Liberation Station has reopened in Raleigh, N.C., SpectrumNews1 reported.

The Black-owned children's bookstore held a grand reopening December 29 at its new home at 430 Hill St. During the celebration owner and children's book author Victoria Scott-Miller called it a "homecoming," saying she was "so excited to bring this offering back to the community."

Scott-Miller founded Liberation Station in 2019 as an online and pop-up store after having difficulty finding children's books for her sons featuring Black characters. In 2023 she opened a bricks-and-mortar store in downtown Raleigh but closed it less than a year later due to racist threats and harassment. 

Last summer Scott-Miller announced that she would be reopening Liberation Station in a new space and launched a GoFundMe campaign to help her do so. That campaign has gone on to raise more than $72,960.

"I'm grateful that we had an opportunity to step back," Scott-Miller told WRAL News last July. "And that we had a community that loved us so much they allowed us to rest. They allowed us to pause and reimagine what it could look like, not only the bookstore but our own personal safety. Coming back has been that of a revival, honestly."

Originally, Scott-Miller was going to open in June 2026 in a space inside of Montague Plaza, a 15,000-square-foot development dedicated to Black-owned businesses. In August, she decided to move to 430 Hill St. instead, which allowed her to save on rent and open much sooner. 

"Our why hasn't changed: every Black child deserves to see themselves as the hero of their own story," Scott-Miller wrote at the time. "Our commitment to stewardship has guided us to a space where your investment works harder, opens sooner, and joins a legacy of Black excellence that our children can see, learn from, and be inspired by every day."

Former manager Matt Aragon-Shafi has purchased West Side Books & Curios in Denver, Colo., from founder Lois Harvey, who opened the shop, located in Highlands Square at 3434 West 32nd Ave., in 1997. Westword reported that "the transition was made official on New Year's Day 2026, when a party was held at the store to mark the occasion."

West Side Books will have a soft reopening in a smaller section of its former space by mid-January, with a focus on new books and a wide range of curios. A grand reopening event is anticipated for February. "The new plan is to let go of the square-footage-hungry used books section of the store, vacate that back space completely, and move the store into the sidewalk-facing front," Westword wrote.

Harvey's brother, who originally owned the building, sold it three years ago to Grant Gingerich, with West Side Books' lower-than-market-rate rent grandfathered in until the summer of 2025.

"It was tough to carry for three years," Gingerich said. "But it was important for me to honor it, and we did. Now we're just trying to figure out what we can all do together to make sure West Side Books remains both open and viable. There are a lot of vintage spaces in the Highlands that deserve preservation, and West Side Books is one of those."

When Aragon-Shafi expressed interest in taking over the store, "Lois said that if I believed that the store could do well selling only new books, she was behind me 100 percent. She'd had an extension of the original lease agreement from this last summer through January 31, so we knew that was our deadline."

Gingerich noted that the vacated back area will become a community space: "It's envisioned as an art collective coffee-bar type of environment. Community-driven event space, including the courtyard as a sort of amphitheater. So we can have a congregation area on 32nd that right now doesn't exist."

Aragon-Shafi added that he is excited about those plans and hopes to host book, art, and music events sponsored by the bookstore. "We want to be even more neighborhood-focused," he said. "I'll be putting up a community bulletin board, start an events calendar, such that we're able to invite singer-songwriters or even comedians, along with author events. And maybe with whatever happens with that back space, it'll be even easier to do that."

Harvey observed: "Thankfully, the new book part of the bookstore will survive; smaller, but with the same fine customer service WSB is known for... and the same eclectic selection that seems right for the 'hood'... whatever happens, remember: books open minds and hearts. Read at whim! Read with determination! Read as if your life depends on it! Read to save democracy! Read, or see your world diminish."

Casita Bookstore in Long Beach, Calif., has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help stay afloat as it moves to a new location. 

The campaign, launched six days ago, is looking to raise $12,000 and has already raised more than $7,000. Money raised will go toward paying store employees during the transition; paying off debts the store incurred over the past six months; covering moving costs; and giving the store some breathing room as it reopens and rebuilds. 

In an Instagram video discussing the crowdfunding campaign, store owner Antonette Franceschi-Chavez said the store "took a huge blow" in 2025, with sales dropping by about 20%. The financial situation was bad enough that Franceschi-Chavez was left with two choices: close the store or move, and she has chosen to move the bookstore to a smaller space. 

