Bookends & Beginnings' current location.

Bookends & Beginnings, Evanston, Ill., which must move at the end of January, has launched a GoFundMe campaign to pay for the costs of the move, including 40,000 books, and for building out its new space. Last summer, a new landlord increased the store's rent by 125%, which owner Nina Barrett called "unaffordable." She has found a new space nearby, but the store "wasn't expecting to be in this situation" and has "no reserve funds," she wrote on the GoFundMe site. The campaign, which began this past weekend, has a goal of $250,000 and, as of this morning, already has raised nearly $40,000.

On the campaign site, Barrett noted that while the new space is on a major street with more exposure, big front windows, two floors and more amenities, it is "a giant vanilla box," without the charm of the current location, a cozy, worn spot on an alley. The new spot is "historic, but the kind of charm and magic that are such an integral part of our identity are going to need to be created from scratch," Barrett wrote. "We already have a plan to combine new and used fixtures, color and art, and salvaged lighting and furniture to create a distinctive space that you'll love visiting as much as you did our old space." The store also intends to expand its children's selection, host more events, and eventually add a bar.

Barrett said that the need for contributions is all the more urgent because of problems and delays in receiving financial help from the City of Evanston. Bookends & Beginnings hoped to get a $475,000 grant through the American Rescue Plan, which is supposed to help small businesses and municipalities, but the City said this kind of project is ineligible. The City's economic development committee has recommended a grant of $83,000, but this will have to be approved by the City Council, which would happen at the earliest at a meeting on December 12. The committee has said it doesn't usually fund more than 25% of the cost of such a project, but said there might be other ways of adding funding, including a low-interest or interest-free loan.

Athenaeum at Amityville Apothecary, a bookstore with a focus on the metaphysical and spiritual, has opened in Amityville, N.Y., Newsday reported.

The bookstore carries titles pertaining to subjects like tarot reading, crystals, astrology, dreams, witchcraft and personal development and growth. Co-owners Dina Rosenberg and Danielle Martin are also the owners of Amityville Apothecary, which they opened four years ago.

Martin told Newsday that the shop caters to everyone from "the beginner that is just looking to start their journey to the more experienced practitioner that's looking to deepen their practice."

There are books from local authors about deciphering dreams, understanding astrology and crystal healing, as well as plenty of tarot decks, all of which have demo copies that can be perused before buying. The Apothecary carries crystals, candles, jewelry and essential oils, and events include candle and ornament making and introductions to witchcraft.

Booksellers and baristas at Savoy Bookshop & Cafe in Westerly, R.I., have unionized, the Westerly Sun reported.

They are joining United Food and Commercial Workers Local Union 328 and have been voluntarily recognized by store owner Annie Philbrick, who also owns Bank Square Books in Mystic, Conn., and Title IX in New London, Conn.

Savoy Bookshop employees delivered a letter to Philbrick on November 22 announcing their decision to unionize. The letter stated in part: “Our decision to organize is the result of months of conversations between staff, other booksellers, and our families. It is rooted in love of our work, our community, and our personal and professional investment in the company’s success. It is a reflection of our passion for our workplace and a confirmation of the workers' integral functions within it."

In a statement Philbrick said the bookstore and cafe was fortunate to have a team of staff members who "are passionate about what they do," and the hope going ahead is to "work together to secure a future for both the company and the people who help make Savoy in integral part of the community here in Westerly."

Bookseller Danielle Beliveau told the Sun that the unionization effort began earlier this year and has involved eight to nine staff members. They were inspired by booksellers at other stores around the country who have unionized, including those at Politics & Prose in Washington, D.C. She said: "Hearing that news, we were like, 'is this something we could do?' " From there, they reached out to Local 328.

Contract negotiations will begin in the new year.

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 915,657 customers of 210 participating independent bookstores.

The mailing features 11 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, December 28. 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 November pre-order e-blast, see this one from Third Street Books, McMinnville, Ore.

