"I don't think I'd have a career if not for indie bookstores--they gave me so much support in those early days, especially through employee recommendations and the chance to come to the store and read. I think the curation aspect is so vital--to have someone who loves books and knows them and is alert to related titles a given customer might like. It's concierge guidance, really, and in the most important aspect of a person's life, i.e., how they go about growing."

Queer Haven Books in Columbia, S.C., is moving to a new, larger location, the Post and Courier reported. Currently located at 1332 Main St. Suite 120, Queer Haven will be relocating two blocks away, to 1219 Taylor St. 

The new space is roughly three times larger than the previous one, allowing store owner Baker Rogers and their team to expand the bookstore's inventory, host more events, and add a full espresso menu along with additional beer, wine, and THC drink options. 

It is next door to a public parking garage, and has a large glass facade for better accessibility and visibility. There will also be more room for customers and community members to sit and relax.

"The space has definitely become too small for us over the last two years," Rogers told the Post and Courier. "While the cost will obviously be a lot more, the landlord really worked with us to make this possible, but we will need the entire community's support to afford the new space and continue to grow." 

In addition to hosting new events like crafting nights and a mutual aid book club, Queer Haven plans to host larger author events, open mics, live music nights, and more. Community members will also have the opportunity to host their own events and make use of the space when the store is not open.

Rogers noted that the team has not "decided exactly how the layout will look, but it will be a comfy and cozy space for the queer community and allies to enjoy time together and continue to build solidarity in these difficult times." 

Queer Haven Books began as a pop-store, with Rogers opening the bricks-and-mortar space in 2024. An academic with a background in sociology and social work, Rogers's area of expertise was queer life in the Southeastern U.S. After seeing Columbia's queer scene shrink over the years, Rogers decided to open a bookstore to create a place for the city's queer community and allies.

The store's lease ends in its current location at the end of the month. Rogers hopes to have the store open in its new home by the middle of March and will look for community volunteers to help with the move.

A Love Affair Book Boutique, a romance-focused bookstore, has opened in Red Wing, Minn., the Post Bulletin reported. Located at 222 Bush St., Suite 109, A Love Affair Book Boutique debuted in January and focuses on the contemporary romance, dark romance, and romantasy sub-genres. The store features space where customers can sit down and relax and where owner Chelsie Yotter can host events and book clubs. The store's first big event will be a ticketed Galentine's Day event on February 13 that will include book bedazzling, tarot readings, treats, and more.

Yotter, who is a romance author as well as a special education teacher, first started selling books at pop-up events throughout southeast Minnesota. Eventually, Yotter decided to open a bricks-and-mortar store and begin building community in Red Wing.

"I don't want this big dream to just sit out there," Yotter told the Post Bulletin. "And the worst thing that happens is it fails, but I would hate that I didn't try [and] in 50 years I look back and say, 'God, I wish I would have done that.' "

Yotter is keeping her job as an educator, and for now the store's hours are centered on weeknights and weekends. So far, the store has met with an enthusiastic response.

"Since being open for a couple of weeks, the connections that I've made with people have been so great," said Yotter. "Everyone that comes in is just so excited to be there and they're so happy... to get to express themselves through this medium of reading and reading about love."

A bookstore and bar called the Book Lounge will open in Meridian, Idaho, this spring, the Idaho Statesmen reported.

A recent Book Lounge pop-up.

The Book Lounge will reside in a 1,600-square-foot space at 33 East Idaho Ave., Suite 120, in Meridian's downtown. The bookstore will focus entirely on fiction, with a plethora of genres represented, and the event plans include book clubs, author signings, trivia nights, puzzle nights, and craft nights. 

The bar side of the business will offer beer, wine, mocktails, and coffee, along with an assortment of small bites sourced from local businesses. In addition, the Book Lounge will stock nonbook items like socks and bookmarks, also locally sourced.

Kaeleigh McCreery, who co-owns the Book Lounge along with Kelsey Stech, Amelia Gale, and Emily McClung, told the Idaho Statesman that she and the other co-owners would have "talks of like, gosh, we wish there was a place like this that was in Meridian, that's a little more central." After talking about it for long enough, "we realized…well, why don't we just do this ourselves?"

