Two Maryland independent bookstores, A Likely Story Bookstore in Sykesville and Park Books & LitCoLab in Severna Park, will merge next year.

Effective January 1, the two businesses will combine under a single name. Both storefronts will remain open, and there will be no changes to staffing. Debbie Scheller, owner of A Likely Story for nearly 19 years, will step back from day-to-day operations, while Melody Wukitch, owner of Park Books, will take the lead.

Scheller first met Wukitch at Winter Institute 2023 in Seattle, Wash., and as she considered transitioning to a new chapter, came to realize that the latter's "enthusiasm, vision, and leadership would make her the perfect person to carry the business forward."

Wukitch said she is "committed to expanding upon the strong foundation Debbie has built while enhancing the store's programming, partnerships, and presence in the community."

Both Wukitch and Scheller are "deeply grateful for the incredible support" they've received from their customers and community members. They "look forward to the future of both storefronts and are excited to continue growing and building upon the relationships and legacy that have made the business so special."

Pages & Grapes romance bookstore hosted its grand opening last Saturday, November 23, at 1760 44th St. SW in Wyoming, Mich., with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, wine tote bags giveaway, and a pop-up shop from CozmaLuna Nails.

"Feeling all the feels today!" the store posted on Facebook. "We had an excellent crowd this morning and an awesome start to this adventure!! We love you ALL! Thank you to our family for supporting our dreams and thank you to our awesome community of book lovers for stopping by!"

Owned by Heather Wejroch and James Jones, Pages & Grapes offers a large selection of romance titles, along with candles, bath and body products, chocolate, and more, WOOD-TV reported, adding that the shop also plans to feature Michigan-made wines once a liquor license is secured, and they hope to add a wine bar eventually.

The original plan was to have an all-genre bookstore, but as the project evolved, Wejroch "decided to make it a romance-only store with wine and candles. She was partially inspired by BookTok," WOOD-TV noted.

"They've created this whole community and it is just so inspiring," she said. "(The romance genre) is just taking off. People are loving it."

Although the learning curve was steep and the process sometimes frustrating as they explored making their bookstore vision a reality, Wejroch said her fiancé pushed her to follow through: "James was right there. It's like, 'We've got this. You can do this. You have a vision, just push through.' He was my rock."

"We pushed through and here we are. Goals accomplished. Dreams accomplished," Jones added.

Just before the grand opening, Wejroch told WOOD TV: "I am so excited that the day is finally here. It's been a long road. It's been a lot of work the last week, just pushing through. I can't wait to have the community come in, give us their input, help us create a better bookstore. And I'm terrified, we're terrified. But it's going to be fun."

Cellar Bird Books hosted its grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony on November 18 at 415 Bridge St. in Grand Rapids, Mich. Owner Lea Kocurek told WOOD TV that customers who have stopped in thus far have expressed excitement at having another option along Bridge Street.

"Bridge Street specifically is just very walkable and close to so many things," she said. "Especially with all the restaurants nearby, if people are waiting for a table or want to come before or after a meal, I thought that it might be a nice place for people to come in and browse and hang out."

Kocurek has a background in film production. She moved to Los Angeles from Texas in 2015, working as production management for animated films. In 2021, she and her husband relocated to Grand Rapids. Earlier this year, she finished a project she had been working on for her previous job and decided to pursue her dream of opening an independent bookstore.

"I think maybe opening this bookstore is maybe a little scarier (than moving across the country)," she said. "Only just because, I'm putting a lot into it.... I don't know how people will react to it, or if they'll come.... I've just really enjoyed all of the little pieces that I've been able to find to add a little bit of character to the store."

In addition to a curated selection of new books, the store also offers literary-themed items like puzzles, notebooks, and stickers. Next year, Kocurek hopes to host events and book clubs, but for now she enjoys chatting with customers and helping them find their next read.

"The great thing after I've opened is just meeting all of the people that come in that are so happy to have a bookstore here," she said. "But also being able to recommend books to people that are looking for recommendations is one of my favorite things. I love it so much, especially when they then enjoy the book."

Lif Books, a 600-square-foot bookstore with new and used titles, will open this month in Bedford, Mass., the Bedford Citizen reported.

Pronounced "leaf," Lif Books will reside at 18 North Road, in the Bedford Cultural District, and focus primarily on fiction for children and adults, with a small selection of nonfiction. The majority of the inventory will be new titles. Lif Books will also offer coffee and tea, as well as an assortment of gifts.

Owner Valerie Marie Arvidson, an author, artist, and creative writing teacher, plans to host open mics, writing workshops, and other community events at the bookstore. In warmer months, Arvidson would like to make use of the garden outside the bookstore's building, and she hopes to form partnerships with other local businesses and creative outlets.

"It's really a passion project for me to curate books, and some gifts as well that are related to things that I find fascinating," Arvidson told the Citizen. "But most important, I want to find out what people in Bedford and surrounding communities want to read--getting to know my customers, refining and improving the experience based on talking to people and seeing what they're purchasing."

