For the eighth year in a row, Penguin Random House is offering its two-day transit program for independent booksellers; the program has already begun and will continue until March 2, 2020. As has happened regularly since its beginnings, PRH has expanded the offer: it started a month earlier than last year and now lasts six months.

Under the program, weather and transport conditions permitting, the company will ship orders from its Westminster, Md., and Crawfordsville, Ind., operations centers that are received from indies by 3 p.m. Eastern, Monday-Friday, to arrive at bookstores in two days or less. Both centers have weekend shifts to expedite Monday arrivals for orders received Friday and Saturday.

The offer includes every frontlist and backlist title from the imprints of the Knopf Doubleday, Penguin Publishing Groups, Random House, Random House Children's Books, Penguin Young Readers, Penguin Random House Audio divisions, and DK Publishing, plus the many clients of Penguin Random House Publisher Services. Those clients include, among others, America's Test Kitchen, Beacon Press, Candlewick Press, Charlesbridge, Dark Horse Comics, DC, Hay House, Highlights, Kensington, Kodansha Comics, Library of America, Melville House, National Geographic, New York Review Books, North Atlantic Books, Other Press, Quirk Books, Rizzoli, Sasquatch Books, Seven Stories, Shambhala, Soho, Steerforth Press, Verso and Wizards of the Coast.

"Accounts tell us this program has become a crucial ingredient for a profitable season," said Jaci Updike, president, U.S. sales, Penguin Random House. "We have a terrific fall line-up, and we want booksellers to be able to spend more time marketing and handselling our front list and backlist titles, and less time online and on the phone worrying when their reorders will arrive. We're thrilled to be able to expand the program this year, and give indies additional support at this all-important time of year for all of us."

Righton Books on St. Simons Island, Ga., celebrated its grand opening Tuesday with a ribbon cutting ceremony, live music and giveaways. Owned by Darryl and Anne Peck, the bookshop had a soft opening in June for the roughly 2,000-square-foot store that features "a world-class selection of illustrated books in categories such as art, architecture, design, photography, interior design, automobiles, and more," as well as "the latest fiction and nonfiction titles and the largest selection of cookbooks in the southeast," according to the store's website.

Righton Books "is the culmination of a nearly 50-year career in retail for Darryl Peck," the website added. "He has always envisioned creating an independent bookstore like the ones he loved in his native Upper West Side of Manhattan. Darryl is now living the bookshop-keeper dream and working alongside his wife of 30 years."

The bookshop's name was inspired by Anne Peck's father, Righton, "a voracious reader who also loved to ride the Emmeline and Hessie ferry boats to St. Simons as a child. Anne's mother, Jean Lyndon, worked as a children's librarian and genealogist in Macon, so it's no surprise that Anne's parents called her 'Nose in a Book.' "

Mr. Mopps' Toy Shop in Berkeley, Calif., announced yesterday that, after six years in business, it had closed "our tiny book shop for the last time," but the story has a happy ending: Mr. Mopps' Children's Books moved just "a few doors up" and is now located at 1401 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, "right next to (and connected to) Mr. Mopps' Toy Shop, on the corner of MLK and Rose."

Mr. Mopps' added that "it's going to be a mess for a bit and we anticipate some growing pains through the transition and as we settle in, but please bear with us--and in the coming year, look out for story times, book clubs and other events! Come say hi! We look forward to welcoming you to our new home."

Danny Caine

Danny Caine, owner of the Raven Book Store, Lawrence, Kan., has won the Midwest Bookseller of the Year Award, given by the Midwest Independent Booksellers Association in honor of "a bookseller who has made an extraordinary impact on their community." He will receive the award at the Book Awards Celebration during the Heartland Fall Forum in Cleveland, Ohio, October 2-4; as part of the award, MIBA is paying all his expenses for the trip.

Jason Jefferies

Jason Jefferies has become general manager of Quail Ridge Books, Raleigh, N.C., succeeding Sarah Goddin, who will remain on staff doing "what she loves: selling books," Jefferies wrote in a blogpost about the changes.

