Troubadour Booksellers, an all-ages, general-interest bookstore selling all new titles, will open in Charlotte, N.C., this October. Located at 1721 Sardis Rd. N., Suite 7C, in East Charlotte, the store will span 1,600 square feet and showcase a diverse array of titles.

Scott Tynes-Miller

Alongside more traditional inventory sections like bestsellers and classics, owner and manager Scott Tynes-Miller plans to feature sections curated by local community groups and nonprofits. There will be an assortment of book-related merchandise and his event plans include children's storytimes and author signings. He also hopes the bookstore will become a community hub and a place for residents to gather.

To help support the opening, Tynes-Miller has launched an Indiegogo campaign with a fundraising goal of $30,000. Tynes-Miller noted that the campaign is meant to bring the bookstore "past the finish line" and help fill out the opening inventory. So far, the campaign has raised $5,220.

"We are thrilled to bring Troubadour Booksellers to East Charlotte," said Tynes-Miller. "Our mission is to offer a curated selection of new books and provide a space where the community can gather and connect over their shared love of reading. We believe that an independent bookstore will fill a significant gap in this thriving neighborhood and support the growing families and diverse community in East Charlotte."

A resident of East Charlotte, Tynes-Miller has been a member of the city's theatre community for the past 15 years. He has acted in a number of theatre companies and, for the past eight years, has been a fundraising professional with Children's Theatre of Charlotte. Most recently he was the organization's associate director of development.

Tynes-Miller is planning to host a grand opening celebration in October, with further details to be announced.

Red Stick Reads will relocate to a new, larger space in Baton Rouge, La., early next year, the Advocate reported.

Red Stick Reads owners James and Tere Hyfield

At the beginning of this year, Red Stick Reads owners James and Tere Hyfield were informed that they would have to leave their current location at 541 S. Eugene St. by the end of 2024. They have found a new space at the corner of Steele Blvd. and Government St. that is only about a two-minute drive away and is double the size.

The Hyfields will put that extra space to use by adding a cafe and expanding the store's selection of sidelines. The increased square footage will also allow the team to host in-store events without disrupting any browsing.

The owners plan to move by the end of the year and have the store open in the new space in January or February 2025.

"Diversify Diversity" was the theme of Saturday morning's New Voices, New Rooms programming, as NAIBA president Hannah Oliver Depp (Loyalty Bookstores, Washington, D.C. & Silver Spring, Md.) perceptively summarized it. Depp opened the festivities by presenting We Need Diverse Books with the 2024 NAIBA Legacy Award, lauding especially Ellen Oh, author, president and CEO of WNDB, and Dhonielle Clayton, author and COO of WNDB (both serve as volunteers in the organization). NAIBA established the award in 2004 "in recognition of those individuals whose body of work contributed significantly to the realm of American arts and letters."

Oh gave an inspiring acceptance speech (Clayton could not be present due to illness) about the work WNDB has been doing since its founding 10 years ago. Oh noted that NAIBA's Eileen Dengler was the first to invite We Need Diverse Books to a conference for an author reception that featured 15 WNDB authors, among them Lamar Giles, Ilene Wong Gregorio, Aisha Saeed, and Renée Ahdieh.

When WNDB launched in 2014, only 8% of children's books were written by authors of color, according to the Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (which has been documenting books for children and teens it receives annually by BIPOC creators since 1994; between 1985 and 1993, CCBC documented books by and about Black people only). This number increased significantly from 2015 onward, after WNDB's founding, jumping to 15% in 2017; 29% in 2020; and 45% in 2022.

Oh then offered a powerful example of how WNDB set about "effecting change across all three stages of the publishing process: the creation of a book, the publication of a book, and the reading of a book." In 2019, WNDB mentee Amina Luqman-Dawson revised her middle-grade novel under the guidance of her WNDB mentor Kathi Appelt. Luqman-Dawson then sold her book to editor Alexandra Hightower at Hachette; Hightower had been a WNDB diverse publishing intern. That middle-grade novel, Freewater, went on to win the 2023 Coretta Scott King Author Award and the 2023 Newbery Medal. Then WNDB donated hundreds of copies of Freewater to students across the U.S. through the "WNDB in the Classroom" program. Since its founding, WNDB has donated more than 100,000 diverse books across all 50 states.

