Is $42 too much for a copy of a new book in hardcover?

New books in hardcover cost more, because they are meant to last longer than books in paperback and in fact some reviewers only accept copies in hardcover.

Digital media cannot stop the appreciation of books in print, because they are still selling in millions today as shown by the latest phenomenal success in the book world, the "Fifty Shades of Grey" trilogy, the 2011 erotic romance novel by British author E. L. James.
The second and third volumes, "Fifty Shades Darker" and "Fifty Shades Freed", were published in 2012. "Fifty Shades of Grey" has topped best-seller lists around the world, including the United Kingdom and the United States. The series has sold over 98 million copies worldwide and translated into over 52 languages,and set the record as the fastest-selling paperback of all time and the film adaptation is already in progress.

Writers have to use both the traditional tools and new innovations in publishing.

Please read, "What's next for books in the digital age? Outlook unclear" on http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/feb/22/uncertain-future-for-books-in-the-digital-age