"I didn't grow up with an indie bookstore near me, but when I went to college, The King's English Bookshop in Salt Lake City, Utah, was right around the corner from my apartment. I spent nearly every Saturday morning perusing their shelves and reading my buys on their back patio. I went there when I was happy or sad or stressed, and the books I found there always seemed to give me exactly what I needed. I vividly remember crying over a boy in their literary fiction room, which is the same room I had my very first signing in last year--a true full-circle moment for me!

"There are so many stores I want to mention here: I remember the first time I walked into Powell's in Portland and ended up staying there for three hours. I can always count on the staff at Paulina Springs Books in Sisters, Ore., to have a good horror recommendation for me after I've finished a hike. I love getting coffee and a pastry at Stacks in Tucson, Ariz., before I peruse the shelves. I'm also incredibly grateful to now have a romance-forward indie bookstore near me: Lovebound Library in Salt Lake City.

"As an author, the support I've felt from indie bookstores and booksellers has been amazing. Truly, you all make this author's world go round! I'm so happy to live in a world where indie bookstores exist!"

Brain Lair Books, South Bend, Ind., will remain open after issuing a "final plea" last month to supporters in a social media post saying that the store would have to close October 31 "without immediate help from you" because it was "short of meeting our obligations this month." 

The bookstore needed, it said, to sell 5,682 books from its in-stock inventory to make it through the month. In an October 30 post, the store noted: "We did it! 5,744 books sold! Because of your support, our doors will stay open, and we're more ready than ever to transform our space into a true community hub!"

Owner Kathy Burnette told WSBT she initially believed reaching the sales goal was impossible, but the community stepped up, surpassing that goal in just 12 days. Now she is looking to expand the bookstore's role in the community, with new book clubs, workshops, and events focused on community needs--from children's story times to helping high school students navigate college applications.

Burnette is also "working closely with another bookstore owner who has faced similar issues, discussing what she can do to keep her doors open and stay away from future close calls," WSBT reported.

"I got to talk to a lot of people. They were telling me why they came up, why they were helping us, how they felt about the store, what it meant to them," Burnette said. "Even people who didn't live here. We had a lot of people coming down from Michigan. We had people coming up from Indy, people coming over from Chicago. People were just saying we heard about this."

Page and Petals, an all-ages, fiction-only bookstore, will open this coming Saturday, November 9, in Wappingers Falls, N.Y.

Located at 2692 W. Main St., the store has about 1,100 square feet of selling space along with a 550-sq.-ft. deck, and will carry all new titles for children, teens, and adults. All of the store's inventory will consist of fiction, with literary fiction, thrillers/mystery, romance, and fantasy represented. There will also be an assortment of Spanish-language titles for kids.

Alongside books, owner Jackie LeVan will stock a variety of gifts and sidelines, including stickers, bookmarks, stationery, kids' sensory bags, candles, mugs, and totes. Her event plans include traditional book clubs as well as silent book clubs, author signings, tarot readings, floral workshops, and yoga sessions on the deck. LeVan will also periodically host vendor pop-ups.

Asked about the store's fiction focus, Levan said, "Our region has so many amazing bookstores, but we realized there wasn't a niche bookstore in the area. I have read and loved fiction for as long as I can remember, and thought it would be a perfect fit for the community."

Prior to launching Page and Petals, LeVan was a stay-at-home mom. LeVan recalled that she and her husband had been talking about owning their own business for years now, and after joining the online book community a few years ago, and seeing how beneficial a bookstore could be for the community, "we decided to take the leap."

Starting in August, LeVan began making pop-up appearances and introducing community members to the bookstore, with the last appearance taking place on Saturday, October 12.

"The community has been absolutely incredible, showing support for our store opening and following along our journey on Instagram," LeVan said. "We are so lucky to have the support we do from them." --Alex Mutter

Four new Barnes & Noble stores will open this coming Wednesday, November 6:

In Washington, D.C., the new Barnes & Noble official opening will include author Evan Friss cutting the ribbon and signing copies of his book The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore. B&N is returning not only to Georgetown, but to the same three-story building it occupied from 1995 to 2011, at 3040 M Street NW. The structure was erected in 1929, initially serving as the first of Henry Ford's dealerships in the D.C. area, and is now a protected building in Georgetown's historic district. 

