Hive Mind Books, a queer and trans bookstore that debuted as an online and pop-up shop earlier this year, has opened a bricks-and-mortar location in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Located at 219 Irving Ave. in Brooklyn's Bushwick neighborhood, the store spans 700 square feet and carries new, used, and discounted books. The general-interest inventory includes an assortment of genres and many titles by queer and trans authors. The bookstore also features a coffee counter selling espresso drinks, tea, and pastries, with seating for up to 14.

Co-owners Julie Wernersbach and Robyn Warren plan to start hosting events soon, and they intend to keep doing periodic pop-up appearances around Brooklyn. One of their first events will be a trick-or-treat for books event on Halloween.

"Brooklyn currently does not have a dedicated queer bookstore. We've been popping up with queer book fairs and author events for several months now and have seen how excited people are for a thoughtful, curated selection of these books," the owners wrote. "We also love and recommend books by authors of other backgrounds. It's important to us to make sure that our store shares the perspectives of global and BIPOC writers, whether or not they're queer. The world is big. We read widely!"

The pair have a combined 29 years of bookselling experience and met more than 14 years ago while working at BookPeople in Austin, Tex. Prior to starting Hive Mind, Wernersbach was founding general manager at P&T Knitwear in Manhattan and general manager of Book Revue on Long Island. Warren was assistant buyer and accounting clerk at BookPeople and has a Master's degree in emergency management and disaster science, which she has put to use as a consultant creating emergency plans for local bookstores.

"We've had such a warm welcome from the neighborhood," Wernersbach added. "This is my neighborhood, too, and it feels really good to hear local readers say that a bookstore is adding something of value here. I can't wait to grow with the community."

Judging by the Cover--A Bookstore will host a grand opening and ribbon-cutting celebration on November 1 at 1029 F Street, Fresno, Calif., inside the Chinatown Pop-Up Place, a project by city's Chinatown Foundation designed to help small businesses establish physical storefronts. 

Founded by Ashley Mireles-Guerrero and Carlos Mireles-Guerrero, the queer- and Latine-owned bookstore has officially moved from a pop-up operation to a bricks-and-mortar location committed to elevating voices often underrepresented on bookstore shelves, including BIPOC, queer, feminist, neurodivergent, and disabled authors. The store will also offer a curated selection of titles from independent presses and feature bilingual and non-English books "that reflect the rich diversity of Fresno and the Central Valley."

"Our goal is to celebrate historically marginalized voices and create a space where everyone in the Central Valley can see themselves in the books they read," said Ashley Mireles-Guerrero.

Judging by the Cover is part of the inaugural cohort of the BincTank Small Business Incubator Program by the Book Industry Charitable Foundation. 

The store's founders are both children's book authors who have more than a decade of book industry experience. Carlos Mireles-Guerrero is an award-winning book designer and the current art administrator for the publisher Familius. Ashley Mireles-Guerrero serves as the director of sales and marketing at Familius, is a board member of the Independent Book Publishers' Association, and was a 2022 PW Star Watch Finalist. 

They founded Judging by the Cover in 2023 with a commitment "to uplifting historically marginalized voices in literature" and will continue to engage with the local community through events and pop-ups. 

"I love Fresno and I want to see it thrive. I want kids who grew up here to see opportunities in writing, designing, and selling books," said Carlos Mireles-Guerrero.

Barnes & Noble has announced a pair of new bookstore opening celebrations, scheduled to take place this Wednesday, October 30. 

The new Wicker Park B&N in Chicago, which will officially open with author Jeneva Rose cutting the ribbon and signing copies of her books, is located at 1601 North Milwaukee Ave. It is located in the historic Noel State Bank building.

"We open what is now one of the most beautiful bookstores anywhere in the world," said B&N CEO James Daunt. "Its architects in 1919 described it as the dernier cri in bank architecture and indeed only bankers could have thought to build something so ornate. A little over a century later, we booksellers are thrilled to be the beneficiaries."

