A Beautiful Book Tour

I have loved collecting books for a long time. Over the years I have collected some very lovely copies of some of my favorite books. I thought it would be fun to share them with you. It's a small collection, and I hope to add more someday, but each of them is very special and makes me very happy!

 This first book is my copy of Pride and Prejudice. It's the full Jane Austen novel with the addition of Martha Stewart tea-time recipes and stunning frosting illustrations. It's from the Puffin Plated Collection which also has Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. 

I could spend (and have spent) a lot of time just looking at the lovely decorated cookies and icing art that is sprinkled all through the book.

This next book is actually a complete collection. These are the Puffin in Bloom Children's Classics (or as I like to call them, all time best classics for girls.) The books are unabridged and absolutely gorgeous with illustrations by Anna Bond of Rifle Paper Company. 

As you can see this collection has Heidi by Johanna Spyri, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott ( it's more worn than the others, and I think you know why.) Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (one of my all time favorites) and A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. 
One thing I love about this collection is that even though they are so pretty, they don't make me feel like I can't read them. 
These are also the books that made me fall in love with classics!

This huge copy of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland is also illustrated by the amazing Anna Bond of Rifle Paper Company. I originally got this book because I thought it was an addition to the Puffin in Bloom set I just showed you - but actually it's practically a coffee table book with full color illustrations throughout. I love how whimsical it is!

I love taking the dust jackets off of books - there's always a surprise underneath, and this one was no exception. I actually like this illustration better than the dust jacket illustration. And of course, you cannot ignore that dapper rabbit with his wall of clocks!

I saved the best for last! 
This is my favorite copy of Little Women and my favorite book I own, period. 
What makes this book so special, you may ask. Well my friend, this book isn't just Little Women, it also includes ACTUAL letters inside. Every time within the text of the novel, when a character reads directly from a letter or newspaper clipping, there is a very real letter or newspaper clipping inserted inside. The letters were written by different calligraphers and were designed with historical accuracy in mind. It was published by Chronicle Books and it can be pretty easily found.

There is so much character to the letters. Each one is unique. As a huge Little Women fan, this was a thrilling and surreal book to receive, you are so much closer to holding a piece of the story in your hands. If there was any book from this list that I would recommend for you to buy, it would be this one.

Well that's my current collection! What do you think? Do you own any beautiful books? Do you know of any I should consider adding to my collection?

Belle Thomas

​Belle is the writer behind An Old Fashioned Girl. She is passionate about Jesus, good books, and living a beautiful life