Andrew Firment

Andrew Firment has purchased Jackson Hole Book Trader, Jackson, Wyo., from previous owner Susie Temple and officially took over on December 1.

Prior to buying the bookstore, which sells new, used, and rare books, Firment worked there for more than two years as a bookseller and buyer for used books, science fiction, graphic novels, manga, and children's books.

Firment's "devotion to the world of books and the importance of shared stories has greatly expanded the store's scope," wrote the Jackson Hole Book Trader team. "We know with his dedication and love for literature--and all things dragons--his vision aligns seamlessly with our store's values. We look forward to the continued growth and connection amongst our community of book lovers."

Temple, who purchased the bookstore in 2017, also owns the Wilson Book Gallery in Wilson, Wyo. She decided to sell Jackson Hole Book Trader so she could focus her attention on the Wilson store. During her time as owner of Jackson Hole Book Trader, she "provided a space for local authors to share their work and readers to find new and exciting stories. She has nurtured and grown a valuable community literary hub."

The bookstore originally opened in the Powderhorn Mall in 1998.

Fulton Street Books & Coffee held a ribbon-cutting and grand opening last Friday for its new location at 21 N. Greenwood Ave in Tulsa, Okla. The Black Wall Street Times reported that "over a century after Black bodies, businesses and books burned during the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, the city’s only Black-owned bookstore held a grand opening at its new location on Black Wall Street."

Founder and owner Onikah Asamoa-Caesar told Tulsa World: "I am overwhelmed with gratitude to be here today. This grand opening is not just about a new location; it's about celebrating the resilience of our community and continuing to stand firm in our commitment to increasing representation on the shelves."

Formerly located in the Heights neighborhood, Fulton Street Books & Coffee has moved to a space that "places it right in the heart of Tulsa's historic Greenwood District and next door to the Greenwood Rising museum."

"I think in this time, when we look at book bans and censorship and so much of what is going on across the country, I am here today even more convinced in our mission, even more steadfast in providing space where Black, brown, indigenous and queer voices are represented on the shelves," Asamoa-Caesar observed.

"Onikah had a vision to bring this business to life," said Rose Washington-Jones, CEO of the Tulsa Economic Development Corp., who joined Asamoa-Caesar in welcoming guests to the ceremony. "She took a few years to put her plan together. She listened to the feedback multiple people, coaches, mentors provided to her. She did her own research, exploring what other shops are doing. This is the product of a lot of hard work."

Asamoa-Caesar added: "To all of you, it is such a pleasure and an honor that you be here with me this morning to open up this space. I am so grateful to all of the people who allowed us to be here."

Romance-focused bookstore Tropes & Trifles has opened a holiday storefront in Minneapolis, Minn., Racket reported.

Located at 2709 E. 38th St. in Minneapolis's Standish neighborhood, the bookstore officially opened on November 11. Co-owners Lauren Richards and Caitlin O'Neil carry all manner of romance sub-genres, with the single largest section being contemporary romance. 

An emphasis on diverse authors and stories carries across all of the store's offerings, which also include romance-adjacent classics, YA, and nonfiction pertaining to subjects such as gender and sexuality. Both traditionally published and independent authors are available, and Richards and O'Neil have spotlighted the work of local authors. The shop also features a "trope of the month" display, which for November was "grumpy to sunshine." Nonbook items include stickers, cards, earrings, and book sleeves.

The store owners met through a romance book club, and late last year they started talking in earnest about opening a store together. They made a number of pop-up appearances around Minneapolis prior to opening the holiday storefront, which will run through the end of the year. Though only a few weeks old, the store has met with an enthusiastic response from the community.

"I think everyone has their own reason why they come to the genre, and there really is something for everyone, as long as they're open to exploring," O'Neil told Racket. "There is such a wide variety--there's a trope for everyone, there's a happy ending for everyone."

While they have not officially announced plans for what they'll do after the holiday season ends, they did say the store will "exist in some form" next year. Noted O'Neil: "We quit our jobs to be here, we are doing this!"

Russell Norman

Award-winning author and restaurateur Russell Norman, founder of London's acclaimed Trattoria Brutto and co-founder of Polpo and Spuntino, died November 25. He was 57. The Bookseller reported that his first book, Polpo: A Venetian Cookbook (of Sorts), won the inaugural Waterstones Book of the Year in 2012; his most recent title, Brutto: A Simple Florentine Cookbook, was published last month. 

