I have just ordered ˜ received # 6

Continuation...

Haven't received any books from the New Year Sale. Can't wait to see the mug!

"this group here mentions more books in a week than any promoter can even think of. And then someone shows up and posts pictures (see the Dahl thread for example...)."

I'm pretty sure FS sells more books through the discussions and especially the photographs in this forum than they do from the website info. There have been many books I've seen on the site and had an "eh, not bad, but it can wait" reaction then someone posts pictures and suddenly those same books are on their way to my house too. This group is just as dangerous as Folio 60--which I haven't touched since my Wodehouse buying spree.

> 2

Totally agree. I, for example, have been 'encouraged' to buy many books from FS directly or on the second-hand market thanks to comments or pictures in this group. The website is not entirely sufficient and the mailings always arrive late.

>2 haniwitch:

Oh I agree. ;) Especially amongst the people that frequent LT. Although a lot of the books we talk about are out of print.

The site is... bad. It is still better than the Easton Press one though. It is almost as if both publishers are trying to aim at people with money that look for beautiful covers than anything else. Oh well... that's where internet comes into play I guess - and the groups here :)

My renewal order was sent on November 23rd, and nothing has come yet. Last year, I had to wait for 2 1/2 months; I wonder if the record will be broken this year. It was quicker in the 17c. to send a parcel from London to France using coach-mail and packet-boat, meseems.

About the FS web site: personally, I have always found it rather convenient and cleanly done, much better anyway than some other publishers'. My main criticism is that they should systematically show a sample copy of the text (at least one page) in order to give an idea of the font which has been used, and to show how in-text drawings (if any) match with the text.

>5 Pepys:

And if they decide to throw in some more information on used sources, abridgments and so on, that won't be too bad either.

#6> Right. This is also a big lack, and the source of some deception.
Edited: also, for works in translation, a copy of the first page would be unreplaceable (if ever this is an English adjective) to get an idea of the style of the translation.

I would agree Pepys - this is my biggest problem with the FS site and printed blurb - we never seen enough of the inside of the books. It's not just the cover I'm interested in. Indeed, it's the insides I am most interested in - after all that is what I'm going to be reading.

What's even worse is when we don't even see the outside of the book. For instance, I was considering buying The Gentleman's Daughter, but I can't even get an image of the cover, only the pictorial slipcase, with just the spine of the book. As for the inside......

> 8

I've ordered The Gentleman's Daughter Willoyd. I'll let you know when I get the book.

My very first folio order just arrived and I am so happy with it!



There are a couple of bumps to the slip cases (most notably on the top right corner of Anderson's Fairy Tales) but they don't bother me too much.

I still have Fahrenheit 451, The Realm of the Unreal and Other Stories, The Golem, Metamorphosis and Other Stories, Lord of the Flies and Complete Tales of the Unexpected on the way.

I now have a lot of bookshelf rearranging to do!

Sigh. It's beautiful. You can forget about bookshelf rearranging though, it will be bookshelf buying you'll need to worry about soon enough.

> 10

I am delighted you are happy with your purchase. That little bump on HAFT, make sure it does not rub on the book on exit entry. They will easily send you another slipcase if you ask by email.

Haha, I just bought a new bookshelf on ebay! Oh dear...now I have some space to fill O.o

> 12

Thanks for the advice. I'll see if I can straighten it out a little myself but if not I'll send them an email for a new slipcase so as not to damage the book :o)

> 14

They normally never ask for damaged books back, heaven forbid a damaged slip case! Unless of course...(Your not in Australia are you?)

Yes...unfortunately!

> 16

Ooops! Nah, you should be ok. Where abouts?

I've picked up from many of your messages that they're not quite so forgiving to us Australians however I'll hope for the best! I'm in Tassie (Hobart). Where abouts are you?

> 18
I've picked up from many of your messages that they're not quite so forgiving to us Australians

Damn, and I was doing my best to be subtle :-)
SE QLD

>10 thesleepyreader: A very nice start to your collection. That little bump looks as if it could be gently eased out from inside.

> 5
You really made me laugh with your comment "It was quicker in the 17c. to send a parcel from London to France using coach-mail and packet-boat, meseems." Though I am sure it is more frustrating than amusing to you.

> 8
The Gentlemen's Daughter is a an excellent example of what people have been saying about the web site not always doing justice to the beauty of the books. The book binding (once out of the slipcase) is actually what sold me on the book when I got a chance to look it over in the Members' Room in 2010. It is a gorgeous silk-like tapestry pattern that is very appropriate to the book content. It reminds me a lot of the two books about Russian Czars, Catherine The Great and Nicholas and Alexandra which has a subtle pattern of the imperial double-headed eagle imprinted on matching silk bindings (the bindings of the two books match each other in red and blue, respectively), though to my knowledge these were not advertised or sold as a set. Those slipcases also had decorative paper painting reproductions similar to Gentleman's Daughter. I assume this similarity was deliberate rather than coincidental. In any case, I highly recommend all three books as among the finest in Folio standard edition productions.

>10 thesleepyreader:
That is a mighty impressive start to your soon-to-be-expanded collection of Folio Society books. I own all of them except Grimm and Arabian Nights, which I still hope to acquire second-hand as I think the FS price is a bit much compared to the second-hand copies I've seen.

Just received Waverley, wow Iam happy that I had decided to buy this title, Its definitely the next book to read once done my current 2. Strange how this order has beaten my first sale order considering Waverley was purchased a couple of days after.

>21 UK_History_Fan: I had been bravely resisting the temptations of The Gentleman's Daughter, but after your description have now happily succumbed!

>21 UK_History_Fan:
I decided not to go for the sale, when I found a mint copy available through Abebooks for GBP12 (+GBP3 postage) - ordered on Saturday, arrived today. I can only agree with you, the book is far more attractive than the website suggests. Aside from the almost metallic sheen to the cover material, it reminds me of the Elizabeth Gaskell books published a couple of years earlier, especially North and South (almost a twin of this from the outside), which remain some of my favourite classic fiction bindings from the FS.
Having also spent a pleasant 30 minutes or so dipping into the early chapters, I am really looking forward to sitting down and immersing myself in this too - it looks fascinating, all the more so as I know the Whalley area quite well, as it's just over the moors, about 30-40 minutes from here. I pass through (on bike or in car) quite regularly. I'm currently reading Norman Davies's Vanished Kingdoms (which I can thoroughly recommend), so it'll have to wait a while for that.
All in all, I reckon that's money well spent, at half the price of standard, and very much more poorly presented, hardbacks.

> 24
Good for you, I hadn't thought about the Elizabeth Gaskell design similarity comparison but I just picked that set up this year and agree it is an apt comparison.

> 22
Glad to hear it as I added Waverley at the last minute to my order! Still waiting for it to arrive though.

I finally know how the white Royal Mail bag looks like! Better than any Christmas wrapping paper. My joining offer of Fairy Books has arrived today, perfectly packed in an undamaged box with plenty of bubblewrap between and around the books. It took 11 days from the warehouse to my doorstep in Midwest (I ordered them in late November but there was a payment issue that took me a month to set straight).

The books themselves are stunning, the colors of their covers are vibrant. They are about twice the size I expected! I certainly understand why so many people collect them but wow, they need some serious shelf real estate.

>10 thesleepyreader: Great selection! Is Pinocchio as nice as it looks on the website?

> 26

I was amazed at how big my books were when I received them as well! I've already purchased another bookshelf...hehe...oops.

