The Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association's SpringCon, held May 5-7 in San Antonio, Texas, was a busy, well-run show that attracted 130 engaged, enthusiastic booksellers representing 72 stores. The booksellers came from six MPIBA states, with a strong representation from Texas and Oklahoma. Approximately a third of the stores were founded in the last three years and have children's, romance, genre, and general independent focuses. (Texas in particular has had an explosion of new stores in recent years.) Programming included several sessions focused on sharing ideas and success stories (see below); author presentations; and for the first time, a sidelines exhibit. The SpringCon was held for the fifth year in San Antonio, and for the fourth year in a row at the historic Menger Hotel downtown.

Scouting sidelines

MPIBA executive director Heather Duncan commented: "When we set out in 2019 to create a spring event in Texas to better serve our fast-growing membership, which started with just 50 attendees, we couldn't have envisioned the thriving event SpringCon has become. Seeing the growth in attendance, the continued and growing support from our publishing partners, and the success of our first-ever Vendor Showcase has been rewarding, and we have exciting plans to continue expanding the show's offerings moving forward."

Success Stories Open Mic: Bookselling Inspiration

This session featured booksellers speaking for a few minutes about events, promotions, display ideas, and more that were successes in their stores.

For example, Off the Beaten Path, Steamboat Springs, Colo., changed its Dungeons & Dragons event from one for all interested people regardless of ability to two editions, one for children and one for adults. (Each version is held monthly.) "The kids night really took off," Jenna Meier-Bilbo said, noting that the sessions, limited to 20, "fill up fast." The kids meet kids from other schools they would likely not meet otherwise--a way of building community bridges--and the kids improve public speaking, creative thinking, and basic math skills.

Dara Landry of CLASS Bookstore, Houston, Texas, offered two stories about successful events. One is Conspiracy Theory Night, held monthly, at which participants present their conspiracy theories. There's a tin foil roll with which people can make hats. The password for entrance is "9/11 was an inside job." And there's Kool-Aid that people are encouraged to drink. "The community really gets into," Landry said.

The other event Landry discussed is Ask a Grandma, which she characterized as "a sleeper that really works." The last Saturday of every month, a grandmother is available for people who don't have a grandmother to talk with. They often talk about getting a job, missing their grandmothers, and more. "We encourage folks to come in and get a hug from grandma," Landry said.

Last summer, Buy the Book, Woodlands, Texas, held a social event for the heads of many interest groups, including its horror book club, a painting class, the trivia club, a tarot group, and more. After-hours at the store, they and people from local businesses met and exchanged information for a bingo card. (The store gave away prizes for completed bingo cards.) Close to 150 people came. "It was packed and we ran out of everything," Abby Fletcher said. "And afterwards attendance for all groups skyrocketed."

Although the idea isn't new, Fletcher said, the Book Burrow also held a boozy book fair, partnering with a local bar. The fair had books, knickknacks, journals, and bookish things for sale and included authors and local vendors. Some 350 people came, and "We sold almost all the books we brought," Fletcher said. Vendors also loved the event. "If you can find local vendors when you have big event, those people will be invested in it," she added.

The Book Burrow, Pflugerville, Texas, has had a strikingly successful time with its quarterly Crow Party/Trinket Swap. Participants dress in all black and bring trinkets, stickers, key chains, bones, rocks--anything that crows are attracted to. The store has a bucket of such trinkets. "People love it," Kelsey Black said, "They bring friends from as far as 50 miles away to pick through the trinkets."

The Power of Discovery

MPIBA executive director Heather Duncan and David Landry, CLASS Bookstore, Houston, Tex.

Tim Smith of Schuler Books, with stores in Grand Rapids, Okemos, Ann Arbor, and West Bloomfield, Mich., led a session on The Power of Discovery that covered a variety of merchandising and marketing principles and, like Success Stories Open Mic, included many contributions from booksellers in attendance about approaches and ideas that have worked in their stores.

Among the tips from both Smith and audience members:

Chalkboards outside the store are "a clever way to get people to stop and look inside," Smith said.

"The landing zone" is an important concept for a store's entry. "Generally people don't stop and look around until about 15 feet inside the store," Smith noted. At Schuler stores, new release tables are close to the entry "to get people to interact with products sooner."

