A bookstore and coffee shop called Dog Ear Books & Wild Fox Coffee opened in a limited capacity late last month in Brookhaven, Miss., the Daily Leader reported.

Located at 512 West Monticello St. in a renovated house, the bookstore sells new books for all ages and across all genres, along with high-quality art supplies and other nonbook items like journals, stationery, greeting cards and pens. Owners Dana and Jason Matte are still finishing up work on the building's second floor, which will be home to a large children's section. They plan to host book club meetings, story-time sessions and author readings, and eventually turn the front porch into a seating area.

"We wanted a bookstore and felt Brookhaven needed one," Dana Matte told the Daily Leader, adding that they felt the addition of a coffee shop would help support the business. It was her dream to open a business of her own someday. For the time being, both have kept their day jobs--she is a nurse practitioner and her husband is a truck driver--and have hired employees to run the bookstore and coffee shop day-to-day.

The cafe side of the business sells coffee drinks inspired by the personality and appearance of the dogs in the Mattes' lives. For example, the Roscoe is named after their corgi and has toasted marshmallow, pecan and caramel flavors, while the Newman has salted caramel and white chocolate. All of the coffee beans are sourced from a roaster in Mississippi. They plan to add some food items like biscuits.

"We want to be a fixture in the community and be a place people could come by and hangout," Jason Matte said.

Mae Cannon has purchased Griffin Bay Bookstore in Friday Harbor, Wash., from previous owner Laura Norris and officially took over this week. 

Norris ran the 43-year-old independent bookstore on San Juan Island for 16 years and was its third owner. In a statement announcing the change, Norris explained that she is "leaving Griffin Bay Bookstore steeped in the confidence that its future is secure in the hands of new owner Mae Cannon. She is a devoted bibliophile with a wide breadth of talents and expertise which will suit the bookstore and reading community well.

"It has been my honor to serve the island community which I grew up in and love so much for these past 16 years, but I know the time has come to welcome in the next generation and I trust that all of you will join me in supporting Griffin Bay Bookstore’s new owner, Mae.”

Cannon, a book lover who has had a lifelong dream of opening a bookstore, moved to San Juan Island several years ago with her husband and has "loved Griffin Bay Bookstore" since her first visit. Her first day at the bookstore was December 6.

"I am excited to keep the tradition of Griffin Bay Bookstore strong," Cannon said. "My desire is for the store to continue to be a place where all people feel welcome and can come to learn about the treasures of our island and beyond. I look forward to being involved in the island community as well as being a part of Friday Harbor’s business community. I salute Laura Norris for her years of running the bookstore, and I am grateful to learn from her expertise as I embark on this new adventure.”

Many of the bookstore's staff members will stay on and "business will continue uninterrupted as usual. Rest assured, all gift certificates will be honored and special orders fulfilled."

Melissa Eisenmeier, owner of Carpe Librum Books and Art Gallery, has launched a crowdfunding campaign to help her buy a building in Baltimore, Md.

Eisenmeier founded her store, which sells new and used titles across all genres, in 2016. After a few years as an online store, she signed a lease for a bricks-and-mortar space that opened in late January 2020. For the last few months, however, Eisenmeier has mainly been selling books online again, in part because of myriad plumbing problems at the bricks-and-mortar space.

She is looking to buy a 2,000-square-foot building at 8604 Harford Road. It would be larger than the previous location, Eisenmeier noted, and the space has a little stage that "would be great for readings, concerts and other events."

Josh Marwell

Josh Marwell, president of sales at HarperCollins since 2004, is retiring. He joined the company in 1998 as v-p, trade sales, and earlier worked at Little, Brown and St. Martin's Press. He has more than 40 years of experience in the book business.

In a letter to staff about the change, president and CEO Brian Murray said that during Marwell's "tenure directing the sales effort for HarperCollins, our business increased 250%, and the company published thousands of bestsellers. Josh has played a critical role in the company’s major growth initiatives--including the acquisitions of William Morrow, Avon, Amistad, Ecco, Harlequin, and HMH Books & Media....