That new space, she explained, has been created by her husband walling off a section of the barbershop he owns in Long Beach, and Franceschi-Chavez believes it will be more financially sustainable going forward.

"We have a fighting chance to move our bookstore, stay here in Long Beach, and try to give it a second chance," Franceschi-Chavez said. 

Casita Bookstore focuses primarily on children's books featuring BIPOC voices, with titles available in both Spanish and English. Franceschi-Chavez opened the store three years ago.

Beth Wagner

Beth Wagner has been named operations manager at the New England Independent Booksellers Association. For more than two decades, she has worked at bookstores in New England, including as children's buyer and manager at White Birch Books, North Conway, N.H., and general manager of Phoenix Books, which has three stores in Vermont. She is a former president of NEIBA and was a member of the American Booksellers Association's Bookseller and IndieCommerce Advisory Councils. She has also helped the running of various NEIBA events.

For the next couple of weeks, Wagner will train with marketing coordinator Evelyn Maguire and can be reached at elizabeth@neba.org.

NEIBA noted, "When not reading, Beth can often be found exploring the woods of western Maine with her spouse or knitting yet another hat."

British author and former editor David Roberts died December 18, the Bookseller reported. He was 81. Roberts began his publishing career under publisher Norah Smallwood at Chatto & Windus, where he edited Iris Murdoch, Dirk Bogarde, and Laurens van der Post.

Noting that "the world of books [has] lost one of the last true men of letters," Lesley O'Mara of Michael O'Mara Books said, "In 1978 he joined me at Rainbird where we enjoyed much success with authors such as Peter Ustinov, Len Deighton, Arthur C. Clarke, and Max Hastings. He also worked on Lord Mountbatten's private photo archive to produce Mountbatten: 80 Years in Pictures, which was completed shortly before he was assassinated in August 1979."

O'Mara later moved to Weidenfeld and Nicolson, with Roberts following shortly after. During the 1980s, he published Martin Gilbert's history of the Second World War as well as a number of political biographies. "We combined forces for the third time at Michael O'Mara Books but David had his sights on life as an author, and over the next decade wrote a series of 10 crime novels set in the 1930s," O'Mara recalled.

As an writer, Roberts is best known for the Lord Edward Corinth and Verity Browne series of crime novels, the Bookseller noted. His books include Sweet Poison; Bones of the Buried; and Hollow Crown. 

Roberts's editor Krystyna Green said, "I was lucky enough 25 years ago to have taken on his Lord Edward Corinth and Verity Browne crime fiction series for Constable. David was a complete joy to work with: professional, funny and so very kind too.... I was privileged to have got to know David during our decade of working together and think publishing will now be that little bit poorer without him."

Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, N.C., hosted the launch for Sally Maslansky's A Brilliant Adaptation: How Dissociative Identity Disorder and the Power of the Therapeutic Bond Saved Me (New Harbinger).

"We're going for an extra cozy, extra dreamy, get-lost-for-hours-among-books kind of year this year," Sulfur Books, Clifton Springs, N.Y., posted on Instagram. "We hope to see you soon!"

At ILP Literary Properties, James Meader has been named president, publishing, and Jennifer Bassuk has been named president, partnerships. They join Mary Durkan in leading ILP's literary division.

Meader has nearly 25 years of experience in book publishing, including publicity, marketing, and editorial. Most recently he was associate publisher of Vintage Books, where he oversaw Vintage Classics, Everyman's Library, and the publisher's vast backlist. Before that, he was associate publisher of Macmillan's Picador imprint. At ILP Literary Properties his primary focus is working with authors, estates, and their agents to secure vital legacies while identifying fresh opportunities and introducing classic works to a new generation of readers.

Jennifer Bassuk has more than 20 years of experience driving strategic partnerships in book publishing, media, digital platforms, and urban farming. She has held leadership roles at Amazon, Audible, and News Corp. and led complex acquisitions and global licensing deals with authors, agents, and content partners. She is also a former attorney.

"How many books did our L&O staff and friends read in 2025? Let's find out!" Lark & Owl Booksellers, Georgetown, Tex., posted on Instagram.

