Jamie Fiocco, owner of Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, N.C., reported that the "holiday season was strong," with the store seeing a 5.5% increase in revenue compared to the same period in 2024, as well as increases in units sold and total transactions. Going into the season, the Flyleaf team was "cautiously optimistic" given inflation, price increases, and the potential for issues with the supply chain; they were "pleasantly surprised" with how things turned out.

Asked about major titles, Fiocco said the store's top five books of the season, outside of those sold at community events, were The Correspondent by Virginia Evans, The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai, Heart the Lover by Lily King, What We Can Know by Ian McEwan, and Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell. She added that Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid, as well as a few other books in the Game Changers series, picked up steam and "dominated" sales in the second half of December. Fiocco also pointed out that although the store went into the season expecting The Correspondent to be popular, they did not expect to sell as many copies as they did.

Commenting on supply-chain issues, Fiocco remarked that they happen every holiday season, but this year they came from "the most unexpected of places." As a result, the first few weeks of December "were dicey," with the store's Cost of Goods Sold suffering as the team scrambled to source titles. Eventually, Flyleaf was able to adjust customer expectations accordingly. Fiocco also wanted to give a "special shout out" to the store's PRH customer service rep, as well as the Ingram Oregon warehouse; the latter was able to get orders "clear across the country to us" in a speedy manner. 

Fiocco relayed that she and her team were surprised they didn't see changes in customer behavior. While all categories were up, used books (which account for about 6% of the store's inventory) were up 13% and adult hardcovers up 7%. That might indicate that customers were shopping the used section more, but at the same time, the section "was better maintained than in past years" and the store continued to take used book trades through late December instead of stopping after Thanksgiving. In general, "our sales for the year were up over last year," Fiocco said.

For Astoria Bookshop in Queens, N.Y., the 2025 holiday began with a slower-than-usual start but ended up being great, reported store owner Lexi Beach. It was the strongest December the store has seen since it moved to a new location in 2023, and sales of How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss and The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg--a metric Beach looks at every holiday season--were "well up." 

Touching on big sellers, Beach said "local interest seemed to be the thing this year." An Almanac of New York City for the Year 2026 by Susan Gail Johnson, Zohran Walks New York by Millie von Platen, All the Queens Gardens: A Botanical Portrait of New York's Largest and Most Diverse Borough edited by Rafael A. Herrin-Ferri, and Rural County, Urban Borough: A History of Queens by Jeffrey A. Kroessler all did very well throughout December. Kiran Desai, Beach noted, is a Jackson Heights resident, and The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny also proved popular. 

For "non-Queens interest," Samin Nosrat's Good Things and Alison Roman's Something from Nothing were in high demand, as was Heart the Lover. Beach noted that had the store been able to get more copies of the Game Changers books, they would have been "topping the list."

Across the board, "delivery times from publishers and distributors were erratic and slow," Beach remarked. By the second week of December, Beach and her team were telling customers that if they didn't already have tracking info for something, it likely would not arrive before Christmas, and it has never been that bad before.

"I've never seen anything like it, and it was almost entirely universal so I don't even want to call out any particular vendor," she said.

Asked about customer behavior, Beach said it was a harder thing to quantify. While she does look at average transaction total during the holidays, the increase in book prices this year made it "harder to see at the end of any given day if customers were going out with big stacks or smaller stacks of more expensive books." All together, Beach didn't see "any noticeable shifts in behavior from our customers."

In Long Beach, Calif., Bel Canto Books saw a slow opening to the season, with a "much weaker" Small Business Saturday, said owner Jhoanna Belfor, but "the rest of December more than made up for that deficit." In fact, the season ended up great, with the main store being up 19% compared to 2024; Belfor attributed much of that increase to being open every day for the two weeks leading up to Christmas Eve.

Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe by C.B. Lee, Grief Is for People by Sloane Crosley, and Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala were the store's top sellers, while Umma by Nam Soon Ahn, Water Moon by Samantha Sotto, The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong, and the deluxe edition of Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones were among the store's bestselling hardcovers. In general, Belfor said, customers "really seemed to be looking for cozy reads," and there was a lot of interest in books by friends of the store, including Umma, Arsenic and Adobo, and Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe.

The store did not see any major supply-chain problems with either books or sidelines, with Belfor noting that the team "front-loaded" on sidelines in late November and early December. With regard to customer behavior, Belfor said there were some slow mid-week days as well as rainy days, but staying open every day during the lead up to Christmas Eve "really helped." The store's new membership program, along with increased outreach to regular shoppers, also provided a boost. --Alex Mutter

HEA Book Boutique, a romance-focused bookshop, will host a ribbon-cutting today, January 9, and a grand re-opening celebration on January 10 in its new location at 588 Boyson Road NE, #116, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The event will feature a book signing, swag bags, and giveaways. Owner and self-described "Chief Book Babe" Jenn Draper launched HEA Book Boutique in 2023 as a pop-up, but quickly moved into a physical storefront in Marion, Iowa. 

"The romance bookstore trend has skyrocketed in the last two years nationwide, and we've seen that popularity here in Iowa," said Draper. "This expansion is a true testament to the loyal and tight-knit community of readers we're building. The new location will almost double our space, and provide opportunities to offer more events, author visits and even some new products."

In a Facebook post earlier this week, Draper wrote: "In just a few days, HEA Book Boutique re-opens to the public! We can't wait to show you the new store! We have big plans for 2026 and this new storefront is just the beginning! We hope when you step inside, you feel the love, community and camaraderie that we have felt during this entire journey. We hope you find new authors, amazing reads, and fun goodies galore. And that you join us for book clubs, special events and more. See you Saturday, babes, boys & badasses!"

Nous!, a cultural center featuring a French-language bookstore, gallery, and more, recently hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 602 Toulouse St. in the French Quarter of New Orleans, La. NOLA.com reported that Scott Tilton and Rudy Bazenet, co-founders of the nonprofit New Orleans Foundation for Francophone Cultures, have "been bringing French back to the French Quarter. This month, the couple behind the nonprofit, known as Nous, celebrated a newly renovated space in that historic district. With a Champagne toast, of course."

In a recent Facebook post, Nous! wrote: "It's open, y'all! Scott and Chaoui were chased down (again) to give a tour of our new cultural center at 602 Toulouse Street--and we had to share that with y'all. We love our gallery, bookstore, and studio. Enjoy the tour, y'all."

The new headquarters features a bookstore offering French classics, books by Louisiana authors, and art exhibition catalogues from Paris and Quebec. There is a studio and a sunny exhibition space. For Tilton and Bazenet, "the new gallery space is a symbol for its expanding ambitions that include exhibitions, community collections and, in partnership with other French organizations, French classes," NOLA.com noted. 

"It's a little hub that's starting to reemerge," said Tilton, adding that the new storefront has attracted families, tourists, and people who work nearby. "People are walking in and actually speaking French to us." They are also asking questions about Louisiana French and Creole. "So it's really cool to be able to have examples of contemporary publications that they can just crack open and, if they speak French, they can see the difference immediately."

Bazenet, who designed the space, is already planning additional bookshelves.

Bookmark This Bar, which will feature themed cocktails as well as "a carefully curated selection of new and used books, with a special focus on romantasy and psychological thrillers," hosted a pop-up event December 6 and will open soon at 711 N. Pine St. in Rolla, Mo. 

At the pop-up event, co-owners Ryan and Jamie Cheek "shared their plans and welcomed visitors to see the developments," Phelps County Focus reported, adding that they anticipate the space will be ready for its grand opening in February.

The business is planning to host book clubs and reading-themed events. "It was really important when we started this adventure that we be on Pine Street," said Jamie Cheek. "The main street is really where a community grows, and so for us, it was Pine Street or bust."

