"I hope that, on an individual level, my book helps one person at a time. And that most often starts with a trusted bookseller or knowledgeable employee talking to a reader who wants guidance and saying, 'Here, try this great book.'

"So I want to say thank you to all the bookstores and booksellers out there. Thank you for working so hard in a business that you love. Thank you for carving out a space for us to be ourselves and connect with other people. Thank you for helping us find the books that will change our lives.

"And to all the readers, I want to say: Think before you click. That convenience of the online giant is fine sometimes, sure, but it also is well worth your time--trudging out in the rain and the snow--to the store in your town. The relationship among readers, writers, publishers, independent booksellers is vital today, in an era in which it's more important than ever to support community. And when you think about all the ways in which an independent bookstore has impacted your life, don't forget: We are as important to them as they are for us."

Jon Karp

Jonathan Karp has been promoted to president and publisher for Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing, effective immediately. In this new role, he will have overall responsibility for S&S's New York adult trade publishing, which includes Atria Books, Gallery Books, Scribner, S&S, Touchstone and their associated sub-imprints and lines. Karp will also continue to serve as publisher of the S&S trade imprint.

He will report to company president and CEO Carolyn Reidy, who said: "Jon is well suited and more than ready to take on this greater responsibility. Since he became publisher of Simon & Schuster, Jon's group has consistently yielded strong annual profits. He has accomplished this by assembling a staff of talented new and long-time editors, publicists and marketing specialists; by fostering a team-oriented and inclusive work environment in which initiative and creativity are valued; and by publishing with verve and to bestsellerdom both longtime and newly acquired authors across a great range of publishing categories."

Karp commented: "Publishing is a collaborative profession, and I look forward to continuing to work with Carolyn and to collaborating with our highly accomplished publishers in each of our distinct yet complementary imprints. Together, we will build upon what is already a remarkable enterprise and continue to publish books we believe in and love."

Karp joined Simon & Schuster in 2010 as executive v-p and publisher of the S&S trade imprint, and in 2012 was promoted to president and publisher of the S&S Publishing Group, including Free Press. Prior to joining the company, Karp was the founding publisher and editor in chief of Twelve, the Hachette Book Group imprint. He began his publishing career at Random House, where he held numerous positions, including editor in chief.

Amazon plans to open its first Missouri fulfillment center, in St. Peters, near St. Louis; the center will employ more than 1,500 people who will have "opportunities to engage with Amazon Robotics in a highly technological workplace," the company said. The 800,000-square-foot fulfillment center will pick, pack and ship small items, including books, electronics and toys. Amazon currently operates a sortation center in Hazelwood.

Sanjay Shah, Amazon's v-p of North America customer fulfillment, said, "Our ability to expand in Missouri is the result of two things: incredible customers and an outstanding workforce. Amazon is committed to providing great opportunities for employment and creating a positive economic impact for the region."

"All of us in St. Peters are excited to welcome Amazon to 'My Hometown' and we're looking forward to them joining the St. Peters family with 1,500 jobs for our region's well-trained workforce," said Mayor Len Pagano. "With Amazon's tremendous investment in our region and our commitment to facilitating quality economic development projects with our 'FasTrac' process we believe this will be one of their most successful projects--ever."

Chelsea Green Publishing will expand to the U.K. with the creation of a division that will have headquarters in London and led by Matt Haslum. Formerly marketing director at Faber & Faber, Haslum will start as managing director of the U.K. division this month and will be in charge of getting the London operation up and running.

"People are increasingly passionate about living better and more sustainably, and that why Chelsea green has huge opportunity for growth in the U.K.," said Haslum.

"We're thrilled to have Matt head up our new U.K. company," said Margo Baldwin, publisher of Chelsea Green. "He brings both tremendous book publishing experience as well as consumer-oriented digital marketing expertise."

The decision to start a new branch comes after Chelsea Green's U.K. sales have risen by 167% since 2015.

A record number of booksellers applied for the 2018 Bookselling Without Borders international book fair scholarships, which closed February 28. Altogether 465 U.S. booksellers representing 261 bookstores in 44 states and the District of Columbia threw their hats in the ring. The total is more than five times the number of applications received last year. Twelve scholarship recipients will be announced March 20.

Bookselling Without Borders funds all-expenses-paid trips for booksellers to some of the world's premier book fairs, which this year will include the Turin Book Fair (May), the Frankfurt Book Fair (October), and the Guadalajara International Book Fair (November). Scholarship recipients will have extensive itineraries made for them that include panels; meetings; seminars; and receptions with their international counterparts, authors and publishers.

