Annie Ernaux

French writer Annie Ernaux has won the Nobel Prize for Literature. At a news conference this morning announcing the win, the Swedish Academy cited her for "the courage and clinical acuity with which she uncovers the roots, estrangements and collective restraints of personal memory." The New York Times described her as "a novelist whose intensely personal books have highlighted incidents from her own life, including a back-street abortion in the 1960s and a passionate extramarital affair."

Ernaux is best known for her memoir The Years, published in a translation by Alison L. Strayer by Seven Stories Press. The translation was shortlisted for the 2019 Man Booker International Prize, and received the 31st Annual French-American Translation Prize for nonfiction and the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation. In French, the book received the Françoise-Mauriac Prize of the French Academy, the Marguerite Duras Prize, the Strega European Prize, the French Language Prize and the Télégramme Readers Prize.

Getting Lost, a diary of the affair she had with a younger, married Soviet diplomat, also translated by Strayer, was published by Seven Stories just two days ago. The affair was also the basis for her novel Simple Passion. Seven Stories has published other titles by Ernaux, including A Girl's Story, A Woman's Story, Getting Lost and Shame.

Seven Stories publisher Dan Simon described Ernaux to New York Times as someone who "stood up for herself as a woman, as someone who came from the French working class, unbowed, for decade after decade." He also said the Nobel committee had made "a brave choice by choosing someone who writes unabashedly about her sexual life, about women's rights and her experience and sensibility as a woman--and for whom writing is life itself."

Yale University Press is planning to publish Ernaux's Look at the Lights, My Love.

The Nobel Literature Prize awards ceremony will take place in Stockholm on December 10.

James Patterson

James Patterson will once again be supporting independent booksellers through his Holiday Bookstore Bonus Program. The bestselling author has pledged a personal contribution of $250,000, to be distributed to 500 booksellers in $500 increments. 

Nominations can be made through an online nomination form that asks the question: "In 250 words or less, why does this bookseller deserve a holiday bonus?" The deadline to nominate is November 16. 

"We are all so grateful for Mr. Patterson's ongoing support of independent booksellers," said ABA CEO Allison Hill. "His generosity is incredible, and his recognition of booksellers and the valuable role they play in the industry is especially meaningful to us."

Booksellers can self-nominate to be considered for a bonus, or they can be nominated by bookstore customers, owners, employees, managers, fellow booksellers, publishing professionals or authors. Past recipients of James Patterson bonuses and grants are eligible for another bonus. The names of those nominating won't be made public and won't be revealed to the nominees. 

Stores can share information about the program on social media, in-store and on the store's website, and encourage customers to nominate booksellers. Access ABA social media assets here. Nominees must be currently employed by an ABA independent bookstore. Employment and membership will be confirmed. The bonuses, announced in Bookselling This Week and on BookWeb, will be distributed in December.  

New and used bookstore Luminary Books is now open in Gardnerville, Nev., the Record-Courier reported.

In 2020, store owner Bethany Frediani purchased Shelby's Book Shoppe, a mostly used store that was founded in 2005, after being a regular customer there for years. Recently she reopened the store as Luminary Books, which carries about 75% used titles and a heavily curated selection of new titles.

Books are available for all ages and across all genres. Frediani accepts trade-ins from customers and also buys used books from thrift stores, yard sales and friend-of-the-library book sales.

Frediani plans to host book clubs, readings, book signings and live music performances. She'll also make the store available for pop-up markets and workshops.

"The bookshelves are on wheels so they can be moved around to accommodate space," she told the Record-Courier. "I want to encourage people to come together and have the space they need whether for an event or just to hang out."

Before purchasing the bookstore, Frediani worked in the wedding flower industry. She recalled often joking with the owner of Shelby's Book Shoppe that she should purchase the store so the owner could retire. "But one day I went home and couldn't stop thinking about it and here we are."

The Galaxy Bookshop, Hardwick, Vt., has found an interim office as it gears up for eventual re-opening. The bookseller was forced to close its physical space in July after a fire in an upstairs apartment set off the building's sprinkler system and caused extensive damage to the store and its inventory. 

