Anna's New, Used & A Little Abused Books & More hosted its grand opening and ribbon cutting celebration recently at 113 South Marble St., Rockmart, Ga. Polk Today reported that the city's Downtown Development Authority officially welcomed the new member to the business community. Owner Anna Flores had a soft opening in mid-August for her bookstore, which offers a variety of titles and genres.

Prosed Books, an all-ages bookstore with an emphasis on diverse authors and stories, is opening in Eugene, Ore., this fall. The 673-square-foot store, at 1237 Charnelton St., will carry a wide-ranging inventory of fiction, nonfiction, and graphic novels by authors from marginalized backgrounds.

Prosed Books logo (top) and store mascot, Ash. Both will be featured on store merch.

Store owner Jynastie Wilson hopes to have the bookstore open by early November, and to that end, she's launched a Kickstarter campaign with a goal of $5,000. Funds will go toward things like minor renovations and acquiring inventory. So far, it has raised more than $1,000, with 19 days to go.

While most of the store's inventory will be new books, Wilson does plan to offer a limited selection of used titles, along with a Little Free Library outside the store. She noted: "Everyone deserves a good book, even if they can't necessarily afford it."

In addition to books, Wilson will carry a "range of bookish goodies" like tote bags, stickers, and candles, and she's reaching out to local artists about featuring their work in-store.

On the subject of events, Wilson said she would love Prosed Books to be seen as a community as well as a bookstore. Her plans include author readings and signings, craft nights, queer picture book readings, vendor pop-up markets, silent and traditional book clubs, and writing nights.

Wilson is a literary agent as well as a bookstore owner, and she hopes that "writers will be drawn in because of my knowledge and experience, and that'll be something fun to explore." She's also intends to provide a space for community members and local businesses to host their own events.

Prior to founding Prosed Books, Wilson worked as a bookseller at Barnes & Noble from 2021 until February 2024. She said she's always dreamt of opening a bookstore, but "didn't know if it was ever possible as I came from a low income household and didn't have the first idea on how to open a business."

She decided that now was the right time to pursue her bookstore dream "after some positive feedback from the community and after having a great support system around me. I wouldn't have made this leap if they weren't pushing me to do so."

Touching on the community at large, Wilson said there's "been nothing but positivity." She's been doing pop-up appearances in advance of the store's opening, and at the most recent pop-up, she was told by multiple people how excited they were for the physical location to open.

"And it definitely reminds me of how much a place like this is needed in Eugene," Wilson said. "I'm really looking to foster more of a community here."

We're sad to report that Hut Landon is retiring. Again. At the same time, however, we're happy for him.

Hut Landon

Best-known as the longtime executive director of the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association (now part of the California Independent Booksellers Alliance), Hut Landon began his career working as a newspaper journalist, then as a bookseller and bookstore owner, then at NCIBA, first on the board and as president, then executive director, until his retirement in 2015. Since then, Landon has been a bookseller at Mrs. Dalloway's Literary & Garden Arts bookstore in Berkeley.

Much of the job at Mrs. Dalloway's has involved working in the store four days a week, a daily schedule that he's giving up. He said he'll miss "being in the store and being with colleagues and talking with customers," but he will continue such back-office work as producing the store's weekly newsletter and website. "I wanted to stay connected to the store if they wanted me to, and they do," he added.

Carolyn Hutton, manager at Mrs. Dalloway's, noted that Landon's job with the store "grew into much more than anyone could ever have imagined. He's a major part of our staff, and we are really going to miss him, but support his desire to truly have some leisure time and pursue other less strenuous activities.... He's been a HUGE part of the Bay Area book scene for decades and is beloved by many."

Landon's last day working on the floor is this Saturday, September 28, when Mrs. Dalloway's is encouraging customers to stop by between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. "There will be festivities in the store, we'll have a card to sign, and you can get your final book recommendation from Hut."