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

The Deluge by Stephen Markley (Simon & Schuster)
Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo (Flatiron)
Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson (Mariner)
Rough Sleepers by Tracy Kidder (Random House)
6 Spices, 60 Dishes: Indian Recipes that Are Simple, Fresh, and Big on Taste by Ruta Kahate (Chronicle)
Koala by Danielle Clode (Norton)
The Creative Act by Rick Rubin (Penguin Press)
The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness by Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz (Simon & Schuster)
One: Simple One-Pan Wonders by Jamie Oliver (Flatiron)
The Stolen Heir by Holly Black (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
How to Be a (Young) Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi and Nic Stone (Kokila)

Bob Cattell

British author and bookseller Bob Cattell, who wrote the Glory Gardens series of children's books and founded the Bookboat, a children's bookshop moored by Greenwich pier in the 1970s and '80s, has died. He was 74.

In a Guardian obituary, Bridget Taylor, his partner for 50 years, wrote that during the mid-'70s, while working in PR and advertising in London, Cattell and a friend, Chris Moore, found a traditional Humber Keel barge in Rotherhithe. After two years of weekends and evenings laboring on the conversion, they sailed across the Thames from a slipway on the Isle of Dogs and moored alongside the Cutty Sark in Greenwich.

The Bookboat opened in 1978 "and proved hugely popular, with several successful book fairs and other events run alongside," Taylor noted. "A couple of years later, now sole owner of the Bookboat, Bob converted a Routemaster bus into the Bookbus, which operated as an educational charity in south-east London, taking books, authors and illustrators into schools and running holiday reading programs."

Cattell sold the Bookboat in 1986 and the Bookbus in 1990, after which he concentrated on writing. His book series Glory Gardens was conceived to address the dearth of cricket books for children. The first two books, Glory in the Cup and Bound for Glory, were released in 1995, and the series evenntually reached nine volumes. 

After Glory Gardens, he went on to publish other children's titles including the Butter-Finger trilogy with the poet John Agard; Bowl Like the Devil and, with David Ross, the football series Strikers. Later came First XI and Second XI, two collections of short stories for adults set in cricket-playing countries around the world. Recent collaborations with illustrator Michael Woods resulted in Reynard the Fox, a new translation of the medieval fable, and Agon, a selection of Greek myths.

Taylor observed that "Bob was a voracious reader, avid traveler, generous host, controversial conversationalist and consistent friend."

Anton Bogomazov, Politics & Prose's new chief adult book buyer, was a guest to talk about books and holiday shopping on local podcast City Cast DC. This was City Cast DC's first live taping, and took place at P&P's Union Market store for a sold-out crowd. City Cast is collection of hyper-local podcasts around the country. Pictured: Bogomazov; David Plotz, CEO, City Cast; podcast host Michael Schaffer 

Battenkill Books, Cambridge, N.Y., posted "photos from the ridiculously fun cast of Little Women. Customers got a sneak peek today of the production, which will be up for one weekend only [at] Hubbard Hall Center for the Arts and Education. Our thanks to Hubbard Hall and the Cambridge Food Coop for partnering on a great community event!"

Posted on Facebook by Greedy Reads, Baltimore, Md.: "It's time for my annual, 'The only good thing about the days being shorter is that I get this view more often' post. The post might get old but the view never does."

Continental Sales is now representing Pigna, the Italian stationery company, including its PdiPigna and Monocromo brands, in the U.S. National Book Network is handling fulfillment.

Pigna is best known for its range of notebooks. Since 1839, its premium brand PdiPigna has, the company said, "reflected Italian heritage, timeless beauty, and attention to detail, with all collections made in Italy. Inspired from the world of design and art, and through their partnerships with well-known Italian artists and designers, PdiPigna has defined what an ideal contemporary collection of notebooks and diaries should be."

The Cat in the Christmas Tree: And Other True Stories of Feline Joy and Merry Mischief, edited by Callie Smith Grant (Revell).

Today:
Today Show: Kate Andersen Brower, author of Elizabeth Taylor: The Gift & Glamour of an Icon (Harper, $32.50, 9780063067653).

Good Morning America: John Donvan and Caren Zucker, authors of In a Different Key: The Story of Autism (Crown, $19, 9780307985705).

Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Naomi Osaka, author of The Way Champs Play (HarperCollins, $19.99, 9780063283688). She will also appear tomorrow on Good Morning America.

