Mystic Box Bookshop hosted a grand opening celebration last month at 221 N. Main Street, Suite E, in downtown Huntington Beach, Calif., with a ticketed book-signing event featuring authors Santana Knox and C.E. Ricci. "Thank you to everyone who came out to our grand opening! We couldn’t have asked for a better day," the bookstore posted on Instagram.

Noting that the Mystic Box "has been a well-known name in the adult romance book genre since launching in 2018," the Los Angeles Times reported that co-owners Kate and Phil Benito "have been known for a bimonthly subscription service.... There's a long waiting list for the service."

At the new bricks-and-mortar store's opening on June 14, "the line went around the corner, into the alley between Mystic Box and the International Surfing Museum," the L.A. Times noted. 

Kate Benito said the company had outgrown its Los Alamitos warehouse before moving to Huntington Beach: "I figured the next step would be to have a brick-and-mortar presence for readers to come to. People are so connected to their phones, and some people want to disconnect. It's weird. Authors are seeing more sales on their paperbacks, because it allows people to have that down time without technology. The new breed of readers is looking for a more tangible format."

Lit Brews Coffee & Books is expected to open near 50th Street and Indiana Ave., Lubbock, Tex., in late September, the Avalanche-Journal reported. Owner Elizabeth Roberts said documents are being finalized for the location, after which the exact address will be announced.

"I want to create an environment where people can have time for themselves, whether it's 15 minutes, whether it's three hours, I want people to feel comfortable," she said. "I want to make sure that we can have an awesome place for everyone to go.... I would say it's a dream come true--it's kind of a surreal experience. I'm super thrilled."

Lit Brews will offer a variety of genres, with each section having its own themed seating and decor. "My plan right now is to put the bookshelves perpendicular to the wall, so there's sections in between," Roberts said. "The whole wall will be designed for that genre. There will be chairs, decorations, lamps, all in that genre. I'm super excited about it."

Featuring primarily new books, Lit Brews will devote a third of inventory to used titles. "I want to use both, because some people really like used books, how it tells its own story on what it's been through and where it's been in the hands that have read it," she noted.

The coffee shop's brews will have book-inspired names, and the bookshop will host events. "We want to support others, whether it be businesses or people in the community," Roberts said. "I want to have local authors in there, getting their books out there, because, for one, I get it. I'm an indie author as well, and it's hard to do it all by yourself, especially if you're self-published."

She added: "I want to have other people part of our story. I want to make other people feel heard. My goal is for everybody to feel comfortable in there. Enjoy whatever it is that they enjoy, whether it's the books, the coffee, whether it's tea, whatever it is, I want there to be something for everybody."

By Shawn Harris

By Mac Barnett

The Book Industry Charitable Foundation is extending its "I Stand with Book and Comic Stores" campaign by offering limited-edition T-shirts that feature exclusive original artwork by two children's book authors and illustrators, Caldecott Honoree Shawn Harris and U.S. National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Mac Barnett.

Harris received the Bull-Bransom Award for excellence in the field of children's book illustration with a focus on nature and wildlife for A Polar Bear in the Snow, by Mac Barnett, with whom he also creates the First Cat in Space graphic novel series.

Barnett's books have won many prizes, including two Caldecott Honors, three New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Awards, three E.B. White Read Aloud Awards, and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award.

Fans should order no later than Thursday, July 31, to receive these exclusive items and declare their support for book and comic stores across the country. The T-shirts cost $32.99 and $24.99, depending on size.

The "Now More Than Ever, I Stand with Bookstores" campaign launched in May with a matching gift offered by a large group of authors, a gift amount that was met. As Binc said at the time: "The growing uncertainty of federal funding that supports local community resources, the challenges against First Amendment rights, and overall financial insecurity, store employees are at greater risk of harassment and not being able to withstand and navigate a personal crisis. Requests to Binc for help have increased 8% over last year and the average amount to resolve a crisis is also rising."

Binc executive director Pam French said, "Book and comic people need our support more now than ever. They are on the front lines, working to preserve the right to free speech, the open exchange of ideas, and the freedom to read. The work of bookstores and comic shops matters more than ever."