During his time as executive director of NCIBA, from 1999 to 2015, Landon was instrumental in creating Book Sense, the marketing campaign for independent bookstores that eventually was adopted by the American Booksellers Association and became the national initiative IndieCommerce. Similarly, in 2014 Landon helped create California Bookstore Day, which is now also managed by the ABA and has become the colossally successful Independent Bookstore Day.

But Landon is perhaps most proud of something less well known: helping create the concept of independent bookselling and independent bookstores. NCIBA was the first regional booksellers association to add the word "independent" to its name, which Landon proposed when, as a bookstore owner, he was president of the Northern California Booksellers Association. "I brought it up with the board that we add 'independent' to our name," he said. "We were the first to do it." The proposal passed by an overwhelming majority.

Landon called the name change "a big deal" because "we needed to differentiate ourselves." Within a few years, most other regional booksellers associations added the word independent to their names, and the phrases "independent bookstore" and "independent bookseller" became new standards in the industry. Then the focus became "what makes us distinctive," which led to Book Sense and California Bookstore Day.

While he wants to travel in retirement, Landon's first plans involve having a knee operation next month, something he couldn't do while working four days a week at Mrs. Dalloway's. "The body needs patching," he said.

Even with that, and eventually traveling, he will continue publishing the weekly newsletter he started when still executive director of NCIBA, Hut's Place: Weekly Words About New Books in Independent Bookstores. Published on Sundays, the newsletter is written for general readers and primarily highlights three titles just published or soon to be published. Landon says he enjoys writing it and is proud of its 60% open rate. With his early background in newspaper writing, it comes fairly easily. "I'm a big believer in deadlines," he said. "I like the discipline and want to keep going."

We're glad he'll keep working on it--and staying in touch! --John Mutter

Australian chef and author Greg Malouf, "known globally for his modern interpretations of the foods of Lebanon, Iran, Turkey, North Africa and the broader Middle East," has died, the Bookseller reported. He was 65. Hardie Grant Publishing announced the news on behalf of his family, noting: "Despite lifelong health challenges and two heart transplants, Greg Malouf continued to break boundaries in the culinary world with unyielding passion. He always expressed his deep gratitude for these gifts, which allowed him to pursue a rich and rewarding life and to become one of the world's most highly regarded chefs--The Master of Middle Eastern Food."

The late chef "was an habitué of the Australian reality TV circuit, appearing on MasterChef Australia and Food Safari, but he was not just a screen cook," the Guardian noted. He was also a Michelin star-rated chef and managed one of Melbourne's most popular restaurants.

In each of the eight books written with Lucy Malouf (his ex-wife and co-author), his "creativity, inventiveness and mastery of his craft shine through," Hardie Grant added. "This, together with his wholehearted dedication to the development and production of each book, contributed to their successes; many being award-winners and published in multiple foreign-language editions as well as being notable bestsellers in English-language markets."

Most recently, the co-authors were working on a book, due to be published in late 2026, focusing on the food of the North African Maghreb, the Bookseller wrote. Their other works include SUQAR: Desserts & Sweets from the Modern Middle East, winner of the James Beard Foundation award in 2019; New Feast: Modern Middle Eastern Vegetarian (2014); Malouf: New Middle Eastern Food (2012); and Moorish: Flavours from Mecca to Marrakech (2001).

Born in Melbourne, Malouf built his reputation at two restaurants: O'Connell's in South Melbourne and later at MoMo in the heart of the city, where he was awarded "two hats" at Australia's prestigious Good Food awards.

"Greg was an inspired and passionate teacher of generations of aspiring cooks, many of whom are leading chefs today," Hardie Grant noted. "While Greg's culinary influence touched many thousands of people around the world--through the dishes he cooked at his restaurants, his mentorship of countless aspiring chefs and through the recipes in his books--those who knew him personally will remember his warmth, kindness, generosity and enduring humility, and his loyalty and love for family and friends."

