Quade Books, an independent bookstore in Argentina, opened its first U.S. location last month, in the Aventura Mall at NE 195th Street and Biscayne Blvd., Aventura, Fla. The Miami Herald reported that the store "fits right into bilingual Miami, offering a robust selection of adult and children's books both in English and in Spanish."

Quade launched its original store in Cordoba, Argentina, in 2007, adding three more locations over the years. The Aventura store is the first in the U.S., "but not the last," according to co-owners Evangelina Montiel and Jorge Caparelli. 

"To be in the bookselling business, you have to be a little crazy," Caparelli said. "This is not business. This is culture." 

Noting that the bookshop is "tucked into a corner of the Aventura Mall," the Herald wrote that Quade Books features a wide, floor-to-ceiling opening that "beckons customers into the shop. The store is small but spacious, brightly lit, with high ceilings and an open-floor plan. The walls and tables look papered with books, their multi-colored covers facing out, giving the store a candy-shop-like vibrancy."

Montiel and Caparelli aim to curate a bilingual collection specifically for their new store, focusing on titles that are difficult to find in the U.S. Montiel said they aren't afraid to stock popular works. The left side of the shop is dedicated to children's books, many of them designed to teach Spanish- or English-language skills. "It's important to have a big children's section in all our stores," said Montiel.

The owners have visited Miami regularly for a long time, and began to consider opening a bookstore there about three years ago. The goal was to have a shop that was similar to their locations in Argentina, but "adapted to the profile of this city, where cultural diversity and bilingualism are the norms," Montiel said. Aventura Mall was chosen for their first U.S. location because of "its high foot traffic, convenient location, and appreciation for culture."

She added that the most frequent comment she hears from her Aventura customers is "thank you."

Books & Brew, which features new and used books, opened earlier this month at 4316 Lawrenceville Highway, Suite 110, in Tucker, Ga. Decaturish.com reported that co-owner Quinelle Bethelmie "was in law school when she realized she needed a social space with a lower volume."

"I was just getting a little maybe... old," Bethelmie said. "I don't know if that's the word, but maybe I was getting a little old for loud places, and I was waiting for a bar where you could hang out and spend time. And I also really like to spend a lot of time in bookstores, and a lot of them closed when I was younger."

That led to her launching Books & Brew with her partner and boyfriend, Nate Monga, another law school student, with financial backing from her mother, Irene Bethelmie. The cozy space is decorated with double-wide chairs, inviting couples to sit and chat. The beer selection is a rotating list of local and seasonal brews.

"We're trying to cover pretty much all the bases in terms of genres," Monga said of the book selection, adding that opening a bookstore "has always been a dream.... I was in law school because I didn't have money to open a bookstore. And then the opportunity came up where Irene had the funding and interest in opening a bookstore.... I could not pass that opportunity up."

Both Monga and Bethelmie took the bar exam over the summer but haven't gotten the results yet. "The hope is that this is very successful, and maybe we don't have to practice law," Monga said.

Books & Brew has limited food offerings, which will expand when the kitchen is running, The business will hold events and has already received interest from book clubs. Bethelmie wants to capture some of the business from poetry readings lost when the Java Monkey coffee shop in Decatur burned down, Decaturish.com noted.

"They used to do a lot of poetry readings and open mic competitions there, and I was hoping maybe we could reach out to that community," she said. "They could find a home here, too."

Brein Lopez, manager of Children's Book World in Los Angeles, Calif., has joined the board of directors of the American Booksellers Association, filling an empty seat, Bookselling This Week reported.

Brein Lopez

For more than 30 years, Lopez has worked at several major Los Angeles bookstores, including Book Soup, and Every Picture Tells a Story. He's currently general manager at Children's Book World, whose mission is that every child sees themselves and each other reflected on their bookshelves.

BTW noted that "through his work on the American Booksellers Association's Children's Advisory Council and as a veteran indie bookseller, he has been a fierce advocate for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ representation in all aspects of the children's book industry." He is also the 2024 jury chairperson for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature.