Amberley Publishing has acquired Ryland Peters & Small, the independent illustrated nonfiction publisher that focuses on food and drink, home and garden, mind/body/spirit, crafts, and gifts and stationery. Ryland Peters & Small includes CICO Books, which it bought in 2006. The company has a staff of about 25 in the U.K. and a sales and marketing team in the U.S. It publishes some 100 books a year. Simon & Schuster distributes Ryland Peters & Small in the U.S.

Ryland Peters & Small was founded in 1995 by David Peters, Anne Ryland, and Jacqui Small. David Peters died last year; the company sought to continue his legacy through this sale.

Among the authors on the Ryland Peters & Small and CICO lists are bestselling interiors and plant stylist Hilton Carter; Shabby Chic founder Rachel Ashwell; Michele Pascarella, who was named Global Pizza Maker of the Year 2023 by 50 Top Pizza; and Phillip Permutt, one of the world's foremost crystal healers.

Amberley will continue to publish under the name Ryland Peters & Small Limited. Nick Hayward, CEO of Amberley, said: "We are thrilled to welcome Ryland Peters & Small into the Amberley family. RPS has an outstanding reputation for producing beautiful, high-quality books that inspire and delight readers around the world. We look forward to building on its remarkable legacy and expanding its reach even further."

Trish Peters, who had been acting managing director of Ryland Peters & Small, added: "I am delighted that Amberley Illustrated will continue Ryland Peters & Small. Nick and his team have considerable publishing experience and are excited to take on this new challenge."

Helgi Davis, owner and founder of Myth Adventures comic book store in McAllen, Tex., died June 29. He was 76. The Monitor reported that since 1991, "the store, located at 720 W. Nolana Ave., has nurtured its cult following through its offerings, Davis's customer service, and play events like Dungeons & Dragons and Pokemon League."

Helgi Davis

In 1990 he opened his first business, Edinburg Cards and Comics. "Helgi was so successful with that, that he took over a little gaming shop named Myth Adventures," according to his obituary. "Knowing nothing about comics or gaming, he listened closely to his customers and that’s when he learned the secret of being successful in business. He would say, 'Always listen to your customers!' Customers became fast friends and employees (Carl) became family."

His granddaughter Kali Martinez, who joined the business in 2021, posted on the store's social media sites after his death: "If you ever met Mr. Helgi Davis, you should consider yourself lucky. He was one of a kind and he was brilliant. For over 30 years, Myth Adventures was his passion. He had the time of his life creating this space. He loved the hard work, because it wasn’t work to him. He was crabby and I loved him for it, it was one of the best parts about him. 

"He cared deeply for his customers and often went out of his way to make sure they got everything they wanted. He could do more work than five people combined. His mind was sharp. His personality was charismatic, he was enchanting and silly. He pretended he was annoyed to be on camera but he loved it and he was good at it. He forgave easily.... Myth misses you and will never be the same without you but we will try to make you proud."

Kaboom Comics in McAllen posted: "To a great many people here in the Valley, he was their gateway into comics, TCG & D&D. Helgi is and will always be a LEGEND in the pop culture and collecting community in the RGV and beyond." 

Last week, Martinez told the Monitor that Spider-Man comics "were among his most treasured reads. She stood solemnly but proudly next to flower arrangements adorning the beloved comic book store Thursday holding a photo of Helgi with Spider-Man creator, the late Stan Lee--the two joined in eternity."

In a post yesterday, Martinez wrote: "This past week Myth said goodbye to the creator of our store. Helgi left his mark on every square inch of the store and he guided us for years. He was the best. A lot of love was shared with him. & So it goes, a lot of love will be dedicated to him going forward. What he made defied expectations and all odds, he was resilient and special. Remember that no matter what you are going through, you don’t have to do it alone. We mourn with you, we heal together. Let your hobbies be a guiding light and help you out of the darkness."

"Our Manchester [Vt.] store paid homage to another popular bookish establishment recently. Any guesses as to what that establishment is? Swipe for hints/a reveal!" the Northshire Bookstore recently posted on social media.

Elora Weil joins the Crown publicity team as senior publicity manager. She was previously a senior publicist at Knopf.

Class Pet Ghost Detective #1: What Happened to the Naked Mole Rat? by Akeem S. Roberts (Kokila).

