The Bookery Cincy coming soon.

The Bookery Cincy will be opening later this month at 3704 Eastern Ave. in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Business Courier reported that co-owners David and Sierra Hollabaugh have been operating an online bookstore, and plan to launch the bricks-and-mortar location in the Columbia Tusculum neighborhood as soon as October 15.

The genesis of the Bookery began when Sierra Hollabaugh, a former English teacher at Dater High School and underwriter with Great American Insurance Group, "decided to take a step back from the corporate world in September 2021 amid the Covid-19 pandemic," the Business Courier wrote. "It was during that time she discovered the world of 'Bookstagram,' a subsection of social media platform Instagram where people would create accounts devoted entirely to talking about books: sharing book reviews, photos of books and collections, and giving book recommendations."

"I've been an avid reader my whole life: my mom read to me and I always loved it," she said. "I met some local Cincinnati readers (through Bookstagram) and we formed a book club. It's been really nice connecting with people in the community who I would probably never meet if it were not for that book platform."

It was this sense of community that inspired her and David Hollabaugh, a product manager at Kroger and veteran of Cincinnati's tech scene, to launch the Bookery Cincy as an online platform for recommending books as well as selling them. When they discovered that people kept coming back, the idea of expanding to a physical storefront to expand was born.

In a Facebook post last Thursday, the co-owners shared their enthusiasm for the new venture: "Eeeeek we can't wait to share our store with you! Two weeks to go!"

Kate Schlademan, owner of the Learned Owl Book Shop in Hudson, Ohio, has purchased a used bookstore called the Book Shelf in Northfield, Ohio, and are renaming it the Thrifty Owl Book Shop, the Akron Beacon Journal reported.

Schlademan purchased the Book Shelf from retiring owner Patti Shirkman, who bought the store in 2006. The Book Shelf sells used books for all ages and in all genres along with some nonbook items like baskets, bookends and puzzles. Hilton plans to keep the emphasis on used books going forward while also setting up online sales, hosting author events and establishing a book club. Customers will continue to be able to trade in their books for store credit.

"I've had this in the back of my mind," Schlademan told the Journal. "My customers were asking for us to open in another location. But it was a daunting prospect, to find a place, then get inventory and then set up."

The Thrifty Owl will host a grand opening celebration on October 29.

Noting that for years, Canada's Indigo Books & Music "has been branching out beyond books," the Globe & Mail reported that new CEO Peter Ruis "is planning a major expansion in categories such as cookware, tech gadgets and beauty products."

"That's both the challenge and the opportunity," said Ruis, who joined the company last year to succeed founder Heather Reisman, who has become executive chair. While he said books are still the heart of the stores, Ruis is now planning for what he called a "big product revolution.... It's not four or five things; it's about 400 or 500 that we're busily beavering away, trying to bring them to market."

He added that he wants people to associate Indigo with a selection of "interesting" items, including a C$450 (about US$340) Ooni pizza oven, a vegan collagen face mist or a set of stemless wine glasses. "It can't just be more stuff. Everyone's got too much stuff."

Indigo is also planning to ramp up its digital revenue. Ruis noted that online sales have already grown from 17% in 2019 to 30% last year, a jump that is "the only favor Covid did us." The company will launch a new website soon, switching from a platform built in-house in 1999 to one run by Salesforce that will allow for better search and images, but also shipping from stores in addition to warehouses, to speed up deliveries.

Consumer confidence is another challenge in the current economic climate. "There might be a bit of caution in the short term," he said. Although he is optimistic about the strength of the Canadian economy, Ruis is "waiting for some of this uncertainty to pass before Indigo takes its next big step: international expansion, which will begin with the U.S. (it currently has one store in New Jersey), likely followed by Britain," the Globe & Mail wrote.

--- 

Karine Pansa (l.) and Gvantsa Jobava

The International Publishers Association confirmed the elections of Karine Pansa (Girassol Brasil Edições, Brazil) as president-elect and Gvantsa Jobava (Intelekti Publishing, Georgia) as vice president-elect during the IPA's General Assembly. 
 
Bodour Al Qasimi, outgoing IPA president, said: "My presidency reinforced my belief in what we do as an industry and also reinforced my respect and appreciation for publishers. I witnessed first-hand their generosity, resilience, and determination despite all the challenges. I am truly inspired by their hard work and passion and I'm confident that our industry is in safe and capable hands as we write the next chapter in our book."
 
IPA v-p Karine Pansa added: "I'd like to thank Bodour for her exemplary leadership, tireless dedication and competence in dealing with the complex issues that our industry have had during the past two years. It honors me to follow your path and be the third female president of IPA. I am excited to serve our industry and support our members' recovery, and to continue to ensure IPA is an inclusive organization represented and respected globally." 
 
