Common Room Bookstore, an all-ages, general-interest store with an emphasis on being a community gathering space, opened last month in Angier, N.C., the Daily Record reported.

Co-owners and sisters-in-law Stephanie Giltz and Shelby Giltz first welcomed customers on June 3. Located at 53 W. Depot St., the store carries a range of titles, from picture books to adult fiction, with something on the shelves for everyone.

"The whole point of the Common Room is for everybody to come and hang out and gather," Stephanie Giltz told the Daily Record. "We want everyone to walk in here and feel welcome and comfortable and have a safe space because I know there's community people that don't feel like they have a place to go and we want to be that for them."

Shelby and Stephanie Giltz already wanted to get into business together when they went on vacation in 2021 and visited a local bookstore. Immediately they knew that was the kind of business they wanted to open. Before opening a bricks-and-mortar store, however, they opened a mobile bookstore. After a year of taking their modified trailer to farmers markets and other events, they decided to open a bricks-and-mortar store.

Jeannine Cook at Josephine's

Jeannine Cook, owner of Harriett's Bookshop in Philadelphia, Pa., and Ida's Bookshop in Collingswood, N.J., is currently in the process of launching Josephine's Bookshop, a pop-up shop at 5 Rue de Medicis in Paris, France. The store is scheduled to open tomorrow, Bastille Day, July 14. Cook will close Harriett's for the summer while she's in Paris; Ida's will remain open.

"It's a revolutionary bookstore, why not open it on a revolutionary day?" Cook told Lori L. Tharps of the Read, Write, & Create blog, which reported that "Cook is bringing her brand of revolutionary, Black-women centered bookstore to the City of Lights" with "a pop-up bookstore in Paris honoring the legendary entertainer, expat and spy, Josephine Baker."

Cook has been a teacher, student and traveler in Paris, and "every time she was there, she felt a pull to come back and do something meaningful," Tharp wrote. Baker's life story and identity as a Black American woman who found her freedom in France intrigued Cook, and then she learned that Baker had volunteered to be a spy to support the war effort. 

"Josephine was a spy while she was still performing," Cook said. "She was under attack, but she was also serving as protector for the people of France. Like so many Black women, she was feminine and she was warrior. At the same time." 

Cook decided she wanted to pay homage to Baker with a pop-up shop, while creating "a space in Paris to inspire conversations and community around the themes that Baker's life exemplifies, like freedom and liberation. And most importantly, she wants Josephine's, like her sister shops in the United States, to be a community space to celebrate Black American culture," Tharps noted.

Josephine's, which will feature a selection of books, the majority in English, about Baker and the people and places she influenced throughout her lifetime, "is not going to be your average bookstore. Altar, exhibit, gathering space, it will be all of these things," Tharps wrote, adding that Cook said the space will be a curated experience that combines multimedia elements, books, and historical artifacts in honor of Baker's life and times.  

Cook also noted that she already has plans in motion for her next venture, a pop-up shop in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2024.

A new Barnes & Noble location is coming to Burlingame, Calif., later this year, the San Mateo Daily Journal reported.

The new store will reside in a 4,300-square-foot space on Burlingame Ave. that previously housed an Amazon 4-star location. B&N plans to have the store open for business this fall, and per the Daily Journal, it will be the first bookstore to open in Burlingame since a Books Inc. location closed there five years ago.

Wharton School Press (WSP), the book publishing arm of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, has become an imprint of the University of Pennsylvania Press (Penn Press). The move comes after WSP had contracted for Penn Press to handle licensing and distribution services for the past two years, with sales rising to record levels.

Founded in 2011, WSP publishes books on a variety of topics, including leadership, management, strategy, innovation, entrepreneurship, finance, marketing, social impact, and public policy. A recent bestseller was The Prepared Leader: Emerge from Any Crisis More Resilient than Before by Wharton School Dean Erika H. James and Simmons University President Lynn Perry Wooten.

Penn Press is taking on operational and financial responsibility for the WSP imprint, including but not limited to sales, licensing, marketing, distribution, warehousing, fulfillment, metadata management, accounting, and royalties management.

"It is a tremendous opportunity to expand on our partnership with Penn Press," said WSP publisher Shannon Berning. "Penn Press's deep knowledge of book publishing and the strategic mission alignment between our organizations will enable Wharton School Press to grow its publishing list and expand the reach of its books as well as Wharton faculty research."

The WSP imprint will be led by Berning and retain its editorial autonomy. A Wharton School Press Faculty Editorial Board has been established to ensure all acquisitions are worthy of the WSP imprint. The chair of the board will be Mauro Guillén, professor of management at Wharton and Vice Dean of Wharton's MBA Program for Executives.

