The 52 Book Club: 2026 Challenge discussion

23. A sprayed edge

A sprayed edge is when the edges of a book are sprayed with color. Sprayed edges may be a solid color or they may include a design, stencil, artwork, or pattern. This is an increasingly popular choice for special editions. Sprayed edges may be a design choice released by the publisher or may be custom artwork added by an artist later.

What if I don’t read physical books?
All of our challenge prompts can be completed using any type of reading (paperback, hardcover, e-reader, audiobook, etc.) As long as at least one edition of the book has a sprayed edge, you can read that book in any form or edition.

Can I spray a book’s edges and count it?
Yes! Get crafty and creative with it! There is some breathtaking artwork being done on book edges, and if that inspires you, we can’t wait to see what you come up with.

There’s an edition with sprayed edges but I don’t have it. Can I read the paperback version or listen on audio instead?
Yes! As long as at least one edition of the book has a sprayed edge, feel free to read that book in any form.

How do I find books with sprayed edges?
We recognize the fact that some of our prompts can be trickier to find than others, and at first glance, this one seems really tricky! If you’re unable to find a book with sprayed edges, be sure to make use of the amazing 52 Book Club community and ask for help. Search our Facebook group for suggestions (or create a post and ask for ideas), check out our Goodreads lists, visit a local library or bookstore and ask for suggestions there.

If you have a beautiful sprayed edge book, don’t forget to snap a photo and share it in our Facebook group or on social media using #the52bookclub2025 — we’d love to see them!


Click here for our Goodreads List of suggestions

A Bánh Mì for Two by Trinity Nguyen

Onyx Storm!!!

This could be the year I complete Edgar Allan Poe’s Complete Stories and Poems, my copy has a gold- sprayed edge

I thought I had this worked out but apparently it’s the pages not the spine

Thomas wrote: "I thought I had this worked out but apparently it’s the pages not the spine"

If you Google "books with a sprayed edge" or search in the website of any book retailer or a book subscription service like Illumicrate, lots of new releases and special editions have decorated page edges. Then you can read the non-fancy edition of anything that you find.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Five Broken Blades

This is a fun one for going to a local book store or library to browse.

One Dark Window

I see that there's an edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein with one of these edges. I already have both a physical copy and a kindle version, so I won't be buying another for some colorful ink art on the edges.

I will be reading:


Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score

HAPPY READING!!

☑️ Completed!

I have about 30 books on a shelf near the kitchen table that have been growing rather than dwindling and there is one that someone used a black marker on the edges so this is perfect!
It’s The Unbecoming of Martha Dyer

Fourth Wing!

Elephants Can Remember by Agatha Christie

Kate wrote: "Onyx Storm!!!"

Me too!

Fangirl recently came out with an anniversary edition not that long ago so I'll go with this one.

Well I caved. I got all 4 of the Hunger Games Deluxe Edition books that came out.

Since I read the first book last month (regular edition), I think I'll end up reading Catching Fire for this prompt.

The Poppy War R.F Kuang

I’m reading Blue Sisters for this prompt!

I read the special edition copy of Her Soul To Take by Harley Laroux

I'm reading The Nightingale (audio book)

I read The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst, 5 Stars. My edition had purple edges

Babylonia by Costanza Casati

The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien

I read Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, V.E. Schwab - ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Cursed by Harper L. Woods.

The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith


I really like this one, but I know better than to start romantasy series that are not finished yet. But I did it anyways. So now its just a waiting game...

I read The Call Of The Wild by Jack London It was a 2024 hardback edition with a yellow sprayed
edge that I borrowed from my local library (Read June 9th; 3*)

I read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits by Jennifer Weiner
4 stars

I read The Do-Over by Lynn Painter.

“The Naked Face” by Sidney Sheldon is an amazing thriller that you will not be able to put down! The paperback copy I have has green sprayed on the edges.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh.

Lining up “The Lost Apothecary” by Sarah Penner.
Blākie

Anne of the Island

I read A Box Full of Murders by Janice Hallet

Frankenstein: The 1818 Text
My copy did not but I found a copy that had beautiful sprayed edges.

The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang


finished 04May2025

I read The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels. My edition doesn’t have sprayed edges, but on the Barnes & Noble website I saw that it was reissued with sprayed edges.

Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland

Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan

Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry; prettiest book on my shelf

Read Capitana by Cassandra James

I read "The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association" by Caitlin Rozakis

I read Mansfield Park Jane Austen. My copy isn't sprayed but they have some sprayed edge ones at the bookshop.