The question of what to put on low shelves by the floor drew a lot of suggestions. Among them: expensive sidelines shouldn't be in low shelves because children can easily reach and damage them. Books for adults don't sell as well on shelves by the floor. One solution is to take low shelves out. Smith noted that Franklin Fixtures has shelving with lower shelves slanted out and up to make titles on them more visible. One store makes sure titles on low shelves are visible by putting pool noodles behind them to make sure they stay at the front edge of the shelves.

On Schuler display tables, books are often grouped by color, are mixed with related sidelines, and are on color-coordinated, layered tablecloths. Smith said he particularly likes displays that are off center and have diagonal patterns. "Everything in our stores is in straight line," he said. "So anything different will catch the eye."

As for how to arrange books in shelves, children prefer books ordered by subject since "kids who want books about dinosaurs don't care about authors."

The entertaining, informative Romance Author Speed Round featured (from l.) Andrea Eames, A Tangled Magic (Erewhon); Taylor Esposito, Boots Beneath Her Bed (Berkley); R.S. Gray, Our Secret Summer (Requited); Sierra Simone, Devil (Bloom Books); Emily Rath, Devour Me (Morrow); Andrea Bracken (behind), Immortal Rose (Avon); Rebecca Zanetti, One Shattered Crown (Kensington); Melissa K. Roehrich, Storm of Secrets and Sorrow (Kensington); Kayla Olson (behind), The Great Outdoors (Atria); Gabriella Gamez, Second First Dates (Forever); Jennifer K. Lamert, Among the Thorns (Bramble); and (front center) moderator James Wade, Hollow Out the Dark (Blackstone).

Topical displays are very important at some stores, and customers often comment about not knowing the store stocked titles that appear occasionally in special displays. Some stores make sure to have several copies of displayed books on hand since some customers are reluctant to take books from a display.

Smith and others recommended shelf talkers, which don't have to be "a treatise" and should be fun. One bookseller's favorite shelf talker read, "I threw this book across the room I was so mad. And I picked it up again and read it last week."

Smith recommended bookstores supply shopping baskets, adding that most people who take a basket buy something and usually buy more than they intended to.

Authors & Sidelines

Author events included a panel of romance writers who discussed their books, romance writing in general, attitudes about romance, and more. One breakfast program featured fiction writers, including yours truly talking about his upcoming novel, Fortune and Glass, and a lunch program featured nonfiction writers.

The vendor showcase focused on sidelines and was comprised of companies that are well-established in bookstores as well as companies that are new to the book world. The vendor area was busy, with many suppliers writing up orders from booksellers.

SpringCon will return to San Antonio next year. --John Mutter

Artemis Books & Goods, which had its soft opening earlier this year in the Warehouse MRKT building at 144 Hall St. in Traverse City, Mich., will host a grand opening celebration on May 30. Northern Express reported that when Brilliant Books closed last October after a decade-long run, several of its former booksellers "decided to make lemonade out of lemons."

"It was so hard every day at the old store to talk to people and hear the stories about the impact that Brilliant had on their lives. It really drove home that this is what we wanted to be doing," said Caitlin Marsh, co-owner with Samantha Duby, Rachel Sang, and Carissa Yonan.

"It's a wonderful place to have a business," Marsh added, referring to the space. "Our fellow shops are so fantastically niche, and yet we all work so well together. There's a sort of general camaraderie that's a very pleasant place to work, even outside of the store. So it's just been one small miracle after another."

Since its soft opening in February, Artemis has been building its inventory, creating a dedicated ordering site, and filling out its space, including custom cabinetry. Marsh noted that one of the priorities for the business "is that we wanted it to be sustainable, and we mean that in several aspects."

Dudley's Bookshop Cafe, Bend, Ore., held the grand opening celebration last Friday, May 15, for its second store, which is located in the Old Mill District at 655 SW Powerhouse Drive, Suite 150. Dudley's had announced plans to expand earlier this year, noting that the 900-square-foot shop, which does not feature a cafe yet, is near the Deschutes River, with its back door facing the river trail. The original store remains open on Minnesota Ave. downtown.

Owner Tom Beans told Central Oregon Daily News that the new shop continues the legacy of the original, which goes back to "the book barn in the '70s."

The new bookshop's "cozy space is lined with massive bookshelves, warm lighting, and features repurposed materials from the log bridge of the original mill complex more than a century ago," the Source observed.

