"Over the last couple weeks, the most common question I've gotten behind the counter at the store is 'how are tariffs going to affect bookstores?' It's a question I've had some difficulty answering--partially because I don't know in the face of the umpteenth unprecedented financial event in my lifetime, and partially because the goalposts of the tariffs keep moving. (Since I started writing this e-mail on Monday night, there have been at least two major changes and announcements about the tariffs.)"

Following its debut last summer as an online store, Evening House Books has opened a bricks-and-mortar location in Buffalo, N.Y. Co-owners and seasoned booksellers Amanda Ylizal and John Chrostek have found a 150-square-foot space at 500 Washington St., in a building called the Lane on Main. Until the Covid-19 pandemic, the building contained offices; now it offers individual spaces for small retailers and local entrepreneurs.

Evening House Books carries predominantly new titles with a "very picky" selection of used books. Ylizal and Chrostek are both writers; Ylizal writes short stories and poems and Chrostek is a horror author. They both "love indie authors and indie presses," and they want to showcase writers who are not necessarily going to be on the bestseller lists or featured in Barnes & Noble displays.

Elaborating on the couple's curatorial interests, Ylizal said Chrostek loves genre, including fantasy, science fiction, and horror, while they love satire, magical realism, and anything that is "funky and experimental."

Evening House owners John Chrostek and Amanda Ylizal

Their plans for nonbook items include stickers, tote bags, and other "knickknacks," and Ylizal noted that they and Chrostek used to have a merchandise business that featured designs made with their own artwork. Eventually, the pair would like to start wholesaling that merch to other indie bookstores. And while Ylizal and Chrostek don't have any specific events lined up, there is a community space in the Lane on Main building where they would be able to host events.

Ylizal recalled that they got their first book job in 2014, at the university library of the Savannah College of Art and Design, where they and Chrostek attended college. Since then, Ylizal said, they've "pretty much worked in libraries and bookstores."

Ylizal and Chrostek worked at Powell's in Portland, Ore., from 2018 until 2020. During that time, they both worked the night shift, usually clocking in around 10 p.m. or 11 p.m. They "loved the tranquil but liberatory experience" the late hours provided, and while Powell's no longer keeps those hours, and they can't sustainably offer similar hours at Evening House, the pair "still want to create the atmosphere of an after-hours book browsing experience, where anything feels possible."

Chrostek and Ylizal moved to Buffalo in July 2024 after spending a few years "adrift" following the pandemic. They wanted to open a bookstore of their own throughout that time, but as they moved from place to place trying to figure out the logistics, it never quite came together. Once they were in Buffalo--a city they fell in love with "immediately"--things fell into place rather quickly.

Though they launched the store on Bookshop.org in August, they had no specific timetable or plan for a bricks-and-mortar space to open in the spring. Ylizal and Chrostek would take one step toward opening, another would appear, and so on. Finding the space, Ylizal said, felt like "kismet." Had someone told them in December that they'd be opening a physical store so soon, Ylizal remarked, "I would have said there's no way."

Chrostek said the biggest surprise throughout the process has been the kindness and support from the people behind Lane on Main. "Amanda and I have had this dream of opening a physical storefront for years now, but it wasn't until we learned about the Lane that it felt like it could become a reality. They've been so welcoming and supportive since our first conversation and they genuinely want to see new small businesses flourish in Buffalo."

Ylizal added that the community response has been strong. People have been supportive, even offering to help the bookstore move in. The enthusiasm for the bookstore comes amid the general excitement for the revitalization of downtown Buffalo, in which many in the community are thoroughly invested.

For their part, Ylizal continued, "We are deeply excited to serve the people of Buffalo." --Alex Mutter

Red Stick Reads, Baton Rouge, La., will host a grand opening celebration for its new home at 3829 Government St. on May 9, the Advocate reported.

Owners Tere and James Hyfield in Red Stick Reads' new location.

Store owners Tere and James Hyfield will continue to operate the store's current location at 541 S. Eugene St. until April 26, Independent Bookstore Day. After the IBD celebration, which will coincide with the first Baton Rouge Book Crawl, the Hyfields will close the physical store while they carry out the move. The bookstore will then reopen in its new home on May 8, coinciding with another community celebration.

