"I've had every experience you can imagine in indie bookstores, from giving a presentation to absolutely no one (the owner made the staff sit and be my audience), to trying to address a genuinely bereft family on how to communicate with their daughter who claimed to be possessed and had fallen under the influence of a con artist 'exorcist,' to giving a presentation for hundreds of people packed into every available inch of space in a used bookstore in Texas.

"I've had indie bookstore owners do health checks on my mother during the pandemic, and I've seen indie bookstore owners start fundraisers for victims of natural disasters. But what I've seen them do more than anything is thrive. Right now, I feel like indie bookstores are finally being treated like truly vital members of their community. The fact that you can also go to them and pick up your latest dose of smutty vampire romance just makes them that much better."

The Radical Cat, a feminist bookstore, community space, and cat adoption center in Reno, Nev., has moved to a new location, the Nevada Sagebrush reported.

The new space, at 1500 S. Virginia St., is in a freestanding building that was once a tattoo parlor. It is larger than the bookstore's previous location, and Radical Cat co-owner Ilya Arbatman told the Sagebrush that the move came about suddenly due to a dispute with the store's previous landlord.

The new space remains a work-in-progress, though the cat annex, which is operated in partnership with the Nevada Humane Society, has reopened. Arbatman noted that despite the sudden move, it ultimately was "a good time for us to find a place where we could sort of grow."

The Radical Cat opened in its original home in 2022 after a successful stint as a pop-up called Pussycat NV. The store's inventory includes diverse and inclusive titles pertaining to topics such as race, gender and sexuality, environmental justice, and witchcraft, and Radical Cat hosts a plethora of all-ages, community-focused events. It also hosts Finetooth Records, which sells "loud, strange, and otherwise beautiful music on vinyl, compact disc, and cassette tape."

Blurred Words, a 1920s-themed bookstore and speakeasy bar in Fort Collins, Colo., that opened last summer, will be closing February 14. In a recent social media post, owner Liz Sanders noted: "It's with heavy hearts that we announce Blurred Words is going out of business. We're deeply grateful for your support and want to say thank you to our amazing community!" The bookstore is running a storewide book sale until February 8. Furniture and decor are also available for sale.

Early in January, Sanders had posted an appeal for more community support: "We're facing a tough decision and we need your help to stay open. We've poured our hearts and souls into this business and we'd love to continue serving you. Please consider supporting us by purchasing used books, grabbing a cocktail, or attending one of our events. We are a unique spot for date nights, game nights, study groups, and book clubs too. Your support means the world to us."

Mac Barnett, the author of more than 60 children's books, has been named the 2025-2026 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. He is the ninth author to hold the position, and succeeds Meg Medina, who served from 2023-2024. His platform as ambassador will be "Behold, the Picture Book! Let's Celebrate Stories We Can Feel, Hear, and See."

National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Mac Barnett (photo: Chris Black)

Barnett's work includes Just Because (illus. by Isabelle Arsenault); Twenty Questions (illus. by Christian Robinson), Sam & Dave Dig a Hole (illus. by Jon Klassen), A Polar Bear in the Snow (illus. by Shawn Harris), and Extra Yarn (illus. by Jon Klassen). He has won numerous awards, including two Caldecott Honors, three New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Awards, three E.B. White Read Aloud Awards, and an International Children's Literature Award.

"It's a profound honor to serve as ambassador. When I got the news, I was speechless, which is unusual for me," Barnett said. "Now I feel energized to proclaim the many glories of children's literature, with a particular focus on a unique and marvelous way of telling stories: the children's picture book.

"Picture books are a beautiful, sophisticated and vibrant art form, the source of some of the most profound reading experiences in children's (and adults') lives. I am, of course, excited to talk to young readers. The joy of sharing picture books with kids is why I started writing children’s books in the first place. But I'm also eager to speak to adults--who often underestimate or overlook children’s literature--to champion the power of picture books and the brilliance of the kids who read them."

Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress, will inaugurate Barnett on Thursday, February 6, at 10:30 a.m. The event will be streamed on the Library of Congress's YouTube page, and Medina will be in attendance. Later that day, Barnett will take part in a "Storytime for Grown Ups" event featuring Cece Bell, Raúl the Third, and Jon Scieszka.

