Environmental Science class, and I was the first book that helped me realise non fiction can tell interesting stories.

[@arunimaphadke]

My most precious books are the three copies of Anthropocene Reviewed, a book so important to me that I saved up for it as my 20th birthday gift, had my parents surprise me with and made a late night purchase of out of sheer panic that the one I shipped internationally might get lost.

[@catalatorre4801]

Thats so funny! Sometimes the most valuable books are the ones with accompanying personal stories, and I just can't help but feel love and a bit of excitement while reading yours

[@chrisgreen8143]

I have a few: A signed copy of To Kill a Mockingbird signed “Best Wishes” from Harper Lee. I met her when I won an essay contest in high school. A signed copy of A Falling Star by Chantel Acevedo. She was my writing professor in college and one of the most talented and encouraging people I’ve ever met. The inscription is an inside joke about Dawson’s Creek. Two signed copies of The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. A first edition signed “To Chris, what kind of plain ass name is that?” And an advance reader copy signed “To Plain Ass Chris, You’re too dope to be plain.” It’s also the only time I’ve been called dope. And last but not least, two signed copies of Looking for Alaska. One, an advance reader copy signed “DFTBA,” that you signed for me at a meet and greet in 2020. And one a first edition, signed “Here’s to the Great Perhaps,” that you signed for me at an appearance in 2006. All prized possessions that I would cry many tears about if I lost them.

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

It's awesome that you had the honor of getting a personal roast from Angie Thomas.

[@chrisgreen8143]

@@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 haha, I asked her to do it, based on the scene from the novel. She was afraid my mom would get mad, but my mom loved it.

[@DeusExHonda]

I bought and read Slaughterhouse Five after years of John low key recommending it. He's never like "you HAVE TO READ THIS AMAZING BOOK!" But he just always gives the best reviews of how much it impacted him and I wanted to know how a great writer impacted a great writer so much. Now I get it.

[@TheGFeather]

When cleaning out my grandparents house in 2002, we found a book called 'An Indian Remembers' which my grandmother had likely acquired while travelling to a presbytery meeting. It was one of a fairly unremarkable print run of a small publisher in Winnipeg, Manitoba in the early 1970s, and written by a man named Tom Boulanger. The book is a memoir of life on the traplines in Northern Manitoba, and is interesting, though not especially well written. The reason it became valuable to me didn't come until several years later. I wasn't even aware of it at the time. The book had gone with several boxes to my aunt and hadn't been of any particular note, but also hadn't made it to a charity shop yet either. It just sat in a box not doing much. After finishing teacher's college, I moved to a fly-in community in Northern Manitoba. The reserve was called Berens River. I taught grade one at the school there for three years. As with most isolated, small communities, there are a limited number of family names and everyone is related to everyone else. Most of my class lists were limited to a handful of last names, 3 Bouchies, 3 Swains, 2 Moonias' and so on. I flew out to Winnipeg a few times a year to have appointments and do various things that aren't possible to do in a remote community, and I would stay with my aunt who lived outside the city. One time I came down to visit and she said she had been going through some of boxes and found a book that might interest me. She showed me Tom Boulanger's book and the name jumped out at me since I had two students in my class that year with the name. She had read it and discovered that the author was indeed from the community I was teaching in. I brought it back with me and tried to find out more of the story. I discovered the author was the great uncle of both my Boulanger students, though long since passed on so I didn't get the chance to meet him. But the book is quite valuable to me because of the strange series of coincidences that put it in my hands. I have no idea why my grandmother bought that book. I have no real notion of how it ended up in the keep rather than donate boxes as we cleaned out the rather extensive number of books in my grandparents house. It was strange happenstance that I ended up in a remote fly-in reserve in Northern Manitoba. About the only thing that isn't much of a coincidence is that my students were related to the author. But for all it's the least surprising part, it's probably the most special.