Alice Hoffman posed with Mitchell Kaplan of Books & Books in Coral Gables, Fla., last night before her packed house event with the store, held at Temple Judea. Hoffman is currently on tour for When We Flew Away: A Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary (Scholastic Press). (photo: Seale Ballenger)

As Midtown Reader, Tallahassee, Fla., made final preparations for the approaching hurricane, the bookstore posted on Facebook: "Helene, we liked you better in War and Peace! Stock up on essentials and grab a good book to keep you company while you weather the storm. Wishing our readers and friends safety over the next few days!"

Congratulations to Mara Lynn Luther, Katrina Mendrey, and Marisa Neyenhuis, owners of Chapter One Bookstore, Hamilton, Mont., who last week were presented with a beautification award by the city council.

The Bitterroot Star wrote: "The popular downtown bookstore is now easily recognizable due to the large mural that runs the western length of the building along North 3rd Street. The mural, designed and installed by muralist Britt Flood of North Carolina, depicts western Montana landscape together with a passion for books and reading. The mural was installed last summer, and its vibrant colors and compelling imagery will certainly carry warmth of summer into the cold months ahead.

"Mayor Dominic Farrenkopf read aloud from a letter to the bookstore owners, thanking them for their 'amazing gift of community art.' The letter continued to add that the mural, 'adds meaning to our surroundings and is a confirmation of why we live here. You have made Hamilton more special.' "

Chloe Texier-Rose has joined the Little, Brown publicity department as assistant director. She was most recently director of publicity at Zando. Before that, she worked in the publicity department of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, and earlier held positions at The Experiment Publishing, HarperCollins, and Rubenstein.

Counting Winter by Nancy White Carlstrom, illustrated by Claudia McGehee (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers).

Tomorrow:
Today Show: Leanne Morgan, author of What in the World?!: A Southern Woman's Guide to Laughing at Life's Unexpected Curveballs and Beautiful Blessings (Convergent Books, $27, 9780593594391).

Drew Barrymore Show: Stephen Colbert and Evie McGee Colbert, authors of Does This Taste Funny?: Recipes Our Family Loves (Celadon, $35, 9781250859990).

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, September 28
9:40 a.m. Jean Becker, author of Character Matters: And Other Life Lessons from George H.W. Bush (‎Twelve, $30, 9781538758571). (Re-airs Saturday at 9:45 p.m.)

2:55 p.m. Alison LaCroix, author of The Interbellum Constitution: Union, Commerce, and Slavery in the Age of Federalisms (‎Yale University Press, $45, 9780300223217).

4 p.m. Robert McNally, author of Cast Out of Eden: The Untold Story of John Muir, Indigenous Peoples, and the American Wilderness (Bison Books, $34.95, 9781496227263).

5:55 p.m. Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s (Simon & Schuster, $35, 9781982108663).

Sunday, September 29
8 a.m. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, author of Lovely One: A Memoir (Random House, $35, 9780593729908). (Re-airs Sunday at 8 p.m.)

10 a.m. Paola Ramos, author of Defectors: The Rise of the Latino Far Right and What It Means for America (Pantheon, $28, 9780593701362). (Re-airs Sunday at 10 p.m.)

2 p.m. Craig Rosebraugh, author of Burning Rage of a Dying Planet: The FBI vs. the Earth Liberation Front (Microcosm Publishing, $19.95, 9781648412073).

3 p.m. Zack Beauchamp, author of The Reactionary Spirit: How America's Most Insidious Political Tradition Swept the World (PublicAffairs, $30, 9781541704411).

4:40 p.m. Erwin Chemerinsky, author of No Democracy Lasts Forever: How the Constitution Threatens the United States (Liveright, $29.99, 9781324091585).

6:45 p.m. Craig Whitlock, author of Fat Leonard: How One Man Bribed, Bilked, and Seduced the U.S. Navy (Simon & Schuster, $32.50, 9781982131630).