Tomorrow:
Good Morning America: Belle Burden, author of Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage (The Dial Press, $30, 9780593733318).

Book TV airs on C-Span 2 this weekend from 8 a.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Monday and focuses on political and historical books as well as the book industry. The following are highlights for this coming weekend. For more information, go to Book TV's website.

Saturday, January 10
9:30 a.m. Sarah Miller, author of Hick: The Trailblazing Journalist Who Captured Eleanor Roosevelt's Heart (Random House Studio, $20.99, 9780593649091). (Re-airs Saturday at 10 p.m.)

Sunday, January 11
8 a.m. William Easterly, author of Violent Saviors: The West's Conquest of the Rest (‎Basic Books, $34, 9781541675759). (Re-airs Sunday at 8:10 p.m.)

11:25 a.m. Thomas P. Slaughter, author of The Sewards of New York: A Biography of a Leading American Political Family (Three Hills, $37.95, 9781501782657). (Re-airs Sunday at 11:35 p.m.)

12:35 p.m. Jonathan Mahler, author of The Gods of New York: Egotists, Idealists, Opportunists, and the Birth of the Modern City: 1986-1990 (Random House, $32, 9780525510635). 

1:35 p.m. Arthur Sze delivers his inaugural reading as the 25th Poet Laureate of the United States, at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

2:35 p.m. Irin Carmon, author of Unbearable: Five Women and the Perils of Pregnancy in America (Atria/One Signal, $30, 9781668032602), at Harvard Book Store in Cambridge, Mass.

4:55 p.m. Beth Macy, author of Paper Girl: A Memoir of Home and Family in a Fractured America (Penguin Press, $32, 9780593656730), at Politics and Prose in Washington, D.C.

5:55 p.m. Randi Weingarten, author of Why Fascists Fear Teachers: Public Education and the Future of Democracy (‎Thesis, $30, 9798217045419), at Politics and Prose.

Winners have been named for the Pacific Northwest Book Awards, sponsored by the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association and selected by a committee of indie booksellers. For more information about the books and authors, click here.

One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad (Knopf)
Seattle Samurai by Kelly Goto (Chin Music Press)
Sinkhole, and Other Inexplicable Voids by Leyna Krow (Penguin Books)
Speechless by Aron Nels Steinke (Scholastic)
Wrecked by Coll Thrush (University of Washington Press)
The Antidote by Karen Russell (Knopf)

---

The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators has unveiled the finalists in seven categories for the Golden Kite Awards and the Sid Fleischmann Humor Award. Each category winner receives $2,500, while honor recipients are awarded $500. The Golden Kites will be presented live on February 6 at 7 p.m. Eastern on SCBWI's YouTube channel. This year's finalists are:

Picture book text
We Go Slow by Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie, illustrated by Aaron Becker (Atheneum)
Gather Grateful by Megan Litwin, illustrated by Alexandra Finkeldey (Candlewick)
Another Word for Neighbor by Angela Pham Krans, illustrated by Thai My Phuong (HarperCollins)
The History of We by Nikkolas Smith (Kokila)
Fireworks by Matthew Burgess, illustrated by Catia Chien (Clarion)

Picture book illustration
Cat Nap by Brian Lies (HarperCollins)
Fireworks, illustrated by Catia Chien and written by Matthew Burgess (Clarion Books)
History of We by Nikkolas Smith (Kokila)
Our Lake by Angie Kang (Kokila)
When Alexander Graced the Table, illustrated by Frank Morrison and written by Alexander Smalls & Denene Millner (Denene Millner Books)

Nonfiction for younger readers
Some of Us: A Story of Citizenship and the United States by Rajani LaRocca, illustrated by Huy Voun Lee (Christy Ottaviano Books)
One Girl's Voice: How Lucy Stone Helped Change the Law of the Land by Vivian Kirkfield, illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon (Calkins Creek)
Magic in a Drop of Water: How Ruth Patrick Taught the World about Water Pollution by Julie Winterbottom, illustrated by Susan Reagan (Rocky Pond Books)
Over and Under the Coral Reef by Kate Messner, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal (Chronicle)
Poo Pile on the Prairie by Amy Hevron (Beach Lane Books)

