Emily Long (l.) and Dylah Ray at Petals & Pages

Petals & Pages, a queer woman-owned bookstore and flower shop, has opened in Denver, Colo.

Located inside of outdoor supply store Birdsall & Co., Petals & Pages carries new books with an emphasis on queer, BIPOC and nonbinary writers. The shop is owned by Dylah Ray, who is also the owner of Botanical Bakery in Denver, and is managed by poet and author Emily Long.

Their event plans include open-mic nights, author talks, book signings and workshops. They've already launched a monthly book club as well as the Poetry & Petals project, which highlights a local poet with every bouquet purchased.

The store held a grand opening celebration last week that, according to the Denver Business Journal, saw close to 300 attendees.

Bookends: Literature & Libations is opening later this year in Tampa, Fla., That's So Tampa reported.

Owners Laurie and Teresa Rodriguez have found a space at 2208 E 2nd Ave., in Tampa's historic Ybor City neighborhood, and plan to sell books, baked goods, and a variety of alcoholic beverages. The general-interest inventory will have a focus on books about Florida and by Florida authors. The owners expect the bricks-and-mortar space to be ready by late 2023.

In the meantime, they've launched a mobile bookstore that made its debut earlier this month with an appearance at Six Ten Brewing. On June 25, they'll stop by the beer garden Circa 1949, and beginning July 1, they'll start appearing regularly at the Ybor City Saturday Market. They've also launched a mystery book club; the pick for June is The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji (Pushkin Vertigo). 

Stillwater Books, which houses an independent bookstore and serves as headquarters for Stillwater River Publications, will relocate from downtown Pawtucket, where the bookshop opened in 2018, to 1745 Main Street in West Warwick. The final day of operation in Pawtucket is July 1.

In a post on social media, co-owners Dawn and Steven Porter wrote: "Many months of planning and discussion went into making this difficult decision. With the closure of multiple downtown businesses over the last several months, coupled with the move of the bus station to the new train station across town, our downtown store is no longer a viable location for our retail business. Although we are saddened that we will miss all the great customers we've grown to know and love over these past five and a half years, our staff is excited by the possibilities and opportunities that a new, larger, busier location will bring. And we hope many of you will continue to visit us at our new location."

Plans call for re-opening the bookstore in August at the New London Square Plaza in West Warwick, with a grand opening party around Labor Day. Details will be announced later.

Carlie Nelson, who purchased the Solid Rock Christian bookstore in Kearney, Neb., in February, celebrated the ownership transition with a grand opening celebration and ribbon-cutting on June 13.

The Kearney Hub reported that a few months ago, Nelson "couldn't have imagined owning the Solid Rock. She has worked there since 2012, when it was owned by Bill and Ila Ballou and located at 2010 Central Avenue. But in February, co-owner Linda Muhlbach called Nelson into her office. Muhlbach and her husband Dan had purchased the store in 2019, and now, they were retiring."

Muhlbach told Nelson, "I feel like I'm supposed to talk to you about selling you the store." Nelson recalled being shocked by the idea and replying to Muhlbach: "I think I'm going to have to pray about that." She also remembered some notes she had jotted down in the back of her Bible 12 years ago: "I had written, 'Lord, will I own the Solid Rock one day?' I had forgotten it was there. When I found that, it was one more confirmation that this was what the Lord wanted me to do."

Nelson is enthusiastic about the store's future and its eight employees. "It's so much more peaceful than any other job I've had.... I love the Solid Rock. I enjoy working there very much," she said.

Daniel Ellsberg

Daniel Ellsberg, the onetime military analyst who in 1971 made public a secret history of American involvement in Vietnam that came to be known as the Pentagon Papers, died on Friday, June 16. He was 92.

Ellsberg disclosed the secret history, "7,000 government pages of damning revelations about deceptions by successive presidents who exceeded their authority, bypassed Congress and misled the American people," the New York Times wrote, because the one-time hawk and aide to Defense Secretary Robert McNamara had become disillusioned by the war, particularly after spending 18 months in Vietnam with the military and seeing firsthand the conduct of the war. McNamara had commissioned the report, and Ellsberg contributed to it.