"Walking through the scrap yard and choosing building materials that were formative to the mill over a hundred years ago, and seeing them repurposed into structural and stylistic pieces has been a cool part of the process. From the moment you step through the door, the history of this place is right there to see and feel," said Beans.

Co-owner and manager Amy Rose added: "There are certain things we are thrilled to offer at the new space that are harder to achieve downtown; reliably convenient parking and patio seating are high on that list. The influx of small business representation to this part of town is something we're proud to be part of.

"Opening a second location has been in the works for several years now. Seeing what was once a pipe dream come to fruition is both exciting and nerve-wracking in its own right. Expanding at a time where everything feels uncertain has been wild, but the community in Bend has supported us every step of the way. We have them to thank, and them to serve."

BookMarx, a used and new bookstore in Springfield, Mo., will soon be expanding into an adjacent storefront, the Springfield Daily Citizen reported.

In a Facebook post, store co-owners Josh Arnett and Harvey Day-Arnett said they've signed a lease for 325 E. Walnut St., Suite 102, and construction will begin to remove an interior wall and connect that space with Suite 101, which the bookstore has occupied since its opening in 2014. 

The additional space will allow BookMarx to expand all facets of its business, including nearly tripling its book inventory, with Arnett highlighting a new children's area and an improved theater section. The bookstore will create a new events space called the Footnote, and it will add a used book buying station to free up space at the "cramped" checkout counter. Last year BookMarx created a video rental store called Mr. Googorium's Movie Emporium, and that too will be expanded with the addition of a VHS wall. 

Arnett noted that the adjacent space previously belonged to Austen Boutique, which its owner closed in order to pursue a different career. Though the bookstore "lost the perfect neighbor," the available space did provide the opportunity to "fulfill our ultimate vision of our store."

BookMarx and Mr. Googorium's will remain open during the construction, which Arnett hopes will be finished by the late summer. 

"Thank you for a great 12 years, and we can't wait for an even better next 12," Arnett wrote.

Nook & Nowhere, a hybrid bar, coffee shop, and bookstore in the Shelby Park neighborhood of Louisville, Ky., will close on May 31. In an Instagram post, owners Nicole Stipp and Kaitlyn Soligan-Owens wrote that "the time has come for us to depart this location and, for now, this particular plane of existence, although who can say what the future holds, in the event that time is real.... 

"Thank you to you all for the beautiful time you have shared with us as a community, and a special thanks to the book clubs, book lovers, and fellow independent bookstores who have made this experience so singular and special. We hope you will enjoy the space for the next two weeks and one another's company for always."

Stipp and Soligan-Owens opened Trouble Bar on the site in 2019, and it "quickly garnered attention for its curated whiskey flights, classic cocktails and private barrel program," Louisville Business First reported. Nook & Nowhere's bookstore, bar, and cafe concept launched in the space in January 2025.

Last Saturday, Book Passage, Corte Madera, Calif., hosted Oscar- Tony- and Emmy-winning actress Ellen Burstyn (r.) in celebration of her new book, Poetry Says it Better: Poems to Help You Wake Up (HarperOne). She was joined by 101-year-old poet and actress Rayne O’Brian and Book Passage buying director Luisa Smith for a delightful, funny, and inspiring conversation about the unusual power of poetry. (photo: Jonathan Spencer)

Click here to see the latest Independent Press Top 40, the weekly bestseller list celebrating the bestselling 40 fiction and 40 nonfiction titles from independent publishers, as sold by independent bookstores across the country. The list is sponsored by the Independent Publishers Caucus and the American Booksellers Association.

This week's debut fiction titles:

2. John of John (Oprah's Book Club) by Douglas Stuart (Grove Press)
29. Hunger by Choi Jin-Young (Europa Editions)
33. The Last Page: A Novel by Katie Holt (Alcove Press) 

This week's debut nonfiction titles:

7. Money Unlocked: How to Make It, Keep It and Multiply It by John Lee (Hay House Business)
17. Talking Classics: The Shock of the Old by Mary Beard (University of Chicago Press)
34. Yuppies: The Bankers, Lawyers, Joggers, and Gourmands Who Conquered New York by Dylan Gottlieb (Harvard University Press)

At Random House Publishing Group:

Erica Henegen has joined the Dial Press as director of marketing. She worked in fashion before joining Random House Children's Books, where she focussed on marketing and digital strategy, specializing in online retail. Most recently, she was director of marketing at Out of Print.