Arvidson has lived in Bedford since 2020, and she described opening a bookstore as a long-held dream. She and her husband eventually decided that now was the right time to take the plunge, and per the Citizen, Lif Books will be Bedford's first bookstore since 2000.

"I want to create a space where people feel happy and comfortable," added Arvidson. "This takes time. We start small and we build."

HarperCollins Germany will acquire German guidebook publisher Gräfe und Unzer, a move that more than doubles the size of HarperCollins's business in the country. Part of the Ganske publishing group in Hamburg since 1990, Gräfe und Unzer, which is more than 300 years old, will continue to be based in Munich.

With Gräfe Und Unzer Verlag, ISP Isar Sales Partner is also moving under the umbrella of HarperCollins Germany. The addition of GU will expand the company's portfolio to include cooking, enjoyment, healthy eating, life advice, partnership and family, health, gardening, pets, nature, and travel.

"Gräfe und Unzer has an impressive publishing history, exceptional authors, books, and brands, and has become a great brand in its own right, trusted by generations of readers," said Juergen Welte, managing director, HarperCollins Germany. "We are proud to welcome Gräfe und Unzer under the umbrella of the HarperCollins publishing group and look forward to shaping the future of the publishing house together."

Brian Murray, president and CEO, HarperCollins Publishers, called Germany "one of our strongest markets in the international portfolio and one where we see tremendous growth opportunities. This acquisition will allow us to increase our market share and position us for continued growth in the market."

The transaction is subject to approval by the antitrust authorities.

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Booksellers in France are accusing Amazon of trying for a second time to circumvent laws banning online retailers from offering free book deliveries, the Bookseller reported, adding that the first attempt was in 2014, "when parliament banned free deliveries to people's homes and Amazon introduced a delivery fee of one cent. In 2021, the Darcos law fixed a sliding scale of delivery fees, starting at €3 [about $3.15], in line with those for other products, but exempted orders retrieved in bookshops."

"Amazon is seizing power to interpret laws in its favor and to trample on a bill voted into law by a sovereign parliament," said an op-ed in Le Monde that was signed by the heads of the French Booksellers Association (Syndicat de la Librairie Française), the Cultural Product Distributors Association (Syndicat des Distributeurs de Loisirs Culturels), and the leading cultural products chain Fnac-Darty.

The op-ed was a reaction to Amazon's recent announcement that it would provide free book deliveries to more than 2,500 pick-up points across France in shops that "notably sell books." The pick-up points are primarily lockers in shopping malls where large supermarkets are located, the op-ed noted, adding: "Amazon is pursuing its 'strategy of predation' and 'cowboy behavior.' It is engaged in a cultural battle [and] we expect the authorities to put an immediate halt to this cultural public disorder."

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Doug Koch

Canadian indie Munro's Books, Victoria, B.C., paid tribute to its "beloved colleague and friend," Doug Koch, who died November 23. In an Instagram post, Munro's said: "Doug was a fixture at Munro's for 35 years--manning the front desk, giving out dog biscuits, and curating many sections in the store: History, Poetry, Philosophy, and the Environment, to name a few. Always quick with a kind word and a music recommendation, Doug embodied the spirit of bookselling at Munro's, and it's hard to imagine the store without him. We're all feeling his loss greatly." --Robert Gray

Author James Sturz appeared live on the radio show "Fahrenheit" on national Italian radio station Rai 3, in Rome, Italy, to discuss, in Italian, his novel Underjungle. The book was published in the U.S. in August 2023 by Unnamed Press, and in Italy in September 2024 by Edizioni di Atlantide.

This past weekend Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena, Calif., celebrated its 130th anniversary. The day began with the induction of the newest writer into the Vroman's Walk of Fame: Lian Dolan (Helen of Pasadena; The Sweeney Sisters). Dolan has been a huge supporter of the store throughout her career, and her handprints are now "cemented" alongside those of Walter Mosley, Leigh Bardugo, and Naomi Hirahara on the store's Walk of Fame. 

Heidi Bender, co-owner of Split Rock Books in Cold Spring, N.Y., is looking to find independent booksellers interested in taking part in a collaboration with abortion rights organizations like Plan C and the American Society for Emergency Contraception.

Bender is currently working with ASEC to install an emergency contraceptive vending machine in-store, and she has had a brainstorming session with Imani Askew-Shabazz, the partnerships and engagement manager for Plan C. Though they discussed things like distributing information and doing a day of action, no definitive plans were made, and with the holiday season at hand, Bender will focus on finding like-minded booksellers prior to scheduling another meeting with Plan C in January.

"This is one way to take concrete action in a way that feels useful," Bender said. She noted that at a time when there are "so many things to care about," the important thing is to "pick one and do something."

Interested booksellers can sign up here.

Unicorn, Go to Bed! by Mike Hensel, illustrated by Chiara Galletti (Cottage Door Press).

