Kinokuniya in Carrolton, Tex.

Kinokuniya Books will open a store in the long-vacant Guild Theatre in Portland, Ore. Willamette Week reported that "the owners of the historic downtown movie theater began renovating the theater last year for an unnamed tenant," which a series of recently filed permits revealed to be Kinokuniya. The downtown property has been unoccupied for 12 years.

Kinokuniya has a dozen locations in the U.S., including a small store in Beaverton. Plans for the Guild include a cafe and a new upper level, Willamette Week noted, adding that a representative for the company said it will open its next location in Portland, but that "all the details, including the date of the opening, are not yet confirmed."

In August, Byrd's Books, Bethel, Conn., will move down the street from its current location at 126 Greenwood Ave. to a building at 178 Greenwood, across from the Bethel Public Library.

"I guess the word is out," owner Alice Hutchinson wrote on the store's website, where she offered "the full story" on the impending move by answering a few anticipated questions. "We are open through July and most of August. There are only going to be a few days, as we transfer computers, that we will need to stay out of operation."

A key factor in the decision was that the "rent is more affordable.... We discovered that much of our business is coming from author events and off-site book vending. That although this new space has the same square footage (much less storage) we could continue to manage a brick-and-mortar storefront if our costs were reduced."

The Toy Room is moving in next door. An interior door between the two businesses will allow Byrd's Books to add to its offerings of children's events. Cautioning that the bookshop is not becoming exclusively a children's bookstore, Hutchinson added that "our intention is to add to our regular (non-children's) inventory. We hope to broaden our scope a bit."

"Thank you for all that you do to keep this little independent bookstore alive," Hutchinson told customers. "Your support and encouragement is impactful. We strive to bring quality reading materials and the culture of a neighborhood bookstore to Bethel and the surrounding area. It is no secret that online sales have changed the face of most downtowns in the country- and our is not immune to the effect that Amazon has on our business, and others here. Nevertheless, we feel we bring something meaningful to share, and will continue to strive to make it work. 'Shop local' is not just a slogan, it's a lifestyle."

Owners Nancy Geary and Sandi Torkildson are selling A Room of One's Own, in Madison, Wis., to longtime employees Gretchen Treu and Jes Lukes, as well as bestselling fantasy author Patrick Rothfuss, Isthmus magazine reported.

Effective July 1, Treu and Lukes will become owner-managers of the 43-year-old store, while Rothfuss, who lives in Stevens Point, Wis., about two hours north of Madison, will be a silent partner.

"We hope you will join us in our excitement about the bright future of A Room of One's Own Bookstore," wrote Torkildson and Geary, who put the store up for sale in June of 2016. "We are honored to continue to be your local independent bookstore."

A Room of One's Own was founded in 1975 as a feminist bookstore. Torkildson, who has been a co-owner since the beginning, told Madison magazine in March, "We have never done better than now."

Eight booksellers at the Book Exchange in Missoula, Mont., have quit during the past two weeks over what they say are inadequate and inappropriate responses to complaints of sexual harassment made against the store owner's husband, the Missoula Independent reported.

While former Book Exchange employees told the Independent of incidents involving Nabil Haddad, husband of store owner and manager Rebecca Haddad, touching them inappropriately dating back to 2016 and 2014, things came to a head this spring.

Former employee Sunshine Tucker said that in March, Nabil Haddad followed her throughout the store for an hour, presumably taking photos of her from behind, and that she had to "shut herself in the store restroom to escape." This took place only a few days after store manager Kyle McAfee said he saw Nabil Haddad "follow a young female customer" around the bookstore with his phone in hand.

Tucker then told Stephen Torrez, a manager and bookseller who had worked at Book Exchange since 2002 and was popular with and trusted by the staff, about the incident with Haddad. Torrez brought up the handling of sexual harassment complaints in a meeting with the Haddads in early May. He was fired during the same meeting, and on May 21 Rebecca Haddad wrote a note in the store's logbook under the heading "Re: Appropriate Business Attire," instructing staff members to wear more modest, less revealing clothing.

Tucker said she saw the note as an attempt to "blame employee dress for any inappropriate action on Nabil's part," and submitted her resignation the next day. Tucker, who had already intended to quit due to a move to another city, told Rami Haddad, Rebecca and Nabil's son and the "store's de facto HR person," that she would have quit because of the note even if she had intended to stay in Missoula.