Jefferies joined Quail Ridge a year ago as marketing manager and serves as co-director of the North Carolina Literary Festival. Earlier he worked at NCSU Libraries. He is only the third general manager of Quail Ridge, which the late Nancy Olson founded in 1984.

Before joining Quail Ridge in 1996, Goddin was owner of Wellington Books, Cary, N.C. We are glad that even though she's stepping back as general manager she will remain on staff as a bookseller!

Two anonymous donors have pledged to match the first monthly gifts to the Book Industry Charitable Foundation from every new sustaining donor, Binc announced this week. The donors will match up to $2,000.

"We continue to receive nearly twice the number of requests for assistance compared to last year and are on track to have our busiest year since 2011," said executive director Pam French. "It is vital that industry support for this safety net increases as well, so we are able to keep up with the need for assistance. This way, no qualifying bookseller will be turned away."

Sustaining members who join at $42 per month or more will become part of a new giving level called the Bibliophiles Circle, the benefits of which will be announced soon.

"It is my hope that we grow the number of bookstores in the Binc fold," said one of the anonymous donors. "The more stores that support Binc, the more likely those stores will think of Binc when a fellow bookseller is in need."

The other anonymous donor said: "Binc has helped so many booksellers and bookstores in their times of greatest need. I can't think of a better place to support the industry that I've been part of for so many years."

Donations can be made here.

In what may prove to be a sign of things to come for bookstore-bars, Haven Books & Cafe in Ottawa, Canada, which recently acquired a liquor license for its cafe, is looking towards adding a cannabis license in the years ahead, the Charlatan reported.

Haven Books, an off-campus bookstore run by the Carleton University Students' Association, opened its cafe in March and will begin selling alcohol this fall.

Luke Taylor, vice-president of finance for the CUSA at the time the cafe was approved in 2018, told Charlatan that adding a cafe was part of a plan to get the most out of the bookstore space. "It's only used for the most part during the beginnings of each semester to sell books," he explained. "Then, the next two or three months, not a lot of foot traffic goes through."

Jacob Howell, current v-p of finance for the CUSA, said: "I think a good thing for Haven would be to slowly transition from being just a bookstore to more than that. Cannabis would create that new market for Haven."

Tuesday night more than 500 people attended a signing by Neil Patrick Harris for his new book, The Magic Misfits: The Minor Third (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers), at Books & Greetings, Northvale, N.J. Pictured: Harris (l.) with Books & Greetings owner Kenny Sarfin.

Congratulations to Greenlight Bookstore in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, N.Y., which is turning 10 years old next month. 

Co-owners Rebecca Fitting and Jessica Stockton Bagnulo are getting the celebrations started early, with a repainting and "birthday spruce-up" scheduled for September and a new line of branded, anniversary-themed merchandise that they'll start unveiling this month. 

Throughout September and October, Greenlight will co-host events at Kings Theatre and the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and on October 10 the store will host an in-store revue called "#10YearsOfGreenlight: Celebrating Creative Community in Brooklyn." Three guest hosts, including flimmaker Nelson George, poet Angel Nafis and Brooklyn Book Festival co-founder Johnny Temple will talk about the store and its surrounding community, while special guest authors such as Marlon James will also make appearances.

And on October 19, Greenlight is throwing its official anniversary party. The flagship store in Greenlight will be running a 20% off sale all day, and in the evening there will be drinks, refreshments, a live DJ, giveaways and more.

Greenlight Bookstore sold its first book on October 16, 2009, while the storefront was still under construction. The official launch party took place on October 24, and in the decade since the store now has two locations, a gift-focused sister store, kiosks and pop-ups throughout Brooklyn, and a staff that has grown from seven people to almost 50.

The Book Bus mobile bookstore in Cincinnati, Ohio, posted photos on Facebook of a special event: "This cute couple loves The Book Bus so much they wanted to include her in their engagement photos. How fun is that?! Thanks to @oliviahatfieldphotography for a great photo shoot @ French Park."

