"I've been an indie bookstore enthusiast probably since I popped out of the womb. I grew up in New York City and my parents would take me to Books of Wonder on the weekends. (I would wreak havoc and eat their books--I was a heinous child.) Now, in New Jersey, the bookstore that I work at--Watchung Booksellers--is literally a few blocks away from my house. The people there are wonderful. The books that I get to read and talk about are wonderful. And the customers are wonderful.

"That's what I really love about indie bookstores, the community that they have. (That's something I did try to establish within my book.) You just have such strong connections with these people, and indie bookstores become such an important part of the community in a really wonderful way by hosting events and authors. They create a really wonderful community and a place that I call home for myself. And that's something I'm forever grateful to indie bookstores for."

Penguin Random House Australia is buying Text Publishing, the highly regarded independent publisher with headquarters in Melbourne, Australia. The deal includes an unusual "charter of independence," which allows Text "to retain full publishing control as we continue our work of acquiring, editing, curating, designing, marketing, publicising and selling rights in our books."

Text has published a range of authors who have won or been shortlisted for major prizes including the Nobel, the Booker, the Pulitzer, the Miles Franklin, and the Stella. Among Australian authors Text has published are Helen Garner, Garry Disher, Michelle de Kretser, Tim Flannery, Kate Grenville, and Peter Singer. The Text Classics list includes some 150 lost, out-of-print, or forgotten books by authors such as Patrick White, Christina Stead, Henry Handel Richardson, Thea Astley, Miles Franklin, Elizabeth Harrower, and Madeleine St John.

Founded in 1990 by Diana Gribble and Eric Beecher as a joint venture between Text Media and Reed Publishing, Text is now majority owned by publisher Michael Heyward and Penny Hueston, in partnership with Maureen and Tony Wheeler, the founders of Lonely Planet. For a time, Canongate and Fairfax Media were investors. Text will continue to be sold in Australia and New Zealand by Penguin Random House Australia, and Text will continue to sell its books in the U.K.

Heyward said: "Text has created an unparalleled space for itself in Australian publishing. Now it's time for a new owner to provide a home for the company's entrepreneurial energies and its family of brilliant authors. We are lucky to have the right custodian in Penguin Random House Australia. We know the key people there very well, have worked with them for many years, and have forged great relationships with them. As we discussed our future together, PRHA has been deeply respectful of the Text legacy.

"I have been publisher at Text through five different ownership structures, and both Penny Hueston and I are excited about this wonderful opportunity to guarantee the future of the company we have spent so many years building. We are passionately committed to doing everything we can to allow Text to thrive as a distinctive and integral part of PRHA. As we begin a new chapter with Julie Burland and her team, we want to thank Maureen and Tony Wheeler, along with [business consultant] Marcus Fazio, for their staunch support. We want to thank our staff, particularly those remarkable and gifted souls who have been with us for many years. And we want to thank the hundreds of authors who trust us with their books."

Julie Burland, CEO of Penguin Random House Australia and New Zealand, said: "As long-standing partners, Penguin Random House and Text Publishing know each other well, and have built a relationship based on trust, respect and shared goals. I have always been inspired by the values that drive Text's success and we deeply admire the legacy that Text Publishing has established in our industry. We believe that PRH is uniquely positioned to preserve and honour that legacy with integrity, passion and vision."

Next Page Book Store will host a grand opening celebration with a pretzel party on March 6 inside True North 2 at 1338 Clay St., Morris, Ill. Owner Stacey Olson told Shaw Local that a bookstore is one of the most requested things whenever True North, an emporium that sells antiques, vintage clothing, crafts, and more, asks residents what Morris needs on Facebook.

"We are going to be ourselves, the True North style," Olson said. "We're going to categorize our books different. Instead of just vintage, we'll go by decade. You can look for books from the 1940s, '70s, '80s."

The store will carry a mix of new and used books, operating out of the front 1,000 square feet of the space. "Instead of having a women's studies section, we'll have one that says 'girls rule,' and it's all women's inspirational books," Olson noted. "Our new fiction will be 'what the cool kids are reading.' "

There will also be a book club, a kids reading hour, and author book signings, as well as a bookstore cat, though Olson said there's a chance it might be made of cardboard.

"We're gonna have big, comfy couches so you can sit and read a book, and hang out," she added. "Instead of just staff doing what books they like, we're going to ask the community to leave book reviews and put little cards in books they've read and write reviews to the next reader."