The Washington Center for the Book (an affiliate of the Library of Congress Center for the Book administered by Washington State Library), has named the winners of the 2024 Washington State Book Awards for outstanding books published by Washington authors in 2023. This year's winning titles are: 

Fiction: The Laughter by Sonora Jha (HarperVia)
Creative nonfiction/memoir: Meet Me Tonight in Atlantic City by Jane Wong (Tin House Books)
General nonfiction/biography: A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them by Timothy Egan (Viking)
Poetry: I Sing the Salmon Home: Poems from Washington State, edited by Rena Priest (Empty Bowl Press)
YA literature: Painted Devils by Margaret Owen (Henry Holt Books for Young Readers)
Books for young readers: Duel by Jessixa Bagley, illustrated by Aaron Bagley (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)
Picture books: Ploof by Ben Clanton and Andy Chou Musser (Tundra Books)

Selected new titles appearing next Tuesday, October 1:

The Mighty Red: A Novel by Louise Erdrich (Harper, $32, 9780063277052) intertwines cosmic, geological and human drama around a fraught wedding during the 2008 financial crisis.

Triangle: A Novel by Danielle Steel (Delacorte, $29, 9780593498552) follows a Parisian art gallery owner endangered by a new romance.

The Third Realm: A Novel by Karl Ove Knausgaard, trans. by Martin Aitken (Penguin Press, $32, 9780593655214) finds a new star in the Norwegian sky that alters the course of life and death.

Revenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering by Malcolm Gladwell (Little, Brown, $32, 9780316575805) follows up on The Tipping Point 25 years after its publication.

The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates (One World, $30, 9780593230381) contains three essays, the longest of which tracks a disillusioning trip to Palestine.

The Sequel: A Novel by Jean Hanff Korelitz (Celadon, $29, 9781250875471) is a sequel to the bestselling thriller The Plot.

The Last Dangerous Visions, edited by Harlan Ellison and J. Michael Straczynski (Blackstone, $27.99, 9798212183796) concludes the late Ellison's sci-fi anthology series begun in the 1970s.

Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir by Ina Garten (Crown, $34, 9780593799895) is a memoir by cookbook author and cooking show host the Barefoot Contessa.
 
Abortion: Our Bodies, Their Lies, and the Truths We Use to Win by Jessica Valenti (Crown, $25, 9780593800232) highlights conservative attacks on women's rights.

Subpar Planet: The World's Most Celebrated Landmarks and Their Most Disappointed Visitors by Amber Share (Plume, $30, 9780593473160) chronicles humorous negative reviews of major world tourist attractions.

Wingborn by Marjorie Liu, illus. by Grace Kum (Quill Tree, $15.99, 9780062995551) is the second book in a middle-grade graphic novel series about a girl raised in a magic tree by mystical bird spirits.

The Ballerina of Auschwitz by Edith Eva Eger (Atheneum, $18.99, 9781665952552) is the young adult edition of the author's award-winning adult memoir, The Choice.

Paperbacks:
The Boyfriend: A Psychological Thriller by Freida McFadden (Poisoned Pen Press, $17.99, 9781728296227).

The Skillet: 200+ Simpler Ways to Make Just About Anything, From Perfect Meals to Breads, Desserts, and More by America's Test Kitchen (America's Test Kitchen, $32.99, 9781954210912).

Adulthood Is a Gift!: A Celebration of Sarah's Scribbles by Sarah Andersen (Andrews McMeel, $18.99, 9781524890407).

Coming Home to Paradise: Sisters in Paradise Book 3 by Carolyn Brown (Sourcebooks Casablanca, $16.99, 9781728275031).

Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake (Berkley, $19, 9780593550595).

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

Hardcover
Madwoman: A Novel by Chelsea Bieker (Little, Brown, $29, 9780316573290). "This incredible story of domestic violence survivors had me on the edge of my seat. Fans of Godshot will recognize Bieker's humor and depth. But in Madwoman, there's growth, not always for the better, of a character trying to forget her dark past." --Emily Berg, Books & Books, Key West, Fla.

We're Alone: Essays by Edwidge Danticat (Graywolf Press, $26, 9781644453025). "In so few pages, Edwidge Danticat weaves language that situates us in the moment with compassion and clarity. From odes that ache and appreciate the humanity of brilliant authors, to writings about Haiti and storms to come, Danticat threads it all." --Mari Guzman, Politics and Prose Bookstore, Washington, D.C.