Mary Ann Hoberman

Mary Ann Hoberman, the award-winning author and former Children's Poet Laureate who wrote poetry for more than 65 years, died July 7. She was 92. 

Megan Tingley, president and publisher, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, said, "Mary Ann and I worked together for my entire career, from the first month I started working at Little, Brown as an editorial assistant in 1987, until 2023 in my current role; publishing over 25 books together. For Mary Ann, writing poetry was as essential as breathing. She had a gift for finding the extraordinary in everyday things--buttons and pennies, butter and jam--she could write a poem about anything. She was still writing until the week she passed away, composing a new farewell poem to share at a 'bon voyage' party she hosted for family and friends. That is quintessential Mary Ann--creating joy out of a sorrowful occasion."
 
Hoberman earned a BA in history from Smith College and later received an MA in English literature from Yale University. She was a founding member of The Pocket People, a local children's theater group, for which she wrote and performed plays and songs. Her first poetry collection, All My Shoes Come in Twos, was published in 1957 and illustrated by her husband, architect Norman Hoberman. 

Among her best-known books are A House Is a House for Me, which won the National Book Award in 1983; The Seven Silly Eaters, illustrated by Marla Frazee; and The Llama Who Had No Pajama, a collection of 100 of her favorite poems. At the time of her death, she was working on How Elegant the Elephant, a compilation of poems about the world of animals and insects, illustrated by Frazee, to be published in fall 2024.
 
A longtime volunteer with Literacy Volunteers of America, Hoberman made literacy one of her primary concerns, and the cause inspired her to write the bestselling You Read to Me, I'll Read to You series, published by LBBYR. In 2020, she published, with Carolyn Hopley, the anthology Coming to Age: Growing Older with Poetry. 

Hoberman's poems have been widely anthologized, and her books have been translated into several languages. In 2003, she received the Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children from the National Council of Teachers of English. She was an active member of the Garden Conservancy and a board member of the Chamber Players of the Greenwich Symphony. 

Hoberman served as the Poetry Foundation's Children's Poet Laureate (now the Young People's Poet Laureate) from 2008 to 2011. Former president of the Poetry Foundation John Barr said at the time that "whether she's writing about lonely pets or befuddled fauna or little kids still figuring out the world, Hoberman's poems are always fundamentally about the language, and about introducing its capacity for magic and puzzlement and emotional meaning to the world's youngest poetry readers."

Congratulations to City Lights, San Francisco, Calif., which is celebrating its 70th anniversary with a series of events that continue through the end of the year and include historic talks, poetry readings, online panels and discussions, and more.

Among the events is "Insurgent Beatitudes: The History of a Cultural Center," which will be moderated by David Ulin, and include Elaine Katzenberger, Amy Scholder, Nancy Peters, and Paul Yamazaki, scheduled for Thursday, September 14, at 6 p.m. Pacific. As the store describes it: "City Lights was founded as a cultural hub, providing space and encouragement for a creative cross-pollination across the arts, as well as the realms of politics, philosophy, and social change. Here's a chance to hear about our history from some of the folks who've made significant contributions over the years, working alongside Lawrence Ferlinghetti and beyond, guiding City Lights into its present and future." The panels about City Lights, its legacy, and its plans for the future, will be presented on Zoom. (Advance registration required.)

See the full schedule of the 70th anniversary program here.

FoxTale Book Shoppe in Woodstock, Ga., hosted the launch for Vanessa Riley's novel Queen of Exiles (Morrow), which brought out a packed house.

Lauren Bittrich has joined Candlewick Press as sales assistant. She was previously operations coordinator for the Boston Book Festival.

The Guardian by Joshua Hood (Blackstone Publishing).

Today:
Fresh Air: Donovan X. Ramsey, author of When Crack Was King: A People's History of a Misunderstood Era (One World, $30, 9780525511809).

Tomorrow:
Good Morning America: Carlos Whittaker, author of How to Human: Three Ways to Share Life Beyond What Distracts, Divides, and Disconnects Us (WaterBrook, $18, 9780525654025).

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, July 15
9:40 a.m. Hal Wert, author of Hoover vs. Roosevelt: Two Presidents' Battle over Feeding Europe and Going to War (Stackpole Books, $34.95, 9780811739726). (Re-airs Saturday at 9:40 p.m.)

2:50 p.m. Elliott West, author of Continental Reckoning: The American West in the Age of Expansion (University of Nebraska Press, $39.95, 9781496233585).

5 p.m. Kevin Kruse and Julian Zelizer, author of Myth America: Historians Take On the Biggest Legends and Lies About Our Past (Basic Books, $32, 9781541601390).

