Reading Copy Book Blog

The golden girl can do no wrong, the movie adaptation of her first novel Twilight earned over 70 million dollars this past weekend. So I suppose it shouldn’t come as to much of a surprise that signed first editions of the novel might have an increased demand once again.

Amidst the promotion hubbub for her movie someone snapped up a set of the Twilight series first editions (four in total) for $4000; no small feat considering the latter two books (Eclipse and Breaking Dawn) were printed in such vast numbers that their contribution to that sum is somewhat of a pittance.

Anyone with a signed Stephenie Meyer should consider themselves lucky as I don’t expect her to do many more book signings, and there are only a few copies of Meyer’s signature available on the market.

It’s auction time once again at AbeBooks and we have some wonderful items that will appeal to booklovers everywhere. The headline lot is once again provided by Penguin. It’s a stunning set of beautiful leather-bound classic modern novels - only just issued by Penguin Classics. This amazing set was created by Bill Amberg, one of the world’s top designers of leather goods, and they could be yours.

Amberg selected six of his favorite modern novels and bound them in soft, brown calf leather. The books are The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, A Room with a View by EM Forster, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler, Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh and Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote. Each book has an integrated leather bookmark and is boxed with a belly-band. The collection comes complete with a Bill Amberg-designed leather carrying case and the initials of the winning bidder will be stamped on to the luggage tag. Each book is signed by Amberg.

These leather-bound novels and carrying case should go for a pretty penny. The retail price for each book is £50 (that’s about USD $78).

However, there are eight other lots in the auction, including several signed books where the starting bid is just $15.

Lot 2: Signed copy of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz
Lot 3: Signed copy of On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan
Lot 4: Signed copies of Rawi Hage’s Cockroach and Joseph Boyden’s Through Black Spruce (Through Black Spruce just won Canada’s Giller Prize and Coakroach is shortlisted for two forthcoming awards)
Lot 5: Signed copy of Sweetheart by Chelsea Cain
Lot 6: Signed copy of Mudbound by Hillary Jordan
Lot 7: A box of Random House Canada books (This one will appeal to everyone - 11 great books worth more than CAD $300)
Lot 8: Weekend accommodation for 2 at the Vancouver Marriott plus The Spirit to Serve: Marriott’s Way by JW Marriott Jr & Kathi Ann Brown (See this amazing city in British Columbia, Canada, from a deluxe room)
Lot 9: Signed copies of three Lance Secretan books

The fourth AbeBooks charity auction will begin on November 20 and conclude on November 25. The proceeds from the Penguin set will go to the Children’s’ Brain Tumour Research Fund at the Royal Marsden Hospital in the UK. The other lots are supporting the United Way and the BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver, Canada.

The Giller, Canada’s most prestigious literary prize, was awarded last night to Joseph Boyden for his book Through Black Spruce.

If you want to get your hands on this piece of Canadian lit history, AbeBooks has a signed copy of Boyden’s winning novel available at its Charity Auction which runs November 20 - 25. Also included in the lot with Through Black Spruce is Rawi Hage’s Cockroach, which was one of the runners up to the award.

All proceeds from the auction are being directed to various charities including The United Way, Vancouver Children’s Hospital and The Children’s Brain Tumor Research Fund at the Royal Marsden Hospital in the UK.

Demand for a piece of Barack Obama history is still generating huge interest in signed copies of his books. Since his triumph at the polls, AbeBooks.com has sold 20 books autographed by the President-elect priced at $500 or higher with one buyer shelling out $5,500 for a signed copy of Dreams From My Father.

Before the election, the most expensive Obama book sold by AbeBooks.com was a signed copy of Dreams From My Father for $1,798. Twelve of the 20 signed copies sold since Obama’s victory have been priced more than $1,000.

The most collectible Obama books are the signed 1995 first editions of Dreams From My Father. Originally published when he was still working as a run-of-the-mill lawyer and lecturer, the book went out-of-print in a hurry and had a small print run. Asking prices for these scarce editions stretch well past $10,000.

Even though Obama has yet to move his family (and puppy) into the White House, prices for his signed books are already comparable to previous presidents. In recent years, AbeBooks has sold a signed copy of Bill Clinton’s My Life for $3,450 and a signed copy of Ronald Reagan’s An American Life for $6,325.