In Richmond Heights, Mo., the new B&N is located in Saint Louis Galleria at 2417 St Louis Galleria St. The company noted: "When looking to expand our presence in this area, Saint Louis Galleria--the preeminent shopping center in Missouri--was at the top of our list. This new Barnes & Noble, alongside recent openings in Arizona, Kentucky, New York, South Carolina and Tennessee, is another significant step in our ongoing return to malls, which we are excited to continue here in Richmond Heights."

Gary Indiana, "the elfin novelist, cultural critic, playwright and artist whose crackling prose and lacerating wit captured the ravages of the AIDS crisis, Manhattan's downtown art scene, lurid true crimes and his own search for love," died October 23, the New York Times reported. He was 74.

Gary Indiana

Indiana was the author of more than 10 books of fiction, memoir and criticism, "all of which tackled, in one way or another, a culture careering toward ruin," the Times noted. Horse Crazy (1989) is a roman à clef about a 30-something writer obsessed with a beautiful, young, heroin-addled photographer; Resentment: A Comedy (1997) was the first book in his lightly fictionalized crime trilogy, its backdrop the Los Angeles trial of the Menendez brothers; Three-Month Fever: The Andrew Cunanan Story (1999), delved into the bizarre life of the serial killer who murdered the fashion designer Gianni Versace; and Depraved Indifference (2001) was based on the mother-and-son con artists and murderers Sante and Kenneth Kimes. 

Of the trilogy, Indiana said, "I was trying to understand something about the pathology of families."

Indiana arrived in New York City in 1978 and "began churning out poetry, film reviews and essays for indie presses, hoping to find his way as a playwright and novelist," the Times wrote. He became an impresario of the East Village's art scene, performing in a few No Wave movies, staging plays at the Mudd Club and in his friend Bill Rice's backyard, and overseeing "lunatic cabarets featuring knife juggling, fire effects and a man who ate lightbulbs (and who happened to be Mr. Indiana's boyfriend at the time)."

When his friend Jeff Weinstein became the arts editor of the Village Voice, he persuaded a reluctant Indiana to become the paper's art critic. For the next two and a half years, beginning in 1985, he upended the traditions of the form. As he wrote later, it was a time of terrible emergency, and he used his essays to explore his rage at the government's indifference to the AIDS crisis and at an art world veering from joyous eclecticism to a grimly corporate market ethos. Indiana disavowed his art criticism after he quit the Voice in 1988. 

"It had made him a star in a world that he hated--the amped-up, hyper-capitalist art world," the longtime editor Ira Silverberg, once one of Indiana's publishers, said. "He was a Marxist at heart, and he retreated into fiction, which is where he wanted to be anyway."

In 2017, however, writer Bruce Hainley, who had gathered Indiana's Voice columns, gave the hard drive to Hedi El Kholti, an editor of Semiotext(e). El Kholti then persuaded "an extremely ambivalent" Indiana to allow him to publish the collection; Vile Days: The Village Voice Art Columns 1985-1988, edited by Hainley, which was released in 2018. Semiotext(e) had earlier published some of Indiana's out-of-print novels, earning him a new generation of readers.

"He was one of the very greatest writers (among other things) of the last century," Hainley said.

Indiana "understood the absurdity of everything," said author Lynne Tillman, an old friend. "So I want to phone him and tell him he died. He'd roar with laughter. What kind of man was he? It's why I write novels. If I tried to sum him up, he'd become a character."

"To continue with something, you have to take a leap of faith," Indiana told Tobi Haslett in his Paris Review Art of Fiction interview. "But there does come a point with a novel when you know you're going to get to the end. When you see how you can make it work despite there being elements of it that make you afraid."

Fans of author John Larison (standing, right) turned out for the release party for his new novel The Ancients (Viking) at Grass Roots Books & Music in Corvallis, Ore. Guests are holding up freshly delivered copies of the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association's Give Books holiday catalog.