According to the Independent, five more employees gave notice within days. One former employee, Abbey Nelson, said she quit after Rami Haddad inquired whether she would be interested in taking on a managerial role. During the course of that conversation, Nelson recalled, Rami Haddad said " 'What do you mean? We're not going to do anything,' " after she asked him about the sexual harassment complaints.

Following her last shift at Book Exchange, Tucker posted a photograph of Rebecca Haddad's note on Facebook and wrote about her experience. The post, which she put up on June 5, had been shared more than 180 times as of June 12.

In an e-mail to the Independent last week, Rami Haddad and his brother Ian apologized for the dress code note and, saying that they had not heard of the allegations until Tucker's post went live, reported that they had met with an attorney to initiate an independent investigation "to determine the specific nature of the allegations."

Seattle officials repealed a corporate "head tax" on Tuesday "that they had wholeheartedly endorsed just a month ago, delivering a win for the measure's biggest opponent--Amazon--and offering a warning to cities bidding for the retailer's second headquarters that the company would go to the limit to get its way," the New York Times reported. The tax would have raised about $50 million a year to help the homeless and fund affordable housing projects in a city where the homeless population is the third largest in the country, after New York City and Los Angeles.

In a 7-to-2 vote, the Seattle City Council repealed the tax "that was accompanied by large doses of acrimony and despair," the Times wrote. After the tax passed unanimously last month, it was signed into law May 16 by Mayor Jenny A. Durkan, who had said, "I know we can be a city that continues to invent the future and come together to build a more affordable, inclusive and just future."

Within days, Amazon, "which had already succeeded in watering down the original tax after halting expansion plans in protest," joined other Seattle corporate interests, including Starbucks, Paul Allen's investment firm Vulcan and local food and grocery firms as well as some private citizens, to fight the law. They funded No Tax on Jobs, a campaign to get enough signatures to put a repeal on the November ballot. Ultimately, Mayor Durkan and seven council members issued a statement saying, "We heard you."

NPR noted that Seattle's government had said the tax would affect only about 3% of the city's employers--those grossing at least $20 million each year. Some 585 employers would have paid about $275 per employee per year, according to the city council. Amazon has about 45,000 employees in the city and would have paid about $12 million per year.

Calling the decision "a stunning reversal without parallel in Seattle's recent political history," the Seattle Times reported that "for Amazon and some other large companies that would have paid the tax and that have been funding the referendum push, Tuesday's action represents a victory."

In a statement, Amazon spokesman Drew Herdener called the repeal "the right decision for the region's economic prosperity," adding that "we are deeply committed to being part of the solution."

---

In other Amazon news, the company plans to open a second warehouse in Oklahoma, in Tulsa, a 600,000-square-foot facility that will feature robots and focus on small products such as books, household items and toys. Two weeks ago, Amazon announced that it will open a warehouse in Oklahoma City. It also operates a sortation center in Oklahoma City.

Besides the usual positive comments from local politicians and business leaders, this announcement included comments from the principal chiefs of the Cherokee Nation and Muscogee (Creek) Nation, both of whom said they welcomed the facility, which will offer 1,500 full-time jobs.

Margot Farris

Margot Farris, a founding partner of {pages} a bookstore in Manhattan Beach, Calif., has decided to retire. With Linda McLoughlin Figel and Patty Gibson, she opened {pages} in 2010. "After eight-plus years, more than 400 newsletters and new release Tuesdays, hundreds and hundreds of author events, and thousands of days enjoying the books, customers and authors she's come into contact while at {pages}, Margot is ready for her next adventure," the store wrote. "{pages} is very sad to see her go but grateful for all that she has accomplished and done for {pages} in the eight years since we opened our doors. We wish her the best of luck on her next adventure."

Figel and Gibson, along with Sunni Won, who joined {pages} as a partner in 2015, remain involved in the store, along with general manager Kristin Rasmussen and the staff.

More than 100 people attended Monday morning storytime at Quail Ridge Books, Raleigh, N.C., this week. The BYOB (Bring Your Own Bear--or other stuffed animal) event featured North Carolina children's picture book author/illustrator Jonathan D. Voss. His new picture book, Brave Enough for Two (Holt Books for Young Readers), was read aloud, the author demonstrated how to draw some of his characters, and sweet treats were enjoyed by all.

In the week leading up to the Australian Booksellers Association 2018 conference, June 17-18, Books+Publishing is interviewing each of the five shortlisted nominees for Young Bookseller of the Year. In the second installment, Tim Jarvis, bookseller at Fullers Bookshop in Hobart, Tasmania, answered the question:

What are the top three things you wish you'd known when you were starting out in the book industry?