Tomorrow:
Today Show: Brooke Williamson, author of Sun-Kissed Cooking: Vegetables Front and Center (Harper, $35, 9780063333796).

The View: Bobby Flay, author of Bobby Flay: Chapter One: Iconic Recipes and Inspirations from a Groundbreaking American Chef (Clarkson Potter, $60, 9780385345958).

Late Show with Stephen Colbert repeat: Bill Clinton, author of Citizen: My Life After the White House (Knopf, $38, 9780525521440).

Thursday:
Drew Barrymore Show repeat: Kate McKinnon, author of The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, $17.99, 9780316554732).

Netflix has released a trailer for One Hundred Years of Solitude: Part 1, based on the classic novel by Gabriel García Márquez, IndieWire reported. The two-part series premieres December 11, with eight episodes in each section. The project was filmed in Colombia with the support of the Márquez family. 

One Hundred Years of Solitude Part 1 stars Marco Antonio González, Diego Vásquez, Susana Morales, Marleyda Soto, Moreno Borja, Claudio Cataño, Viña Machado, Andrius Leonardo Soto, Edgar Vittorino, Loren Sofía Paz, Akima, Janer Villareal, Ruggero Pasquarelli, Jairo Camargo, Jacqueline Arenal, Ella Becerra, Cristal Aparicio, Rafael Zea, Salvador del Solar, Álvaro García, and Jerónimo Barón.

Directed by Alex García López and Laura Mora, the series is written by José Rivera, Natalia Santa, Camila Brugés, and Albatros González.

Finalists have been announced for the 2024 Golden Poppy Book Awards, sponsored by the California Independent Booksellers Alliance and honoring "the best of the best from California authors and illustrators." Voting will take place from January 5-15, with a virtual awards ceremony planned for later that month.

"The Golden Poppy Awards continue to grow from year to year with a significant increase in submissions in 2024," said Hannah Walcher, CALIBA's executive director. "Thank you to our bookseller committees for tackling this with gusto and congratulations to the California creators who made the short lists! We are proud of the depth, diversity, and talent represented in our finalists and we are excited to see which titles will take home the final prize."

Booksellers from across California read more than 350 submissions to decide on finalists for all 14 categories. The full list can be found here.

A life of independence and literary renown is irrevocably altered in Shattered: A Memoir by British Pakistani novelist and screenwriter Hanif Kureishi. In a series of reflective, chucklesome, and sometimes brooding "dispatches" from his hospital bed in Rome and later in London, Kureishi narrates his consequential year of recovery after the Christmas 2022 fall and spinal injury that resulted in tetraplegia.

For Kureishi (The Buddha of Suburbia; The Nothing), a writer known for his irreverent humor and flair for capturing the gritty realities of life, the ability freely to express himself is his most precious asset. Here, readers will find his writerly talents in full bloom even as he must renegotiate all other aspects of his life.

Shattered opens in January 2023 at Rome's Gemelli Hospital. Kureishi was unable to move his limbs and communicated by dictating diary-like entries to his partner, Isabella, and his sons, Sachin, Carlo, and Kier, as they circled in and out of his hospital room. His immobility didn't stop Kureishi from appreciating the more farcical aspects of his medical care, including the time a nurse excitedly mistook him for Salman Rushdie.

When he was wheeled into the gym for physiotherapy, Kureishi realized, "This is the first time I have ever been in a gym." His physiotherapist Fabio resembled "a romantic lead in a movie," and the hospital was also where he received his first pedicure. Kureishi was not immune to "the rage of helplessness" but it didn't consume him. As he describes cappuccinos with a fellow patient he dubbed "the Maestro" and visits from friends, he recalls Great Britain's multiracial transformation during the 1960s and the influence his father, "a civil servant at the Pakistani Embassy in London," had on his career.

The dominant theme of Kureishi's work, present in his Oscar-nominated screenplay for the iconic film My Beautiful Laundrette as well as his novels, is "the bewitching mischief of sexuality." He is comically direct about the indignities he endures as "the man with no hands" and his lack of libido. He also ponders past sexual escapades and a long-ago job writing pornography.

It is Isabella, devoted to and exhausted by his care, to whom Kureishi dedicates this memoir. He has faith they can find "a new way of loving each other." In spite of everything he has lost, Kureishi is determined to write. "It has never mattered to me more," he declares, accepting an astonishing new reality in which "all I have left is speech." --Shahina Piyarali

Shelf Talker: An acclaimed British Pakistani novelist and screenwriter shares reflections and humorous observations from his hospital bed in Rome and later in London as he adjusts to his new life with tetraplegia.

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

1. The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden
2. Hexed by Emily McIntire
3. Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton
4. Hunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton
5. Redeemed by Lauren Asher
6. How My Neighbor Stole Christmas by Meghan Quinn
7. On Being Jewish Now by Zibby Owens
8. Kingmakers: Year Two by Sophie Lark
9. God of Malice by Rina Kent
10. Foxhole by George K. Mullins

[Many thanks to IndieReader.com!]