The Cheeks moved to Rolla from Utah three years ago. Jamie Cheeks said her love of reading and desire to create a positive community space inspired the "boozy bookstore" concept: "One of the things that was important to us is creating something different, something unique. What I want to be able to do is when a customer comes in, that I can have knowledgeable conversations about books that they like to read, or different kinds of concepts, because I want to make sure if I make a recommendation, it's something that they're going to enjoy."

The owners are working with a contractor to complete improvements on the space, including 10-foot-tall bookshelves and a custom bar, and will continue to offer pop-up events. 

"It's a 125-year-old building and was renovated before we purchased it, so a lot of the really hard work had already been done for us, which was magical," Jamie Cheek said. "Now we just have to do fine tweaking, which I think makes it a little bit easier and helps us move this process a little bit faster. It does have an Airbnb attached to it, so there's an outside door and we've made that bookish themed as well. We call it 'The Bookend,' and so you can have a little bookstore experience up there, but then also come downstairs and have a drink if you want one."

She added that already the community's "enthusiasm has far surpassed my wildest dreams. It's been a wild ride... People are so excited."

Medu Bookstore, which is located in the Greenbriar Mall in Atlanta, Ga., will be closing by March after 35 years in business. The Atlanta Voice reported that owner and founder Nia Damali "is retiring. Asked about her plans for the future, she said that they will include traveling, relaxing, and reflecting on her career as an entrepreneur."

"I'm just going to work on me," she said. "Have some time for me. I just want to be still.... I've been thanking people for allowing me to be here, and for allowing me to make the decision myself. I'm grateful. I tell everyone to stay in touch because you never know what tomorrow will bring." 

There is no succession plan in place for Medu. The Voice noted that "when she shuts the doors for the last time, that will indeed be the end of Medu Bookstore." Damali added: "We just move on to the next chapter. It's been good in every way. I feel like I've done the work that I set out to do at Medu."

Medu Bookstore opened during a time when going to the mall was a major part of life, "as much a part of Atlanta's entertainment scene as any other," the Voice wrote. Damali said customer traffic in the mall has slowed down from the heady times of the 1990s and early 2000s, but she believes there's always been a place for a Black-owned and operated bookstore, noting: "There has been a lot of change. I hope another bookstore opens in the mall."

Marcus Williams, who opened Nubian Books, in Morrow, Ga., in 1999, began his bookselling career at Medu and described the experience as the foundation of his career as a business owner: "I will forever be grateful to Nia Damali for allowing me to work for her at Medu Bookstore when I was a college student. Without her, there would not be a Nubian Bookstore."

Densua Abayoni, owner of nearby Densua's Incredible Artist Market, observed: "The community loses a substantial contribution to the culture that has kept us aware and knowledgeable about what's happening around the world.... I have been here as long as she has been here. I'm devastated."

The Book Industry Charitable Foundation, in collaboration with Sourcebooks and the Denver Publishing Institute, has opened applications for a scholarship to attend DPI. The scholarship is worth up to $7,000. It includes tuition, room and board, and up to $2,000 to cover travel, and lost wages. 

DPI will run from July 12 to August 7, at the University of Denver. The program features industry professionals who work for trade, university, textbook, and independent publishers throughout the country. Course and lecture topics include book marketing, manuscript editing, copy editing and proofreading, digital marketing strategies, the role of the bookstore, and more. Participants can attend in person or as a remote student.

To be eligible for the scholarship, booksellers must be employed full- or part-time at a physical bookstore with a tenure of at least 90 days, and must be employed by the bookstore at the time of the program. Applicants must also discuss application and potential selection with their store owner/manager before applying.

"We honor and welcome booksellers to the Denver Publishing Institute each summer," said DPI director Jill Smith. "Over the years, the Binc scholarship recipients attending the program have brought their front-line insight and passion for connecting books and readers. We are delighted to continue this scholarship with Binc and Sourcebooks."

Applications will be open through Friday, February 6.

Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine has named Beth Is Dead by Katie Bernet (Sarah Barley Books) as its inaugural selection for the new Sunnie Reads Book Club (run "by and for Gen-Z readers"). 

Maureen Polo, CEO of Hello Sunshine, told Cosmopolitan: "Beth Is Dead is the perfect first-ever selection: complex characters, layered relationships, annotation-worthy dialogue, and a thrilling story that sparks conversation long after the last page." 

Beth Is Dead is the first book to be published by Simon & Schuster's Sarah Barley Books imprint. The novel "is a contemporary reimagining of Little Women in which Beth dies in the first chapter, and her sisters will stop at nothing to track down her killer--until they begin to suspect one another."

"We originally created our 'Good Books for Tough Times' display a year ago, in hopes that it would not only bring comfort and inspiration to our community members, but that it would be a potentially temporary display," Next Chapter Booksellers, St. Paul, Minn., posted on Instagram. "Here we are, in 2026, not only moving it forward to a more prominent location, but it is growing. The books are still great, the times are still terrible, but most importantly, we are always here, for our neighbors, for our community, for our fellow readers. 

"We still have our comfy seating (back by our staff picks), so grab a drink at Dunn Bros, a snack from the Cheese Shop, and find a safe and healing space with your neighbors here, at Next Chapter Booksellers."

"Apple would like to wish everyone a happy and FRUITFUL New Year!!" Rhythm & Co. Books, Glen Rose, Tex., wrote on Instagram. "Hers is off to a Splendid start! She also thanks all the talented admirers who entered our 1st ever Art contest. It is now all over with. Thank you, thank you!! If your artwork is still here at Rhythm & Co. Books, you are welcome to come take it home. Or you can leave it here on display on our walls! Our pleasure!"

Jisu Kim has been promoted to sales and operations director at Grove Atlantic.

---

Clarissa Hadge has joined Simon & Schuster's Independent Sales Team as field account manager, New England. She was previously at Hachette Book Group.

Make the School System Work for Your Child with Disabilities: Empowering Kids for the Future by Stacey Shubitz (Guilford Press).

Netflix's film version of Emily Henry's novel People We Meet on Vacation debuts today, but the bestselling author is already looking to the future. Variety reported that the streaming service has acquired the movie adaptation rights to her novel Funny Story, and will be shifting its already-in-the-works Happy Place adaptation from a TV series into a film.

Happy Place is being produced by Nuyorican's Jennifer Lopez, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, and Benny Medina. Leila Cohan is showrunner.

Funny Story is being produced by Lyrical Media and Ryder Picture Company (RPC) with Lyrical Media's Alexander Black and Natalie Sellers as well as RPC's Aaron Ryder and Andrew Swett are producing. Henry is writing the script. Neither project has set its cast yet.

"Emily Henry has a gift for creating characters that truly connect with audiences, and it's no surprise her books have resonated with so many," Alex Black, founder and CEO of Lyrical Media, said. "We're excited to be following up People We Meet on Vacation and collaborating with her on Funny Story--it's going to be such a thrill bringing her beloved characters to the big screen."

CBC Books has released a longlist for Canada Reads 2026, which is "looking for one book to build bridges. Stories connect us to different people, places and perspectives. The collection of titles for 2026 showcase the power storytelling has to inspire, connect and grow--together."

For Canada Reads, five Canadian celebrities each pick one book they believe all Canadians should read, then debate their choices over the course of four days, voting to eliminate one every day. The last book standing is the winner. Every year, CBC Books reveals a longlist before the final contenders are named. Canada Reads will air this year's edition from April 13 to 16. See the longlisted titles here. 

---

Marilyn Booth has won the Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation for her translation of Honey Hunger by Zahran Alqasmi (Hoopoe Fiction/the American University in Cairo Press). With an award of £3,000 (about $4,000), the prize is administered by the Society of Authors.