In an e-mail to customers, Galaxy reported that effective October 11, "you will find us at our new interim office location--39 South Main Street, right next door to the once and future Galaxy Bookshop space. We are going to be rooming with our new neighbor, the Flower Basket!"

The bookstore will keep the same office hours it has had for the past couple of months, but order pick-ups will now be in the same place as the office and available during Flower Basket hours. "We hope that this location will be more convenient for our customers. It will also make it more convenient for us to receive deliveries when we start getting shipments of new inventory! (We are so excited about the thought of receiving new inventory!!)," Galaxy said.

The bookseller added that it does not yet have a date for re-opening: "Believe us when we say, we are as anxious as anyone to have this on the calendar! We will share news about construction and anticipated re-opening as soon as we have it."

Barnes & Noble is opening in a new space next month at the Westfield Old Orchard shopping center in Skokie, Ill., "nearly a year after its former store ended a 27-year run at the mall amid the redevelopment of its building," Patch reported.

A grand opening of the two-story, 20,000-square-foot store is planned for November 16 in the "interim space that will operate until a permanent space is available amid renovations and development at the mall." The company's former location was about 45,000 square feet. 

"Our history in Old Orchard was rich, marked by the people we serve and the stories we shared," said B&N v-p of stores Amy Fitzgerald. "Our booksellers, led by store manager Mary Mateer, are looking forward to celebrating this holiday season in our new location with friends and booklovers, new and old." 

The Skokie location is one of 16 B&N stores scheduled to open during 2022, with another 30 locations in development for next year, company officials said. 

Serge Khalimsky, the mall's general manager, noted that B&N "has been a staple at the center for many years, so we are thrilled for its return in time for holiday shopping." 

"What kind of books does our team prefer?" Read Between the Lynes, Woodstock, Ill., asked while sharing a video on Instagram in which the shop's booksellers showed where they stand. "Find out in the Battle of the Genres! How about you? What genres would you choose?"

Highland Books, Brevard, N.C., shared a photo of the shop's sidewalk chalkboard message: "Every book you've ever read is just a different combination of 26 letters (Boom! Mind blown!)."

At Simon & Schuster:

Brianna Yamashita has been promoted to executive director of marketing at Scribner.

Danielle Prielipp has joined S&S as marketing director. Previously she was assistant director, marketing & email strategy at St. Martin's Publishing Group.

Lauren Castner has been promoted to associate director, special markets.

Morgan Maple has been promoted to senior publicist at S&S Children's Publishing. She was most recently a publicist.

Lisa Quach has been promoted to senior marketing manager for Aladdin, Little Simon, Simon Spotlight, Simon Pulse, MTV Books, and Margaret K. McElderry Books. She was most recently a marketing manager.

Caitlin Morrow has been promoted to manager, special markets.

Caroline Bonin has been promoted to manager, sales operations.

Roxanne Hagy has been promoted to telemarketing manager, special markets.

Out Here on Our Own: An Oral History of an American Boomtown by J.J. Anselmi (Bison Books).

Tomorrow:
Good Morning America: Yung Pueblo, author of Lighter: Let Go of the Past, Connect with the Present, and Expand the Future (Harmony, $24, 9780593233177).

Kelly Clarkson Show: Constance Wu, author of Making a Scene (Scribner, $29, 9781982188542).

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, October 8
9:30 a.m. Mark A. Tabbert, author of A Deserving Brother: George Washington and Freemasonry (‎University of Virginia Press, $34.95, 9780813947211). (Re-airs Saturday at 9:30 p.m.)

2 p.m. Lynn Heidelbaugh and Thomas Paone, editors of Between Home and the Front: Civil War Letters of the Walters Family (Indiana University Press, $20, 9780253062970). (Re-airs Sunday at 2 a.m.)

Sunday, October 9
8 a.m. Linda Villarosa, author of Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on American Lives and on the Health of Our Nation (‎Doubleday, $30, 9780385544887). (Re-airs Sunday at 8 p.m.)

8:55 a.m. Sen. Tim Scott, author of America, a Redemption Story: Choosing Hope, Creating Unity (Thomas Nelson, $28.99, 9781400236497). (Re-airs Sunday at 8:55 p.m.)

