Also published on this date: January 28, 2025 Dedicated Issue: Introducing Flatiron's New Pine & Cedar Imprint

Shelf Awareness for Tuesday, January 28, 2025


Chronicle Books: Good Movies as Old Books: Films Reimagined as Vintage Book Covers by Matt Stevens

Greenwillow Books: At Last She Stood: How Joey Guerrero Spied, Survived, and Fought for Freedom by Erin Entrada Kelly

Pixel+ink: The Extraterrestrial Zoo 1: Finding the Lost One by Samantha Van Leer

Greenleaf Book Group Press: Why Wolves Matter: A Conservation Success Story by Karen B. Winnick

Andrews McMeel Publishing: Murder Ballads: Illustrated Lyrics & Lore by Katy Horan

Berkley Books: Zomromcom by Olivia Dade

New Press: King of the North: Martin Luther King Jr.'s Life of Struggle Outside the South by Jeanne Theoharis

News

Bookshop.org Launches E-Book Platform

Bookshop.org has added an e-book option, which now allows independent bookstores to sell digital books to customers. Titles purchased through Bookshop.org's Ebook platform can be read on a web browser, and through Bookshop.org's Apple and Android apps. The platform is launching with a catalogue of more than three million titles.

All profits from digital book sales made on stores' Bookshop.org pages go to the store. Profits from orders without a specified bookstore are distributed among all participating bookstores on the platform. Bookshop.org noted that some "25% of readers in the U.S. prefer e-books," so the new platform opens up a large market for indie bookstores.

"When we launched Bookshop.org, the vision was to support local bookstores in their battle against Amazon and other online retailers," said Andy Hunter, CEO and founder of Bookshop.org. "This launch represents our commitment to bookstores and their communities. We're focused on keeping bookstores afloat and helping them flourish in the digital age."

Cierra Cook, owner of Spoke & Word Books, Milwaukie, Ore., said, "Many of our customers use e-books for their accessibility, especially for folks with low vision. Having an alternative to Amazon is groundbreaking."

Author James Patterson commented, "I've said it before--booksellers and bookstores save lives. I'm thrilled to see Bookshop.org's new platform making e-books accessible while staying true to supporting independent bookstores."

Novelist and journalist Lev Grossman called the new platform "the missing piece we've all been waiting for. Bookshop.org has already built a fantastic, essential ecosystem connecting bookstores with the authors and readers who love them. Now with this new e-book platform, there's no limit to how far it can go and how big it can get."

Bookshop.org was launched five years ago, just as the pandemic started, and has raised more than $35 million for independent bookstores in the U.S. A certified B Corp., Bookshop.org allocates more than 80% of its profit margin to some 2,200 independent bookstores in the U.S.


W. W. Norton & Company: Is a River Alive? by Robert MacFarlane


The Portsmouth Book Nook to Replace RiverRun Bookstore, Portsmouth, N.H.

After RiverRun Bookstore closes in Portsmouth, N.H., at the end of February, the Portsmouth Book Nook will open this spring in the same storefront at 32 Daniel St. 

Portsmouth Book Nook founders Ashley Meenaghan and Laura Koulet

The general-interest, all-ages store will offer a diverse and inclusive inventory along with programming that includes author events, storytime sessions, book clubs, and more.

Co-founders Ashley Meenaghan and Laura Koulet said their goal "is to create a space where people of all ages can connect, share ideas, and cultivate a love of reading." Prior to founding the Portsmouth Book Nook with Koulet, Meenaghan worked as a part-time bookseller at RiverRun for the past year.

Tom Holbrook, owner of RiverRun, said, "RiverRun has thrived here for so long because the people of Portsmouth deeply value locally owned and operated businesses. I know Ashley and Laura, and I'm delighted with the plans they have shared with me. I guarantee my long-time customers that they will be in good hands with the Book Nook."

While Koulet and Meenaghan did not give a specific opening date, they are planning for a grand opening in early spring.

In December, Holbrook announced his plans to retire and close RiverRun after 23 years in business.


Sourcebooks: CLICK HERE TO FIND YOUR NEW REP


B&N Opening Four Stores Tomorrow

Barnes & Noble is holding grand openings for four stores tomorrow, January 29: three new stores, in Superior, Colo.; Naples, Fla.; and Brentwood, Calif., as well as a renovated store in Houston, Tex.

