Also published on this date: March 4, 2025 Dedicated Issue: Sourcebooks and Jeffrey Mason Launch Hear Your Story Imprint

Shelf Awareness for Tuesday, March 4, 2025


 Graphix: Outsider Kids: A Parachute Kids Graphic Novel by Betty C. Tang

Bramble: The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers: Big Enough by Regina Linke

Sourcebooks Landmark: The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark

Other Press (NY): The Summer House by Masashi Matsuie, translated by Margaret Mitsutani

Sleeping Bear Press: Seasons on the Farm by Chelsea Tornetto, illustrated by Karen Bunting

Running Press Adult: The History Gossip: A Slice of Ye Olde Scandal for Every Day of the Year by Katie Kennedy, illustrated by Martin Hargreaves

News

NYC's Shakespeare & Co. Closing Two Stores

Shakespeare & Co. will close two of its bookstores in New York City. West Side Rag reported that the shop at West 105th Street and Broadway is being shuttered just a year after opening because of weak sales, while the company's East Side store on Lexington Avenue is also closing, "with the lease ending and the landlord there looking for higher rent."

Shakespeare's Lincoln Center store

The Lincoln Square location at 68th Street and Broadway, which is paired with a cafe, remains open and thriving, according to Dane Neller, one of Shakespeare & Co.'s owners. He noted that the company does not have plans to open new stores in the area at this time, but "there's always opportunities, so we're open and careful and we look at things as they come along."

Neller said the company had tried hard to make things work at the Upper West Side location: "It was a really great landlord, a wonderful community. Love the neighborhood, love the customers, [but] we just weren't able to get to the sales level we needed to make the store sustainable."

He added that the loss of revenue from the East Side store also meant that it was harder to sustain the West Side space in the face of competition from online booksellers, fixed price points, and "a lot of costs keep going up--labor cost and rent cost--so there comes a point where you just can't make it work."


Dutton: Storybook Ending by Moira Macdonald


New Owner for Second Star to the Right, Denver, Colo.

Dea Lavoie has sold Second Star to the Right, Denver, Colo., to Joe Durst, a Colorado native with years of bookselling experience.

Durst will take over officially on April 1, and he has decided to keep both the building and name. Lavoie noted that while there certainly will be some changes, many things will stay the same, and the store "can continue to bring all the joy and laughter, stories, events, book fairs, storytimes, as well as the inclusiveness, whimsy, and magic to the community."

Durst's entry to bookselling came in college, when he worked part-time at Powell's in Portland, Ore. While living in London for a time he worked at Daunt Books, and a little over five years ago he co-founded Sudden Fiction Books in Castle Rock, Colo.

In a message to customers, Durst invited "anyone who loves Second Star to stop by and have a conversation about what you want to see going forward. I'll be around the shop with growing frequency during this transition and will be available to get coffee and chat books, employment, and ideas."

Lavoie worked as an elementary school teacher prior to starting Second Star to the Right. While the store emphasizes children's books and young adult literature, it also offers titles for all ages. Lavoie announced that the store was for sale in December.


Wi2025: Content Attacks on Bookstores

With independent bookstores increasingly facing harassment, intimidation, protests, and threats over what books they choose to carry, American Booksellers Association advocacy associate manager Philomena Polefrone led a session last week at Winter Institute 2025 in Denver, Colo., to provide booksellers with tips for weathering such incidents.

Polefrone noted that although the culture wars have been spilling into bookstores for decades, "the volume has been turned up" over the last four or five years, with the attacks on schools and libraries leading people to believe that they can challenge bookstores in the same way. Polefrone reiterated that curation is booksellers' speech, and no one can tell a bookseller "what to sell or not to sell. Period."

Based on her experience supporting bookstores, Polefrone identified three general categories of stores and their approaches to curation: opinionated generalist stores, which are general-interest stores with "lines and principles" about what they do or do not carry; all-sides-of-the-issue stores, which try to present all viewpoints on a given issue, within reason; and activist stores, which have very specific missions and curate inventory around those missions.

While there is no "silver bullet" for getting through these crises, Polefrone continued, "there are best practices" and things to avoid. The general goal is to keep a controversy contained, let it blow over, and avoid making any "unforced errors" that will exacerbate the situation, and she pointed to three key principles for keeping a situation contained: keep it online or offline, never both; create a pressure valve; and prioritize staff and community safety.

Philomena Polefrone
(courtesy ABA)

Though controversies can happen online or offline, she said, the "real messes" happen when both occur at the same time and they feed into each other, such as online outrage resulting in an in-person protest or an in-person customer interaction going viral.

