The biggest event for many readers yesterday were the midnight release parties for Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros, the third book in the Empyrean series, which has sold more than 6.5 million copies worldwide. The first book in the series was Fourth Wing, published in May 2023. The second book in the series, Iron Flame, released in November 2023, sold more than half a million copies in the first week.

Author Rebecca Yarros (l.) attended the midnight release party at B&N at the Grove in Los Angeles, where she was in conversation with Emily Calandrelli. (photo: Lizzy Mason)

Yesterday some 1,100 midnight parties were held in the U.S. and Canada, according to publisher Red Tower Books, an imprint of Entangled Publishing, including independents and 633 Barnes & Noble stores, excluding 20 or so that were too small or had mall opening restrictions. (There were also midnight and daytime release parties in the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, and elsewhere.) Most North American parties began two hours before the midnight Eastern release time. Fans were invited to bring certain donation items for the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank to the events, and Yarros and Red Tower Books are donating to five charities for fire relief aid: the American Red Cross, World Central Kitchen, the California Community Foundation, Pasadena Humane, and the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation.

Yarros herself appeared last night at the release party at Barnes & Noble at the Grove in Los Angeles, the beginning of her seven-city tour. "I'm so excited that Onyx Storm is finally out in the world!" she said. "A release this big is only made possible by the support of the readers. I couldn't do this without them. I'm in awe of the fandom and how much we've grown since Fourth Wing debuted. It's been an incredible ride so far, and I couldn't be more thrilled for what's next!"

Fans at Devonport Bookshop in Tasmania, Australia.

Onyx Storm's deluxe edition has a two-million-copy first print run, and the title already has received more than a million pre-orders across all formats. The deluxe edition has sprayed edges with stenciled dragons, reminiscent of the dragon-stenciled edges on the first print run of Fourth Wing, which is a collectible now.

Entangled Publishing said it put an extra effort into the manufacturing of the deluxe editions. Stacy Abrams, v-p of operations, said, "Our art and design team is one of the best in the business, and really outdid themselves. We also took extra care to learn from our experiences and reader feedback to ensure these books are as pristine and gorgeous in fans' hands as they were in our imaginations.

"In order to facilitate that, Entangled has developed deeper relationships with our printing partners and secured the special equipment needed to do these designs justice--plus we made the extra investment to digitally print the fabulous edges for the most crisp, incredible look mass production can allow. We also worked closely with our distributor [Macmillan] and retail partners to be as prepared as possible to handle over two million copies."

Emerald & Amethyst Books will open in a 520-square-foot retail space at 316 W. Main St. in Lexington, Ill., with a grand opening this coming Saturday, January 25. The celebration will include prizes, giveaways, and more.

The Pantagraph reported that co-owners Jamie and Andy Hand named the new business after the birthstones for their two boys. The bookshop will include an espresso bar.

"Reading, writing, it's always been a big part of our life," said Andy Hand. "When you're book nerds, like we are, that's kind of always on your bucket list." Jamie Hand added: "The world is so fast, and I just want people to be able to come in here and slow down.... It's a dream."

In addition to books, the store will sell games and gift items, as well as serve coffee. They are also working with Common Grounds in Gridley to provide baked treats.

"As much as we want books, we know not everyone is a big reader, so we felt it was important to offer other things," Jamie Hand said.

Andy Hand is also co-owner of Limitless Adventure, where he creates adventure books in the Dungeon and & Dragons universe as a third-party publisher, as well as board games and card games.

"We want to... curate a space that serves the community in a special way, as opposed to... Amazon," she said.

Andy Hand agreed: "It's all about fostering a sense of community first, and then when you get people and you build this community, then people want to support you."

Barnes & Noble has closed its location in the Almaden Plaza mall in San Jose, Calif., the Mercury News reported. Its last day in business was January 19. The store had been in business for 26 years; a Sports Basement store is taking over its spot in the mall.

B&N has another store in San Jose, on Stevens Creek Blvd., that continues in business.

Gofundme campaigns have been launched for at least three booksellers who lost homes in the Los Angeles wildfires two weeks ago.

One is for John Evans and Alison Reid, who for many years owned Diesel Bookstores in the Bay Area and Southern California and now own Camino Books in Del Mar. (When they sold the Diesel store in Brentwood last year, they changed the name of the Del Mar store to Camino Books.) Their home in Pacific Palisades was lost, and the campaign, organized by PRH sales rep Tom Benton, aims to raise $10,000. Benton wrote in part, "Alison and John have enhanced their communities with each of the Diesel Bookstores and now Camino Books in Del Mar. In fact, wherever they are, you'll find community--of books, ideas, and friendship.... I have been friends with Alison and John for decades, and I know there are many people in the book community who can say the same.

