Also published on this date: Thursday, February 22, 2018: Kids' Maximum Shelf: I Got It!

Shelf Awareness for Thursday, February 22, 2018


Margaret Quinlin Books: Who Owns the Moon?: And Other Conundrums of Exploring and Using Space by Cynthia Levinson and Jennifer Swanson

Frances Lincoln Ltd: Dear Black Boy by Martellus Bennett

Soho Crime: Broken Fields by Marcie R. Rendon

Holiday House: When I Hear Spirituals by Cheryl Willis Hudson, illustrated by London Ladd

Mira Books: Their Monstrous Hearts by Yigit Turhan

Quotation of the Day

Australian at Wi13: 'Healthy, Happy & Supportive Community'

"Primarily, the Winter Institute provided a wonderful insight into independent bookselling in the USA and was a great reminder that it remains a healthy, happy and supportive community. After many concerning years, it seems that booksellers have seen off the threat of Borders (and relegated Barnes & Noble to a necessary, rather than intimidating, entity). They have endured the rise and fall of e-books and have weathered the continuous onslaught of Amazon.

"With growth in sales, new and enthusiastic bookshop owners entering the sector and the progressive and inclusive community of the ABA, Winter Institute 13 (co-incidentally held just as the record setting cold snap in the USA thawed), showcased an industry heading confidently into a promising spring."

--Tom Hoskins, manager of Readings at the State Library Victoria in Melbourne, from his "State of Bookselling in America" report (excerpted Wednesday in Books+Publishing)

NYU Advanced Publishing Institute: Early bird pricing through Oct. 13


News

Ownership Change for Burlingham Books in Perry, N.Y.

Ann Burlingham, owner of Burlingham Books, Perry, N.Y., is stepping away from the business after 12 years and will turn the reins over to manager Giuseppe Gentile, who has worked at the store for a decade. Plans call for the bookstore to reopen with a new name in June.

Burlingham announced the decision on the store's Facebook page, citing health issues and the desire to spend more time with her family: "I reflected on my life. I love my bookstore and my town, but the hope that my family would be able to live there together hasn't panned out in over a decade: I realized that, beyond weekend visits, my partner and child and I had only been together for vacations or when one of us was nursing another back to health. It's time I live with my family, as my son finishes high school. As I realized this and began to discuss it with others, everyone agreed we wanted to see the store continue, whether I was the one doing it or not."

She noted that Gentile's "talents, abilities, and knowledge will lead the store in new directions, and I can't wait to see where.... Over a decade ago, I made the choice to open a bookstore in Perry. From then on and into the future, the choice of having a bookstore in Perry has been yours. I hope you, this community, will continue to choose to be a town with a soul--a town with a bookstore."

Gentile told the Daily News that he plans to carry on many traditions, but when the name changes and the new store opens, likely in June, people can expect to see some changes: "I want to expand the cafe, we're going to have a larger seating area for cafe patrons, faster wi-fi. We're going to keep a lot of the same lines--all of the books are going to stay--but I also want to carry Legos, board games, stuff like that."

Noting that her decision is "such a weight lifted off of me," Burlingham said, "I'm so relieved and joyful and grateful to know that I leave the store in Giuseppe's hands. The store has always been shaped by whoever works here--they helped me decide what would be in here, so it's a real joy and I really, I might have an easier time telling people to shop here when somebody else owns it."


GLOW: Graydon House: The Queen of Fives by Alex Hay


WNBA Reveals Pannell Award Nominees

Nominees have been unveiled for the 2018 Pannell Award, which is co-sponsored by the Women's National Book Association and Penguin Young Readers Group to recognize bookstores that "enhance their communities by bringing exceptional creativity to foster a love of reading and books in children and young adults." One Pannell Award is given to a general bookstore and one to a children's specialty bookstore. This year's Pannell nominees are:

General Bookstore
BookBar, Denver; Colo.
Gibson's Bookstore, Concord, N.H.
Horizon Books, Traverse City, Mich.
Left Bank Books, St. Louis, Mo.
Malaprop's Books/Café, Asheville, N.C.
Napa Bookmine, Napa, Calif.
Newtonville Books, Newton, Mass.
Northshire Bookstores, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Oblong Books & Music, Rhinebeck, N.Y.
pages: a book store, Manhattan Beach, Calif.
The Conundrum, St. Francisville, La.
Village Books, Bellingham, Wash.
Vroman's Bookstore, Pasadena, Calif.

