Sherman's Maine Coast Book Shops will open its 10th store, in the Saco Valley Shopping Center at 4 Scammon St. in Saco on Thursday, June 26, Saco Bay News reported. The new shop joins locations in Damariscotta, Boothbay Harbor, Freeport, Bar Harbor, Portland, Rockland, Topsham, Windham, and Falmouth.

Owners Jeff Curtis and Maria Boord Curtis said they chose the Saco location for their newest store because it felt like a walkable, neighborhood shopping center close to downtown and also had plenty of parking for those driving to the store, the Bay News wrote.

"This location is what called my name," Maria Boord Curtis noted.

"We're a complete bookstore," said Jeff Curtis. "People love to come to our stores and shop for birthday presents. There's a little bit of everything. People just love to browse in bookstores. The threat of the internet didn't hurt us. You can't browse on the internet like you can in a bookstore."

In anticipation of the location's upcoming debut, Sherman's posted on Instagram last week: "Saco is coming together! Check out how much work we've gotten done."

Open Books, a nonprofit bookstore and literacy organization in Chicago, Ill., has launched a bookmobile to bring free books to under-served communities, Block Club Chicago reported.

The Open Books Mobile made its debut on June 8 during the nonprofit's annual Slide into Summer event, which was held at the intersection of W. Douglas Blvd. and Central Park Ave. The mobile bookstore offers books in English and Spanish for all ages, and has appearances lined up in Chicago's McKinley Park, Back of the Yards, and Gage Park neighborhoods. 

Jennifer Steele, the executive director of Open Books, called the bookmobile "an extension of our mission to help transform lives through the power and joy of reading. Through continuing to partner with our communities, we aim to create equitable access to high-quality books, resources, and programs that are fun and inviting. In that way, families can read, learn, and grow together in ways that are most meaningful to them."

Barnes & Noble is opening new stores in Rockwall and Prosper, Tex., and closing one in Plano, Tex., Culture Map Dallas reported.

The Rockwall store is slated to open in late summer at 1009 E I-30, in a space that previously housed a Staples store. The Prosper store, meanwhile, will open in the fall at 1191 Gates Pkwy., in a new development called Gates of Prosper. Both will be about 20,000 square feet and have cafes.

The Plano store, at 801 W. 15th St., closed on Sunday, June 15. A B&N spokesperson told Culture Map that it was an older and larger model of store; the company's recent openings have focused on stores with smaller footprints.

Nathan Silver, an architect and author whose landmark book, Lost New York (1967), "offered a history lesson about the many buildings that were demolished before the city passed a landmarks preservation law that might have offered protection from the wrecking ball," died May 19, the New York Times reported. He was 89.

Evolving from an exhibition that he created in 1964 while teaching at Columbia University's architecture school, Silver's book was published as more and more people rallied to prevent other historic structures from being destroyed.

"By 1963, it seemed urgent to make some sort of plea for architectural preservation in New York City," he wrote. "It had been announced that Pennsylvania Station would be razed, a final solution seemed likely for the 39th Street Metropolitan Opera [it was destroyed in 1967] and the commercial buildings of Worth Street were being pounded into landfill for a parking lot.... While cities must adapt if they are to remain responsive to the needs and wishes of their inhabitants, they need not change in a heedless and suicidal fashion."

Anthony C. Wood, founder of the nonprofit New York Preservation Archive Project, said, "The book was a cri de coeur about the losses the city was experiencing. It gave comfort to those trying to push back against that, and provided solace to people who cared about preservation and opened the eyes of a wider public." New York City passed the landmarks preservation law in 1965, but, Wood added, "Out of the gate, it was tentatively administered; it wasn't like once the law passed, preservation was unleashed."

Roberta Brandes Gratz, a journalist who was a member of the Landmarks Preservation Commission from 2003 to 2010, observed that Silver's book "added pressure on the relatively new Landmarks Commission to act."

Lost New York sold more than 100,000 copies and was a finalist for the 1968 National Book Award in history and biography. Silver expanded and updated the book in 2000 to include what the Times called a "pantheon of preservation villains" such as the president of the Pennsylvania Railroad responsible for Penn Station's destruction and Robert Moses, the urban planner. Silver also wrote a book about the Pompidou Center in Paris, and another work (with fellow architect Charles Jencks) about improvisation in architecture and other fields. 

While working at the architecture firm Kramer & Kramer, Silver helped design a new location for the Argosy Book Store in Manhattan in 1963. In the New Yorker, Janet Malcolm wrote in 2014 that the store had been transformed "into a room of great charm, a vision of cultivation and gentility as filtered through a mid-20th-century aesthetic."

Celebrating the publication of his new book Is a River Alive? (W.W. Norton), nature writer and world traveler Robert Macfarlane spoke at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park, Wash., to a crowd of 600. Geologist and regional historian David B. Williams joined in conversation, and the event was co-sponsored by the North Cascades Institute. Here Macfarlane takes a moment with booksellers/superfans in the bookstore offices: (l.-r.) Javi Tapia, Zac Fletcher, Robert Macfarlane, Spencer Ruchti, and Theo Henderson. (Photo: David B. Williams)

"Beat the heat with a cool book treat." That was the sound summer advice offered yesterday on the sidewalk chalkboard in front of Whitelam Books, Reading, Mass., which noted: "The sign says it all! We're here with the AC on until 4 p.m this fine Sunday!"