"Many of us have shared a drink, a meal, or even a concert (countless Springsteen shows for me) with Alison and John. While we are so grateful for their friendship and the good times, we now look to help them in this hardest of tasks, reconstructing all that they have lost. Please support them if you can as they travel the difficult road ahead."

Evans wrote to Shelf Awareness, "FEMA and our insurance company seem to be acting in good faith, with lots of paperwork, along with all else leaving us dazed and confused.... I take great strength from all the heartfelt kindnesses of people on the street, local media, FEMA workers, firefighters, volunteer aid workers. It's a wonder to see."

Another Gofundme campaign has been set up for Tom Rogers, owner of the Book Alley, a used bookstore in Pasadena, whose home in Altadena was destroyed. Organized by Bea Goodwin, a Book Alley bookseller, the campaign plans to raise $70,000 to help the family "towards rebuilding their lives--clothing, furniture, housing, you name it." She called Rogers "a charismatic, compassionate boss and loving father to two boys who work at our store" and noted that "the Rogers family selflessly used the last moments they could helping neighbors evacuate and took nothing with them but their vehicles and husky."

Rogers wrote: "Thank you so very much to everyone who has contributed here, known and unknown to me. It is deeply appreciated. I, and my family, are sincerely touched by this help at this time and the expressions of affection for our book store, Book Alley. The contributions will help us keep the store functioning as well as increasing the likelihood that we are able to return to beautiful Altadena and be part of its rebuilding."

Sourcebooks, which announced last summer that for selling to independent bookstores it was moving from using commission reps to a new internal team of field sales and telesales reps, has assembled a team that is being led by Courtney Payne, director of independent retail sales. (For information about each of them, see below.)

Dominique Raccah, publisher and CEO of Sourcebooks, commented, "At Sourcebooks, we recognize that independent bookstores are the lifeblood of our industry. Their creativity, advocacy, and passion are unmatched. Having a team dedicated exclusively to our bookselling partners means we can work more closely than ever to help them thrive and share the books that inspire and delight their communities."

Paula Amendolara, senior v-p of sales, added, "As we continue to grow exponentially each year, we knew it was time to invest in a dedicated sales team for our indie bookstore partners. We've put together a great group of sales team members and we're so excited that they'll be connecting more directly with booksellers."

Payne said, "This selling season is about more than just selling books. It's about continuing to build authentic partnerships with booksellers, understanding their challenges and opportunities, and collaborating on creative solutions. Independent bookstores are so much more than retail spaces--they're vibrant, dynamic hubs for readers, and we're honored to support them."

New rep Kimi Loughlin made her first sales call, to Buttonwood Books and Toys in Cohasset, Mass, the first bookstore she worked at. Pictured: Loughlin (l.) with buyer Kristine Jelstrom-Hamill.

The new indie sales team includes:

Kimi Loughlin, indie sales manager for New England. She most recently managed bulk and school sales at the Silver Unicorn Bookstore in Acton, Mass.

Emily Gilbow, indie sales manager for the Mid-Atlantic region. Gilbow got her start in the book industry at age 16 working at Vroman's Bookstore, Pasadena, Calif., and most recently was children's director and book buyer at House of Books, Kent, Conn.

Mickey Tirado, indie sales manager for the South. Tirado most recently was at Penguin Random House, where he was an international sales manager for Latin America and managed Spanish-language sales in the U.S., which included working with independent bookstores across the country.

Suzanne Marx, indie sales manager for the Midwest. Marx was formerly at Hachette, where she began as a field sales rep for independent bookstores, then spent many years managing national accounts.

Cortney Yee, indie sales manager for the Southwest. She began her career in the book industry as a bookseller at Changing Hands Bookstore in Arizona, where she was most recently the children's book buyer and an event host.

Jordan Standridge, indie sales manager for the Pacific Northwest. Standridge was most recently the retail sales and marketing manager at Charlesbridge Publishing and earlier was the kids lead at Powell's Books, Portland, Ore., for many years.

Cara Nesi, senior inside sales manager for the Mid-Atlantic and New England. She started her publishing career at Simon & Schuster as a telemarketing account manager and an indie and education specialist. More recently, she was the children's field and educational sales manager at Hachette Book Group.