Paperback
Where the Forest Meets the River by Shannon Bowring (Europa Editions, $18, 9798889660439). "In Where the Forest Meets the River, Bowring takes us back to Dalton, Maine, where some of my favorite and not-so-favorite people live. Dalton has its secrets, but Bowring spins a tale full of love, sorrow, and laughter." --Jayne Rowsam, Mystery to Me, Madison, Wis.

Ages 4-8
Attack of the Scones (Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast) by Josh Funk, illus. by Brendan Kearney (Union Square Kids, $18.99, 9781454943648). "As raucous as the first Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast, Josh Funk continues to bring epic scope and adventure to picture books. Brendan Kearney's fun and vibrant illustrations of everything from French toast to cutlery will charm your socks off." --Justin Colussy-Estes, Little Shop of Stories, Decatur, Ga.

Ages 8-12
Taxi Ghost by Sophie Escabasse (Random House Graphic, $13.99, 9780593565971). "Taxi Ghost is a great book for readers who wish they could communicate with ghosts like Adèle, and who stands up for the preservation of their neighborhood. The characters were so vibrant and lovable, and we love the celebration of periods!" --Paige McWilliams, Carmichael's Bookstore, Louisville, Ky.

Teen Readers
Under the Surface by Diana Urban (Putnam Books for Young Readers, $19.99, 9780593625088). "Hold on to your seats! This dark thriller has it all: a fast-paced adventure in the tunnels under Paris filled with long-dead bodies, broken friendships, ghoulish hunters, and enough action to keep you flipping the pages. Keep the lights on!" --Maureen Palacios, Once Upon a Time, Montrose, Calif.

[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]

A small cabin, purchased off Craigslist and tucked in Washington State's Cascade Mountains, becomes a life-changer for Patrick Hutchison, who amusingly details a rather impulsive woodland adventure in his first memoir, Cabin: Off the Grid Adventures with a Clueless Craftsman.

While his contemporaries pursued advanced degrees, careers, and starting families, Hutchison was unsure of what he wanted out of life. His dreams of becoming a writer were slow going. Having worked a host of random jobs, he'd landed somewhat steady employment as a copywriter in Seattle. However, he felt stuck in corporate life, suffering a "quarter-life crisis" and itching to find meaning.

One night, while scrolling the Internet, he became inspired by a picture of a 10x12-foot cabin nestled in a forest: "The cabin begged for someone to cozy up inside, light a fire, take a slug of whiskey, and let the world drift away, all for the price of a used Hyundai. They were asking $7,500." The name of the mountain town, "Wit's End," sealed the deal.

Hutchison's "sexy-cool cabin-fix-it-guy dream" was set in motion. Over the course of 28 chapters, Hutchinson comically details every step of his journey with a cabin that was "charming in a dystopian sort of way." While maintaining his day job, he and a band of his equally adventurous friends escaped regularly to the mountains, intending to spruce up the isolated, shabby cabin that had not "so much as a light switch."

Hutchison and his party-boy crew share good times drinking beer, cooking steaks, and enjoying BB gun target practice. But when it comes to rebuilding the cabin--beyond chopping wood and learning the "power of power tools"--they display a complete lack of experience. Even when offered advice, they balk at assistance. What ensues is a comedy of errors where headstrong, learn-things-the-hard-way-Hutchison is drawn down a winding path that ultimately leads to personal enlightenment.

Readers will become immersed in Hutchison's down-to-earth quest to "plant a flag of responsibility, to show others or maybe just prove to myself that I was doing more with my life than just sitting at a desk churning out marketing emails." And the best part is readers won't have to rough it in an outhouse or suffer mosquito bites in order to experience the great fun of Hutchison's grand adventure. --Kathleen Gerard, blogger at Reading Between the Lines

Shelf Talker: A fun, adventurous memoir about how sprucing up a cabin in the mountains of Washington State brought fulfillment to a restless young copywriter.