Just received The Somme, The war with Hannibal and Pensees. As for the Somme, I think folio could have been a bit more creative with cover design, doesnt look bad though. Filled with lots of photos and comes with a removable map.

>26 Bond_Girl:,27

You should see some of the LEs. Massive.

I just received my first Folio Society book, One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez. I bought it through Barnes & Noble, but new, still sealed.

WOW.

At the risk of sounding like a shill, I cannot overstate how beautiful it is. I've read so much in the last week or so about what to expect from an FS volume, but holding it in one's hand is a different matter. I'm in love. Everything about it feels amazing, the slipcase has a beautiful piece of art on the front, the buckram feels like some kind of space-age indestructible material (though I would never dare to test its limits!), the gold foil blocking, the paper, the typesetting, the illustrations, the endpapers. It feels complete, so wonderfully thought-out. I wish I WAS a shill because at least I would be getting paid to gush like this! I'm about to clear off a shelf just for my Folio collection, which will be growing in the next few weeks.

I discovered Folio Society from doing an internet search for "beautiful books." I didn't know the term "fine press," I didn't know there was an entire industry built around carrying this tradition of beautiful book-binding into the 21st century, I just knew that with my Christmas money I wanted to purchase some books that were works of art themselves. Well, my wish was granted today. That Moby Dick LE can't get here fast enough!

>31 britchey:. We all know how you feel :)

>31 britchey: Direct from Folio, secondhand, thirdhand, it happens every time they arrive. And then again every time you read them. Or dip into them. Or just take them out of the slip cases and gently stroke them with a dopey smile on your face. And smell them. Every time you glance at them on the bookshelf. Magic.

Edited to add: I wish my sale books would hurry up and get here!

>33 letterpress: letterpress, rest assured that such an occasion of "dopey stroking" has occurred more than once this evening. :-)

>8 Willoyd:
The Gentleman's Daughter: Poor photo (dull light today). The cover is a luscious gold, the fabric most tactile, almost like a brocade.

From the secondhand market, I just received Mistress Masham's Repose by T H White (a beautiful book), and The Virginian by Owen Wister (to fuel my current interest in Western novels, brought on by reading Lonesome Dove).

>27 Bond_Girl:







Or to put it another way..YES!

>36 featherwate: Many thanks - much appreciated.

>37 Ooshie: I think of all the FS books I possess, my favourite is Mistress Masham's Repose - it's just georgeous from start to finish. My FS copy was the first time I actually came across the book too, which is as lovely as the binding.

> 39
Well perhaps you should share some pictures with us then! I have had this on my wish list for quite a while.

Just received a used copy of East of the Sun, West of the Moon today. The slipcase is a little dinged and had something that looked like white paint flecks on it, but those came off with some careful picking. The book is in like new condition. Actually, at first I thought I'd received an extremely poor copy until I realized that the vegetable parchment cover naturally has brown veins and "stains" (for lack of a better word) running through it, which allowed me to relax and appreciate the beauty of the binding. It's really a lovely volume.

I was excited to see today that Moby Dick LE has shipped. My other books still show "at the warehouse," but I think I have enough to tide me over for the next couple weeks.

The fact that it says "in the warehouse" may mean anything between actually being in the warehouse and being at your doorstep. Or even on one case a couple of years ago, I managed to read the book and it was still showing "in the warehouse". Pretty much the same applies for the "despatched" status.

>40 UK_History_Fan: I'll try and sort that out.

31: Whoa...

Most beginner book collectors start bottom and collect up, you my friend have done the opposite by ordering the Moby Dick and no matter how fabulous your collecting bug gets it will remain the jewel of your collection.

Go my copy of The Handmaids Tale which I pre-ordered a while ago. Not a bad edition, they have tried to give it I think a slightly sci-fi feel to it which goes with the dystopian nature of the book.

Now tempted by Phinocchio after seeing >38 cpmbailey:!

> 31

Moby Dick arrived today!!

It's so incredibly beautiful I cannot find the words. The solander box is enormous! The book itself... I swear I heard whalesong when I slipped it from the box.

You couldn't be more right, Texaco. It's like a glowing black spinel, drawing my gaze to it again and again all afternoon. I know it would have been more "sensible" of me to start small, but if it sold out, I would've regretted it forever.

>46 britchey:

Uh oh...I smell an addiction forming.

Welcome to the club. LEs are expensive but gorgeous and addictive.

Well it's over now, you need to make your next purchase The Anatomy of Bibliomania.

That way at least you'll understand (early) why you are the way your are.

I was 35 or 40 before I understood.

I just received my New Year's Sale order as well as the last volume in my renewal order, Holinshed's Chronicles. To my great amazement, every single book arrived undamaged, as did the Folio Mug. This hasn't happened to me in a long while.

I must confess, although I don't regret ordering it for its content, I was ever so slightly disappointed by Holinshed. It would appear that the printing on the spine appears slightly off-center, but perhaps it is just one of those strange optical illusions. I do really like the design of the cover, and they seem to have done a really nice quality job with it. But the text appears to be unmodernized, which while authentic, seems a little unnecessary given that this is just a selection and not the entire work. Also, the woodcuts (and I am a major fan of woodcuts!) appear to be very faint in printing quality. They definitely do not "pop" off the page. Can anyone else who has received their copy let me know if they found the same issue with the woodcut illustrations? I assume this was the way the book was meant to be and not some sort of flaw, but I definitely want to be certain before simply accepting my disappointment. The natural light is all but gone here in Chicago, but I will try to snap some representative pictures tomorrow and post them.

The books in my New Year's Sale order are marvelous though! No regrets at all. The illustrations are simply breathtaking in all three. I am so glad that Folio has gone to that special textured paper for its illustrations (at least for most literature books). I am not certain when they made the switch, since I tend to order primarily historical works, which usually come illustrated with glossy encyclopedia type paper, but it definitely adds a luxury and richness to the books that starts to justify their price. The three books with their amazing illustrations are:

The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Age of Innocence
Waverley

In addition to my complete satisfaction with the illustration, each books appears to be superbly produced to the highest quality, from the decorative endpapers to the covers to the paper quality to the typefaces.

One thing that was a little odd to me was Waverley has a much looser spine than most new Folio Society books. If I didn't know any better, I might think it was used. There is definitely no damage, but whereas The Age of Innocence strains upon opening and wants to snap back shut, Waverley flops open immediately and offers no resistance whatsoever, like a well-read used book. Again, I don't think it has been damaged in any way, I just was rather surprised by this as it seems unusual for a new Folio book. Did anyone else notice this in their copy?

One final nice touch I noticed in the design of Waverley: the integration of the FS into the pattern of interweaving vines on the spine of the book. I had to look specifically for the FS since it did not at first present itself to my eye. Nicely done.

>49 UK_History_Fan: Your mug may have arrived undamaged, but be careful using it. Upon being filled with boiling water on its first outing this morning, mine produced a loud cracking sound and promptly started leaking liquid over the floor. A bit like the FS bookmark, this particular free gift is apparently unfit for purpose.

> 50

I would contact the FS and make them aware of this - it is obvious that their is an issue with the cups and injuries like scalding, a realistic possibility.

I've told the FS time and again, if you want to gift your customers make it a book of their choice (with cost restrictions applied of course).

Otherwise your give-a-ways are (in my case anything) just being thrown away.

I respectfully submitted this request (via email) though apparently it too (like all my other excellent ideas) fell on deaf ears.

> 52 I agree. I often end up with gifts that I would never use. Sometimes I actually call up FS and ask them to just not send the gift with the order bc I know I won't use it, but that can be a hassle...