But these victories also came with literal challenges: book bans. "Given that these bans affect 41% of books with LGBTQ+ themes or protagonists, and 40% featuring characters of color, these book bans are in response to just how successful WNDB has been," Oh said. She then offered booksellers hope: "Every study on this subject has shown that the majority of people from all political and ideological backgrounds do not approve of book bans. They will not win as long as we stand firm together in the knowledge of just how important diverse books are for all of our children." WNDB offers resources on how to combat book bans.

Cebo Campbell; moderator Hannah Oliver Depp; Giaae Kwon; O.O. Sangoyomi; Jared Lemus; Ellen Oh

New Voices Debut Authors Breakfast
Hannah Oliver Depp, acting as moderator, shared with the authors featured in the New Voices Debut Authors panel what they could expect as they encountered their readers in bookstores and elsewhere, as she invited them to discuss their journeys to becoming published writers.

Cebo Campbell (Sky Full of Elephants, Simon & Schuster, September 10) moved from Texas to New York City, and hated it. His car was constantly being towed. "So I watched '90s movies. If John Hughes comes on, it's a wrap." It was 2020, and Campbell was watching Ferris Bueller's Day Off. He thought, "What if I took Ferris and traded him with Trayvon Martin? I couldn't do it. That character couldn't exist," he said. He wanted to write "stories that help us imagine a different future." In the striking opening to his speculative novel, Sky Full of Elephants, all white people walk into the nearest body of water and drown.

"Not many people know where Guatamala is," said Jared Lemus (Guatemalan Rhapsody, Ecco/Harper, March 4, 2025). "We were making just enough money to get through the day. I'd help my grandfather bring up water for the fields. Most people don't know about the 36-year civil war backed by the U.S.A." Lemus always thought he'd be a musician. "I played in punk rock bands," he said, "but having to rely on other people to not show up drunk, to even show up" wasn't working out. Now, "I feel like I'm writing music on the page." A fellow panelist pointed out that even the title suggests music.

Music also figured prominently in Giaae Kwon's debut, I'll Love You Forever: Notes from a K-pop Fan (Holt, March 18, 2025). "When I was growing up, K-pop was not cool," Kwon said. "The fact that there's interest in K-pop now is amazing." Kwon went to law school but dropped out after a year. After reading that writer/editor Nicole Chung was inviting pitches, Kwon submitted a column on K-pop, and it was accepted. In writing her novel, Kwon said she "went down a rabbit hole of [its] history and politics." She added, "People think these K-pop stars are unicorns, but no, they're the product of things so much bigger than they are. How do we break out of the molds people put on us?"

O.O. Sangoyomi (Masquerade, Forge, $27.99) always thought of herself as a writer. "I don't believe in the term 'aspiring writer,' " she said. "If you put pen to paper, you're a writer." She handwrote manuscript drafts in college so her teachers would think she was taking notes, and started Masquerade as a response to her disappointment that in her international studies department there were no classes about Africa. Sangoyomi's debut novel is an alternate history set during medieval times in Nigeria (where her family is from), in which her protagonist, Òdòdó, rises from the bottom of society to the top, as a warrior. "There are so many tribes in Africa," she said. "I'd love to see different cultures described in literature."

Which led to Depp's summation of the morning's theme: "Diversify Diversity." --Jennifer M. Brown

David Reed

David Reed, publisher and co-owner of Petroglyph Press and Basically Books bookstore, Hilo, Hawaii, died August 2. He was 74. Born in Pennsylvania, Reed "grew up in a home where reading was valued," West Hawaii Today reported. His parents moved to Hilo in 1958 when Reed was a preteen. He eventually pursued his college education at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. Reed's mother, who had been a librarian in Pennsylvania, became the children's librarian at Hilo Public Library and founded Petroglyph Press in 1962. 

