The future home of Baine's Books in Amherst, Va.

Baine's Books and Coffee, which has locations in Appomattox and Scottsville, Va., plans to open a third shop, at the Second Stage facility in Amherst this summer. The New Era-Progress reported that owner Bryan Baine "said the business has looked at locating in Amherst several times over the years and its mission is closely aligned with Second Stage, a nonprofit center that hosts events and tenants in a former church with studio spaces rented to artists, classes and small businesses."

"It's a really great match," He added. "It will be a smaller version of what we do in Appomattox."

Suny Monk, president of Second Stage, called Baine's Books and Coffee a perfect match for the nonprofit: "Bryan's love of great coffee and homemade foods, preserving old buildings, classic literature and homemade items that will stock the shop are great additions to our mission and will be eagerly welcomed by the customers. So many Amherst citizens ask about the coffee shop and we believe it will be very popular."

According to its website, Baine's stocks "all types of used and new books," specializing "in subject areas that fit the community and our personal interests," including the Civil War, the American South, classics, Shakespeare, poetry, art, film, outdoor skills, children's classics, music, historic preservation, architecture, maritime, mythology/folklore, Celtic, Native American, C.S. Lewis and local author/interest. "We also keep a revolving stock of hand-picked budget books at steeply discounted prices. We special order books, in or out of print, every day." 

Breakwater Books, Guilford, Conn., has launched an Indiegogo campaign seeking to raise $20,000 over 47 days--one day for each year the store has been in business.

Owner Lisa Fixx, who purchased the store in 2017 from previous owner Maureen Corcoran, hopes to use the $20,000 to modernize the store's computer system and expand and diversify the store's inventory. These plans constitute "phase three" of a three-part plan to revitalize the store; phases one and two, which included renovating the store's interior and expanding the store's marketing efforts, were completed after Fixx purchased Breakwater Books.

Fixx and her staff are offering backers a variety of rewards, from custom bookmarks and tote bags to sponsored bookshelves, a year-long 20% discount and even a day at sea on the sailboat of the Guilford Yacht Club commodore.

So far the campaign has raised more than $2,700, with 37 day to go.

Barnes & Noble is launching a young adult book club that will meet in stores on the second Thursday of every month, beginning in June, and will be led by B&N booksellers. As with the company's general book clubs, the YA book club will offer in-store promotions and giveaways, and a special edition of the featured title. B&N will also offer customers 50% off selected debut YA authors on the Thursday of YA Book Club through the following Sunday.

"We've gotten strong demand from our customers to host YA book clubs in our stores," said Stephanie Fryling, B&N v-p of merchandising, children's books.

The first title to be featured is Again, but Better by Christine Riccio (St. Martin's Press). The B&N YA Book Club edition includes a q&a with Riccio and a deleted scene. The book club will meet to discuss Again, but Better on Thursday, June 13, at 7 p.m.

Other selected titles are, for July, We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal (FSG Books for Young Readers) and, for August, Wilder Girls by Rory Power (Delacorte).

Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial, PRH's global Spanish-language division, is buying Ediciones Salamandra, with headquarters in Barcelona, Spain, a move that PRH says "reinforces its leadership in the Spanish-language market, both in Spain and Latin America."

PRH CEO Markus Dohle commented: "As our acquisitions of Santillana Ediciones Generales, Ediciones B, and now Ediciones Salamandra demonstrate, Penguin Random House strongly believes in the global growth potential of the Spanish-language market, and we very much look forward to bringing Ediciones Salamandra's authors to an even wider readership."

Ediciones Salamandra publishes some 500 Spanish-language and international authors, including J.K. Rowling, Antonine de Saint-Exupéry, Andrea Camilleri, Jonathan Franzen, Jonas Jonasson, Ferdinand von Schirach, Margaret Atwood, Philip Claudel, Annie Barrows, Mary Ann Shaffer, Amor Towles, Jennifer Egan, Zadie Smith, Nicole Kraus, Mark Haddon, John Boyne, Khaled Hosseini and Antonio Manzini. The company's imprints, which include Narrativa, Black, Novela, Narrativa Joven, Blue, Ñ, Català, Fun & Food, Graphic and Letras de Bolsillo, will continue to publish Spanish-language originals and Spanish and Catalan translations of fiction and non-fiction works for children and adults in a range of formats. Ediciones Salamandra co-owner Sigrid Kraus will continue as publishing manager.