"It's an absolutely beautiful day!" First Chapter Bookshop, Seneca, S.C., posted on Instagram over the weekend. "You know what goes well with beautiful days? BOOKS and chatting with your favorite bookseller! Come see us (me, Taylor) today."

"Reading is spooktacular" was the weekend's Halloween-inspired message on the sidewalk chalkboard in front of Novel Bay Booksellers, Sturgeon Bay, Wis. 

Brian McLendon has joined Ulysses Press as v-p, marketing, and publisher of the VeloPress imprint. Previously, he was v-p, associate publisher and marketing director at Grand Central.

The Grays of Truth by Sharon Virts (Flashpoint Books).

Today:
CBS Mornings: Neil deGrasse Tyson, author of Merlin's Tour of the Universe, Revised and Updated for the Twenty-First Century: A Traveler's Guide to Blue Moons and Black Holes, Mars, Stars, and Everything Far (Blackstone Publishing, $29.99, 9781665019859).

NPR's Here & Now: Melissa B. Jacoby, author of Unjust Debts: How Our Bankruptcy System Makes America More Unequal (The New Press, $27.99, 9781620977866).

Fresh Air: Eliza Griswold, author of Circle of Hope: A Reckoning with Love, Power, and Justice in an American Church (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $30, 9780374601683).

Kelly Clarkson Show: Al Roker and Courtney Roker Laga, authors of Al Roker's Recipes to Live By: Easy, Memory-Making Family Dishes for Every Occasion (Legacy Lit, $35, 9781538740699).

Tomorrow:
Good Morning America: Eva Longoria, author of My Mexican Kitchen: 100 Recipes Rich with Tradition, Flavor, and Spice (Clarkson Potter, $35, 9780593796429).

The View: Bob Woodward, author of War (Simon & Schuster, $32, 9781668052273).

Tamron Hall: Nicole Cain, author of Panic Proof: The New Holistic Solution to End Your Anxiety Forever (Rodale, $19.99, 9780593582572).

A trailer has been released for FX's Say Nothing, based on the nonfiction bestselling book by Patrick Radden Keefe. IndieWire  reported that the project "tells the true story of 'The Troubles,' the decades-long conflict between the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, including the rise of the Irish Republican Army. As part of that, the story delves into 'the Disappeared,' centering, like the book, on the mystery of a missing mother of 10."

Adapted by Joshua Zetumer, the series cast includes Lola Petticrew, Hazel Doupe, Anthony Boyle, and Josh Finan.

Keefe called the characters "complicated," saying, "How you feel about them should shift. And I think that the challenge for us, this was true for me with the book, very, very true with the series, is: How do you capture the romance of those politics without romanticizing them yourself? And I think part of the answer is that you show the costs not just in the final episodes... but from the very first scene. The first person you meet is Jean McConville [one of the Disappeared]. And the hope is that the sense of those costs kind of hangs over the whole series, even when it's kind of lark-y bank heists and so forth, that you have a sense that there is this kind of Tell-Tale Heart beating in the background."

Zetumer added: "I think one of the things we were trying to do from the beginning was capture the energy of what it feels like to be in your twenties or a teenager and really get caught up in a cause. That was the sort of guiding principle that was driving us forward.... The challenge is like, what not to include, because it's 40 years of history. It's this vast swirl that's around the characters. You're getting the whole history of the Troubles in the course of the book. And so the question was: 'Okay, what do you cut out?' "

Winners of the 2024 National Translation Awards in Poetry and Prose, sponsored by the American Literary Translators Association (ALTA), were announced on Saturday at an awards ceremony during ALTA's annual conference, ALTA47: Voices in Translation, in Milwaukee, Wis.

National Translation Award in Prose winner:
The Hunger of Women by Marosia Castaldi, translated from Italian by Jame Richards (And Other Stories). Judges said, "The Hunger of Women seamlessly defies literary conventions to tell the story of an unconventional narrator who holds the wisdoms of ages passed on to her through food and the female body. Castaldi, through Richards, invites us to a landscape of the everyday, to be and become with a woman who offers us 'the miracle of the host.' In this feast of words and rhythms, we, addressed as Reader, find ourselves, in intimacy with a life in motion, experiencing an insatiable desire for tastes on our tongues and touches on our skin."