Organizers said that "Honey Hunger takes you to the remote highland landscapes of Oman and the story of Azzan, a beekeeper who retreats into the mountains to rebuild his life and hives. As Azzan becomes immersed in nature and beekeeping, he forms bonds with fellow honey hunters and a lyrical story of loss, addiction, resilience, healing and the fragile balance of human and nature unfolds. This novel is exceptional not only for its beautiful evocative prose but for its exploration of the taboo topic of addiction in rural Oman and for its vital ecological theme."

Judges praised the book for "its exquisite language and style in translation and on account of the significance of the themes explored in the novel (love, addiction, environment), and the fresh perspective the Omani voice and setting brings to bear on them."

Kay Heikkinen was named a runner up for the prize for her translation of Radwa Ashour's trilogy, Granada: The Complete Trilogy (also published by Hoopoe Fiction/AUC Press). Heikkinen wins £1,000 (about $1,333).

Organizers said that Granada "chronicles the destruction of Moorish Spain following the conquest of Granada by Spain's Catholic monarchs in 1492, and tells the story of the Muslims who remained in Andalusia, who struggled to maintain faith and hope in a possible future. It narrates a community's effort to comprehend what has happened to them, and of their valiant but ultimately unsuccessful efforts to resist the destruction of their identity."

Coco Zephir is a bookseller at An Unlikely Story in Plainville, Mass., where she works on the events and marketing teams. She loves romance titles and asked indie booksellers which upcoming romance titles they're loving. Here's what they said:

Robin Limeres, lead bookseller at Lovestruck Books & Cafe in Cambridge, Mass., recommends The Odds of You by Kate Dramis (St. Martin's Press), coming this month:

"There is no other book I want to yell about more than Kate Dramis's The Odds of You, which is out in January. A celebrated dystopian writer and a beloved actor fall for each other while navigating the stress of their professions and the personal expectations they have surrounded themselves in. As they engage in the classic will-they-won't-they dance, can they leap toward a future together or will they be stuck settling with that future forever out of reach? Kate Dramis's contemporary romance debut is a stunner, no other way of looking at it. Seamlessly welding the magic of the love story with an unflinching view on perfectionism, familial expectations, and a homage to Nancy Meyers's The Holiday, The Odds of You is romance novel perfection (entirely the good kind). Grounded in expansive locales, sweeping romance, and a breadth of emotion that left me floored, you won't find a book more representative of the beauty of the romance genre and the power in the modern love story." 

Bill Carl, adult buyer at An Unlikely Story in Plainville, Mass., recommends Stay for a Spell by Amy Coombe (Ace), out in April:

"A. Dor. A. Ble! In Stay for a Spell by Amy Coombe, Princess Tanadelle desperately wishes she had more time to read and relax instead of performing duties like ribbon cuttings and presenting unicorns, and she gets her wish when she stumbles into a curse and is unable to leave a bookshop in a small kingdom. Suddenly, she finds herself a businesswoman... with a surly teenaged assistant, a bookstore cat with tentacles, and a hunky pirate in too-tight pants who shoplifts from her! Her parents send seven princes to kiss her (isn't that how you break a curse?), but her roaming eyes keep going toward that damn pirate! It's a sweet fairy tale, cozy in all of the right ways, and, despite my Grinchy exterior, it melted my heart. Every character is layered and hilarious, and the romance is swoon-worthy! If you loved Ladyhawke or The Princess Bride...  have I got a book for you!"

Katie Garaby, floor manager, coordinator of the Love, Parnassus subscription and Between the Covers Romance Book Club at Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tenn., recommends two titles: A Little Buzzed by Alys Murray (Berkley), coming in February, and Hold Me Like a Grudge by Celine Ong (Berkley), to be published in March: 

"A Little Buzzed by Alys Murray: A sex-positive romp, this book is smart and filthy and I am absolutely obsessed with it. Scout and Hudson's sexy experiments may be a gamble but everything about this book is a success.