"The Georgetown Barnes & Noble is the most ambitious of all the new bookstores we, or anyone else, has opened in over 15 years," said James Daunt, CEO of Barnes & Noble. "The return to this historic building is a dramatic example of the ongoing revival of brick-and-mortar bookstores."

B&N is also opening its new Buffalo, N.Y., bookstore, in Walden Galleria. The company said, "As we open new stores across the country, returning to malls has been a priority--especially those that lost their bookstores during the downturn of the early 2000s. Walden Galleria is a vibrant shopping center, and Barnes & Noble is a perfect fit."

In Orlando, Fla., B&N is launching a new bookstore a short distance from its previous location, still within the Waterford Lakes Town Plaza, at 331 N. Alafaya Trail. The opening festivities will feature author Kristen Harmel cutting the ribbon and signing copies of her books. 

"When our previous lease ended in 2021, we were determined to find a new home nearby," B&N said. "Happily, we have secured a new storefront just a few doors away from our previous bookstore. We look forward to welcoming back our longtime customers who we hope have missed us as much as we have them. This beautifully designed new Barnes & Noble is a dramatic improvement on the old store."

Also in Florida, B&N will open its new Sunrise bookstore in Sawgrass Square, at 12550 W. Sunrise Blvd., with author K.D. Alden cutting the ribbon and signing copies of her books. 

"We are so pleased to open our Sawgrass Square bookstore in time for the holiday season," B&N noted. "Having seen great success with our new locations, including nearby Coral Springs, we have been seeking an opportunity to bring a Barnes & Noble bookstore to this area. We are thrilled to be growing our footprint in Florida and look forward to connecting with readers from our new home on Sunrise Boulevard."

Longtime Booksmith book buyer Brian McCormick died October 22. He was 76. Boston.com noted that he was memorialized in "memorable, family-submitted obituary," which read, in part:

Brian McCormick

"In an era where statues became controversial (for which he had a view), few others less need 1,000 pounds of bronze to be remembered. To have met him is to have remembered him.... Brian leaves behind his colleagues at Booksmith, the New England bookstore chain he served as buyer for for over 20 years, that loved him and became his lifelong friends. That saw his tireless work ethic. That saw him find great passion in his trade, in his two decades of 'remainder' crates, galleys, and publishing reps.

"Brian leaves behind the patrons of the Paper Store, a New England multi-purpose retailer with a book section, who were greeted for almost 15 years by the golden retriever asking if they'd 'read anything good lately?' Where his two great loves, books and human connection, combined to give them what so many across the U.S. Northeast over 76 years were left with. A memory."

"And anyone he met with a backstory, which turned out to be everyone. To have met Brian is to have been canonized. To be added to his catalog of keenly observed vignettes for endless retelling. To have met Brian is to have been noticed, to have been lifted.... Deeply curious, forever energetic, complicated, loving, and handsome. To have met him is to have remembered him.... 

"Please, no need for flowers. Go to an independent bookseller and purchase a physical book and read it and loan it to a friend and moan about how many books you've lent out over the years. You'd bestow him no higher honor."

Congratulations to Watermark Book Company, Anacortes, Wash., which is celebrating its 35th anniversary next week. Events begin on Monday, November 11, when all week long, any customer can enter to win raffle baskets with a purchase of $100 or more. Raffle basket themes include books on family fun, murderously good reading, beautiful things, food lovers, and the art of nature. On Wednesday, November 13, purchases made by cash or check are 20% off. And Saturday, November 16, an "after-hours celebration" includes appearances by local authors Craig Romano, Molly Hashimoto, "Laura Gayle," Stephanie LeJeunesse & Michelle Gale, and Susan Specht Oram; live art; a photo station; and free cookies.

In a note in the store newsletter, Brandy Bowen wrote, "I can NOT believe that we are celebrating the store's 35th Anniversary this month. I feel so privileged to be part of this legacy that Patti [Pattee] and Norman [Sturdevant] began long ago. I am so grateful to work side-by-side with these humans I call family. We really take reading and serving our community very seriously, and I am so proud of them. I feel like I am gushing, but it needs to be said: I would really be nothing if not for them."

