A book with a beautiful cover as a gift for an intelligent woman

[TwigTheWonderKid]

I need to find an excellent book as a birthday present for my friend. I would also like it to have a beautiful cover.

I am very unwell and can't get out to the shops to browse and it's so hard to find things online.

Try here - lots of wonderful books (although they are pricey)

www.foliosociety.com

Not exactly beautiful covers but Persephone books have beautiful end papers and book marks and they also give excellent advice.

@TwigTheWonderKid what kind of book do you think she'd like? Novel? Kind of novel? Art book? History? Gardening book? Give me some parameters and I'm happy to seek out some books but the brief is too wide at the mo.
I'm really sorry you're ill.

For lovely classic editions you can search on amazon, some of the covers are wonderful. Also worth tkmaxx online as they have classic editions as well. Foyles online will also have a good selection to browse.

Waterstones does a nice range of cloth-covered classic novels:

Clothbound Classics | Waterstones

I concur with both suggestions above, @TwigTheWonderKid. Depending on your budget you could get something wonderful from either Persephone Books or the Folio Society.

If she’s well read there’s a higher chance she will have read any given FS novel - so Persephone might be a better choice. You could get a few.

Little Boy Lost is an immensely excellent read from Persephone.

My first thought was Persephone too. They are not flashy but they are lovely quality, and the matching endpapers and bookmarks are a nice touch.

The people in the Persephone shop in Bath are very friendly and happy to make recommendations - you could try calling or emailing them.

https://persephonebooks.co.uk/

Alternatively, @TwigTheWonderKid you could just get her something from a current book prize shortlist. Most new hardback books are pretty good looking - and if it’s a new publication she’s less likely to have read it.

The Testimony of Frannie Langton in hardback would be lovely.

I was going to suggest this.

The most beautiful book cover ever imo is The Fascination - a Gothic novel that came out last year. Even the edges of the pages are blue and gold.

Thank you! I saw Persephone books on Instagram but forgot the name so I couldn't find them again, thanks for reminding me. They are beautiful, and I'm going to Bath in a few weeks so hopefully I can pay them a visit.

I agree with Folio Society and Persephone Books (Little Boy Lost is impossible to put down) and would add Slightly Foxed - beautiful clothbound biographies and autobiographies.

Could ypu source a signed copy of one of your friend's preferred authots or one of her favourite books?

I've stumbled across a few on ebay.

book

I bought collection of women’s diary entries from history for my Mum and it is a beautiful book as well as being really interesting. Very tempted to buy it again for myself.

Penguin Classics have some lovely clothbound hardbacks if Folio is outside budget https://shop.penguin.co.uk/collections/penguin-clothbound-classics

Oh thank you so much you wonderful ladies. Plenty to peruse whilst I am sitting here having my treatment this afternoon 🙂

I'm sorry to hear that you're unwell

Many Persephone books have the classic grey cover, but with beautiful endpapers based on contemporary wallpaper with bookmarks to match. However a few, for example Someone at a Distance, do have lovely covers taken from paintings.

Persephone also sell "book envelopes" in a choice of three linen fabrics, to protect your book when carrying it around, which perhaps would be a nice extra gift for your friend?

https://persephonebooks.co.uk/collections/persephone-merch/products/persephone-re-usable-fabric-envelopes

Ah, I think some of the endpapers are based on contemporary textiles rather than wallpaper. They're beautiful anyway.

I recently finished reading Cuddy by Benjamin Myers - it has a beautiful cover (hardback is slightly different to paperback I think) and I think it might be the best book I have ever read … don't be put off by it being about Saint Cuthbert as the story and the way it is delivered is frankly magical, it's not especially religious more about people and how they relate to each other and even to themselves; when I'd finished it I was really disappointed and wanted to start it again almost immediately...

Holly Ovenden designs beautiful covers: www.hollyovenden.com/

Waterstones has recently reissued hardback versions of some of Patrick Leigh Fermor's wonderful travel writing with the wonderful John Craxton covers. https://www.waterstones.com/book/a-time-of-gifts/patrick-leigh-fermor/9781529369496

The Penguin clothbound books are also great.

What kinds of things does she like reading?

@SpikeWithoutASoul that looks great. Do you mind me asking how big the print is? Would love to send it to my Mum but she cannot cope with the tiny print that some books have

What sort of books does your friend like?