Madison Dettlinger has been promoted to senior manager, marketing, Random House.

"Bear the bookstore dog with some of our spring recommendations," the Cranford Bookstore in Cranford, N.J., posted on Instagram.

Today:
NPR's Marketplace: Soumaya Keynes and Chad P. Bown, authors of How to Win a Trade War: An Optimistic Guide to an Anxious Global Economy (Simon & Schuster, $29, 9781668221310).

Tomorrow:
Good Morning America: Jack Carr, co-author of The Fourth Option: A Novel (Atria/Emily Bestler, $30, 9781668072011).

Tamron Hall: Emma Straub, author of American Fantasy (Riverhead, $30, 9798217046850).

Kelly Clarkson Show: Clint Black, author of Killin' Time: My Life and Music (Harper Influence, $32, 9780063429673).

The Little Free Library nonprofit organization has named recipients of its eighth annual Todd H. Bol Awards for Outstanding Achievement, honoring "six exceptional individuals and organizations that exemplify LFL's mission to build community, inspire readers, and expand book access for all." The award coincides with Little Free Library Week, which is taking place May 17-23. Check out this year's winners here.

"Little Free Library stewards give so much more than books--they give their time, care and heart to their communities," said LFL CEO and executive director Daniel Gumnit. "This year's Todd H. Bol Award winners each have a unique story, but they share a deep commitment to helping neighbors feel seen, connected and inspired to read. Their generosity reflects the very best of the Little Free Library network, and we are honored to celebrate the difference they make every day." 

The Todd H. Bol Awards for Outstanding Achievement are named for LFL's founder, Todd Bol, who created the first Little Free Library book-sharing box in 2009 in Hudson, Wis. Before he died in 2018, Bol said, "I really believe in a Little Free Library on every block and a book in every hand. I believe people can fix their neighborhoods, fix their communities, develop systems of sharing, learn from each other, and see that they have a better place on this planet to live."

Selected titles appearing next Tuesday, May 26:

The Land and Its People: Essays by David Sedaris (Little, Brown, $30, 9780316264839) is the latest collection from a master humorist.

America, U.S.A.: How Race Shadows the Nation's Anniversaries by Eddie S. Glaude, Jr. (Crown, $31, 9780593239803) explores how national anniversaries promote mythological versions of American history.

Freedom Round the Globe: A World History of the American Revolution by Sarah M. S. Pearsall (Doubleday, $35, 9780385548717) expands the history of the American Revolution to other British colonies of the time.

Ghalen: A Romance in Black by Walter Mosley (Amistad, $30, 9780063451551) is a coming-of-age story about a neurodivergent Black man.

The Midnight Train: A Novel by Matt Haig (Viking, $30, 9780593833377) is a sequel to The Midnight Library.

Pretend You're Dead and I Carry You: A Novel by Julián Delgado Lopera (Liveright, $31.99, 9781324097204) is queer literary fiction set in 1990s Colombia.

The Vivisectors: A Novel by Missouri Williams (MCD, $28, 9780374619299) is a surreal romance set in a university city overrun by nature.

Babylon, South Dakota: A Novel by Tom Lin (Little, Brown, $30, 9780316576277) follows a Chinese American family who inherit a South Dakota homestead with an alarming military secret.

A Room with a View by Joanna Ho, illus. by Thais Mesquita (Harper, $19.99, 9780063287556) features childhood unforgettable summer memories in picture book form. 

We Could Be Anyone by Anna-Marie McLemore (Feiwel and Friends, $20.99, 9781250370587) is a YA supernatural thriller about two teen con-artists. 

Paperbacks:
Bromantasy by Máire Roche (Putnam, $20, 9798217180707).

Too Fast to Fall (Fast Track #2) by Karen Booth (Afterglow Books by Harlequin, $15.99, 9781335507426).

Field Guide for the Formerly Villainous by Autumn K. England (Poisoned Pen Press, $32.99, $32.99, 9781464278464).

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

Hardcovers
Enormous Wings: A Novel by Laurie Frankel (Holt, $28.99, 9781250423771). "Laurie Frankel has a way of treating serious issues in a warm and loving way, and of bringing understanding to contentious topics. Maybe this book can open a few eyes to the horrors of the Texas (and unfortunately other states') laws." --Karen Emmerling, Beach Books, Seaside, Ore.