Jeff Deutsch, who was elected to the board last year, left the board earlier this year after he left his position as executive is director of Seminary Co-op Bookstores and 57th Street Books, Chicago, Ill.

Poet and author Hettie Jones, who with her husband, LeRoi Jones (who later became the poet and playwright Amiri Baraka), "made her household a hub for Beat writers and other artists--but who was often described as a footnote in the rise of her famous spouse as 'the white wife' he disavowed,' " died August 13, the New York Times reported. She was 90.

The author of 20 books, many of them works for children and young adults that focused on Black and Native American themes, her works include Big Star Fallin' Mama: Five Women in Black Music (1974); poetry collections Drive (1997), All Told (2003), and Doing 70 (2007). She also co-authored No Woman No Cry: My Life with Bob Marley, a memoir for Rita Marley, widow of Bob Marley.

After dropping out of graduate school at Columbia University to work at the Record Changer, a jazz magazine, she met the young poet LeRoi Jones and they fell in love. In 1958, they started a literary magazine called Yūgen--a Japanese word that, the table of contents noted, translated to "elegance, beauty, grace, transcendence of these things, and also nothing at all." Beat heroes like Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso, Diane di Prima, and Jack Kerouac were among the contributors, along with Frank O'Hara and Robert Creeley.

They also launched Totem Press to publish books of poetry by new writers when they were both 23. In her 1990 memoir, How I Became Hettie Jones, she wrote: "I thought there'd be no stopping us." Their apartment was a hub and sanctuary for artist friends, who often stayed with them for months at a time or gathered to help put together issues of the magazine.

In the early 1960s, however, as LeRoi Jones's fame increased and as his affairs multiplied, the marriage suffered. "He was also undergoing an ideological transition, caught up in the Black nationalist movement and its often harsh identity politics," the Times wrote. "A few months after Malcolm X was assassinated in 1965, he left Ms. Jones and their two young daughters for Harlem; he later moved to Newark, where he became Amiri Baraka, married the Black poet Sylvia Robinson and disavowed his former life."

"Hettie and LeRoi seemed to be so perfectly attuned to one another," said author Joyce Johnson, whose memoir Minor Characters (1983) includes a scene in which she and Hettie Jones came of age. "Another woman would have been bitter, but she came to an understanding of why he left. She was remarkable. The last time we spoke about it, Hettie said, 'Well, it was a necessary consolidation of identity.' She was referring not only to LeRoi's abandonment of her, but of the integrated arts scene they had been a part of, which had looked so hopeful for a time."

"Her default setting was joy," Lisa Jones Brown, her daughter, said. "She was the patron saint of lost children of all persuasions. Our favorite nickname for her was 'Mother of the Masses.' "

Hettie Jones worked as an editor at Partisan Review, and later for a several publishers. She taught writing at New York University, the New School, Hunter College, and other institutions; and ran a writing workshop at the New York State Correctional Facility for Women at Bedford Hills.

"Her poems are playful," the poet Bob Holman, founder of the Bowery Poetry Club, said in an interview. "She's not afraid of rhyme, she's not afraid of direct address--for Hettie, poetry was just another way of talking to people."

Judging by the Cover, Fresno, Calif.'s only queer-owned bookstore, hosted the keynote book signing at the second annual Queer Housing Summit, hosted by the South Tower Land Coalition. Fresno native Madeline Pendleton, author of I Survived Capitalism and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt (Doubleday), was featured at the event. Pictured: Pendleton (r.) with Judging by the Cover co-owners Ashley Marie Mireles-Guerrero (l.) and Carlos Mireles-Guerrero.

