Woolly Bear Books & Gifts, an all-ages, general-interest bookstore, will open Thursday in Carnegie, Pa., just outside of Pittsburgh.

Located at 117 E. Main St., the roughly 250-square-foot store is "stuffed to the brim," said owner Mike Ploetz, with about half of the inventory belonging to children's books and half to adult books. While many topics and genres are represented, Ploetz noted that in the children's section there is a particularly strong collection of titles related to nature, environmental science, and animal science, and for adults, there is a robust selection of science fiction. Though the store is small, he emphasized, the inventory is wide, and there is "something for everybody."

Alongside books, Ploetz will carry "quite a range" of gift and nonbook items, including locally made candles, magnets, T-shirts, vegan soaps, and a "whole wall" of letterpress cards. Ploetz explained that part of the focus on gifts comes from his interest in visual merchandising, and he can create much more vibrant displays with books and gifts than books alone.

Asked about events, Ploetz said that aside from grand-opening festivities this weekend, he won't be hosting events right away. As the store's sole employee, he intends to find his footing first, but plans to look into event programming in the new year. Given the store's small size, Ploetz imagines he might host readings and signings in partnership with the local library or with local businesses.

The store's namesake is the woolly bear caterpillar, a species of native caterpillar covered in red and brown hairs. In addition to books, gardening is one of Ploetz's passions (he is in the process of completing a master gardener training program), and when thinking about a "fun and friendly" mascot for the store, he thought of the woolly bear caterpillar. They're harmless, local, and their coloring goes very well with the Halloween opening.

For a long time now, Ploetz has had an interest in bookselling from "both sides of the sales counter." Prior to launching Woolly Bear Books & Gifts, he worked in children's publishing for seven years, primarily in marketing. He started at Little Bee Books before moving to Penguin Random House and DK. And well before that, Ploetz worked at a bookstore and gift shop while attending college at the University of Pittsburgh, where he developed a fondness for both selling books and for visual merchandising.

Given commercial rents in the New York area, opening a store there never quite seemed feasible. But after returning to the Pittsburgh area about two years ago, Ploetz began to think about the possibility much more seriously. At the end of August Ploetz decided to finally pull the trigger, and it has been a "whirlwind" since.

While the experience of getting the store ready to open with such a short runway has been "chaotic," Ploetz said, he's met with a great response so far. His former colleagues at DK have been "really supportive," and excited for him, and when he introduced himself to nearby business owners after leasing the space, he received a lot of support. Community members also seem eager, with Ploetz mentioning he's heard excited remarks about the store from people walking by. He's also seen interest and enthusiasm about the store in a local Facebook group.

"Obviously it's nerve-racking," Ploetz said, "but I believe their response is going to be strong." --Alex Mutter

Kiss & Tale: A Romance Bookshop had its "slow burn opening" on October 10 and aims to fully open within the next month at 688 Haddon Ave., Collingswood, N.J. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that owner Katie Cunningham was inspired to open the 600-square-foot store after seeing the success of the Ripped Bodice romance bookstore in Brooklyn, N.Y. 

Although she was sure a romance bookshop would pop up soon after in the Philadelphia area, when it didn't, she decided to take the leap herself, choosing Collingswood for its charm as a "fun, little walking town."

"What's so amazing about romance is you can really tailor how you fall in love with a book and its characters in any way you want," she said. "It's kind of a choose-your-own-adventure, and I want to make sure I help you find that adventure."

The pink-walled shop, featuring a velvet lips-shaped chair, offers romance favorites like "enemies to lovers," "arranged marriage," and "monsters and aliens." Categories are labeled with a "hot pepper" system denoting a book's level of explicit content.

"I'm just a mom who loves romance so much, and wanted to create a community for other people who love romance as much as I do," Cunningham said, adding that her goal is to create an environment where customers feel accepted for their swoon-worthy, smutty interests. Her selection includes shelves dedicated to LGBTQIA+, local authors, and sports romance reads.

During the "slow burn opening," readers from North New Jersey to Delaware visited, and Cunningham's inventory of 1,000 books was halved by the end of the day, the Inquirer noted.

Since then, she's been re-stocking the bookcases to meet the demand of what she calls the area's "big, supportive romance community," which she described as "just the most accepting group of people, and I think [these books] are giving power back to readers over our bodies and understanding that liking different things is OK. As a woman raising a daughter, I think having these [taboo] things be more easy to talk about is only going to help girls and women love themselves more."