[@mussoletart8485]

my most valuable books are my german editions of the stormlight archive (which hold my book club notes with my mum) and the anthropocene reviewed (which holds notes of thoughts my grandpa has while i read it to him over the phone), and my copy of poor me. a life. by aa gill, which has saved my life. a lot. so, thank you john, for giving me things to read with my grandparents ♡

[@speedthisup2]

I have a pop-up book that was given to me when I was about 5 or 6 years old. I used to go to my mom every evening and ask her to read the book with me. Now, at 26, I have a 10-month-old son who has been introduced to the book. He managed to rip off one of the pop-up thingies, but he'll appreciate it later in life I hope.

[@itsmemarlene]

"Which makes it stressful to even touch" - That's so relatable

[@JoaoPessoa86]

I recently inherited a 1943 edition of Audubon's Birds of America that was given to my great-grandmother by my great-grandfather and there's a note to her that he wrote in the first page and it quickly became not just a beautiful addition to my library but one of my most precious possessions.

[@scribbledjoy]

Ahh, thank you, John! Now I know what I'm getting my husband for his 30th- a signed edition of 6 months' worth of long-distance emails. I've always felt rather lucky for online dating, since it gave us such a complete artifact of our love story. Falling in love is great, but being able to go back and read it as it was happening (and in long-form emails as opposed to texts even), is such a gift.

[@codygerard4193]

My most valuable book is, and will likely remain, the copy of Turtles All the Way Down that I received at the New York show of the book tour. The show itself and the time before and after it is a precious memory, and the book, which is signed by all the friends I went to the show with and spent those days with serves as a reminder of it and of them that I can hold close to me at any time.

[@shabditarajesingh6945]

My most valuable books are : Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. Because, they were the first novels I read. And that story in general has a deep connection with me. 2: Turtles All The Way Down : John Green Because, I, as a highschool student, is not allowed to read books. Any kind of books. And my sister, just gave me that book yesterday because she listens that I absolutely love Mr.John Green's Books. They just have a special connection with me. "Some books are so special that advertising you affection feels like a betrayal" That kind of love. So ANYWAY. That is the first book i received in 2 years. And I cried. Aside front he fact that it is a John Green book, the most important part to me is that my sister, a 10 year old, listens to my rambling about my love for things. And how much she knows me. Honestly, who listens to a 16 year old Ramble about Nuclear bombs... And John Green's books? That's the purity of her Love and that warmed my heart. And that book is now so close to me, i can't express it.(edit... I read it.. and it's even more special to me than ever. Probably the best book i ever read)

[@phillyphakename1255]

I am a collector of "The Great Gatsby" books. Some are kinda collectible/valuable, but I also have about 2 dozen of the mass market paperbacks. My local used bookstore gets a ton of them, so they sell em off for cheap, and each one has its own story. Some are well annotated, some sparsely so, some have love letters in the margins, some love different parts of the book than me. It is the Great American Novel, and my copies are a cross section of the American experience with the book. Each of the names are different, some books are ratty, some are well cared for but we'll used, some are nearly pristine, never opened, purchased because the kid thought they needed to at least have a copy even if they aren't going to read it.

[@movingforwardLDTH]

My favorite book is actually more of a booklet. It contains some of my then-teenaged daughter’s work created during her tenure as a member of a competitive slam poetry team. They are insightful, heartbreaking, thought-provoking, and inspiring.

[@sarty]

My most valuable book is "I Love Her, That's Why" by George Burns from 1955. He wrote it as an autobiography as well as a love letter to Gracie. I wanted it so badly when I saw reruns of the Burns and Allen TV show when I was 10 years old back in the 1980s that I wrote a letter to George asking if I could borrow it. I never sent the letter, but I still have it and I wish I would have sent it because I think they would have at least shown it to him. I finally found and purchased a copy when I was 20. It's not a first edition, it has been read, but I adore it and treasure it. I'm 48 now and I still pull it out and re-read it. :)

[@GretalRabbit]

My well read and well worn copy of Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone. It’s not a first edition - though it is one of the earlier ones with Robertus Tallis on the back, I got it as a gift from my grandparents when my sister was born.

