Home > Our First Editions Club
Real Books, Real Booksellers, and a Real Bookstore.

It doesn't get any more real than a bunch of booksellers reading their hearts out to find the best books for their customers. Each year, a select number of these books are selected for our First Editions Club.

Lemuria opened its doors in 1975, and since 1993 we've been working hard to find the best signed first editions every month for our First Editions Club. Over the years the quality of our book selection and literary experience have been sustained not only because of the efforts of our booksellers but also because of the support from our First Editions Club members.

Get to Know Our Club

Since 1993, we've been picking the best signed first editions for FICTION READERS every month. We're still going strong and serving just over 200 members. We especially look for collectible authors, debut novels, literary memoirs, and books that just blow us away. We will sometimes select a nonfiction book that has a compelling narrative structure. We work hard to select one outstanding signed first edition for this category every month. Occasionally, we select two books when merited.

In 2014, we started selecting two books for YOUNG READERS each month. We work hard to find a wonderful picture book and middle grade book are selected. You can opt for both selections or choose the picture book or middle grade book. It's a great way to start a library for your child or grandchild or a treat for book collector's who are young at heart.

We felt the need to grow once again and in 2017 we began picking selections for NONFICTION READERS. Like our Fiction category, we look for collectible authors and debut books, but above all, we select compelling and eye-opening stories.


How It Works
An Author Experience We want to meet the authors of our favorite books, and we want to give you the chance to meet them, too. You deserve a good book and a great literary experience. (We all know that with COVID gatherings have changed. While we are having very few in-person events, we are having some virtual events with our authors. See our Events page for the latest.)

The Best Books in Hand We select the most pristine copies of the book for the club, and we want them to be delivered to you in the same pristine condition. We first protect the book's dust jacket with an archival mylar cover to help maintain its value. For those books that are shipped, we wrap the book in butcher paper, and pack it carefully in a box ‐ never in an envelope.

Ship-out or Pick-up
For all three of our clubs, the cost is just the list price of the book. Each month's book can be picked up in the store, or we can ship to you monthly. Shipping is $7 shipping plus $2 for each additional book.

Some of Our Favorite and Award-Winning First Editions Club Picks

Lincoln in the Bardo Lincoln in the Bardo

by George Saunders

FEC Pick March 2017

Price: $75.00
Sing, Unburied, Sing Sing, Unburied, Sing

by Jesmyn Ward

FEC Pick September 2017

Price: $75.00
Fates and Furies Lauren Groff Fates and Furies

by Lauren Groff

FEC Pick September 2015

Price: $40.00
A Dangerous Business by Jane Smiley A Dangerous Business

by Jane Smiley

January 2023

Price: $28.00
Age of Vice by ​Deepti Kapoor Age of Vice

by Deepti Kapoor

Febuary 2023

Price: $30.00
Ozark Dogs by Eli Cranor Ozark Dogs

by Eli Cranor

March 2023

Price: $26.95
The Trackers by Charles Frazier The Trackers

by Charles Frazier

April 2023

Price: $30.00
The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson The Orphan Master's Son

by Adam Johnson

FEC Pick January 2012

Price: $100.00
Salvage This World by Michael Farris Smith Salvage This World

by Michael Farris Smith

May 2023

Price: $28.00
Be Mine by Richard Ford Be Mine

by Richard Ford

June 2023

Price: $30.00
Flags on the Bayou by James Lee Burke Flags on the Bayou

by James Lee Burke

July 2023

Price: $28.00
Somebody's Fool by Richard Russo Somebody's Fool

by Richard Russo

August 2023

Price: $29.00
The Oceans and the Stars by Mark Helprin The Oceans and the Stars

by Mark Helprin

October 2023

Price: $50.00
Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward Let Us Descend

by Jesmyn Ward

November 2023

Price: $28.00
The Exchange by John Grisham The Exchange: After The Firm - Signed First Edition

by John Grisham

November 2023

Price: $29.95
The Madstone The Madstone

by Elizabeth Crook

December 2023

Price: $29.00
You may notice that some of the featured selections below have increased prices. After everyone has received their First Editions Club selections, we may choose to sell the remaining books according to their collectible value. We base our pricing on the collectible book market and the quality and quantity of our holdings.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is a first edition?

The term "first edition" refers to the first printing of the earliest edition of a book. First printing copies are unique because they are the first published record of a book. For collectors, the first edition of a book is the most desired edition, especially if it is signed. If a book wins an award or otherwise earns acclaim or popularity and the book's first printing was relatively small, copies of the first edition can become very valuable, and signed copies even more so.

What if I don't like the book that is selected?

No problem. Call the store or email us at fec@lemuriabooks.com and we will happily exchange the book.

What are the other perks of the First Editions Club?

Once a month we send an email to all of our FEC members giving them first dibs on any notable signed first edition that we have in the store. So even if you live in another city or state, you can still have access to signed first editions. If you want to add a book to your FEC shipment, the shipping cost is reduced to two additional dollars per book. We also protect each dust jacket in an archival mylar cover to help maintain its value.

Where can I get more information?

Please give us a call at 800/601 366-7619 or send us an email at fec@lemuriabooks.com.