Inside Jacket

Here’s a list of what was hot this past month from AbeBooks.com, AbeBooks.co.uk and the world of signed books from the month of February 2011.

Top 10 bestsellers on AbeBooks.com
1. Jamie’s 30-minute Meals by Jamie Oliver
2. The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren
3. Night by Elie Wiesel
4. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
5. The Secret Message of Jesus by Brian D. McLaren
6. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
7. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
8. The Shack by William Young
9. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson
10. Women Who Love Too Much by Robin Norwood

Top 10 bestsellers on AbeBooks.co.uk
1. Fire on the Mountain by John N. Maclean
2. The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren
3. South Riding by Winifred Holtby
4. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
5. Living with Reform by Timothy Cheek
6. The Trap by James Goldsmith
7. One Day by David Nicholls
8. The Hare with Amber Eyes by Edmund De Waal
9. Death Comes as the End by Agatha Christie
10. True Grit by Charles Portis

Top 10 bestselling Signed books on AbeBooks
1. Swamplandia! by Karen Russell
2. The Alchemist by Paolo Bacigalupi
3. West of Here by Jonathan Evison
4. Known and Unknown: A Memoir by Donald Rumsfeld
5. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
6. Pat Nixon: The Untold Story by Julie Nixon Eisenhower
7. The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie
8. The Empty Family by Colm Tóibín
9. Decision Points by George W. Bush
10. The Name of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Today, we have announced that AbeBooks Europe has signed an agreement to acquire ZVAB.com – the German online marketplace for rare and antiquarian books. ZVAB.com has more 3,000 booksellers in 27 countries and offers a unique inventory of over 35 million used, antiquarian and out-of-print books in many languages. Read the press release.

February was a bumper month with several books standing out on our list of most expensive sales. A first edition of The Camels Are Coming by W.E. Johns, the first Biggles’ novel from 1932, was sold for $17,754 (almost £11,000). The Biggles series of aeronautical adventures spanned nearly 100 novels and features many different phases in the career of British flying ace John Bigglesworth (aka Biggles). The books go from his early days growing up in India, to fighting in World Wars I and II, and through to the Cold War era. First editions of The Camels Are Coming are scarce.

Of course, the ‘Camels’ are Sopwith Camels – the British World War I single-seat fighter plane that helped to revolutionize aerial warfare.

It’s also fascinating to see the continued interest A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. An unread copy of the first edition, first printing, of this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel sold for $7,500. It was published in 1980 – only 7,500 copies of this printing were produced. As so often before, there was also a copy of The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger on the list.

See the most expensive sales for February.

Nietzsche, the feline resident of The Book Man bookshop in Chilliwack BC, has been using his new found fame for a good cause.

After being chosen one of AbeBooks’ top bookstore cats, Nietzsche used his star power to release a limited edition set of “pawtographed” bookmarks, which when sold raised $250 for Chilliwack Animal Safe Haven.

The Chilliwack Progress is now reporting that Nietzsche will be extending his charity work by releasing a calendar featuring images of himself, profits from the sale of which will also go towards the Chilliwack Animal Safe Haven.

Anyone interesting in submitting art of Nietzsche for the calendar can make an appointment with The Book Man to hang out with Nietzsche while creating the artwork. Any medium is permitted, including paintings, drawings, photographs, quilt work, weaving, rug hooking, sculptures, etc. as long as it’s in the likeness of Nietzsche.

We wish Nietzsche, and The Book Man, the best of luck in their quest to aid all of those less fortunate cats… and even dogs too. Nietzsche truly is lion among cats.

From colonists to adventurers and big game hunters to conservationists, many generations have been fascinated by Africa.

Countless books have been produced about the world’s second largest continent – some have faded into obscurity but others have become collectible. This selection ranges from the wildlife to ordinary life on the veldt.

See the books.