Tomorrow:
Good Morning America: Patti Callahan Henry, author of The Story She Left Behind: A Novel (Atria, $29.99, 9781668011874).

Today: Kylie Sakaida, author of So Easy So Good: Delicious Recipes and Expert Tips for Balanced Eating (S&S/Simon Element, $35, 9781668037980).

Tamron Hall repeat: Tika Sumpter, author of I Got It From My Mama (Genius Cat Books, $18.99, 9781962447232).

Sony has hired screenwriters Kaz Firpo and Ryan Firpo to adapt Eruption, the bestselling novel by Michael Crichton and James Patterson, into a movie. Deadline reported that the project, "which Sony won in a competitive auction last summer in a major deal, is now an open directing assignment with Free Solo filmmakers Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi having exited."

The novel was started by Crichton before his death in 2008 and completed by Patterson. The film adaptation is being produced by Sherri Crichton, Patterson, and Shane Salerno and the Story Factory. Sony's Maia Eyre and Allie Broome are overseeing for the studio.

The Firpos are cousins "who stormed into Hollywood when their original World War II thriller Ruin topped the Black List in 2017. That led to kicking off Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Eternals, directed by Oscar winner Chloé Zhao, which grossed north of $402 million at the global box office," Deadline noted.  

Finalists have been announced for the 2025 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award. The winners in each category and the top three winners overall will be named at the Killer Nashville awards dinner on August 23 in Nashville, Tenn. Check out the complete list of Silver Falchion Award finalists here. 

Kate Riley's debut novel features Ruth, a member of an intentional Anabaptist community, whose fumbling faith and irreverent curiosity will captivate even as she mystifies those seeking tidy conclusions. Readers follow Ruth from her birth and naming in Gracefield, "on the first knuckle of the index finger in the glove of Michigan; the most Southerly of the Brotherhood's three North American Dorfs" through Shalom (the confederation of young single people in the community), marriage, and motherhood within the Dorfs.

In some ways, Ruth is no different from her sisters in community: tying her kerchief and submitting to Saturday work assignments; requesting baptism and praying for God's will; marrying her husband, Alan, after weeks of written communication guided and edited by the elders, three days of engagement, and a New Year's Day wedding shared with another young couple. But Ruth's voice and her experience in the Brotherhood is singular as she vacillates between wonder, boredom, and despair. She is awed by "how beautiful the world had become. God was the trees and the sky and line where they met" and driven by an intense curiosity "inflamed by deviance," which is tempered by the benevolent patience of the community, tolerant of her many failures to meet expectations. After devoting herself to the morning yogurt, "an object of much magical thought on the Dorf, [which] rivaled fertility as evidence of a sister's worth," Ruth manages to spill the entire vat down the stairs. Discovering this disaster, Martha "took the mop and bucket from Ruth's hands, set them down, and braced Ruth in a hug until the weeping softened." Perhaps it is this gentle acceptance that keeps Ruth enfolded in the Brotherhood, even when its stays tighten uncomfortably around her.

Though countless members, including her eldest, Jamie, leave the community, Ruth remains. When she and Alan meet Jamie for lunch in Chicago, he remarks: "you look happy, Mama." Though she has to pause in a kind of panic before responding, she does finally: "I am, I think." This ambivalence resonates throughout Ruth, capturing the ways a person might spend a lifetime seeking belonging and accepting whatever version is provided. Riley's Ruth is a baffling character at times, especially as she accepts notions of submissive womanhood that defy feminist power. But throughout the novel, Ruth is a force, proving she can be no one but herself--an unlikely adherent, her rebellious heart committing to obedience. --Sara Beth West, freelance reviewer and librarian

Shelf Talker: Living in an intentional community of Anabaptists, Ruth will confound and surprise readers with her questioning spirit and willing submission.

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

1. Zodiac Academy 6 by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti
2. No Woman Left Behind by Kate Grant
3. Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton
4. The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden
5. What Is Dyslexia? by Marianne Sunderland
6. Kiss of the Basilisk by Lindsay Straube
7. Binding 13 by Chloe Walsh
8. Forward: Leading Your Team Through Change by Elizabeth Moran
9. Little Stranger by Leigh Rivers
10. Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver

[Many thanks to IndieReader.com!]