"The New York Times reported that the U.S. Naval Academy is identifying books in the school's Nimitz Library that may be pulled from circulation because they relate to so-called diversity, equity and inclusion. Among the 900 potential offenders: a biography of Jackie Robinson, The Autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr., and Einstein on Race and Racism....

"In a world of volatile, complex military threats; of cyberwarfare and an artificial intelligence arms race; of existential enemies like Iran nearing imminent development of a nuclear warhead; the [Secretary of Defense Pete] Hegseth doctrine suggests that there is nothing to fear but ink on pages, bound on the shelves in the Navy library. In the war on so-called 'cancel culture,' the U.S. military is canceling history.

"The brave men and women of our armed forces should receive all the training, resources, technology and weaponry they need to protect our country--books included. Our military leaders should be focused on keeping us safe from Vladimir Putin, not Jackie Robinson."

The American Booksellers Association has released "An Overview of the 2025 Tariffs," seeking to clarify the current state of a volatile situation for indie booksellers. The April tariffs imposed a baseline 10% tariff on goods from all countries starting April 5, and higher rates (11% to 50%) for 57 specific countries starting April 9. Non-compliant goods carry a 25% tariff. The April 2 reciprocal tariffs were imposed on top of the tariffs issued in February.

Because the Trump tariffs were imposed under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act, "informational materials," which includes books, are exempt, the ABA noted, adding that there will be no additional tariffs on books sourced from any country, other than those which already existed. 

"Moreover, as of the current date, goods from Canada and Mexico that are compliant with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) are not currently subject to the new reciprocal tariffs," the ABA wrote. "As such, paper that is wholly grown, produced, or manufactured in Canada, Mexico, or the U.S. is USMCA compliant and not subject to new reciprocal tariffs." There were already tariffs on some types of books coming from China and those still remain in place. 

"It is likely that tariffs will increase the price of books and shipping, mainly because of how they could impact the cost of producing books (imported paper and ink except Canada and Mexico if USMCA-compliant) and possible increases in fuel prices," the ABA noted. "Much will depend on how publishers and suppliers respond to the tariffs--where they source paper and ink and other items to produce books. That said, even small input cost increases might nudge book prices up 5%-10%. Inflation from broader tariff impacts could amplify this; and some economists project tariffs could cost the average household $3,800 per year according to an analysis by Yale University, and will impact low-income households the hardest. This, of course, would likely shrink consumer spending on books."

The ABA also looked at how tariffs will impact other aspects of indie bookselling, including coffee and sidelines from Canada and Mexico; sidelines from other countries, particularly those from China and other nations with higher reciprocal tariffs; and shopping bags. 

Regarding exports and international shipping, the ABA wrote: "Many countries have imposed retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, including books, in response to Trump's tariffs. These retaliatory tariffs could increase costs and potentially reduce demand. In addition, shipping costs may increase due to trade disruptions."

Composition Shop, a general-interest bookstore selling all new titles, opened April 3 in Longmont, Colo. 

The 2,500-square-foot store has a bend toward literary titles and small imprints, as well as a selection of cookbooks and art and design books. Its nonbook offerings include chocolates and stationery, and in the weeks ahead the shop will begin hosting author appearances, book and writing groups, and a variety of music and community-based events.

Owner Greeley Sachs, a longtime Longmont resident, said she decided to open the bookstore after one of the town's two used bookstores closed in 2024. "I have always loved books and bookstores and for many years there hasn't been a store in our city where one could buy new books," explained Sachs, who is also a small-scale real estate developer. "It's my hope that the presence of a new bookshop on our Main St. will encourage foot traffic and contribute to our downtown's economic strength."

Sachs has hired veteran bookseller Scott Foley to manage the store, and they have a shop dog named Timber. A grand opening celebration is scheduled for April 26, Independent Bookstore Day.

The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators has launched SCBWI University, a members-only online course created to help attendees "sharpen their creative skills and grow their careers through expert guidance in creating outstanding children's books."

