Books worth buying when just released

[elvet]

In these economic times, everyone is looking for a deal. Paperbacks (new and used) are usually the cheapest source for a good read. I'm not sure how downloads compare, but I'm assuming they are less expensive that hardcovers.
So, the question is - are there any authors you like so much that you get the newest book in hardcover? Are there any books you liked so much that you try and replace your paperback with the hardcover? Do you go so far as to buy special editions?
So far, the authors I buy new releases for are G.G. Kay, Erikson, Michelle West, G. R. R. Martin, Abercrombie and Lynch.

 

[GOLLUM]

Yes there would be some e.g Glenn Cook (special HB edns), Clark Ashton Smith, Robert E Howard, Karl Edward Wagner (HB edns of Kane collectors item), Italo Calvino's Complete Cosmicomics (HB edn, beautifully presented), Last Continent Zothique (HB anthology fully signed in honor of Ashton Smith by ALL contributors incl, Gene Wolfe Yeh! ) 50th anniversary ed, of LOTR (leather bound with gold glided pages, colour maps) the SF and Fantasy Mastwerwork series, Pengiuin Black classic edns. AND the list goes on for me so I shan't regale you any longer...

That's more special edns/series. I basically get anything when it is newly released by MANY authors but not necessarily in HB IF TPB is on offer. Authors include Gaiman, Vandermeer, M John Harrison, Cook, Erikson, JV Jones, Donaldson, Tim Powers, Pullman, Le Guin (on occasion), Patricia Mckillip, Calvino reprints, Jose Saramago, Angela Carter reprints, Swanwick, Gene Wolfe, G.R.R. Martin, Tolkien reprints/newly released books, Rushdie, Neal Stephenson, Umberto Eco, Isabel Allende (on occasion), Julio Cortazar reprints, NYRB releases (newly translated material) and frankly this only scratches the surface.

Interesting thread BTW.....

 

[Daisy-Boo]

I willingly shell out the price of a hardcover for Terry Pratchett.

I haven't seen these authors' books in hardcover in my local stores but I buy their new books upon release, no matter the price.

Neil Gaiman
John Connolly
Elizabeth Berg
Stieg Larsson (sadly, only three books available, of which I have all)
Yrsa Gottmunsdottir
Arnuldur Indriadason
Ruth Rendell (for an Inspector Wexford novel)
Ian Rankin (for a Rebus novel)
John Aveyde Lindqvuist
Elizabeth George (for an Inspector Lynley novel)

 

[Connavar]

My author list for new realeses are :

Jack Vance ( new collections of old,rare stories every year it seems)
Robert. E Howard ( Del Rey,Wildside press keep reprinting his heroes,other genres)
Richard Stark/ Donald E Westlake( they reprint Richard Stark books 3 times a year)
Ken Bruen
Tim Powers
Paul Kearney
Richard Morgan
Conn Iggulden
Andrezj Sapkowski
Charlie Huston
James Sallis
George Pelecanos

 

[Nesacat]

I don't have a specific list for new releases. I tend to pick-up whatever is fascinating at the time I am in the bookstore and I don't really look out for particular authors. The last several books I've invested in have all been from authors new to me.

Working in the remainder bookstore really helps since I actually seem to get books much faster there then in the regular store, which does not really make sense I know.

And the huge bonus here is that the books will almost always be hardback and cost less than a regular paperback.

 

[Fried Egg]

I don't like hard cover under any circumstances. Usually too bulky and unwieldly.

I very rarely buy right after release, even in paperback.

 

[iansales]

For me, it would be:
Gwyneth Jones
Paul Park
Alastair Reynolds
Iain Banks
Kim Stanley Robinson
John Crowley
Mary Gentle
... plus a few others (although my collections of those authors isn't complete)

 

[Daisy-Boo]

Connavar...ditto Charlie Huston!

 

[Connavar]

I dont like Hardcover either i prefer the big paperback that comes before the regular smaller paperback. But some paperback cost as much as Hardcover thanks to some publishers so the choice is easier.

For example Ken Bruen's Once Were Cops costed $15.61 as new Hardcover in Dec 2008,as Paperback realesed 2009 Nov cost me $15.

Thats why i go for Hardcover with books i look forward all year long.

 

[Clansman]

Hardcovers for the Clansman:

GG Kay
Janny Wurts
Tad Williams
GRRM
Rennie Airth (for John Madden novels, though they only come out every 5 years)

Bernard Cornwell, Conn Iggulden and Steven Saylor get honourable mentions, but as I didn't start collecting them in HB, too difficult.