Hayden made the selection based on recommendations from children's publishing professionals as well as a selection committee that included Calvin Crosby, co-owner of the King's English Bookshop in Salt Lake City, Utah.

David Einig, a retired publisher sales representative for Simon & Schuster and Sage Publishing, died on December 6 at the age of 68 at his home in Portugal.

In the 1990s, he covered the St. Louis, Mo., area of S&S, servicing Booksource, Unique Books, and other independents in the Midwest. After S&S, he worked for a decade for Sage Publishing, and upon retiring said that working there "was the best ten years of my working experience."

S&S rep Tim Hepp added that Einig "was remembered fondly by colleagues at Sage for being a mentor to many in both sales and editorial. Dave had a knack for customer engagement and with his advocacy for authors and titles he moved the needle on getting books into the marketplace. He will be remembered for a collaborative style, an especially his warm personality and his humor, especially when imitating an airline pilot."

His family added, "All who knew David were charmed by his storytelling, his signature smile, humor, and laugh, and his breathless fascination with art, books, sports, and music."

The family asked that if gifts can be made in Einig's memory to a local cat shelter or rescue, especially for adult cats. To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Groundhog Day is one of the busiest days of the year at Read Between the Lynes in Woodstock, Ill. (Woodstock was the filming location for the Bill Murray classic). As in past years, several staffers from Sourcebooks came to help out, and this year, the store festivities included a special story time featuring Alice Walstead's How to Catch a Groundhog. Backstory: Read Between the Lynes owner Arlene Lynes had approached Sourcebooks with the idea for the book (as a part of the How to Catch a... series), and in December 2024, the book was published.

Pictured: Sophie Juhlin, inside sales manager for independent bookstores at Sourcebooks and former Read Between the Lynes team member; Cana Clark, marketing associate for kids' books, Sourcebooks; Arlene Lynes; Valerie Pierce, senior director, retail marketing, Sourcebooks; and Margaret Coffee, director of sales, Sourcebooks.

Congratulations to Vintage Books, Vancouver, Wash., which is celebrating its 50th anniversary Friday, February 14, through Sunday, February 16, with snacks, prize drawings, and an opportunity to reminisce about the bookstore.

"If you like cozy, here you go. Send this to your reading buddy!" Folklore Bookshop, Midway, Utah, advised in sharing an enticing video highlighting "the bookshop in the evening."

The Mindful Path to Intimacy: Cultivating a Deeper Connection with Your Partner by James V. Cordova (Guilford Press).

Tomorrow:
Good Morning America: R.F. Kuang, author of Yellowface (Morrow Paperbacks, $18.99, 9780063250857).

20th Century Studios will develop a film adaptation of Children of the Jungle, based on investigative journalist Mat Youkee's book Forty Days in the Jungle: Behind the Extraordinary Survival and Rescue of Four Children Lost in the Amazon. Roberto Bentivegna will write the script, Deadline reported, adding that Giannina Scott is producing through her Cara Films banner alongside Scott Free's Ridley Scott and president of film Michael Pruss.

Giannina Scott "brought the project to Scott Free and won a competitive auction for Youkee's book proposal together with the Scott Free team. Around that time, in May 2024, the story became global headline news," Deadline noted.

Finalists have been selected for the $50,000 2025 Gotham Book Prize, honoring the author of "the best book set in or about New York City." The award was created by Bradley Tusk, author and owner of the P&T Knitwear bookstore on the Lower East Side, and Howard Wolfson, who works for Bloomberg Philanthropies. To see the 14 finalists, click here.

Craig Kofi Farmer (photo: Alexandra Johnson)

Craig Kofi Farmer works in higher education administration, helping students achieve work-life balance and self-actualization. When he's not writing, he's analyzing superhero movies, watching psychological thrillers, and deciding exactly what he's going to eat that day. Last week, he won the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award for his debut novel, the middle-grade fantasy Kwame Crashes the Underworld (Roaring Book Press).

Kwame Crashes the Underworld has certainly received a fair amount of praise, but it's another thing entirely to be awarded for your debut. How are you feeling?

It feels surreal to be nominated for an award, even more surreal to actually win that award, and the most surreal for that award to be the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award. I already felt blessed that Kwame received such a warm welcome into the school-library space, but I never imagined that this award would be part of my debut experience.