Children's Specialty Bookstore
Bank Street Bookstore, New York, N.Y.
bbgb, Richmond, Va.
Blue Bunny Books and Toys, Dedham, Mass.
Books of Wonder, New York, N.Y.
Hooray for Books, Alexandria, Va.
Little Shop of Stories, Decatur, Ga.
Monkey & Dog, Fort Worth, Tex.
Monkey See, Monkey Do, Clarence, N.Y.
Red Balloon Bookshop, St. Paul, Minn.
Second Star to the Right, Denver, Colo.
Square Books Jr., Oxford, Miss.
Stories Bookshop + Storytelling Lab, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Storybook Village of Pentwater, Pentwater, Mich.
The French Library, New Orleans, La.

The Pannell Awards will be presented June 1 during the BookExpo Children's Books and Author Breakfast. Each of the two winners receives a $1,000 check and a signed, original piece of artwork by a children's illustrator.


BINC: Your donation can help rebuild lives and businesses in Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee and beyond. Donate Today!


Footnote Cafe Opens in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Footnote, a new coffee shop, bar and event space adjacent to an independent bookstore, opened last week in downtown Winston-Salem, N.C, the Winston-Salem Journal reported. Located between its parent company Foothills Brewing and the nonprofit literary organization Bookmarks, which operates an independent bookstore in the same space, Footnote will serve tea, coffee, beer, wine and liquor, along with food made at Foothills Brewing. The space is 4,500 square feet and can accommodate up to 250 people.

The Bookmarks bookstore is separated from Footnote by a sliding glass door. Bookmarks executive director Ginger Hendricks told the Winston-Salem Journal that the bookstore will use the space for book signings and other events, including Bookmarks' own book festival. The nonprofit has been running literary events for the past 13 years.

"Foothills Brewing has a history of supporting local nonprofits," said Hendricks. "Bookmarks is proud to continue working with them. We love the coffee smell that Footnote brings to our home each morning."


YS Chi Appointed to Ingram Industries Board

YS Chi

Youngsuk "YS" Chi has joined the board of directors of Ingram Industries, whose businesses include Ingram Content Group. Chi is non-executive chairman of Elsevier and in charge of corporate affairs of Elsevier's parent company, RELX Group. Before that, he was chairman, Random House, Asia, and earlier worked at Ingram, where he was a director of Ingram Micro and v-p and general manager, Asia Pacific. At Ingram Book Group, he was chief operating officer, and co-founder and chairman of Lightning Source. Chi has also been chairman of the Association of American Publishers and president of the International Publishers Association.

John Ingram, chairman of the Ingram Industries board, said, "I'm proud to say that I've known YS for a number of years; in fact, we were classmates in college. YS is a brilliant mind with an exceptional understanding of the publishing industry--and a history with Ingram having been a leader at both Ingram Micro and Ingram Book. We welcome his savvy and innovative support."

Chi commented: "There have been so many changes in technology in the publishing industry, and Ingram has been part of leading this change. Also, they have been expanding globally and advancing in new, expansive directions. It's a compelling time to be in this industry, and I'm looking forward to being on the Ingram team."


Obituary Note: Jean-Manuel Bourgois

French publisher Jean-Manuel Bourgois, who became the youngest president of the French Publishers Association when he was 40, died February 19, the Bookseller reported. He was 78. Geoff Staines, his oldest and best friend, said Bourgois "was gifted with a fiercely analytical mind abetted by a prodigious memory, and was also a master storyteller with a wicked sense of humour. He was devoted to his family, loved nothing better than to cook for a large gathering, and was a talented photographer. He will be deeply missed by friends and colleagues alike."