Reed's wife and business partner, Christine Reed, posted on Facebook: "We had a great partnership for over 51 years in business, life, and love. His passion was the creation and publication of books about Hawaii, after he took over Petroglyph Press from his parents in 1974. He loved every aspect of the publishing process, from creation to manufacture, and was a true craftsman. Together we founded Basically Books in 1985."

Word of Reed's death "spread quickly, especially through the literary and arts communities, through both word of mouth and social media," West Hawaii Today noted.

"He was a longtime friend, a delightful fellow to hang out with, and an important figure in the literary life of Hilo," said Hal Glatzer, an author, musician, actor, playwright, and theatrical director.

Morgen Bahurinsky, a retired executive director of the Palace Theater who works at Basically Books, said Reed "was such an important person in the community..... It will be hard to be there knowing he'll never come walking in again."

Author Tom Peek told the Tribune-Herald that Reed will be "sorely missed by many, including me, each and every time I walk into Basically Books.... David Reed was a fixture in Hilo, not only as the owner of one of Hawaii's oldest publishing houses and independent bookstores, but as a welcome presence at countless community events for decades. David and his family have kept authentic island narratives--and the true spirit of Hawaii--alive and well for three generations, a contribution that cannot be overstated."

Kris Arnett, owner of Hilo Books, said, "I cannot express how much David and his wife perpetuated Hawaiian culture & publishing on the islands. Hilo is home to the world's largest Hula Festival, the Merrie Monarch. Every year, Basically Books hosted many events during that time as well. David's passing is a great loss to the book community in Hawaii."

The Ripped Bodice in Brooklyn, N.Y., shared photos of a wedding at the store, writing, "What an absolute dream come true for Casey and Nik to choose us to be a part of their love story on their wedding day!

"We've had over a dozen proposals but this was our very first wedding!

"Wishing Casey & Nik a lifetime of happiness and thank you for making our dream of hosting a wedding among our shelves come true!"

(photo: @majorcrushphoto)

Barack Obama has released his summer reading list. On Instagram, he wrote, "I've read some great books over the last few months and wanted to share some of my favorites. Let me know if you have any recommendations for books I should check out!" Obama's list:

James by Percival Everett
There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension by Hanif Abdurraquib
Everyone Who Is Gone Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis by Jonathan Blitzer
Reading Genesis by Marilynne Robinson
Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
Beautiful Days by Zach Williams
Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
Memory Piece by Lisa Ko
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
When the Clock Broke: Con Men, Conspiracists, and How America Cracked Up in the Early 1990s by John Ganz
Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do About It by Richard Reeves
The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact, and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook by Hampton Sides
Help Wanted by Adelle Waldman

Baker & Taylor Publisher Services has signed full sales representation and distribution agreements with the following clients:

Amber Books, Ltd., a U.K. publisher of photographic and illustrated nonfiction books, specializing in history, nature, travel pictorial, military, and transportation. In business for 30 years, Amber Books has a backlist of more than 300 titles and publishes approximately 40 titles per year. Some of its bestselling books include Cats Gone Bad, Abandoned Places of World War II, and Butterflies: Beautiful Flying Insects. (Effective April 1, 2025.)

Waxwing Books, a new boutique children's publishing imprint of Read-Aloud Revival, the book recommendation podcast aimed at homeschoolers that boasts 14 million downloads in 167 countries. Creating "timeless books you'll want to read aloud," Waxwing Books has already published Because Barbara: Barbara Cooney Paints Her World, While Everyone Is Sleeping, and A Little More Beautiful: The Story of a Garden. (Effective immediately.)

Terminus Media, a faith and family friendly multimedia production company that creates comics, graphic novels, audio drama, and animation with stories that aim to be entertaining, educational, and enlightening. Terminus Media has produced such properties as Dominion: Fall of the House of Saul, Radio Free Amerika, The Story of Samson the Nazirite, and Finnian and the Seven Mountains. (Effective immediately.)