The publication of the Pentagon Papers first by the New York Times, and then the Washington Post and other outlets, resulted in Supreme Court cases over prior restraint and the First Amendment that the Times and Post won. It had also resulted in a campaign by the Nixon administration to smear Ellsberg, the creation of "the plumbers," and attacks on other "political enemies" that led to the Watergate scandal and Nixon's resignation.

Ellsberg wrote several books, including Papers on the War in 1972, and Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers, published in 2002. His memoir, The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear Planner, published in 2017, focused on his time working for the RAND Corporation and the Pentagon in the 1950s and '60s. The book "described an era of terrifying nuclear proliferation and hair-trigger controls, and sounded an impassioned warning that the perils of a nuclear holocaust still existed," the Times wrote.

LibraryReads, the nationwide library staff-picks list, offers the top 10 July titles public library staff across the country love:

Top Pick
Everyone Here Is Lying: A Novel by Shari Lapena (‎Pamela Dorman, $29, 9780593489932). "William's lies are piling up. An extramarital affair just ended; returning home, he finds his young daughter there instead of at school. Soon after, she goes missing. If he confesses having seen her, he's caught in his deception. Will the truth come out before it's too late? Great pick for Gillian Flynn fans." --Selena Swink, Lake Public Library, Lake, Miss.

The Block Party: A Novel by Jamie Day (St. Martin's Press, $28, 9781250283191). "What would happen if the women of Desperate Housewives held a block party that resulted in a murder? The answer would be something like this thriller, a quick read with the gossipy twists and turns of a residential neighborhood full of its fair share of betrayals and suspects." --Mary Robinson, Vernon Area Public Library District, Lincolnshire, Ill.

The Librarianist: A Novel by Patrick deWitt (Ecco, $30, 9780063085121). "Retired librarian Bob lives alone, has no friends, and dwells on the time long ago when he was jilted by his bride. One day at the local market, an encounter with an older woman in the frozen food aisle changes his melancholy existence. This is a quiet and compelling character-focused read." --Crystal Faris, Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City, Mo.

A Rulebook for Restless Rogues by Jess Everlee (Carina Adores, $18.99, 9781335680006). "In 1885 London, Noah is a confident, talented tailor. His best friend David runs The Curious Fox, an underground queer club. When the club's future is threatened, the two team up to save it amid miscommunication, withheld secrets, and mutual pining. This delightful romp is swoony and sweet." --Dabney Kinser, Middle Georgia Regional Library, Ga.

A Lady's Guide to Scandal: A Novel by Sophie Irwin (Penguin Books, $17, 9780593492000). "At 28, widow Eliza Balfour is the dowager Lady Somerset, and plans to enjoy her wealth and title. How Eliza relates to the people around her and how she changes are wonderfully nuanced and satisfying. Irwin's story forges its own path with liveliness and an attention to a wider scope of high society. Highly recommended to fans of historical romance." --Allison Smith, Minuteman Library Network, Mass.

The Woman in the Castello by Kelsey James (Kensington, $16.95, 9781496742919). "1960s Italy: a horror movie filmed in a crumbling, possibly haunted, castle owned by the estranged aunt of the starlet. What could be better? As the lines between reality and the movie plot begin to blur in this tautly written novel, family secrets begin to emerge that if revealed, might lead to unforeseen (and possibly deadly) consequences for everyone." --Jennifer Winberry, Hunterdon County Library, N.J.

One Summer in Savannah: A Novel by Terah Shelton Harris (Sourcebooks Landmark, $29.99, 9781728283975). "This story about forgiveness and family is told from the dual perspectives of Sara, who has not been back to Savannah since she discovered she was pregnant with her rapist's child; and Jacob, the twin brother of Sara's rapist who discovers his niece at the Science Center. As the story progresses, Sara and Jacob form a bond complicated by their connection." --Alison Zaya, Pollard Memorial Library, Lowell, Mass.

How Can I Help You by Laura Sims (Putnam, $27, 9780593543702). "Margo moved to Carlyle two years ago to get a fresh start as a librarian, her days filled with helping patrons. But when a new employee is hired, Margo feels unsettled by the curious Patricia. When a patron is discovered dead in the library bathroom, Margo's carefully crafted mundane life starts to unravel and may pull Patricia into a tangle of terrifying secrets." --Priscilla Garvin, Cecil County Public Library, Md.

