The opportunity presented itself yesterday. We were over at our son’s place for lunch, and he was online looking up a video game our daughter wanted to buy. I said, “Hey, as long as you’re on Amazon, there’s something I’d like to order, too.”
I was actually joking; I wasn’t expecting to order that Bible yet, but my wife said, “Go ahead. It’s your birthday, after all.”
So we looked at my Amazon wish list and my son got it ordered for me. It’s the NIV Bible I was talking about on this post. “ISBN: 0310439221
It’s a large-print, thinline, black-letter, reference Bible, but the cover is bonded leather.”
It’s black bonded leather; I think the edges are silver; at least that’s the way it looks on the packaging they show on Amazon and CBD. Anyway, it’s a pre-order, so I won’t have it for a while. But be sure that when it arrives I’ll let you all know!
The Sundry Times 
Nice.
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I would love to see a picture or two of the interior layout and to read your impressions of the bonded letter. I’m pretty sure I’ll be ordering the same Bible, though I might buy one in person if I can find this black letter edition.
Do you happen to know the street date?
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Nathan, I assume by street date you mean a date you will be able to go into your local B&N or Bible book store and pull one off the shelf and buy it. Unfortunately I have no idea.
To be honest, I’m buying this almost sight unseen. I haven’t seen this one, or any of the new NIVs. I do know that I was very impressed with the 1984 NIV large print thinline reference Bible that I was able to examine a couple years ago. I also have my TNIV XL, which is a large print thinline, but without the reference column. I can see it would be an easy thing for them to spread the two columns of text apart to put a reference column in there and still keep the large font. I also notice the picture of the packaging seems to make a big thing out of the “lay flat” feature, that tells me it’s most likely Smyth sewn.
So I’m only speculating, but I think it’s an educated guess I’m making. I think I’m going to like this Bible a lot.
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By the way, I also had a NRSV reference Bible from Zondervan I bought back in the mid-90s that had an excellent, excellent layout. We know Zondervan can do it, and I think they want to make some good new NIVs and help rebuild their reputation.
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I purchased a book bundle 2 years ago that included a free 1984 NIV thinline that has nearly identical dimensions to these new Bibles. I’m assuming it’s going to be roughly the same quality and size, and this one is also sewn. I just really want a black text version and that seems to only be available in the bonded leather and the highest end one.
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Yeah, that’s a bit disappointing to me, too. I wish Zondervan would make the black-letter the default version and only make a few red-letter ones instead. I’m sure they’re going for the money — what sells best.
Heh, it’s ironic to me now that the NRSV, long the darling of the liberals/progressives, who now want to embrace the idea of being “red-letter Christians”, is available in far more black-letter versions than red-letter! 😉
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Happy (belated) birthday, Gary!
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Oh, uh, happy birthday from my late friend, right? 😉
Yeah, I’m 85…er, I mean 58 now.
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I had a look at the Bibles today. I think the bonded leather will be fine, and I won’t be getting the trutone cover. They have the regular thinlines and expect the reference thinlines to be in stock in the next week or two. I’m waiting on a black letter edition 8)
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