Bourgois entered the world of French publishing in his mid-30s "when he was headhunted from Ediscience, the scientific publishing company he founded aged 29 and later sold to McGraw-Hill, to become the CEO of Bordas/Dunod, a major educational publisher," the Bookseller noted. He went on to head up the Groupe de la Cité publishing group, and later a series of mid-sized indies.

In addition to supporting Bibliothèques sans Frontières, Bourgois was involved in promoting the efforts of the Khan Academy, and taught part of the Publishing Masters curriculum in Paris. He also chaired the European Publishers Association, as well as a working committee on new technology at the International Publishers Association.


Notes

Binc Higher Education Scholarship Deadline Nears

With the March 5 deadline approaching for the Book Industry Charitable Foundation's Higher Education scholarship applications, Binc shared its "Top 5 Reasons to Apply for a Binc Scholarship Today," including

  1. No one wants student loan debt: Awards of $10,000, $5,000, and $3,500 are up for grabs
  2. The application isn't hard: We have streamlined the process
  3. Good for more than just tuition: Use the award for supplies, lab fees, or room and board
  4. The odds are great: 1 in 5 applicants were winners in 2017
  5. The deadline is March 5, 2018: No time to waste

Happy 85th Anniversary, the Book Den!

Congratulations to the Book Den in Santa Barbara, Calif., which opened in its current location on Santa Barbara's Anapamu Street 85 years ago. It remains one of the longest-lasting retail business in downtown Santa Barbara.

The Book Den first opened its doors in Oakland, Calif., in 1902, and remained there for three decades, until Max Clemens Richter moved the store to Santa Barbara on February 20, 1933. In 1990, the store moved next door, eventually moving back to its original Santa Barbara location in 2005.

Owner Eric Kelley has owned and operated the Book Den since 1979. Over the last 39 years he has gradually replaced the store's fixtures and furnishings, with the last piece of furniture dating back to the Oakland store now in storage. Kelley began digitizing and cataloging the inventory in the late '80s, and started selling books online in 1999. And in order to compete with Barnes & Noble, Borders and other large chain stores, Kelley began acquiring used books in good condition, which could be sold for less than discounted new books.

When asked how the Book Den has survived for so long, Kelley pointed to the original vision of Max Clemens Richter, the store's knowledgeable staff of booksellers, and especially its loyal customer base. Said Kelley: "Readers still love the experience of browsing through a real bookstore, and the Book Den will remain open to meet the demand."


Personnel Changes at Laurence King Publishing, Galison/Mudpuppy

Kristina Sumfleth has joined Laurence King Publishing and Galison/Mudpuppy as a publicity assistant.



Media and Movies

Media Heat: Van Jones on Wendy Williams

Tomorrow:
Wendy Williams: Van Jones, author of Beyond the Messy Truth: How We Came Apart, How We Come Together (Ballantine, $27, 9780399180026).


This Weekend on Book TV: Tara Westover on Educated

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

Saturday, February 24
5 p.m. Chris Finan, author of Drunks: An American History (Beacon Press, $29.95, 9780807001790), at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena, Calif.

6:45 p.m. A panel discussion on the 100-year history of the University of Illinois Press. (Re-airs Monday at 1 a.m.)

7:45 p.m. Jeanne Theoharis, author of A More Beautiful and Terrible History: The Uses and Misuses of Civil Rights History (Beacon Press, $27.95, 9780807075876). (Re-airs Monday at 4 a.m.)

10 p.m. Tara Westover, author of Educated: A Memoir (Random House, $28, 9780399590504). (Re-airs Sunday at 9 p.m. and Monday at 12 a.m. and 3 a.m.)