1. That I don't have to read every book that comes in. (I read very slowly.) I still feel a professional obligation to have already read everything, but I don't feel so tyrannised by unread books as I once did.
2. Who Richard Fidler is. My life would have been so much easier in those early months if I'd known "I heard about this book on the radio" meant "the author was on [ABC Radio National's] Conversations."
3. Don't underestimate the value of display. As much as I like rummaging around on obscure shelves in the back room of a bookshop, and I like to believe that good titles sell themselves, I've learned that books really do sell faster when they have room to breathe.

At Basic Books:

Betsy DeJesu is leaving Basic to begin a new life in Atlanta, Ga. She joined Basic in 2013 as assistant director of publicity, was subsequently promoted to publicity director and, last year, to director of publicity and marketing. Her last day is Friday, June 22.

Liz Wetzel is joining Basic as director of publicity, starting on Monday, June 18. She is currently publicity manager at Crown. Earlier she worked in publicity at both HarperCollins and Penguin Press.

---

Brandi Larsen, v-p, publishing, at DK, will leave the company on Friday, June 22, and relocate to Cleveland, Ohio, where she will focus on coaching and her passion for writing. She may be reached via e-mail.

The Creative Curve: How to Develop the Right Idea, at the Right Time by Allen Gannett (Currency).

Today:
NPR's 1A: John Branch, author of The Last Cowboys: A Pioneer Family in the New West (Norton, $26.95, 9780393292343).

Fresh Air remembers Jill Ker Conway, who died two weeks ago.

Tomorrow:
Megyn Kelly: Donald Rosenstein and Justin Yopp, authors of The Group: Seven Widowed Fathers Reimagine Life (Oxford University Press, $24.95, 9780190649562).

CBS This Morning: David E. Sanger, author of The Perfect Weapon: War, Sabotage, and Fear in the Cyber Age (Crown, $28, 9780451497895).

Steve Harvey repeat: Tyra Banks, author of Perfect Is Boring: 10 Things My Crazy, Fierce Mama Taught Me About Beauty, Booty, and Being a Boss (TarcherPerigee, $27, 9780143132301).

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, June 16
6:30 p.m. Michael Smerconish, author of Clowns to the Left of Me, Jokers to the Right: American Life in Columns (Temple University Press, $30, 9781439916353). (Re-airs Sunday at 1 p.m.)

7 p.m. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., author of American Values: Lessons I Learned from My Family (Harper, $29.99, 9780060848347). (Re-airs Sunday at 8:50 a.m.)

8:10 p.m. Molly Crabapple, author of Brothers of the Gun: A Memoir of the Syrian War (One World, $28, 9780399590627), at East City Bookshop in Washington, D.C. (Re-airs Monday at 5:15 a.m.)

9 p.m. Newt Gingrich, author of Trump's America: The Truth about Our Nation's Great Comeback (Center Street, $27, 9781546077060). (Re-airs Sunday at 3 p.m. and Monday at 1 a.m.)

10 p.m. Bill Press, author of From the Left: A Life in the Crossfire (Thomas Dunne, $27.99, 9781250147158). (Re-airs Sunday at 9 p.m. and Monday at 12 a.m. and 3 a.m.)

11 p.m. Carolyn Reidy, president and CEO of Simon & Schuster, Markus Dohle, CEO of Penguin Random House, and John Sargent, CEO of Macmillan, discuss the state of publishing at BookExpo. (Re-airs Sunday at 12 p.m.)

Sunday, June 17
12 a.m. Jeremy Bernard and Lea Berman, authors of Treating People Well: The Extraordinary Power of Civility at Work and in Life (Scribner, $27, 9781501157981). (Re-airs Sunday at 6 p.m.)

1 a.m. Stephen King, Margaret Atwood, Simon & Schuster president and CEO Carolyn Reidy and others speak at the PEN Literary Gala in New York City. (Re-airs Sunday at 4 p.m.)

1:30 p.m. Yossi Halevi, author of Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor (Harper, $24.99, 9780062844910).

2:50 p.m. Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of Leadership: In Turbulent Times (Simon & Schuster, $30, 9781476795928).

7 p.m. Franchesca Ramsey, author of Well, That Escalated Quickly: Memoirs and Mistakes of an Accidental Activist (Grand Central, $27, 9781538761038), at WORD Bookstore in Jersey City, N.J.