Nonfiction for older readers
White Lies: How the South Lost the Civil War, Then Rewrote the History by Ann Bausum (Roaring Brook Press)
World Without Summer: A Volcano Erupts, a Creature Awakens, and the Sun Goes Out by Nicholas Day, illustrated by Yas Imamura (Random House Studio)
Death in the Jungle: Murder, Betrayal, and the Lost Dream of Jonestown by Candace Fleming (Anne Schwartz Books)
Loudmouth: Emma Goldman vs. America by Deborah Heiligman (A Love Story) (FSG)
The Doomsday Detectives: How Walter and Luis Alvarez Solved the Mystery of Dinosaur Extinction by Cindy Jenson-Elliott (Lee & Low)

Middle grade
Gabby Torres Gets a Billion Followers by Angela Dominguez (Roaring Brook Press)
Away by Megan E. Freeman (Aladdin)
Once for Yes by Allie Millington (Feiwel and Friends)
Schooled by Jamie Sumner (Atheneum)
Rick Kotani's 400 Million Dollar Summer by Waka T. Brown (Quill Tree Books)

Illustrated older reader
Lu and Ren's Guide to Geozoology by Angela Hsieh (Quill Tree Books)
Song of a Blackbird by Maria van Lieshout (First Second)
Fresh Start by Gale Galligan (Graphix)
North for the Winter by Bobby Podesta (First Second)
Haunted USA: Spine-tingling Stories from All 50 States, illustrated by Sam Kalda and written by Heather Alexander (Quarto)

Young adult
Song of a Blackbird by Maria van Lieshout (First Second)
Island Creatures by Margarita Engle (Atheneum)
Exquisite Things by Abdi Nazemian (HarperCollins)
King of the Neuro Verse by Idris Goodwin (Atheneum)
The Weaver Bride by Lydia Gregovic (Delacorte)

Sid Fleischman Humor Award
Catnip Mouse by A.J. Smith (Kids Can Press)
Never Take Your Rhino on a Plane written by K.E. Lewis, illustrated by Isabel Roxas (Clarion)
Turkeys in Disguise by Cynthia Platt, illustrated by Josh Cleland (Clarion)
Big Changes for Plum! by Matt Phelan (Greenwillow Books)

Selected new titles appearing next Tuesday, January 13:

The Devil's Daughter by Danielle Steel (Delacorte Press, $29, 9780593498859) follows a clash between two sisters--one kind, the other cruel.

Woman Down: A Novel by Colleen Hoover (Montlake, $28.99, 9781662539374) is a thriller about an author retreating to a remote hideaway.

Private Rome by James Patterson and Adam Hamdy (‎Little, Brown, $35, 9781538758564) is the 18th Private thriller.

Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston (Pamela Dorman, $30, 9780593834459) is a thriller about two women entangled in a husband's murder.

Lost Lambs: A Novel by Madeline Cash (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $28, 9780374619237) is a humorous dysfunctional family saga.

The Moon Without Stars by Chanel Miller (Philomel, $17.99, 9780593624555) features a quiet, reserved seventh-grader who gets pulled into the popular group.

Basket Ball: The Story of the All-American Game by Kadir Nelson (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, $21.99, 9780316209403) is a nonfiction picture book about the history of basketball and its major players.

How to Be a Rich Old Lady: Your Guide to Easy Investing, Building Wealth, and Creating the Wild, Beautiful Life You Want by Amanda Holden (‎Avid Reader Press, $30, 9781668066928) gives financial advice.

99 Ways to Die: And How to Avoid Them by Dr. Ashely Alker (‎St. Martin's Press, $30, ‎ 9781250359643) shares stories and guidance from an emergency medicine doctor.

Eat Yourself Healthy: Food to Change Your Life by Jamie Oliver (‎Flatiron, $39.99, 9781250427069) includes 120 recipes with American measurements.

Paperbacks:
The Lust Crusade by Jo Segura (‎Berkley, $19, 9780593953280).

Like in Love with You by Emma R. Alban (Avon, $18.99, 9780063428775).

The Cortisol Reset Plan: The Complete Guide to Balancing Your Hormones, Reversing Weight Gain, and Restoring Nervous System Health by Marina Wright (HarperOne, $22, 9780063436275).