The new space will be nearly twice the size of the original and will feature a tea and coffee bar, as well as a room community members can rent for things like book clubs and board game sessions. 

"Our first night open will also be our first team up with BR Music and Local Supply vendors for Hot Art, Cool Nights," James Hyfield told the Advocate, "so I expect a nice number of people through the doors on the first day. It'll be a big block party, and we are ready to roll."

The 2nd & Charles store in Broomfield, Colo., will close this Sunday, April 13, 9News reported.

The Broomfield store is located at 1 W. Flatiron Crossing Dr. In a message to customers announcing the closure, 2nd & Charles said it is "committed" to finding a new location in the Broomfield area. It also has stores in Aurora, Littleton, Lakewood, and Fort Collins, Colo.

Hannah Johnson, publisher of Publishing Perspectives, which she helped found in 2009, is leaving her position to become chief customer officer at Veristage. The company, co-founded by Thomas Cox and Thomas Minkus, has developed Insight, an AI platform to help publishers with workflow and other support operations.

Erin L. Cox

Erin L. Cox has succeeded Johnson as publisher of Publishing Perspectives, marking a return for her: she was business development director at Publishing Perspectives from 2009 until 2019. Cox continues as publisher of the new media site Words & Money, which she founded last month with former Publishers Weekly and Library Journal reporter Andrew Richard Albanese.

Over the last 16 years, Johnson has headed Publishing Perspectives, expanding the reach of the international news and analysis publication from a website and daily newsletter to include a monthly rights guide, partnerships with international organizations seeking to reach its audience, and a printed magazine and event programming at the Frankfurt Book Fair every year.

Johnson said, "Serving as publisher of Publishing Perspectives and working within the Frankfurt Book Fair organization has been a true privilege. I'm very grateful to my colleagues for many years of support and friendship. This unique role allowed me to build meaningful relationships with many wonderful people in the book business and develop a deep understanding of international publishing that would have been impossible anywhere else."

Cox said, "I am thrilled to be back at Publishing Perspectives, which I have worked for or with since its inception. I look forward to continuing our mission to provide essential international news, programming, and resources for our readers, while also growing and responding to new challenges the global market is facing."

Porter Anderson continues as editor-in-chief of Publishing Perspectives.

Harry Lerner, the founder of Lerner Publishing Group, died on April 8, at the age of 93. He left, as the company noted, "an enormous legacy in the children's book publishing industry as the founder of one of the nation's largest independent publishers. His taste, business sense, loyalty, and of course tenacity have touched the lives of young readers, authors, illustrators, family, and friends across the world."

Harry Lerner

While stationed in Germany as a young soldier, Lerner started publishing a guidebook, distributed by Stars and Stripes, the U.S. military's daily newspaper. The guidebook helped soldiers select cars and provided information on traveling in Europe. When he returned to civilian life, he finished college and began publishing a magazine, Sporting Goods Journal.

In 1959, Harry switched to publishing children's books, launching with a series called Medical Books for Children, which aimed to help children through their illnesses. These books were produced with help from his brother, Aaron, and were written by his sister-in-law, Dr. Marguerite (Margie) Rush Lerner. Using her sons as characters, Margie Lerner explained such topics as chickenpox, mumps, and measles. She also featured a female doctor in the books, at a time when fewer than 6% of doctors were women. The illustrator was George Overlie; this was the first of many books he illustrated for Lerner Publications. Thinking that the natural market for these first eight books was doctors' offices and hospitals, Harry Lerner sent direct mail to these locations--and as an afterthought, to schools and libraries. The medical community did not respond, but schools and libraries did.

Lerner loved finding new artists and bringing their work to the world. He also discovered unusual manuscripts from budding authors, and had a great eye for art and design. With his first wife, Sharon Lerner, he founded Carolrhoda Books in 1969, the company's first imprint, named after Carolrhoda Locketz, a friend of Sharon Lerner who had died. Expanding beyond the editorial and artistic sides of publishing, he started Muscle Bound Bindery in 1967 and purchased Interface Graphics in 1994 to create a fully integrated and independent publishing operation. Until 2020, Lerner Publishing Group also ran its own warehousing and fulfillment services before outgrowing its space and partnering with Corporate Graphics to manage these operations.

