AbeBooks' Reading Copy

Bestselling author Bill Bryson, who is a make-believe Brit like Madonna, says he believes the UK has become increasingly self-absorbed and greedy. I’m not going to argue with him but his vision of Britain in the 1970s seems radically different to mine. The strikes, the power cuts, the confused politics, the dreadful fashion, some really [...]

Some bloke in Saturday’s NY Times ponders the inscriptions found in books. No e-reader for this man.

A little known secret about AbeBooks is that thousands of collectible vintage posters can be found for sale on the website. Pop culture, the history of art, politics (including a lot of propaganda), war and commerce – we have many posters on offer. Check our collectible vintage posters feature. My favourite is definitely Jimi Hendrix [...]

The Guardian allows a posse (I think chatter would be a lovely way of describing writers in the pural) of authors to ask themselves questions they are never asked. Children’s author Jacqueline Wilson admits that she collects antiquarian books. Margaret Atwood asks herself: “Why are you such a pushover for everyone who wants you to [...]

Sarah Palin is fuming after an author who is writing an unofficial biography of the Palinator rented the house next door to her home in Wasilla, Alaska. Apparently, Joe McGinnis has already been caught gawping over the fence at Mrs Palin in her “shorts and tank top” while she was gardening. The Independent gleefully reports.

Meet the librarian who takes care of “45,000 books of scripture printed in more than 2,000 languages during six centuries.” The profile comes from the Catholic News Services – an organisation that’s probably glad to have the opportunity to write about rare books right now.

Check out this fantastic text and illustration from a Russian version of Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” – Khobbit, ili tuda i obratno [The Hobbit, or There and Back Again].

Anthony Bourdain is my favourite person in the food world. I think even more of him after learning he appeared on Yo Gabba Gabba. USA Today has the interview.

Look at these 50 gorgeous, iconic examples of stunning book jacket design. Many are familiar, but some will be new to you.

The Southern Food and Beverage Museum (SoFAB) is working on rebuilding its collection which lost over 900 volumes during Hurricane Katrina. They’re looking for hardcover, softcover, spiral-bound cookbooks of any taste or region are needed and will become a fully accessible collection as part of the New Orleans Public Library. They are also collecting Southern [...]