Sophie Juhlin, inside sales manager for the Midwest and the South. She was most recently assistant director of admissions at the Shimer Great Books School at North Central College. Earlier she worked for seven years at Read Between the Lynes, Woodstock, Ill., and a few simultaneously at Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville, Ill.

Anna-Lisa Sandstrum, inside sales manager for the Pacific Northwest and Southwest. She most recently worked at Microcosm Publishing and earlier was at Chronicle Books for 12 years, working with indies and school and library wholesalers.

Michael Taeckens

Michael Taeckens, co-founder of Broadside PR in 2015, is adding a new gig to his work as a publicist: effective today, he is also a literary agent, with Massie & McQuilkin. He will represent National Book Award finalist and Story Prize winner Elizabeth McCracken, Guggenheim Fellow Edward Carey (U.S. representation only), and Pulitzer Prize and Whiting Award winner Forrest Gander. He can be reached at Massie & McQuilkin here and at Broadside here.

Longleaf Services has added three distributed client presses:

The Center for Basque Studies Press at the University of Nevada, Reno, the world's leading publisher in Basque studies in the English language. Xabier Irujo, director of the Center for Basque Studies, said, "The Center for Basque Studies Press publishes pioneering research, historical accounts, and cultural explorations that shed light on Basque heritage, identity, and global impact. Its works deepen understanding of Basque culture, history, and contemporary issues, enriching perspectives on this ancient Proto-European culture." (Effective last November.)

The University of Tennessee Press whose director, Katie Hannah, said, "After a meticulous deliberation process, we chose Longleaf because of their array of umbrella services; their relationship with a crucial trading partner, Ingram; and their record of excellent customer service." (Effective in February.)

The University Press of Florida whose director, Romi Gutierrez, said, "After almost 80 years of self-distribution, the decision to change our model was not made easily, but Longleaf Services has made every step of the process easy and we're excited to join their growing community of publishers." (Effective in March.)

Posted on Facebook over the weekend by Lexi Walters Wright, owner of High Five Books, Florence, Mass.:

"Friends, Lexi here. Now that my heart rate has returned to normal, I want to share with you the biggest surprise of my life. Friday night, right before closing, I was helping one of our sweet regulars find a time-sensitive book (first periods!) when our author pal Lisa Yee came in. It was serendipitously delightful to watch her meet the reader I was working with, herself a big fan of Lisa's. I was watching that author-reader magic unfold--the alchemy that fuels this often demanding, always rewarding job--when the doors of our store flung open.

"Authors + illustrators streamed in, chanting my name, festooning me with a tiara + balloon and flowers, cake + champagne + gifts. The creatives, they just kept coming: A jubilant ambush of our local talent, whom I've had the distinct pleasure of working with these last five years. These creators, whose talent + generosity of creative spirit keep this small-but-mighty bookstore's shelves + events calendar full, were there to congratulate ME on our recent store expansion and our ongoing contribution to this beautiful community of readers.

"There were beautiful, heartfelt toasts in our new event space, where the paint has barely dried. There was a lot of sweating + shaking (me) and so many warm hugs and kind words (the authors + illustrators + my staff + family, who were all in on it). It was one of the most shocking, moving experiences of my life, let alone this nascent career. I'm still processing the depth of kindness these folks bestowed. 

"It can be immensely scary + vulnerable owning a small business, especially one that affects the lives of families I love in my own neighborhood and the livelihoods of the staff I treasure, whose commitment to this grand experiment is unwavering. But knowing I also have the support of the people whose work is the bedrock of this joyful, affirming, inclusive store is just the most validating--and motivating."

Today:
Good Morning America: Thai Nguyen, co-author of Mai's Áo Dài (Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy, $18.99, 9781665917346).

Today Show: Naomi Watts, author of Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I'd Known About Menopause (Crown, $29, 9780593729038). She will also appear on Live with Kelly and Mark.

Sherri Shepherd Show: Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings, author of You Deserve to Be Rich: Master the Inner Game of Wealth and Claim Your Future (Crown Currency, $30, 9780593728192).

Tomorrow:
Good Morning America: Mayor Randall Woodfin, co-author of Son of Birmingham: A Memoir (Diversion Books, $30, 9798895150023).

Today Show: Sarah Hoover, author of The Motherload: Episodes from the Brink of Motherhood (Simon Element, $29.99, 9781668010136).