Liz Bartek

The Book Industry Study Group has hired Liz Bartek as marketing & communications manager, a new position, effective September 3. Bartek has worked at RJ Julia Booksellers, Madison, Conn., for the past 10 years, overseeing marketing and events at RJ Julia's three locations, including hosting 350 events a year, acting as media contact, creating content for social media, websites, e-commerce, e-mail newsletters, advertisements, and more. Earlier she spent eight years at Hebrew Health Care, where she was corporate and foundation relations manager and development coordinator.

Bartek will work with executive director Brian O'Leary and operations manager Brooke Horn.

Big Hill Books, Minneapolis, Minn., shared feline bookseller Goose's "Friday to-do list":

1. Tackle Adso [bookstore cat colleague]
2. Play hide-and-seek in the book aisles
3. Fall asleep on top of the cash register
4. Bat at the bookmarks
5. Steal pens and hide them under the shelves
6. Knock over display stands
7. Meow loudly during story time (story time is tomorrow at 11!)
8. Try to climb into the display windows
9. Hoard all the catnip-filled toys
10. Jump onto the laps of unsuspecting readers
11. Demand belly rubs at the checkout counter
12. Host impromptu "cat yoga" classes in the self-help section.

Tiny Worlds of the Appalachian Mountains: An Artist's Journey by Rosalie Haizlett (Mountaineers Books).

Today:
Good Morning America: Megan McNamee and Judy Delaware, authors of Feeding Littles Lunches: 75+ No-Stress Lunches Everyone Will Love (Rodale, $26.99, 9780593797457).

CBS Mornings: H.R. McMaster, author of At War with Ourselves: My Tour of Duty in the Trump White House (Harper, $32.50, 9780062899507).

Jennifer Hudson Show repeat: Tabitha Brown, author of I Did a New Thing: 30 Days to Living Free (Morrow, $29.99, 9780063286115).

Tomorrow:
Drew Barrymore Show repeat: Aliza Pressman, author of The 5 Principles of Parenting: Your Essential Guide to Raising Good Humans (Simon Element, $28.99, 9781668014530).

Tamron Hall Show repeat: Elvira K. Gonzalez, author of Hurdles in the Dark: My Story of Survival, Resilience, and Triumph (Roaring Brook, $21.99, 9781250847850).

Late Night with Seth Meyers repeat: Simon Rich, author of Glory Days: Stories (Little, Brown, $28, 9780316569002).

Disney+ has set a premiere date for Rivals, the eight-part series adapted from Jilly Cooper's bestselling 1988 novel. Deadline reported that the show will drop October 18 in the U.K. and stream on Hulu in the U.S.

Starring David Tennant, Aidan Turner, Katherine Parkinson, and Danny Dyer, Rivals chronicles the cutthroat world of independent television in 1986 and the long-standing rivalry of ex-Olympian, MP, and notorious womanizer Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell) and his neighbor Tony Baddingham (Tennant), controller of Corinium Television, Deadline noted.

The cast also includes Nafessa Williams (Black Lighting), Bella Maclean (Sex Education), Victoria Smurfit (Bloodlands), Claire Rushbrook (Sherwood), Oliver Chris (The Crown), Lisa McGrillis (Mum), Emily Atack (The Inbetweeners), Rufus Jones (W1A), Luke Pasqualino (Skins), and Catriona Chandler (Pistol).

---

Anya Taylor-Joy will star in a Netflix adaptation of Bella Mackie's 2021 novel How to Kill Your Family, Deadline reported. The series is being produced by Sid Gentle (Killing Eve). Mackie is an executive producer alongside Emma Moran, Sally Woodward Gentle, Lizzie Rusbridger, and Lee Morris for Sid Gentle Film, while Taylor-Joy will exec produce for LadyKiller.

"As soon as I turned the last page, I knew I had to be a part of bringing this story to life," Taylor-Joy said. "After some (light) stalking of the inimitable Bella Mackie, I could not be more thrilled to be collaborating with the team that is executive producers Sally Woodward Gentle, Lizzie Rusbridger, and Emma. I am looking forward to getting our hands even dirtier."