Just got my New Year's sale order. Now... need to find a spare shelf (or 2) to put them on.

PS: No damage in transit even though one box had 9 books and another one had 5+ the mug -- the boxes' corners were not even crushed.

>49 UK_History_Fan:
A few of the books I had received from Folio (including ones that had just been published) had had looser spines. I kinda prefer them to the stiff ones. I just got Possession- and the spine is definitely loose enough so I can open the book and not have it wanting to close itself. "If I was a Man" when I got it (on a pre-order back then) had a very loose spine as well - in terms of being able to open and stay open.

52: Me too, and they still send them to me!!

I also told them to stop sending me those prospectus' with each and every order since they too (with the exception of one which I save) get thrown away.

They should in fact stop sending them period (and go green) since they now feature them on their website.

Wow, New Year's sale items arriving. I would like that as well. Yes, I am still awaiting delivery of two orders placed on the 19th and 22th December both with this new great "Express Delivery" option set. Express delivery does not seem to significantly shorten the transit period. How long would it take to ship 3 boxes, with or without express delivery, from the UK across the channel to the Netherlands? A logistically daunting task indeed that sometimes in the past has taken longer then 7 weeks. *insert hysteric laughter*

>56 ExportFrisian:
I am still waiting in Germany for mine. But I understand that even with the winds favourable the horse may become sick crossing the Channel in rough seas.

I woke at 1am, and reached for my phone just to see what the deal of the day was (as you do); saw it was LOTR and promptly submitted my order which had been building up with Birdsong, Disgrace, First Love, The Master and the Margarita, Mrs Dalloway, Midnights Children, The Name of the Rose, The Picture of Dorian Gray and Touching the Void for £248.50. Hope I done good; was wondering whether to hold back on the likes of Dorian Gray seeing as it was only £5 off and make sure I had enough reasonably priced non-sales to join with next year. It's going to be tricky if I continue to wipe myself out this year!

anxiously awaiting arrival of The Handmaid's Tale!
I ordered the Age of Innocence in the NY sale but there has been a problem with my credit card (I got the date wrong). Hope there will be a copy left for me when it gets sorted out.

I once asked them not to send the free gift but apparently the logistics can't deal with that. I'd much rather they gave a voucher or discount.

Well thank god for the morning light. I took pictures of Holinshed's Chronicles today and the spine no longer appears off-center and the woodcuts do not appear faded any longer. I have no idea why I thought these were flaws yesterday afternoon when the book first arrived. But since I took the trouble to capture some images, I will share them.

Wait, wait. This is the original text, with no attempt to modernize it. It's going to be funny to read, but also I guess I will need at least two months to digest it. Thanks for the pictures. This is another proof that the FS should include such pictures from the inside pages and illustrations on their site instead of letting members do the job for them.

> 61
Yes, I think this text has only limited if any modernization of the spelling and grammar. I meant to take a picture of a full page of text as illustration but I forgot and put the book and camera and USB cord away for now.

I really love those woodcuts. How many are there? Are they spread throughout the text?

>60 UK_History_Fan:

You are a very bad person Sir! I had just managed to convince myself that I do not want it. :(

Sigh....looking at todays deal I did not have the heart to pass on "Walden" especially considering it is high on my list, so I would have gotten it anyway down the line so a 50% discount before it potentionally goes out of print is indeed a chance not to be missed by me.

Only problem is that due to posts I have read on "package problems" regarding single volumes I dared not order one volume alone and especially not "Walden" so I also ordered "The Voyce of the world" by Thomas Browne, which has a very nice discount.

Last new year sale I got away with ordering one volume, this year....not so lucky, fortunatly as long as I do not stray from my list I should be safe as it is only a question of "now or later" in that respect.

> 63
While I don't have an exact count, there are quite a few. Perhaps one every 5 to 10 pages or so (from memory).

Actually I just checked and Folio did the math for me. Approximately 90 woodcuts over 480 pages.

Oh, Jeez, Folio actually retained the original spelling for Holinshed? That would be a nightmare for me!

> 66

Thanks, Sean. That sounds pretty good.

>60 UK_History_Fan:. Thanks for sharing the pics of Holinshed. I've wanted to order this, but wanted to see the insides. Its also good to hear there are no apparent flaws. It will definitely be on my next order.

>38 cpmbailey: cpmbailey

Oh Pinocchio is stunning, look at this slipcase! Thank you for the pics. I have ordered it quite a while ago as an impulse Christmas sale purchase, so I will be now pacing in wait twice as excitedly.

My Winter Sale packets (finally) arrived, 10 volumes, at a first glance all is well but for The Seeing Stone which, sigh, has been bound upside down.

My Seeing Stone was bound upside down too. They sent out a new one very quickly and I gave the other copy to the local Oxfam shop (having pointed out the defect).

How long does it take to process new members, generally? I ordered my introductory offer + four books on Jan. 11th, hoping to be able to take advantage of the sale.

However, it's been nearly a week and I haven't heard a peep from the Society, although my order status has changed to 'processing' and 'items pending'. Am I likely to have my membership processed in time to take advantage of the sale, do you think?

> 73

When you log in to Folio's site, do you have Membership no. listed under your Username on the Your Details page? If so, then your membership has been processed. In that case, you should see NEW YEAR SALE ON NOW in big red letters on the front page of the site.

If not, I wouldn't hesitate to call tomorrow so they can be made aware of your desire to place another order during the sale. I always find talking to a real person over the telephone is the key to getting what you want in the age of e-mail. What's more, the Folio Society must have the most gracious customer service representatives I've ever spoken to (and for precisely the same situation as yours, which was rectified quickly).

P.S. If you have a membership #, you might want to try clearing your browser's cache and see if that doesn't bring up the sale offers on the main page.

I had to strike again on the "Deal of the day" offer, I have a feeling that the New year sale this year will set me back more then the spring sale to come later.

At least I have been happy with the offers, nice discounts almost make me feel that I save money as well.

Couldn't resist ordering Pickwick Papers and David Copperfield after I saw that adding two Dickens novels to your basket resulted in a free copy of The Oxford Companion to Charles Dickens. Super excited!

>73 k00kaburra: - I am a new member as well and placed my order on Sunday, January 8th. The order processed on the 10th, and I was able to see the sale items on that day. I would think that if the status of your order changed from processing to pending your membership should have gone through also. The page has updated for me to show that the sale is on even when I am logged out now - so I bet #74 (Britchey) is right about clearing your cache.

I think they are trying to get rid of all the mugs...

That made me burst out laughing, I think you're right. I thought I'd get away with one, but no, each Deal Of The Day order includes yet another mug...

On a side note, I got my last book from my renewal (The Handmaid's Tale). Now all I am waiting are those single books coming with mugs. For now.

I am still thinking on the Dickens...

Talking about the Dickens - if you add the 5 volume set (the Selected works set), you do not get the companion. Nor the math add up (I think it adds up without the 20% off). Some days I am really wondering if whoever is setting up the site even remember what is already up -- at least to try to sync it.

>80 AnnieMod:. yea, that Dicknes bundle price makes no sense. just add the books individually, and the 20% discount is preserved. someone really is dropping the ball on that one. Folio's quirky charm can only go so far.

Just ordered the Deal of the Day, Northwest Passage. Great price, couldn't resist, and one I've had on my to buy list for a while now! I am still waiting for the two sale books that I ordered before Christmas. It seems for me, 5-6 weeks shipping time is about average for me, so I might see them by the end of next week.