"Lil' beach read display" at Books Inc. Opera Plaza, San Francisco, Calif., which noted: "In this charged moment a good book can offer a breather. Stay informed, stay kind, and don't forget to pack a paperback."

Unkind Mind: The Neuroscience of Why Women Are So Hard on Themselves--and How to Quiet Your Inner Critic for Good by Betsy Holmberg (New Harbinger).

Today:
CBS Mornings: Senator Lisa Murkowski, co-author of Far from Home: An Alaskan Senator Faces the Extreme Climate of Washington, D.C. (Forum Books, $28.99, 9780593728666).

Also on CBS Mornings: Carol Moseley Braun, author of Trailblazer: Perseverance in Life and Politics (Hanover Square Press, $32.99, 9781335523839).

Live with Kelly and Mark: Eden Grinshpan, author of Tahini Baby: Bright, Everyday Recipes That Happen to Be Vegetarian (Avery, $35, 9780593713426).

Fresh Air: Carter Sherman, author of The Second Coming: Sex and the Next Generation's Fight Over Its Future (Gallery Books, $29.99, 9781668052457).

Tomorrow:
CBS Mornings: Victoria Monét, author of Everywhere You Are (Putnam Books for Young Readers, $18.99, 9780593698419). She will also appear on the Today Show.

Sherri Shepherd Show repeat: Bob the Drag Queen, author of Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert (Gallery Books, $27.99, 9781668061978).

Apple TV+ has released a trailer for the third season of Foundation, based on Isaac Asimov's stories. From storyteller David S. Goyer, the series stars Jared Harris, Lee Pace, and Lou Llobell. The 10-episode season will debut globally with one episode on July 11, followed by new episodes weekly, every Friday through September 12. The Apple Original drama is produced for Apple TV+ by Skydance Television. 

Season three of Foundation introduces new characters and stars, including Cherry Jones, Brandon P. Bell, Synnøve Karlsen, Cody Fern, Tómas Lemarquis, Alexander Siddig, Troy Kotsur, and Pilou Asbæk. Among the returning cast members are Laura Birn, Cassian Bilton, Terrence Mann, and Rowena King.

Goyer also serves as executive producer, along with Bill Bost, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Matt Thunell, Robyn Asimov, David Kob, Christopher J. Byrne, Leigh Dana Jackson, Jane Espenson, and Roxann Dawson.

The Writers' Union of Canada named Canisia Lubrin as the winner of the C$10,000 (about US$7,280) Danuta Gleed Literary Award for Code Noir (Soft Skull). The award recognizes the best first collection of short fiction by a Canadian author published in 2024 in English.

The jury called Code Noir  "a thoughtful, insightful, experimental, pointed collection. These stories show both tremendous heart and the skillful craft of its author, a masterful layering and blurring of history recorded and history lived. This book will no doubt inspire other writers to delve deep, to be playful and bold, to challenge the reader and the status quo."

Runners-up Vincent Anioke's Perfect Little Angels and Nicola Winstanley's Smoke each receive C$1,000 (about US$730).

LibraryReads, the nationwide library staff-picks list, offers the top 10 July titles public library staff across the country love:

Top Pick
The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst (Bramble, $29.99, 9781250333988). "On a remote island during a snowstorm, outside a magical greenhouse, Turlu the librarian wakes from her punishment as a statue--fully human again, and really cold. How did she get here? How was she freed? Who is the mysterious and attractive gardener, and can he help? Readers of cozy fantasy will be enchanted with this parallel story set in the world of The Spellshop." --Crystal Faris, Kansas City Public Library, Mo.

How to Survive a Horror Story: A Novel by Mallory Arnold (‎Poisoned Pen Press, $32.99, 9781464252532). "Seven strangers, all horror writers, are brought together for a reading of the will of Mortimer Queen. They have to survive the night in a classic old house. There are riddles, secrets, tales within tales, and a bit of gore wrapped up into an intricate and pulse-pounding evening. This debut is sure to appeal to fans of mystery and horror." --Douglas Beatty, Baltimore County Public Library, Md.

Typewriter Beach: A Novel by Meg Waite Clayton (Harper, $30, 9780063422148). "A Hollywood starlet is sent to a cottage until her 'condition' goes away. She creates a masterpiece with the outcast screenwriter next door. Years later, the screenwriter's granddaughter returns, finding closure with the legendary actress. Under the shimmer of 1950s movie magic and the shadows of the McCarthy era, this romantic, moody mystery spotlights life in front of the camera." --Kimberly McGee, Lake Travis Community Library, Austin, Tex.

Party of Liars: A Novel by Kelsey Cox (Minotaur, $28, 9781250378811). "A sweet 16 party at a Texas mansion takes a deadly turn. A host of unsavory narrators add to the story, revealing a myriad of shocking secrets. Multiple intertwined characters help create a sense of urgency and intrigue, contributing to a buildup of suspense to a shocking conclusion." --Cyndi Larsen, Avon Free Public Library, Conn.

Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes by Sandra Jackson-Opoku (Minotaur, $28, 9781250351906). "Savvy Summers is trying to keep her soul food cafe on the South Side of Chicago open, despite a customer being murdered via one of her own pies. She and her coworker, Penny Lopés, attempt to solve the case while fending off developers. This series has fun characters and good food, as well as interesting history and culture." --Becky Abbott, Santa Fe Public Library, N.Mex.

Not Quite Dead Yet: A Novel by Holly Jackson (Bantam, $28, 9780593977057). "Jet Mason has seven days to solve her own murder after being attacked on Halloween. Throughout the week, she uncovers shocking hidden truths about her family and community. This incredibly propulsive adult debut from a YA powerhouse author lives up to the incredible hook. Feisty, snarky Jet is such a fun lead, and the ticking clock towards her death will keep readers flying through the pages." --Jenna Friebel, Oak Park Public Library, Ill.

The Library at Hellebore by Cassandra Khaw (Tor Nightfire, $29.99, 9781250877819). "Things at school can be tough. Your roommate thinks you like her boyfriend, your friend won't shut up about her sorority, and sometimes the faculty's desire for flesh coincides inconveniently with graduation. What's a kidnapped, devil-touched girl to do? Flee to the library, of course! Come for the body horror, stay for the revolutionary spirit." --Krista Feick, Columbus Metropolitan Library, Ohio

The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley (Ace, $30, 9780593819456). "In a world of amazing and strange magic, a healer and a killer make an unlikely alliance that may inadvertently save the lives of thousands. This debut is an absolutely delightful spin on enemies-to-lovers with fantastic prose, intelligent characters, sarcastic and quippy conversation, and desperately denied pining." --Brenna Timm, High Plains Library District, Colo.

A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna (Berkley, $19, 9780593439371). "Sera had great powers until she performed a spell that cost nearly all of her magic. Now, there's a chance she could get her magic back, and become more than just an innkeeper with a house full of quirky boarders under her (falling apart) roof. She will need the help of an attractive historian, a nefarious talking fox, and the rest of her hodgepodge found family. Utterly delightful, and a bit bittersweet." --Sharon Layburn, South Huntington Public Library, N.Y. 

The Satisfaction Café: A Novel by Kathy Wang (‎Scribner, $27.99, 9781668068922). "Taiwanese immigrant Joan realizes her childhood dream--a café where hosts ask diners questions and provide pleasant conversation. Wang brings up the issues of sadness, isolation, and loneliness in a quiet, restrained way, and offers a graceful pragmatic character in Joan. If cafés can offer cats to make people happier, why can't true human companionship be offered? " --Donna Ballard, LibraryReads Ambassador, N.Y.

When the late Fumio Yamamoto's The Dilemmas of Working Women won the coveted Naoki Prize in 2001 in Japan, its bestselling success was "a phenomenon," writes Brian Bergstrom, who meticulously translates this audacious five-story collection populated by women bluntly eschewing expectations. The narrators here--four women, one man--each face complex decisions on the cusp of major change.

Tradition proves potentially stifling in the titular story when Mito's longtime boyfriend announces on her 25th birthday, " 'Well, I guess it's about time. We can get married.' Not 'Marry me' or 'Let's get married'--he said it as if granting permission." Mito once thought wifehood should happen by 25, but the possibility of actual nuptials only engenders reasons to refuse. Asaoka is a graduate student still living off his parents. The pair "never really had sex": Asaoka relies on professionals; Mito "with someone for whom [she] had no romantic feelings at all." Recognizing "how powerful men were, and how pitiful" helps Mito decide her future.

On the other end of the age spectrum is Maho in "Here, Which Is Nowhere"--the collection's most nuanced story--who's trapped in an endless cycle of caring and serving others: her husband of 21 years, her disgruntled widowed mother, her dismissive almost-adult children. Running the household means she's had to take a part-time job since her husband's salary was halved and still they're "barely scrap[ing] by." Maho's rage builds in increments, but finding some semblance of release does little to improve her daily life.

Among the other stories are a recently divorced woman in "Naked" who's fallen into isolated limbo making stuffed animals, and whose bank balance is nearing zero. In "Planarian," a youthful cancer survivor's obsession with constantly talking about her disease is affecting, even destroying her relationships. The ending "A Tomorrow Full of Love"--the quintet's sweetest, with the single male narrator--moves between an izakaya (bar) owner's unpredictable interactions with his free-spirited live-in lover and his utter devotion to the tween daughter he's allowed to see every three months.

That Yamamoto writes solely in first-person cleverly encourages immediate engagement for readers, creating an instant gateway into the intimacies of these characters' lives. Throughout her fictional universe, marriage is the biggest loser, particularly for women, something to avoid or escape. In upsetting and challenging the venerable institution, many of Yamamoto's empathic characters--even a quarter-century after their debut--remain timeless figures of strength and resilience. --Terry Hong

Shelf Talker: Fumio Yamamoto's superb five-story collection, The Dilemmas of Working Women, eschews and challenges the stifling expectations of traditional women's roles.