Next Page Book Store's opening night "is already slated to be a busy one," Shaw Local noted. In addition to the pretzel party, children's book author Colleen McGarr will be signing books and there will also be a craft club meeting.

The Bookstore, which was launched in 2022 at 253 Fifth St. SE, Unit 2, in Pine City, Minn., by Dana Volkers Phillips, has new owners. Becky, Mark, and Andrew Gallik have purchased the business, which was put up for sale in December when Phillips announced she would be moving to be closer to her family.  

The sale happened quickly. On January 12, Phillips posted on the bookshop's original Facebook page: "I am thrilled to let you all know The Bookstore will have a new owner on January 20th and will be staying in Pine City!! Follow the link below to follow their Facebook page. This page will be changing to Dana's Bookstore. You all have been so incredibly wonderful over the last three years and made owning a bookstore so great, I have to open a new store in my new town. Thank you for all of the love and support you've shown to me!"

The Galliks posted on the bookshop's new Facebook page: "Hello Everyone! I would like to take a moment to introduce ourselves. We are Becky, Mark, and Andrew Gallik, soon to be owners of The Bookstore. We have lived in Pine City for 20 years, this year. We believe in supporting local and we are excited to continue to help invest in the Pine City community."
  
In the post, Becky Gallik noted that she has worked in healthcare technology for more than 18 years, and was active in the church for many years, with roles including advisory board chair for the Catholic school, religious education teacher, and readings lecturer. She has also been on an advisory board for a program at Pine Tech College. 

Her son, Andrew Gallik, graduated from Pine Community College before transferring to Bemidji State University where he is currently working on his BA in business with a focus in retail management. Her husband, Mark Gallik, has worked locally to support the agricultural community for the last 20 years and is originally from the area. 

"If you see us around town, please say hello!" she wrote.

Ned Rust is leaving James Patterson Books, where he was v-p and publisher. Samantha Smith, formerly of Pan Macmillan, will join James Patterson Books on February 3 as the imprint's new vice-president and publisher. She will report to Sally Kim, president and publisher of Little, Brown.

Smith, an American, worked in publishing in the U.K. for nearly two decades. She's published international hits as well as U.K. originals, and has launched two imprints, most recently First Ink. She was shortlisted for Editor of the Year at the British Book Awards in 2022.

Jules Feiffer, the Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist and writer "whose prolific output ranged from a long-running comic strip to plays, screenplays and children's books," died January 17, the Associated Press reported. He was 95. His latest book, a graphic novel for young readers titled Amazing Grapes, was published by Michael di Capua Books last September.

Jules Feiffer at Politics & Prose in 2018 (via)

A versatile creator, Feiffer won a 1986 Pulitzer Prize for his cartoons, and his animated short film, Munro, won a 1961 Academy Award. The Library of Congress held a retrospective of his work in 1996. The AP noted that he "hopscotched among numerous forms of expression, chronicling the curiosity of childhood, urban angst and other societal currents. To each he brought a sharp wit and acute observations of the personal and political relations that defined his readers' lives."

In 1956, Feiffer made his debut in the Village Voice, where his strip, called "Feiffer," ran for more than 40 years. He quit the Voice in 1997 after a salary dispute, but his strip continued to be syndicated until he ended it in 2000.

Feiffer's work included novels, beginning with Harry the Rat with Women (1963), and he wrote plays, including 1967's Little Murders," which won an Obie Award. His screenplays ranged from the 1980 film version of the classic comic Popeye to Carnal Knowledge (1971).

After disappointing reviews of his 1990 play Elliot Loves, Feiffer focused on children's literature. Having illustrated Norton Juster's book The Phantom Tollbooth (1961), he "brought a wry wonder to bear on his own books for young readers, starting with 1993's The Man in the Ceiling," the AP noted. 

His other books include The Unexpurgated Memoirs of Bernard Mergendeiler (1964), Feiffer's Marriage Manual (1967), Jules Feiffer's America: From Eisenhower to Reagan (1982), A Barrel of Laughs, a Vale of Tears (1995), I Lost My Bear (1998), Bark, George (1999), Backing into Forward: A Memoir (2010), and Smart George (2020).

Feiffer had spoken recently about his macular degeneration and how it was affecting his work, the Guardian wrote. "The illusion is that I see as good as I've ever seen, which is not true, but it's the illusion," he said. "And I proceed with each drawing from page to page with complete confidence that it will turn out exactly as I want, which is not always the case. Failure is a big part of my process." He also spoke about his next book which would be titled My License to Fail.