Hurry, The Handmaid's Tale arrived, it looks beautiful - all red and black.

I just received Selected Poems & Prose by Gerard Manley Hopkins and I understand some of the prior comments that it looks like a Time-Warner book knock-off. It is almost square at 7 1/2 inches by 8 1/2 inches and bound in gray buckram with a lovely inset label showing a painting by Elizabeth Magill (whose paintings are used throughout the poem section of the book). In this format, it does remind me a bit of the Time-Life Library of Photography books. And that is unfortunate because those books were trying to appear upscale while actually being quite shabby--and hence denigrating by association a fine book like the Hopkins. The Hopkins is typeset in Bulmer and printed on Giacemetti paper at Memminger--and the paper is absolutely gorgeous with a fine tactile quality.

As for the contents of the book, the poems follow the fourth edition of The Poems of Gerard Manley Hopkins, edited by W.H. Gardner and N.H. Mackenzie. The prose follows the text of Gerard Manley Hopkins: The Major Works, published by Oxford University Press in 2002, with minor emendations. There is a foreword by Ruth Padel. The poems comprise the first 95 pages and the prose, consisting mostly of Hopkins' journal and letters to his good friend, Robert Bridges, comprises roughly the next 95 pages. There is then a very helpful notes section to the poems and prose with pointers to an explanation of Hopkins' terms for standard rhythm, counter-point, sprung rhythm and over-rove. This section constitutes another 50 pages, which is then followed by an index of titles and first lines.

I think this is a superior production by FS and am quite happy with it.

>83 podaniel:. Thanks for the Hopkins review. I too thought of the Time-Warner book feel from website. Glad to hear the book is excellent. I was planning of buying this for a friend, who loves Hopkins poetry.

Sale items arrived: Voyce of the World and Life. There was so much bubble wrap in the box that I assumed my other outstanding item - No Cloak, No Dagger - must be in there as well, but alas no.

Life looks like what I expected: a companion for The Earth. It is likewise lavishly illustrated, and the cover and binding are very attractive.

On a quick examination I am particularly happy with the Voyce edition. The cover is striking when you have it in hand and the layout of the text is pleasing. I can't wait to dip into this book. It's incredible it was available for £12 when a paperback of just one section of the Folio edition - Urne Burial - costs nearly the same in the New Directions edition.

> 86

Ah now I look forward to get my copy of "Voyce of the world" as well, and yes a very good price on that volume.

I have picked up "Seven Pillars of Wisdom", "The Temple of Flora" (plates), "Expressions of man and animals" and "Color"

Though actually I have only checked Seven Pillars so far and it seems in mint condition.
I`ll check the others later, but I can not fit them in any bookshelf until I have re-arranged some stuff in my room.

> 84
The Story of the Renaissance is a great set, very attractive and quite durable. I think I have read it twice (which given its 5 books is a bit of an accomplishment). Highly recommended, and I'm sure you will enjoy it!

Sir Gawain and mug arrived safely, three weeks, mucho bubblewrap.

Really a lovely book, particularly the stamped cover design(deep) and spine lettering(less deep) plus the heavyish and fragrant Schliepen paper. After I admire it some more I think I'll read it instead of adding it to the to-be-read...wall.

Coffee tasted just fine this morning, good thin mug.

Well, I am a new member and have been frightened to death waiting for the arrival of my first books. Today I received Roxana, As I Lay Dying, and Freaks of Mayfair in perfect condition. Royal Mail bag, box unscathed, and books shrink-wrapped and in bubble wrap that I am sure protected the books even though the box was too big. What lovely books.

Still waiting for the joining offer books--Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit--and for Zuleika, and hope I will have equally good luck.

74, 77
I haven't got a member number. I'll try calling if things haven't been updated by Saturday; things will be so crazy here that I won't have a chance to do so before.

I sent an email through the website a few days back, but as of yet have received no response.

>92 k00kaburra:

You need to call in business hours - noone will be there in Saturday.

>93 AnnieMod:

Correct. And remember to adjust for GMT, valkylee. It is strange that you don't have a member # even a week later. I joined on the Friday after the New Year holiday, and my membership was processed by Monday afternoon.

I got a phone call from them on a Saturday, once. They're there on Saturdays, as the one employee I was talking to said he had would be coming in and would call me.

I've just ordered the Italian Mosaics book (not FS) at half price. I can't imagine ever seeing this cheaper than that, and I already have Abbeville's similar series on Italian Frescoes.

92, 93

I guess it'll be Monday, then. :-p I've never *not* worked on weekends so I tend to forget that it's not the normal way of the world.

>96 boldface: Yes indeed, £52.50 is a good deal. The book has been on sale before, I bought it during last year Xmas sale for £76.43. It is a gorgeous book like the other 5 books in the Abbeville fresco series.

Joe's Blog on the FS website has a new entry on the South Polar Times and a tantalizing peek at the illustrations that Niroot Puttapipat is working on for an upcoming FS LE (I presume):

http://www.foliosociety.com/joesblog/2012/01/thursday-19th-january-2012/

> 96 I thought this an outstanding bargain, Jonathan - it's at least as good as the fresco volumes. I went to Sicily last spring, and even with binoculars and a long lens on the camera, it was hard to get anything like the appreciation of the mosaics in the Palatine Chapel and at Monreale that can be had from this book. And it brings back more distant memories of Ravenna, which will as a result have to be visited again. So perhaps not such a bargain...

Edited for typo

> 100

I agree about access to the originals. My trip to Florence a few years ago was disappointing precisely because my appetite had been whetted by the Fresco books. You just can't see the real thing in such detail, and the lighting isn't as good either.

I received my joining offer today. Packaging was in great condition, books were well secured in bubble wrap. The Fairy Books and Devil's Dictionary are in pristine condition, but I wish I could say that same for the Complete Winnie-The-Pooh. The bottoms of the books' spines are bent, and they have some wear on the underside, as if rubbed with sandpaper, so that the fibers are frayed and the natural white cloth is showing through. Examples:







The front of the first volume has some bubbling under the cream color painted portions as though it has not adhered to the cover properly, and seems in danger of cracking or peeling away:



The second volume also has some hard, sharp piece of white plastic stuck underneath the endpaper:



I guess these defects are relatively minor, but for a $170 set of books, I guess I expected perfection. These defects especially stand out when compared to the Fairy Books, which are absolutely pristine in every regard. I think I have to send these pictures to Folio and see what they say.

I would definitely email them the pictures and ask for a replacement...I wouldn't say that those defects are minor at all. I certainly wouldn't feel satisfied keeping those!

Yes, you have every right to a replacement.

Thanks for the replies. I did email Folio with the pictures and hopefully I'll hear from them in the afternoon. Only after sending that email did I think to check over my other books more closely, and now I hate to say I've found a defect in the Devil's Dictionary. It's something to do with the binding, and I'm curious if anyone has seen this before. The book doesn't want to lay closed unless squeezed together. It's as if the binding is warped, forcing the textblock to curl toward the front or back cover. When you set it down, half the book defies gravity. See here:



If you squeeze the book, these two halves "snap" together loudly. It is actually quite annoying, when flipping through the book because large sections of the textblock will snap into a curl one way or another.

Furthermore, when I was taking the picture, I noticed that there is actually a hard crease running down the center of the spine, as if it was folded:



I wish I'd noticed before sending my first email. Am I wrong to believe that there is some manufacturing defect here?

Again, definitely a defect and definitely something that you should let them know about. You're entitled to a perfect book..that's what you paid for!