Sunday, February 25
12:10 a.m. Paul Brandus, author of This Day in Presidential History (Bernan Press, $40, 9781598889437). (Re-airs Sunday at 1:45 p.m.)

8:10 p.m. Morgan Jerkins, author of This Will Be My Undoing: Living at the Intersection of Black, Female, and Feminist in (White) America (Harper Perennial, $15.99, 9780062666154).

10 p.m. Coverage from the 2018 PEN America Literary Awards.


Books & Authors

Awards: PEN America Literary; L.A. Times Book FInalists

Poet Layli Long Soldier's debut collection, Whereas (Graywolf Press), was honored with the $75,000 PEN/Jean Stein Book Award at Tuesday night's PEN America Literary Awards ceremony in New York City. The judges called Whereas a "grand reckoning with language and history," and praised the author for her "elegant and fierce introspection" and "rectifying spirit of restless invention." Other award winners announced at the event included:

PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction ($25,000): Sour Heart by Jenny Zhang (Lenny)
PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay ($10,000): No Time to Spare: Thinking About What Matters by Ursula K. Le Guin (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
PEN/Bograd Weld Prize for Biography ($5,000): Richard Nixon: The Life by John A. Farrell (Doubleday)
PEN/E.O. Wilson Prize for Literary Science Writing ($10,000): The Butchering Art: Joseph Lister's Quest to Transform the Grisly World of Victorian Medicine by Lindsey Fitzharris (Scientific American/FSG)
PEN/ESPN Award for Literary Sports Writing ($5,000): Ali: A Life by Jonathan Eig (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
PEN/Open Book Award: A Moonless, Starless Sky: Ordinary Women and Men Fighting Extremism in Africa by Alexis Okeowo (Hachette)
PEN Translation Prize: Katalin Street by Magda Szabó, translated from the Hungarian by Len Rix
PEN/Edward and Lily Tuck Award for Paraguayan Literature ($3,000): Fantasmario by Javier Viveros

---

Finalists in 10 categories have been named for the Los Angeles Times Book Prizes, which will be awarded April 20, on the eve of the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. The winner of the Robert Kirsch Award for lifetime achievement is author John Rechy, and the Innovator's Award will be presented to Well-Read Black Girl founder Glory Edim. See the complete list of finalists here.


Attainment: New Titles Out Next Week

Selected new titles appearing next Tuesday, February 27:

I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara (Harper, $27.99, 9780062319784) is a true crime book that Patton Oswalt's wife was writing prior to her sudden death in 2016.

The Tangled Lands by Paolo Bacigalupi and‎ Tobias S. Buckell (Saga Press, $26.99, 9781481497299) is a fantasy novel set in a land crippled by the use of magic.

The Listener by Robert McCammon (Cemetery Dance, $22.50, 9781587676130) is a Depression-era crime thriller.

Winter Sisters by Robin Oliveira (Viking, $27, 9780399564253) is book two of the Mary Sutter historical fiction series, set in 1879 New York.

The Policeman's Daughter by Trudy Nan Boyce (Putnam, $28, 9780399167287) is the third police procedural with Detective Sarah Alt.

Skin in the Game: Hidden Asymmetries in Daily Life by Nassim Nicholas Taleb (Random House, $30, 9780425284629) examines risk and reward and balances of power.

Food: What the Heck Should I Eat? by Dr. Mark Hyman (Little, Brown, $28, 9780316338868) is a doctor's guide to healthy nutrition.

Metabolism Revolution: Lose 14 Pounds in 14 Days and Keep It Off for Life by Haylie Pomroy (Harper Wave, $27.99, 9780062691620) offers a dieting plan for fast weight loss.

The Traitor's Game by Jennifer A. Nielsen (Scholastic Press, $17.99, 9781338045376) is a new fantasy series by the author of The False Prince.

Baby Monkey, Private Eye by Brian Selznick and David Serlin (Scholastic Press, $16.99, 9781338180619) is an illustrated early reader about a baby monkey who solves crimes.