10 a.m. Rep. Cori Bush, author of The Forerunner: A Story of Pain and Perseverance in America (‎Knopf, $28, 9780593320587). (Re-airs Sunday at 10 p.m.)

2 p.m. Chantel Prat, author of The Neuroscience of You: How Every Brain Is Different and How to Understand Yours (Dutton, $28, 9781524746605). (Re-airs Monday at 2 a.m.)

4:45 p.m. Elliot Ackerman, author of The Fifth Act: America's End in Afghanistan (Penguin Press, $27, 9780593492048). (Re-airs Monday at 4:45 a.m.)

6:55 p.m. Robert Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa, authors of His Name Is George Floyd: One Man's Life and the Struggle for Racial Justice (‎Viking, $30, 9780593490617). (Re-airs Monday at 6:55 a.m.)

Shortlists in three categories have been released for the Diverse Book Awards, which were created in 2019 by author Abiola Bello and publicist Helen Lewis to recognize "diverse and inclusive books by authors based in the U.K. and Ireland across children's, YA and adult books," the Bookseller reported. See the complete shortlists here.

Winners in each category, who will be named October 20, receive a bundle of prizes, including a glass trophy, VIP admission to 12 months of author marketing and branding online workshops hosted by Literally PR; editorial content in Pen&Inc and the opportunity to be part of the winners panel hosted by the Author School. That Playlist Book Box will create a limited edition winners' book box. 

The YA and children's winner will have a dedicated page on the Peters website and a book signing at Wonderland Bookshop. This year's children's winner will also be part of an online panel hosted by Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency, featured as a World Book Day U.K. Book Club pick and be part of Big Wig Children's Festival at the Wigtown Book Festival. The YA winner will be part of the National Teen Book Club, a U.K. wide virtual book club for teens and Wigtown YA at the Wigtown Book Festival. 

Selected new titles appearing next Tuesday, October 11:

The High Notes: A Novel by Danielle Steel (Delacorte, $28.99, 9781984821744) follows a young singer seeking freedom from her exploitative father and manager.

Long Shadows by David Baldacci (Grand Central, $29, 9781538719824) is the seventh mystery with FBI consultant Amos Decker.

The Book of Joe: Trying Not to Suck at Baseball and Life by Joe Maddon and Tom Verducci (Twelve, $30, 9781538751794) is the memoir of a baseball manager.

Morgenthau: Power, Privilege, and the Rise of an American Dynasty by Andrew Meier (Random House, $45, 9781400068852) chronicles four generations of a successful German immigrant family.

Sundays with Sophie: Flay Family Recipes for Any Day of the Week by Bobby Flay, Sophie Flay and Emily Timberlake (Clarkson Potter, $35, 9780593232408) is a cookbook by a father-daughter cooking duo.

The River of Silver by S.A. Chakraborty (Harper Voyager, $27.99, 9780063093737) contains stories from the Daevabad fantasy series.

Distant Thunder by Stuart Woods (Putnam, $29, 9780593540039) is the 63rd Stone Barrington thriller.

Witchcraft Simplified: Essential Spells for the Modern Witch by Isabella Ferrari (Cider Mill Press, $14.95, 9781646432523) provides practical magic techniques.

Witch Hazel by Molly Idle (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, $18.99, 9780316541138) is a picture book about intergenerational bonds with cozy Halloween vibes.

If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang (Inkyard Press, $18.99, 9781335915849) features a young woman who uses her invisibility powers to collect secrets.

Paperbacks:
Our Class: Trauma and Transformation in an American Prison by Chris Hedges (Simon & Schuster, $18, 9781982154448).

A Dog's Perfect Christmas by W. Bruce Cameron (Forge Books, $14.99, 9781250799616).

Nice Racism: How Progressive White People Perpetuate Racial Harm by Robin DiAngelo (Beacon Press, $16, 9780807055571).

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 Ski Jumpers: A Novel by Peter Geye (University of Minnesota Press, $25.95, 9781517913496). "This book is about so much more than ski jumping. A stunning story of family, trauma, secrets, and forgiveness, of finding peace as we grow older. You will grow attached to every single character in this storytelling masterpiece." --Kristen Sandstrom, Apostle Islands Booksellers, Bayfield, Wis.