Waterstones posted on social media: "We are deeply saddened to hear of the death of Russell Norman, creator of Polpo and Brutto, and winner of the very first Waterstones #BookOfTheYear in 2012. Not only an incredibly gifted restaurateur, but also a brilliant writer. Our thoughts are with his friends and family."

"Russell Norman wasn't just a Curtis Brown author, he was my friend," Cathryn Summerhayes, his literary agent, told the Bookseller. "Whether it was adding an extra magnum of Prosecco to the table at a publishing dinner, treating me to lunch on my birthday or simply knowing when I had had the sort of day that warranted an extra strong Negroni, he was always on hand, always ridiculously generous and always passionate about everything he did. He was also an absolutely brilliant writer and artist--knowing exactly how his books should look, read and feel. I am heartbroken but also lucky to have had him in my life for 12 years." 

Lizzy Gray, outgoing deputy publisher of Ebury, commented: "Russell was one of a kind. A truly creative force and an absolute joy to work with. It was his infectious personality, gifted design eye, unwavering attention to detail and, crucially, his humor, which drove his award-winning and truly game-changing books including Brutto. The team and I are shocked and deeply saddened. I will miss him." 

Juliet Annan, who published Norman while at Fig Tree, added: "I loved working with Russell on Venice: he was the easiest of authors--appreciative, professional, his writing was great, his recipes delicious and easy to follow, his passion for food and places (Venice in particular) infectious. He was a fantastic storyteller. And he had such style and grace, (he knew exactly how he wanted his books to look). He was interested in everything and everyone. He will be so missed by so many people--the most lovable of men." 

Author/illustrator Jan Brett, on her cross-country Winter Wonderland bus tour, visited Schuler Books in Ann Arbor, Mich. Brett's new Winter Collection Boxed Set (Putnam Books for Young Readers) bundles together four favorites: The Snowy Nap, The Hat, Cozy, and The Three Snow Bears.

Books Are Magic, Brooklyn, N.Y., is now offering its 2024 Authors Doing Stuff Calendar, with 50% of proceeds from sales going to the Book Industry Charitable Foundation. In a star-studded new video, Books Are Magic co-owner and author Emma Straub has fun talking with some noted residents of Brooklyn Heights "to see what they want for holiday gifts this year."

Larry Dorfman has joined the Mayo Clinic Press as sales manager. He was formerly with Apollo Publishers.

"Books are the easiest gifts to wrap" was the sidewalk chalkboard message at Porter Square Books, Cambridge, Mass., which noted: "All the experts agree! If you're looking for a gift this season there's only one way to guarantee an easy time wrapping... and that's to buy it here and have us wrap it for you!"

Today:
Fresh Air: Liz Cheney, author of Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning (Little, Brown, $32.50, 9780316572064).

Tomorrow:
Today Show: Nicole Avant, author of Think You'll Be Happy: Moving Through Grief with Grit, Grace, and Gratitude (HarperOne, $28.99, 9780063304413).

Live with Kelly and Mark: Ariana Madix, author of Single AF Cocktails: Drinks for Bad B*tches (Clarkson Potter, $26.99, 9780593796870).

Kelly Clarkson Show: Kenan Thompson, author of When I Was Your Age: Life Lessons, Funny Stories & Questionable Parenting Advice from a Professional Clown (Harper, $30, 9780063348066).

Kenny Ortega (High School Musical) will direct Weslandia, a film adaptation of the children's book by Newbery Medal winner Paul Fleischman. Deadline reported that Shawn DeLoache (The New Adventures of Peter and Wendy) is writing the script. 

Producers will include Ted Field (Jumanji, Riddick franchises), Anthony Tringali, Michael Napoliello and Maria Frisk for Radar Pictures, along with Cori Silberman and Michael Dovid for Bandits Roost Entertainment. 

"Weslandia is the first children's book since Jumanji that fully captured my imagination and I feel very privileged to be able to bring it to the big screen with a filmmaker as talented as Kenny Ortega," said Field, who will also serve as executive producer.