Homebound: A Novel by Portia Elan (Scribner, $28, 9781668201732). "Like all great sci-fi novels do, Homebound blends the anxieties around new technology, like AI, with stirring themes of belonging and hope. This remarkable debut is a perfect read for fans of Becky Chambers and Amal El-Mohtar." --Olivia Marchese, Author's Note, Medina, N.Y.

Paperback
The Duke: A Novel by Anna Cowan (St. Martin's Griffin, $19, 9781250382849). "A sapphic historical romance full of secrets, political plotting, blackmail, revenge, and double revenge that will keep you on the edge of your seat as emotional and erotic tension builds between The Duke and her 'ward,' Celine." --Kinsey Foreman, High Five Books, Florence, Mass.

Ages 4-8
The Whale's Tale and the Otter's Side of the Story by Kate Messner, illus. by Brian Biggs (Clarion Books, $19.99, 9780063372627). "A fun way to literally flip the script, this book shows two sides to the same story from beginning to end and back again." --Stephanie Staton, CoffeeTree Books, Morehead, Ky.

Ages 8-12
Griffin Speaker by Jan M. Flynn, illus. by Matt Rockefeller (Disney Hyperion, $17.99, 9781368109123). "Can a lowly Grub with a magical connection to a wild Griffin upend the expectations of society and rise to earn a spot at the elite Griffin Riders Academy? The start of a new fun fantasy series, full of action and adventure and perfect for older elementary school kids." --Aerie Brown, Blue Willow Bookshop, Houston, Tex.

Ages 14+
As I Dream of You by Jennifer Lee, illus. by LeUyen Pham (First Second, $27.99, 9781250862037). "I came for LeUyen Pham's art and stayed for the utterly heart-wrenching love story that turned my expectations upside down and caused me to read it again immediately after finishing. I dare you not to cry and gasp and wish for more. Stunning." --Leah Atlee, Bright Side Bookshop, Flagstaff, Ariz.

[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]

Meg Richardson's first novel, Paradise Pawn, tackles a poignant coming-of-age in a colorful community. Jackie and her best friend, Kayla, have grown up side by side, working with their fathers in a pawn shop in Cherry Beach, Fla. They are adept at sales, bargaining, and assessing customer psychology. The challenges of growing up, however, prove more daunting.

The girls have always been inseparable, but now, at 14, their differences begin to make themselves apparent. Kayla has two parents and two younger brothers; Jackie has only ever had her dad. Kayla is maturing more quickly, physically and otherwise, and Jackie fears being left behind; Kayla embraces or at least accepts change, whereas Jackie wishes she could freeze them both in time (preferably at age 10). The complications of being a 14-year-old girl are myriad: bodies, periods, shaving, sex, evolving friendships, new schools.

Class differences are becoming increasingly obvious, too. Jackie and Kayla handle large amounts of money for other people; they see the wealthy employ drivers and nannies, who in turn pawn jewelry and tools to get from paycheck to paycheck. Poised to start high school, the girls plan to attend the exclusive St. Bridget's, for which Jackie's dad will take out a loan against his truck. When Kayla's scholarship doesn't come through, the girls hatch a plan. Paradise Pawn, which has been their home base all their lives, will either prove their salvation or their downfall.

For all her naivete, Jackie is compassionate and wise to the ways of humans. Her first-person narration is perfectly rendered. "They aren't really Christmas shopping. They are paying for us to listen to them talk about their sister in Georgia, their wife in Cuba, or their boyfriend in Texas.... They are paying for a funny kind of hope that in thirty days, when their next payment is due, they will be rich." At the cusp of girlhood, Jackie is pulled in all directions: her body is going haywire, she loves her father but can't help snapping at him, and her devotion to her lifelong best friend will lead her to reckless ends. She knows how to service and sell diamonds, chainsaws, and cars, and how to judge when a customer is lying, but not how to force her relationships into the shapes she wishes them to take.

Richardson expertly portrays a Florida beach community in which the very rich live alongside the struggling, under stifling heat and a relentless pressure to appear cool and beautiful. Paradise Pawn captures the sweetness of female friendships and familial love, the pain of change and growth, and the absolute yearning of youth. This debut novel is funny, heartbreaking, and unforgettable. --Julia Kastner, blogger at pagesofjulia

Shelf Talker: Fourteen-year-old Jackie wrestles with puberty, class, and friendship in this quirky, moving first novel.

