What do you think of Lego Books?

ethanjwall

This is a thread to discuss Lego Books, their prices, and how you feel about them! Personally, I love these books, at least some of them. They rock, especially some of the minifigures included with them, as many of them are exclusives!

SumoLego

I actually prefer the 'library' editions that don't have the minifigures.

Sarky

I wish there was a wider range of themes that get books. Currently only a few themes get books (City, SW and Ninjago to name a few).

Goldchains

I see the 'library' editions all the time!  In stores....because unscrupulous individuals steal the minifigures out of them constantly.

CCC

I tend to keep the minifig and let the kids cut up the pictures from the books. I don't really like the thickness of the minifig versions. Often more than twice as wide as they should be on a shelf.

Price wise, they are fine. DK ones are always under £5 in the UK eventually.

nejakdivne

The Lego books I rate the highest and definitely are worth checking out:

Eye Candy:
Steampunk LEGO by Guy Himber
Beautiful LEGO I-III by Mike Doyle

Ideas/Instructions:
The LEGO Architect by Tom Alphin
The LEGO Neighborhood Book by B. Lyles / J. Lyles

Encyclopaediae:
Great LEGO Sets: A Visual History by Daniel Lipkowitz
LEGO Architecture: The Visual Guide by Philip Wilkinson

EV3:
The LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Idea Book: 181 Simple Machines and Clever Contraptions by Yoshihito Isogawa - fantastic book with lots of clever ideas without words
The Art of LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Programming by Terry Griffin - very good handbook / guide for starting with EV3

akunthita

I don't care for LEGO books with minifigures as they are basically big picture books of LEGO sets and minifigs, but I find the educational books by NoStarchPress and DK very absorbing and useful.

My LEGO bible is LEGO Space: Building the Future. I have flipped through that book a million times and have so many sticky notes in it for various greebling techniques. And I also really like the LEGO Adventure Book series and the LEGO Ideas series. The LEGO Neighborhood book is also really grea, as well as the two Amazing Vehicles books.

So all in all, pictures books of actual LEGO sets and minifigs are not so much of an interest to me, but books with building techniques and MOCs with instructions I find very useful. There is one artsy book though that I really like; the Art of the Brick by Nathan Sawaya. I love his storytelling style, explaining how his sculptures came about. 

gmonkey76

Only get books if they have a minifigure or set I want in them. Otherwise I don't need them.

Aanchir

I love LEGO books. If we're talking books about LEGO in general, I have over 80 of them! I made a list here that's not even complete. One of my favorites is Brick by Brick, which I find myself referencing all the time in online discussions.

Really excited for the updated edition of the LEGO Ninjago Character Encyclopedia coming out this year! I wonder what the exclusive fig will be. I'm sure the contents of the book will be quite substantial since the number of LEGO Ninjago figures by then will be nearly triple what it was when the original edition came out (there were 55 in the original book, and the sets for the first half of next year bring the number up to 160, not counting minor variants like figs with different neck accessories or headgear).

DNA

I like the LEGO books. My kids really enjoy some of them. I remember a couple of years ago my 9 year old was super into the Castle Brickmaster book. I should get him the mindstorms ideas book. That sounds perfect for him. My 7 year old really likes the crazy contraptions and the chain reaction books. My 4 year old's favorites are LEGO city where's the pizza boy search and find book and the LEGO city follow that Easter egg. He was completely devastated when we accidentally left the Easter egg book at Schiphol airport. He started asking about it as the plane was taking off and heading back to New York. That was the longest flight of my life. I couldn't replace that book fast enough. 

ethanjwall

@Aanchir: Have you ever heard of the book called Extreme Bricks? It is a very good book worth getting! It's by Sarah Herman. It has some of the biggest and best lego MOCs that I've ever seen! :)  And yeah, I love Brick by Brick also. Picked it up in a library and then didn't end up getting it :( I regret that!

Thecollector123

This isn't really a book but I love reading brick journal magazine. My first issue was issue 8 now the latest issue is issue 37! I also love brickpicker's new book which is a price guide for rare Lego sets.

dragon114

I mostly buy books for mifigures like the zombie skateboarder 

catwrangler

I love The Lego Ideas Book from DK; I haven't done any MOCing in ages but it made me really inspired and excited. And I just got Brick City: Lego For Grown-Ups by Warren Elsmore for Christmas and it was really interesting.

Galactus

SumoLego said:

I actually prefer the 'library' editions that don't have the minifigures.

Are these thinner versions than the ones with minifigure/bricks? Or are they just 'empty'?

In case of the former: do you know where I can buy these?