From last week's Indie bestseller lists, available at IndieBound.org, here are the recommended titles, which are also Indie Next Great Reads:

Hardcover
As Many Souls as Stars: A Novel by Natasha Siegel (Morrow, $30, 9780063418028). "The eldest daughter in a family of witches is born 'cursed' again and again. When a demonic entity takes notice and offers her a deal, she takes it. She never expected a tumultuous relationship with a demon that spans centuries." --Jennifer Lieberman, Books Are Awesome, Parker, Colo.

The Bookshop Below by Georgia Summers (Redhook, $29, 9780316561839). "Chiron's Bookshop is where Cassandra grew up, but sinister forces are at play. An ode to bookshops and a somewhat cozy and paradoxically dark magical fantasy. An exciting read!" --Aerie Brown, Blue Willow Bookshop, Houston, Tex.

Paperback
Everyone in the Group Chat Dies: A Novel by L.M. Chilton (Gallery/Scout Press, $19, 9781668094174). "A deliciously creepy thriller that perfectly blends murder mystery elements with the absurdities of modern social media culture. A small-town mystery with dysfunctional flatmates, and fast-paced, dark humor." --Lisa Driban, Hockessin Book Shelf, Hockessin, Del.

Ages 4-8
A Stickler Valentine by Lane Smith (Random House Studio, $18.99, 9798217025350). "Stickler is excited to celebrate Valentine's Day with his friends! He knows the perfect gift is a stick, but when he tries to give them out to his friends, no one seems to want them. Stickler realizes that even though sticks are perfect to him, that doesn't mean they're the perfect gift for his friends." --Alice Johansen, An Unlikely Story, Plainville, Mass.

Ages 9-12
Outside by Jennifer L. Holm (Scholastic Press, 17.99, 9781546138143). "Part dystopian, part thriller, all an exciting read! Perfect for pre-teens who are looking for a bit of an adventure. Just remember--don't go outside!" --Ashley Watts, CoffeeTree Books, Morehead, Ky.

Ages 13+
Persephone's Curse by Katrina Leno (Wednesday Books, $21, 9781250342904). "I was completely swept up in this New York City-set, Little Women-inspired retelling of Persephone. I adore sister stories, and the Farthing girls are joining the ranks of literary sisters I love. This is a soulful and enchanting read." --Sherri Puzey, Zibby's Bookshop, Santa Monica, Calif.

[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]

Helle Helle's they is a deceptively slight, minimalist novel that packs a huge emotional punch in its superb translation from Danish by acclaimed translator Martin Aitken. Each austere sentence brings a wealth of information about the mother-daughter relationship at the center of the narrative.

A mother and her 16-year-old daughter have moved frequently from place to place throughout their lives on the island of Lolland in Denmark. The story finds both of them at inflection points. The girl is starting high school and navigating the social landscape that goes along with it, while the mother must confront the news that she is terminally ill and undergoes treatment. Each seemingly insignificant moment is filled with the beauty of the everyday, for example, in this instance of the daughter discovering loveliness in her home: "Here she becomes acquainted with the delight of treetops swaying soundlessly on the other side of a windowpane." While the daughter makes friends at school and engages in typical teenage things, her mother is hospitalized.

Helle, a recipient of the Danish Critics Prize for Literature, is an exquisite stylist who details both the sensory surfaces of life (tomato soup, weather, public transportation) and the intimacy inherent in any interaction. In one of many exchanges that the pair have while the mother is in the hospital, the daughter notes, "Today then she's not going to the hospital, her mother doesn't see the need anyway for her to keep coming all that way, she ought rather to think of herself and for example buy a nice big pastry from the bakery." The daughter's world is populated by specific friends with names like Tove Dunk, Hafni, Bob, and Steffen, but she and her mother themselves go unnamed--their relationship is too primal and entwined for the distinction that names imply.

Ultimately, they beautifully investigates how people face the end of their shared world and shared story not with drama but with quiet, dogged determination. Helle Helle challenges the reader to find the meaning, the love, and the sacrifice buried deep within the most ordinary and prolonged silences. --Elizabeth DeNoma, executive editor, DeNoma Literary Services, Seattle, Wash.

Shelf Talker: Helle Helle's they is a beautifully crafted literary gem that investigates the intricacies of a mother-daughter relationship.