People Person: A Novel by Candice Carty-Williams (Gallery/Scout Press, $27.99, 9781501196041). "Meet the Penningtons: Five siblings from four mothers, raised in London with no support from their father and with vastly different backgrounds. Somehow, they mesh. People Person makes their growing bond a hilarious triumph of family." --Myles Mickle, Village Square Booksellers, Bellows Falls, Vt.

Paperback
Fault Lines: A Novel by Emily Itami (Mariner, $17.99, 9780063099814). "Emily Itami has given us an incredibly engaging, hilarious, and relatable narrator in Mizuki as she navigates the fault lines in her marriage, in her past, and within herself." --Danielle Raub, Itinerant Literate Books, Charleston, S.C.

For Ages 5 to 8
The Flamingo: A Graphic Novel Chapter Book by Guojing (Random House Studio, $18.99, 9780593127315). "This lovely story of family and imagination is great for a wide range of reading levels; some dialogue frames the story, but even pre-readers can enjoy flipping through the pages and telling themselves the story." --Tegan Tigani, Queen Anne Book Company, Seattle, Wash.

For Ages 8 to 11
The Vanquishers by Kalynn Bayron (Bloomsbury Children's Books, $16.99, 9781547609772). "When the new kid goes missing, Boog and her crew realize that vampires may not be a relic of the past. An adventure story that's just eerie enough, exploring friendship, family, and the cost of protecting those we love. A spooky, sweet read." --Chelsea Stringfield, Parnassus Books, Nashville, Tenn.

For Teen Readers
All of Our Demise by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman (Tor Teen, $18.99, 9781250789341). "...Wow. That's all that I could muster when I finished this book. A true page-turner full of the biggest amount of twists and knives-to-your-gut I've ever read. It's dark and twisted and gripping, and completely flabbergasting." --Valeria Salas Ibarra, Front Street Books, Alpine, Tex.

[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]

Professional audiobook narrator and game developer Travis Baldree initially self-published his "high fantasy and low stakes" first novel, Legends & Lattes, which became a social-media sensation. This slice-of-life comfort read stars an unlikely coffee shop owner as she vies for business, builds a supportive social circle and quests for the perfect hot drink.

Orc barbarian and career adventurer Viv is ready to hang up her broadsword and live out her dreams of opening a café serving the exotic gnomish beverage coffee. Her research leads her to the city of Thune and an abandoned livery building that will need considerable work to pass as a café. Viv faces the challenge, wanting "something she built up, rather than cut down," and launches the city's first coffee shop. Helping her out are carpenter Calamity the hob, café assistant Tandri the succubus and baking genius Thimble the rattkin. Business gets off to a less than promising start, but little by little, the cafe begins to take off. The menu expands as Viv begins to form a customer base, but challenges arise when a local crime boss sends thugs to extort protection money, leaving Viv struggling to keep to her new nonviolent way of life. To make matters worse, Viv has a deep secret about the café's success, and someone from her old life has figured it out. She'll need to use all her wits and newfound connections to keep from losing everything she's built, including her growing relationship with Tandri.

Baldree's combination of humor, fantasy elements and gentle plot lends itself to a comforting story that's something like a cross between Terry Pratchett's Discworld series and Becky Chambers's Monk and Robot novellas, with a dash of cafe simulator games thrown in for good measure. Stalwart, disarmingly uncertain Viv shows both the frightening and rewarding sides of starting over. When she falters, her found family are nearby to bolster her spirits and lend their help. The subtle romance between Tandri and Viv will warm hearts as the two steadily grow closer. The café's regular customers are based on stock coffee shop customers with a fantasy twist, such as a college student studying ley lines and a bard with a rock-and-roll lute. Even the conflicts resolve in ways that bolster the book's message of inclusion and nonviolent solutions. Fans of comforting stories, tabletop fantasy RPGs and unlikely heroes should find much to love in this charming outing. --Jaclyn Fulwood, blogger at Infinite Reads

Shelf Talker: Audiobook narrator Travis Baldree made social media waves with this cozy, gentle fantasy about a retired orc warrior who opens a coffee shop.