Calling them Vampire Books is a pretty loose term, since a lot of these mention vampires but not all of them are about vampires.
My obsession started with a book my mom owns, called The Complete Gnomes. She used to buy a lot of imported, English books and many of them
still live in my parent's bookshelf. The format of Gnomes was so novel to me at the time, a textbook about a fictional creature. How fascinating.
As I got into my YA phase in middle school, I picked up The Mortal Instruments and subsequently bought the companion book The Shadowhunters Codex.
That was what got me into collecting everything else. I hope you enjoy my small collection, it's hard to find decent English books about
vampires, especially at a discount!
Vampireology
This is a pop-up book! Part of the Ology series that you might know from their well-known "Dragonology" book, this vampire-themed book explains a new version of vampire categorization with a little plot to go along as you read it. I think dividing vampires into 3 "camps" is unnecessary and the narrative is very eurocentric. I wrote a review about it on my medium page! The image is not to scale but this is the biggest book I have, although it has very few pages, it makes up for it by having a lot of tactile eperiences like flip-ups, physical objects between the pages, and many pull-outs
A Miscellany of Magical Beasts by Simon Holland
This is your standard coffee table book, in my opinion. The lore is scarce and you're instead greeted by wonderful full-spread artworks made by various artists. It's quite thin, hence the lack of lore and the focus on art, but still a great display piece nonetheless
The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (The Official Illustrated Movie Companion)
I used to have a massive Mortal Instruments phase in middle school leading up to highschool. I didn't read the prequels but I did get out of my way to buy any companion pieces for the movie. I found out about the movie from Nathan Sykes' tie-in single for the movie and from there I read the TMI books and was obsessed. I'm putting this here in the vampire category because technically there are vampires in the story, they just tend to not be the major focus. I like their vampire lore and you'll know more by reading the codex review somewhere below
The Vampire Book by Sally Regan
This is my favorite book on vampires that I own, hands down. It has a LOT of information on the origins of vampire stories, its influences past and present, and even bloodsuckers from other parts of the world! I highly recommend you get your hands on a copy. The graphic design style is a mishmash and it very dated but I promise the information is more thorough than any other pop-culture vampire book you'll find in bookstores.
Gothic Dreams: Vampires by Russ Thorne
This is probably the my least favorite out of the bunch, solely because it feels like a buzzfeed listicle instead of an actual book. Sure, there's some great art, but the essense of a vampire isn't explained. Instead you have plot summaries of vampire shows and movies that could have been a pop article.
The Shadowhunter's Codex by Cassandra Clare and Joshua Lewis
This codex was my personality for a good 4 years. The chokehold it had on me was unbelievable. I love Cassandra Jean's art and the unique rune designs. I drew the runes everywhere I could when I was 14 and learning how to draw. I love this format of a boy scout's guide scribbled over by main characters that have a bone to pick with the institution. Chainani's "The Never Ever Handbook" also follows this trope and I love it for that. More companion pieces should be written by unreliable institutions and revised by the main characters in the story.
Interview with the Vampire: Claudia's Story by Anne Rice and Ashley Marie Witter
When I saw this on sale on the Big Bad Wolf storepage I knew I HAD to have it. It's drawn so beautifully and intricately, plus, can I be honest with you for a sec? I haven't actually read the novels. I watched the movie, haven't watched the tv series, and I just bought this graphic novel because damnit it's so pretty. It was cheap AND it comes in a hardcover. Insanely good value for under 5 dollars.
A Field Guide to Fantastical Beasts by Olento Salaperainen
If you're not into vampires but want a well-rounded bestiary, get this book. It cites its sources well, has a bibliography, has accompanying artwork, and does not skimp out on the lore and stories. It's a comfortable size to hold and also a great coffee table book, which I could say goes for most of the books here.