Located in Superior Marketplace at 550 Marshall Rd., the Superior store will host a ribbon cutting and signing with author Patricia Raybon (the Annalee Spain series) on Wednesday morning.

The Naples store resides at 4149 Tamiami Trail N. in the Park Shore Plaza, and will officially open with a ribbon cutting and signing featuring Janet Evanovich. The store spans 35,000 square feet, more than 45% larger than the B&N location that previously operated in Naples.

The Brentwood store replaces a previous B&N location that closed in October 2024. The new store is located in the Streets of Brentwood at 2475 Sand Creek Rd. and is larger than the former Brentwood B&N. Author Evelyn Skye (One Year Ago in Spain), will be on hand for the ribbon cutting and signing.

And in Houston, Tex., the store in Town & Country Village at 12850 Memorial Dr. is reopening after being closed since February 2024. The store has undergone a "total renovation," and author Katherine Quinn (To Shatter the Night) will appear for a ribbon cutting and signing.

B&N plans to open more than 60 new locations this year.


Blackstone Publishing: Shadow Wars: The Secret War by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Hinako Hishinuma, and Madaug Hishinuma


ALA's 2025 Youth Media Award Winners

The 2025 Youth Media Awards winners were announced yesterday during ALA’s LibLearnX Conference in Phoenix, Ariz., introduced by Cindy Hohl, president of the American Library Association.

ALA president Cindy Hohl

Dr. Robert Bittner, president of the Association of Library Services to Children (ALSC), announced the winners of the Randolph Caldecott Medal ("to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children") and the John Newbery Medal ("to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children"), two of ALA's longest-running awards. Debut illustrator Rebecca Lee Kunz received the Caldecott Medal for Chooch Helped, written by Andrea L. Rogers (Levine Querido), and Erin Entrada Kelly won her second Newbery Medal for The First State of Being (Greenwillow Books), a finalist for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature and one of Shelf Awareness's Best Children's/YA Books of 2024. The president of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), Yvette Garcia, announced the winner of the Michael L. Printz Award (given for "the best book written for teens, based entirely on its literary merit"): Brownstone by Samuel Teer, illustrated by Mar Julia (Versify).

Author Carole Boston Weatherford received the Children's Literature Legacy Award, which honors "an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to children's literature." Tiffany D. Jackson received the Margaret A. Edwards Award, "which honors an author as well as a specific body of their work for significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature." A full list of winners can be found here.

We'll have interviews with the winners throughout the rest of the week, starting with Erin Entrada Kelly, below. --Siân Gaetano, children's and YA editor, Shelf Awareness


GLOW: Holiday House: Nahia by Emily Jones


Erin Entrada Kelly: Two-Time Newbery Medalist

Erin Entrada Kelly
(photo: Matt Godfrey)

Erin Entrada Kelly is now a two-time Newbery Medalist and National Book Award finalist whose work has been translated into more than a dozen languages. She teaches in the Master's Program in Writing for Children and Young Adults at Hamline University and lives in Delaware. She won the Newbery Medal in 2018 for her novel Hello, Universe. Her second Newbery win--for The First State of Being (Greenwillow Books)--was announced yesterday at the American Library Association's winter conference.

Not only is this your second Newbery Medal win, but this book, The First State of Being, was a National Book Award finalist. How are you feeling today? Is today going a lot like that day in 2018 went?

To be honest, I still haven't completely recovered from the shock of 2018 so consider me double shocked. It's difficult to find adequate words.

I was so excited when I first heard about this book. There's a ton of contemporary fantasy and horror for young readers right now but not a lot of sci-fi. What drew you to this genre?

My goal is to push myself with every project I write and I'm a big fan of science fiction--specifically time travel--so it seemed like a natural progression.

How do you describe The First State of Being to readers?

A story of time travel, friendship, found family, and first loves.

What excited you about writing a book with a Y2K focus?

When I wrote We Dream of Space, I was keenly aware that most young readers wouldn't be familiar with the Challenger disaster. That's partly why I wanted to write it. The Challenger disaster was a monumental event and deserves to live in modern memory. I felt similarly about Y2K. I was a journalist during the Y2K crisis. It dominated the news cycle and there was incredible anxiety about it, but it's all been lost to time. I wanted to remind readers that this event happened, that it created a lot of anguish, and we made it through--just like we'll make it through the crises of today.