Thief Liar Lady: A Novel by D.L. Soria (‎Del Rey, $27, 9780593358054). "A reimagined Cinderella tale with the political intrigue and violence of Game of Thrones. Lady Aislinn is a revolutionary hiding behind the cover of the meek beautiful girl the prince fell in love with at the ball. Her plan might work except for the bandit that is now on the loose, the captive prince who gets under her skin, and her conniving stepmother." --Kimberly McGee, Lake Travis Community Library, Austin, Tex.

Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates (Poisoned Pen Press, $15.99, ‎ 9781728270258). "Ten strangers are trapped in a cabin during a blizzard. None will be lucky enough to die of hypothermia, though, since a murderer is methodically decapitating the stranded travelers. Short chapters and constant cliffhangers keep the action moving propulsively in this gore-filled thriller." --Sarah Walker, Indianapolis Public Library, Indianapolis, Ind.

"Rainy Monday, so let's get cozy in a nook about it," the Book & Cover, Chattanooga, Tenn., posted on Instagram yesterday.

Angel Abundance: Revelations on True Wealth from the 12 Archangels by Belinda J. Womack (Bear & Co.).

Today:
Fresh Air: Evan Thomas, author of Road to Surrender: Three Men and the Countdown to the End of World War II (Random House, $28, 9780399589256).

Tomorrow:
Good Morning America: Gustavo Tosta, author of Guga: Breaking the Barbecue Rules (Alpha, $32, 9780744060805).

Today Show: Crystelle Pereira, author of Flavor Kitchen: Vibrant Recipes with Creative Twists (Kyle Books, $29.99, 9781914239793).

The first trailer and key art have been released for the second season of AMC's series Dark Winds, based on the Leaphorn & Chee novel series by Tony Hillerman and Anne Hillerman. Deadline reported that the six-episode series, starring Zahn McClarnon (Reservation Dogs, Fargo), Kiowa Gordon (The Red Road), and Jessica Matten (Tribal, Burden of Truth), is set for July 30, with new episodes airing weekly on Sundays. Episodes will be available early on AMC+ starting July 27, with new episodes every Thursday. 

Additional cast members this season include A. Martinez and Joseph Runningfox, joining series regulars Deanna Allison, Elva Guerra, Jeri Ryan, and Nicholas Logan.

Dark Winds is created by Graham Roland, with John Wirth serving as showrunner. The series is executive produced by Roland, Wirth, McClarnon, Robert Redford, George R.R. Martin, Anne Hillerman, Chris Eyre, Vince Gerardis, and Tina Elmo.

These Days by Lucy Caldwell has won the £25,000 (about $32,050) 2023 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction. The book, organizers said, is "a story of loss and love set during the aerial bombardment of her home city [of Belfast] in 1941, which caused some of the worst urban devastation in the U.K. in the whole of the Second World War."

The judges said in part, "In Lucy Caldwell's These Days we found a pitch-perfect, engrossing narrative ringing with emotional truth. Through the visceral shock of the 1941 Belfast Blitz the reader learns exactly what war means--'the twinkling of an eye, and all of us changed,' as Florence Bell, mother to Emma and Audrey, recalls of a previous agony. Change comes to the city of Belfast in the form of utter destruction, and to the Bell family in the form of love. A story of both great violence and great tenderness, These Days ends at eleven minutes past eleven o'clock, carrying all the freight that number holds. 'Have you lived a life that is true?' Lucy Caldwell asks. For the 2023 Walter Scott Prize, it was a winning question."

---

Rebels Against the Raj: Western Fighters for India's Freedom by Ramachandra Guha has won the £5,000 (about $6,300) Elizabeth Longford Prize for Historical Biography.