8:10 p.m. Christopher Wren, author of Those Turbulent Sons of Freedom: Ethan Allen's Green Mountain Boys and the American Revolution (Simon & Schuster, $26, 9781416599555), at Norwich Bookstore in Norwich, Vt.

10 p.m. Patricia O'Toole, author of The Moralist: Woodrow Wilson and the World He Made (Simon & Schuster, $35, 9780743298094).

Finalists have been announced for the 2018 New England Book Awards, sponsored by the New England Independent Booksellers Association and honoring a title about New England, set in New England or by an author residing in New England. NEIBA bookstore members will now vote to choose the four award winners, who will be honored September 26 at the annual Awards Banquet during NEIBA's Fall Conference in Providence, R.I. This year's finalists are:

Fiction
Book of Essie by Meghan Maclean Weir (Knopf)
Heart Spring Mountain by Robin MacArthur (Ecco)
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng (Penguin)
Points North by Howard Frank Mosher (St Martin's)
Radio Free Vermont by Bill McKibben (Blue Rider Press)

Nonfiction
Call Me American by Abdi Nor Iftin (Knopf)
Never Caught by Erica Armstrong Dunbar (Atria)
Searching for Stars on an Island in Maine by Alan Lightman (Pantheon)
Those Turbulent Sons of Freedom by Christopher Wren (S&S)
Vacationland by John Hodgman (Penguin)

Children's
A Big Mooncake for Little Star by Grace Lin (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
A Stone for Sascha, written and illustrated by Aaron Becker (Candlewick)
Rescue and Jessica by Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes, illustrated by Scott Magoon (Candlewick)
Salamander Sky by Katy Farber, illustrated by Meg Sodano (Green Writers Press)
The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle by Leslie O'Connor (Katherine Tegen Books)

Young adult
Cruel Prince by Holly Black (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
Landscape with Invisible Hand by M.T. Anderson (Candlewick)
Mary's Monster by Lita Judge (Roaring Brook Press)
Shadow Weaver by MarcyKate Connolly (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky)
Trell by Dick Lehr (Candlewick)

---

Irish author Mike McCormack won the €100,000 (about $117,895) International Dublin Literary Award, which is organized and sponsored by Dublin City Council for a single novel published in English, for Solar Bones.

The 2018 shortlist included six novels in translation and authors and translators from the U.S., Germany/Ukraine, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Norway, South Africa/Nigeria/Barbados, South Korea and the U.K. The winner was chosen from a total of 150 titles, nominated by libraries in 111 cities across 37 countries

The judging panel commented: "Formally ambitious, stylistically dauntless and linguistically spirited, Solar Bones is a novel of extraordinary assurance and scope. That its protagonist, Marcus Conway, is dead we know from the back cover blurb: the novel's task is, through the miracle of language, to bring him back to life. And so it does, bringing him back to his life, a life experienced as both ordinary (in its daily routines) and extraordinary (in its probing of what it means to be alive).... The novel's seamless structure gives it a beautifully fluid pace. An extremely enjoyable read, it is also poignant, moving and evocative."

Selected new titles appearing next Tuesday, June 19:

The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand (Little, Brown, $28, 9780316375269) is a light-hearted murder mystery set during a glamorous wedding on Nantucket.

The Melody: A Novel by Jim Crace (Nan A. Talese, $26.95, 9780385543712) follows a widowed Italian pianist attacked by a seemingly supernatural entity in his villa.

The Skaar Invasion by Terry Brooks (Del Rey, $28, 9780553391510) is the latest entry in the Shannara fantasy series.

Tango Lessons: A Memoir by Meghan Flaherty (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $26, 9780544980709) is the memoir of a traumatized young woman who found strength in dance lessons.

What the Eyes Don't See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City by Mona Hanna-Attisha (One World, $28, 9780399590832) tells the story of a pediatrician who helped uncover Flint's water crisis.

Yes We (Still) Can: Politics in the Age of Obama, Twitter, and Trump by Dan Pfeiffer (Twelve, $28, 9781538711712) gives political analysis from President Obama's former communications director.

Born Trump: Inside America's First Family by Emily Jane Fox (Harper, $27.99, 9780062690777) dissects the offspring of President Trump.

We Don't Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins (Disney-Hyperion, $17.99, 9781368003551) depicts dinosaur Penelope Rex's struggle to balance making friends with eating her delicious classmates.