[@justhiraeth3285]

My most valuable book is „A little life“ by Hanya Yanagihara. I was so scared to read it but a friend of me insisted that it’s beautiful and that I would love it. I never buy books because I can’t afford it, and when I told her I couldn‘t find it in the library, she shipped me her copy all the way from Norway for me to read. She also wrote me a note inside the book and her favorite paragraph. It sat on my desk for 1.5 years until one day I was going through one of the hardest days of my life, and I picked it up and finished it within a weekend. If I didn’t have the luxury to just have the book laying around, and to pick it up whenever I wanted to, I don’t think I would have ever read it, or at least not during a moment where I needed it so much. I‘m going to see Hanya Yanagihara next week for a book reading, and someone gifted me a copy of her new book „To Paradise“. I will ask her to sign it to my friend‘s name and can‘t wait to ship it to her.

[@noah9056]

My cousin gave me a paperback copy of The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho right before I went off to college. She wrote a lovely note to me about starting a journey and not knowing where it would lead to. I love coming back to that same book at different stages of my life and seeing something new.

[@_mels_]

I love how most of your books are in shiny plastic covers. Really shows that you care about them. Meanwhile part of my "home library", if you can call it that, lives on top of a cluttered ironing board, in a box next to sewing supplies, or on an empty shelf of a clothing wardrobe, because our bookshelf has long been inadequate at providing space necessary. And yet I am still reading books on my phone because, well, it's easier for me

[@markquigley4993]

A most valuable book feels like an oxymoron as I am a dyslexic who has never read with my own eyes a novel, but I have my great uncles copy of An Unsung Hero: Tom Crean - Antarctic Survivor. He was the closest thing I had to a grandfather and while I've never read that copy, I read the audiobook and it was one of the first books that I had to finish before putting it down.

[@ApequH]

Comics? The arrival by Shaun Tan?

[@smithhenke5049]

i'm dyslexic too, and though my visual disability waxes and wanes so i can read sometimes, i feel this so strongly. language is my passion and i feel like sometimes it shouldn't be because of dyslexia. it's really touching to hear that another dyslexic exists out there who has a love of at least one book! thank you for sharing!!

[@markquigley4993]

@@smithhenke5049 it's great to hear that, and while I've never been into English myself, I've always been fascinated by people such as yourself who, despite similar struggles, can still find that joy in reading. You should know that there are many dyslexics who love reading. In fact, my family is full of them. For me, I can't fully enjoy a physical novel as each page is a struggle, but I am surprised to find that I am more of an exception. Most, if not all of the men on my dads' side of the family are dyslexic, but they all have personal libraries from big to obscene. My dads' childhood bedroom has three walls made of bookshelves.

[@lyadmilo]

I mean, if you're looking to get into valuable books in the literal sense of the word, art books are some of the priciest ever. I also second The Arrival. So called "silent" graphic novels are so moving.

[@awildeeveeappeared]

There’s an episode of Wonderful where Griffin and Rachel McElroy also talk about their emails prior to officially dating and it’s one of my favorite episodes. I love hearing people reminisce about how they fell in love and relive those details you get to see through emails.

[@futurebwaystar53]

i have a lot of old nancy drew books that my great grandmother passed down to me; she passed away in December but would always gift me one at christmas when I was growing up because she knew how much I loved to read.

[@emilyking221]

My copy of The Little Prince. It was my mother's copy from a college class. In it, she underlined important phrases. She's not emotional otherwise, and doesn't write or allow pictures, but I'd like to think she and I get to share the same thought when I too read those underlined lines and agree with her. I try to cherish any heirloom of intimacy or sentiment with loved ones

[@ivytarablair]

This was such a lovely list! John Green's precious reads vibes! I suppose my most valuable book is my 1st edition Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K leGuin. Her books are all foundational to my heart, having read them at that stage when one is forming one's adult self. This first edition has the most beautiful woodblock print art and I just love it. It got some water damage years ago and i was like, Well, it's not like I'm ever going to SELL IT! So it's just as valuable to *me* :)

[@EwemizDreamsRawks]

My most valuable book, akin to John and Sarah's emails, is a book my best friends made for me for my 18th birthday-it was so funny and so sweet and it makes cry every time because I haven't seen them face-to-face in so long and I miss them so much.

