The Awl talked with a New York City bookseller about their most-stolen books. Here's a list:
* Paul Auster, âNew York Trilogyâ and others.
* Bukowski, âTales of Ordinary Madness,â âHam on Rye.â
* Hunter S. Thompson, âFear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail,â âHellâs Angels.â
* Paulo Coelho, âThe Alchemist.â
* F. Scott Fitzgerald, âThe Great Gatsbyâ and all the others.
* Various Hemingway, including âA Moveable Feastâ and âThe Sun Also Rises.â
* David Sedaris, âNaked,â âMe Talk Pretty One Day.â
* Jack Kerouac, âOn The Road.â
The bookseller commentary on those shoplifted books is very interesting. This list has a lot in common with the list that I discovered back when I was a bookseller. I'm kind of surprised by the Fitzgerald and the Hemingway, though; those are available at just about any used bookstore, and generally when a book is that common, it makes the title less shoplifter-friendly.