The first three-session online course, "Mastering the Art of Picture Book Writing," is for picture book creators "ready to take their ideas from inspiration to polished manuscripts, with an eye toward publication," SCBWI said. The sessions include "Developing Your Idea" (April 8), taught by author e.E . Charlton-Trujillo; "To Rhyme or Not to Rhyme, That is the Question" (April 15), with author and educator Valerie Bolling; and "Revision for Submission" (April 22), taught by Melissa Manlove, executive editor at Sourcebooks Jabberwocky. 

"SCBWI University was established to inspire creativity and further professional growth in children's publishing," said Kim Turrisi, SCBWI's director of content and programming, who came up with the idea. "Our wide range of courses caters to all experience levels, from foundational programs that guide aspiring authors and illustrators toward publication to advanced courses designed to help seasoned professionals navigate and elevate their careers in the industry."

Sara Sargent, senior executive editor at Penguin Random House, commented: "Guidance, information, and honest answers to vulnerable questions are the pillars of support that every creator needs during the publishing process. SCBWI University is that support: an invaluable resource for both writers and illustrators as they navigate their projects and their paths to publication."

Australian author Kerry Greenwood, best known for her Phryne Fisher murder mystery novels, died March 26. She was 70. Greenwood started writing fiction as a child, and wrote her first book--a fantasy novel titled The Magic Stone--as a teenager, the Guardian reported. She later studied English and law at the University of Melbourne, and worked as a criminal defense lawyer for Victorian Legal Aid for more than two decades.

Kerry Greenwood

Her enthusiasm for justice and writing infused Greenwood's Phryne Fisher novels, about a glamorous 1920s amateur detective, and her later Corinna Chapman series, about a mystery-solving baker in Melbourne.

Over the three decades following publication of the first Miss Fisher novel, Cocaine Blues (1989), she published 22 more in the series. The Guardian noted that the immensely popular novels "spawned a hit [Australian Broadcasting Corporation] television show starring Essie Davis, which ran for three seasons, the first of which was picked up in more than 73 territories worldwide. It was followed by the 2020 film, Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears, and the 30-episode Chinese series, Miss S."

In 2003, Greenwood was honored with the Ned Kelly Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing her "outstanding contribution" to Australian crime writing; and in 2020, she received the Medal of the Order of Australia for services to literature.

Greenwood also wrote plays, children's books, and nonfiction, including the essay collection Things She Loves: Why Women Kill (1996). She was still writing until recently, posting on Facebook in March about the latest Phryne Fisher book: "Murder in the Cathedral is undergoing transformation from an extensively edited Word file into proper pages. This is a slow process, involving mysterious alchemy, scattering of rose petals, muttered incantations and the like, but it progresses." 

Allen & Unwin, Greenwood's publisher since 1997, noted that she "had two burning ambitions in life: to be a legal aid solicitor and defend the poor and voiceless; and to be a famous author.... As a duty solicitor she was outrageously successful. As an author, even more so. Some of her earnings were spent on riotous living, but Kerry gave a lot of it away without fanfare to those who really needed it: fellow authors down on their luck, impecunious neighbors and, above all, to charities.

"Kerry was a costumier, a cook, an embroiderer and a seamstress who made most of her own clothes, as well as a chorister and a very wise and exceptionally kind woman. Passionate about history, literature, cats and Egypt--indeed, curious about almost everything--Kerry will be sincerely missed by her family, friends, colleagues and readers."

Author Emilia Hart visited An Unlikely Story in Plainville, Mass., to celebrate the launch of her novel The Sirens (St. Martin's Press).

Posted by the Dog-Eared Page, Danville, Va.: "It’s a little chilly outside, which means that it’s perfect weather to stay in and read. Come by and see us this week!"

Independent Publishers Group has added five publishers to its sales and distribution:

Sutherland House Books, Toronto, Canada, which specializes in narrative nonfiction. With the recent acquisition of Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Sutherland has grown its catalog and broadened its range of genres. Fitzhenry & Whiteside includes the imprints Whitecap Books, one of Canada's leading cookbook publishers; Fifth House, which publishes fiction and nonfiction for adults and children featuring a diversity of voices, places, and ideas that make Canada unusual; and Red Deer Press, best known for its children's picture books, as well as juvenile and young adult fiction.