Was playing around with time travel difficult? Did you ever get stuck in arguments with yourself about what could or couldn't happen within time travel rules?

Here's the thing with time travel: If you think about it too long, you will exhaust yourself with the possibilities and impossibilities. I had a clear vision of how I would tackle time travel before I started writing because I didn't want to stumble on all those questions. I also chose to explore those questions as part of the narrative.

In our review of The First State of Being, our reviewer called Michael "one of the kindest boys in children's literature." Would you tell us a bit about writing this protagonist? Did you have a specific aim for his characterization before you began writing him?

I love that you mentioned that line because I was so thrilled when I read it! It's probably my favorite line out of any review I've ever received, because I love Michael so much. When early reviews trickled in, I was delighted to see reviewers' appreciation for Michael. Characters are everything to me--they're what I focus on more than anything. I can't start a book unless I have a clear vision of the main character. My goal is to know my characters better than they know themselves. When that happens, I start writing.

"The first state of being" is a magnificent phrase--how did you come up with it as being The Thing that matters in life?

Thank you! The phrase is actually a shout-out to Delaware, which is the first state. It's on all the license plates here.

Who are you hoping reads this book? What would you like them to take away with them?

My goal is always the same, with every book: I want readers to feel less alone.

Are you working on anything at the moment?

I'm always working on something. I've been writing nonstop since I was eight years old, and that's not an exaggeration! Ha.

I have four books releasing this year: On Again, Awkward Again, a young adult rom-com co-written with Kwame Mbalia from Amulet Books; At Last She Stood: How Joey Guerrero Spied, Survived, and Fought for Freedom, my first work of nonfiction; and Your Turn, Marisol Rainey, the next book in my Marisol Rainey books, which I also illustrate (both with Greenwillow Books); and a horror novel with Scholastic. I'm also co-writing a technology horror series with Eliot Schrefer, which will release with Sourcebooks next year.


Give Your Feedback to Publishers!

In February, Shelf Awareness is hosting our annual "Best Ads" presentation, during which we speak with hundreds of publishers. We were impressed with a recent presentation by Emma Straub and Mike Fusco-Straub from Books Are Magic in Brooklyn, N.Y., during which they shared five things their booksellers love about publishers (example: sales reps!) and five things they don't like so much (example: galleys they didn't request!). We'd like to share the same kind of information during our presentation.

So please, booksellers and librarians, click on this link to share what you love and don't love about publishers. We'll share the results in our presentation. We'll also publish them later in an issue of PRO.

In this small way, we hope to foster the communication between booksellers, librarians, and publishers. And we look forward to reading what you have to say!


Notes

Image of the Day: Percival Everett Signing for Third Place Books

Percival Everett visited Seattle, Wash., for an event with Seattle Arts & Lectures, co-sponsored by Third Place Books. Robert Sindelar, Third Place Books managing partner, and Spencer Ruchti, author events manager, assisted Everett in signing copies of his novel James (Doubleday). Pictured: (l.-r.) Sindelar, Everett, and Ruchti. (photo: Danny Ngan)

Personnel Changes at Tokyopop; Random House Publishing Group

Owais Farooqui has joined Tokyopop as director of marketing & sales. He has more than 20 years of experience and has worked at such companies as King Digital (developers of the game Candy Crush), Yahoo!, Atari, and Discovery Communications.

---

In Random House Publishing Group's publicity department:

Alisse Goldsmith-Wissman has been promoted to publicity manager.

Jordan Pace has been promoted to publicity manager.

Marni Folkman has been promoted to associate publicist.

Hope Hathcock has been promoted to associate publicist.

Brianna Kusilek has been promoted to publicist.

Rachel Parker has been promoted to publicist.


Media and Movies

Media Heat: Imani Perry on Fresh Air

Today:
Fresh Air: Imani Perry, author of Black in Blues: How a Color Tells the Story of My People (Ecco, $28.99, 9780062977397).

Tomorrow:
Late Night with Seth Meyers: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, author of True Gretch--Young Adult Edition: Lessons for Anyone Who Wants to Make a Difference (Atheneum, $18.99, 9781665983761).