Lerner was also proud of the company's acquisitions, which most recently included YA nonfiction publisher Zest Books in 2018; Gecko Press, a New Zealand publisher known for its picture books and chapter books, in 2024; and Sundance Newbridge Publishing, a publisher of supplemental literacy solutions for grades PreK-8, which added more than 3,600 fiction and nonfiction titles to Lerner's catalog.

Over the years, the company received numerous accolades, including a Caldecott Honor, and multiple Coretta Scott King Book Awards, Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medals, and Jane Addams Children's Book Awards--each recognizing excellence in children's literature and impactful storytelling. The company publishes approximately 600 new books and series annually, for both the trade and school and library markets.

In 1998, Lerner turned over day-to-day reins to his oldest son, Adam, who is publisher and CEO of Lerner Publishing Group. Harry Lerner served as chairman of the board until his death and came into the office several days a week, remaining engaged and interested in all aspects of the business and in children's publishing. The family business continues into a third generation, with Lerner's oldest grandsons, Ariel Lerner and Leo Lerner, currently working at Lerner Publishing Group, along with other grandchildren who have held internships and been involved with the company.

Lerner and his family were instrumental in the development of the literary community in Minnesota through support for such organizations as The Loft, Books for Africa, the Minnesota Library Association Foundation, the Minnesota Book Publishers Roundtable, the Minneapolis Public Library (now Hennepin County Library), Minneapolis Central Library, the Kerlan Collection, and the University of Minnesota, whose Lerner Publishing Media Lab is named in Lerner's honor. Lerner celebrated diversity in children's book publishing not only by publishing diverse books, but by offering scholarships and donations to diverse creators through the Lerner Foundation.

Lerner was preceded in death by his first wife, Sharon Lerner, and is survived by his wife of 29 years and expert proofreader, Sandy; his four children, Adam (Maryann) Lerner; Mia (Raul) Posada, an award-winning illustrator; Daniel (Sharon) Lerner; and Leah (Itay) Ophir; nine grandchildren; and extended family.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Lerner's memory may be made to Books for Africa or the American Library Association.

"Have you ever tried this one?" That was the sidewalk chalkboard message in front of Paper Places Bookshop, Jasper, Ala., which cautioned: "Warning: May cause giggles, gasps, and ignoring all your responsibilities."

"We are so excited for tonight (Libby especially)," Belmont Bookshop, Belmont, N.C., posted on Instagram, "because today marks the official release of #dogland in paperback and we can't wait to welcome @tommyltomlinson and @annhelms to @downtownbelmont for a special evening of conversation, laughter, and optimism surrounding.... DOGS!...

"All proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to benefit @gastoncountyace in support of their adoption and rescue efforts in Gaston County that put great dogs (like Libby) into loving homes and bookshops!"

Otherwise, I'm Fine: A Memoir by Barbara Presnell (University of South Carolina Press).

Today:
All Things Considered: Mark Hoppus, co-author of Fahrenheit-182: A Memoir (Dey Street, $32.50, 9780063318915).

Fresh Air: Gardiner Harris, author of No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson (Random House, $32, 9780593229866).

Tomorrow:
Today: Marjorie Taylor and Kendall Smith Franchini, co-authors of French at Heart: Recipes That Bring France Home (Abrams, $40, 9781419771972).

Tamron Hall: Janice Kaplan, author of What Your Body Knows About Happiness: How to Use Your Body to Change Your Mind (Sourcebooks, $27.99, 9781728281315).

Also on Tamron Hall: Liz Walker, author of No One Left Alone: A Story of How Community Helps Us Heal (Broadleaf Books, $28.99, 9781506496849).

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, April 12
9:30 a.m. Harold Holzer, author of Brought Forth on This Continent: Abraham Lincoln and American Immigration (Dutton, $35, 9780451489012).

10:27 a.m. Alan Taylor, author of American Revolutions: A Continental History, 1750-1804 (W.W. Norton, $21.99, 9780393354768).

11:20 a.m. Leonne M. Hudson, author of Black Americans in Mourning: Reactions to the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln (Southern Illinois University Press, $24.95, 9780809339549).