IPG began distribution for Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Whitecap Books, Fifth House, and Red Deer Press in the U.S. on April 1 and will begin to distribute Sutherland in the U.S., starting October 1.

Sally Milner Publishing, an Australian publisher founded in 1989 that specializes in soft crafts, including embroidery, sewing, and lacework. The company also has a small backlist of history titles on the experiences of the Allied forces in the Southeast Asia theater of World War II. IPG will distribute SMP in the U.S. and Canada beginning July 1.

Sam and Mi, which publishes children's books focused on themes of empathy, problem solving, and communication. Its books are warm, sensitive, and fun, with stories built through playful text and supported by beautiful illustrations. IPG will distribute Sam and Mi in the U.S. and Canada, beginning August 1.

Hashtag Press, an English publisher that focuses on children's and YA fiction. The press is committed to improving diversity and inclusion, publishing debut works, and creating opportunities for under-represented writers. IPG will distribute Hashtag Press in the U.S. and Canada, beginning August 1.

Cuentos con Valores, an independent Spanish-language publishing house founded in 2024 that specializes in vibrant books for babies that feature rhyming, engaging texts, and illustrated albums with children’s poetry. IPG will distribute Cuentos con Valores in the U.S. and Canada, starting September 1.

At Abrams:

Morgan Hillman has joined the company as senior director, indies, school & library, and wholesale.

Andy Weiner has been named director, indie bookstore channel and Ingram.

Kaitlin Patch has joined the company as marketing & publicity assistant, Abrams ComicArts.

A Greek Tragedy: One Day, A Deadly Shipwreck, and the Human Cost of the Refugee Crisis by Jeanne Carstensen (One Signal Publishers).

Tomorrow:
Drew Barrymore Show: Geri Halliwell-Horner, author of Rosie Frost: Ice on Fire (Philomel Books, $18.99, 9780593624005).

Tamron Hall: Chrissy Metz, co-author of When I Talk to God, I Talk About Feelings (Flamingo, $18.99, 9780593691366).

Tonight Show: Hannah Berner and Paige DeSorbo, author of How to Giggle: A Guide to Taking Life Less Seriously (Simon Element/S&S, $28.99, 9781668056004).

A movie adaptation of Kira Archer's bestselling 2017 novel 69 Million Things I Hate About You is being developed. Deadline reported that Liz Pelletier and Sherryl Clark will produce the film under their Premeditated Productions banner, with Cayla Tyne overseeing development. Nick Cion and Annie Harnick, known for their work with Anonymous Content, STX, Atlas Entertainment, and the Netflix series Freeridge, will write the script.

Founded in 2024 by Entangled Publishing CEO Pelletier and former Bad Robot president and veteran producer Clark, Premeditated Productions "is focused on turning whip-smart, female-driven stories into irresistible global entertainment," Deadline wrote. The company is also developing a TV adaptation of Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, alongside Michael B. Jordan's Outlier Society.

A shortlist has been released for the International Booker Prize, honoring the "best novels and short story collections from around the globe that have been translated into English and published in the U.K. and/or Ireland." The winning book will be named May 20 in London, with the £50,000 (about $63,930) prize money divided equally between the author and translator. In addition, the shortlisted authors and translators each receive £2,500 (about $3,195). This year's shortlisted titles are:

On the Calculation of Volume I by Solvej Balle, translated by Barbara J Haveland (Danish)
Small Boat by Vincent Delecroix, translated by Helen Stevenson (French)
Under the Eye of the Big Bird by Hiromi Kawakami, translated by Asa Yoneda (Japanese)
Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico, translated by Sophie Hughes (Italian)
Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq, translated by Deepa Bhasthi (Kannada)
A Leopard-Skin Hat by Anne Serre, translated by Mark Hutchinson (French)

Chair of the judges Max Porter said: "This list is our celebration of fiction in translation as a vehicle for pressing and surprising conversations about humanity. These mind-expanding books ask what might be in store for us, or how we might mourn, worship or survive. They offer knotty, sometimes pessimistic, sometimes radically hopeful answers to these questions. Taken together they build a miraculous lens through which to view human experience, both the truly disturbing and the achingly beautiful. They are each highly specific windows onto a world, but they are all gorgeously universal."
 