[@charliespinoza1966]

When I was a kid, I wanted a book of Disney stories. My parents had a pretty wide book budget (we are all obsessive readers) but it did not include this book. It is the first book I bought myself, literally by nickel and dimeing my way to finish paying for it as we had put it on layaway. I remember going and putting payments toward it and finally, FINALLY paying for it and holding it for the first time, as mine. It’s not even a good book and has all kinds of classic Disney racism in it and stories that would now be made into fluff spin-offs, but it meant the world to me. I keep it now bc it reminds me of all that saving I did and the reward of reading it over and over, and as a testament to our deeply ingrained racism and of how hard we have to work to dismantle it.

[@Ami-ls4vs]

Now I really want to read ‘Instruction Booklet’

[@salina3192]

My most valuable book is the first book I ever read. It's a childrens book we read in primary school and it is a great story I really love to this day. It's not fancy, you can get it for a couple of bucks in any bookstore but my copy does have notes from the time I read it and it has a lot of memories stored of a friend I lost many years ago. The most valuable book in my family though is a book by a priest my grandparents covered for during the WWII because he helped Jewish people escape Germany. During that time he wrote a book and we have a copy of it.

[@hannahlock2597]

My friend died two years ago, and I still have copies of the books he let me borrow (as do many of his friends) and they've become so valuable to me.

[@TheMossyrocker16]

I have some signed John Green books that I think are pretty neat. But my most valuable book, by a very, very wide margin, is my definitive illustrated copy of Good Omens. It's called the Ineffable Edition and was limited to a 666 run, all signed by the illustrator Paul Kidby and Neil Gaiman. It retails for £300. But in Australian dollars (plus shipping for this huge box of book and other goodies), it cost an eye watering amount. But it has pride of place on top of my fantasy book shelves. I also have signed books by a bunch of comedians too, like Eddie Izzard, Dara Ó Briain, Mark Watson, Colin Mochrie, Greg Proops... I'm not sure they're worth a lot money-wise, but sentimental value is through the roof.

[@existentialdiet1632]

I have an incredibly beaten-up copy of Albert Camus' The Stranger that I read my first year in college and have since taken with me all around the world, and a copy of Jean-Paul Sartre's No Exit, the copy I used when it became the first play I ever directed. I also have a copy of Beckett's Molloy that I bought from Shakespeare and Company when I was in Paris and it has the official stamp indicating that I did in fact buy it from Shakespeare and Company.

[@yaelmorin9017]

Many, many years ago you described your college thesis as "religion (mostly Islam) and American literature (mostly Twain)", and I think this is the first time you've elaborated on that in public. Neat!

[@SheWasOnlyEvie]

My most valuable book is my 20 year old copy of Persuasion by Jane Austen: it made me fall in love with Austen's writing and with classics in general. I have read it at least once a year every year since so it's tattered and barely held together, but it means so much to me.

[@joycescheeren]

One of the most valuable books in 'my' collection (in parentheses because I share this one with my sister) is a book of knit and crochet swatches my mother made at elementary school. My mother was an avid crocheter. She passed away 8 years ago. When she was in the final stages of her illness I took up crochet as a stress reliever. I tried many times to learn the skill (and she tried to teach me) but I never managed to make it work. But when she was ill, I did. I turned into a full-on yarn crafter. Seeing her yarnwork in that book (and her handwriting) moves me in ways I cannot describe. We had a complicated relationship but eventually this turned into a shared interest.