For keeping something online, Polefrone suggested controlling and limiting comments and shares on social media, and she emphasized the importance of not engaging. Though booksellers may feel compelled to air their side of the story, posts, comments, or statements about the controversy all too often serve as "troll food." In these situations booksellers want to be "absolute killjoys" and not give the trolls any additional fodder. It also helps to be "very cautious" with the press--while a specific reporter might be well-meaning, they may not control the headline or the final framing of the story.

Polefrone acknowledged that although it's impossible to stop someone from posting, the right behaviors and policies can make it much less likely that someone will post online about an in-store conversation. She advised booksellers to assume that all interactions with provocateurs are being recorded, and if a specific book is brought up, booksellers should "lean on the principle of curation" rather than focus on the book.

Booksellers can also employ "pressure valves" to help defuse these situations. Staff could be trained to provide a complaint form, which buys time and forces the complainant to articulate their complaint, or ask the complainant to point to specific passages in the title that are problematic. Frontline booksellers could be trained to hand out the business card of the store owner or manager, or refer the person to an official curation policy or free expression statement. Stores could also create e-mail addresses that serve as de facto complaint lines. 

Polefrone stressed the importance of training staff members, saying that training them is protecting them. There should be clear policies in place, and booksellers should practice these scenarios and have sample language prepared. There should also be a code word or phrase that staff members can use to call for help, such as asking for a specific name to come to the register.

Owners and managers should be thoughtful about who is handling calls, e-mails, and social media. Even if a staff member volunteers to do it, Polefrone said, it might be smart to say no if it seems likely that that person will engage with the trolls. The store can unplug its phones or send calls straight to voicemail if they're being bombarded, and while harassment should be restricted and sequestered, everything should be saved in case it winds up being necessary for police reports or insurance claims.

Touching on police involvement, Polefrone urged booksellers to be cautious about calling the police. It may be unavoidable in some circumstances, such as in the event of a bomb threat, but if it is avoidable, they may want to reconsider, as police don't always de-escalate the situation. And if a police report is necessary, those often can be filed without an officer coming to the store. A bookseller in attendance added that 911 calls are recorded and can be obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests, which can then be edited and used as part of the attack on the bookstore.

On the subject of bomb threats, Polefrone emphasized that although she is unaware of a bomb ever actually being found at a bookstore, "you can't take that chance." Booksellers need to treat bomb threats, and all threats of violence, as credible, and there is no option but to call the police. Polefrone suggested booksellers follow the CISA bomb threat checklist and notify the police department that there may be further harassment, such as vandalism and swatting.

Bookstores should be careful about where they advertise controversial events. The most recent spate of bookstore bomb threats, Polefrone reported, seems to have been done by the same person or group of people, and they likely found targets simply by going through stores' websites and social media pages. Booksellers can prioritize in-store advertisements and customer newsletters, and, similarly, if an event may attract protestors, booksellers can decide to make it RSVP-only, with no one admitted at the door without a ticket. --Alex Mutter

Polefrone also led a session at Winter Institute about testifying against book bans; a write-up will appear in Shelf Awareness later this week.


Obituary Note: Joseph Wambaugh

Joseph Wambaugh

Joseph Wambaugh, "the master storyteller of police dramas, whose books, films and television tales powerfully caught the hard psychic realities of lonely street cops and flawed detectives trapped in a seedy world of greed and senseless brutality," died February 28, the New York Times reported. He was 88. In novels like The Glitter Dome and The Black Marble, as well as nonfiction works like The Onion Field, "Wambaugh was blunt about the hidden costs of the job: broken marriages, nervous breakdowns, suicides."

Wambaugh wrote 16 novels and five nonfiction books, including The New Centurions, The Choirboys, The Delta Star, The Secrets of Harry Bright, Echoes in the Darkness, and The Blooding. Among his honors were awards from the Mystery Writers of America and a lifetime achievement award from the Strand Mystery Magazine

He also created two TV series: Police Story and The Blue Knight, and wrote screenplays for movie versions of The Onion Field and The Black Marble, along with a CBS mini-series, Echoes in the Darkness, and an NBC film, Fugitive Nights: Danger in the Desert (1993), both also based on his books. Four other titles were adapted by others into films, TV movies, and miniseries. 