"Congratulations to Cherish & Kyle (and Ollie too)!! Our first ever bookstore wedding!" pages: a bookstore, Manhattan Beach, Calif., posted on Facebook.

Store owner Linda McLoughlin Figel told Shelf Awareness, "Cherish Barrett, a long-time {pages} employee, married Kyle Thompson with family and friends including bookstore colleagues and their 18-month-old son, Ollie, in attendance. A full-time employee with Ingram Publisher Services for the past 10 years, Cherish was {pages}'s second hire after we opened in 2010 and has remained a part-time employee for most of the past nearly 15 years. {pages} is so honored Kyle & Cherish chose the bookstore to celebrate such an important occasion."

At Macmillan:

Taylor Armstrong has been promoted to director on the diversified sales team.

Andrew Faber has joined the company as academic marketing associate.

Diego A. Molano Rodriguez has been promoted to associate director, e-book lead on the trade sales e-books team.

Tova Rohatiner has been promoted to senior manager on the communications team.

Mother/Founder: 68 Women on the Trials and Triumphs of Starting a Business and Raising a Family by Amanda Jane Jones and Jennifer Fernandez (Artisan Books).

Today:
Today Show: Brian Baumgartner, co-author of The Night Before Christmas at Dunder Mifflin (Mariner, $19.99, 9780063372726).

Also on Today: Rumaan Alam, author of Entitlement: A Novel (Riverhead, $30, 9780593718469).

Tamron Hall: Arthur C. Brooks, co-author of Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier (Portfolio, $30, 9780593545409).

Fresh Air: Al Pacino, author of Sonny Boy: A Memoir (Penguin Press, $35, 9780593655115).

Tomorrow:
Good Morning America: Julia Turshen, author of What Goes with What: 100 Recipes, 20 Charts, Endless Possibilities (Flatiron, $34.99, 9781250340962).

Today Show: Nedra Tawwab, author of Consider This: Reflections for Finding Peace (TarcherPerigee, $28, 9780593712795).

A24 has released the first trailer for Queer, Luca Guadagnino's romantic drama based on the semi-autobiographical 1985 novel by William S. Burroughs. Starring Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey, the film "is coming off of a buzzy Venice Film Festival premiere," Deadline reported.

Produced by Lorenzo Mieli and Guadagnino, Queer's cast also includes Lesley Manville, Jason Schwartzman, Henrique Zaga, and Omar Apollo. Scheduled for a limited release in theaters on November 27, the project reunites Guadagnino with screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes, who scripted his other awards contender this year, Challengers, starring Zendaya, Josh O'Connor, and Mike Faist.

Finalists have been selected by Southern independent booksellers for the 2025 Southern Book Prize, sponsored by the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance and representing booksellers favorites that are Southern in nature. Voting by bookseller and readers is now open and runs through February 1. Winners will be announced February 14.

The finalists:

Fiction:
Rednecks by Taylor Brown (St. Martin's Press)
Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca (Berkley)
James by Percival Everett (Doubleday)
When the Jessamine Grows by Donna Everhart (Kensington)
Shae by Mesha Maren (Algonquin Books)
Tell It to Me Singing by Tita Ramírez (S&S/Marysue Rucci Books)

Nonfiction:
The Witch's Daughter by Orenda Fink (Gallery Books)
Sharks Don't Sink by Jasmin Graham (Pantheon)
A Well-Trained Wife by Tia Levings (St. Martin's Press)
A Really Strange and Wonderful Time by Tom Maxwell (Hachette Books)
The Barn by Wright Thompson (Penguin Press)
The Mango Tree by Annabelle Tometich (Little, Brown)

Young Readers:
Not Like Other Girls by Meredith Adamo (Bloomsbury YA)
A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal (Farrar, Straus and Giroux Books for Young Readers)
In Praise of Mystery by Ada Limón, illustrated by Peter Sís (Norton Young Readers)
Millie Fleur's Poison Garden by Christy Mandin (Orchard Books)
The Secret Dead Club by Karen Strong (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)
Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White (Peachtree Treen)

---

Waterstones has selected a shortlist for its Book of the Year:

Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton
James by Percival Everett
The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson
Easy Wins: 12 Flavour Hits, 125 Delicious Recipes, 365 Days of Good Eating by Anna Jones
The Garden Against Time: In Search of a Common Paradise by Olivia Laing
Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon
Eighteen: A History of Britain in 18 Young Lives by Alice Loxton
The Siege by Ben Macintyre
Blue Sisters: From the Author of Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors
I Am Rebel by Ross Montgomery
Cloudspotting for Beginners by Gavin Pretor-Pinney and William Grill
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
Shakespeare's First Folio: All the Plays, A Children's Edition
Long Island by Colm Tóibín
Butter by Asako Yuzuki, translated by Polly Barton

Confidential, Polish photographer and psychologist Mikołaj Grynberg's haunting, bitingly funny novella, begins exactly where his lauded story collection, I'd Like to Say Sorry, but There's No One to Say Sorry To, concludes. Returning translator Sean Gasper Bye ensures a seamless transition, with the earlier work's final story, "Stagnant Waters," directly addressing a Mr. Grynberg and ending with, "maybe this time fate will give you the chance to write stories in real time. Unless you know how to outrun events and, cursing the past, write a happy ending." Confidential's first line precisely duplicates that last sentiment, then challenges, "You don't, I can tell. You got stuck." The exhortations continue: "I suggest you practice saying goodbye to your memories.... It's time to set time free." Storytelling enables that process of letting go, presented here as 27 exquisite chapters, so succinct that each could stand alone as individual narratives.

For one extended Polish family, one Sunday each month is reserved for lunch at Grandpa's. Arriving 15 minutes early for their two o'clock meal nonetheless earns loud admonishments from the third-floor balcony: "I've been standing here for fifteen minutes scared to death that something had happened to you!" Despite Grandpa's grumpy predictability, "the most important thing is we're all alive and we're together." Amid the banter and (bad) jokes, the youngest grandson complains about Grandpa "always going on about Jews." When reminded they're all Jews, the boy retorts, "I'd rather be an Englishman."

Being Jewish, despite vastly different experiences from one generation to the next, is what connects this family. Grandpa and Grandma survived the Holocaust. Grandpa became a much beloved (probably by too many women) doctor. He outlived Grandma and remarried. Their firstborn--who survived five years until the liberation--became a respected physicist who had to go to Paris to be convinced to attend important conferences in Germany. His wife endured French orphanages until she was miraculously reunited with her mother (but not her father) post-war; she attends funerals to inspire her to cry. One father will accidently kill the mother; their children will convince the father to keep living. One mother will announce to her grown sons she's finally reclaiming her birthname.

Grynberg brilliantly composes his fiction with a photographer's eye. His chapters are reminiscent of snapshots ready to be compiled into an album. The act of reading encourages a careful piecing-together to create a beautiful family portrait--intimate, poignant, multi-generational--confronting the inescapable legacy of surviving (for some) the grievous Holocaust. --Terry Hong

Shelf Talker: Mikołaj Grynberg's outstanding Confidential is a collection of cleverly interlinked stories that reveal the lives of multiple generations of an extended Jewish Polish family.

The bestselling Libro.fm audiobooks at independent bookstores during October:

Fiction
1. The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (Penguin Random House Audio)
2. Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune (Macmillan Audio)
3. Intermezzo by Sally Rooney (Macmillan Audio)
4. We Solve Murders by Richard Osman (Penguin Random House Audio)
5. James by Percival Everett (Penguin Random House Audio)
6. A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari (Dreamscape Media)
7. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna (Penguin Random House Audio)
8. Sandwich by Catherine Newman (HarperAudio)
9. The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich (HarperAudio)
10. I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger (Recorded Books)

Nonfiction
1. The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates (Penguin Random House Audio)
2. Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten (Penguin Random House Audio)
3. From Here to the Great Unknown by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough (Penguin Random House Audio)
4. The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop (Simon & Schuster Audio)
5. Revenge of the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell (Hachette Audio)
6. The Small and the Mighty by Sharon McMahon (Penguin Random House Audio)
7. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer (Tantor Media)
8. ADHD Is Awesome by Penn Holderness and Kim Holderness (Harper Horizon)
9. War by Bob Woodward (Simon & Schuster Audio)
10. What I Ate in One Year by Stanley Tucci (Simon & Schuster Audio)