I did not mention in my post the other day that Nicola Griffith's memoir in a box, And Now We Are Going to Have a Party, is a $75 book (on sale for $50 right now at her pub, Payseur and Schmidt). It seemed kind of scary to mention the price and also unnecessary - I would be throwing it out there almost as a dare in the midst of a lot of tpb titles priced under $20 and the point of that entry was not the price anyway, but the content and so that is what I wrote about. But I've been thinking that the price might make some people shy away from the book (and man - you are missing something really special if that's the case). So on this, the last day of my book recommendations for holiday gift-giving postings, I thought I would write in praise of the expensive book. Sometimes, quite simply, they are just worth it.

I mean really - how much did you spend on beer last month? Or wine? Or coffee? Think about it and then tell me that some books are just too expensive.

When I was not receiving books by the truckload to review (and I should point out that I purchased Griffith's memoir and did not get a review copy), I used to budget for books. Depending on where I was working and what else was going on in my life (truck payments, school, etc.) I set aside $20 or more each month for books. This allowed me to buy new hardbacks without feeling guilty and also taught me to test drive some titles at the library before committing to owning them (only if I really loved them and knew they would be reread). We budget for food or car repairs or housing, why not budget for books? Books are the world in our laps - they enlighten and engage on multiple levels, they educate us on millions of subjects or they make us think about ourselves or the people around us. They make us laugh or cry; they keep us company on lonely nights. Books can be significant parts of our lives if we let them.

Doris Lessing thinks books matter - why shouldn't the rest of us treat them as something that is at least as important as back to school clothes? (New jeans are a big deal but reading is not? Why is that the way we live?)

I have several books that either have high cover prices or seem to cost more than they should due to page count. In every case I am certain that they are well worth every penny I shelled out for them and I have returned to them again and again. They are my big expensive books and thus reflect my own reading interests - yours will likely be much different. That's not really what matters though; it's just that you find a way to purchase the books that you love and acknowledge that they might be expensive but ultimately, they really are invaluable.

I rarely ate out in college but I had books. I think I made the right financial choice.

Here are a few titles off my shelves:

2/15: the day the world said NO to war: From AK Press for $24.95, this collection of photos of the first world-wide protest against the Iraq War in 2003 is riveting. With page filling quotes and color photos from Milan to Tokyo to Washington DC is a wonderful representation of humanity. This book faces out on one of my bookshelves; the cover is wonderful. (I bought it both for its message and its design - truly a beautifully put together book.)

Inside Job by Connie Willis: From Subterranean Press, a signed limited edition for $35. Well, I'm a fan of her work. This novella (97) pages also includes a JK Potter cover and a story about HL Mencken and modern skeptics. Willis's sense of humor is on full display along with her sharp wit and love of history. Sub Press puts out gorgeous products and while I do receive quite a few review copies from them I will pretty much always buy a Connie Willis book to have it in hc and with the cover image. (My copy of All Seated on the Ground should be here any day.)

Bookworm by Rosamond Purcell: From The Quantuck Lane Press for $35.00. What you are paying for here is an amazing collection of color images of Purcell's artwork. There is a very nice intro by Sven Birkets and Purcell has a long autobiographical piece explaining how she came to create this particular kind of book related art, but what raises the price is that it was small press who put this together and they pulled out all the stops. It's such a niche market that Purcell is selling to that I image the major pubs were not all that interested in putting the book out there. No matter. Quantuck Lane does a wonderful job and Bookworm is a class act from start to finish. Pure quality and you can't fault them for charging what it is worth.

There are two huge coffee table type books that speak directly to my personal fascination with history and exploration: Lawrence of Arabia by Malcolm Brown (from Thames and Hudson for $45) and Explorers by Andrea De Porti (from Firefly ($49.95). Both of these are big oversized beasts and full of pictures - absolutely bursting with them. The Lawrence book is not a biography although it does include numerous quotes by and about its subject, as well as photos from throughout his life and lots of paper ephemera. If you are already intrigued by TE Lawrence then this is basically brain candy (which is why I fell for it) and the pictures alone make it irresistible.

Explorers is put together in a rather ingenious manner - also oversized, many of the double-spreads fold open to reveal four-page spreads of different men and women who took on the world. So many different people are profiled here, from Scott in the Antarctic to Katherine Routledge in Easter Island all the way up to Apollo 13. I was surprised to see so many women included - not that they don't belong just that they usually aren't there - but again, the design is what puts this book over the top. It is filled from corner to corner with information, pictures, notes, drawings - so much stuff on each and every explorer. Regardless of your age, you can't resist what is in these pages (my little boy loves it). It's a treat, just like all the other titles I've mentioned here. (Oh My God - it is on sale for $16.07 at Powells right now - the new book for less than $20!!! Run, don't walk and buy this book. I can't believe it is so cheap!)

And don't forget Nicola's wonderful memoir either!

And now - after 12 days of blogging madness - I shall rest and be back on Friday with the first of my posts from authors/bloggers/editors/etc. sharing their favorite reads from 2007. (Yes, I shamelessly stole this idea from The Millions but as it is all about book recommendations I hope they won't be mad.... :) First up is the amazing Sharyn November!