"He has also helped guide us through a variety of changes and innovations in the industry, from the exponential expansion of e-commerce and the growth of e-books and digital audio to the shift to digital product catalogs. This was all while balancing and developing career-long relationships with an ever-changing customer base, including indies, national chains, wholesalers, mass merchants, special markets, online retailers, international accounts, schools, and libraries."

Murray added that Marwell's "principled leadership, care for colleagues and customers alike, good humor, and creative passion for selling our authors' books are perhaps his greatest legacy. He is also a student of HarperCollins's history and was a passionate partner helping to design our 195 Broadway office space in a way that makes our history come alive and remain relevant and exciting. He has always reminded us that we carry on from those who came before us, while at the same time passing the torch to a new generation."

Marwell will remain at HarperCollins until April to help with the transition.

Posted on Instagram by the Next Chapter, Huntington, N.Y.: "Come visit :) it's pretty cozy in here and those New Release cases are about to be stocked... but if we don't have a book that you want, ask!"

Lark & Owl Booksellers, Georgetown, Tex., shared a Holiday Happy Hour promo video on Instagram, noting that "@haileyreadsgood had to pause her bookstore duties to monitor Jane & Rachael's holiday happy hour shopping. We didn't think anything else about it until we saw them zooming on the shopping carts through the store. 

"Come join us for our first ever Holiday happy hour! THIS THURSDAY STARTING AT 5 all drinks will be discounted. Yes, including our boozy hot chocolate... we'll also have some mini charcuterie plates from @sanctuaryholistickitchen !! We'll make sure you don't get carried away, and ride the carts through the store.... ***DISCLAIMER....no seriously.... Don't ride the carts through the store... we don't have indie bookstore insurance to cover any accidents."

"Christmas is right around the corner," Blue Mountain Bookstore, Laramie, Wyo., noted in sharing a photo on Instagram of the shop's book Christmas tree.

Excelsior Bay Books, Excelsior, Minn., shared a photo of its festive front window display, noting: "Time is still on your side--selection is still good! And... the bookstore is really fun this time of year! Stop by with your special order requests this week!"

Netflix released a trailer for The Pale Blue Eye, based on Louis Bayard's 2006 novel "that acts as an origin story of sorts of Edgar Allan Poe," Deadline reported. Adapted and directed by Scott Cooper, the film stars Christian Bale and hits select theaters December 23 before landing on the streamer beginning January 6. Cooper and Bale previously teamed on Out of the Furnace and Hostiles.

The cast also includes Henry Melling, Gillian Anderson, Lucy Boynton, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Toby Jones, Harry Lawtey, Simon McBurney, Hadley Robinson, Timothy Spall, Joey Brooks, Brennan Cook, Gideon Glick, Fred Hechinger, Matt Helm, Jack Irving, Steven Maier, Charlie Tahan and Robert Duvall.

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, December 10
6:05 p.m. Patrick Murphy, author of The Irish in St. Louis (Reedy Press, $42, 9781681063607). (Re-airs Sunday at 6:05 a.m.)

Sunday, December 11
8 a.m. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, co-author of The Scheme: How the Right Wing Used Dark Money to Capture the Supreme Court (‎The New Press, $27.99, 9781620977385). (Re-airs Sunday at 8 p.m.)

9:15 a.m. Martin Dugard, author of Taking Berlin: The Bloody Race to Defeat the Third Reich (Dutton Caliber, $30, 9780593187425). (Re-airs Sunday at 9:15 p.m.)

10 a.m. Steve Case, author of The Rise of the Rest: How Entrepreneurs in Surprising Places are Building the New American Dream (Avid Reader Press, $28, 9781982191849). (Re-airs Sunday at 10 p.m.)

2 p.m. Gal Beckerman, author of The Quiet Before: On the Unexpected Origins of Radical Ideas (Crown, $28.99, 9781524759186).