What is your elevator pitch for this book?

This book is about a kid named Kwame, who falls into the Ghanaian underworld and meets the ancestral spirit of his late grandmother--except she looks like a kid, for some reason. Kwame, his best friend, and his grandmother journey through the underworld while Kwame goes through his own journey of grief--culminating in him finding a deep power only found in his acceptance of his grief.

And what was your inspiration for this book? Why did you want to tell this story, now, for this age group?

When I was growing up, I loved the Percy Jackson novels. I loved the characters, the mythology, and the "voice" of those stories. I remember that I used to wait a whole year for each sequel, only to devour the new release in one night. But I also remember loving those characters so much that I wanted to look like them. It wasn't just Percy Jackson, either; a lot of my literary heroes didn't look like me. That really affected my self-image, for a long time.

When I got the chance to write an original story, I knew that I wanted to create the kind of story that would make me--and other kids like me--feel seen and represented. I also wanted to make sure that the story was funny, engaging, fast-paced, and emotional, which were qualities that are embedded in the DNA of my favorite stories. I hope that Kwame will help young readers of today reflect on their relationship with their culture, their family, and their emotions--all assets that will make them stronger in this time of suppression and erasure.

Could you tell readers a bit about your connection with Ghana? Do you visit often? Are there places you love in particular?

My mother's side of the family is from Ghana, so I learned a lot about Ghanaian culture and values growing up. Funnily enough, I look exactly like my mother, so I present as Ghanaian to certain groups as well. I remember one story from my master's program: we had a cultural exchange class where my graduate cohort did some think-tank exercises alongside Ghanaian graduate students. I remember seeing those Ghanaian students light up when they saw me, and I remember them telling me to "come home." Ghana has always had a special place in my heart.

I'm particularly connected to the town of Saltpond, which was where my grandparents were from. My Grandma Florence was a Queen Mother in Saltpond, which basically means that she served as a leader in that community. Even to this day, there are so many people who remember her, honor her, and commemorate all that she's done. I haven't been to Ghana yet, but I would love to go soon--I told myself that if this book gets published, I'd have to go.

This book opens with an awesome map. I love a good map. Were you, as a fantasy writer, extremely excited to have a map? What was the process of creating it like?

You know what? I spent so much time writing this story with a mental map that I didn't even think much about the possibility of having a tangible map. Once my publisher reached out and let me know that they were interested in exploring a map of this world, I found myself getting excited about all the possibilities. Shout out to Serena Malyon for the beautiful map; it's truly amazing!

The novel has such a charming voice--your protagonist, Kwame, is funny and direct and silly and sweet. How did you find that voice? And how did you develop the character of Kwame?

I love Kwame! As a character, Kwame is a composite of me, my brother, my friends, my cousins, and other Ghanaian people I grew up around. Kwame gets his sarcasm, humor, advocacy, insecurities, and loyalty from all those sources. But he is a fiction/fantasy enthusiast like me, so it was fun to put a "fan" in a fantasy adventure and watch his thought pattern unfold. I had so much fun watching Kwame recognize the tropes of fantasy adventures and having him either play directly into them (much to his chagrin) or call them out (with varying results).

I will say, it's always a particularly emotional experience whenever a kid points at the book cover and asks me, "Is that you?" No, Kwame is not me, but he and I would have been close friends if he existed at my middle school.

You describe Kwame's grandma as getting really into the stories she told, standing on furniture and putting on silly voices. Is she based on a real person or persons? Did you grow up hearing stories like hers?

Ironically, in real life, it was the other way around. I remember regaling my grandmother with stories from elementary and middle school, and her listening patiently as I bounced from one tangent to another. I remember trying to make her laugh with my stories, so I would embellish a detail here or a conversation there, just to get a smile or a chuckle from her.

I have so many older loved ones in my life now, and they have so many stories tucked away in their pocket, ready for use at a moment's notice. Like Kwame, Ama is a composite of my grandmother and a lot of the other parents and grandparents that I know.

How did it feel bringing the Ghanian underworld to life? What kind of research did you do for it? How much did you invent?

It was so fulfilling to put my own spin on the Ghanaian underworld. Asamando is a realm with so much history and meaning, so I knew the subject needed to be approached with respect, reverence, and understanding. What does Asamando mean to the Ghanaian community? What does Asamando represent? I used both anecdotal sources and scholarly resources to study Ghanaian mythology, before diving into writing.