The chair of the judges Roy Foster commented: "From an immensely strong field the judges have chosen a book where the author's deep empathy and impressive scholarship are lit up by a passionate regard for his subjects. Ramachandra Guha's Rebels Against the Raj: Western Fighters for India's Freedom profiles seven people, from Britain, America, and Ireland, who adopted India's struggle for independence and in doing so found their own destinies. The experience of India changed their ideologies, their spirituality, and often their names. In tracing their relationships revolving around the magnetic figure of Gandhi, Guha adds a new perspective to the Mahatma's life, on which he has already focused so rewardingly in his multi-volume biography. Alert to his subjects' disappointments and occasional delusions, he salutes their commitment to a new way of life and their prescience about the needs of a post-colonial world and India's place in it. Rebels Against the Raj shows how historical biography can illuminate the temper of the times through immersion in individual lives. As Guha points out, oppression does not disappear with the ending of colonial rule, and the ideas and priorities incisively drawn out in this book deserve urgent attention in today's India."

In addition, in honor of the prize's 20th anniversary, the judges decided to award a special citation to a work that "fulfils the spirit and achievement of historical biography as epitomised by Elizabeth Longford, notably in her canonical lives of Wellington and Victoria." The citation went to Michael Broers for his biography of Napoleon, published in three volumes as Soldier of Destiny, 1769-1805 (2014), The Spirit of the Age 1805-1810 (2018) and The Decline and Fall of an Empire 1811-1821 (2022).

Roy Foster: "While steeped in scholarship and making accomplished use of Napoleon's recently-released personal documents and correspondence, Broers writes with such style, pace and intimacy that the excitement of his subject's breathtaking career is made new all over again. Napoleon's complex personality, the centrality of his tumultuous family relationships and both his marriages, the mystique of his attachment to his army comrades, and theirs to him: all are patterned against a masterly survey of Europe in its revolutionary era, the rise of romanticism, and the imprint which Napoleonic energies left on the structures of French government and national life, still so evident today. Broers's original research illuminates a titanic figure, delineated with finely-tuned judgement and consistent readability. This is historical biography at its very best, perpetuating the qualities which Elizabeth Longford brought to the genre and which this Prize exists to celebrate."

Peter H. Kim is an accomplished and award-winning research scientist who has devoted more than two decades to investigating and questioning the matter of trust. In How Trust Works, his first book, he presents his findings with great substantiation and an accessible appeal--and offers an in-depth analysis of trust through a social science lens.

In 11 wide-ranging chapters, Kim breaks down the ways in which trust "plays a central role in how we navigate almost every aspect" of life. He gives readers a better understanding of how trust arises and can be maintained; how it can be violated and damaged; and what it means to repair it. He examines how people tend to trust those they interact with on a relational basis, from business associates to family and close friends. By offering practical analyses and assessments of detailed situations, he shows how matters of trust are nuanced and must be negotiated, according to cognitive cues specific to a situation or circumstance. This could be as simple as trusting the person who serves you food; those involved in the process of applying for a job; and even a life partner. Kim sheds fascinating light on trust in action by exploring the differences between "how we might think trust operates and how most of us choose to trust in real life." 

Kim also analyzes ethical dilemmas of trust in the public sphere. This includes the breaches of trust in the Tuskegee experiments on the African American community in 1932 and the trial of New York City's Central Park Five, a high-profile rape case from 1989 in which five teens were wrongfully convicted. Kim explores trust breaches in corporate America, including the Tylenol-tampering cyanide case in 1982. Kim further offers sections on the implications of faith and trust when tested in governmental institutions, including the management of the Covid-19 crisis and the assault on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Readers will feel at ease placing their own trust in Kim, as the all-encompassing nature of his narrative is wise, reflective, and immensely probative. He believes the world, in its current state, has never before been in more need of having a serious conversation on how to repair trust. How Trust Works offers a springboard toward that end, helping to "make sense of these dark times and... chart a path forward." --Kathleen Gerard, blogger at Reading Between the Lines

Shelf Talker: How Trust Works is a wide-ranging, probing exploration of the complexities of virtually every facet of trust within personal lives and society.

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

1. Limitless by Alok Appadurai
2. I'm Just Saying by Milan Kordestani
3. Waybound by Will Wight
4. Reckless by Elsie Silver
5. Never Lie by Freida McFadden
6. The Unwanted Marriage by Catharina Maura
7. Woven by Gold by Elizabeth Helen
8. Double Pucked by Lauren Blakely
9. Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton
10. Pucking Around by Emily Rath

[Many thanks to IndieReader.com!]