When Panic Happens: Short-Circuit Anxiety and Fear in the Moment Using Neuroscience and Polyvagal Theory by Charles Schaeffer (New Harbinger Publications).

Today:
Fresh Air: Safiya Sinclair, author of How to Say Babylon: A Memoir (37 Ink, $18.99, 9781982132347).

Tomorrow:
Sherri Shepherd Show repeat: Nicole Walters, author of Nothing Is Missing: A Memoir of Living Boldly (Simon Element, $27.99, 9781668000953).

Watch What Happens Live: Charlamagne Tha God, author of Get Honest or Die Lying: Why Small Talk Sucks (Atria/Black Privilege Publishing, $28.99, 9781982173791).

Additional cast members have been announced for season 2 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, based on Rick Riordan's bestselling YA book series, Deadline reported. Disney revealed who will be playing the Gray Sisters: Sandra Bernhard as Anger, Kristen Schaal as Tempest, and Margaret Cho as Wasp. Production on Season 2 just began in Vancouver. 

The new season will follow Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell), Annabeth Chase (Leah Sava Jeffries), and Grover Underwood (Aryan Simhadri) "as they embark on a new adventure based on The Sea of Monsters, the second book of Riordan's series." The cast also includes Daniel Diemer as Tyson the Cyclops, Percy's paternal half-brother.

Shortlists have been selected for the 2024 Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana Authors Awards, sponsored by Indiana Humanities and Glick Philanthropies. Winners will be announced by August 22. To see the 52 titles in eight categories, click here.

In Kay Synclaire's thoughtful debut novel, House of Frank, Saika, a lonely and grieving witch, follows the directions of an old ad: "Once you see the bright red door, you'll know you're home." Her sister, Fiona, is gone, and had one last request for Saika. But bringing Fiona to Ash Gardens, a magical arboretum where she had wished to be laid to rest, is proving harder than Saika imagined. When she finally stumbles there on a stormy night, Saika meets Frank, the caretaker-beast who runs Ash Gardens in the memory of his wife, Kay. He invites Saika to stay until she is ready to plant Fiona's ashes so that they will grow into a tree and she will live on in a different form.

Saika is not the only one staying at Ash Gardens, and she bonds with the other residents as they help those who come to Ash Gardens to say goodbye. Along with Frank, a fairy, a ghost, an elf, twin cherubs, and a couple of other witches all fill Saika's life with work and conversation. Saika even regains purpose and joy as she finds her way back to pursuits that she had loved before Fiona's death, like playing music. But those bonds come with a price, and while Saika tries to keep her secrets to herself, she uncovers deeper ones that may ruin them all, along with her new home.

House of Frank weaves compelling characters, evocative prose, and a touch of magic with a narrative that balances wonder at the joy of choosing to live a full life, even with the heartbreaking knowledge of what it means to have faced death. Synclaire has filled these pages with love amidst grief, showing that the pain of losing someone is not singular and is grappled with in many different ways. Not everyone's path through loss looks the same, but all paths through grief can lead to finding new connections and new reasons not to be lost in the loss of the past.

A stunning tale of learning to let go, Synclaire's House of Frank creates a space for sitting with grief that reminds readers that death is not the end, and no one is truly alone, and one way or another, those we lose remain with us in different ways. --Michelle Anya Anjirbag, freelance reviewer

Shelf Talker: Synclaire's evocative debut weaves together love and loss in a beautiful tale that readers surely will to want to return to.  

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

1. Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton
2. Bane by L.J. Shen
3. Twisted Love by Ana Huang
4. A Thousand Broken Pieces by Tillie Cole
5. If We Ever Meet Again by Ana Huang
6. Gold by Raven Kennedy
7. The Inmate by Freida McFadden
8. Sanctuary by Ilona Andrews
9. Winning the Week by Demir and Carey Bentley
10. Play a Bigger Game by Markus Kaulius

[Many thanks to IndieReader.com!]