The Washington Post noted that, in surveying his long, varied career, Feiffer wrote in his memoir that it took a new turn each time he was "backed into a corner," rather than as a result of any conscious planning. "It's a good thing I had no direction," he concluded. "I might have given up."

Baker & Taylor Publisher Services has added six publisher clients for sales and distribution in the U.S. and Canada:

Bad Hand Books, which publishes horror, crime, and dark-fantasy fiction and is owned by Bram Stoker Award- and Shirley Jackson Award-winning editor Doug Murano. Founded in 2021, Bad Hand publishes 5-10 books a year. Acclaimed books include Not a Speck of Light by Laird Barron and My Underslumberbumblebeast by Zoje Stage. (Effective March 1.)

Gloo Books, a children's book publisher whose mission is to create engaging books that accurately reflect the world around us today, focusing on titles that feature inclusivity and compassion. With a strong roster of backlist titles and new books coming for 2025, some of Gloo's recent titles include Martee Dares to Dance by actor/dancers Harry Shum Jr. and Shelby Rabara, the A Very Asian Guide food series, the Baby Go! series, and Composting for Community. (Effective immediately.)

MamaBear Books, a children's book publisher with a mission to spark imaginations, creativity, and a love for reading with beautifully written and illustrated picture books. Partners of the Barbara Bush Literacy Foundation, MamaBear has already delivered stories to 49,000 kids in Texas--now it's ready to inspire young readers nationwide "with giggles, curiosity, and plenty of 'just one more book' moments." Bestselling favorites are The Day I Had a Bulldozer, How to Get an Alligator Out of the Bathtub, and Feelings on the Farm. (Effective immediately.)

Platypus Media, founded in 2000, an independent publishing house featuring a STEM-based imprint, Science, Naturally!, and a catalog of award-winning books. Platypus Media publishes family-themed picture books for early childhood and specializes in attachment parenting for new or professional caregivers. Science, Naturally! publishes math and science books for elementary and middle school children. Most books have been translated into Spanish, and some are being translated into other languages. With a backlist of 70 titles, they plan to publish 10 new titles annually. (Effective immediately.)

Little Creek Press, a Wisconsin publisher whose mission is to "celebrate Wisconsin by supporting a community of inspired authors by bringing their stories to life." It specializes in Wisconsin-themed cookbooks, histories, nature guides, children's books, memoirs, and much more. Little Creek Press has more than 100 backlist titles in print and plans to publish 30 books in 2025. (Effective April 1.)

Central European University Press, a Hungarian publisher that publishes some 35 books a year and has a backlist of almost 600 titles in subjects ranging from politics and international relations to literature and history to economics. From its position in Central Europe, CEU Press offers a perspective from a region that is, and has been, the arena for global and ideological tension but has remained underrepresented in global discourse. Since the middle of last year, the press has been an imprint of Amsterdam University Press, which is also distributed by BTPS. (Effective March 1.)

Phoebe Kosman has joined Nosy Crow as head of marketing and communications. She was formerly director of publicity at Candlewick Press, Holiday House Publishing, and Peachtree Publishing.

---

Tyler Hubbert has joined Feminist Press as publicity and events coordinator. She was previously promotions and author relations associate at Princeton University Press.

The Many Lives of Anne Frank by Ruth Franklin (Yale University Press).

Tomorrow:
Good Morning America: Rebecca Yarros, author of Onyx Storm (Red Tower Books, $29, 9781649374189).

Also on GMA: Anthony O'Neal, author of Take Your Seat at the Table: Live an Authentic Life of Abundance, Wellness, and Freedom (Thomas Nelson, $29.99, 9781400250066).

Book TV airs on C-Span 2 this weekend from 8 a.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Monday and focuses on political and historical books as well as the book industry. The following are highlights for this coming weekend. For more information, go to Book TV's website.

Saturday, January 25
9:30 a.m. Lindsay M. Chervinsky, author of Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents That Forged the Republic (‎Oxford University Press, $34.99, 9780197653845). (Re-airs Saturday at 9:30 p.m.)

11 a.m. Cecilia Márquez, author of Making the Latino South: A History of Racial Formation (The University of North Carolina Press, $27.95, 9781469676050). (Re-airs Saturday at 11 p.m.)