Ortega called the project "right in my wheelhouse," adding that it is "a perfect opportunity for introducing fresh, breakout talent and creating a soundtrack that powerfully propels the narrative forward. I'm eagerly looking forward to the assembling of our creative team, and to bringing this vision to the screen."

"Bandits Roost is thrilled to be working alongside such incredible creatives to bring Wes's world to life," added co-founder Silberman. "This film will send kids on an adventure that shows them that through imagination and collaboration, creating a better world is truly in their hands."

The Day He Left by Frederick Weisel (Poisoned Pen Press) has won the Nero Award, sponsored by the Wolfe Pack, the official Nero Wolfe Literary Society, and honoring "the best American Mystery written in the tradition of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe stories."

"Alibi in Ice" by Libby Cudmore (to be published in July in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine) has won the Black Orchid Novella Award, sponsored by the Wolfe Pack and Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine to celebrate the novella format popularized by Rex Stout.

Black Orchid Novella honorable mentions were Paul A. Barra's "Death of a Papist," Lawrence Coates's "Jimtown," and Tom Larsen's "El Cazador."

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Right Kind of Wrong: Why Learning to Fail Can Teach Us to Thrive by Amy Edmondson (published in the U.S. by Atria) has won the £30,000 (about $37,900) 2023 Financial Times and Schroders Business Book of the Year Award, honoring the book that offers the "most compelling and enjoyable insight into modern business issues."

Financial Times editor Roula Khalaf said, "Amy Edmondson lays out a powerful framework for how to learn from failure and deal with risk. Right Kind of Wrong is a highly readable and relevant book, with important lessons for leaders and managers everywhere."

Set in the leafy suburbs of Seoul, South Korea, Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop is the entrancing story of a young woman's curious decision to walk away from the trappings of her outwardly successful life and pursue her dream of opening a bookstore. Hwang Bo-reum's graceful, meditative debut novel, translated by Shanna Tan, introduces readers to an engaging cast of lost souls seeking answers to the central questions of their lives: What does it mean to live a contented life in a competitive culture? And can we achieve contentment if our decisions make others unhappy?

Yeongju and her spouse are ambitious, career-focused company employees. Their marriage is built on a foundation of respect for each other's work, but there is little emotional understanding between the couple. When Yeongju's feelings of suffocation and bewilderment at the meaningless of her life become too much to bear, she abandons her job and her husband to focus on the one thing that always bought her joy as a child: books. Clueless about running a business, she takes a desperate leap of faith and opens a bookshop and café in a quiet residential neighborhood without much foot traffic.

Like a fragile sapling placed in unfamiliar soil, Yeongju's business takes root in the neighborhood and grows despite itself, nurtured by a community of regulars for whom the bookstore becomes their escape from the pressures of everyday life. Yeongju's cozy space, with its magnetic charm, draws people inside, including a woman who sits for hours in the cafe, knitting the day away, and a distraught mother searching for a book "to unclog a smothered heart." Hwang's characters are a joy to encounter, including Minjun, the star-student-turned-barista; the disillusioned Mincheol, a young man searching for a new way of being in the world; and enigmatic Seungwoo, an author with romantic feelings for Yeongju. Yeongju, meanwhile, is haunted by the hurt she inflicted on her ex-husband.

Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop is a gentle exploration of how the hamster wheel of corporate ambition can grind down a person. What Yeongju and her customers have in common is their decision to exist outside tightly prescribed cultural lines, rejecting societal expectations and family pressure. Hwang's is a soothing narrative voice, her novel a meditation on bookstores and the communities they foster, as well as an aspirational story of finding purpose when you think you might be ready to give up. --Shahina Piyarali, reviewer

Shelf Talker: A young woman abandons her corporate career to open a bookstore and café in this charming debut novel set in Seoul, South Korea.

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

1. Hunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton
2. Twisted Love by Ana Huang
3. King of Wrath by Ana Huang
4. Love Redesigned by Lauren Asher
5. The Complete Off-Campus Series Set by Elle Kennedy
6. The Graham Effect by Elle Kennedy
7. Twisted Games by Ana Huang
8. King of Greed by Ana Huang
9. Hooked by Emily McIntire
10. My Fault by Mercedes Ron

[Many thanks to IndieReader.com!]