National Translation Award in Poetry winner:
And the Street by Pierre Alferi, translated from French by Cole Swensen (Green Linden Press). "Pierre Alferi, who recently passed away, was a major figure in contemporary French experimental poetry. A scholar of medieval literature, Alferi's work is deeply informed by Postmodern critical theory as well as the lyrical traditions of both English and French poetry. The short fractured lyrics of And the Street capture the velocity and intensity of contemporary life, which somehow slowing time and attention to the smaller and often ignored moments that make up quotidian lives. The son of a philosopher and a psychoanalyst, Alferi's work in And the Street marries the deep inner life with the phenomena of the material world."

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Longlists have been selected for the 2025 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction. The 46 titles, 23 in each category, can be seen here. Shortlists will be announced November 12, and the two medal winners January 26 during LibLearnX. Presentations take place during the ALA's annual conference, to be held June 2025 in Philadelphia, Pa.

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The shortlist has been selected for the 2024 Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction, honoring titles that "best evoke the Wodehouse spirit of witty characters and perfectly timed comic prose." See the list here (via British Comedy Guide). The winner will be announced December 2.

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

Top Pick
Lost and Lassoed by Sage (Dial Press, $17.99, 9780593732458). "This romance has everything: a small town, cowboys, and an enemies-to-lovers plot, all packed in one little book. Sage's books are quick reads with likable characters and relatable story arcs. This will be sure to tick all the boxes for romance novel fans." --Kellie Gillespie, Olathe Public Library, Kan.

The Songbird and the Heart of Stone by Carissa Broadbent (‎Bramble, $29.99, 9781250367785). "Mische, once the chosen girl by the Sun God, is now disgraced and awaits her fate in prison. Asar, the bastard son of the Shadowborn King, needs her magic for his mission. Together they navigate the five realms of the underworld to find relics that have been scattered, and face their past, fears, and their worst secrets during their travels." --Melissa Turner, Maricopa Library & Cultural Center, Ariz.

Eleanore of Avignon: A Novel by Elizabeth DeLozier (Dutton, $29, 9780593475034). "Based on actual events, this is a fascinating look at early medicine and the ways women worked to heal, even as they were persecuted as witches. Apprentice midwife Elea hides her talents, but as the Black Plague reaches France, she's called on to heal the Pope and an exiled Italian queen. Fans of historical fiction will have a hard time putting this down." --Kimberly McGee, Lake Travis Community Library, Tex.

The Co-op: A Novel by Tarah DeWitt (St. Martin's Griffin, $18, 9781250329387). "LaRynn has inherited her grandmother's beachside home, but there's a catch: her ex Deacon inherited half of it. With funds running low, they marry in order to access her trust fund, leading them to fall in love again. This atmospheric tale is set against a stunning backdrop and will appeal to fans of slow-burn, emotionally charged romances." --Migdalia Jimenez, Chicago Public Library, Ill.

The Lake of Lost Girls: A Novel by Katherine Greene (Crooked Lane Books, $29.99, 9781639109081). "When Lindsey was six, her sister went outside to grab her birthday cake and disappeared. Three other girls from the college she attended also went missing. Now, twenty five years later when a body is found, Lindsey must face the past. Readers who enjoy cold-case mysteries will devour this dual-timeline novel." --Carly Hathaway, Salem Public Library, Va.

Before We Forget Kindness by Toshikazu Kawaguchi (Hanover Square Press, $21.99, 9781335915283). "Each story here follows an individual who wishes to go back in time at the magical cafe. As the individuals experience the past, they reflect on their life, which in turn serves to heal old wounds. Each tale tugs at the heartstrings and makes you want to wrap them up in a hug. This is another soft, gentle addition to the Before the Coffee Gets Cold universe." --Arianna Van Dam, Brown County Library, Wis.

