The Curious George Store in Cambridge, Mass., the book and toy store exclusively focused on Curious George, has reached an agreement with developer Regency Centers to stay in Harvard Square during and after upcoming construction and renovation, the Cambridge Day reported.

The store, which is located at the corners of JFK and Brattle Streets in the Abbot building on Harvard Square, was facing closure due to a planned office and retail construction project that will encompass the Abbott building along with two neighboring buildings. However, after an outpouring of community support for the Curious George Store, Regency Centers agreed to a plan that will find a temporary new home for the store while construction takes place. Once construction is completed, the store will have a new space in the Abbot building with a favorable long-term lease, though it will not likely be able to return to its current storefront.

"Curious George is a product of Cambridge, and our home in Harvard Square is critical to both our identity and the success of the store," owner Adam Hirsch said. "We are pleased that Regency Centers was willing to work with us to find a creative solution."

There is no schedule yet for development to begin; Regency Centers' updated proposals are under final review by the Cambridge Planning Board.

Yesterday marked the fifth annual Cider Monday, "a direct and delicious assault on the Monday after Thanksgiving known as the infamous Cyber Monday. Participating local stores will offer shoppers a warm welcome and a cup of delicious cider."

Willard Williams, owner of the Toadstool Bookshops in Keene, Peterborough and Milford, N.H., came up with the original idea, which has subsequently caught on nationwide. "I was driving home one night and heard all these things on the radio about Cyber Monday and I said this is ridiculous, we have to have an answer to it," he told the Union Leader. "It's very low-key. All you have to do is put out cider and talk about what it means to shop local." 

Here's a sampling of #CiderMonday highlights posted on social media:  

R.J. Julia Booksellers, Madison, Conn.: "Happy #CiderMonday! Enjoy a free cup of hot apple cider when you stop by R.J. Julia today.... Thank you for shopping small this holiday season!"

Bridgeside Books, Waterbury, Vt.: "CIDER MONDAY! Enjoy a cup of hot mulled cider + Cold Hollow cider donuts while shopping locally!"

Interabang Books, Dallas, Tex.: "Before you head home... to shop for Cyber Monday deals, join us here in the store for *Cider* Monday! We'll serve warm cider all day and evening long in the store. Please join us!"

hello hello books, Rockland, Maine: "CIDER MONDAY! Come out and see real people and have real cider and live real life!!"

Tattered Cover Book Store, Denver, Colo.: "Happy Cider Monday! Come in from the cold of Cyber Monday and enjoy complimentary hot apple cider & cookies at all TC locations (excluding Union Station & the airport stores) while supplies last!"

Titcomb's Bookshop, East Sandwich, Mass.: "It's Cider Monday, instead of shopping online, visit us today to celebrate shopping in brick and mortar independent businesses!" 

King City Books, Mount Vernon, Ill.: "It's Cider Monday here at KCB! Stop in today to grab a cup of warm cider on us."

New England Mobile Book Fair, Newton Upper Falls, Mass.: "CIDER MONDAY BEGINS AT 10!" And: "Happy Monday! And don't forget we will have hot apple cider all day long to help soothe your stress."

Bookbug, Kalamazo, Mich.: "newsflash: it is CIDER MONDAY at your neighborhood bookstore, featuring discounted cups-a real apples & warm feels in human space. come on in."

Red Balloon Bookshop, St. Paul, Minn.:‏ "You guys, it's #CiderMonday! Come on in and visit us--we'll have hot cider and puns on tap all day! (Also, we DO have a website that you can buy books on....)"

Open Book Bookstore, Elkins Park, Pa.: "Come visit! We're open tonight from 6-8:30 (and we have cider)."

Next Chapter Bookstore, Barre, Vt.: "It's CIDER Monday! Come enjoy a cup of hot cider while you support your local bookstore today!"

White Birch Books, North Conway, N.H.: "It's Cider Monday! STEP AWAY FROM YOUR COMPUTERS and stop by for a cup of apple cider! We will have family-friendly cider in the morning to start off your shop local day and then later in the afternoon enjoy some spiked cider to finish up your day!"

Or, as an alternative, how about #CozyMonday or #CyberSchmyber:

Books & Mortar, Grand Rapids, Mich.: "They say it is #cybermonday but as far as we are concerned it is #cozymonday and we would rather spend it inside this cozy little shop rather than in front of a screen."

Scuppernong Books, Greensboro, N.C.: Cyber Schmyber! Come to the place where there is coffee, food, wine, books and, real human beings you can have a conversation with."

The inaugural Saturday Sanctuary was held over the weekend in the U.K. and Ireland. Replacing the Booksellers Association's Civilized Saturday initiative, the new campaign aimed to "celebrate bookshops as a place of calm and respite from our hectic daily lives. Customers will be able to enjoy exclusive offers on books, herbal teas, meditation, cozy reading corners--and much more." Using the hashtag #SaturdaySanctuary, participants shared their experiences and reactions on social media. Here are just a few highlights.