Though they always intended to open a bricks-and-mortar store, they decided to debut as a pop-up business about five months ago to get the word out and start building a customer base. During that time the Book Lounge set up shop at local wineries and farmers markets, and they frequently heard from customers that "Meridian needs a place like this," Gale told the Idaho Statesman. 

In an update 10 days ago, the Book Lounge said that a contractor has been found and the build out will start soon.

Ingram Content Group will expand its Roseburg, Ore. distribution center through the addition of a state-of-the-art, co-located printing facility. "This investment increases the number of titles the company has available from Roseburg by millions and reduces delivery times for customers west of the Rockies," the company said.

"As demand for our print, wholesale, and distribution services grows, extending our unique solution to our Roseburg facility allows us to serve our publishers and channel partners with greater efficiency, immediacy, and flexibility," said CEO Shawn Morin. "Through expanding our print on demand programs like print to order (PTO) and guaranteed availability (GAP), in Roseburg, we're strengthening our ability to more quickly connect western U.S. readers with the books they want."

Construction on the Roseburg expansion is set to begin immediately, with first book printings anticipated by the end of the third quarter. Once complete, the enhanced facility "will significantly increase the availability of millions of titles in this market, enabling faster delivery for retail and library customers," Ingram noted. "For publishers, the expansion provides a sustainable, integrated inventory solution that improves availability, reduces waste, and accelerates speed to market."

Gee Gee Rosell, the longtime owner of Buxton Village Books in Buxton, N.C., died January 29, "leaving behind a legacy that extends far beyond the walls of her historic bookstore," Island Free Press reported. "To many, she was a business owner, a cultural steward, and a fiercely independent spirit. To others, she was a friend, a confidant, a conversation partner, or simply a familiar smile that made Buxton feel like home."

Gee Gee Rosell

Rosell had owned and operated Buxton Village Books since 1984. Located in a former kitchen house that was originally built in the 1860s and moved from Hatteras village to Buxton in the 1960s, the building's history was preserved by her "through years of thoughtful remodeling and near-constant renovation," Island Free Press noted. "She approached the building the same way she approached books and community: with patience, respect, and an understanding that history is something to be lived in, not erased."

The bookstore "became a space where locals and visitors alike could linger, browse, talk, and feel welcome. Shelves lined with local history, Outer Banks lore, coastal fiction, poetry, and well-loved classics reflected Gee Gee's belief that stories matter, especially those rooted in place," Island Press wrote, adding that Rosell "was inseparable from the shop. She greeted customers with genuine enthusiasm, remembered names and conversations, and had an uncanny ability to recommend the right book at the right moment....

"Gee Gee's impact cannot be measured in sales or square footage. It lives on in the memories of children discovering books for the first time, in the connections sparked between strangers who became friends, and in the countless moments of warmth she offered without fanfare."

Books to be Red, Okracoke, N.C., posted on Facebook: "It is a terribly sad day in the bookselling world of the Outer Banks and the world of indie bookstores. We got word this afternoon that Gee Gee Rosell, owner of Buxton Village Books, had passed away. She was a friend, a helper, and a listener for me. We laughed about crazy questions, commiserated the state of Highway 12 with its trials and tribulations, and gave each other a sounding board for all things independent bookstore. She was the queen mother of our Outer Banks booksellers."

Duck's Cottage Coffee & Books, Duck, N.C., noted: "I truly cannot imagine the Outer Banks without Gee Gee Rosell... she was a mentor to me and so many other booksellers... a friend to all who knew her... a godsend to every author--and hopeful author who crossed her threshold... she was #obxbooks... our center... and oh that smile and infectious attitude... wish that I could spend another moment in her presence... you will be missed dearly... namaste." 

Her family posted on the Buxton Village Books Facebook page: "She brought people together with books.... We, Gee Gee's family, are utilizing her media as best we can to let all of you--her beloved friends and customers--know how much we appreciate the wonderful notes and comments about our very special sister. Thank you all. It is comforting and uplifting to know she meant so much to so many, her Buxton Village Books family. We hope to have a memorial in the spring and will post that information here."