Kathleen Schmidt is joining Skyhorse Publishing as publicity director, effective September 16. She has held publicity and marketing positions at Running Press, Atria Books, and Dutton.

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Molly Fletcher has been promoted to digital marketing specialist at Sourcebooks.

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Mina Bozeman has joined Page Street Publishing as publicity & marketing assistant.

The Year of the Dogs by Vincent J. Musi (Chronicle Books).

Today:
Fresh Air: Kate O'Neill, author of Waste (Polity, $22.95, 9780745687407).

Obba Babatundé (Dear White People) is set for a recurring role opposite Reese Witherspoon, Kerry Washington, Rosemarie DeWitt and Joshua Jackson in Little Fires Everywhere, Hulu's upcoming limited series based on Celeste Ng's bestselling novel, Deadline reported.

Developed and written by Liz Tigelaar (Casual), the series comes from Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine, Washington's Simpson Street and ABC Signature Studios. The cast also includes Jade Pettyjohn, Jordan Elsass, Gavin Lewis, Megan Stott and Lexi Underwood.

The winners of the Great Lakes Great Reads Awards, sponsored by the Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association and recognizing excellence in writing for books about or written by authors with ties to the Great Lakes region, have been announced and will be honored during the Book Awards Celebration at the Heartland Fall Forum in Cleveland, Ohio, October 2-4. The winners:

Adult Fiction: Ohio by Stephen Markley
Adult Nonfiction: The World's Fastest Man: The Extraordinary Life of Cyclist Major Taylor, America's First Black Sports Hero by Michael Kranish
Children's YA/Middle Grade: Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson
Children's Picture Book: Music for Mister Moon by Philip C. Stead, illustrated by Erin Stead

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Megan Abbott and Sarah St. Vincent have won the Pinckley Prizes for Crime Fiction, which were launched in 2012 by the Women's National Book Association of New Orleans to honor founding member Diana Pinckley, who was a longtime crime fiction columnist for the New Orleans Times- Picayune as well as a civic activist. The prizes will be presented October 10 in New Orleans.

Megan Abbott is the winner of the Pinckley Prize for a Distinguished Body of Work. She is the author of 10 books. Her most recent novel is Give Me Your Hand, which depicts the rivalry between two female graduate students in the world of high-stakes science. You Will Know Me is about competitive gymnastics, and Dare Me is being produced as a USA Network series. Abbott is also a scholar of crime fiction and the author of The Street Was Mine: White Masculinity in Hardboiled Crime Fiction and the editor of the anthology A Hell of a Woman. Her work has won or been nominated for the CWA Steel Dagger, the International Thriller Writers Award, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and five Edgar awards. She is a staff writer on HBO's new David Simon show, The Deuce.

Sarah St. Vincent is the winner of the Pinckley Prize for Debut Novel for Ways to Hide in Winter (Melville House). She is a human rights attorney who has advocated for survivors of domestic violence and researches national security and surveillance for Human Rights Watch. Her first novel blends her concerns with domestic violence and human rights in a tale of a fugitive and the woman who gets to know him over a wintry season in a state park.

Selected new titles appearing next Tuesday, September 17:

Red at the Bone: A Novel by Jacqueline Woodson (Riverhead, $26, 9780525535270) explores multiple generations of a Brooklyn family through an unwanted pregnancy.

A Single Thread: A Novel by Tracy Chevalier (Viking, $27, 9780525558248) follows a World War I widow on the eve of World War II.

Permanent Record by Edward Snowden (Metropolitan Books, $30, 9781250237231) is the memoir of the NSA whistleblower.

The Education of Brett Kavanaugh: An Investigation by Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly (Portfolio, $29, 9780593084397) explores the newest Supreme Court Justice's past.

We Are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast by Jonathan Safran Foer (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $25, 9780374280000) looks at climate change and where individuals can make a difference.