Booked Up, the iconic bookstore founded in Archer City, Tex. by the late, award-winning author Larry McMurtry, has been sold by Chip and Joanna Gaines, the stars of cable home improvement show Fixer Upper who helm the Magnolia brand, to the Archer City Writers Workshop, which plans to transform the bookstore into the Larry McMurtry Literary Center.

The Gaineses purchased the two buildings and stock of Booked Up in 2023 from Khristal Collins, Booked Up's longtime manager, who inherited the store after McMurtry's death in 2021. Collins had kept the name Booked Up, using it for an online store she founded.

"We are great admirers of the life and work of Larry McMurtry and look forward to seeing his remarkable bookstore open its doors again in a way that honors his legacy and our shared love for the story and spirit of Archer City," Chip and Joanna Gaines said.

The ACWW is focused on creating a thriving literary center showcasing "Larry McMurtry's epic life as a cowboy, novelist, screenwriter, rare book collector and artist for the ages." In addition, the nonprofit plans to make the author's collection of 175,000 rare books publicly accessible.

"Booked Up was the center of Larry's literary universe and for the hundreds of writers who participated in the Archer City Writers Workshop over the last two decades," said ACWW director George Getschow. "This is why we’re so grateful to Chip and Joanna for offering us the opportunity to establish the Larry McMurtry Literary Center inside the former Booked Up--a renowned cultural landmark and one of Texas' and the nation’s literary treasures."

Longtime bookseller William "Bill" Rickman died on July 18 at the age of 81.

Bill Rickman

Rickman began his bookselling career at Kroch's & Brentano's as a stock boy in 1963 and rose to become president of the Chicago-area bookselling company, which at its height had nearly 20 locations, until it closed in 1995. In 1996, he and his wife, Ursula, moved to the Outer Banks of North Carolina and became owners of the Island Bookstores. Beginning with the store in Duck, they added locations in Corolla and Kitty Hawk. Ursula died in 2016, and in 2021, Rickman sold Island Bookstores to staff member Susan Sawin. Rickman was also a board member of the American Booksellers Association.

As the official obituary noted, "Bill led a passionate life, fervently loving his family and humbly serving the communities in which he lived. As a lifelong bookseller, he enriched peoples' lives one book at a time. His infectious enthusiasm, curiosity, and generous spirit will be missed... 'Bookstore Bill,' as he was affectionately called, continued to enhance the lives of generations of readers and mentor young people as they embarked on their educations and careers."

A Service of Thanksgiving for Rickman's life will be held at All Saints' Episcopal Church in Southern Shores, N.C., at 2 p.m., on Saturday, November 9. Memorials can be made to the World Wildlife Organization, Corolla Wild Horse Fund, and Evergreen Hospice Care.

Penguin Random House reps Toni Hetzel and Pamela Brown hosted a pre-pub bookseller dinner for several Ballantine authors at Alma Cocina in Buckhead, Ga., including Erin Crosby Eckstein (Junie), Meredith Lavendar (Happy Wife), Katy Hays (Saltwater), and Kendall Shores (Happy Wife). More than 18 representatives from independent bookstores and airport stores in the area were in attendance.

Today, tomorrow, and Thursday mark the last chance to donate to Poets for Appalachia, a literary-minded fundraiser for Appalachian communities devastated by Hurricane Helene that has raised more than $3,000 for three grassroots organizations helping with recovery.

The program involves making a donations of at least $30 to one of three organizations based in western North Carolina--BeLoved Asheville, Rural Organizing and Resilience (ROAR), and MountainTrue--and then submitting receipts for those donations to Poets for Appalachia. Once the project concludes on October 31, Poets for Appalachia will send a book of poetry from an independent publisher in Appalachia for every $30 donated.

The project has run since October 18. More details about the program, and a full list of supporting publishers, can be found here.

Congratulations to Chaucer's Books, Santa Barbara, Calif., which is marking its 50th anniversary this Friday, November 1, 5-7 p.m., with "an evening of celebration and community as we honor five decades of stories, community, and literary adventures."

At 5:30, founder Mahri Kerley, who is also celebrating her 80th birthday, co-owners, and special guests will speak, and the two winners of the "Tell Us Your Story" contest will read their works, highlighting the magic of storytelling that has been a cornerstone of the bookstore's legacy. The Quire of Voyces will lead attendees in a rendition of "Happy Birthday" and other songs, inviting everyone to sing along and share in the celebration. There will also be cookies and cupcakes on hand, as well as face painting and coloring activities for all ages.