Paperbacks:
Insane Clown President: Dispatches from the 2016 Circus by Matt Taibbi and Victor Juhasz (Spiegel & Grau, $18, 9780525511151).

The Strange Bird: A Borne Story by Jeff VanderMeer (MCD x FSG Originals, $10, 9780374537920).

Mother! The Making of the Fever Dream by Darren Aronofsky (Rizzoli, $35, 9780847862689).

The Far Empty by J. Todd Scott (Putnam, $9.99, 9780735218857).

Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection by Brandon Sanderson (Tor, $9.99, 9780765391186).

Movies:
Red Sparrow, based on the book by Jason Matthews, opens March 2. Jennifer Lawrence stars as a Russian ballerina recruited into her country's intelligence services. A movie tie-in (Pocket, $9.99, 9781501168918) is available.

Submission, based on Blue Angel by Francine Prose, has a limited release on March 2. Stanley Tucci stars as a college writing professor who takes interest in a young female student.


IndieBound: Other Indie Favorites

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

Hardcover
Need to Know: A Novel by Karen Cleveland (Ballantine Books, $26, 9781524797027). "Vivian Miller is a CIA analyst working on Russian sleeper cells. She is good at her job, and dedicated. But what she discovers will blow apart everything she thought she knew about her life. What do you do when the choice is country or family? How do you protect your children--and Vivian cares deeply about her children--while walking a tightrope between two superpowers? What do you do when the betrayer is closer than you could have ever imagined? There are twists and turns aplenty as Vivian steps into a dangerous game that could destroy everything she loves and values. Karen Cleveland keeps the tension going right to the very last page." --Deon Stonehouse, Sunriver Books, Sunriver, Ore.

Eternal Life: A Novel by Dara Horn (Norton, $25.95, 9780393608533). "Eternal Life is a stunningly moving and lively investigation of mortality. It is also a story of profound love--young love, eternal love, and the love of parents for their children. Rachel, whose inability to die animates the plot, is a strong, willful, and complex woman. Dara Horn, whom I have long admired, infuses the book with her profound knowledge of Judaism, without ever becoming dull or didactic. This is an ode to the joys, sorrows, and brevity of existence as seen through the improbable lens of eternal life--and it made me cry! Highly recommended." --Lilla Weinberger, Readers' Books, Sonoma, Calif.

Paperback
The Unmade World: A Novel by Steve Yarbrough (Unbridled Books, $18, 9781609531430). "The minute I opened The Unmade World, I was knocked off my feet. The grace with which Steve Yarbrough tells the story of Richard, a journalist from California who loses everything one night, and Bogdan, the down-on-his-luck Polish man who's the inadvertent cause, is sheer magic. You are in the hands of a master storyteller at the top of his game, and you will eagerly follow him from a dark winter night in Poland to a football stadium in Fresno, through the hearts and minds of a fascinating cast of supporting characters. A stunning, character-driven noir that will appeal to fans of Philip Kerr and Amor Towles, and, without question, Steve Yarbrough." --Mary Cotton, Newtonville Books, Newton Centre, Mass.

For Ages 4 to 8
Elmore by Holly Hobbie (Random House, $17.99, 9781524718633). "Elmore is a porcupine covered with prickly quills that make it a little difficult for him to make friends. Though he enjoys solitude, he longs for some company. While talking with his uncle about the issue, he has a brilliant idea: to make quill pens for all of his forest peers! The critters love their new pens and write him wonderful notes. Elmore understands that the forest critters are only afraid of the quills because they are new and unfamiliar. His lovely idea introduces his quills to his potential friends in a positive light. Bonus: Hundred Acre Wood-reminiscent illustrations that will make you warm inside." --Bianca Walters, The Book Table, Oak Park, Ill.