Strangers She Knows by Christina Dodd (HQN, $27.99, 9781335016614) is the third Cape Charade thriller.

Kopp Sisters on the March by Amy Stewart (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $26, 9781328736529) is the fifth Kopp sisters historical fiction novel.

A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie (Orbit, $27, 9780316187169) is the first book in a fantasy trilogy about a clash between magic and machines.

A Trick of the Light by Stan Lee and Kat Rosenfield (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $28, 9780358117605) is an expanded novelization of a previously released audiobook by the late Marvel creator.

Octopus Stew by Eric Velasquez (Holiday House, $17.99, 9780823437542) features a massive, abuela-stealing octopus and a young boy who must thwart it.

The Fate of Fausto by Oliver Jeffers (Philomel Books, $24.99, 9780593115015) is a picture book-fable about a man who believes he owns everything.

Paperback:
The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers by Maxwell King (Abrams, $18, 9781419735165).

Movie:
Britt-Marie Was Here, based on the novel by Fredrik Backman, opens September 20. Pernilla August stars as a 63-year-old woman who becomes a soccer coach after leaving her 40-year marriage.

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 Escape Room: A Novel by Megan Goldin (St. Martin's Press, $26.99, 9781250219657). "Megan Goldin's debut is sheer perfection. I was enthralled, obsessed, and utterly delighted from the gripping first chapter to the very end. The genuine quality of Goldin's voice is so engaging, you feel like you're discussing your favorite topics with a best friend. In The Escape Room, four investment bankers trapped in an overheated elevator reach a literal and figurative boiling point as survival becomes questionable. As these deeply flawed central characters fight to keep it together, a mysterious force works behind the glass walls to ensure they leave the elevator changed forever, if they leave at all. I loved every second of this novel and simply cannot wait to tell everyone about it!" --Lauren Messamore, Watermark Books & Café, Wichita, Kan.

Gods of Jade and Shadow: A Novel by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Del Rey, $26, 9780525620754). "When she accidentally frees the Mayan god of death from imprisonment, Casiopea Tun, armed only with her wits and her dreams of the future, is forced to leave her tiny village in southern Mexico and join an otherworldly battle of life and death alongside treacherous gods, hungry ghosts, and quick-talking demons. Journeying from the southern jungles to the glitz and grime of Jazz Age Mexico City, and finally up to the gates of the Underworld itself, Gods of Jade and Shadow is a stunning adventure full of enchanting characters, magical locales, and clever surprises that you'll never see coming. A must-read for any fantasy fan!" --Rebecca Speas, One More Page Books, Arlington, Va.

Paperback
A Ladder to the Sky: A Novel by John Boyne (Hogarth, $17, 9781984823021). "Maurice Swift is a man you won't soon forget: handsome and charming, but above all else ambitious. He dreams of being the greatest writer of his generation and has no qualms about using the people in his orbit and conning his way to the top of his field. John Boyne has given us a truly memorable character in Maurice, but more than that, he's given us a novel with an ingenious structure and terrific dialogue that entertains the larger question of who can ever really own a story. This is a fantastic, thoughtful tale that even in its darkest moments is a thrill to read." --Erika VanDam, RoscoeBooks, Chicago, Ill.

For Ages 4 to 8
The Evil Princess vs. the Brave Knight: Book 1 by Jennifer Holm, illustrated by Matthew Holm (Random House, $17.99, 9781524771348). "Brave knights, evil princesses, and deeply irritated magic mirrors take center stage in this wonderful story about siblings and playing together. The jokes and pictures are perfect, which makes it another great addition to the story time lineup." --Angela Whited, Red Balloon Bookshop, St. Paul, Minn.

