Book Purchase January 2016

Okay. So you all know that I'm a huge Potter fan. Or maybe that hasn't come across since I haven't had the opportunity to write the reviews yet. I felt like maybe I should reread them before I start writing so that I don't get a bit muddled up. Or maybe it's just an excuse to reread them, cause now I am. Rereading The Order of The Phoenix.

The following is probably going to be so hard to explain. So I own all the Harry Potter books in the Swedish edition. Because you know when you're nine you tend to read in you mother tongue and not the language you've studied for like two years. So I've got all of those. Happy and satisfied. I got the first three from my grandma and then I started collecting the other as I went. I actually like the covers quite a lot to be honest.

So when I moved to England I started buying the English versions because I wanted to reread them in the original language and because I could. So I bought the first four without difficulty. What I didn't realise was that they were of the signature collection and now they don't sell them anymore!! And some of you may know that I'm really picky about editions and covers. I need every book in the series to be the same edition and size. Why? Because being a fandom is not just about reading. For me reading is like collecting stamps. I know, stupid simile, but true. I have most of my books on display in my room so I get irritated when stuff don't look perfect. So, now I obviously want the whole series in English.

So my friend was like just buy them from charity shops. They always have them. You just have to pop in now and then. And they are usually in good shape. Then my mum (being present) said that she had seen the whole series in the original colourful striped hardcover. So I was like yes, lets go. But when we went they only had book four and five. So mum was like no point in buying them then and I got convinced. I know. WTH!

So then we went to this 2nd hand charity book shop (yes, just books, in amazing condition and super cheap) and they had book six in the same edition as the other charity shop had. I bought it and decided to go back to the other one and get the other two and when asking in the shop she said that they do come now and again and that you have to pop in regularly to check.

I didn't get the chance to go in at the end of the day and get them but my mum and younger sister popped in and she called me saying that the fourth one was missing pages so I was like: how did you notice that you know, but don't buy it cause what is the point? Turns out they were tricking me (I always fall for these things) and my sister wanted to surprise me. She's an angel.

So I decided that it would have to take a little time to get my complete series in the original covers. I don't really mind the books being read through and a little worn out around the edges. I like that because some of my books are really worn out. It shows they've been read and brought with you in your bag and appreciated you know.

So bought those three books this week. Just realised like every paragraph has started with 'so'. I'm not a very good story teller.

However, I then realised that I can't build up my complete series in second hand hard covers and then have four of the signature edition uncompleted. No, I will not have it. So I search around amazon, but they're all used (which is fine) but The Order of the Phoenix was £22! I mean give me break. And the others were like £13. So I started looking at e-bay but found this website called alibris that sell second hand books really cheap. So I got The Order of the Phoenix for £1.25, The Half-Blood Prince for £11.49 and The Deathly Hallows for £0.71 plus £6.77. I didn't mind the shipping since the price in total still ended up cheaper than £22. They were all in 'very good' condition on the website and now I have the complete series. They proved very hard to find though.

Mind you, this doesn't mean I'll stop searching for the hard covers. I'm still getting there. I don't mind if that results in me having three completed series of Harry Potter in different editions. The more the merrier!

Which covers to you have and does it matter a lot to you?