>105 britchey:
Maybe the bookish equivalent of the head spinning round in "The Exorcist" . There's definitely something wrong there! If a few incantations and perhaps showing it a cross held at arm's length don't solve the problem, I'd be inclined to ask for a replacement!

Re Winnie the Pooh. I've checked my copy. Yes it does have that bubbling under the cream applied decoration on the red volume, but not the others. Clearly a manufacturing defect. The everted bottom spine and rubbed edges is also present but to a much lesser extent. My guess is that your copy was near the bottom of a pile of vertically stacked books and the weight of those books squashed the lower spine outwards. Perhaps my copy was not quite as near the bottom of the pile as yours was!

If the warehouse is vertically stacking huge piles of books, then someone needs a smack, because the slipcases were never designed to bear that weight, and are flexible enough to transmit that weight to the books below

I just received my second order and once again I am very happy! There is a tiny nick to the slip case for the Roald Dahl but it's something that I can deal with, it's very small!

I'm very much looking forward to reading these...I love the artwork, particularly in Fahrenheit 451. The Roald Dahl is an incredible looking book as well!

>108 thesleepyreader: Very nice, that's added a couple more to my want list!

My order arrived today too



Now, can anyone tell me how to wipe the silly smile off my face!

>109 cpmbailey: "Now, can anyone tell me how to wipe the silly smile off my face!"

Remove the shrink wrap and start looking for defects.

>110 cpg: LOL

> 110

TOO TRUE! XD

>110 cpg: I'm afraid to!

>109 cpmbailey: Ooh, there are some books in your collection that are on my list too! Seeing The Master and Margarita there makes me realise how good it would look sitting next to some of my other books!

all those new shiny books make me salivate.

I finally received my initial fulfillment order. Lord of the Flies, Charlotte's Web, and Wind in the Willows. All in immaculate condition - bubble wrap around each book, then bubble wrap around the whole stack, and then the box itself was in a Royal Mail bag. I'm already tempted to just order a few more books from the New Year's sale! Must resist... Resistance is futile.

My sale books are home! All in tip-top shape I'm pleased to report, acres of bubble wrap. Thrilled to bits as I can finally upgrade some absolute favourites, Oscar & Lucinda, Possession, In Cold Blood, Colour and The Master and Margarita. If anyone is hesitating over picking up The Natural History of Selborne, hesitate no more. It is a staggering book in the best possible way. MUCH larger than I expected, beautiful, thick paper (not just creamy, this stuff is clotted cream), lovely large type with very generous margins and to top it all, magnificent 18th century natural history plates printed on the same luscious paper as the text (there is something about matte paper that for me suits historical illustrations perfectly). Still can't quite believe I own this book...

>116 nicklong:
So true. I thought one order of 9 books was more than enough. Since then I have succumbed to two Deals of the Day, one of which I padded out with another sale volume... only 11 more days of temptation to withstand. Every day I wake up and offer sincerest thanks that my credit card only works if I add funds first.

I got home yesterday to find two of the familiar white bags of books. In one was The Handmaid's Tale which was my wife's pick from the 2011-12 new releases. In the other were the two books I ordered from the current sale: Moonfleet and The Riddle of the Sands. All the books look great.

Last membership year, I only ordered the minimum four since I needed to recover from going overboard on the March sale from the previous year. However, my restraint completely fled me for this sale, and I put in quite a large order:

Brat Farrar
The Black Tulip
Birdsong
First Love
The Franchise Affair
Germinal
Greenmantle
The Moon's a Balloon
The Right Stuff
Roxana
The Siege of Krishnapur
The Song of Roland
Waverley

Despite being quite bad, I'm hoping the March (free set) Sale is really good this year. I already had most the sets they offered last year.

>119 Tanglewood:

It may not be the responsible thing, but doesn't a book binge feel REALLY good? You'll love Roland. An excellent production in all respects.

> 120
Actually it does, and is perhaps my favorite personal indulgence. It can even at times be more satisfying than either sex or chocolate!

>120 menteith: This really is such a group of enablers! I am most excited about seeing the Roland and First Love. I wish On the Eve was on sale too, but I guess it is too new.

Looking at cpmbailey's photo, I'm very tempted to put in an order for Midnight's Children, as well. I've held off since I haven't read my trade paperback copy of it, but now I'm thinking the illustrations would push it up my TBR pile. I'll wait and see if any of the daily deals make me pull the trigger.

>121 UK_History_Fan: Yes, I get quite giddy when the actual box of books arrives.

Received the Gormenghast Trilogy today, which is a really beautiful set. Also received replacements for my damaged Winnie-the-Pooh and Devil's Dictionary, both of which arrived in properly perfect condition.

This will be my last Folio Society shipment for awhile, having gone a little overboard in the last month since joining. I need to take a break for a couple months and enjoy my new books. I'm sure I'll succumb to the Spring Sale, though, hard as I'll try to resist.

No Cloak, No Dagger arrived today - I ordered it on 5th December, but there was a delay as I typo'd some details during the order process. It is a sturdy, almost old-fashioned Folio, with a simple cover design on buckram. I don't mind paper sides (I know many here dislike them) but I must say there is something quite solid and reassuring about the full buckram treatment.
The illustrations are very nice, redolent of the 40s and some of the typical poster work of the era.

By chance I also received a second hand copy of The Songlines - I really wanted this but was caught out when it went out of print so quickly. Ardis had a copy priced over £30 a while ago, but this one was £25 which I was very happy to pay. The book itself is in fine condition - it has evidently been read, but is pristine.

A good day!

Today I received 2 boxes, each with a mug, no books in either packet ;((. One mug was valued at £1.50 the other at $2.50. I am shocked to see how fast the mugs have depreciated in value!

Today I collected the three Kafka novels (and a mug, and the latest Folio magazine) from the Members Room.

I picked up Burchfield's The English Language (2006; 3rd printing 2007) today from my local Oxfam shop for £3.49. Both book and slipcase are in perfect unread condition. Very nice. It complements my OUP paperback - yes, complements, because most of the illustrations are different in the two editions.

The new Dickens arrived today!! And I love them. So much.



(You can see more photos, if you're interested, in the "New Dickens" thread.)

>126 starkimarki:

I received the mug valued at $2.50 today as well. The odd part is that I actually think that's an overvaluation. Not sure if this is a "British" style mug, but it's got the thinnest walls I've ever seen in a "china" mug.

Received Storm of steel today. Think Folio could have done a better job on a cover design, however the illustrations more than make up for the cover I think they are great.

I received The Quest for the Northwest Passage today, book looks ok except that the plastic wrapping had a tear.

I ordered this volume to days after Walden and it shipped after as well according to the site, but I have not gotten Walden yet and I am starting to worry.

> 130

Very thin. My mug only lasted a day. Don't put anything too hot in yours!

>133 housefulofpaper:

At least it was valued below the coffee you'd likely be putting into it. I couldn't believe it made it overseas without breaking since I think if I stared at it a bit too long, it'd shatter.

I have to say, I am rather thrilled with the free gift of Robert Graves' Greek Myths with my order. What a lovely set of books! I know many people have these already but for me its a real treat...and it was free. I know I will enjoy reading it. I also received Good Behaviour. I haven't opened it yet but it looks lovely. Just waiting for my copy of The Nutmeg of Consolation to arrive...whenever that will be. I should also add the $20 Express Delivery to the U.S. is entirely worth it. It arrived in 2 days, expertly wrapped with a nice roll of bubble wrap and a box just the right size.