At Magers & Quinn Booksellers in Minneapolis, Minn., on Monday, February 2, local authors (from left) Tracy Youngblom (Because We Must; University of Massachusetts Press), Renee Gilmore (Wayfinding: A Memoir; Trio House Press), Kelly Foster Lundquist (Beard: A Memoir of a Marriage; Eerdmans), and moderator Michael Kleber-Diggs (My Weight in Water, Spiegel & Grau, Dec. 2026) discussed the power of memoir and the various themes and topics this form can explore.

During the q&a, a woman in the audience told the panelists that she had been watching people walk by the bookstore as they were all gathered. She said that, to a person, they paused and smiled. She added that the event felt like a blessing, given all that was happening in the Cities right now.

A signing followed, and all four authors made donations correlating with book sales to local social justice programs in honor of their community.

Penguin Random House Publisher Services will handle sales and distribution worldwide for Oni Press, effective August 1. The agreement includes Oni Press's frontlist and backlist trade books, as well as single issue comics, for Oni Press and the company's Magnetic Press imprint.

Founded in 1997, Oni Press is a major publisher of comic books and graphic novels, with more than 75 releases per year. 

Rachel Goldstein, executive v-p of PRHPS, said, "Oni Press has long been a standard-bearer for creative excellence and innovation in comics and graphic novels. Their catalog combines cultural impact, commercial success, and a strong commitment to creators."

Independent Publishers Group has added four new publisher clients to its sales and distribution programs:

Back Nine Press, which is devoted to publishing books about golf: great stories that define golf today, personal reflections on the meaning of the game, and compelling writing about the people who are forging the future of golf. Back Nine Press aims to reflect the values, experiences, and true diversity of golf while giving great writers in the golf world the opportunity to see their work in print. (Effective in February.)

Bannermen Books, which publishes fantasy, sci-fi, and historical fiction with a literary flair. They use the conventions of their principal genres to say something personal with the goal of publishing fiction that draws the reader in with the promise of adventure, then changes the way they look at the world. Readers will find tales of pirates, gladiators, wizards, and starship captains along with lyrical prose, poignant storylines, and themes that resonate. (Effective in June.)

Tenebrous Press, an independent publisher of horror, literary, science fiction and fantasy, and beyond. They aim to drag the malleable horror genre into new territory with stories that are provocative, intelligent, and terrifying, delivered by voices diverse & unsung. A self-proclaimed publisher of "weird" books, Tenebrous Press takes a mindful approach to caring for authors and has carved out a high-quality identity among the speculative fiction market. (Effective in June.)

Latitude 46 Publishing, a Canadian publisher that champions literary works and powerful stories. They seek to publish exceptional works from authors across Canada whose stories align with their values of resilience, identity, and community. During their first 10 years, they have discovered, supported, and brought books that have a touch (or more) of Northern Ontario. The namesake of Latitude 46 Publishing is attributed to their location in Sudbury, Ont., along the 46th parallel. (Effective in April.)

Avery Cook has been promoted to marketing manager at Nosy Crow.

Antihero: An Orphan X Novel by Gregg Hurwitz (Minotaur).

Today:
Fresh Air: Robert Kagan, author of Rebellion: Donald Trump and the Antiliberal Tradition in America (Vintage, $18, 9780593469552).

Tomorrow:
Good Morning America: Dr. Tara Narula, author of The Healing Power of Resilience: A New Prescription for Health and Well-Being (S&S/Simon Element, $30, 9781982198848).

Apple TV has released the teaser for Imperfect Women, a new psychological thriller based on Araminta Hall's novel. Created for TV by Annie Weisman (Physical, Based on a True Story), who also serves as showrunner, the eight-episode series stars Elisabeth Moss and Kerry Washington. It will make its global debut on Apple TV with two episodes on March 18, followed by new episodes every Wednesday through April 29.

The series "examines a crime that shatters the lives of a decades-long friendship of three women. The unconventional thriller explores guilt and retribution, love and betrayal, and the compromises we make that alter our lives irrevocably. As the investigation unfolds, so does the truth about how even the closest friendships may not be what they seem," Apple TV noted.