For Ages 9 to 12
Crumbled!: The Misadventures of Nobbin Swill by Lisa Harkrader (little bee books, $17.99, 9781499809718). "Poor Nobbin Swill feels trapped in the dung pit he farms for the king until the fateful day he happens upon the royal signet ring gleaming through the waste. Thus begins the series of misadventures that lead to his involvement in a missing persons case. Well-crafted and enchantingly illustrated, this new take on oft-encountered characters like the witch, troll, stepmother, and prince will defy expectations and upend any fairy tale tropes. Crumbled! is sure to be a hit with young readers seeking a fresh new series." --Alexa McGuinness, The Bookman, Grand Haven, Mich.

For Teen Readers: An Indies Introduce Title
The Grief Keeper by Alexandra Villasante (Putnam, $17.99, 9780525514022). "I have not stopped thinking about Marisol since I turned the last page of her story. Her strength shines through as she takes on pain for her sister amid the promise of their new life together. The reasons she has to leave El Salvador are revealed bit by bit, which adds a level of tension and intrigue. As the plot unfolds, we learn the many threats Marisol faces as an immigrant, a sister, a daughter, and a lesbian. This incredibly well-crafted book carries important messages about the complexities of love." --Jennifer Kraar, City of Asylum Bookstore, Pittsburgh, Pa.

[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]

Eliane Brum's The Collector of Leftover Souls: Field Notes on Brazil's Everyday Insurrections collects profiles and reported pieces that pay close attention to the thoughts, feelings and voices of ordinary Brazilians--and bring to mind Nobel-winner Svetlana Alexievich's work. Despite the country's size and large population, Brum notes in the introduction that "whenever I visit an English-speaking country, I notice Brazil doesn't exist for most of you. Or exists only in the stereotype of Carnival and soccer. Favelas, butts, and violence." Readers of The Collector of Leftover Souls will be introduced to a vastly richer country, riddled with contradictions and serious social problems, but also home to inventive, resilient people whose "life is spun from the thread of the extraordinary."

The Collector of Leftover Souls includes short articles Brum wrote in 1999 for her newspaper column "The Life No One Sees." These brief profiles--most only a few pages long--are scattered throughout the collection. They sketch the lives of a poor man struggling to bury his young son; a would-be gaucho who rides a broomstick instead of a horse; a poor, black, disabled woman named Eva who overcomes every obstacle to finish college; and many more. These profiles are accompanied by longer pieces that were mostly published in a weekly newsmagazine from 2000 to 2008. Some of these are hard-hitting investigative reports digging into the corruption and capitalistic excess that threatens many Brazilians, especially those living on the periphery of society. Others, such as "Forest of Midwives," are in-depth looks into communities far from tourist-friendly São Paulo. The Collector of Leftover Souls can seem like an idiosyncratic hodge-podge, but therein lies its charm; it contains as much life and oddball personality as Brum's subjects.

The collection puts particular focus on the victims of so-called progress--the economic modernization that has made Brazil a global player. The stories also showcase Brum's lyricism, perhaps a surprising quality for a reporter. One of the most eerie examples is "The Noise," in which Brum hauntingly describes a former factory worker's labored breathing as a result of exposure to asbestos. While The Collector of Leftover Souls is not an oral history, the pieces heavily feature quotations from their subjects, the source of many of the collection's most devastating, poetic lines. In "Living Mothers of a Dead Generation," Brum writes about mothers who have lost children to the scourge of the drug war. Enilda Rodrigues da Silva's story is one of the most heartbreaking: "When my son showed up at home alive, but with a bullet in the chest, I started paying down on a casket. Now I'm making payments on my second son's. He's still alive, but I know he's going to die."

While Brum does not shy away from the violence and poverty that sometimes overshadow Brazil's reputation, her talent is in profiling and humanizing people who are too often treated as an undifferentiated mass. In the process, she honors their pursuit of joy and justice--their everyday insurrections. --Hank Stephenson, bookseller, Flyleaf Books, Chapel Hill, N.C.

Shelf Talker: The short profiles and longer investigative pieces in The Collector of Leftover Souls give an idiosyncratic look at the people of Brazil, forced to deal with the collateral damage of their rapidly modernizing nation.