>133 housefulofpaper:
I have been using the mug for several weeks, probably three or four times a day, at work and it is holding up fine (although I have one in reserve, if my first should break). But I put boiled milk, not boiling water in, so perhaps not the temperature that you use.

Hm I placed an order on the 16th of january that has not arrived yet, eventhough my order from the 18th of january arrived last week, starting to worry.

>136 CarltonC:
Milk boils at the same or a higher temperature than water, depending on whether it is skim, 2%, or whole.

>133 housefulofpaper: & 138

Just for clarity then, I was making a mug of instant coffee and the water had just boiled, but was not actually at boiling point.

>139 housefulofpaper:

How cold was the mug?

>139 housefulofpaper: The same happened with mine (substituting green tea for coffee) - in went the water, crack went the mug.

My teenage mind could never cope with physics or religious education, so I left school without learning the answers to life's three greatest mysteries, of which the first was how come an object which owes its existence to having been heated up to over 2000 degrees sometimes shatters when introduced to boiling water (only 212 degrees)?
(My FS mug hasn't shattered yet, but then I put the milk in first (for tea). If I didn't, my grandmother would rise/descend from the beyond and rap my knuckles with a cake knife.)

>142 phoenixmemnon:
Because the mug received the heat very evenly in the kiln. When you pour boiling water into a cold mug, the bottom and interior wall get the heat first, and that will cause the mug to expand unevenly. Cheap mugs crack when they're heated unevenly.

>140 LisaCurcio:

I suppose it was below room temperature. UK temperatures have dropped (after a generally mild winter) since the beginning of the month. The kitchen isn't heated (unless I'm cooking).

> 143

Thank you for that pellucid explanation! That's one off the list.

put a spoon in before you pour in the hot liquid.

> 137

When I renewed recently, my order was sent out together in two parcels. I know because a note inside the first parcel I received said so. The second, which was a bit smaller, did not arrive for a week!

I wouldn't worry unless it does not arrive for a lot longer than reasonable. Then go and report it to the FS.

147> The same happened to me last year, but with the second parcel being delivered two months later. In between, I had contacted the FS which had sent a replacement parcel (got it in 3 days). As for the original parcel that came later on, I thought it more sensible to refuse it at the PO so that it would be sent back to the sender...

These postal anomalies are hopeless.

Well, they got me again. I'd been resisting the Kelmscott Chaucer for a while since I don't really see myself reading this edition. However, I am a huge fan of William Morris, so when I noticed it listed under "Last chance to buy", I panicked a bit and then gave in.

>149 Tanglewood:

Congratulations Tanglewood! I am sure you will enjoy the Kelmscott Chaucer. I bought my copy during the Summer Sale 2010. While I have to admit that I do struggle with the Middle English too much to see myself reading completely through this book, I do like to take it from the shelf and leaf through the pages to marvel at the design by William Morris. Furthermore the tactile feel of the paper with its cloth like quality is absolutely stunning.

>149 Tanglewood:

That will be me once the Gill Chaucer gets low. Moby Dick as well. I wasn't sure which to get first, but I think it will end up being whichever sells the last few copies sooner.

Received the Physiology of Taste book - ordered with the sale for 23 odd dollars and very pleased - lovely thick paper and gorgeous pics. Also Roxana, which has a nice cover, not so keen on the 8 illustrations. Overall pleased.

Folioised my copy of Animal Farm . The book proportions and text set up mimic those in children’s fairy tales ( i.e. Quentin Blake's drawings cover the top half of both pages) I guess we all like FS books because of these small quirks.

Not spectacular but an accomplished edition IMHO

(touchstone edited, and I meant Q Blake, not Skinner)

I received Birdsong a couple of days ago. Strangest thing. Lately the Folios I have received have been boxed with enough bubble-wrap to fill the gardens at Chatsworth. This one was in a small "box" almost the same size as the book and no bubble-wrap. The corner of the cardboard cover was torn away. Needless to say, I opened it up waiting to assess the extent of the damage. Despite a very small ding to the back corner of the slipcase (and I stress very small), there were no problems. The "sale mug" was, oddly, shipped separately and arrived the day before.

The book is nice and the illustrations haunting. However, I do not like how the illustrations are printed on glossy pages rather than the Abbey Wove of the rest of the book.

>154 JamesIII:

I would suggest not to order just a single volume, as it always will be send with a "Ready-PAC" carton, and 9 times out of 10 , the book will be in less then perfect condition.

I just received the latest O'Brian books. There was no bubble-wrap at all - just the two books side by side in a wrap-around corrugated cardboard sleeve of the kind that Amazon favours. The books were fortunately unscathed beyond a miniscule nick - not more than 2 or 3 mm across - in one of the slipcases. I reckon I was lucky this time. It certainly looks as though "Marketing" have clamped down on the packaging costs.

BTW, the books are well up to the standard set in previous volumes of this series. Only 5 more to go now (6 if they do "No. 21" as rumoured).

>156 boldface: Exactly the same thing happened to me - two O'Brian books, side by side. I was sure they would be trashed but there was only minor bumping on one of the slipcases. Worst FS packaging job I've ever had yet from the society - but hey, no harm, no foul.

>156 boldface:, 157
It's very odd they would send out 2 books in such inadequate packaging. It shouldn't be a matter of chance that your order arrives in good nick. In the long run surely any putative saving on "cutting down on packaging costs" (if that's what they're doing as a policy) is more then balanced out by increased requests for replacements.

>158 ian_curtin:

And the replacement will be send using the same "ready-pac" carton.

I don't know what happens in case 2 books are sent in a ‘ready-pac’ carton, but my Holinshed was sent that way last month, and I got it in very good shape.

The single volumes I've received over the years that were 'ready-pac' were not damaged, possibly because the book is snug within the cardboard...and the postal frisbee players were off that day. A layer of bubble plus the pac might work just fine.

As one who has apparently experienced an unusually high rate of damage in Folio Society shipments, I have to agree with boldface and kdweber in being surprised that there was no damage to the "ready-pac" mailing. While I probably get more damage on a multiple book order where the books are inadequately protected from each other and allowed too much room for movement within the box, I have received a similar proportion of damage to the single volume mailers. Those singles have also come with the white Royal Mail bags that postal workers like to use as a sling shot (and my condo packaging room attendant loves to recycle for gardening! I am not sure who is more excited when Folio shipments arrive).

But having said that, I recently received a single book Zuleika Dobson from the New Year's sale in one of the ready-pac boxes and it did arrive undamaged. Given the inconsistency of my damage, I have given up trying to find the pattern in the chaos of postal delivery.

> 162

Your packaging room attendant is not alone. My local post office has gone back to its previous habit of removing the white bag before delivering my package. Apparently it is recycled for the picking up and transportation of olives in the area!

> 163
I am glad something I would otherwise throw in the trash can find a useful life. Plus she is grateful enough to get the bags that I always get a prompt phone call whenever one of these shipments (or any other shipments) arrive. Normally, they call to let you know a package is waiting for you, but usually they do not identify who it is sent from (in the phone message, they do on the slip that goes into our mailbox). But Norma is well trained to recognize the Folio packages and rushes to the phone to let me know we both have something nice awaiting us!

.162

My recent deliveries have come in blue RM bags. The bags have proved very useful, so I'm glad that the local postal workers have no relatives with olive plantations.

Vaguely thinking that a series of photos with how the bags have had a second life around the world would have some amusement.

> 165

All the bags I've seen have been white. Very good idea. I'll keep it in mind. Thanks!

Not the best photo but ...