2 p.m. Jon Grinspan, author of Wide Awake: The Forgotten Force That Elected Lincoln and Spurred the Civil War (Bloomsbury, $32, 9781639730643).

3 p.m. Nigel Hamilton, author of Lincoln vs. Davis: The War of the Presidents (‎Little, Brown, $38, 9780316564632).

Sunday, April 13
9 a.m. Annie Karni and Luke Broadwater, authors of Mad House: How Donald Trump, MAGA Mean Girls, a Former Used Car Salesman, a Florida Nepo Baby, and a Man with Rats in His Walls Broke Congress (‎Random House, $32, 9780593731260), at the Strand in New York City. (Re-airs Sunday ay 9 p.m.)

2 p.m. Catherine Coleman Flowers, author of Holy Ground: On Activism, Environmental Justice, and Finding Hope (Spiegel & Grau, $28, 9781954118683).

2:50 p.m. David A. Mindell, author of The New Lunar Society: An Enlightenment Guide to the Next Industrial Revolution (‎The MIT Press, $32.95, 9780262049528).

4:10 p.m. Liz Pelly, author of Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist (Atria/One Signal, $28.99, 9781668083505).

5:15 p.m. Meg Stone, author of The Cost of Fear: Why Most Safety Advice Is Sexist and How We Can Stop Gender-Based Violence (‎Beacon Press, $26.95, 9780807016220).

6 p.m. Loretta J. Ross, author of Calling In: How to Start Making Change with Those You'd Rather Cancel (‎Simon & Schuster, $28.99, ‎ 9781982190798).

7 p.m. Michael Wolff, author of All or Nothing: How Trump Recaptured America (‎Crown, $32, 9780593735381), at Politics and Prose in Washington, D.C.

The 5 million Swedish Kronor (about $496,395) 2025 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award has gone to French author Marion Brunet, who "spotlights burning social issues and draws insightful portraits of vulnerable groups and young people in revolt. She is timely in her choice of topics, timeless in her linkages to folklore and myth," the organizers noted.

Boel Westin, chair of the ALMA jury, called Brunet "a brilliant describer of young peoples' lives in an increasingly materialistic and threatening world. Present and future intertwine in her luminous stories, where the boundaries of friendship and love are constantly tested. Her work cuts to the heart of our time."

The jury commented: "Marion Brunet's books take place in a fiercely pulsating present with climate crisis and social vulnerability as recurring themes. In shimmering and crystal-clear prose, young people are portrayed in revolt against a corrupt society. The dark and violent parts of our world are explored in Brunet's timely narratives, which are made timeless by their links to myth and folklore. And counterforces are found in friendship, solidarity, and the beauty of nature."

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Winners have been announced for the Sheikh Zayed Book Awards, organized by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre under the auspices of the Department of Culture and Tourism--Abu Dhabi and honoring Arab literature and culture. The winners will be recognized on April 28 at an award ceremony during the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair. Each receives 750,000 UAE dirhams (about $204,195), while the Cultural Personality of the Year receives 1 million UAE dirhams (about $272,264).

The Cultural Personality of the Year is Haruki Murakami, the "much-celebrated Japanese author who stands as one of the most influential and widely read contemporary novelists, including a significant following in the Arab world, where his novels are available in Arabic translation. The Award's Scientific Committee recognized Murakami's cosmopolitan literary sensibilities, in renowned novels such as Norwegian Wood, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and Kafka on the Shore, and his ability to assimilate shared influences from around the world, ranging from rock and jazz music to modernist literature to the One Thousand and One Nights, into a unified literary vision."

The winners in the book categories were:

Literature: Hind, or the Most Beautiful Woman in the World by Hoda Barakat (Dar al Adab, 2024)
Children's Literature: The Phantom of Sabiba by Latifa Labsir (Markaz Kitab, 2024)
Arab Culture in Other Languages: Arab Literature in Southeast Asia in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries by Prof. Andrew Peacock (Brill, 2024)
Translation: Orosius (Pisa University Press, 2024), an English translation by Italian scholar Marco di Branco of Kitāb Hurūshiyūsh, the Arabic version of Paulus Orosius's Seven Books of Histories Against the Pagans
Editing of Arabic Manuscripts: News of Women by Rasheed Alkhayoun (King Faisal Centre for Research and Islamic Studies, 2024), a study of a manuscript attributed to Usama ibn Munqidh (1100-1188 A.D.)
Contribution to the Development of Nations: The Right to Strive: Perspectives on Muslim Women's Rights by Prof. Dr. Mohamed Bashari (Nahdet Misr Publishing, 2024)
Literary and Art Criticism: Food and Language: Cultural Excavations in Arabic Heritage by Dr. Said Laouadi (Afrique Orient, 2023).