Sandmeyer's Bookstore

By tradition, the Word of the Year for readers eight days into 2026 should always be "resolutions;" or, perhaps more specifically, "reading goals." The Guardian's illustrator Tom Gauld pre-emptively addressed this last Sunday with his take on "The Five Stages of Grieving for an Overambitious Reading Resolution." 

Sandmeyer's Bookstore, Chicago, Ill., however, is opting for a more positive approach: "Make us part of your reading goals this year! Join the 26 books in 2026 challenge! Stop in the store to sign up!"

Another evergreen New Year's tradition, of course, is predicting the future. The Bookseller asked several industry leaders to gaze into the bookish crystal ball and share their prophecies on "what lies ahead for the book industry in 2026."

"Predictions are a fool's errand in today's world," Penguin Random House UK CEO Tom Weldon observed. "So instead of forecasts, here is a hope and a belief. I hope the industry seizes the National Year of Reading as a moment to act together--to spark curiosity and to create a new generation of readers who see books not as relics of the past, but as companions to a world where technology is today's reality.... And my belief? Books are the ultimate invention.... Our task now isn't just to publish brilliant human-led content, but to reach those who don't yet call themselves readers. If we do that, we won't just celebrate 2026, we'll build a lasting legacy for the future of reading. I believe we can. I hope we will."

At Prologue Bookshop, Columbus, Ohio

Meryl Halls, managing director of the Booksellers Association of the U.K. & Ireland, said: "As we head into 2026, I find myself repeating a familiar message. Bookshops of every kind continue to adapt with impressive agility and creativity. They innovate commercially yet stay true to their core principles: serving their communities, promoting reading for pleasure, and distributing the U.K.'s creative industries. With the National Year of Reading approaching, booksellers are ready to play an active and visible part, and bookshops will cement their role as the best place to discover and experience a love of reading, whether newly discovered or reignited. This moment feels made for them.... 

"Booksellers have a habit of finding a way through. They come out stronger and more united each time. We believe they will do so again. Yet the constant need for them to step up, while it can feel that others fail to step up for them, is exhausting. That fatigue is a real danger as we look to the year ahead; our job is to continue to energize our sector and allow them to inspire each other and excel in their crucial role." 

In Canada, a recent CBC News article proclaimed " 'The Internet Is Dead.' Long Live Print", noting: "There is a communication technology that allows you to get your art and ideas out without depending on a corporate middleman. You can't be shadowbanned. You can create unmoderated, unmediated communities. The production cost is almost unfathomably low. And it's about 600 years old. The technology in question, of course, is print."

Tara Bursey, a veteran zine-maker who also runs Partizanka Press, distributing zines from around the world, told CBC News that in the past several years, she has seen a new interest in zines from teens and people in their 20s. She attributes the movement to a sort of "digital fatigue," even though zinesters aren't avoiding modern technology entirely. 

At Roebling Books, Covington, Ky.

"You have people who are very young coming to zines through the internet, seeing them online and then wanting to make them and... they're integrating digital tools," Bursey said. "And I think right now we have the best of both worlds, and the community is growing."

She added that in an age when the digital communication tools are becoming less reliable, and more and more tightly controlled, a return to old-school print is a resistance movement: "I think people are really interested in moving back to the physical as a way of reclaiming their voices and reclaiming agency in a very overly digitized world."

In 2007, I wrote my first New Year column for Shelf Awareness, citing something called the Edge World Question Center and its "Edge Annual Question," which asked: "What are you optimistic about? Why?" Among the 160 responses from "a who's who of interesting and important world-class thinkers," author Walter Isaacson observed: "I am very optimistic about print as a technology. Words on paper are a wonderful information storage, retrieval, distribution, and consumer product.... 

"Imagine if we had been getting our information delivered digitally to our screens for the past 400 years. Then some modern Gutenberg had come up with a technology that was able to transfer these words and pictures onto pages that could be delivered to our doorstep, and we could take them to the backyard, the bath, or the bus. We would be thrilled with this technological leap forward, and we would predict that someday it might replace the Internet." The more things change...

In that same column, I shared my optimism about indie booksellers' long history of adaptability, both to print and digital options, adding that in the new year I would be looking for stories with that in mind: "Some of these will be fresh tales you've never heard before, while others will be classics with a new twist. I'll find happy endings where I can." That quest continues in 2026. --Robert Gray, contributing editor