Last Thursday, the American Booksellers Association's e-newsletter edition of the Indie Next List for March was delivered to nearly half a million of the country's best book readers. The newsletter was sent to customers of 120 independent bookstores, with a combined total of 466,722 subscribers.

The e-newsletter, powered by Shelf Awareness, features all of the month's Indie Next List titles, with bookseller quotes and "buy now" buttons that lead directly to the purchase page for the title on the sending store's website. The newsletter, which is branded with each store's logo, also includes an interview (from Bookselling This Week) with the author whose book was chosen by booksellers as the number-one Indie Next List pick for the month, in this case Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover (Random House).

For a sample of the March newsletter, see this one from Books & Boards, Columbus, Miss.

Irish author Emma Hannigan, a bestselling novelist who also chronicled her long battle with cancer in the 2011 memoir Talk to the Headscarf (updated and reissued in 2017 as All to Live For: Fighting Cancer, Finding Hope), died March 3. She was 45. The author of 13 books, Hannigan's novels include her most recent, Letters to My Daughters, as well as Designer Genes, The Summer Guest, The Secrets We Share, The Wedding Promise and The Perfect Gift.

In a statement expressing "deep sadness" upon learning of her death, Hachette Ireland and Headline--her publishers in Ireland and the U.S. respectively--said, "We had the immense pleasure and privilege of working with Emma through these past years, publishing both her fiction and nonfiction, and her courage, her generosity of spirit, and her love enveloped us all.

"Emma's writing carried her through tough times. It allowed her an escape and, in turn, she created vibrant, colorful worlds to which her readers could escape--and her talent, imagination, her unique warmth and humor is evident on each and every page of her novels. Emma loved every aspect of being an author: from meeting booksellers and baking treats for them on signing tours, to the friendships she had with fellow authors, to creating brilliantly colorful stories and characters, and of course, she loved her readers. She would often share positive e-mails with us 'her team' because that was Emma: selfless and always wishing to share her success and happiness. Emma Hannigan will be greatly missed for her stories, for her voice as an author, and as a friend."

An ambassador for Breast Cancer Ireland, Hannigan shared her personal experience with readers, including an inspirational blog post last month titled "All good things must come to an end," which began: "The time that I knew was borrowed must be given back soon, so it seems. The conversation I never wanted to have has been said. My medical team have thrown everything but the kitchen sink at this fight but all avenues have now been exhausted." The blog post received incredible reaction in the media and on social media. Hannigan followed up with a post requesting that people donate to Breast Cancer Ireland, which has subsequently raised more than €100,000 (about $123,290).

Hannigan died "just days after her latest novel, Letters to My Daughters, reached number one in Ireland's book charts, following a campaign by fellow Irish authors to propel her to the top spot," the Bookseller reported, adding that the campaign "was supported by authors including Marian Keyes and Carmel Harrington, and Irish independent bookseller Dubray Books further pledged to donate all profits from its sales of the title 'to support anyone who has been touched by cancer.' "

Politics & Prose, Washington, D.C., has expanded into space next to its flagship store on Connecticut Avenue. The room, which has a skylight, floor-to-ceiling cherry bookcases and custom-made display tables, features sales books as well as literary criticism, interior design, gardening and do-it-yourself project titles. In addition, the space, which once housed a dry cleaner, offers journals and greeting cards and a checkout counter. Outside of public view, some of the space has been remade into offices for staff who have been housed nearby. As a result of the shift of some sections, elsewhere in the store the children and teens department is expanding, more tables are being provided for the Den coffeehouse, and the receiving room has been enlarged. In addition, owners Bradley Graham and Lissa Muscatine noted, "The store has a new green-and-black awning out front and a couple of new awnings and a fresh paint job in back. And don't miss the towering chimney, viewable from the parking lot behind the store, with 'P&P' newly branded on it."

At Midtown Reader, Tallahassee, Fla., owner Sally Bradshaw "gathered a group of 12 people, whose paths might not cross otherwise, over a meal on a Sunday evening in October. The setting was unusual: a long table set up among the stacks of literary fiction and nonfiction," Tallahassee magazine wrote in a recent feature on a project launched by the Village Square--a nonpartisan organization dedicated to promoting civic dialogue--"devoted to replicating the unique dinners held by Thomas Jefferson, one of which was credited with saving the young republic."

"There are two rules to a Jefferson dinner," said Liz Joyner, executive director of the Village Square. "You must invite people who wouldn't typically gather socially, and there must be one conversation."

Noting that she sees Midtown Reader as "a place for people to read, think and share," Bradshaw said solutions spring from a willingness to face the issues head on. "We have to not just talk about it, but be willing to do it. We have to walk the walk. That's hard for a 52-year-old woman. I have to be able to get uncomfortable."