[@MattPalka]

Loving these comments. Valuable books on my mind: all my daily journals since Jan 1, 2015, my grandmother's childhood copy of Goodnight Moon, Parable of the Sower with my margin notes, and my book journal that I began in high school book club. And some more than that. I'm so glad I continued to journal summary the books I read since book club. They still carry me.

[@SammyJStubbs]

I would love to read “Instruction Booklet” I’ve always wanted to read a good style guide. Does anyone know where you can get a copy?

[@seanmccoy]

Me tooooo

[@WindFireAllThatKindOfThing]

I respect it for having the most arch title imaginable. The _HUBRIS_ .....

[@jnespuxah]

I want one! Please, John, reach out to your professor seeking permission to distribute copies!

[@MadiRoseT]

I am a Kenyon alum and e-mailed Dr. Lentz. I'll let you know if I hear back.

[@sawanth1018]

@@MadiRoseT Sooooo?

[@crenwrites]

John, I just want to say thank you for sharing the Slaughterhouse-Five book. Brief story to this. My High School buddies and I played Trivial Pursuit through HS and into college, we are now entering our 40s. There is a question in the Genus Edition of Trvial Pursuit what asks about this book. The question was looking for the author's name. This was a center space, for the win question. I was not on the team being asked the question, but I was on the other team at the table that day who had all six pies. It's also worth noting, I was not on the team asking the question. After a few minutes of thinking and talking it out, the team, answering for victory says "Kurt Vonnegut". They felt great about their answer, having talked it out. The team asking the question said "I can't accept, the card says Kurt Vonnegut, Jr." Immediate uproar, all the competitive cylinders firing and the rules are, if the asking team doesn't accept, it's not correct. My team went on to with the game. For those interested, the winning question was "What drink does Radar order in M*A*S*H?". They had no idea that I was a regular consumer of M*A*S*H reruns. To this day, we bring this up every holiday gathering. Even our wives get in on it when they want to stir up the room, someone will make a KVJ reference. Anyways, I shared a screenshot with the group chat and we will be talking about this for the rest of that day. I thank you for that. I'll be here next Tuesday.

[@risxra]

I have quite a few books that are very valuable to me, but I think my most valuable one is the copy of Little Women that was gifted to my late grandmother for her 13th birthday in 1943. I found it on the shelf at my house after watching the 2019 movie and wanting to read the book for the first time, and my mom assured me that we had a copy lying around somewhere. When I showed her what I’d found, she told me I could keep it! I was 16 when my grandmother passed, and I feel like every year since then I’ve learned about something new we had in common. That book is vitally important to me because it helps me feel closer to her. (And my most valuable book monetarily would probably be my first-edition signed copy of TFiOS, honestly.)

[@bowiz2]

On an old internal network somewhere, I still have all my inter network emails that I traded with my now wife. Unfortunately irrecoverable for me, but I like to believe its sitting on some backup harddrive somewhere in some bunker.

[@calvinpanini]

Monetarily speaking, I found a 1st edition of The Fountainhead at a library booksale in rural ID for like $2. I have a weird relationship with the work of Ayn Rand, sounds similar to you and Twain there. Emotionally, I have the $8 copy of Fernando Pessoa's Book of Disquiet which I would commit actual violence to protect because it guided me through the darkest of my teen years

[@Kelly_C]

mine is a significantly bloodstained copy of leaves of grass that I brought in a used bookstore in boston with an inscription from a previous owner promising that the blood wasn't their fault, they bought it like that from a used bookstore in chicago, which is interestingly where I and it live.

[@that_silly_ginger]

I still have copies of the middle grade series The Land of Elyon that I will never get rid of because my mother and I read that series together when I was in elementary/middle school. They aren't worth much but those little books mean the world to me. One of mom's happens to be a picture book- Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon. My sister and I decided we wanted to donate all our old picture books when we got too old for them, except for one- Molly Lou Melon, I kept it, and never told her. It came with me when I moved out. She saw it on my shelf one day when she was visiting, I've never seen her cry over a book. I decided to give it back to her since it seemed to have more sentimental value for her as a picture book that she read to both of her kids that was still around after she thought they were all gone.