>167 Tanglewood: That is exactly how the bags are reused at my house :)

#167, 168
It's just the opposite at my house. I usually wait until after my evening meal before I open my shipments. One or more of my three cats will wait by the bag staring at it as if their thoughts can open it. Do they want the bag? No, they want the box they know is inside to come out to play. The bags just get in the way of their fun.

>169 haniwitch: Mine love the boxes too, making it their new kitty condo for a week or two. We are all Folio lovers in this household :)

#170
Pretty sure my cats hate Amazon with their wrap around packaging. They're so disappointed when I open an Amazon parcel and there's no box to play with.

Just got my latest order.

The Jeeves and Wooster set (could not resist at that price... and it had been on my list for way too long)
The Renaissance set - see above
Brat Farrar
Love in Cold Climate
Storm of Steel
The Somme
Good Behaviour.

I am not sure I am a fan of the "cambric grain paper" or whatever they call the thing they used for the Good Behaviour. Feels weird. But then I suspect I will get used to it.

Now... need to find half a shelf somewhere to put these books.

Received two more air mail bags today. Imagine my dismay when I went to slide the box out of the bag and my books came tumbling out. I can only thank the Folio employee who clearly owns stock in bubble wrap since all the books were fine (as was the other box). Seriously what do they do to these boxes?!

I bought second hand, The rise and fall of the house of Medici, At the court of the Borgia, and 1066 and all that. Must say rise and fall of the house of Medici is a very nice book! Wish folio would make more of their slipcases like this one.

I recently received 2 huge books:

The National Audubon society Baby Elephant Folio - Birds of America
Italian Mosaics, 300-1300

lol, i have 2 cats who love those airmail bags. One will get in the bag and the other one will attack it while it's in the bag, as if it's a big game for them.

I just received Smith which is much smaller than I imagined but very lovely, with touches of gold on the front cover and map endpapers. And the bag, which is nice and deep.

I ordered Alice's Adventures Underground LE a couple of weeks ago, when the site said it was backordered until Feb 2012, now today I see it's backordered till March. I wonder why the change.

I just received a shipment of the new FS books. My initial thoughts:

1. The War of the End of the World: A nice book--but surprisingly small given the price and there's nothing special about it. I think one would probably be better off by waiting to pick up a copy from Abebooks.

2. Good Behaviour: Great illustrations and reminds me in overall design of FS's production of Mrs. Dalloway from last year (although I prefer the latter by a hair).

3. Storm of Steel: I really like this one. The illustrations are in an appropriately creepy yellow monochrome. It's a nice pairing with FS's production of All Quiet on the Western Front from last year (this time I prefer Storm of Steel by a hair).

4. Travels with Herodotus: I was not wowed by Kapuscinski's photographic skills. His photos when not outright touristy (such as one taken from the Great Wall of China) are curiously flat and banal.

5. In Search of Schrodinger's Cat: This is the grand-prize winner. The slipcase features a stylized version of the cat head which also graces the cover. I love the schematic illustrations by Raymond Biesinger. Strangely enough, I think this might be one of the most beautifully produced non-LE works by FS. I really, really like this one (although I can see how some might find the whole design a bit cold and modernist).

>179 podaniel: I have similar feelings about the Vargas Llosa - I expected to be stunned by it when I saw it at the MR, but was left completely underwhelmed. This is largely, I suspect, due to my indifference to Ben Cain's artwork. That suprised me as I 'really' like his work in Waverley.

The Birds of America is a fantastic book ( not Folio but I got mine a few years ago on renewal ). If you have space to display it Taschen do a clear plastic book stand that does the job nicely.

Here is some books I recently acquired, I will show some interiors soon, the ones' I took seem to be too blurry. I really like all the books I received. The Midnight Folk I only brought because of the cover, but the story is very intriguing and well written, it reads a little like Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and I can't help but think of Neil Gaiman's Coraline for some weird reason. I hope FS makes The Box of Delights soon, the sequel. I'm happy to have found Tales of Mystery and Imagination, Harry Clarke is a nice choice of artist, since the pen and ink drawings makes the word imagery even more brooding and grim. The Brown Fairy Book is simply gorgeous, so far this is one of my favorites, along side Blue Fairy Book. The other 2 I haven't opened yet, but already familiar with them from my eBooks collection.

Picked up Fahrenheit 451 from the members' room on Friday and am really impressed by the artwork, which attracted me to this edition in preference to the others there. Very strange rereading a book originally read over 35 years ago.
I expressed an interest in FS publishing The Martian Chronicles, which they did not comment on (I see from LT that more than four times as many copies of Fahrenheit 451 compared to The Martian Chronicles, so may not be sufficiently popular).
They did comment that there had been talk of publishing some Asimov, but only at a possibility stage, nothing definite. I would like I, Robot but I think would be indifferent to the Foundation trilogy (or whatever it now is).

Just received The Temple of Flora: The Flower Plates. Absolutely beautiful! The colors are vibrant and wonderful on the textured paper; the photos really don't do justice to these.

While I know these aren't everyone's cup of tea, I'd highly recommend anyone thinking of getting them to do so while the 20% coupon is still around (and if you can the $20 voucher). At $280 (+12.95 shipping) I feel these are a great bargain. Very pleased!

>184 Tanglewood: Congrats Tanglewood! I bought the plates last year as a gift for my mum and she enjoys them very much.

Received today House of the Seven Gables and Irish Myths and Legends and the white book bag. All in great condition. Now to find room on the shelves for them. But I think I might have to cut back on my buying. The woman at the post office didn't even have to check my name on the pickup notice, just went straight to the parcel when she saw me coming. I'm hoping it's because I'm the only one around here who gets the big white bags and not my being there so often that helps her remember me (although the lack of shelf space seems to point to the latter reason).

> 186
Please let me know what you think of Seven Gables. I already own other copies of this book (at least two come to mind), but I really like the design job for this one so it would be a tempting sale pick-up.

>187 UK_History_Fan:

You might like this one , it is bound in cambric-grained paper with a glossy and grainy look , from a distance , you would think it is buckram , much lovelier then the often seen Modigliani paper.

#187
I like this edition. The wrap-around cover, the Mosley illustrations, even the font size (of great importance to my old eyes). This is my first copy of the book but even if I had others I'd still get this one. I say go for it.

Received my initial membership order:

Lords of the Rings + The Hobbit
Master & Commander
The Hitchickers Guide to the Galaxy

Very lovely binding and paper, impressed :)

For the Lord of the Rings, I still prefer the Deluxe Hardcover version though since it uses red ink too in some part of the text, but this version is also very good since it more easily readable in 3 books..

>191 the_bb: No, it's the one described here http://www.amazon.ca/The-Lord-Rings-J-Tolkien/dp/0618517650/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?s=b...

It got 2 very nice maps(that you can detach or not, they still fully unfold if not detached.) Some have had trouble with the ribbon breaking the binding, but I didn't get that problem.

Received the Red Fairy Book, in a large box and wrapped in no fewer than seven layers of bubblewrap!

oh drat darn dang donner und blitzen, I wanted the red and it seems as if I ordered the Crimson as that is what I received. Trying to sort out what I did.

Last week I ordered Birdsong and Midnight's Children. Today I ordered Thus Spoke Zarathustra, The Collected Stories of Gogol and In Cold Blood with Gormenghast as my set. If the Lord of the Rings set was included in the introductory offer here (the rainbow fairy books or even Harry Potter) I would have opted for it and I would have ordered more today if the set was included.

Just receive 'A chronicle of the crusades'. (taschen FS member offers).