Michelle Montague has joined Holiday House in the newly created position of director, trade marketing. She was most recently executive director, marketing & publicity for adult at Abrams Books.

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Whitney Hu has joined the National Book Foundation as director of public programs. She was formerly communications director at the office of New York City Council member Brad Lander.

Surviving & Thriving With an Invisible Chronic Illness: How to Stay Sane and Live One Step Ahead of Your Symptoms by Ilana Jacqueline (New Harbinger Publications).

Today:
Today Show: Hoda Kotb, author of I've Loved You Since Forever (HarperCollins, $18.99, 9780062841742).

Good Morning America: Tomi Adeyemi, author of Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orisha) (Holt Books for Young Readers, $18.99, 9781250170972).

Tomorrow:
Today Show: Kathie Lee Gifford, author of The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi: My Journey into the Heart of Scriptural Faith and the Land Where It All Began (Thomas Nelson, $24.99, 9780785215967).

Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Chris Hayes, author of A Colony in a Nation (Norton, $15.95, 9780393355420).

Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington will star in and executive produce the TV series Little Fires Everywhere, based on Celeste Ng's book. ABC Signature Studios is exec producing the potential series, the Hollywood Reporter wrote, adding that "multiple outlets are vying to land the limited series." A "parade of network execs took meetings at Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine offices" recently in a bid to land the series, and "sources note that several outlets attempted to take the package off the table, but Witherspoon and those involved insisted on letting everyone hear the pitch as they mull the right home for the project."

Liz Tigelaar (Casual, Life Unexpected) will write the script, exec produce and serve as showrunner. Washington and her Simpson Street head Pilar Savone will exec produce. Witherspoon will also exec produce via her Hello Sunshine production company head Lauren Neustadter. Ng will also serve as a producer. Little Fires Everywhere was a September pick of Witherspoon's book club.

Dani Atkins won the Romantic Novelists' Association's £5,000 (about $6,950) Goldsboro Books Romantic Novel of the Year award for This Love, which the judges praised as "vibrant and captivating." This year's RoNA category winners are:

Contemporary romantic: Together by Julie Cohen
Epic: This Love by Dani Atkins
Historical: The Designer by Marius Gabriel
Paranormal or speculative: The Other Us by Fiona Harper
Romantic comedy: The Summer Seaside Kitchen by Jenny Colgan
RoNA Rose: Christmas at the Little Village School by Jane Lovering
YA: Ten Birthdays by Kerry Wilkinson

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Finalists for the 30th annual Lambda Literary Awards, which "identify and celebrate the best lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender books of the year and affirm that LGBTQ stories are part of the literature of the world," have been chosen in 23 categories. Winners will be announced June 4 at the Lambda Literary Awards ceremony in New York City.

photo: Aaron Lemen

Nikki Grimes was the recipient of the 2017 Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal, the 2016 Virginia Hamilton Literary Award and the 2006 NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. Her distinguished works include the much-honored books Garvey's Choice; ALA Notable book What Is Goodbye?; Coretta Scott King Award winner Bronx Masquerade; and Coretta Scott King Author Honor books Jazmin's Notebook, Talkin' About Bessie, Dark Sons, Words with Wings and The Road to Paris. Her newest book, Between the Lines, from Nancy Paulsen Books, was published February 13. Grimes lives in Corona, Calif.

On your nightstand now:

I'm slowing making my way through Crossing Ebenezer Creek by Tonya Bolden. I'm intentionally taking my own sweet time to savor it, gradually, because I'm in no hurry for it to end! The writing is beautiful.

Favorite book when you were a child:

I read ravenously, but no particular book comes to mind. When I reached high school, though, I fell head over heels in love with two books: Another Country by James Baldwin and The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran. I carried those books around with me, everywhere. The first book for young readers I went crazy for was Child of the Morning by Pauline Gedge, the story of Hatshepsut, the only female pharaoh. I devoured it, and I've loved historical fiction ever since.

Your top five authors:

Five! That's too few! But here goes: Lucille Clifton, Mari Evans, Naomi Shihab Nye, James Baldwin and Chinua Achebe.

Book you've faked reading:

I never fake. I either read a book or I don't. However, I do remember it took five or six attempts to slog my way through A Tale of Two Cities. It seemed to take forever to get to the point in the book where the action actually began. The first 50 or so pages are all description, which made me crazy. I kept thinking, "And so? When does the story begin, already?" Once it did, the novel was totally worth the effort.