International Booker Prize administrator Fiammetta Rocco added: "This veritable smorgasbord of a shortlist is for all those who look to books for emotional and intellectual sustenance. Though the books featured are slim, they will take up space in readers' minds long after they've finished. With all six books on the list published by independents for the first time, I'd like to thank the publishers for their ongoing commitment to bringing so many original and exciting international writers and translators to English-language readers. Their passion, along with that of the many booksellers and librarians championing global writing, has no doubt helped to fuel a very welcome boom in translated fiction in the U.K. and Ireland.'

photo: Rosi Carllos

Vivian Blaxell is a former mental health nurse and a former university professor of political philosophy and Japanese history. She has lived and worked in Hawai'i, Vermont, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Kyoto, Beijing, Istanbul, and Sydney, and now lives in Melbourne/Naarm, Australia. She transitioned in 1968, and cofounded Tiresias House, the first refuge and support center for trans people by trans people in Australia. In her new essay collection, Worthy of the Event (LittlePuss Press, April 1, 2025), Blaxell takes readers on a witty and expansive sweep through history.

Handsell readers your book in a handful of words:

Worthy of the Event is about people who might be me and people whom I might be. It is about me in the world and the world in me.

On your nightstand now:

The American Library edition of Gary Snyder: Collected Poems. I can't write poetry, so I don't write poetry, but I do read poetry because poetry teaches me how to write what I write, to put music into my own writing. I like all the Beat poets, but Snyder is special for me because of his attention to nature, to Buddhism, and to Japan, all three of which are important in my own work.

Álvaro Enrigue's You Dreamed of Empires. I am always interested in imperialism and colonies. Maybe that is part of growing up in Australia. Enrigue's novel about the encounter of Moctezuma and his court with Cortés and his band of merry, dirty conquistadores is densely imagined and, I think, fantastical, but it feels like a true look into the culture of elite "Aztecs" at the time. Funny and sad and moving.

I Ching or Book of Changes, the Richard Wilhelm translation. My guide for when I feel confused, which happens about once a week.

The Pillow Book by Sei Shōnagon. I have been fascinated by, and adored, this book since I was about 16. A collection of opinions, lists, rules for living, "essays," and stories about life in the Japanese imperial court more than a thousand years ago. I love how different but same life seems to have been in the palace in Kyoto in the late 10th century. I have read it again and again, and I often write using my own version of Sei Shōnagon's style of short pieces to make a whole story. The Meredith McKinney translation is brilliant.

Favorite book when you were a child:

Any and all of the Biggles books by W.E. Johns. I am old now and these books were old when I read them as a kid. Biggles is a fighter pilot in World War I. My father was a pilot. I wanted to be a pilot. I wanted to fly away and be brave like Biggles, and in a way, I was and did, though without killing people (as far as I know).

Your top five authors:

Anthony Trollope: His sentences are perfect, and his stories of the Victorian middle classes entrance me.

Jenny Erpenbeck: Erpenbeck just gets more masterful with each novel. Her ability to braid large historical events with intimate life is astonishing to me. I wish I could write like that.

Sei Shōnagon: See above.

Daša Drndić: Her novel Trieste is the most powerful thing I have ever read, both in terms of the story itself and in terms of what Drndić does with the novel form and how she does it. To be honest, I don't much care for her other novels, but Trieste is so great, she is forever on my best writer list.

Robert Glück: There is always something so provocative and energizing about Glück's work, and something that encourages me to try new things with writing. I go back and back to him.

Charlotte Brontë: I read Jane Eyre every year. I think Villette is profoundly underappreciated and under-read.

Book you've faked reading:

James Joyce's Ulysses. What can I say? I couldn't do it, but I am too ashamed to admit I couldn't do it. Now the cat's out of the bag, I suppose.

Book you're an evangelist for:

Robert Glück's Margery Kempe. I'm always telling people to read this. Mostly they do not.

