Inside Jacket

Shocking news from AbeBooks this week – Jay Z and Justin Bieber appear on AbeBooks’ list of the top bestselling signed books of November.

AbeBooks, of course, is famous for selling unique antiquarian books from centuries past, amazing first editions from the legends of literature like Steinbeck or Hemingway and some of the most beautiful rare books ever printed.

We don’t usually sell books by rappers or teenage pop stars. We’re not even selling that many copies of the Keith Richards’ autobiography – the Rolling Stones are perhaps the ultimate Baby Boomer band and Baby Boomers are our core customers.

I picked up the Bieber autobiography in an airport bookstore the other day. I noticed that the text had been printed in a very big font as if there wasn’t enough to fill the book so a little enlargement was necessary. I shouldn’t really be surprised about the Jay Z book, after all, he’s a respected entrepreneur and recently spoke at the New York public library.

I’m guessing that some very lucky teenage girls are going to wake up on Christmas morning and find a book signed by Bieber lying among their presents. That’s probably the ultimate gift for a teenage girl.

The list also includes George W Bush and Sarah Palin.

AbeBooks’ Bestselling Signed Books for November 2010

1. Decision Points by George W. Bush
2. The Instructions: A Novel by Adam Levin
3. Decoded by Jay Z
4. At Home: A Short History of Private Life by Bill Bryson
5. Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson
6. Great House by Nicole Krauss
7. America by Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith and Flag by Sarah Palin
8. The Wake of Forgiveness by Bruce Machart
9. Justin Bieber: First Step 2 Forever by Justin Bieber
10. Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris

The difference between fact and fiction can sometimes be confused. A memorable example of this phenomenon emerged from World War I. The Bowmen was a short story by Arthur Machen about the Angels of Mons: phantom archers who rose to help British troops at the Battle of Agincourt.

Countless Britons refused to believe the author’s ghost story was fiction and a legend, that persists to this day, was created. Read more:

Machen’s Bowmen

Our ever-popular Weird Book Room has been updated with some more bizarre books. Leading the way is When Did Wild Poodles Roam the Earth? by David Feldman. I still can’t get over the fact there is a book called Make Your Own Sex Toys and why does the man on the cover have a beard like that guy from The Joy of Sex.

Stieg Larsson knew how to fire a grenade launcher, according to this report. Shame he never met Hunter S Thompson or William S Burroughs – they could have had a lot of fun together.

What a combination! Cakes that look like books. The Atlas Shrugged cake is a piece of art.