Ashley Zukerman (Succession, Fear Street trilogy) and Jessica Henwick (Huntington, The Royal Hotel, Glass Onion) have been added to the cast for the third season of the Apple TV+ series Silo, based on the novels of Hugh Howey. TheWrap reported that in Season 3, "Zukerman will star as Daniel, a young and hungry congressman, while Henwick joins the cast as Helen, a whip-smart reporter, per the official character descriptions."

Silo creator Graham Yost told TheWrap that Daniel and Helen are characters in the second book in Hugh Howey's trilogy, but some changes have been made: "We've monkeyed with the origin story dramatically, renaming him from Donald to Daniel. Whichever way you are in the political spectrum, we just didn't want anyone named Donald in that role. It's just too confusing for people and are we making a point? Are we not making a point? We're just not going to address the point. And we wanted to make more out of their relationship than was really in the book, so we've also gender-swapped Thurman."

Yost executive produces Silo alongside Howey, series star Rebecca Ferguson, Morten Tyldum, who also directs, Nina Jack, Fred Golan, Rémi Aubuchon, Michael Dinner, Joanna Thapa and AMC.

A shortlist has been released for the Novel Prize, which recognizes novels that "explore and expand the possibilities of the form, and are innovative and imaginative in style." The biennial award is for a book-length work of literary fiction written in English by published and unpublished writers from around the world. 

The winner, who will be named in February, receives $10,000 and simultaneous publication in North America by New Directions, in the U.K. and Ireland by Fitzcarraldo Editions, and in Australia and New Zealand by Giramondo. Selected from 1,100 submissions, the shortlisted titles are:

How to Live Together by Rey Conquer
Porcupine by Nick Holdstock
Ruins, Child by Giada Scodellaro
Moss House by Hollen Singleton
Touch Me Now by Neal Amandus Gellaco

Rebecca Romney (Printer's Error) reveals some riveting detective work in Jane Austen's Bookshelf, an investigation into the women writers who made an impact on Austen--and why readers know so few of them. Along the way, she asks who gets to decide the canon, how does it evolve over time, and are readers themselves complicit?

Romney is not only an expert antiquarian book dealer and a passionate and knowledgeable reader, but also a marvelous writer. Her journey begins with one book, Evelina (1778) by Frances Burney, discovered on a "house call" to a collector like herself. Another title by Burney, Cecilia, appears in a passage from Northanger Abbey, a favorite book that Romney has reread a number of times. So why hadn't Romney read Burney, or Ann Radcliffe, or Maria Edgeworth, all of whom are mentioned in that same passage? That passage gives Romney the outline for a new collection: Jane Austen's Bookshelf.

Assembling this collection's criteria (e.g., Austen's favorite women writers; which books and editions; condition; etc.), she notes, "A reader falls in love with the story in the book. A collector falls in love with the story of the book." From there, Romney offers brief bios of Austen and the eight women writers who influenced her enough to earn a place in it. Those paint a larger picture of women in the 18th and early 19th centuries: Hannah More could afford to write due to a broken engagement that resulted in "a structured annual payment"; Charlotte Smith wrote in order to free her gambler husband from debtors' prison. Such concrete examples emphasize Romney's point about the importance of women's agency in "courtship novels" or the romance genre, as it's called today: "If you look more closely, questions of love and marriage have historically been central to the fate of women's lives, legally and economically."

In the course of her quest, Romney considers the evolution of language (the word "romance" once referred to anything that was not nonfiction, and is still evident in the French and German words "roman" and the Italian "romanzo," which translate as "novel"), as well as many of Austen's Bookshelf authors' ties to Samuel Johnson and David Garrick, prominent tastemakers in their era, and their impact on the canon. She also offers diverting meditations on whether "first editions" truly are best (e.g., Darwin's Origin of the Species, which does not include "survival of the fittest" until the fifth edition); and even how to remove a sticker from a paperback. With humor and candor, Romney gives readers much to ponder about a favorite author and why her books are of such importance today. --Jennifer M. Brown

Shelf Talker: In book collector Rebecca Romney's marvelous memoir, she unlocks the mystery of which authors influenced Jane Austen and why they disappeared from the literary canon.

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

1. There's Treasure Inside by Jon Collins-Black
2. Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton
3. Hunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton
4. Twisted Love by Ana Huang
5. The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden
6. Zodiac Academy 2: Ruthless Fae by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti
7. The Empress by Kristin Cast
8. Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki and Sharon L. Lechter
9. On Being Jewish Now by Zibby Owens
10. The Ritual by Shantel Tessier

[Many thanks to IndieReader.com!]