In other election results, IPA will welcome one new full member and three new provisional members, effective January 1, 2023: They are:
 
Full Membership:
Malaysia: Malaysian Book Publishers Association (MABOPA) 
 
Provisional membership:
Guatemala: Asociación Gremial de Editores de Guatemala (AGEG)
Mozambique: Associação Moçambicana de Editores e Livreiros (AMEL)
Syria: Syrian Publishers Association (SPA) 

--- 

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon made "a wee bookshop very happy" after she paid a surprise visit to the newly opened store last week, the National reported. The Gallery Bookshop, located in Glasgow's Merchant City, tweeted on Friday: "We can not confirm or deny that we just received a visit from the First Minister of Scotland until we have knocked back three shots of whiskey to stop our knees shaking." 

Sturgeon, whom the National described as "a renowned bookworm," responded: "Obviously I can't confirm or deny it either... but you do have a beautiful bookshop, with a very fine selection of books." She then revealed her purchases: Excellent Women by Barbara Pym, Nevada by Imogen Binnie and Violeta by Isabel Allende. Gallery replied: "Thank you. You have made a wee bookshop very happy." --Robert Gray

This past Wednesday, Shelf Awareness sent our monthly pre-order e-blast to more than 900,000 of the country's best book readers. The e-blast went to 905,991 customers of 204 participating independent bookstores.

The mailing features eight upcoming titles selected by Shelf Awareness editors and a sponsored title. Customers can buy these books via "pre-order" buttons that lead directly to the purchase page for the title on each sending store's website. A key feature is that bookstore partners can easily change title selections to best reflect the tastes of their customers and can customize the mailing with links, images and promotional copy of their own.

The pre-order e-blasts are sent the last Wednesday of each month; the next will go out on Wednesday, October 26. Stores interested in learning more can visit our program registration page or contact our partner program team via e-mail.

For a sample of the September pre-order e-blast, see this one from Betty's Books, Baker City, Ore.

The titles highlighted in the pre-order e-blast were:

The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama (Crown)
The World We Make by N.K. Jemisin (Orbit)
We Are the Light by Matthew Quick (Avid Reader)
Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger (Park Row)
A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny (Minotaur)
Surrender by Bono (Knopf)
The Pasta Queen by Nadia Caterina Munno (Gallery)
Number One Is Walking by Steve Martin, illus. by Harry Bliss (Celadon)
Marie Kondo's Kurashi at Home by Marie Kondo (Ten Speed)
Cursed by Marissa Meyer (Feiwel & Friends)
Scattered Showers by Rainbow Rowell (Wednesday Books)

Congratulations to the Book Den, Santa Barbara, Calif., which is celebrating its 120th anniversary on Thursday, October 6, from 5 to 9 p.m. The store will have some displays and bookstore historian Charles Johnson will be on hand. Drinks will be served.

Owner Eric Kelley noted that the store is not precisely sure when the Book Den was founded, saying, "In 1901, there was no bookstore at 1257 Broadway in Oakland. And in 1902, there was." The Book Den had two locations and three owners while in Oakland. In 1933, the store was moved to Santa Barbara, opening on February 19 at 15 East Anapamu Street, where it remains to this day.

Kelley bought the Book Den on April Fool's Day, 1979. At that time, the store sold mostly used books. The inventory was computerized in the 1990s, and Internet sales started in 2001. In 2010, with the exit of Borders and Barnes & Noble, the Book Den started adding new books to its inventory and became a new and used bookstore.

While the Book Den's staff of five has a total of 198 years of bookselling experience, none were on hand when the store was founded.

Third Place Books in Seward Park, Seattle, Wash., hosted Chris Stedman (l.), author of IRL: Finding Our Real Selves in a Digital World (Broadleaf Books), in conversation with Shelf Awareness associate editor Dave Wheeler.

Lost Horse Press and Lynx House House Press are now distributed by Washington State University Press. They were formerly distributed by University of Washington Press.

Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese (St. Martin's Press).

Today:
Fresh Air: Rachel Bloom, author of I Want to Be Where the Normal People Are (Grand Central, $17.99, 9781538745366).

Tomorrow:
Today Show: Annie Duke, author of Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away (Portfolio, $28, 9780593422991).

Good Morning America: Estela Juarez, co-author of Until Someone Listens: A Story About Borders, Family, and One Girl's Mission (Roaring Brook, $18.99, 9781250832122).

The View: Reese Witherspoon, author of Busy Betty (Flamingo Books, $19.99, 9780593465882).

Late Night with Seth Meyers: Kelly Ripa, author of Live Wire: Long-Winded Short Stories (Dey Street, $28.99, 9780063073302).

Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Cody Keenan, author of Grace: President Obama and Ten Days in the Battle for America (Mariner, $29.99, 9780358651895).

AppleTV+ has set a release date for its upcoming holiday movie musical Spirited, a new adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic story A Christmas Carol, Playbill reported. Directed by Sean Anders and written by Anders and John Morris, the film will hit theaters November 11 and stream on AppleTV+ beginning November 18.

Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds lead a cast that includes Patrick Page, Joe Tippett, Octavia Spencer, Sunita Mani, Loren Woods, Marlow Barkley and Jen Tullock. The film will feature new songs written by Dear Evan Hansen team Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, along with Khiyon Hursey, Sukari Jones and Mark Sonnenblick.

Foday Mannah won Hachette's Mo Siewcharran Prize for his novel The Search for Othella Savage, the Bookseller reported. The award, named in memory of Nielsen Book's former director of marketing and communications, was launched in 2019 to help discover unpublished fiction writers from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds. 

The winner receives £2,500 (about $2,855) plus editorial feedback in the form of a two to three-page editorial letter from a Quercus editor, as well as a follow up one-hour editorial session. He will also have introductory meetings with at least two different literary agents, an introductory session with the Quercus rights, marketing and publicity teams, and his novel will be taken forward to the next Quercus acquisitions meeting to be considered for full publication with an advance against royalties.

Arranged Murder by Faaiza Munir was the runner-up, winning  £1,500 (about $1,715) along with editorial feedback in a two to three-page letter from a Quercus editor and a book hamper; while Incarnations of an English Subject by Kalbinder Dayal finished third, receiving £750 (about $855) and a book hamper.

--- 

The Writers' Trust of Canada unveiled finalists for this year's C$60,000 (about US$45,240) Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction, which honors works published in Canada that demonstrate "a distinctive voice, as well as a persuasive and compelling command of tone, narrative, style and technique." Each finalist receives C$5,000 (about US$3,770). The winner will be named November 2. This year's shortlisted titles are:

The Petroleum Papers: Inside the Far-Right Conspiracy to Cover Up Climate Change by Geoff Dembicki
Nothing Will Be Different: A Memoir by Tara McGowan-Ross
The Long Road Home: On Blackness and Belonging by Debra Thompson
The Invisible Siege: The Rise of Coronaviruses and the Search for a Cure by Dan Werb
Making Love with the Land by Joshua Whitehead

For readers whose knowledge of Denmark is confined to Copenhagen and its environs, Danish writer Dorthe Nors's A Line in the World: A Year on the North Sea Coast will come as a revelation. In 14 eloquent, observant essays that combine journalism, nature writing and memoir, Nors paints a vivid portrait of a remote and rugged territory whose striking scenery masks more than its share of dangers.

Though the essays describe a year of episodic travels, Nors (Mirror, Shoulder, Signal; Karate Chop) forgoes a strict chronology. Instead, from the Wadden Sea in the south to Skagen at its northern tip, she hopscotches along the 600 miles of what she calls "one of the world's most dangerous coastlines," at the western edge of the peninsula known as Jutland, where she grew up and lives today.

Nors's interests range widely, encompassing history, religion, sociology, culture and an assortment of scientific disciplines. In "The Timeless," for example, her description of the day she and her artist friend Signe Parkins, whose drawings enhance the book, spent viewing rural church frescoes, she touches on the status of women in traditional Danish society, and describes how her mother's youthful dreams of pursuing an artistic career were frustrated and only realized, in part, in adulthood. The essay "West by Water" opens with a scene of Nors gazing out from a lighthouse toward a vast offshore wind farm at the coastline's westernmost point, and then flows seamlessly into a reflection on the history of the Vikings, an age that "has gone down to rest on the seabed, among the seaweed and the shoals of herring."

In some of the book's most dramatic passages, Nors offers colorful descriptions of the raging North Sea gales, whose hurricane-force winds and murderous storm surges periodically batter this coastline. One of the earliest recorded was Saint Marcellus's flood (known in Danish as the Great Drowning of Men) in January 1362, in which "thousands of people and animals drowned, great tracts of land disappeared, and a number of the islands we know today were formed in a single night." On Christmas night in 1811, a storm took the lives of more than 1,300 people and destroyed two famous British ships. Throughout the ensuing winter, she writes, "bodies washed ashore along the line like dead seals. Mass graves had to be dug, dead man's mountains, in the dunes."

Nors's prose, translated from the Danish by Caroline Waight, is both economical and expressive. When she's writing about nature she has a pleasing knack for engaging all the senses, and when she turns to some aspect of her family history, her candor is seasoned with a pinch of Scandinavian reserve. For all these reasons and more, A Line in the World will appeal to a wide audience of discerning and curious readers. ---Harvey Freedenberg, freelance reviewer

Shelf Talker: In a collection of 14 precisely observed essays, Danish writer Dorthe Nors surveys the history, geography and culture of Denmark's western coast.

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

1. State of the Union by Marie Force
2. Making the Match by Kristen Ashley
3. Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score
4. Always Her Love: Levi Steele by Melissa Foster
5. The Next Wave Is Brave by Various
6. Don't Let Me Go by Kelsie Rae
7. Unexpected Ever After by Various
8. A Time to Lead by Craig Dowden
9. Terrible Beauty by Anna Zaires
10. Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki with Sharon L. Lechter

[Many thanks to IndieReader.com!]