Books & Authors

Awards: Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence Winners

The American Library Association announced the winners of the 2025 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction. The medal winners each receive $5,000; all finalists will be honored in June during the ALA's annual conference. The winners are:

Fiction: James by Percival Everett (Doubleday). Judges commented: "In an astounding riposte, Everett rewrites Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as a liberation narrative, told from James's point of view. When he is accused of robbery and murder, James flees with an initially gleeful Huck, who only gradually understands the terrifying reality of being a Black man with a price on his head. Determined to return and rescue his wife and daughter, James takes the story in a completely different direction than the original, exemplifying the relentless courage and moral clarity of an honorable man with nothing to lose."

Nonfiction: A Walk in the Park: The True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon by Kevin Fedarko (Scribner). Judges commented: "Centering Fedarko's lifelong relationship with the Grand Canyon, from reading about it as a child through working as a clumsy canoe guide, A Walk in the Park follows the author on a canyon-spanning group hike and all the steps, missteps, and arguments along the way. He particularly inspires in detailing the ancestral history of the land and some of the Indigenous individuals who continue to fight against overdevelopment and ever-booming tourism."

Allison Escoto, chair of this year's selection committee, said, "On behalf of this year's Carnegie committee, I'm thrilled to honor these exceptional books and to highlight their contributions to American fiction and nonfiction. Percival Everett has written a modern masterpiece, a beautiful and important work that offers a fresh perspective from the eyes of a classic character. Kevin Fedarko's unforgettable journey through the otherworldly depths of the Grand Canyon shows us the triumphs and pitfalls of exploration and illuminates the many vital lessons we can all learn from our precious natural world."


Book Review

Review: Wild Dark Shore

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy (Flatiron Books, $28.99 hardcover, 320p., 9781250827951, March 4, 2025)

In her remarkable novels that confront the realities of climate change and environmental destruction, Charlotte McConaghy (Migrations; Once There Were Wolves) insists on hope despite the darkness. With Wild Dark Shore, the talented Australian writer takes readers to the fictional Shearwater Island (inspired by Macquarie Island, a World Heritage Site in the subantarctic waters between Antarctica and Tasmania). Shearwater is a haunted place, recently home to a research station, a global seed vault, and the Salt family, who serve as caretakers of the island. With rising tides reclaiming the land, Shearwater has been decommissioned, and Dominic and his three children are preparing for departure when 17-year-old Fen pulls from the water a nearly-drowned woman named Rowan, "this creature carried in from a sea too vast to make sense of. A gift for them or something rejected?"

Rowan's arrival changes everything, especially coming at a moment already full of uncertainty and loss for the Salt family. As the narrative alternates between each character, it deepens and complicates the reader's understanding of what happened in the days before Rowan washed up on shore. No one is telling the truth, it seems, at least not all of it. Despite the layers of deception, Rowan and Dominic forge a tentative trust. And the children, each in their own way, share themselves with this unsought surrogate for their beloved mother, who died after complications with the birth of nine-year-old Orly. As she bonds with this unusual family, Rowan must confront her views on motherhood and sacrifice, reckoning with her past as she begins to consider alternatives to a desolate future.

Her grim assumptions are warranted in the face of fire, drought, and species loss. Even the seed vault, "meant to outlast humanity," must now accommodate the desperation of humans threatened with their own destruction. Instead, Orly, with his encyclopedic knowledge of these seeds and the life they promise, becomes the beacon of hope, the kind that might prompt more to adopt Dominic's stance: "Maybe we will drown or burn or starve one day, but until then we get to choose if we'll add to that destruction or if we will care for each other." Wild Dark Shore asks readers to keep making that choice, to note, as eldest child Raff does: "There is such peril in loving things at all, and... he just keeps on doing it." --Sara Beth West, freelance reviewer and librarian

Shelf Talker: Raising issues of love and family and sacrifice, Wild Dark Shore is a beautiful examination of hope in the face of certain destruction.


The Bestsellers

Top-Selling Self-Published Titles

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

1. Speak Goodr by Ryan C. Vet
2. The Wrong Bride by Catharina Maura
3. Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton
4. Beneath the Stars by Emily McIntire
5. Twisted Love by Ana Huang
6. Hunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton
7. The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden
8. Just Between Us by Lena Hendrix
9. Kingsbridge Etiquette by Josh Tolley
10. On Being Jewish Now by Zibby Owens

[Many thanks to IndieReader.com!]


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