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Finalists have been selected for the 37th annual IBPA Book Awards (formerly known as the IBPA Ben Franklin Awards), sponsored by the Independent Book Publishers Association and honoring "the best independently published books of 2024." Gold winners will be revealed on May 16. See the finalists in the more than 50 categories here.

Selected titles appearing next Tuesday, April 15:

Strangers in Time by David Baldacci (Grand Central, $30, 9781538742051) follows a bookstore owner and two teenagers in 1944 London.

The Next Day: Transitions, Change, and Moving Forward by Melinda French Gates (Flatiron, $25.99, 9781250378651) is a memoir about transitional life moments.

100 Years of Grand Ole Opry: A Celebration of the Artists, the Fans, and the Home of Country Music by Grand Ole Opry (Abrams, $60, 9781419773600) chronicles the country music institution.

Crumb: A Cartoonist's Life by Dan Nadel (Scribner, $35, 9781982144005) is the first biography of the influential 20th-century cartoonist.

Copaganda: How Police and the Media Manipulate Our News by Alec Karakatsanis (The New Press, $31.99, 9781620978535) is written by a civil rights lawyer.

The Choi of Cooking: Flavor-Packed, Rule-Breaking Recipes for a Delicious Life by Roy Choi, Tien Nguyen, and Natasha Phan (Clarkson Potter, $36.99, 9780593579251) shares 100 recipes from a TV chef and founder of a famous food truck.

Open, Heaven: A Novel by Seán Hewitt (Knopf, $28, 9780593802847) is a coming-of-age story about a gay Irish teenager.

The Death of Us: A Novel by Abigail Dean (Viking, $30, 9780593831137) follows a London couple in the aftermath of a home invasion.

Coram House: A Novel by Bailey Seybolt (Atria, $28.99, 9781668057001) is a thriller about a crime writer investigating deaths at a Vermont orphanage.

The Perfect Divorce by Jeneva Rose (Blackstone Publishing, $29.99, 9798874620936) is a sequel to the thriller The Perfect Marriage.

Chaos King by Kacen Callender (Tor Teen, $19.99, 9781250890283) is the sequel to Infinity Alchemist and features a magical world at the edge of revolution.

Watch Me by Tahereh Mafi (HarperCollins, $21.99, 9780063419001) is the author's return to the Shatter Me series and takes place 10 years after The Reestablishment has fallen.

Paperbacks:
My Return to the Walter Boys by Ali Novak (Sourcebooks Fire, $14.99, 9781464230226).

Bridesmaid by Chance by Meghan Quinn (Bloom Books, $18.99, 9781464237812).

One Death at a Time by Abbi Waxman (Berkley, $19, 9780593816677).

Murder by Cheesecake: A Golden Girls Cozy Mystery by Rachel Ekstrom Courage (Hyperion Avenue, $16.99, 9781368102988).

Wild and Wrangled: A Rebel Blue Ranch Novel by Lyla Sage (Dial Press, $17.99, 9780593732472).

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

Hardcover: An Indies Introduce Title
Deep Cuts: A Novel by Holly Brickley (Crown, $28, 9780593799086). "This book is a love song. It's a love letter to music, to connection, to friendship and romance and collaboration and connection and talent and pain. I wish I could have written this book. I'm jealous of people who haven't read this book yet." --Jamie Thomas, Women & Children First, Chicago, Ill.

Hardcover
Count My Lies: A Novel by Sophie Stava (Gallery/Scout Press, $28.99, 9781668079348). "Count My Lies is an absolute thrill ride! A woman lies her way into the lives of a couple and their young daughter. But is she the only one keeping secrets? Order some take-out and settle in. Once you start reading, it's impossible to stop!" --Mary O'Malley, Skylark Bookshop, Columbia, Mo.