2:50 p.m. Frye Gaillard and Cynthia Tucker, authors of The Southernization of America: A Story of Democracy in the Balance (NewSouth, $25.95, 9781588384560).

3:45 p.m. Carrisa Hessick, author of Punishment Without Trial: Why Plea Bargaining Is a Bad Deal (Abrams, $17, 9781419750304), and Dan Canon, author of Pleading Out: How Plea Bargaining Creates a Permanent Criminal Class (Basic Books, $30, 9781541674677).

4:35 p.m. Greg Melville, author of Over My Dead Body: Unearthing the Hidden History of America's Cemeteries (Abrams, $27, 9781419754852).

A longlist of 32 authors has been announced by New Literary Project for the $50,000 2023 Joyce Carol Oates Prize and can be seen here. Finalists will be named in March 2023, and the winner in April. The prize honors "a midcareer fiction writer who has earned a distinguished reputation and the approbation and gratitude of readers."

Selected new titles appearing next Tuesday, November 13:

The McCartney Legacy: Volume 1: 1969-73 by Allan Kozinn and Adrian Sinclair (Dey Street, $35, 9780063000704) explores Paul McCartney's life after the Beatles.

Devil's Delight: An Agatha Raisin Mystery by M.C. Beaton and R.W. Green (Minotaur, $26.99, 9781250816160) is the 33rd mystery with Agatha Raisin.

Ashes of Man by Christopher Ruocchio (DAW, $29, 9780756416607) is book five in the Sun Eater sci-fi series.

Expect Me Tomorrow by Christopher Priest (Mobius, $26.99, 9781473235137) follows characters past and future connected by climate change.

White Torture: Interviews with Iranian Women Prisoners by Narges Mohammadi, trans. by Amir Rezanezhad (Oneworld, $30, 9780861545506) chronicles human rights violations in Iran.

Wilderness Knits for the Home by Linka Neumann (Pavilion Books, $26.99, 9781911682769) contains Scandi-style knitting designs.

The Girls Bathroom by Cinzia Baylis-Zullo and Sophia Tuxford (Headline, $28.99, 9781472292766) is a guide for young women based on a podcast.

Stacey's Remarkable Books by Stacey Abrams, illus. by Kitt Thomas (Balzer+Bray, $19.99, 9780063271852) is a companion to the author and political leader's 2021 picture book, Stacey's Extraordinary Words.

How We Say I Love You by Nicole Chen, illus. by Lenny Wen (Knopf Books for Young Readers, $18.99, 9780593428399) depicts an Asian American girl sharing the ways her family shows love.

Paperbacks:
The Horsewoman by James Patterson and Mike Lupica (Grand Central, $17.99, 9781538752937).

Exit the Maze: One Addiction, One Cause, One Solution by Donna Marks (Beyond Words, $18.99, 9781582708942).

Breakdowns: Portrait of the Artist as a Young %@&*! by Art Spiegelman (Pantheon, $25, 9780375715389).

The Storyteller's Workbook: An Inspirational, Interactive Guide to the Craft of Novel Writing by Adrienne Young and Isabel Ibañez (TarcherPerigee, $19.97, 9780593539439).

From last week's Indie bestseller lists, available at IndieBound.org, here are the recommended titles, which are also Indie Next Great Reads:

Hardcover
Idol, Burning: A Novel by Rin Usami, trans. by Asa Yoneda (HarperVia, $24.99, 9780063213289). "A riveting exploration of fandoms and obsession, Idol, Burning is short but packs a real punch. It reads like a modern-day Mishima, using discomforting prose and slow-burn writing to set the tone for a melancholic and insightful read." --Katrina Wallace, Carmichael's Bookstore, Louisville, Ky.

Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhorse (Gallery/Saga Press, $22.99, 9781982166182). "At this point, I'll read anything Rebecca Roanhorse writes. This little book packs a powerhouse of a story! It's 1920s noir with demons and angels, but with Rebecca's personal twist. I loved it and I can't wait to give it to everyone I know!" --Annie Carl, The Neverending Bookshop, Edmonds, Wash.

Paperback
A Pros and Cons List for Strong Feelings by Will Betke-Brunswick (Tin House, $18.95, 9781953534453). "Will Betke-Brunswick's graphic memoir captures a family facing an unimaginable loss, without signposts or explanations. Readers feel an increasing connection to the characters as the story unfolds; a powerful reading experience." --Keith Mosman, Powell's Books, Portland, Ore.

For Ages 4 to 8
This Story Is Not About a Kitten by Randall de Sève, illus. by Carson Ellis (Random House Studio, $18.99, 9780593374535). "This book about community, seeing and helping others in need, and the collaboration and interdependence we all require is exactly what the world needs right now." --Laura Sharp, Literally, A Bookshop, Gilbert, Ariz.

For Ages 8 to 12
How to Heal a Gryphon by Meg Cannistra (Inkyard Press, $16.99, 9781335426871). "Meg Cannistra created a spunky, animal-loving witch that you will not able to resist! I can't wait to introduce the world of magical creatures and witches to all middle grade children." --Elisa McIntosh, The Bookstore Plus Music & Art, Lake Placid, N.Y.

For Teen Readers
A Scatter of Light by Malinda Lo (Dutton Books for Young Readers, $18.99, 9780525555285). "Such a lovely, honest, and messy queer coming-of-age story! Lo communicates the desperation and senselessness of young love in a self-aware, caring way. Beautiful musings on art, astronomy, and grief, handled with care and maturity!" --Julia Lewis, Fountain Bookstore, Richmond, Va.

[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]

Screenwriter and comedian Monica Heisey (Baroness von Sketch Show) finds the funny in millennial divorce misery in her debut novel, Really Good, Actually. When 28-year-old research assistant Maggie suggests to her partner of 10 years and husband of only 608 days that maybe they should get a divorce, she doesn't expect him to agree. Soon he's gone with half their stuff and their cat, and Maggie is romantically alone for the first time in her adult life.

Conveniently forgetting that she's the one who suggested the divorce, Maggie paints herself as a victim: Jon is uncommunicative, Jon is cold, Jon took the cat, Jon is unwilling to go to a therapy session for closure. Maggie's friends gently suggest she needs therapy herself, but they're wrong. She's doing fine: really good, actually.

Heisey shares some of Maggie's attempts at a life reset in the form of lists: things Maggie impulse-buys, Google searches, dates she goes on, hobbies she tries to pick up and more. She goes through cycles of depressive wallowing and manic activity, insisting all along that she's managing as well or better than anyone else in her position. Spiraling further into herself and out of control, Maggie simultaneously rejects her friends' pity and craves their validation. When they finally give up, she turns to the abyss of social media, developing a dependency that will feel familiar to anyone who feels an overwhelming compulsion to check their phone every three minutes.

Really Good, Actually isn't all misery or jokes, though. Hidden among the body dysmorphia and self-improvement montages Heisey drops the kind of lines that require a pause: "It was hard to learn traits I'd considered mine alone had been forged with or borrowed wholesale from someone else." Moments of genuine pain, joy or self-interrogation combine with dark humor to make a novel that manages to remain engaging even as Maggie slides to an inevitable rock bottom. Maggie is often difficult to like in her privileged misery, but Heisey makes her empathetic enough that even when she's ruining every relationship in her life and making terrible choices, readers will still hope she can turn it around.

Really Good, Actually is a coming-of-age novel for adults trying to connect in the age of apps. Fans of My Year of Rest and Relaxation, Queenie or shows like HBO's Girls will want to give it a read. --Suzanne Krohn, librarian and freelance reviewer

Shelf Talker: A young divorcée stumbles through modern dating, adult friendship, mental health issues and self-discovery in this darkly funny novel about spinning out before starting over.