Ediciones Salamandra's roots go back to 1989, more than 10 years before its formal establishment, when Pedro del Carril and Sigrid Kraus took charge of the Spanish subsidiary of Argentine publisher Emecé Editores. They initially published Spanish editions of the work of leading authors from Emecé's Argentine catalogue as well as titles attuned to the Spanish market. In 2000, Kraus and del Carril acquired full ownership of Emecé España, which changed its name to Ediciones Salamandra. Kraus and del Carril sold the company to PRH Grupo Editorial.

Jim Barkley, the longtime Southern sales rep, is retiring. Chip Mercer of Southeastern Book Travelers announced Barkley's retirement with "mixed emotions and sincere gratitude for his service... For over a decade, Jim has managed our most productive territory for the group, Florida and Georgia. Jim has been a dedicated representative to our publishers as well as a true friend to the accounts he serviced. On behalf of the SBT team, we will miss Jim dearly and wish him all the many blessings of a well-earned retirement."

Barkley himself noted, "I have never had any down time since Mr. Charles Scribner, Jr. hired me to be part of the Charles Scribner's Sons original sales team. I made it through all of the mergers, acquisitions, buyouts, etc... and retired from Simon & Schuster-Macmillan but never had a day off before my next job started up with NBN, then BookLink, and ultimately Southeastern Book Travelers. I would not be retiring now except for my health. My last back surgery of September 28, 2018, has not been as successful as we thought it would be."

Barkley added that he is especially proud of being a founding member of the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance, which started out as the Florida Booksellers Association, then became the Florida-Georgia Booksellers Association, before becoming the Southeast Booksellers Association and finally SIBA.

He's also proud of being the first publisher, when at Scribner, to sign up for the Miami Book Fair and the second rep to call on young bookseller Mitchell Kaplan.

Rachel Held Evans

Rachel Held Evans, a bestselling Christian author "who was unafraid to wade into fierce theological battles over issues such as the role of women, science, LGBT issues and politics on her blog and social media," died May 4, the Washington Post reported. She was 37.

Her books, including A Year of Biblical Womanhood: How a Liberated Woman Found Herself Sitting on Her Roof, Covering Her Head and Calling Her Husband 'Master'; Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water and Loving the Bible Again; Searching for Sunday: Loving, Leaving and Finding the Church; and Evolving in Monkeytown (later republished under the title Faith Unraveled): How a Girl Who Knew All the Answers Learned to Ask Questions, "pushed theological boundaries for many conservative evangelicals, but they gave voice to many progressive evangelicals who had become frustrated with their churches," the Post wrote.

She served on a White House council for faith-based and neighborhood partnerships during President Obama's second term. Melissa Rogers, who was director of that White House office at the time, said, "Rachel brought her usual piercing insights and deep compassion to the council's work on poverty. She was also a beloved member of the team."

Rev. Broderick Greer, an Episcopal priest in Denver, said Evans "exemplified what it meant to care for the church without mindlessly supporting the injustices it's done in the name of Christ. This often meant watching Rachel courageously clash with those she disagreed with, publicly wrestling with ideas she found harmful."

Jonathan Merritt, a progressive Christian author and speaker, observed: "She was talking about misogyny in the church long before the #MeToo movement emerged, and she was affirming LGBT relationships on the grounds of her Christian convictions when doing so could still get you run out of town. Today, many voices are championing a more progressive expression of Christian faith, and Rachel helped create space for the movement we now see."

In her final blog post on March 6, Ash Wednesday, she wrote: "Death is a part of life. My prayer for you this season is that you make time to celebrate that reality, and to grieve that reality, and that you will know you are not alone. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust."

Rainy Day Books, Fairway, Kan., presented Kristin Hensley and Jen Smedley, authors of #IMomSoHard (HarperCollins), at the nearby Unity Temple on the Plaza.

Wicked Good Books, Salem, Mass., shared a photo on Twitter featuring a serene view from outside the shop, noting: "Happy Saturday evening from Wicked Good Books."

Emily Ring, manager and event coordinator at Inklings Bookshop, Yakima, Wash., shared a photo and told us: "One of my employees did a beautiful chalkboard display for Mother's Day, and I just had to share!"