Per tradition, the store's annual anniversary sale will also take place at this time. Excluding gift cards, magazines, textbooks, and 50th-anniversary merch, everything in the store will be 20% off during the event.

Ingram's Consortium Book Sales & Distribution is providing sales and distribution services for seven new publishers, all but one starting on January 1, 2025.

Alabaster Creative Inc., which launched in 2016 and publishes biblical texts with an emphasis on high-end, modern design. Integrating photography and visual imagery within different books of the Bible, Alabaster books explore the intersection of beauty, creativity, and faith. Notable releases include The Good and Beautiful Bible Study: Volume 1 and Gospels Hardcover.

Aunt Lute Books, an intersectional, feminist press dedicated to publishing literature by those who have been traditionally underrepresented in or excluded by the literary canon. Many of Aunt Lute's titles are contributions to the academic fields of lesbian studies and gender studies. Notable titles include Borderlands / La Frontera: The New Mestiza 5th Edition and the recently released Doll Seed: Stories. (Effective June 29, 2024, for the fall 2024 season.)

Autumn House Press, a nonprofit publisher in Pittsburgh, Pa., that publishes full-length collections of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Autumn House is committed to championing debut, emerging, and established authors and is proud to have published debut works from writers such as Ada Limón and Clifford Thompson. Forthcoming releases include I Have Not Considered Consequences: Short Stories and Rodeo.

Hagfish, Brooklyn, N.Y., which reissues out-of-print, hard-to-find books and introduces overlooked contemporary writers to the mainstream. Hagfish was founded by two publishing veterans and is self-funded and worker-owned. Hagfish will release To Smithereens by Rosalyn Drexler in Spring 2025.

Hemeria, Paris, France, which works to bring exceptional photo books to life. Spanning subjects including nature and wildlife, fashion, society, and more, Hemeria's books showcase the creative and original projects of photographers around the world. Upcoming releases include The Silk Road: A Living History and Mizuwari.

LittlePuss Press, a feminist press run by trans women. Their award-winning books have been featured in Vogue, NPR, Vulture, and other publications. LittlePuss believes in intensive editing, printing on paper, and throwing lots of parties. Titles releasing in 2025 include Worthy of the Event and Realistic Fiction.

Tilted Axis Press, a British publisher of contemporary fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. With a focus on translated fiction by the Global Majority, their publishing practice centers building and nourishing community and the complex movement of language, stories, and imagination. Notable forthcoming releases include dd's Umbrella and Delicious Hunger.

At Scribner:

Katie Monaghan has been promoted to v-p, senior director of publicity, senior director of publicity and marketing for Stephen King.

Kassandra Engel has been promoted to publicity manager.

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In the S&S publicity department:

Christine Calella has been promoted to publicity manager.

Rebecca Rozenberg has been promoted to publicity manager.

Chonise Bass has been promoted to senior publicist.

Shannon Hennessey has been promoted to senior publicist.

Omesha Edwards has been promoted to publicist.

Martha Langford has been promoted to publicist.

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At Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing:

Katie Boni has joined the company as a senior publicist. She was most recently a marketing & publicity associate manager at Page Street Publishing.

Nia Todd has been promoted to associate marketing manager, education & library. She was most recently an assistant marketing manager.

Caleigh Flegg has been promoted to assistant marketing manager, education & library. She was most recently a marketing associate.

What the Chicken Knows: A New Appreciation of the World's Most Familiar Bird by Sy Montgomery (Atria Books).

Today:
Fresh Air: Alex Van Halen, author of Brothers (Harper, $32, 9780063265707).

Tomorrow:
Good Morning America: Yvette Manessis Corporon, author of Daughter of Ruins: A Novel (Harper Muse, $18.99, 9781400236114).

Drew Barrymore Show: Matty Matheson, author of Matty Matheson: Soups, Salads, Sandwiches (Ten Speed Press, $35, 9781984862150).

Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Ta-Nehisi Coates, author of The Message (One World, $30, 9780593230381).

Late Night with Seth Meyers: Ina Garten, author of Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir (Crown, $34, 9780593799895).

A trailer has been released for the animated Netflix film That Christmas, starring Brian Cox (Succession) as Santa Claus. IndieWire reported that writer/director Richard Curtis (Love Actually, About Time) adapted the script from his bestselling children's book series, and shares screenplay credit with Peter Souter. For the film, elements from Curtis's books That Christmas, Snow Day, and The Empty Stocking are used.