For Ages 9 to 12
The Doldrums and the Helmsley Curse by Nicholas Gannon (Greenwillow, $17.99, 9780062320971). "Archer's friendship with Oliver and Adelaide is brilliant and remains true throughout the craziest adventures. In this Doldrums series story, Archer's grandparents are back and under intense scrutiny from the Society. They are accused of lies and insanity, and Archer is determined to prove them innocent. Together, the three friends break through figurative and literal closed doors to reveal the truth. I definitely did not want to leave the world of the Doldrums." --Sarah Hopkins, The Bookworm of Edwards, Edwards, Colo.

For Teen Readers: An Indies Introduce Title
The Dangerous Art of Blending In by Angelo Surmelis (Balzer+Bray, $17.99, 9780062659002). "The Dangerous Art of Blending In is a beautiful, captivating, and heartbreaking story about a teenage boy, Evan, overcoming extensive abuse at the hands of his parents. Evan can't help but feel like an outsider due to his immigrant status and his sexuality. This book is uplifting and hopeful through to the end, which is astounding given the content. It breaks my heart that this is based on the author's own childhood, but I am so glad that he has chosen to share his story. It will be a great resource for teens who are struggling with abuse, their own sexuality, or feeling like an outsider." --Kristen Beverly, Half Price Books, Dallas, Tex.

[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]


Book Review

Review: The House of Broken Angels

The House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea (Little, Brown, $27 hardcover, 336p., 9780316154888, March 6, 2018)

The Mexican American family in Luis Alberto Urrea's richly rendered and emotionally satisfying novel The House of Broken Angels is distinctly American: a melting pot of cultures, languages and individuals united in a common dream of perseverance. Born in Tijuana, Urrea (Queen of America) is one of the most prolific Mexican American writers of his generation. His immense literary imagination never ceases to work wonders. In this novel, his style of magical realism creates an unforgettable alchemy, transforming the struggles of a multigenerational Latinx family into a moving mythos of kinship.

Against a climate in which Hispanic immigrants have become convenient scapegoats for social problems, the novel's protagonist, "Big Angel" de La Cruz, stricken with cancer and bound to a wheelchair, celebrates what will be his last birthday with his children, grandchildren and extended family. Relatives have already converged on San Diego for the funeral of Big Angel's mother, and he's determined to survive just a bit longer, to offer a day of joy and remembrance instead of another funeral.

In this emotional dynamic of impending death, the history of the de La Cruz family unfurls. Big Angel recalls his childhood on Mexico's Baja Peninsula, his courtship with his future wife, Perla, and the picaresque shenanigans of his philandering father, Don Antonio. The magical side of Urrea's style evokes the splendor of the Pacific Ocean, the dreamy smells and colors of Mexican cuisine and culture, and the mysterious workings of love and sex in Big Angel's formative years. Urrea's more realist side depicts extreme poverty in Tijuana, crippling sexual abuse and violence in a patriarchal culture, and the inexorable drive of immigrants northward in search of a more stable life.

Paralleling Big Angel's story are those of his children and extended family. His daughter Minnie is tough-minded and takes care of her father, becoming in many ways the new head of the family. His son Lalo, an Iraq War veteran, is less resilient, struggling with drugs and crime while trying to take care of his own children. Big Angel's two stepsons--Braulio and El Yndio--propel the plot forward as their past involvement in gang violence catches up to the entire family. But it's the relationship between Big Angel and his younger half-brother, "Little Angel," that provides the novel's funniest and most tender moments. Little Angel is part gringo, and Urrea uses this relationship to explore differences and similarities between Mexicans and white Americans.

The similarities stick. The House of Broken Angels is a big-hearted family saga. It's a work of complex characterization and lyrical magic. It captures "the golden bubble available to everyone," that is, the warm inner gratitude for life that follows grief. "Love is the answer," Big Angel tells his daughter. "Nothing stops it. Not borders. Not death." --Scott Neuffer, writer, poet, editor of trampset

Shelf Talker: The joys and sorrows of a multigenerational Mexican American family come to poetic life in this extraordinary novel.


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