Book you've bought for the cover:

I've never seen a book cover good enough to make me buy the book without examining what is inside first.

Book you hid from your parents:

My mother was happy for me to read everything and anything I wanted to read. I had full access to her own library as soon as I could read. I never hid anything I read from her.

Book that changed your life:

The first (1975) edition of South-East Asia on a Shoestring by Tony Wheeler. Using this book, I went to Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand at a time when not many Australians went there. I've been going ever since. Using this book, I tried traveling on a shoestring, and my life changed completely and for the better (except for my bank balance) when I realized that shoestring is so not for me.

Favorite line from a book:

"There's no better way to make history disappear than to unleash money, money roaming free has a worse bite than an attack dog, it can effortlessly bite an entire building out of existence." --from Go, Went, Gone by Jenny Erpenbeck

Five books you'll never part with:

I throw away books, donate them, sell them. I'm not attached to books for themselves. I'm attached to what is in the books, sometimes. And these days, most of my books are e-books so we never part.

Book you most want to read again for the first time:

Apart from Jane Eyre and The Pillow Book, and a lot of poetry, I don't re-read books. I have tried to re-read John Dos Passos's U.S.A. trilogy again for it was such a mind-bender when I first read it, but it had not the same charms the second time around, which is kind of true of everything in life, really.

Beth Ferry (Prunella) crafts a quirky modern fantasy chapter book ideal for younger readers in Growing Home, with whimsical illustrations by brothers Eric and Terry Fan (Lizzy and the Cloud).

Aspiring botanist Jillian Tupper and her antiquarian parents live at Number 3 Ramshorn Drive. The humans, though, are not the most interesting residents of the "modest, respectable-looking" home: perpetually hungry goldfish Toasty overlooks the entire first floor from his "eight-sided antique fish tank." From his tank, he grumbles at and splashes Ivy, a potted plant that lives on the kitchen table. Toasty, because of his elaborate tank, feels "a certain superiority, a certain idea that he, of course, should be the favorite of the family, and more specifically of young Jillian. But he was not. No. Somehow Jillian chose Ivy."

When more creatures arrive at Number 3 Ramshorn Drive--first Arthur, a broken-legged spider who used to live in a bookstore, and then Ollie, an anxious and sad violet--they realize that Toasty's tank is more than a home for fish. It's magical. At the same time, the Tuppers, unaware of the conversations and budding relationships taking place in their home, are struggling with a mountain of "never-ending bills." When somebody tries to buy the tank and the Tuppers refuse on principle, the creatures realize it's up to them to stop a potential theft and keep their humans safe.

Growing Home's core cast of magical creatures can be grating as they shed some of their selfish habits while building kinder relationships with each other. But children will likely be drawn to the details of each creature--Toasty's love of soccer and cheese puffs; Ollie's fondness for singing--as reflections of themselves and kids they know. The black-and-white spot art from the Fan Brothers heightens the endearing whimsical elements--a darling illustration of a spider-knight is a particular stand-out--and helps make the text more accessible to younger readers.

Ferry interjects herself into the narrative as both author and narrator, explaining words that children might not understand and reflecting on the story as she tells it. For adults who want to read the story aloud to their little ones, this allows for some delightful asides as if the adult is the story's creator, though they should be prepared for Ferry's "halftime break" where she insists the reader pause to get a snack. Ferry's attempt at a modern-day children's fable lacks enchantment, but the endearing characters make it an ideal cozy family read. --Nicole Brinkley, bookseller and writer

Shelf Talker: A grumpy goldfish, a self-confident ivy, a curious spider, and an anxious violet come together to love and protect their human family in this whimsical modern fantasy ideal for family readalouds.

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

1. God of War by Rina Kent
2. The Fine Print by Lauren Asher
3. Story of My Life by Lucy Score
4. Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton
5. Kiss of the Basilisk by Lindsay Straube
6. Little Stranger by Leigh Rivers
7. Hunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton
8. Mom, I Want to Hear Your Story by Jeffrey Mason
9. The Saint by Penelope Sky
10. Bound in Blood by Sadie Kincaid

[Many thanks to IndieReader.com!]