[@sherrie87]

The "Like Letters" podcast was BY FAR my favorite perk ever from P4A. Hearing that there will be another this year has brought sunshine into my workday! I can't wait....take my money P4A!!!

[@RCPlanes59]

I would most certainly pay more than $7 for a first-edition (see: only) printing of "The Spring and The Fall"

[@elizabethbettis762]

My most valuable book is a copy of The Blue Castle (my favorite book of all time) given to me by my aunt, who is one of my very best friends and always encouraged me to read and write and explore the world. It was her reading copy, and it's falling apart, but I still read it because it was a big part of how my husband and I fell in love and started dating. We still read it aloud to each other once a year.

[@haleyprice8451]

I could listen to John (and definitely anyone in my own life) talk about the books he loves for hours and hours. How wonderful to hear what someone loves and how they came to love it.

[@FrazNinja]

Wait what about the book your grandpa wrote? The one that had to be photocopied out of the library of congress

[@halfwaytothehill2164]

I think mine is the pirated copy of God of small things in the city that was going to be my new home but covid but i love this city i am stuck it and it incidently reminds me of Aynmenem like the one from the book.

[@fairelvenlady]

So, I don't think I have any books of any particular monetary value, but one book that definitely holds unique value for me is my copy of "El Dorado" by Baroness Orczy. My sister bought it for me for Christmas one year and it's a nice looking edition, but we discovered it was straight up missing chapters, which was very odd. So my sister, who was studying graphic design at the time, created for me little booklets of the missing chapters to insert into the book, doing her best to match formatting and font. And it's just one of those books that has a story to it and honestly, most of my books that I value have stories attached to them.

[@vlogactor]

I have a copy of the play M Butterflt by David Henry Hwang that I’ve read many times over the last twelve years. It’s been my favorite play since I first read it in high school, and when I reread it in college, my professor and I bonded over our love of it. That professor is gone now, and that little play on my shelf always makes me think of him.

[@yuvalne]

Suuuuuper hyped to know the email critiques return for this year's P4A!

[@Pratchettgaiman]

I have a copy of "Ghastly Beyond Belief" which is one of Neil Gaiman's first books (mostly quotes from terrible science fiction movies) which I think is pretty cool

[@StardustScribe]

In no particular order - my copy of LOTR which my sister gave me and has lots of notes in it and page markers and is well loves -my author's edition of a book I self-published. It's a bit cringey to read now but I jumped around the house when I first got it and the feeling of having something I wrote from beginning to end in my hands was and still is amazing -My grandma's english lit textbook. It's very old, I haven't read it, but seeing something in my grandma's handwriting as she makes notes really makes me feel close to someone who left this world a while ago and also reminds me that even she was just a student once.

[@keatonramey2274]

I have a signed copy of Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. He wrote a little note in it that said "To Keaton, with hope." That's probably my most valuable book. I got it in the 9th grade which is 5-6 years ago now. I hadn't thought about it in a while. Thanks for reminding me of this

[@patrickfoster9906]

What i want to know if if Professor Lentz has ever made his booklet available to the rest of the world? I could use an actually useful style guide.

[@Hans-jc1ju]

I would love to get a version of this somehow. It would be amazing if John could scan it since I cannot find it online anywhere.

[@ObviouslyBenHughes]

Mornin’, John. Thanks for this four minute break from work while sat physically here in my actual work office for once.

[@roftherealm3418]

My most valuable book is an old, beautiful, leatherback copy of my favorite book: "Far From the Madding Crowd" by Thomas Hardy. It was given to me by my dad, who introduced me to that book in the first place. It's been one of our special things, just between us, for years, and he found me a beautiful copy. I cried when I got it for Christmas.