 

[Pyan]

Just Sir PTerry - most people's new books I get from the library, read, then buy them in p/b...

 

[thaddeus6th]

Tend not to rush for new releases. George RR Martin and Joe Abercrombie (loved the First Law Trilogy, yet to acquire Best Served Cold) would probably be the only ones thus far.

I'm still working through some fantasy/sci-fi/classics. I'm also hopelessly absentminded about such things, and keep meaning to buy more of Hobb's stuff, and Dune too.

 

[paranoid marvin]

Novels always seem to be released in H/B first , and then 6-12 months later in P/B. Has this always been the case? I must admit that for any author I 'follow' , I always go out and get the book staright away , generally most books are far lower than their RRP in the shops or on-line right from day 1 (in fact , does ANYONE actually pay the full RRP?)

Tbh I would rather buy the p/b , but always have to settle for the h/b as I dont want to wait 6 months. HAs this always been the case , and is it simply donee to generate the max revenue possible. Why not offer bothe h/b and p/b from day one?

 

[iansales]

Not all authors are published in hardback. Some go straight to mass market paperback. Some are first published in trade paperback (same size as a hardback, but with paper covers, and cheaper). Gary Gibson's first two novels were published as trade paperbacks, but his third was first published in hardback. Likewise Justina Robson. Hardback is considered a more "prestigious" format - it's more expensive, for one thing. They're certainly more durable, which is why I prefer them for writers whose works I collect.

 

[paranoid marvin]

Not all authors are published in hardback. Some go straight to mass market paperback. Some are first published in trade paperback (same size as a hardback, but with paper covers, and cheaper). Gary Gibson's first two novels were published as trade paperbacks, but his third was first published in hardback. Likewise Justina Robson. Hardback is considered a more "prestigious" format - it's more expensive, for one thing. They're certainly more durable, which is why I prefer them for writers whose works I collect.

Oh , I guess I stay pretty 'mainstream' with my authors , so most books are the ones likely to be in the top 10 , and therefore always in h/b first. Yeah , h/b is more prestigious and the quality of paper etc much higher , it's just much more of a pain storing them, esp with number I have like the Discworld novels. I'm tempted to chnage them all for p/b versions , but the cost is pretty prohibitive , but I'd never part with my h/b LOTR or Hobbit though

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

At the moment, I am in such financial straits, I can't imagine buying hardcovers for a long, long time (with few exceptions, which I will go into in a moment), although I can think of several authors whose new books I would haunt the library for and get through inter-library loan if I must.

The one certain exception is the third book in the Monster Blood Tattoo series by D. M. Cornish. I know I will get that one because my husband is even keener than I am to read it. Every few months he asks me plaintively if I know when the next one will be published. So anything that will make both of us that happy will be worth the money.

The other exception would be if a favorite author were to unexpectedly write a new book in an old, beloved series. Then I don't know if I could wait for inter-library loan.

 

[nixie]

Steven Erikson, Raymond E Fiest are two I can't bear to wait for the paperbacks. Remember when the final book in Stephen King's Dark Tower was released, I found myself stood outside W.H Smith's half an hour before the shop opened I was that desperate to get my hands on it. Of course it hadn't arrived so ha to go back after work...

 

[elvet]

Interesting replies.
From a practicality standpoint, I like p/b for reading because they're lighter and less cumbersome. However, since I like to reread my faves, I found that after about the 5th go through my p/bs start to fall apart.
Like some other members, I started into fantasy relatively recently, so trying to replace some faves with h/c is not only difficult, but also expensive (when you factor in shipping). What I try and do now is buy the first in a new series in p/b, read it and then decide if I'll replace it and get the rest of the books in h/c.
As for special editions, I wish I had got on the Subterranean Press Erikson special edition bandwagon.

 

[thesoothsayer]

I don't like hard cover under any circumstances. Usually too bulky and unwieldly.

I very rarely buy right after release, even in paperback.

Same here. Normally wait for the paperback version to be released before purchasing.

 

[dask]

I collect the Hartwell/Cramer YEAR'S BEST SF series so I get those as soon as they appear and any collections of hard to find sf/mystery pulp tales. Other than that I buy second hand or do without. I will spill for old sf mags when I come across them and can afford it.