Tomorrow:
Good Morning America: Don Schoendorfer, author of Miracle Wheels: The Story of a Mission to Bring Mobility to the World (Mascot Books, $18.95, 9781637554579).

Jimmy Kimmel Live: Janelle Monáe, author of The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer (Harper Voyager, $18.99, 9780063070882).

Emmy-winner Jeffrey Wright (Westworld) stars in an upcoming film based on Percival Everett's 2001 novel Erasure. IndieWire reported that MGM's Orion Pictures acquired the as yet untitled movie, which marks the directorial debut of Cord Jefferson (Watchmen, Master of None). 

The cast also includes Tracee Ellis Ross, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown, Adam Brody, Erika Alexander, Myra Lucretia Taylor and John Ortiz. Jefferson and Ziffren Brittenham wrote the screenplay for the adaptation. The film recently wrapped production in Boston.

"As longtime fans of Cord, we are thrilled to be a part of his feature film debut and for the opportunity to share his vision with global audiences," Orion Pictures president Alana Mayo said. "His adaptation of Everett's biting novel and Jeffrey's brilliant take on the character, along with this incredibly talented cast, create a wonderful alchemy to tell this story."

A (Very) Short History of Life on Earth: 4.6 Billion Years in 12 Chapters by Henry Gee (published here by St. Martin's Press) won the £25,000 (about $30,740) Royal Society Science Book Prize, which recognizes works that "exemplify the extraordinary variety of topics and narrative style within the genre, and the role that great writing plays in bringing outstanding research and ideas to a wider audience."

Chair of judges Maria Fitzgerald said: "This is history like you have never read before. Henry Gee takes us on a whirlwind journey through 4.6 billion years through the birth of the planet Earth, the emergence of life and the evolution of man, a species that is not only aware of itself but also of what will happen next. As Gee races through millennia, momentous physical and biological changes are described with immense skill and dynamism combined with almost poetic imagery. The last chapter, 'The Past of the Future,' reminds us of our relative insignificance and that each species facing extinction does so in its own way. But 'do not despair,' he urges us: 'The Earth abides, and life is living yet.' "

Lauren Fleshman, five-time NCAA running champion at Stanford University and two-time national champion at the professional level, always displayed obsessive dedication, commitment and drive. In her superb memoir, Good for a Girl, she opens a door into her athletic and personal life, baring honest, hard truths about her path to becoming "one of the most decorated American distance runners of all time." She also fearlessly exposes the often dark, demanding underbelly of female sports and how she believes it needs to be reformed.

Fleshman was born in 1981 and grew up in a middle-class family that ate dinner together every night. Fleshman's father was a contradiction: big-hearted and charismatic, gruff and hot-headed. But Fleshman's abiding love for him--and her constant seeking of his love and approval--became a driving force: "He was the kind of dad who wanted sons, but he got two daughters and refused to adjust his parenting plan." Her father instilled principles of excellence that carried over into Fleshman's life--especially when she found sports. She was a gifted runner in middle school PE, but after being beaten by a boy in a school race, she started showing up late. The track coach gave Fleshman an ultimatum: he would waive her "punishment" of collecting 150 soda cans for recycling if she'd agree to compete in a track meet. This launched Fleshman into competitive running; she excelled throughout high school, college and beyond, was sponsored by Nike, and later became a sought-after coach and entrepreneur.

Straightforward and well-structured, this memoir traces the many challenges, setbacks and confusions on Fleshman's road to success. Her life experiences serve to fortify facts and statistics that support how sports participation can substantially impact a woman's life. However, because women are forced to keep up in a male-dominated world, female puberty is often "framed as a threat to performance." The pressure of competition among girls fosters eating disorders, physical problems, injuries and mental health issues. In addition, expectations for women to be "feminine" create a clash between being both physically strong and sexually attractive.

Her discussion of physiology and sports psychology enhance Fleshman's impassioned, deeply personal narrative. She beautifully balances the book with equal parts joy and victory, pain and heartache. Good for a Girl is a necessary, important read that will enlighten athletes of all genders, their coaches and those who cheer for them. --Kathleen Gerard, blogger at Reading Between the Lines

Shelf Talker: This impassioned, enlightened memoir by Lauren Fleshman, an exceptional American distance runner, explores competitive athleticism.