Pennie Clark Ianniciello, Costco's book buyer, has chosen Wishtree by Katherine Applegate (Feiwel & Friends, $16.99, 9781250043221) as her pick of the month for May. In Costco Connection, which goes to many of the warehouse club's members, she wrote:

"I'm the kind of person who will anthropomorphize nearly everything--especially my two dogs. So, imagine my delight when I first read this month's book buyer's pick, Wishtree by Katherine Applegate.

"Red is an oak tree and a wishtree--which means people in the neighborhood write down their wishes and tie them to her branches. She's also home to a host of critters seeking refuge and a witness to much ugliness when a new family moves to the neighborhood.

"Red's is an important story told simply and beautifully."

Hell Divers V: Captives by Nicholas Sansbury Smith (Blackstone).

Today:
CBS This Morning: Prince Alexi Lubomirski, author of Thank You for My Dreams: Bedtime Prayers of Gratitude (Andrews McMeel, $16.99, 9781449497422).

ABC's World News Tonight: Dr. Jennifer Ashton, author of Life After Suicide: Finding Courage, Comfort & Community After Unthinkable Loss (Morrow, $24.99, 9780062906038). She will also appear tomorrow on Good Morning America.

Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Common, author of Let Love Have the Last Word: A Memoir (Atria, $26, 9781501133152). He will also appear tomorrow on the View.

Tomorrow:
Today Show: Jill Biden, author of Where the Light Enters: Building a Family, Discovering Myself (Flatiron, $27, 9781250182326). She is also on CBS This Morning tomorrow.

Also on Today: Pete Buttigieg, author of Shortest Way Home: One Mayor's Challenge and a Model for America's Future (Liveright, $27.95, 9781631494369).

CBS This Morning: Bee Wilson, author of The Way We Eat Now: How the Food Revolution Has Transformed Our Lives, Our Bodies, and Our World (Basic Books, $30, 9780465093977).

Strahan & Sara: Chris Kattan, co-author of Baby Don't Hurt Me: Stories and Scars from Saturday Night Live (BenBella, $24.95, 9781944648497).

Wendy Williams: Jorge Cruise, author of The Cruise Control Diet: Automate Your Diet and Conquer Weight Loss Forever (Ballantine, $28, 9780525618690).

Daily Show: Valerie Jarrett, author of Finding My Voice: My Journey to the West Wing and the Path Forward (Viking, $30, 978-0525558132).

Rex Pickett, whose novel Sideways was adapted into Alexander Payne's hit 2004 film, has formed a joint venture with EFG-Renascence Productions to develop a stage musical based on the book, Deadline reported. Pickett will write the musical in collaboration with composer Anthony Adams.

"Sideways is an incredible film that has never really been quarried for its franchise potential," said EFG-Renascence founder Solomon J. LeFlore. "We plan to rectify that. With movie-to-Broadway musical adaptations so popular, this seems a natural first step."

The novel has previously been adapted for the stage as a non-musical play, "most notably in a 2013 production at the La Jolla Playhouse directed by Des McAnuff (Ain't Too Proud)," Deadline wrote. Pickett said an Off-Broadway staging of that adaptation is planned for next January. The musical will be based on the novel, with scenes not in the movie. Pickett's novel The Archivist will be published by Blackstone Publishing this fall.

Chautauqua Institution has announced the shortlist for the 2019 Chautauqua Prize, honoring "a book that provides a richly rewarding reading experience and to honor the author for a significant contribution to the literary arts":

Little by Edward Carey (Riverhead Books)
The Three Escapes of Hannah Arendt: A Tyranny of Truth by Ken Krimstein (Bloomsbury)
Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon (Scribner)
The Overstory by Richard Powers (Norton)
Rising: Dispatches from the New American Shore by Elizabeth Rush (Milkweed Editions)
All the Names They Used for God by Anjali Sachdeva (Spiegel & Grau)
The Mercy Seat by Elizabeth H. Winthrop (Grove Press)

The winner will be announced later this month.