One other interesting fact about this surge in demand for signed Obama books - the buyers are not what we would classify as our traditional rare book-buyers. For many of the customers spending four figures, these prices are the highest they have ever spent with us.

It’s interesting. On one hand, he hasn’t actually done anything yet. He’s spent four years working towards getting into the White House so he can start make changes. On the other hand, getting to the White House is a miracle in itself.

The demand for Barack Obama’s signature is not showing any signs of letting up, with a $3500 signed copy of The Audacity of Hope being sold yesterday smashing the previous record of $2495 that was set only one day earlier.

Along with re-breaking the record price, several more signed Obama titles worth over $1000 also sold yesterday…. The demand may not be slowing down but the supply is shrinking, you can still find signed Obama titles but they’re selling quickly.

Below are the top 10 sales for October 2008 on all AbeBooks sites

1. George Bernard Shaw’s typewriter $7,979
Along the top edge of the machine’s guarantee in faded ink, Shaw had written the words “Bernard Shaw, Ayot St Lawrence, Welwyn Herts”. He had also written the date, 9th Feb 1935.

2. Oeuvres Philosophiques Latines & Francaises de feu by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz - $6,496
Published in 1765, this first edition is a collection of Leibnitz’s philosophical works in French and Latin, and contains the first printing of one of Leibnitz’s most important philosophical works, his “Nouveaux essays sur l’entendement humain” (New Essays on Human Understanding), in which he attacks and refutes Locke and his “Essay on Human Understanding.”

3. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway - $6,000
A first edition, first printing, of this classic novella published in 1952 and signed by Hemingway.

4. The Novels and Tales of Henry James by Henry James - $5,999
A first edition set of 26 volumes published 1917.

5. A Corpus of Rembrandt paintings. Translated by D.Co - $5,404
Published in 1982 in three volumes

6. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by JK Rowling - $5,213
First printing first issue of the deluxe edition signed by the author

7. The Novels and The Letters by Jane Austen - $4,862
Published in 1923, based on collation of the early editions by R.W. Chapman. Large paper edition limited to 1000 copies.

8. Notes on the State of Virginia by Thomas Jefferson - $4,500
First American edition of Jefferson’s only book, with folding table of Indian Tribes. Published in 1788.

9. Sein und Zeit (Being And Time) by Martin Heidegger - $4450
This is the special printing of the first appearance of the work generally considered to be one of the most important philosophical works of the 20th century and is the best known work by the German philosopher, published 1927

10. Opticks: or, a Treatise of the Reflections, Refractions, Inflection and Colours of Light by Sir Isaac Newton - $3929
Published in 1730, this fourth edition was published posthumously and is the last edition to be revised by the author. The book contains information about the study of physical optics.

Here are the 10 bestselling signed books over all AbeBooks websites…

1. A Most Wanted Man by John Le Carre
2. Brisingr by Christopher Paolini
3. Home by Marilynne Robinson
4. My Word is My Bond by Roger Moore
5. The Given Day by Dennis Lehane
6. Indignation by Philip Roth
7. The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
8. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
9. The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly
10. Nothing to be Frightened Of by Julian Barnes

AbeBooks.com is experiencing a lot of interest in signed Barack Obama books. Today (Wednesday), we sold a signed first edition of The Audacity of Hope for $2,495. Our previous most expensive Barack Obama sale was $1,798 for a signed copy of Dreams From My Father.

We have also sold seven other Barack Obama books priced $1,000 or over. I’m sure more signed books will sell overnight. To be honest, I didn’t expect to be selling so many high priced Barack Obama books today because his signed books have been very expensive for a very long time. Buyers are simply not being put off by four-figure price-tags. They are clearly thinking that this is a very unique moment in American political history and that these are special books.

I’m thrilled to reveal author and all-round ‘Book Guy’ Nicholas Basbanes is coming to Victoria - AbeBooks.com’s hometown - on October 31 to deliver two free lectures. Nicholas is a huge supporter of AbeBooks and appears each week on NPR’s The Book Guys show where he discusses his passion - books.

Nicholas is famous for writing books abut books - A Gentle Madness, published in 1995, won the author a huge following among bibliophiles. He’s continued to write extensively about all aspects of being a bibliophile since then. AbeBooks.com is a sponsor of The Books Guys show so Nicholas’ work has always been close to our hearts. In 2006, we interviewed Nicholas and his answers reveal what makes him tick.