Once I had a grasp on the core of Asamando--and the spirituality of it--I allowed myself some license to play around with the peripheral features. Asamando gives its residents an endless celebration of life, where their spirits can live in community and connection with each other. That's textbook Asamando. But my version of Asamando also has a movie theater, where they can keep up with pop culture by watching movies whose theatrical run expired or "died."

Asamando brings people in community with gods and nature spirits--again, textbook Asamando. But my version of Asamando also has TED Talks, where deceased presenters give talks on how to successfully transition from life to the afterlife. This juxtaposition creates a commercialized (but hopefully still somewhat faithful) version of a very abstract concept, which means that kids can both have fun in the world and learn about Ghanaian mythology at the same time.

Who do you hope reads this book? What do you want them to take from it?

I think this book can be for everyone. This book holds some representation for readers with roots that lie in Ghana and other African nations. This book can also hold meaning for people with immigrant families, spotlighting those who feel torn between their family's culture and American society. This book features a character who's hard-of-hearing, but who has her own arc that doesn't involve her hearing loss as something to "overcome."

This book also features a story of a boy learning how to accept his emotions, which could resonate with those looking for a deeper character study. This story is palatable to those just looking for a fun fantasy adventure full of chaos and quips. Maybe this book wouldn't be the best for a reader looking for an adult spy novel set in 1940s France--but then again, Kwame does need to do some sneaking around/spying on people from time to time.  

For anyone that does read this story, I hope that they walk away feeling at least a little more comfortable accepting and celebrating themselves.

Is there anything else you'd like to say to Shelf Awareness readers?

THANK YOU for all you do! We're in a time where stories are being increasingly challenged, but the relationship between a bookseller and their audience is love and community in one of its purest forms. Thank you all for working to maintain the integrity of that craft, even in these times. --Siân Gaetano, children's/YA editor, Shelf Awareness

An archivist with the Getty Museum in Los Angeles becomes ensnared in a dubious government surveillance program in Laila Lalami's The Dream Hotel. Set several decades in the future, Lalami's bracingly resonant drama strikes at the very heart of the consumer privacy debate and the freedoms people forfeit to data-hungry conglomerates when we use their products.

Moroccan-American art historian Sara Hussein and her husband, Elias, are the parents of twin infants. When the twins were born, chronically sleep-deprived Sara signed up for a popular "Dreamsaver" implant that helped her get deep restorative sleep in just a few hours. The terms of service allow Dreamsaver access to users' dreams but, like most customers, especially exhausted new moms, Sara ignored the fine print.

The Dream Hotel opens at Madison, a remote women-only "retention" facility in Ellis, Calif. Sara is being held for observation under the jurisdiction of the Risk Assessment Administration, an agency tasked with reducing violent crime. It relies on algorithms to target individuals at risk of harming others. The RAA reviewed Sara's dream data after she arrived home from a business trip to London and determined that she was a threat to Elias. It matters not that a person has no control over their dreams. The RAA cares "only about the data, not about the truth."

Lalami (Conditional Citizens; The Other Americans) imbues her propulsive narrative with a sense of foreboding. Months into her observation at Madison, Sara is stuck in a frightening algorithmic black hole where every tiny misstep is used by Safe-X, the profit-driven private contractor overseeing the facility, to keep her longer. She dreams of freedom, but now realizes her old life meant "living like a bear in a nature preserve." Sara's voice is captivating, its underlying rage and outward calm conveying the apprehension and vulnerability travelers experience when faced with an unnecessarily hostile, stone-faced official on the other side of an immigration counter.

The arrival and abrupt departure of a mysterious detainee motivates Sara to hatch an audacious escape plan that even the most outspoken women at Madison are initially afraid to support. Once she discovers a valuable piece of negotiating leverage, though, she deploys it to her full advantage.

Ideal for fans of Hum by Helen Phillips, The Dream Hotel is part of an emerging genre of literature exploring motherhood in an age of unforgiving, digitally enhanced surveillance. --Shahina Piyarali

Shelf Talker: A Moroccan-American archivist with the Getty Museum in Los Angeles is detained by the authorities on the basis of her troubling dream data in this propulsive drama set several decades in the future.