The son of a small-town police chief who also worked in a factory, Wambaugh served three years in the Marines and had earned two college degrees by the time he was 23. The Times wrote that he "wanted to be a teacher, but in 1960 he joined the Los Angeles Police Department as a patrolman because the pay was better. He walked a beat for eight years while studying English for a master's degree and Spanish to help him speak in the barrios." He was promoted to detective in 1968.

Inspired by Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, Wambaugh wrote his first novel, The New Centurions (1971), while still on the job. It was a bestseller and was later adapted into a film starring George C. Scott and Stacy Keach.

Eventually, Wambaugh's celebrity and frequent appearances on TV talk shows made police work untenable. "Suspects wanted his autograph or his help getting a film role. People reporting crimes asked that he be the one to investigate. When his longtime detective partner held the squad car door open for him one day in 1974, he knew it was time to go," the Times noted.

His most ambitious and successful book was The Onion Field (1973), which author James Conway, writing in the Times Book Review, compared with In Cold Blood, placing Wambaugh in the tradition of Theodore Dreiser and James T. Farrell. 

Wambaugh told the Los Angeles Times in 1989: "I'm very interested in the concept of the sociopath, very interested, because my conscience has bothered me all my life. Talk about regrets--I have about 20 every day. I was educated in Catholic schools, and they did that to me. So I have to cope with a conscience all the time. And I'm interested in a creature who has none of that."

In the late 1990s, after many LAPD officers were implicated in a war-on-gangs scandal, the city "settled with the government in a consent decree that allowed federal officials to monitor and oversee reforms," the Times wrote, describing it as "a red flag" for Wambaugh.

Outraged by federal interference in local policing, he devoted his last five novels--Hollywood Station, Hollywood Crows, Hollywood Moon, Hollywood Hills, and Harbor Nocturne, collectively known as the "Hollywood Station" series, to criticizing federal interference in local policing.

In a 2020 phone interview for his Times obituary, Wambaugh was asked if he intended to write another book. "Hell no," he replied. "I'm too old." When asked to evaluate his influence on generations of writers, he said, "I'll just leave others to judge my legacy."


Notes

Image of the Day: Curious Iguana Hosts Casey Burgat

Curious Iguana, Frederick, Md., hosted a SRO event at Delizia Cafe for former congressional staffer turned politics professor Casey Burgat (seated, left), author of We Hold These "Truths" (Authors Equity).


Bookshop Marriage Proposal: Lovebound Library

"Lovebound had its first proposal this week!" Lovebound Library, Salt Lake City, Utah, posted on Instagram. "If I haven't said it enough, I LOVE LOVE!! We're so honored y'all let us be a small part of your day! Congratulations Ashley and Ilan!! Wishing you a lifetime of love and happiness and books." 


Simon & Schuster to Sell and Distribute IT Revolution Press

Simon & Schuster will handle worldwide sales and distribution for IT Revolution Press, effective April 1.

Founded in 2013, IT Revolution Press publishes books that help businesses and business leaders thrive in the digital age. Its titles address challenges faced by leaders who must balance innovation with stability, speed with security, and transformation with daily operations. IT Revolution believes that better technology management creates better businesses, and better businesses improve lives.


Personnel Changes at Dutton; Basic Books; Little, Brown

Stephanie Cooper has been promoted to associate publisher and marketing director, Dutton.

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At Basic Books:

Angela Messina has been promoted to publicity director. Messina joined Basic Books in 2021 as assistant director of publicity and was promoted to associate director in 2023.

Meghan Roberts has been promoted to senior publicist. Roberts joined Basic Books in 2023.

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At Little, Brown:

Kini Allen is promoted to assistant director, digital advertising. Allen joined the company in 2021.

Lauren Ortiz has been promoted senior publicity manager for the Spark & Voracious imprints. Ortiz has worked on the Spark/Voracious imprints for more than four years.

Gabrielle Leporati has been promoted to senior publicist. Leporati joined the company as a publicity assistant in 2020.

Marieska Luzada has been promoted to associate publicist. Luzada joined the publicity team as an intern in 2023.

Julia DeVarti is promoted to assistant editor and assistant manager, backlist marketing. Devarti joined the company a year ago as publishing coordinator for backlist programs.


Media and Movies

Media Heat: Jake Tapper on Colbert's Late Show

Tomorrow:
Drew Barrymore Show: Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop, authors of The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better (Crown, $30, 9780593727072).

Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Jake Tapper, co-author of Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again (Penguin Press, $32, 9798217060672).