[@griffinwolf5704]

My most valuable book is a book my grandfather wrote for my brother and I about pirates and computers and magic, of which there are under 10 copies existing that he got printed professionally. Looking back as an adult it is not the best written kids book out there but it reflects what we did together and who he was. I would never stop being sad about it if I lost one of the copies. Following that, my first copy of the script of Cyrano. It remains my favorite play (It's funny, it's moving, it's romantic, its got action, and beautiful poetry and dialogue) and my favorite translation though it is a somewhat worn paperback. I have since collected at least five different translations of the play, some of which are much nicer volumes. Someday I hope to see it performed. I believe by John's metric no other books I personally own would receive any points. There are many other books I would be quite upset to lose but no irreplaceable ones where the individual copy has enough significance to shed tears over, and he said tears x $, if tears is 0 no points. Honorable mentions to my copy of The Bread We Eat in Dreams by Catherynne Valente, as highly personally important and the most monetarily valuable book I own. Having been part of a limited run it's worth a few hundred dollars, and to several picture books including Looking for Bird (about Charlie Parker) and Faithful Elephants, I've cried enough reading it, even if the copy is replaceable.

[@valharlynn1249]

How can one obtain a copy of Instruction Booklet? I love style guides.

[@MKPiatkowski]

I'd like to know that too!

[@livlivlivliv259]

The email book is adorable 🥰

[@colie563]

My original copy of A Wrinkle in Time from 5th grade. It has notes from when we did some of the scenes as short skits and a puffy sticker on the cover and the work "askew" circled because it was the first time i ever saw that word in print. There are no words to describe how by just touching it i am transported back 40 years to a complicated period when i wasn't a little kid, but i wasn't a teenager either and everything - school, family, friends- seemed so immediate and important.

[@photofaery]

My most valued book is Alex, the Life of a Child by Frank Deford. It is written about his daughter who died at age 8 of Cystic Fibrosis. I read it when I was about 12 when I found a copy at a library book sale. I read it so many times I destroyed about three different copies and now have 3 versions on my shelf so I’ll always have one. I wrote to Mr. Deford when I was a teenager (Alex would have been in her twenties at that time) about his book and daughter’s impact on my life and he wrote me back (in handwritten purple highlighter!)-a letter I still have. Although I’m not personally impacted by CF, they are my charity of choice and I’m so proud of how much progress has been made in fighting this horrible disease. Be prepared to cry if you read it. But it’s beautiful.

[@rachelcampbell9467]

Am I the only person that thought John and Sarah actually co-wrote a book together that was going to be like, published and available to the wider public? Because I was soooo excited for like 0.34 seconds. But for real. A novel by Sarah and John? Yes please.

[@space_quartz]

I love your book videos!!! I have a question. How long does it take you to read a 500 paged book?

[@UberBeth]

Found at a Half Price Books, a first printing hardback of Isaac Asimov's Annotated Complete Works of Gilbert and Sullivan. A perfect mesh of my father's interests for birthday gift. I inherited it back when he passed.

[@yamyam7918]

Growing up I would collect books primarily through garage sales and thrift stores. One day in high school my friends and I went to a Goodwill bins store and I found a box set of the original Sherlock Holmes stories and I was so freaking excited. Going to check out the employees weren’t sure what to charge me and I was willing to pay anything for such a find on my wishlist. They charged me $4 😊

[@Jesssicaaharris]

I’m seriously going to spend all of my money of P4A perks.

[@untappedinkwell]

Only if you can do so responsibly!! We support responsible financial choices here--please do not spend money you need for life/bills/food on p4a perks. (But if you can afford it, the digital download bundle IS a great deal and will get you, like, so many perks.)

[@Jesssicaaharris]

@@untappedinkwell thank you! P4A was supposed to be on my birthday before it was pushed so I have a bit sitting aside so I can indulge this year.

[@untappedinkwell]

@@Jesssicaaharris Hooray!! Happy Birthday!