6 p.m. W. Fitzhugh Brundage, editor of A New History of the American South (The University of North Carolina Press, $45, 9781469626659).

Sunday, July 16
8 a.m. Philip Wallach, author of Why Congress (Oxford University Press, $29.95, 9780197657874). (Re-airs Sunday at 8 p.m.)

9:15 a.m. Eric Holder, author of Our Unfinished March: The Violent Past and Imperiled Future of the Vote (One World, $18, 9780593445761). (Re-airs Sunday at 9:15 p.m.)

10 a.m. Elizabeth Currid-Halkett, author of The Overlooked Americans: The Resilience of Our Rural Towns and What It Means for Our Country (‎Basic Books, $32, 9781541646728). (Re-airs Sunday at 10 p.m.)

2:50 p.m. Dana Rubin, author of Speaking While Female: 75 Extraordinary Speeches by American Women (RealClear Publishing, $30, 9781637550304).

3:50 p.m. Taylor Kiland and Judy Gray, authors of Unwavering: The Wives Who Fought to Ensure No Man is Left Behind (‎Knox Press, $30, 9781637587379).

4:45 p.m. Warren M. Hern, author of Homo Ecophagus (Routledge, $46.95, 9781032322223).

5:55 p.m. Laurent Richard and Sandrine Rigaud, authors of Pegasus: How a Spy in Your Pocket Threatens the End of Privacy, Dignity, and Democracy (Holt, $29.99, 9781250858696).

6:55 p.m. Ben Jealous, author of Never Forget Our People Were Always Free: A Parable of American Healing (Amistad, $27.99, 9780062961747).

Waterstones has announced the shortlist for its 2023 Debut Fiction Prize, which is voted on by booksellers and honors "exceptional first novels." The company described the six titles as representative of "the exciting scope of contemporary storytelling and takes us from the trenches of the First World War to Thatcher's Britain, and from 1970s Southall to near-future America by way of contemporary Belfast and the dark underbelly of a picturesque village in Western Ireland." The winner will be announced on August 24.

The shortlist:
Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Fire Rush by Jacqueline Crooks
Close to Home by Michael Magee
Wandering Souls by Cecile Pin
Kala by Colin Walsh
In Memoriam by Alice Winn

Selected new titles appearing next Tuesday, July 18:

Crook Manifesto: A Novel by Colson Whitehead (Doubleday, $29, 9780385545150) follows a New York City criminal throughout the 1970s.

Zero-Sum: Stories by Joyce Carol Oates (Knopf, $29, 9780593535868) contains 12 new short stories.

The Collector: A Novel by Daniel Silva (Harper, $32, 9780062834874) is the 23rd thriller with art restorer and spy Gabriel Allon.

A Soul of Ash and Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Blue Box Press, $31.99, 9781957568423) is the fifth Blood and Ash fantasy romance.

How Can I Help You by Laura Sims (Putnam, $27, 9780593543702) is a thriller about a murderous former nurse working as a librarian.

Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud by Ben McKenzie and Jacob Silverman (Abrams Press, $28, 9781419766398) chronicles the con-filled cesspit of cryptocurrency.

How to Say Goodbye by Wendy MacNaughton (Bloomsbury, $19.99, 9781639730858) shares wisdom from a hospice artist-in-residence.

Blight: Fungi and the Coming Pandemic by Emily Monosson (W.W. Norton, $28.95, 9781324007012) warns of a future in which infectious fungi are made more common by climate change.

The Fourth Turning Is Here: What the Seasons of History Tell Us About How and When This Crisis Will End by Neil Howe (Simon & Schuster, $32.50, 9781982173739) examines current events through a theory of cyclical history.

All That's Left to Say by Emery Lord (Bloomsbury, $19.99, 9781681199412) is a YA novel about death and grief.

What a Desi Girl Wants by Sabina Khan (Scholastic Press, $18.99, 9781338749335) features a young woman who attempts reconciliation with her soon-to-be-married father and finds a romantic interest in the process.

Paperbacks:
The Summer Girl: An Avalon Bay Novel by Elle Kennedy (St. Martin's Griffin, $18, 9781250863874).

The Anniversary by Stephanie Bishop (Grove Press/Black Cat, $18, 9780802161673).

Dirty Laundry: Why Adults with ADHD Are So Ashamed and What We Can Do to Help by Richard Pink and Roxanne Emery (Ten Speed Press, $16.99, 9780593835531).

