Hayley Solano has had a lifelong penchant for literature. In 2021, she decided to share her love for books with the world by creating The Enchanted Book Club, an enriching literary experience that offers its members exclusive access to intimate conversations with bestselling authors, private tours of renowned literary landmarks, a global community of kindred spirits, and more.
It only tracks then that Hayley would have an absolutely enchanting collection of books herself, one she happily shares with her social media followers and book club members.
“I’ve loved classic stories since I was a little girl,” she says. “Growing up, my mom always had pretty books around the house, whether it was a Beatrix Potter collection or the Jane Austen treasury I got her for Christmas in the 90s.” For Hayley, a love of beautiful books and the stories within was something she and her mom could bond over and experience together.
The Beatrix Potter collection in particular left an indelible mark on Hayley. “My mom had the little white books with Beatrix Potter’s illustrations on display next to her Beatrix Potter figurine collection. Displaying books and literary collectibles has been a part of my life since childhood.”
“Because I had these stories displayed in my childhood home, collecting came very naturally to me as an adult,” she explains. “In my early 20s while window shopping, I came upon the Rifle Paper Co. Puffin in Bloom collection, which included Anne of Green Gables, Little Women, A Little Princess, and Heidi. That purchase was the catalyst to collecting beautiful editions as an adult.”
Every book collection is singular in that it’s reflective of the tastes and preferences of the collector: some prefer rare books or first editions, others collect along lines of genre, and some prioritize a beloved author. For Hayley, her book collection is about physical beauty, but also what that beauty reveals about the story within
“They say not to judge a book by its cover, but the main attribute I look for [when collecting] is a cover that visually represents the beauty of what’s underneath it,” she says. “Classic stories, for example, are so deeply cherished for their timeless beauty. When artists can honor that beauty with a cover design to match, I can’t help but want to display it. It’s more than just having a pretty item in your home, it’s a way to proudly represent your love for something that has deep meaning to you.”
In terms of visual components that stick out to her, Hayley has a love of gilded details, ribbon bookmarks, and back covers that feature a quote from the novel.
Luckily for her, while such ornate editions used to be a luxury reserved for the few, they are becoming more and more widely available. “Barnes & Noble now carries a wide range of notable editions that they didn’t carry even just a few years ago. It’s exciting to see how accessible these books are becoming. I usually find them at bookstores and by keeping up-to-date with my favorite publishers on Instagram to ensure I don’t miss new releases!”
Despite the increased accessibility of stunning new editions, beautiful versions of less widely read books are still a rarity. “It can be more of a challenge to find unique editions of my favorite book, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier,” Hayley says. “I treasure my Folio Society edition of Rebecca as it’s such a tribute to the story. There’s lovely illustrations and the iconic cursive “R” dramatically swoops across the cover.”
Some of Hayley’s other favorite books in her collection include the Once Upon a Book Club Bridgerton editions, Rifle Paper Co.'s Jane Austen collection, and Bond & Grace’s The Secret Garden Art Novel.
In terms of what’s next for her collection, she has been dreaming about an ornate edition of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. “I wish I had one, but it doesn’t exist yet,” Hayley laments. But when the day comes such a book is on the market, you can guarantee she will be the first in line.
Ultimately, Hayley’s love of collecting brought her a community of new friends and fellow readers who love classic books just as much as she does.
“It was once I started collecting classic editions and sharing them on social media that I cultivated a community of readers who love these stories too,” she says. “As we celebrated these stories through collecting and displaying pretty editions together, I dreamed of creating a way to immerse us even further in our favorite novels. What if we could sit down and chat with best-selling authors and descendants of classic novelists? What if we could tour the places where these stories were written and take place? The Enchanted Book Club has become a haven for literature lovers to do just that – to immerse ourselves in the timeless beauty of the stories that speak to our hearts.”
It is not lost on Hayley that without her initial love of collecting, The Enchanted Book Club may never have been born. “It's the beauty of these covers that often entices new readers. I’ve met countless people online who say they read their first classic as an adult because they found an edition that spoke to them,” she says.
Ultimately, however, a beautiful cover is only as beautiful as the book it adorns. “To me, it’s all about what these collectibles represent. I think of authors like Jane Austen and L.M. Montgomery, who had no idea that editions like these would exist as tributes to their work and that readers would willingly own multiple copies of the same title! Beautiful editions are more than just pretty covers, they are a way to honor the writer who wrote the unforgettable words inside them.”