Paperback
Go Luck Yourself: A Royals and Romance Novel by Sara Raasch (Bramble, $19.99, 9781250333216). "Go Luck Yourself is absolutely everything I could have hoped for in a sequel to The Nightmare Before Kissmas. I was delighted to see Kris' inner workings and his quest for his own happily ever after, and I adored Lochlann and his sisters." --Emily Hall Schroen, Main Street Books, St. Charles, Mo.

Ages 3-7
Dear Bookstore by Emily Arrow, illus. by Geneviève Godbout (Candlewick, $17.99, 9781536210699). "No picture book has so beautifully captured the magic and belonging of bookstores quite like this one. I teared up through the entire read and I'm sure you will, too." --Jordan Leon, Lion's Mouth Bookstore, Green Bay, Wis.

Ages 10+: An Indies Introduce Title
Whale Eyes: A Memoir About Seeing and Being Seen by James Robinson, illus. by Brian Rea (Penguin Workshop, $18.99, 9780593523957). "Whale Eyes is an essential text for helping us to further understand the way that we as a society treat disabled kids by putting us in their shoes. If you have ever been ostracized and treated poorly because of ableism, you will feel seen by this story." --Ava Budavari, All She Wrote Books, Somerville, Mass.

Teen Readers
They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran (Bloomsbury YA, $19.99, 9781547611119). "Noon and her mom are living on a houseboat after a natural disaster and red algae have decimated their town. As Noon confronts her past as well as her current situation, the question is: who really is the monster? This will resonate for readers of Speak." --Audrey I-Wei Huang, Belmont Books, Belmont, Mass.

[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]

Sarah Yahm's debut novel, Unfinished Acts of Wild Creation, is a pulse of energy, a current of light, a harmonic hum expressed through the unforgettable story of the Rosenbergs: Leon, Louise, and their daughter, Lydia. With impeccable pacing, Yahm passes the narrative of their lives across the decades--from the 1970s Shabbat dinner where Leon meets Louise mere hours after her mother's funeral, through Louise's deterioration from the same neurological disorder that took her mother, and forward into the uncertainty of life after unspeakable loss. Winner of the Dzanc Books Prize for Fiction, Unfinished Acts of Wild Creation is full of beauty and intelligence, showcasing Yahm's confident prose and wry humor.

Louise is a free spirit--irreverent and brash and open to the magic permeating the world. A classical musician, Louise carries in her body the prolonged death of her mother, whom she actively disliked despite her undeniable influence. She asks Leon: "Is it strange... to simultaneously miss someone and still hate them so much?" Years later, Louise learns she also carries in her body the genetic disorder that means she, too, will suffer an early and agonizing death. Desperate to save Lydia and Leon from the torture of her slow decline, Louise leaves their home, installing herself in a kibbutz thousands of miles away from New York. Leon, a therapist, does his best to care for Lydia as she deals with the departure of her mother and the knowledge that she might carry a genetic code that will one day destroy her.

Art, music, and profound acts of sacrificial care provide a compelling rhythm to the novel. Yahm describes the arc of Lydia's emerging career in academia from impulsive college student to a scholar researching her dissertation on post-trauma "imaginary play," as well as Leon's journey from traditional therapy into an unconventional career combining art and therapeutic care. These elements also infuse the rituals of sound and space that Lydia enacts as she sits shiva with her mother's body or the humming spell Louise attempts as treatment for young Lydia's OCD. Maybe "her mother was right," Lydia muses as she hums in a cave and finds that "the distinction between her voice and her mother's disappeared, like the two of them were one body made only of sound." Or maybe the magic is found in the ordinary bonds of a family, carried through impossible situations by the improbable strength of their love. --Sara Beth West, freelance reviewer and librarian

Shelf Talker: Unfinished Acts of Wild Creation tells the moving story of the Rosenberg family and the bonds they forge over decades of care and love alongside the harsh realities of pain and loss.

Barnes & Noble has made no secret about its ambitious expansion plans, noting in every press release announcing a new bookstore opening: "In 2024, Barnes & Noble opened more new bookstores in a single year than it had in the whole decade from 2009 to 2019. The bookseller expects to open over 60 new bookstores in 2025."