Shai & Emmie Star in to the Rescue! by Quvenzhane Wallis, illus. by Sharee Miller (Simon & Schuster, $15.99, 9781481458887) is the third novel in the Shai & Emmie series.

Paperbacks:
How to Argue with a Cat: A Human's Guide to the Art of Persuasion by Jay Heinrichs and Natalie Palmer-Sutton (Rodale, $14.99, 9781635652741).

The Myth of Perpetual Summer by Susan Crandall (Gallery, $16, 9781501172014).

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

Hardcover
The High Season: A Novel by Judy Blundell (Random House, $27, 9780525508717). "What would you do to keep your home by the sea on Long Island? Maybe rent it out for the summer in order to get some cash to pay the bills? But what if the person who rents the house this summer is out to get more than the house? Ruthie's about to find out what she's capable of when the rich and famous Adeline Clay takes over her nest. The parties, invited guests, and nasty business keep building, until, finally, Ruthie reaches the end of her patience and there's only one thing left to do. You'll be glad you decided to go along on this ride!" --Linda Bond, Auntie’s Bookstore, Spokane, Wash.

Hardcover: An Indies Introduce Title
MEM: A Novel by Bethany C. Morrow (The Unnamed Press, $24.99, 9781944700553). "Adding fictional scientific breakthroughs to a glittering era of history is a setup for a great plot, but it takes an artist's hand to carry it beyond its initial gimmick. Bethany C. Morrow's examination of memory, desire, and what makes us human flourishes in its alternative historical setting. Her writing is as well-paced as her plot, in which the Mems develop beyond their creator's intentions and the most evolved of them suffers at our least-evolved hands. Morrow's novel has a beauty to it that underlines its critical depth and heart-racing conclusion." --Hannah Oliver Depp, WORD, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Paperback
What We Lose: A Novel by Zinzi Clemmons (Penguin Books, $16, 9780735221734). "What We Lose is a quietly brilliant book detailing the way loss manifests itself in the life of its narrator, Thandi, and the reader, as Clemmons' writing shines back on you, too. The death of Thandi's mother brings about the loss of childhood innocence, her connection with her past, and her identity as a black woman. Clemmons' book is told in vignettes, stories and thoughts, with the narrative of this time in Thandi's life slowly swirling through it. It's as powerful a meditation on grief as I've ever read." --Stefanie Schmidt, Water Street Bookstore, Exeter, N.H.

For Ages 4 to 8
Crunch, the Shy Dinosaur by Cirocco Dunlap, illustrated by Greg Pizzoli (Random House, $17.99, 9780399550560) "Shhhhh. Crunch the Dinosaur wants to come out and play, but he is just too shy. Whisper his name and maybe he will venture out to join you. Engaging and interactive, this cute new dinosaur tale will delight young readers over and over again." --Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop, Southern Pines, N.C.

For Ages 9 to 12
The Boy From Tomorrow by Camille DeAngelis (Amberjack, $15.99, 9781944995614). "A tale of friendship and loyalty that crosses the boundaries of time, The Boy From Tomorrow engages readers from the first page. Seances, psychics, and Ouija boards create a setting both mystical and dangerous. I loved exploring the possibilities of communicating across time with Josie and Alec and appreciated their indestructible friendship." --Laura DeLaney, Rediscovered Books, Boise, Idaho

For Teen Readers
Undead Girl Gang: A Novel by Lily Anderson (Razorbill, $17.99, 9780451478238). "Brilliant, bold, and badass: This describes the Undead Girl Gang and its one-of-a-kind protagonist, Camila Flores, a curvy Mexican Wiccan out to avenge her best friend's murder. After bringing BFF Riley back to life to catch the killer, Mila is shocked to realize she also brought back the two most popular girls in school, recently dead as the result of a suicide pact. Frenemies and besties alike team up in this epic girl-power punch." --Sami Thomason, Square Books, Oxford, Miss.

[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]

The following were the most popular book club books during May based on votes from book club readers in more than 48,000 book clubs registered at Bookmovement.com:

1. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
2. Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
3. The Great Alone: A Novel by Kristin Hannah
4. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
5. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
6. Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
7. The Alice Network: A Novel by Kate Quinn
8. Small Great Things: A Novel by Jodi Picoult
9. The Woman in the Window: A Novel by A.J. Finn
10. Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance

Rising Stars:
Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover
An American Marriage: A Novel by Tayari Jones (Oprah's Book Club 2018 Selection)