3:35 p.m. Alex Beringer, author of Lost Literacies: Experiments in the Nineteenth-Century US Comic Strip (‎Ohio State University Press, $36.95, 9780814258965).

Sunday, January 26
8:45 a.m. Helena Cobban and Rami Khouri, authors of Understanding Hamas: And Why That Matters (OR Books, $19.95, 9781682196342). (Re-airs Sunday at 8:45 p.m.)

2 p.m. Peter Phillips, author of Titans of Capital: How Concentrated Wealth Threatens Humanity (‎Seven Stories Press, $18.95, 9781644214336), at Book Passage in Corte Madera, Calif.

4 p.m. Gary Marcus, author of Taming Silicon Valley: How We Can Ensure That AI Works for Us (The MIT Press, $18.95, 9780262551069).

5:10 p.m. Chris Benner and Manuel Pastor, authors of Charging Forward: Lithium Valley, Electric Vehicles, and a Just Future (The New Press, $27.99, 9781620978740).

7:30 p.m. Publishing industry analyst Brenna Connor discusses sales trends and bestsellers for 2024.

Finalists in 28 categories have been chosen for the 2025 Audie Awards, sponsored by the Audio Publishers Association. Winners will be revealed at the 30th annual Audie Awards, to be hosted by Amy Sedaris and held March 4 in New York City. To see the finalists, click here.

---

Nominations have been made for the 2025 Edgar Allan Poe Awards, honoring the best in mystery fiction, nonfiction, and television and sponsored by the Mystery Writers of America. Winners will be celebrated at the 79th annual Edgar Awards on May 1 in New York City. To see the nominees, click here.

Selected new titles appearing next Tuesday, January 28:

Been Wrong So Long It Feels Like Right: A King Oliver Novel by Walter Mosley (Mulholland, $29, 9780316573269) is the third mystery featuring P.I. Joe King Oliver.

The Vanishing Point: Stories by Paul Theroux (Mariner, $30, 9780358722250) is a collection of new short stories.

Good Dirt: A Novel by Charmaine Wilkerson (Ballantine, $30, 9780593358368) follows generations of a Black family after an unsolved murder.

The Crash by Freida McFadden (Poisoned Pen Press, $32.99, 9781464232985) is a thriller about an expectant mother trapped in a blizzard.

The Word of Dog: What Our Canine Companions Can Teach Us About Living a Good Life by Mark Rowlands (Liveright, $26.99, 9781324095682) is a philosophical exploration of the inherent happiness of dogs.

Superbloom: How Technologies of Connection Tear Us Apart by Nicholas Carr (Norton, $29.99, 9781324064619) chronicles the corrosive impacts of social media and other communication technologies through history.

Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning by Peter Beinart (Knopf, $26, 9780593803899) examines the future of American Jewish life after the war in Gaza.

Everything Must Go: The Stories We Tell About the End of the World by Dorian Lynskey (Pantheon, $32, 9780593317099) looks at the evolution of apocalyptic themes in literature and film.

Carving Shadows into Gold by Brigid Kemmerer (Bloomsbury, $20.99, 9781547610105) is the second book in the YA fantasy series that began with Forging Silver into Stars.

The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King by Harry Trevaldwyn (Wednesday, $14, 9781250366788) is a YA rom-com featuring a young man determined to get his first boyfriend.

Paperbacks:
Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam-Young (Dell, $18, 9780593871867).

Tell Me What You Did: A Novel by Carter Wilson (Poisoned Pen Press, $17.99, 9781464226229).

The Family Inside: A Novel by Katie Garner (Mira, $18.99, 9780778334460).

The Happy Writer: Get More Ideas, Write More Words, and Find More Joy from First Draft to Publication and Beyond by Marissa Meyer (Feiwel & Friends, $19.99, 9781250362377).

From last week's Indie bestseller lists, available at IndieBound.org, here are the recommended titles, which are also Indie Next Great Reads:

Hardcover
I'll Come to You: A Novel by Rebecca Kauffman (Counterpoint, $26, 9781640096714). "Rebecca Kauffman is a master of the small, quiet moment. I'll Come to You is the story of a year in the life of a family. Her characters change and grow and fight and feel deep sorrow and love. I'll read everything Kauffman writes." --Margaret Leonard, Dotters Books, Eau Claire, Wis.