While the company's prospects have risen dramatically under the leadership of CEO James Daunt, the more new stores that are launched, the greater the chances independent booksellers will be negatively affected by B&N-spread. 

It's not, by any means, the first time indies have dealt with corporate invasions. I started working as a bookseller just three years before the initial Amazon cyber-attack in the mid-1990s, and before that heard villainous tales of terror about B&N and Borders, as well as mall retailers like Waldenbooks and B. Dalton. Amazon, however, changed the game by inventing its own rules, ultimately taking down Borders and dealing a near death blow to B&N.

Things change. There has even been measured support/sympathy among indies for B&N in recent years for providing something of a buffer to Amazon's monopolistic blitz. In 2022, the New York Times reported ("How Barnes & Noble Went from Villain to Hero") that "today, virtually the entire publishing industry is rooting for Barnes & Noble--including most independent booksellers. Its unique role in the book ecosystem, where it helps readers discover new titles and publishers stay invested in physical stores, makes it an essential anchor in a world upended by online sales and a much larger player: Amazon."

Michael Barnard, owner of Rakestraw Books, Danville, Calif., said at the time that about 20 years before, B&N had opened a superstore just five miles from his shop. "They've been, at times, extremely competitive and hard to have," he said, adding that at the same time, "they're the other major part of the industry that is committed to print and to in-person bookselling, and I do think they share some of our challenges. Having said that, I would prefer not to have one just down the road from me."

For nearly three decades, independent booksellers have been figuring out new and better strategies to serve their customers in ways corporate bookstores or Jeff Bezos simply cannot, or don't want to. Within the past 15 years, indies have come back strong and are well-positioned for B&N's latest offensive, but that doesn't mean the change is a welcome one. 

In February, the American Booksellers Association shared "11 Ways to Take Action When Barnes & Noble Comes to Town" with members, offering "guidance for booksellers looking to strengthen their community ties and navigate the uncertainty of a large competitor moving in."

Gilbert Hernandez

If you're wondering what it feels like for an indie bookseller when the news drops that B&N has targeted your city next, an April 5 Facebook post by Gilbert Hernandez, owner of Búho bookstore in Brownsville, Tex., offered a peek behind the retail curtain. 

"This weekend, our city woke up to the bombshell news that Barnes & Noble will be opening at the Sunrise Mall. While many are excited, we've also received many messages concerned about Búho's future. I only have one thing to say: This is all your fault!" Hernandez joked, adding: "If it hadn't been for your incredible support these past 3 years, the $300M corporate behemoth that is B&N wouldn't have the data they needed to believe that Brownsville is indeed a city of curious readers. Before Búho, it was long believed that bookstores avoided us due to 'low literacy rates.' I started this movement in 2022 because I KNEW the demand was here and I wanted to prove them wrong. We did. We are. And now they've changed their minds!"

Búho bookstore in Brownsville, Tex.

Noting that the indie bookstore would be "just fine," Hernandez observed that B&N and Búho "offer VERY different experiences. Though they specialize in having a vast inventory of thousands of new titles, Búho is community-driven, has Brownsville-tailored events, carries rare books & maps, and we have a wine bar! 

"If anything, B&N's presence will help us grow a bigger community of readers 'On the Border, by the Sea.' Maybe they'll get customers who started their reading journey with us, and maybe we'll get folks who started with them. Looking at the big picture, this is a win for Brownsville, and it's a BIG win for the Sunrise Mall."

In addition to emphasizing the importance of community, Hernandez set some new goals for Búho in Q2 "to position us as a worthy competitor," including:

• Advancing our Coffee Program to enhance your Búho experience
• Doubling our new inventory
• The mysterious Phase 4 might roll in earlier than expected

"Your continued support will make all these dreams come true," he continued. "But don't do it out of pity or fear for our future; shop here because you've SEEN where we started, WITNESSED our growth, and KNOW we're becoming the indie bookstore Brownsville deserves! Our success from a tiny pop-up to today is testament to the readership in our city! 2025 will be an excellent year for Búho, and an incredible one for Brownsville readers. We hope you'll be a part of it."

I think it's a great response, a template for how to look a competitor in the eye and say, in a nice way, "Good luck, pal, but we'll still be here, too."