Mackie added: "It's been thrilling to watch the characters I wrote take on new life under this magnificent creative team. Anya is the most perfect fit to play Grace: I often think she understands her better than I do."

The longlist has been selected for the $5,000 Crook's Corner Book Prize, which honors "the best debut novel set in the American South." The winner will be announced in January. The longlist:

The Peach Seed by Anita Gail Jones (Holt)
Banyan Moon by Thao Thai (Mariner Books)
Coleman Hill by Kim Foote (SJP Lit)
Late Bloomers by Deepa Varadarajan (Random House)
Fireworks Every Night by Beth Raymer (Random House)
Ours by Phillip B. Williams (Viking)
In the Shadow of the Greenbrier by Emily Matchar (Putnam)
Redwood Court by DéLana R.A. Dameron (The Dial Press)
Colton Gentry's Third Act by Jeff Zentner (Grand Central Publishing)
Dixon, Descending by Karen Outen (Dutton)

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

Top Pick
The Night Guest by Hildur Knútsdóttir, trans. by Mary Robinette Kowal (Tor Nightfire, $19.99, 9781250322043). "If you're in the mood for a wonderfully disturbing book, this should be on your radar. A woman who can't explain her constant exhaustion and inexplicably weary body discovers that she has been walking for miles overnight--but it's what’s been happening during these excursions that will shock her and the reader alike. Delightfully chilling!" --Sharon Layburn, South Huntington Public Library, N.Y.

The Book Swap by Tessa Bickers (‎Graydon House, $27.99, 9781525836701). "English majors, librarians, and romance readers will love this book. Watching the relationship unfold between Erin and her Mystery Man over the pages of beloved books is delightful, plus they are each on their own individual journeys of self-discovery. This novel is a must read for book lovers everywhere!" --Jennifer Sullivan, Sno-Isle Libraries, Wash.

A Kid from Marlboro Road: A Novel by Edward Burns (Seven Stories Press, $27.95, 9781644214077). "This coming-of-age adventure/family story by director and actor Edward Burns features relatable Irish American characters and summer experiences. It's a well-written, sweet read about a family full of life while dealing with death." --Katharine Phenix, Boulder Public Library, Colo.

Sky Full of Elephants: A Novel by Cebo Campbell (‎Simon & Schuster, $27.99, 9781668034927). "After all the white people have died in the U.S., Charlie reunites with his biracial daughter, Sydney. This debut is both a dystopian tale and a beautiful story of a daughter coming of age, learning more about herself and her relationship with her father." --Michelle Morris, Fort Worth Public Library, Tex.

An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson (Ace, $29, 9780593638309). "This dark academia fantasy is an immersive, glittering jewel shot through with tendrils of true horror. In Savannah, Georgia, a young woman gets recruited to a mysterious academy of magic teeming with secrets. Fans of Lev Grossman and Olivie Blake will enjoy this book, yet Henderson is a wholly unique voice in the genre." --Gregg Winsor, Johnson County Library, Kan.

The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife: A Novel by Anna Johnston (Morrow, $30, 9780063397293). "Frederick Fife lost his home, but he finds much-needed shelter and loving care in a nursing home when he is mistaken for one of the residents, Bernard, while out on a walk. Assuming another person's identity is not something Frederick set out to do, and how this story unfolds is anybody's guess in this sweet, funny, and heartwarming novel." --Andrienne Cruz, Azusa City Library, Calif.

Playground: A Novel by Richard Powers (W.W. Norton, $29.99, 9781324086031). "Residents of the island of Makatea must decide on a seasteading proposal that would forever change their way of life in this epic tale of activism, ambition, relationships, and the wonders of the oceans. For readers who love National Geographic documentaries, happily look for life on every watery horizon, and enjoy a variety of well-developed characters." --Kimberly McGee, Lake Travis Community Library, Tex.