"Hold Me Like a Grudge by Celine Ong: This book has me in an absolute choke-hold. If you think wrestling isn't super hot, Celine Ong will change your mind. Perfect for readers chasing the high of Heated Rivalry."

Meghan Molinari, bookseller & event coordinator at Lark and Owl Booksellers in Georgetown, Tex., is loving Riss M. Neilson's The Bridge Back to You (Berkley), out in March:

"I recently read the arc of The Bridge Back to You by Riss M. Neilson, and I am OBSESSED. This book was the perfect reminder as to why second-chance romance is my favorite trope, and once I picked this story up, I didn't want to put it down. After 10 years, Olivia finds herself back in Providence when she gets a call informing her that she now has part ownership of her ex-boyfriend's restaurant. The longing between Olivia and Carmello is evident even from their very first phone call after their time apart, and I loved watching these two confront feelings they could never quite shake. Through late nights at the restaurant and brainstorming new ideas at each other's houses, resisting one another gets harder and harder--but they have more things to consider than just their overflowing chemistry. I really appreciated how vulnerable these characters were and how we got to see characters with endometriosis (fmc) and OCD (mmc). This book also deals with grief and is such a beautiful story that I can't wait for everyone to read once it's out on March 31!"

Haley Calvin, assistant director of events at The Novel Neighbor/Open Door Romance in St. Louis, Mo., is loving The Duke by Anna Cowan (St. Martin's Press), coming this April:

"The Duke by Anna Cowan! If the word on the street is that historical romance is dying, then why am I reading one of the best sapphic ones set to come out next year?? I'm truly obsessed with this book. It truly has everything I love in a romance: tension, yearning, a begrudging marriage of convenience?? Like, literally say less, I'm sat. It's truly an absolute banger, and I can't wait for people to get their hands on it!"

photo: Sophie Davidson

Rosie Storey grew up on a farm in the south of England. She left her corporate career to finish her debut novel. She holds a Master's in Creative Writing, lives in East London, and works as a writing coach. Dandelion Is Dead (Berkley Books, January 13, 2026) is a modern love story about grief, the courage it takes to live again after loss, and finding hope in the most unexpected places.

Handsell readers your book in 25 words or less:

A grieving woman replies to a message on her dead sister's dating app. When she meets the man, chemistry is undeniable and her lies spiral.

On your nightstand now:

I have a varied pile of books by my bed, to ensure I have something to pick up depending on my mood and exhaustion level. I've just bought Flesh by David Szalay because it won the Booker Prize, but also because I like writing male characters and I'm interested in men's stories. There's Alone by Daniel Schreiber, which is a nonfiction examination of loneliness. And my friend Jessica Boston's book for when I need a moment's calm: Homecoming Meditations. I could go on.

Favorite book when you were a child:

I used to listen to the cassette tape of Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr. Fox every night in bed. I can still sing the ditty about the mean farmers Boggis, Bunce, and Bean.

Your top five authors:

I'm devoted to Lorrie Moore. She's so smart, witty, and insightful. I have a line from one of her novels as the epigraph in my book.

Similarly, when I read Miranda July, I feel like I'm hanging out with my funnest friend. Anything could happen. I adore her sense of play on the page.

Wendy Cope taught me that poetry doesn't have to be pretentious. It can sound like our own silly thoughts and still be touching and unforgettable.

And I'm going to bend the rules and give you two musicians instead of authors. The lyrics of Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen have been as influential to me as any novelist. "A Case of You" and "Bird on the Wire" still devastate me after more than 30 years of listening.

Book you've faked reading:

I don't think I've faked reading a book. I give up on books though; life is too short to finish a book that isn't for me.

Book you're an evangelist for:

Self-Help by Lorrie Moore. I go back to it constantly. "How to Become a Writer" and "How to Be an Other Woman" are two of my favourite short stories in this collection.

Book you've bought for the cover:

Bad Behavior by Mary Gaitskill. I'm a sucker for an intriguing photograph on a cover. My copy has a black-and-white picture of a girl looking bored at a party. I couldn't take my eyes off it. That, plus the title: sold.