Book you're an evangelist for:

That's easy: Kindred by Octavia Butler. I'd collar strangers on the street and make them sit down and read it if I could. The book is absolutely genius. Whenever I develop a character, my aim is to slip into their skins, and look at the world through their eyes. Butler does this brilliantly, and allows readers to do it, as well.

Book you've bought for the cover:

Baba by Belle Yang. The cover is sumptuous. The riot of colors pulls you right in.

Book you hid from your parents:

None. I never read a book that required hiding.

Book that changed your life:

Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters. It opened my eyes to the possibilities of complex storytelling through poetry.

Favorite line from a book:

This is part of a line, but it more than suffices:

"She was so incredibly beautiful--she seemed to be wearing the sunlight, rearranged it around her from time to time, with a movement of one hand, with a movement of her head, and with her smile--" --from The Devil Finds Work by James Baldwin

I can never get enough of the poetry of his language.

Five books you'll never part with:

There you go asking the impossible, yet again! Still, I'll go with the Bible, A Dark and Splendid Mass by Mari Evans, Another Country by James Baldwin, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison and William Shakespeare: The Complete Works.

Book you most want to read again for the first time:

Kindred. It was such a sublime experience, I would love to experience it anew.

The life of Harvey Milk, one of the first openly gay people to hold political office in the United States, ended tragically: on November 27, 1978, Milk, who had won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977, was murdered, along with the city's mayor, by a disgruntled and homophobic colleague. Older kids may be ready for the whole story, but Rob Sanders (Outer Space Bedtime Race) offers little ones an age-appropriate introduction to Milk through one of his overlooked contributions to the gay rights movement: the rainbow flag.

In Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag, Milk is first shown as a young man lying barefoot in the grass, mulling over his "extraordinary dream": that "everyone--even gay people--would have equality" and "be able to live and love as they pleased." He's next pictured speaking at a rally, confronted with signs of support ("PASS GAY RIGHTS BILL") and opposition ("GAYS MUST GO"), and then it's on to the campaign trail in 1977: Milk has determined that "the best way to change laws was to help make laws." It's while organizing a march in opposition to laws that discriminate against gay people that Milk seizes on the idea of "a symbol that shows who we are and how we feel. Something to carry during the march." Milk asks artist Gilbert Baker to come up with the symbol, and with the help of volunteers who aren't averse to dye-stained fingers, Baker creates the majestic rainbow flag that makes its debut on June 25, 1978, at San Francisco's gay pride march.

As Steven Salerno's (Brothers at Bat: The True Story of an Amazing All-Brother Baseball Team) illustrations attest, the flag has since become a versatile, international and ubiquitous symbol of gay pride. A two-page spread shows a dozen everyday people--cop, servicewoman, surfer dude--flying the flag in their own way. In another spread, the flag flaps in front of a church, a farm and a suburban home. For the 1994 gay pride march in New York City, Baker designed an outsize banner that Salerno depicts blanketing the avenue like a rippling rainbow river.

Salerno captures another potent symbol in his ebullient art: Milk wears his trademark smile throughout Pride. Salerno even shows Milk smiling in the newspaper head shot accompanying a report on his death--a necessary fact of this book but not its lead story. In the book's dazzler of a penultimate illustration, the colors of the rainbow are projected on the façade of the White House, as happened on June 26, 2015, when the U.S. Supreme Court legalized gay marriage. Surely Milk would have been smiling at--and taken, yes, pride in--that. --Nell Beram, freelance writer and YA author

Shelf Talker: This picture book honors one of the accomplishments for which gay rights pioneer Harvey Milk isn't especially well-known: in 1978, he spurred the creation of the rainbow flag.

The bestselling Libro.fm audiobooks at independent bookstore locations during February:

Fiction:

1. The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn (HarperCollins)
2. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee (Hachette Audio)
3. The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin (Penguin Random House Audio)
4. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng (Penguin Random House Audio)
5. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (Penguin Random House Audio)
6. An American Marriage by Tayari Jones (HighBridge; Recorded Books; Algonquin Books)
7. Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders (Penguin Random House Audio)
8. The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah (Macmillan Audio)
9. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (HarperCollins)
10. Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward (Simon & Schuster Audio)

Nonfiction:

1. The Line Becomes a River by Francisco Cantú (Penguin Random House Audio)
2. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari (HarperCollins)
3. Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance (HarperCollins)
4. Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson (Penguin Random House Audio)
5. The Long Haul by Finn Murphy (HighBridge; Recorded Books; Norton)
6. Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow (Penguin Random House Audio)
7. Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann (Penguin Random House Audio)
8. Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman (HarperCollins)
9. Hunger by Roxane Gay (HarperCollins)
10. Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss and Tahl Raz (HarperCollins)