BAMB: "Happy #SaturdaySanctuary everyone! Escape to a bookshop today and treat yourself to a book or two. Oh, and best not to forget the Christmas presents too. One for them, one for you, one for them, one for you, etc."

Drake the Bookshop, Stockton-on-Tees: "Look look look! This lovely pamper hamper is up for grabs at our Saturday sanctuary event, come along for a day of stressfree shopping--cake and prosecco is optional--relaxing is mandatory! Thanks @BAbooksellers."

Sheelagh na Gig, Cloughjordan, County Tipperary: ‏"Rachel of Lime Tree Botanics dispensing complimentary tea and herbal advice at our free #BookSpa."

Hungerford Bookshop, Hungerford: "Our latest updates: Tonight's #SaturdaySanctuary (wine, candles, twinkly lights, and of course--books); plus don't forget to book for 'My Husband & I' & 'A Short History of Drunkenness.' "

Gutter Bookshop, Dublin: "Had enough of #BlackFriday? Pop into your local bookshop & enjoy #SaturdaySanctuary! Because books make us happy..."

The Grove Bookshop, Ilkley‏: "Can't say our shop's been a #SaturdaySanctuary today--it's been utter bedlam, which is just how we like it this close to Christmas!"

Harris&Harris Books, Clare‏: "They came... They drank... They shopped... They left. #bibliotherapy @booksaremybag #SaturdaySanctuary."

Inner Traditions/Bear & Company has acquired Findhorn Press, the body/mind/spirit publisher in Scotland with three imprints--Findhorn, Camino Guides and Earthdancer--that publishes books, cards, CDs and DVDs.

Findhorn Press was founded as a branch of the Findhorn Foundation spiritual community and co-founded by Eileen Caddy, whose God Spoke to Me was the publisher's first book. Eventually becoming independent under the direction of Thierry Bogliolo, Findhorn Press has also published works by authors such as Diana Cooper, Carl Greer, Margaret Ann Lembo, Stewart Pearce, Allan Hunter and Jim PathFinder.

Findhorn Press editorial director Sabine Weeke commented: "We are excited about the possibilities this new venture brings to our authors and the press as a whole. Inner Traditions/Bear & Company with their longstanding list and depth of editorial and marketing experience feel like the perfect match and next step in terms of development. We look forward to seeing our respective programs deepen and grow together."

Inner Traditions publisher Ehud C. Sperling said, "In the over 40 years that Inner Traditions and Findhorn Press have been publishing books in the United States and Scotland, respectively, we have been sharing common values and goals. We are delighted to bring Findhorn press and its community of authors and readers into the Inner Traditions family of visionary publishers."

Beginning January 1, all Findhorn Press titles can be ordered from Inner Traditions' distributor, Simon & Schuster. Spring 2018 Findhorn Press titles will be released by Inner Traditions, beginning in March 2018.

Joan Hess, author of the Claire Malloy Mysteries, the Arly Hanks Mysteries and the Theo Bloomer series (under the pseudonym Joan Hadley), died on November 23 at the age of 68, Mystery Fanfare reported.

Hess began her writing career in 1986 with the publication of Strangled Prose, the first Claire Malloy mystery, and over the years won numerous awards, including the American Mystery Award, the Agatha Award and the Macavity Award. She was a former president of the American Crime Writer's League and a member of Sisters in Crime, the organization supporting women mystery and crime writers.

Hess's last project was finishing The Painted Queen, the final Amelia Peabody novel from longtime friend and fellow mystery writer Barbara Mertz, who wrote as Elizabeth Peters. The Painted Queen was unfinished at the time of Mertz's death in 2013; Hess relied on Mertz's notes and her own conversations with Mertz about the story to complete the book. It was published in July of this year.

Curious Iguana, Frederick, Md., shared photos of its sidewalk sandwich boards and tweeted: "Thank you for a wonderful Frosty Friday, Indies First, and Small Business Saturday! Now it's time to read!"

In featuring its picks for the "15 best independent bookstores in the U.S.," PopSugar wrote: "When it's time to hit the road for a vacation, there are two things that bookworms know to be true. First of all, you can never pack too many books in your suitcase and carry-on (although those overweight luggage fees are definitely not on our side). The other is that, no matter where we go, it would be straight-up sacrilege to not visit any and all renowned independent bookstores in the vicinity.

"With no disrespect to chain bookstores, there's nothing quite as magical as an independent bookstore. Each has its own unique atmosphere, decor, selection, and claim to fame, but they all have one thing in common--when a bookworm steps inside, we immediately know that we could spend an entire day there."

The Tiger's Daughter (Their Bright Ascendency Book 1) by K. Arsenault Rivera (Tor Books).

Today:
Fresh Air: Jesmyn Ward, whose Sing, Unburied, Sing (Scribner, $26, 9781501126062) just won the National Book Award for Fiction.

Also on Fresh Air: Henry Jay Przybylo, M.D., author of Counting Backwards: A Doctor's Notes on Anesthesia (Norton, $25.95, 9780393254433).