Book you hid from your parents:

Talking of bad behaviour... Jilly Cooper, Riders. We didn't really have sex ed at my school, so we turned to Jilly.

Book that changed your life:

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. I read it in that transition between childhood and adulthood, around the time when some men start to look at girls differently. I had an early sense of feminism and fairness and fight, and that book helped shape it.

Favorite line from a book:

So hard to choose, but the most enduring is probably "Nolite te bastardes carborundorum" from The Handmaid's Tale, which means "Don't let the bastards grind you down." In fact, my male protagonist says it in my novel--that's a little Easter egg for you.

Five books you'll never part with:

Simple Passion by Annie Ernaux. Like much of Ernaux's writing, it's a memoir, set in Paris. I took this slim book with me whilst I was in Paris for a love affair of my own and now it's scrawled in notes. I like writing in my books and turning them into diaries.

A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore. My novel's epigraph is from this one, so I'll always be attached.

Rapture by Carol Ann Duffy. A poetry collection telling the story of a relationship from start to finish. One of my best friends gave it to me when we were roommates, many years ago.

A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf. As a female writer trying to make her way through life without the support of anyone else, this book has been a companion. Such courage, insight, and foresight.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. I covet this book not only for what it is but in respect to Plath herself; her lyricism, her sensitivity, and her struggle.

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

I reread constantly because my memory is terrible. But perhaps I would go back to the books that ignited something in me as a young woman, like The Handmaid's Tale or George Orwell's 1984.

One thing you want readers to feel when they read your book:

Hope!

Jung Yun's third novel, All the World Can Hold, is a distinctive 9/11 story. Set on a cruise departing Boston for Bermuda on September 16, 2001, it spotlights three characters who--like the country in the wake of terrorism--face a turning point. Choosing whether to be true to themselves requires reckoning with past traumas, including bereavement, alcoholism, and racist microaggressions.

Korean American lawyer Franny hasn't told anyone that she was caught up in 9/11, sheltering inside a bank and then wandering dust-choked streets. When she reached her husband, Tom, by phone afterward, she lied that she'd slept late and was at home when the planes hit. She insisted on going ahead with this family trip to mark her mother's 70th birthday (chilsun) and recent retirement from running a Korean restaurant. Ever since the deaths of her father and older brother in a car accident when she was eight, Franny has been desperate for her mother's approval, fearing she can't live up to the role of substitute eldest child.

A subset of passengers was lured in by a Starlight Voyages reunion. Sixty-two-year-old Doug played the ship's bartender on the 1970s-'80s cult television classic and became infamous for drunken debauches on and off set. He signed up to please his agent--and he needs the cash after years lost to alcoholism and mental illness. He pops Xanax to cope with fawning middle-aged fans, a grueling schedule of appearances, and the fact that his best friend from the cast, Peter, is dead.

Lucy is getting her PhD in computer science from MIT, but her true passion is art. Her wealthy roommate, Mariah, offered her a free ticket, and the cruise is a welcome distraction as she awaits second interviews with tech companies. For once there's time for her painting, but she can't ignore her parents' expectation that she secure a high-paying job soon. As the only Black woman in her department, she feels she must go above and beyond to prove herself.

Yun (Shelter; O Beautiful) orchestrates only subtle connections between the protagonists here. Instead, as she reveals in a prefatory note, she presents them as aspects of her own existential crisis on a Love Boat-themed cruise shortly after 9/11. In a time of national mourning, private sorrows still sting. Franny, Doug, and Lucy illuminate themes of survivor guilt, the price of belonging, and the hope for change in this quiet, character-driven story. --Rebecca Foster, freelance reviewer, proofreader, and blogger at Bookish Beck

Shelf Talker: Jung Yun's subdued third novel, set on a cruise to Bermuda, brings together several troubled protagonists looking to change their lives for the better following 9/11.