A few days ago, I started working for Shelf Awareness as a columnist. Well, to be more precise, it was 20 years ago this month. Time, huh? 

This particular tale's "once upon a time" began on May 17, 2006, the first day of BookExpo America in Washington, D.C., a relatively quiet one by BEA standards as attendees warmed up for the trade show floor by going to education seminars and panels. 

In January of that year, I'd left my job as a longtime frontline bookseller and buyer at the Northshire Bookstore in Manchester Center, Vt. A blog I'd been writing since 2004, Fresh Eyes: A Bookseller's Journal, had gained some traction and I was at the convention to meet with industry folks as I sorted next steps professionally. I had a plan, more or less, that included appointments scheduled practically back-to-back throughout the show. I was also going to be on a couple of panels. I had publisher dinner invitations. I was, by my modest standards, just trying to stay in the game. 

My first appointment of the week in D.C. was on that Wednesday, with Jenn Risko and John Mutter, co-founders of the daily online book trade newsletter Shelf Awareness, which was celebrating its first birthday. Jenn was on one of the panels, and when it was over I met with her and John, neither of whom I'd known beforehand. 

Our conversation was the first of what I hoped would be many nice moments at BEA 2006. I pitched the idea of perhaps writing an occasional column for SA's Deeper Understanding section. They were familiar with my blog and we pretty quickly came to terms regarding frequency (twice a month) and payment. I left our meeting feeling good, unnaturally optimistic by my standards. The show was off to an excellent start. 

That night, I took the Metro out to Crystal City in Arlington, Va., to attend a publisher's dinner hosted by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. I happened to be seated across from the guest author at our table: first novelist Alice McDermott and then John McPhee. It was an amazing experience. 

I got back to my hotel near Dupont Circle quite late. After a few hours sleep, I was back in action, meeting someone for breakfast, then rushing over to the Washington Convention Center for the first scheduled meeting of what was going to be a very busy day. What happened next later made the news, ironically, in a Shelf Awareness trade show wrap-up piece: 

Sadly we heard from Jessica Stockton, bookseller at McNally Robinson bookstore in New York City and the Written Nerd blogger, that Robert Gray, who founded Fresh Eyes Now and with whom we had spoken on Thursday, had a minor seizure on Friday. He was released from the hospital and is recuperating but could not moderate a Saturday panel on frontline booksellers' summer picks or lead another panel on 'luring the Web-addicted book buyer.' We wish him a speedy recovery!

The heady start to the show was over in an instant, replaced by a vague memory of disorientation from the crowd and lights upon entering the trade show floor in a rush to my next appointment, followed by regaining consciousness 20 minutes or so later in an ambulance. Grand opening replaced by grand mal. I stayed in D.C. for a couple more days, confined to my hotel room, and then took my scheduled flight home. 

Robert Gray

This bookseller's tale had hit a plot twist. Over the following months, there were a few stops and starts in other areas of my work life, but my connection to the Shelf kept me sane. On June 15, 2006, my first column, "Bookshop 'Siteseeing' on the Information Highway," appeared in the Shelf, opening with a provocative line: "Most independent bookstore Web sites are a waste of time and money, and about as useful as a weathered motel on an abandoned highway."

Because I'm not a fool, I quickly qualified that opener: "I don't really believe the previous statement, at least not categorically, but I think it's a good way to shake things up and get this trip started. In recent months, I've become a bookstore Web site tourist, visiting them the way other travelers might 'collect' the cathedrals of Europe. I'll be sharing some of my travel experiences with you in this space.

" 'I write in my notebook with the intention of stimulating good conversation, hoping that it will also be of use to some fellow traveler,' wrote my unofficial mentor, the 17th century Japanese poet and travel diarist Bashō. Our trip begins with a simple question: Why do independent bookstores have Web sites?"

That particular book world question was posed about 900 columns ago. The questions just keep coming. 

At the beginning of 2007, John asked if I'd be interested in writing the column weekly, and by mid-year I was working full-time for the Shelf as an editor as well. John became the sole owner of the Shelf last year when Jenn decided to move on to new adventures. Meeting them at BEA 2006 changed my life. 

As it happens, this bookseller's tale will have a happy ending eventually, but not yet. I've got more work to do today, and another column to write next week, and plot twists just keep unfolding in the book world. As my old pal Bashō wrote: "Nothing's worth noting that is not seen with fresh eyes."