A Dark and Drowning Tide: A Novel by Allison Saft (Del Rey, $18.99, 9780593722343). "On an expedition to find an enchanted spring, Lorelei and Sylvia must work together to solve the murder of their leader. Exploring themes of magic, romance, adventure, political intrigue, academic rivalry, racism and classism, grief, and healing make for a really good read. The strange unpredictability of the magic makes the plot engaging." --Shannon Carney, Baltimore County Public Library, Md.

Colored Television: A Novel by Danzy Senna (‎Riverhead, $29, 9780593544372). "Jane has been working on her second novel for a decade, but the finished product is met with a not very enthusiastic response by her agent. Stymied by her circumstances, Jane pins her hopes on a collaboration with a TV producer and makes some questionable choices. Readers will root for Jane to get out of the hole she's dug for herself in this sharp dark comedy." --Angela Strathman, Mid-Continent Public Library, Mo.

The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society by C.M. Waggoner (Ace, $18.99, 9781984805881). "Small-town librarian Sherry Pinkwhistle doesn't find it strange that she is always on hand to solve local murders. But when a loved one is targeted, she realizes that a demon may be possessing the town. This cozy paranormal mystery is full of likable, quirky characters." --Kristin Skinner, Flat River Community Library, Mich.

In the 39 entries and abundant (more than 50) illustrations of Still Life with Remorse, Maira Kalman explores the many varieties of remorse, with humor and poignancy.

Fans of her previous works, such as Principles of Uncertainty and Women Holding Things, will recognize Kalman's charming, insightful, sometimes wistful meanderings about subjects as varied as her parents, Leo Tolstoy, and Clara Schumann. Her paintings include several of Tolstoy; Brahms and Chekhov on their death beds; Sarah Bernhardt "in bananas chapeau"; and the French poet Mallarmé, who "outdid all the rest in the looks department," and whose gray eyes seem to stare out from the pages. Her recollections of family, meanwhile, get "still life" treatments, in the loose lines of a Matisse, with telling objects such as the bouquet of flowers Kalman's father kept fresh at her mother's hospital bedside, and the "heavy black coat" that saved the life of a relative who "got involved with unsavory people/ Or he did something unethical./ It is unclear."

Such phrases as "It is unclear" or "Accounts differ" punctuate the entries. Kalman's pieces allow readers room to bring their own experiences into the details of a kitchen-table scene between two estranged, aging sisters-in-law, for instance, in "The Place Was a Mess"; or to reflect on the personal cost of the Holocaust. Kalman's father and two brothers left Belarus and their parents (who stayed with their dry goods store) for Palestine in 1939; their parents were murdered by Nazis. She balances these weighty moments with witty, often gallows humor. For instance, Kalman describes the frightening story of her sister Kika, born in 1945 with pneumonia (Kika survives), and moves into a tale of penicillin, Françoise Gilot, Picasso, and Dora Maar. She pairs the entry with a stunning still life of a bowl of cherries (with which Picasso wooed Gilot) on a square red table covered with a scalloped white cloth. The wry coupling typifies the dark comedy underlying the volume.

Kalman's pièce de résistance may be "What Could Possibly Go Wrong?": "The Romanovs could have lived longer if they/ had just been a teeny bit nicer to their people.// But they had not an iota of remorse/ about anything.// Lenin and Stalin?/ Same same./ Not an iota of remorse.// This is lack of remorse on an epic scale." Family situations incur the greatest instances of remorse, but friendships are not immune. Kalman's mother takes a proactive stand in "Chicken Fat": "She worried that if you made a friend you/ were bound to be disappointed and then what?/ How do you get out of it?/ Better not to make friends and not be disappointed."

Every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way, and yet Kalman assures readers that as long as there's music and art and flowers and laughter, there are moments of "merriment/ And good cheer," too. --Jennifer M. Brown, reviewer

Shelf Talker: Maira Kalman perceptively examines--with meaty anecdotes and abundant illustrations--the many forms of remorse as well as its antidote.