The cover is made of low quality paper, with dent and smudge. the book looks like it has spent time on some dirty shelf.

I just received my first order from the set sale (along with 2 of the qualifying books from my second order).



The books are all in great condition. Just a few very minor scuffs on one of the Dawkins slipcases.

One thing that bothers me though is the fact that the Dawkins books don't exactly match. What I mean by that is, the "folio"s at the base of the spine are all in a slightly different spot. As is the beginning of the text at the top of the spine. I'm a bit of a stickler for having things lined up right so it just annoys me a little every time I look at it! Could it just be an oversight? Surely it's a very simple and basic thing to take into account.

Other than that I'm very happy and I can't wait to start reading!

> 197
That is exactly the kind of minor detail that would disturb my OCD. I definitely understand your frustration.

>197 thesleepyreader:. Those do look nice. The spines for Nietzsche and Gribbin look especially nice. I think I will be adding those to a future order.

I'm still awaiting my Spring order. Despite paying for express shipping almost a month ago, I haven't seen anything yet. Also have contacted them twice via email over the last week, with absolutely no response. **grumble, grumble**

I just suspect they must be very busy, because I usually get a response within a day. Oh well, patience is a virtue.

Today I received my first Spring-sale order - Beowulf, The Selfish Gene, Easy And Not-So-Easy Pieces, and three Fairy Books. They are all in great condition (I haven't yet had any problems with any of my orders being damaged in-transit). The thing with the Dawkins books is probably going to bother me too, as I have the other three on the way as well. From your photo, it seems especially noticeable on Unweaving The Rainbow.

>197 thesleepyreader: and 198 Same here, I noticed this as soon as I received this book when FS published it, and I have been going back and forth being disturbed by it, it's the first irregularity I seem to notice when entering my sitting room

>197 thesleepyreader: I have noticed the same issue - but the odd thing is that it isn't Unweaving the rainbow that's out of line in my set, but Climbing Mount Improbable. So I don't think it can be a design oversight; more likely, poor production tolerances at the binders, TJ International of Cornwall.

> 200

Easy and Not So Easy Pieces is one of my favourite FS science books. It makes a great companion to the FS edition of Einstein’s Ideas and Opinions.

In a similar vein, I wish the FS would publish some more Bertrand Russell. I would love a volume of his essays.

I have been having quite the patch of bad luck with the Folio Society lately. I recently ordered the Taschen produced A Chronicle of the Crusades with my $20 discount certificate. What arrived on my doorstep on Saturday was a beautifully shrinkwrapped and extremely well-protected (with bubble wrap) copy of A History of the Crusades by Steve Runciman, which I have owned for nearly a decade now (and have already read). I double-checked my order online using my account info and I was charged for the correct book and the order form appears to list the correct book, but someone must have confused the titles in the warehouse. I will be calling on Monday to find out what they want to do about it.

Also, as part of this order, I used my $100 LE discount certificate on one of the few remaining copies of the Holkham Bible. My order form included with the incorrect shipment indicates that it is out of stock but the website states it is at the warehouse. I will have to get some clarification about this as well.

Mostly OT, but I see a Holkham went for $82.50 on ebay 4/26...with free shipping...1 bid...unbelievable, where the heck was I...oops, that's right, busted computer...shucks, or *#%&!>+(%@)$&"+!^#&$*!...well, it had been opened and looked at a few times so it probably wasn't pristine anymore so I wouldn't've wanted it anyway, even at that ridiculously low price...Liar!!

I got my Selborne copy today, and while it's an absolutely enormous (for me) book, it feels curiously proportionate. So hefty though, I will probably have to read it on the floor :)

Generously packed in bubble wrap, all books in perfect condition, box without damage.

> 206 I'm sure you'll enjoy it, even if you have to hire a bodybuilder to kneel on the floor beside you to hold it up and turn the pages. It's a gorgeous volume, one of my all-time FS favourites.

just unpacked huge box with the Selborne (full of lovely bird pictures), Beyond the Pale, Beautiful Bookbindings and the free set of cards in a very nice thick card box. Pleased with everything!

So upon opening my new copy of The Selfish Gene I found a rather odd defect. There is a large lump between the front board and the front endpaper, which looked like an air-bubble at first, but feels like there's something solid under there. I'm not sure I really explained it properly, but has anybody else seen anything like this?

>209 johni92:

I've never seen that particular defect, but I have seen such a wide range that nothing really surprises me.

>209 johni92:

sounds like a loose bit of paper or card got under the endpaper.

Received today my copy of the Letterpress Shakespeare King Lear. Was unaware that the limitation was so high (3750 copies). My copy is number 1773. A beautifully bound, generous and elegantly printed edition. Pure delight to smell, see, touch and read. The marbled covers are by Ann Muir. The companion volume with extensive notes is a pleasure to consult, but not at he same time that one is handling the main book. I'm very happy to have this edition of one of my favourite plays.

>211 housefulofpaper:
I wouldn't say a bit of paper or card, as it seems to be caused by a small, hard lump under the endpaper, probably sticking out about 3mm from the board, causing a sizable air bubble in the area around it. It's also caused a minor indentation in the facing page. Bad enough to request a replacement?

>209 johni92:

My first Beowulf had a squarish hard lump under the spine leather, about .25", returned it for replacement.

>214 olepuppy:
That would be annoying, particularly in a volume as expensive as Beowulf.
The way I see it, having paid their Australian prices, I've already paid for my replacement anyway ;)

>212 drasvola: Antonio, congratulations, the Letterpress Shakespeare are wonderful productions alas on a bit expensive side. Is this your first volume. I have only Macbeth but will at some time pick up rest of the tragedies.

> 216

Thanks, Faisel. It's a handsome edition. The pleasure of reading the text with ample space all around is not to be missed; truly a luxury. I don't think I can afford the whole collection, so I will probably get one or two more. Macbeth is a top candidate. I do have the Sonnets, a thicker volume with excellent commentary on the separate volume.

>182 Comatoes: I just got Midnight Folk today and love it! Wonderful binding and illustrations.

>213 johni92:

If you can't live with it, then yes. FS are very good about this sort of thing, as many posts here attest.

> 167

Mail bag recycling: Nifty cover for shredder.

> 220 Ye gods! I never realised they were that large!

Another great reason the order more books!

I've gone on a bit of a spree since joining and bought too many books to count. This group is not helping either!

The secondhand FS I received in the mail today was Songs of Innocence and of Experience. It is utterly gorgeous! I'm trying not to drool over the facsimile reproductions and ruin them.

I've just received the two new O'Brian books, The Wine-dark Sea and The Commodore. The choice of period illustrations is well up to standard and the books arrived in perfect condition, protected by bubble-wrap all round.

Thank goodness you mentioned the new O'Brian books, boldface. You have reminded me that although I have thinking about them with great anticipation, I have in fact forgotten to order them! I knew I had been a bit distracted lately, but this is getting serious.

I finally joined the club of The Ones Who Got a Voucher, and I redeemed it to buy Black Sea by Neal Ascherson to add to my sentimental collection on this part of the world. While this is a region rich in history (the Golden Fleece and the Argonauts, the Scythians, the Russian influence), there is a precious little written about it.

>83 podaniel: I think this is a superior production by FS and am quite happy with it.

Just bought this second hand but 'like new' for a tenner. My previous comments on the exterior, now that I have this in my hand I would stick to, however as with many things, it's what's inside that matters. Glorious illustrations to accompany the content. Over the last dozen years my appreciation of GMH has grown considerably, and now very pleased to have this, especially at the price I paid.