---

A shortlist has been released for the 2019 Branford Boase Award, which "celebrates the most promising book for seven-year-olds and upwards written by a first-time novelist and also highlights the importance of the editor in the development of new authors." The winning writer, who will be announced June 27 in London, is awarded £1,000 (about $1,310). Both author and editor receive a hand-crafted silver-inlaid box. This year's shortlisted titles are:

The House with Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson, edited by Rebecca Hill & Becky Walker
The Train to Impossible Places by P.G. Bell, edited by Rebecca Hill & Becky Walker
Rosie Loves Jack by Mel Darbon, edited by Sarah Stewart
The Goose Road by Rowena House, edited by Mara Bergman
I Am Thunder by Muhammad Khan, edited by Lucy Pearse
Orphan Monster Spy by Matt Killeen, edited by Sarah Stewart & Kendra Levin
The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q Raúf, edited by Lena McCauley

The Midwest Booksellers Association has selected its Midwest Connections Picks for May. Under this marketing program, the association and member stores promote booksellers' handselling favorites that have a strong Midwest regional appeal.

In the Night of Memory by Linda LeGarde Grover (University of Minnesota Press, $22.95, 9781517906504). "Some ruptures simply cannot be repaired; they can only be lived through, or lived with. Linda LeGarde Grover returns to the fictional Mozhay Point Reservation in this nuanced, moving, often humorous picture of two Ojibwe girls becoming women in the long, sharply etched shadow of Native American history."

Of Fathers and Fire by Steven Wingate (University of Nebraska Press, $19.95, 9781496211866). "Living in the High Plains town of Suborney, Colorado in the summer of 1980, main character Tommy Sandor is wrestling with the forces shaping America and himself: the Iran hostage crisis, the incoming tide of Ronald Reagan's presidency, and the political rise of the Christian Right."

The Line Tender by Kate Allen (Dutton, $17.99, 9780735231603). "Heartbreaking but also filled with wit and hope, The Line Tender is the story of Lucy, the daughter of a marine biologist and a rescue diver, and the summer that changes her life. If she ever wants to lift the cloud of grief over her family and community, she must complete the research her late mother began. She must follow the sharks."

When You Are Brave by Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Eliza Wheeler (Little, Brown, $17.99, 9780316392525). "Saying goodbye to neighbors. Worrying about new friends. Passing through a big city. Seeing a dark road ahead. In these moments, a young girl feels small and quiet and alone. But when she breathes deeply and looks inside herself, a hidden spark of courage appears, one she can nurture and grow until she glows inside and out."

Sarah Gailey (River of Teeth) riffs lovingly on the magical boarding school trope in a mystery-fantasy hybrid about a lie's power to hurt both its teller and its recipients.

Private investigator Ivy Gamble says, "My job is to pursue the truth." Still, after years of convincing herself she doesn't care that her twin sister, Tabitha, was born with magic while she was not, Ivy has had plenty of practice at lying. So what if Tabitha turned out to be a genius mage who teaches at the prestigious Osthorne Academy for Young Mages while Ivy catches Bay Area adulterers for a living? They don't really talk anyway, which is fine with Ivy. When a teacher is found split perfectly in half in Osthorne's school library, though, Ivy finds herself drawn more deeply into the magical world than she ever thought possible.

Magical law enforcement rules the tragedy an accident. The headmaster disagrees, and because Ivy is a qualified outsider who's aware magic exists, she is hired to catch a mystical murderer. Osthorne has all the usual trappings of a school for magic, including beautiful grounds, a library of whispering books and a Chosen One. At least, Osthorne student Dylan assumes he's the Chosen One, since his sister Alexandria cares too much about eyeliner. Passing herself off as a mage to students and faculty, Ivy learns teenagers with magic still act like teenagers, reconnects with her sister and kindles a romance with the sexy Physical Magic professor Rahul. The magical world is luxurious and seductive, but as Ivy investigates, she learns magic cannot cure dark secrets. It can only hide the lies.

This take on schools for youngsters of exceptional abilities eschews the epic in favor of the daily dramas of privileged adolescence, viewed by an adult cognizant of the wasted time and potential. While calling the story Potter-noir is no stretch, Gailey's first-person narrative also strongly recalls the melancholy, introspective qualities of Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad. Themes of estrangement recur throughout, particularly the uncanny ability of siblings to wound one another. Ivy is deliberately unlikable in the vein of hard-boiled sleuths, but the still-open wounds under her jagged exterior will have readers on her side even as she deceives nearly everyone around her.

Magic for Liars is perfect for fans of Rainbow Rowell's Carry On and anyone who ever mourned the Hogwarts letter that never came. Though the ending leaves little room for a direct sequel, Gailey's world deserves further exploration. --Jaclyn Fulwood, blogger at Infinite Reads

Shelf Talker: This mystery-fantasy explores the magical boarding school trope through adult eyes.