His trip to this corner of Canada has been arranged by the Alcuin Society – a wonderful bibliophilic organization that supports and promotes fine books – and AbeBooks.com is supporting the Victoria leg of his mini-tour.

Free public lecture 1 – University of Victoria – October 31 at 12 noon until 1pm in the McPherson Library, Room 210 (2nd floor) in the Mearns Centre for Learning, University of Victoria (Pay parking is available on campus).

Nicholas will speak about his experiences as a writer of books about books in a presentation entitled ‘Thirty Years on the Book Beat.’ He will be happy to sign copies of his books after the presentation. This event is staged in association with the Friends of the University of Victoria Libraries.

Free public lecture 2 - Victoria Conservatory of Music - October 31 at 7:30pm until 8:30pm - Alix Goolden Performance Hall, 907 Pandora Avenue, Victoria (Downtown Victoria offers ample pay parking)

At this event, Nicholas will speak about the lasting value and importance of the printed book in a presentation entitled ‘Stirring the World: The Enduring Power of the Printed Word.’ Again, he will sign copies. This event is presented in association with AbeBooks.com.

Both events are free - what much better can it get? More details here.

Being able to buy signed books from your favourite authors is one of the aspects that really make AbeBooks unique. Here are the 10 bestselling signed books for the month of September.

1. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
2. Indignation by Philip Roth
3. Girl with Curious Hair by David Foster Wallace
4. A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again by David Foster Wallace
5. The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson
6. Home by Marilynne Robinson
7. Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
8. Most Wanted Man by John Le Carre
9. The Given Day by Dennis Lehane
10. Anathem by Neal Stephenson

Anyone for a signed Lance Armstrong book?

A few weeks ago I wrote a feature about the role of gas stations in literature. A rather notable omission has just been pointed out to me by Peter from the UK, who wrote…. “I enjoyed this piece but you omitted a classic of the genre: Ed Ruscha’s 1962 book of photographs, Twenty-Six Gasoline Stations. Now rare and expensive, it is considered a landmark in late 20th century photography.”

He’s right - the top price for a signed 1963 first edition of Twenty-Six Gasoline Stations on AbeBooks is $35,000. Peter, thanks for the tip.

Authors hate it when they have to sit and sign 3000 books in a row, but they also hate it more when no one shows up. The Independent looks at the pros and cons of the book signing.

From those who are incredibly successful…

There’s a shocking story about Stephen King signing books in a Seattle shop. He signed for hours until his shoulder ached and a publicist had to apply an ice-pack. Then his fingers dried up; they cracked and began to bleed, and he asked for a bandage. Hearing this, a fan in the queue demanded to have some authentic Stephen King blood on his book. Others joined in and he signed in his own blood for hours. Chuck Palahniuk, the modern gross-out novelist, author of Fight Club, recalls a visit to a store in Austin, Texas, where the staff dished out free beer to the signing queue, and where an aggressive queuer, possibly not Chuck’s greatest fan, demanded of a quaking employee: “Why should I wait in this long line to get my books signed by that dickwad?”

and those who are not…

Jonathan Coe, author of What a Carve Up! and The Rain Before It Falls, recalls two encounters at a signing in Brighton: one woman picked up his new novel, read the author’s biog on the back flap and sniffed, “Is that your only claim to fame?” When he said, “Yes,” she replaced the book without another word. The other was a girl student who said brightly, “Can I ask you a question? Why are all your women characters so crap?”

Keeping with signed books, it’s no wonder publishers are trying to hire shmucks off craigslist to sign books for their authors… after reading David Sedaris’ and his take on signings I’m starting to understand the appeal…

I mean standing in line for autographs is bad enough; actually signing them has to be worse. This whole debacle gives me an idea though, perhaps I can hire someone to stand in line for me at the next book fair and spend that line time sipping a coffee and reading; or maybe I’ll just buy a signed Sedaris for $20

Publishers can get away with hiring ghostwriters to write books on behalf of their authors but one publisher appears to want ‘ghostsigners’ to sign books on behalf of two authors. That’s a nice, easy life for those two authors - no aching wrists or mindnumbing boredom of signing book after book after book. On the secondhand and rare book market, any book advertised as signed by the author but in fact signed by someone else is basically fraud. I’m sure buyers and booksellers will not be happy about this development.

Nice job Gawker for spotting this one - I hope someone exposes the publisher’s identity.