Mothers and Sons: A Novel by Adam Haslett (Little, Brown, $29, 9780316574716). "Adam Haslett writes interior lives like no one else. When Peter, an asylum lawyer in New York, meets a young immigrant forced to flee his homeland because he is gay, it throws Peter's world into chaos and forces a reckoning between mother and son." --Sarah Brown, Zenith Bookstore, Duluth, Minn.

Paperback
The Mystery Guest: A Maid Novel by Nita Prose (Ballantine, $18, 9780593356203). "Molly is back with another entertaining mystery to solve at the Regency Grand Hotel. This time, a famous author is under scrutiny, featuring a pack of rabid fans and a peek into Molly's past. Pour a nice cup of tea and enjoy Molly's next case!" --Jenny Stroyeck, The Homer Bookstore, Homer, Ark.

Ages 4-8
Soy Sauce! by Laura G. Lee (Algonquin, $18.99, 9781523528387). "Where would we be without the humble, versatile, workhorse of flavor: soy sauce? This picture book is a joyful ode to this essential element of East Asian food, and provides a fascinating look at how different cultures make soy sauce." --Audrey Mueller, Linden Tree Children 's Books, Los Altos, Calif.

Ages 10+
As You Wish by Nashae Jones (Aladdin, $17.99, 9781665939911). "Birdie's plans to get a boyfriend as an eighth grader go awry when a mythological West African god Anansi appears and grants a series of wishes. A sweet middle grade romance with a fun twist!" --Beth Seufer Buss, Bookmarks, Winston-Salem, N.C.

Teen Readers: An Indies Introduce Title
Mystery Royale by Kaitlyn Cavalancia (Disney Hyperion, $18.99, 9781368099080). "This novel reads like a complex puzzle game with a touch of romance and lots of family drama! Readers will be swept up in this magical illusionary world." --Kristine Jelstrom-Hamill, Buttonwood Books and Toys, Cohasset, Mass.

[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]

Show Don't Tell, Curtis Sittenfeld's warm and insightful ninth book (and second story collection after You Think It, I'll Say It), features characters negotiating principles and privilege in midlife as they look back on their youth.

Split equally between first- and third-person perspectives, the 12 contemporary stories spotlight everyday marital and parenting challenges. Women weigh the possibility of platonic friendships with men ("A for Alone" and the Covid pandemic-set "The Hug") or seek to behave gracefully toward an ex's family ("The Patron Saints of Middle Age"). Several stories, such as "White Women LOL," question the sense of entitlement that leads to casual racism.

Sittenfield (American Wife; Eligible; Romantic Comedy) uses dual timelines in her stories, offering her characters opportunities for hindsight on events of decades ago. College and boarding school experiences, in particular, are pivotal. "Lost but Not Forgotten" treats fans of Sittenfeld's debut novel, Prep, to a mini sequel: Lee Fiora, at Ault School in Massachusetts for her class's 30th reunion, remembers a brush with a pop idol and wonders if there's romance to be found after divorce.

"Show, don't tell" is a well-known creative writing dictum, and in the title story, Ruthie and her writing program peers nervously await news of Peaslee fellowships and attend a talk by an alumnus turned cult writer. Twenty years later, Ruthie is a thriving women's fiction author, but when she encounters a phenomenally successful but insufferable former classmate, she asks herself whether fame gets distributed fairly.

The arbitrary nature of wealth and celebrity is a central theme of the collection. In one standout, "The Marriage Clock," film producer Heather tries to convince Brock Lewis, author of a bestselling self-help guide, to okay a same-sex couple appearing in his book's movie adaptation. Given his conservative Christian values, Brock surprises Heather by being down-to-earth--and flirtatious.

Such moral compromises and the disjuncture between appearances and reality are recurring elements. Often, retrospection prompts the protagonists to ponder "the absurd plot twists of time." In "The Richest Babysitter in the World," Kit regrets not getting in on the ground floor of a tech company in the 1990s; it's now worth billions. And as Jane faces a health crisis in "Follow-Up," she reflects on a fling she had in law school, a man who gave her the most romantic moments of her life.

Nostalgic yet candid, these witty stories exploring how small decisions determine the future are perfect for fans of Rebecca Makkai, Kiley Reid, and Emma Straub. --Rebecca Foster, freelance reviewer, proofreader, and blogger at Bookish Beck

Shelf Talker: Curtis Sittenfeld's second short story collection blends nostalgia and hard-won wisdom through its funny, affectionate stories of middle-aged characters negotiating family and fame.