Character animator and story artist Simon Otto (How to Train Your Dragon) makes his directorial debut with the project. The ensemble cast includes Fiona Shaw, Jodie Whittaker, Rhys Darby, Lolly Adefope, Alex Macqueen, Katherine Parkinson, Sindhu Vee, India Brown, Zazie Hayhurst, Sienna Sayer, Jack Wisniewski, Rosie Cavaliero, Paul Kaye, Guz Khan, Andy Nyman, Kuhu Agarwal, Bronte Smith, Freddie Spry, and Ava Talbot. Bill Nighy also reunites with his Love Actually filmmaker Curtis for a cameo role.

Nicole P. Hearon (Moana, Frozen) and Adam Tandy (The Thick of It, Detectorists) are producers, with Curtis, That Christmas book illustrator Rebecca Cobb, Mary Coleman, Natalie Fischer, Julie Lockhart, Elisabeth Murdoch, Bonnie Arnold, Lara Breay, Sarah Smith, and Colin Hopkins executive producing. 

The World Fantasy Awards were announced during the 2024 World Fantasy Convention, held October 17-20 in Niagara Falls, N.Y. The winners (via Locus):

Best Novel: The Reformatory by Tananarive Due (Saga)
Best Novella: "Half the House Is Haunted" by Josh Malerman (Spin a Black Yarn)
Best Short Fiction: "Silk and Cotton and Linen and Blood" by Nghi Vo (New Suns 2)
Best Anthology: The Book of Witches edited by Jonathan Strahan (Harper Voyager)
Best Collection: No One Will Come Back for Us and Other Stories by Premee Mohamed (Undertow)
Best Artist: Audrey Benjaminsen
Special Award--Professional: Liza Groen Trombi, for Locus
Special Award--Non-Professional: Lynne M. Thomas & Michael Damian Thomas, for Uncanny

The Life Achievement Awards, presented annually to individuals who have demonstrated outstanding service to the fantasy field, went to Ginjer Buchanan and Jo Fletcher.

"Divorced, beheaded, died; divorced, beheaded, survived" is the catchy, reductive "Horrible Histories" lyrical mnemonic to help one remember the fates of Henry VIII's six wives. But as English historian Nicola Clark demonstrates, there was so much more to these women as political, social, and religious actors than just how their marriages ended. In The Waiting Game, Clark uses archival material to construct engaging portraits of women from the queens' households, which were dominated by their respective ladies-in-waiting. These high-ranking women saw the most intimate parts of the lives of Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard, and Kathryn Parr, many of them serving multiple queens, and even being part of the machinations that brought each woman to power, or even then removed her.

As such, The Waiting Game becomes the first history of Tudor England written through the eyes and experiences of women who were thought of as window-dressing first, and only as agentic political actors in their own right toward the end of Henry VIII's reign. Clark's work is distinct because this period of time has all too often been framed through the reports of men, not only in the interpretation of it, but in the literal construction of archives. Letters of women that survived were more rare, and their correspondence often preserved in the context of crown investigations into perceived slights at a period of extreme political and religious turmoil. Furthermore, women of this period were considered extensions of their husbands through a legal doctrine known as "coverture," which did not recognize them as separate people under the law, despite what their responsibilities and duties might have entailed. Clark thus constructs their stories from official documents, household lists, accounts of various gifts.

Women such as María de Salinas, Elizabeth Stafford, Anne Basset, and Jane Parker had a front-row seat to a changing world, and as such Clark considers them to be "intimate and underused witnesses to one of the most tumultuous periods of pre-modern history." To be a lady in waiting was to have a coveted role, but it was not a safe one; these women spied for their mistresses, for the crown, vied for the attentions of the king, and, especially toward the end of Henry VIII's reign, were often in as much danger as his wives in the shifting religious and political space of Tudor England. Clark breathes life into their fascinating stories, tracing the ways that their lives were woven together, and how they claimed what power they could in a world built for men. --Michelle Anya Anjirbag, freelance reviewer

Shelf Talker: Nicola Clark writes an engaging, thorough exploration of the lives of the women behind the thrones of King Henry VIII's wives.   

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

1. The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden
2. Hunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton
3. Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton
4. How My Neighbor Stole Christmas by Meghan Quinn
5. Where's Molly by H.D. Carlton
6. Timber by Tate James
7. Mine for a Moment by Catharina Maura
8. Twisted Love by Ana Huang
9. Madness by Shantel Tessier
10. Take It All Apart by Lindsay Leahy

[Many thanks to IndieReader.com!]