TV: Miss Austen

Masterpiece on PBS has released a new trailer for Miss Austen, a four-part miniseries based on Gil Hornby's novel, which "takes a deeper look at Cassandra Austen's [Keeley Hawes) bond and loyalty with her late sister, famous author Jane Austen," Deadline reported. Miss Austen premieres May 4. 

Directed by Aisling Walsh, the TV adaptation was written by Andrea Gibb (Elizabeth is Missing). The cast includes Rose Leslie, Synnøve Karlsen (Last Night in Soho), Patsy Ferran (Living), Max Irons (The Wife), Alfred Enoch (How to Get Away with Murder), Calam Lynch (Bridgerton), and Phyllis Logan (Downton Abbey).



Books & Authors

Awards: Robert A. Heinlein Winner; Women's Prize for Fiction Longlist

Novelist Sharon Lee won the Robert A. Heinlein Award, which honors "outstanding published works in science fiction and technical writings that inspire the human exploration of space." Organizers cited Lee for her "body of work of over 38 novels and short stories. A majority of her space themed work is in the Liaden Universe, written with her late husband Steve Miller, and features merchant families trading across the galaxy." The next Liaden Universe novel, Diviner's Row, will be released in April.

The award will be presented on May 23, during opening ceremonies for Balticon 59, the 59th Maryland Regional Science Fiction Convention. Balticon and the Robert A. Heinlein Award are both managed and sponsored by the Baltimore Science Fiction Society.

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The longlist has been selected for the 2025 Women's Prize for Fiction, honoring "the best full-length novel of the year written in English and published in the U.K." The winner receives £30,000 (about $38,170) and the "Bessie," a bronze statuette created by artist Grizel Niven. The shortlist will be announced April 2 and the winner June 12. To see the 16 longlisted titles click here.


Book Review

Review: Sour Cherry

Sour Cherry by Natalia Theodoridou (Tin House, $17.95 paperback, 312p., 9781963108194, April 1, 2025)

Natalia Theodoridou's debut novel, Sour Cherry, is a lyrical and hallucinatory feminist reimagining of classic fairy tales, most notably "Bluebeard." When Agnes arrives at the castle to serve as wetnurse for the lord's son, she is still grieving the loss of her own child. Soon, the little lord becomes her surrogate son, the boy she commits to raising no matter the darkness she intuits, sees, and even smells coursing through him. As the young lord grows, marries, and leaves to find his place in the world, the world itself withers at his touch. And soon the patterns of destruction that follow him become more a choice than an inheritance, a spiral of violence that leaves a ghostly chorus in its wake.

Theodoridou's brilliant choice to interweave a first-person narrator's dreamlike tale with her experiences of hearing and retelling the story to her own child allows Sour Cherry to comment on the very fairytales it perpetuates. Scattered throughout the novel are reflections on what it means to hear stories, spread them, and be part of them yourself. "Sometimes you become a character in someone else's story and so lose your name," the narrator muses. "Sometimes, you give it up willingly. Because a name can also be a burden, a legacy and a responsibility." In Theodoridou's novel, telling a story, giving it a name and a frame and an ending, makes it live, for better and worse.

This awareness of the power of storytelling makes complicity a complicated web in Sour Cherry. Certainly, the narrator and her chorus of ghost women do not let the little lord off the hook. He is the villain of this story, the rotten pit at its core. Yet, as one character realizes, "he's not remarkable at all. His violence has always been the violence of the world." And that world is not shaped by men like him but by stories. The narrator's own story is instigated by Agnes and driven forth at every turn by other women. These women tell their sons stories that shape their world, "Stories of heroes who killed their fathers and saved their mothers.... Stories about young men who were beasts waiting to be turned back into men.... The women in her stories died often, and badly, and beautifully." This is the true cycle of destruction and creation and re-creation. What stories do we choose to tell? Theodoridou asks readers. And how do we choose to tell them? --Alice Martin, freelance writer and editor

Shelf Talker: Natalia Theodoridou's hauntingly beautiful fairytale retelling Sour Cherry is both a breathless work of fiction and a thoughtful reflection on storytelling itself.


The Bestsellers

Top-Selling Self-Published Titles

The bestselling self-published books last week as compiled by IndieReader.com:

1. Zodiac Academy 3 by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti
2. Grace Yourself by Chris Janssen
3. The Fox and the Falcon by Piper CJ
4. The Quiet Storm by Amani Roberts
5. Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton
6. Hunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton
7. The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden
8. Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver
9. The Charlie Method by Elle Kennedy
10. The Butcher by Penelope Sky

[Many thanks to IndieReader.com!]


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