The ensemble cast includes Kate Mara, Joel Kinnaman, Corey Stoll, Leslie Odom Jr., Audrey Zahn, Jill Wagner, Rome Flynn, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Violette Linnz, Indiana Elle, Jackson Kelly, Keith Carradine, Ana Ortiz, and Wilson Bethel.

Imperfect Women is a co-production between 20th Television and Apple Studios. It is executive produced by Moss and Lindsey McManus via their production company Love & Squalor Pictures. Washington exec produces for her Simpson Street banner alongside Pilar Savone. Hall serves as executive producer along with writer Kay Oyegun. Lesli Linka Glatter (Homeland, Love & Death) will direct episodes one, four and five.

Finalists in 14 categories have been unveiled for the Aurealis Awards, which recognize the achievements of Australian science fiction, fantasy, and horror writers. The winners will be celebrated on February 21 at a ceremony in Brisbane, taking place on Saturday, 2026 at the Thomas Dixon Centre. See the Aurealis Awards shortlisted titles here.  

Lindsay Currie writes mysteries for young readers, including the Delta Games series and It's Watching. Currie grew up on Nancy Drew, loves a good twisty tale, and enjoys researching forgotten history. She recently relocated from Chicago to a 220-acre farm in downstate Illinois where she finally gets to see stars every night and take hikes every day. X Marks the Haunt (Delacorte Press, January 6, 2026) follows a 12-year-old who must end a haunting.

Handsell readers your book in 25 words or less:

When a lost crypt key awakens a dark force at Graceland Cemetery, 12-year-old Will, armed with his graveyard know-how, must end the haunting... before it's too late!

On your nightstand now:

Count My Lies by Sophie Stava. I'm a sucker for a good twisty thriller so I'm excited for this one!

Favorite book when you were a child:

I feel like I traumatize people when I answer this question, but here goes! My favorite book when I was in fourth/fifth grade was Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. I know, I know. So sad. But also, magical. I was an avid reader, and it wasn't unusual for me to become obsessed with stories and read them repeatedly, but Where the Red Fern Grows was different. I felt that story. Billy Colman's life was so foreign to me, so different from my own, and yet the author created a window that allowed me to understand and respect it. I often wish I could tell Wilson Rawls how much he impacted my childhood with his story of a boy with a big dream living in the Ozarks.

Favorite book to read to a child:

Oh, I love this question! My children are all older now, but when they were young, we read aloud all the time. We also had certain books that we read frequently regardless of everyone's ages because they ushered in a season or simply made us happy. One that pops into my head is Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson. That book released around the time my oldest son was born, I believe, and we are a big Halloween family, we read that story so many times I could recite it in my sleep. I might still be able to!

Your top five authors:

This might be the hardest question I've ever been asked. No joke! I'd like to start with my critique partners, who are also supremely talented authors: Dusti Bowling and Jenni Walsh. Dusti writes the most beautiful and relatable middle-grade stories. One thing I really adore about her books is that she does not shy away from complicated or difficult topics; she shows so much respect for her young readers, and I love that. Jenni Walsh is an author of middle-grade and adult historical fiction, as well as middle-grade contemporary fiction. Her specialty, in my opinion, is strong women throughout history, especially ones that aren't particularly well-known. Being that I love to weave obscure history into my spooky middle-grade stories, this feature of her writing really resonates with me! And my final three authors would have to be R.L. Stine, for creating an entire career out of scaring children (and being so kind as to blurb one of my early books before I even had a readership!), Katherine Arden, for writing some of the most beautiful prose I've ever seen in my life, and fellow Sourcebooks author Jen Calonita, for seeing the magic in everyday life and breathing that into her stories.

Book you've faked reading:

This one is going to shock a lot of people, I'm afraid. I've never confessed this, but my answer is The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. I tried to read this book with my kiddos when it was assigned reading in middle school. I frequently get reviews with nods to it on my own mysteries, especially the Delta Games series. That said, I personally struggled with the myriad details in this book. I know many, many readers love it, and that's wonderful! Maybe it's their Where the Red Fern Grows! That's the beauty of reading, isn't it? As LeVar Burton once said, "Every book is not for everybody, but there is somebody for every book."