The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer, illus. by John Burgoyne (Scribner, $20, 9781668072240). "A lovely and powerful essay on reciprocity and the potential of a gift economy in the face of our unsustainable current models--illustrated by the analogous natural systems that create the serviceberry and its ecosystem. This illustrated gem brings a timely message, truly thought-provoking and inspiring." --Jessica Trotter, Capital Area District Libraries, Mich.

The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong (Ace, $19, 9780593815915). "Tao lives a quiet and lonely life, traveling to villages telling fortunes, with her mule as sole companion. That all changes when an ex-mercenary asks for her help finding a child. Their not-so-merry band is complemented by a baker and a magical cat, creating an unusual family for Tao, but one she may have desperately needed. A lovely cozy fantasy debut." --Jennifer Winberry, LibraryReads Ambassador, N.J.

The City and Its Uncertain Walls: A Novel by Haruki Murakami, trans. by Philip Gabriel (Knopf, $35, 9780593801970). "In this reworking of a Murakami short story, the narrator grieves the loss of his teenage love. Through mysterious circumstances, he finds himself in a fantastical town, while his shadow self toils in an unfulfilled existence in Tokyo. An absolute treat for Murakami fans." --Magan Szwarek, LibraryReads Ambassador, Ill.

The Author's Guide to Murder: A Novel by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White (Morrow, $30, 9780063259867). "What starts off as bawdy Scottish entertainment for three authors evolves into a sincere, deeply emotional story of women's strength and survival, each woman experiences a complete story arc, and more than one double entendre. Equal parts fun and sincere." --Tina Panik, Avon Free Public Library, Conn.

The Perfectionist's Dilemma by clinical psychologist Tara Cousineau compassionately identifies and deconstructs the many struggles and stressors that challenge perfectionists. She further presents practical strategies that combat the paradoxical effects of high personal expectations and standards, while untangling feelings of self-criticism and self-doubt.

Cousineau faced her own "wake-up call" with perfectionism shortly after she finished her Ph.D. program. At a summer barbecue with her toddlers, Cousineau, a workaholic, suffered a panic attack that ultimately forced her to evaluate her many years of striving to "make something" of herself. This unsettling event led Cousineau to address emotional and mental blocks. In turn, she began to research and identify triggers, mindsets, and patterns of those who fall into the perfectionist trap. She discovered that those yearning to be the best often suffered the detrimental influence of their own inner critic stoking fears of failure and rejection and not being good enough.

The key to overcoming perfectionism--and its companions workaholism and procrastination--isn't to try harder to banish anxious thoughts. Rather, Cousineau finds it more productive and beneficial to "make friends" with sources of anxiety through the practices of self-compassion, mindfulness, acceptance, and kindness. Psychoeducational insights, clinical case studies, and stories of notable figures who cultivated their talents to achieve excellence--including the late basketball player Kobe Bryant--helped Cousineau devise a method to deal with darker forces of perfectionism via a thorough examination of the mind and soul in order to lead a more balanced, fulfilling life.

Her motivational approach, entitled EVOLVE, transforms inherent personal qualities into a durable sense of empowerment. Through detailed chapters, she breaks down components of the six-letter acronym that encompasses the practice of embodying the present moment, validating feelings, opening the heart, loving the inner critic, making a conscious vow to live in harmony with the self, and sparking balanced energies of excellence.

Aspects of neuroscience, compassion-based therapy methods, and "basic energy medicine skills"--gentle touching and tapping movements; reminders to help maintain positive focus and realistic expectations--combine to offer game-changing advice and easy-to-implement, conscious behavior modifications. Cousineau's (The Kindness Cure) proven, winning method offers innovative new ways for perfectionists to relate better to themselves and others, while achieving the excellence of their full potential with a lot less stress and a lot more joy. --Kathleen Gerard, blogger at Reading Between the Lines

Shelf Talker: A clinical psychologist offers winning strategies to help perfectionists lead less stressful, more positively empowered and fulfilling lives.