Tomorrow:
MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell Reports: David Miliband, author of Rescue: Refugees and the Political Crisis of Our Time (Simon & Schuster/TED, $16.99, 9781501154393).

The Talk: Suzanne Somers, author of Two's Company: A Fifty-Year Romance with Lessons Learned in Love, Life & Business (Harmony, $26, 9780451498267).

Entertainment One (eOne) is partnering with the Gotham Group to adapt Ruth Ware's novel The Lying Game into a television series. Deadline reported that the "psychological mystery is the latest Ware-penned project to be adapted after New Line picked up Ware's In a Dark, Dark Wood with Reese Witherspoon attached and CBS Films set up The Woman in Cabin 10."

"The Lying Game is an edge-of-your-seat thriller that continues Ruth's cinematic storytelling with a swift pace and tension-raising style that makes it impossible to put down," said Pancho Mansfield, eOne's president, global scripted programming, television.

Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, founder and CEO of the Gotham Group, called Ware "a master storyteller. Everything she writes feels so cinematic and the characters are so rich."

Finalists have been announced for the 2018 Blue Peter Book Awards, which "celebrate the best authors, most creative illustrators and the greatest reads for children." The winners are being chosen by more than 500 children from 12 schools across the U.K. who will have the opportunity to read the final six and vote for their favorite. The two winning titles will be announced on World Book Day, March 1. This year's shortlisted titles are:

Best book with facts
Corpse Talk: Ground- Breaking Scientists by Adam Murphy and Lisa Murphy
Real-Life Mysteries by Susan Martineau, illustrated by Vicky Barker
Beyond the Sky: You and the Universe by Dara Ó Briain, illustrated by Dan Bramall.

Best story
The Island at the End of Everything by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Wed Wabbit by Lissa Evans
The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell

Twelve-year-old David "Green" Greenfeld is one of only two white kids in his South Boston school. Narrator of Sam Graham-Felsen's first novel, Green, he speaks a hip-hop patois with self-conscious concern that he not sound as uncool as his skin color suggests he is: "Awesome is a Caucasian catastrophe.... High fives are some hiked-up shorts Hoosiers s**t, the physical equivalent of awesome." His parents are Harvard-grad former hippies who won't send him to a private school because they "believe" in public schools. As Green describes his father, "Normal dads teach you how to hit--or shoot, or dribble. Mine taught me how to hike, load a bird feeder, and sprinkle seeds in cow crap." Fitting in and finding friends at Martin Luther King Middle School is a lesson in "the phattest gear... a Chicago Bulls tracksuit, matching red Jordans, and a thick gold chain with a roaring-lion piece." Green is a coming-of-age story set in the '90s where Geto Boys echo in the streets and the Celtics rule. What Paul Beatty did in White Boy Shuffle for a black kid growing up in Santa Monica, Graham-Felsen does for Green trying to fit in among his black peers. Even the other white kid in his class is half-Armenian and often mistaken for Puerto Rican.

In time, Green makes friends with Marlon, a shy kid from the projects who is a curious reader and has a premier collection of video highlights from Celtics games. With a rarely discussed family life at home, Marlon prefers to hang at Green's place, where his parents dote and encourage both boys to study hard for the admission test for Boston Latin School, the prestigious public school from which acceptance into Harvard is almost assured. But this is a novel about adolescent boys growing into manhood. Hitting the books is way down their priority list, below standing up to violent bullies and figuring out how sex works. As Green laments, "You turn my age and you can never be soft again."

Journalist, Columbia MFA graduate and former chief blogger for the 2008 Obama campaign, Graham-Felsen is after more than a Tom Sawyer take on adolescence. Green tackles the nuances of how class and race throw up inflexible barriers preventing a healthy integration of a diverse population. It is one thing to "believe" in an egalitarian society, but quite another to achieve it when the obstacles appear at an early age. In the microcosm of that world that is King Middle School, the options for white "hood" wannabe Green are much better than those for black Marlon ("Latin, upstate, or underground"). Funny and on the money, Green is a perceptive reflection of how far we still have to go. --Bruce Jacobs, founding partner, Watermark Books & Cafe, Wichita, Kan.

Shelf Talker: Graham-Felsen's first novel is a wry and moving take on growing up with a white face in an all-brown Boston public middle school.

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

1. The Anthology Part 1: Limited Edition by Garth Brooks
2. The Elf on the Shelf by Carol V. Aebersold and Chanda B. Bell
3. Defiant Queen by Meghan March
4. Issued to the Bride: One Marine (Brides of Chance Creek Book 4) by Cora Seton
5. Justice for Erin (Badge of Honor: Texas Heroes Book 9) by Susan Stoker
6. Rock Solid by Carly Phillips and Erika Wilde
7. Buttons and Blame (Buttons Book Five) by Penelope Sky
8. Obsession Mine (Tormentor Mine Book 2) by Anna Zaires and Dima Zales
9. At Your Service (Masters and Mercenariess Book 4) by Lexi Blake
10. You Can't Iron a Wrinkled Birthday Suit by Sharon Phennah

[Many thanks to IndieReader.com!]