Book you're an evangelist for:

Sandwich by Catherine Newman features themes that speak to me and many other women my age. It explores what it's like to be a parent to older children while also caring for aging parents and navigating our own changing minds and bodies. I have three children myself--ages 23, 22, and 19--who are in medical school and college, respectively, but I also have a father in his mid-80s who has severe Parkinson's. It's a stressful time in life that no one prepares you for, and few people talk about. Sandwich made me feel seen.

Book you've bought for the cover:

The Macabre by Kosoko Jackson! Holy cow that cover is eye-catching! I haven't started it yet, but I can't wait.

Best book an adult handed to you when you were a child:

Probably Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. I took an independent reading class in high school that allowed me to read a variety of different genres and my teacher recommended that one based on what she'd gleaned about my taste up to that point. She was so right. I still think about this book and re-read it every few years!

Book that changed your life:

There have been a few of these but I'm going to cite a book I read when I was quite young: The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright. This was the first "spooky" book I read as a kid and I'm certain it flipped a switch in me. The jolt of adrenaline I got from the suspenseful scenes was delicious. I credit that book with kicking off a lifelong love of horror in me!

Favorite line from a book:

"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again." --Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Five books you'll never part with:

Just five? There are so many books that are meaningful to me for various reasons. Perhaps they remind me of when my kids were young, or a special moment in time, or even just a reading experience I hadn't had before.

Any Elephant and Piggie book by Mo Willams. You'll have to pry them out of my hands.

Rebecca. Are we shocked?

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume. Such good memories.

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. This gothic novella still lingers with me some 25 years after I first read it.

The Hidden Staircase by Carolyn Keene.

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

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.

National Book Award-winning author Martin Sandler (1919: The Year That Changed America) collaborates with his son, journalist Craig Sandler, to chronicle the impact of America's pastime on the United States during the lead-up to World War II in the wholly captivating Baseball's Shining Season. The Sandlers craft a main narrative focused on the pivotal 1941 baseball season that includes stellar athletes, amazing feats, monumental events, and the stain of segregation, then expand their fascinating facts and details to build readers' knowledge of both the sport and the time.

The authors set the stage--or field--for a generation of readers whose grandparents were likely not alive at story's start. Major League baseball was a different sport in 1941: the players' salaries were significantly lower; "not a single club was located farther west than St. Louis"; there were just 16 teams; and "every game was played in the afternoon" (the parks had no lights). The Sandlers introduce the audience to a lineup of superstars, among them the New York Yankees' Joe DiMaggio, with his record-breaking hitting streak, and the Red Sox's Ted Williams, with his astounding .400 batting average season. Their accomplishments on the field helped offset fans' dread of impending war: "The bad news would continue to come, but DiMaggio's play would continue to offer a bright spot all the same." And when DiMaggio's run ended, "the pages of the newspapers... had a daily feature detailing what Williams had done the previous day."

Since Major League Baseball was segregated in a "fiercely racist" 1941, the Sandlers also dedicate much of the book to the incredible talent found in the Negro Leagues (what the Black press "frequently called 'sepia ball' "), as well as the league's history-making East-West All-Star Game. The authors also focus on the Japanese and All-American Girls Professional Baseball Leagues. "After the fighting was over, as the world was entering its next chapter, baseball would play a unique and crucial role in rebuilding the relationship" between the United States and Japan.

Baseball's Shining Season is a thorough survey of baseball in 1941, and the Sandlers scrupulously describe the political and historical context of the exceptional season, illustrating its influence on people in the United States and around the world. The book's format includes photographs and newspaper reproductions depicting emotional moments and developing a distinctive atmosphere. Martin W. Sandler and Craig Sandler hit it out of the park with this stunning piece of upper middle-grade nonfiction; it's an all-around winner. --Jen Forbus, freelancer

Shelf Talker: This riveting work of middle-grade nonfiction meticulously documents the remarkable 1941 baseball season and its effects on the United States as it prepared to enter World War II.