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

Hardcover: An Indies Introduce Title
Lucky Red: A Novel by Claudia Cravens (The Dial Press, $27, 9780593498248). "Set in a late 1800s Dodge City, a young woman is caught up in other people's expectations. Lucky Red is about carving your own way in a world that wants to keep you under its thumb. A thrilling western full of grit, passion, and whiskey!" --Jen Steele, Boswell Book Company, Milwaukee, Wis.

Hardcover: An Indies Introduce Title
Rivermouth: A Chronicle of Language, Faith, and Migration by Alejandra Oliva (Astra House, $28, 9781662601699). "Rivermouth is an emotional, informative exploration of the American immigrant and asylum systems. Alejandra Oliva brings such insight to the 'immigration crisis' while never losing the humanity of the people who get caught in it all." --Christine Bollow, Loyalty Bookstores, Washington, D.C.

Paperback
Mrs. S: A Novel by K. Patrick (Europa Editions, $18, 9781609458409). "Mrs. S is a delicious little seduction: a story of obsession, desire, and displacement; a hazy seaside heat mirage; a funhouse mirror version of Bergman's Persona and one of the most astute, beguiling books about want I've ever read." --Camden Avery, The Booksmith, San Francisco, Calif.

For Ages 2 to 5
Wombat by Philip Bunting (Charlesbridge, $17.99, 9781623543914). "An adorable picture book reminiscent of classics like One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish but filled with wombats! Philip Bunting's hilarious wordplay and cute illustrations are sure to make this a read-aloud favorite." --Caleb Masters, Bookmarks, Winston-Salem, N.C.

For Ages 8 to 12: An Indies Introduce Title
The Kingdom Over the Sea by Zohra Nabi (Margaret K. McElderry Books, $17.99, 9781665931083). "Yara seeks answers concerning her late mother, which leads her to Zehaira and a magical quest for the truth. Fantastical and steeped in cultural folklore, this adventure story of marvel and wonderment will appeal to middle graders." --Gerard Villegas, Auntie's Bookstore, Spokane, Wash.

For Teen Readers: An Indies Introduce Title
An Echo in the City by K.X. Song (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, $18.99, 9780316396820). "An Echo in the City is a brilliant, moving coming of age story about two teens on the opposite sides of the 2019 Hong Kong protests, trying to figure out their place in the bigger picture. A must read for young activists and fans of Like a Love Story." --Abby Rice, Title IX: A Bookstore, New London, Conn.

[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]

Lauren Groff's fifth novel, the riveting The Vaster Wilds, combines visceral detail and magisterial sweep as it chronicles a runaway servant's struggle to endure a bitter colonial winter.

Grounding facts are rare--as in Matrix, Groff's previous work of historical fiction, the outlook perhaps feels more timeless than period-specific--but gradually the scene emerges: the year is 1610 and the teenage protagonist has escaped the famine- and disease-ridden Jamestown colony in Virginia. Not long ago, "the girl," as she is almost always called, sailed from England, accompanying her mistress and the woman's second husband, a minister, and intellectually disabled daughter, Bess. The girl fell in love with a Dutch glassblower while on board ship, but a violent storm separated them.

Flashbacks to these and other traumatic events--living in a poorhouse as an orphan and being taken into service at age four; a gang rape the mistress dismisses as "the daily lot of woman"--seep into her mind as she copes with the harsh reality of life in the wilderness. With faith and resilience, she finds shelter, builds fires, repairs her garments, and subsists on raw fish, duck eggs, and berries. However, terror of the forest and its creatures never leaves. She is right to fear: this is bear country and, though the Powhatan and Piscataway tolerate her presence, men of European descent wish her harm. Groff (Fates and Furies; Arcadia) briefly departs from the close third-person narration to detail masterfully plotted histories of a Jesuit priest turned hermit who deems her a she-devil and a soldier who pursues her, ready to take out his sadism on a "murderess."

The mystery of the incident to which he's referring remains until near the novel's end, adding a filament of suspense to what becomes a classic study of solitude. Groff's loving attention to everyday needs prioritizes the instinct to survive: "I want to live," the girl thinks. "If I stop I will die." Groff notes that "there was still no other way than forward, one step after another toward hope, toward salvation." The style is archaic and postmodern all at once, with outmoded phrasing but nonstandard capitalization and no speech marks. The result is as evocative and affecting as Girl with a Pearl Earring and Year of Wonders--and as brutal as anything Cormac McCarthy has written. The existential threat to women makes it a potent, timely fable as much as a historical novel. --Rebecca Foster, freelance reviewer, proofreader and blogger at Bookish Beck

Shelf Talker: Lauren Groff's fifth novel, set in Virginia in the early 17th century, is a classic study of solitude and survival that stars a teenage girl fleeing starvation--and the scene of a crime.