Booked Up, a new and used bookstore, recently hosted a grand opening celebration at 4518 W. Main St. in Kalamazoo, Mich. Owner Stephanie Emelander posted on social media: "First Day in the Books! (Pun intended) Booked Up has officially made it through Day 1 and I owe a huge thank you to sooo many people! Those of you waiting in line for 2 hours in the freezing weather for us to open... THANK YOU! All of my friends and family who stopped by to support us... THANK YOU! And to everyone who took the time to stop by and had enough patience with us figuring out the system... THANK YOU! And honestly the best part is that I get to do it all over again tomorrow.... We can't wait to continue this journey and meet so many more of you."

Reading has always been a source of comfort for her, Emelander told MLive, which reported that she is now creating a physical safe space for readers who feel the same way. She has been working on the bookshop since October, and described her venture as a combination of her professional background in social work and her passion for reading. 

"My background has always been advocating for others, enjoying meeting new people, being able to... provide spaces for those who maybe don't have as much for themselves," she said, adding that she hopes the shop becomes a place for people to meet and connect over their shared love of reading.

Booked Up sells new titles, but a majority of the store's offerings will be used books. The shop features a mural by local artist Patrick Hershberger and comfortable couches, which "form a sunlit reading nook where customers can chat and thumb through pages," MLive noted. A calendar of book signings and special events is in the works. In addition to books, the bookstore will offer T-shirts, candles, bookmarks, mugs, and "other cozy essentials."

Emelander plans to run the store while maintaining her full-time job as a social worker. "I have always wanted to own my own private practice and work for myself in that way," Emelander said. She will be assisted by three part-time employees, all local college students.

On January 1, Jill Lang, owner of Samizdat Bookstore & Teahouse in Los Alamos, N.Mex., shared a long message in the shop's e-newsletter and on social media, announcing that she might be closing the business in February despite having had "a phenomenal year." 

"I tried a moonshot and I failed. It's that simple," Lang wrote. "We have no struggles with the county and our landlord is great.... We occupy a unicorn space in this town, and it's why it was worth that moonshot in this specific location. There is no other location in this entire county even remotely appropriate.

"The bookstore is failing because the business model is bad.... A business is a continuous and evolving partnership between the owner, employees, and customers. You formed this business as much or more than anyone else, and I am both profoundly grateful for your participation and deeply sad that I was unable to hold up my end of the bargain. But it's important to deal with reality, and if this chapter is to close I would like to do it as cleanly and transparently as possible (what I am saying is, bring in your gift cards)."

Within days of the message going out, however, something has happened that may help change the decision. The Reporter featured a letter signed by the city's Commerce & Development Corporation executive director, Lauren Mcdaniel; Jacquelyn Connolly of the Los Alamos MainStreet & Creative District; and Sandy Jones of the city's Chamber of Commerce. 

They wrote that the "community has shown an outpouring of support.... not only through words of encouragement but also through active consumer spending, hasn't gone unnoticed by the owner. Please, keep this momentum going through this weekend and January. 

"Paired with recent discussions and connections with LACDC staff, and the strong uptick in consumer spending at Samizdat in January--traditionally at levels only seen during pre-holiday shopping--there is cautious optimism from the owner about keeping our local independent bookstore alive." 

"LACDC, the Chamber and MainStreet staff are working closely with Samizdat to ensure it can continue with its mission, and focus on strengthening its business potential.... We're deeply grateful to the local patrons who have shown up this January, and we encourage the community to keep showing up this weekend and through the month to help ensure Samizdat remains a vibrant part of the Los Alamos community for years to come."

The Book Industry Charitable Foundation has added two board members, both of whom were once Borders Books & Music employees: Meghan Holmes and Susan Yeager.

Holmes, a marketing executive with more than 16 years of experience, began her career working at Borders's headquarters. Her involvement with Binc dates back to 2003 and she was vice-president of the board from 2010-2013.

Yeager, currently senior director of sales at HarperCollins, was a Borders bookseller for more than 17 years. She has volunteer experience with Adult Literacy and New York Road Runners, and she was on the steering committee of Greene Hill Food Co-op for three years.

Meanwhile, Steven Malk, literary agent with Writers House, has completed his service to Binc, and the board's executive committee was reelected. The committee includes president Chris Morrow, former owner of Northshire Bookstore in Manchester Center, Vt., and Saratoga Springs, N.Y.; vice-president Michael Jacobs, former president and CEO of Abrams,; treasurer Jonathan Putnam, a historical fiction author; and secretary Emma Kaas, co-owner of Norwich Bookstore, Norwich, Vt.

"I am grateful for the experience these industry leaders bring to the Binc board as well as their dedication and commitment," said Pamela French, Binc CEO. "They give generously of their time, and their insights are invaluable. Welcome Meghan and Susan, and big thanks to Steven for his service and generosity to Binc and to book and comic people across the country. We are forever grateful he has used his influence and passion for book people and Binc."

Pyramid Books in Salem, Mass., will close at the end of the month, MASSLive reported.

"As we enter the new year, after nearly 45 remarkable years in business, we have made the difficult decision to close Pyramid Books, with our final day of operation being Saturday, January 31st," read an announcement posted on social media. "We extend our sincerest gratitude to our valued customers, both near and far, for their loyalty and business."

On January 2, Pyramid Books began a 40% off sale on all items in-store that will continue until January 31. 

Founded in the 1980s, Pyramid Books is an African American-owned bookstore focused on literature from the African diaspora for all ages. Along with books, the store sells things like crystals, candles, incense, and jewelry, and customers can get Tarot readings. 

While the physical store at 214 Derby St. will close, the store's owners plan to explore online selling going forward.

Erich von Däniken, the "bestselling Swiss author and self-styled maverick archaeologist who propagated the theory that thousands of years ago an advanced alien species visited Earth, mated with ancient humans, and gave them the technology, and the intelligence, to erect such marvels as the Great Pyramids," died January 10, the New York Times reported. He was 90.

Von Däniken was a 32-year-old hotel manager in Davos, Switzerland, when he published his first book, Chariots of the Gods (1968). "In breathless prose, saturated with exclamation points and folksy interjections such as 'Hey, presto!' Mr. von Däniken posited that virtually the sum of human knowledge and ability had been bestowed by extraterrestrials," the Times wrote.

He claimed that the Egyptian pyramids could have been built only with alien expertise: "Is it really a coincidence that the height of the pyramid of Cheops multiplied by a thousand million--98,000,000 miles--corresponds approximately to the distance between the earth and sun?"

Critics were unimpressed, with one anthropologist writing that the book was "a warped parody of reasoning, argumentation, as well as a vigorous exercise in selective quotation, misrepresentation and error based on ignorance."

Astrophysicist Carl Sagan said of von Däniken: "Every time he sees something he can't understand, he attributes it to extraterrestrial intelligence, and since he understands almost nothing, he sees evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence all over the planet."

Nevertheless, Chariots of the Gods sold hundreds of thousands of copies and inspired documentaries, comic books, and a movie.

"But for a certain kind of reader--and, to scientists' alarm, there were many of them--Mr. von Däniken's theories registered not only intellectually but also spiritually, constituting something like the catechism of an enlightened new faith," the Times noted, adding that the book "positioned itself squarely against the establishment, scientific or otherwise--not a hard sell in 1968."

Over the next 50 years, von Däniken published more than 40 books, though none offered much variation from his original themes or ideas. The titles include Gods From Outer Space, The Gods Were Astronauts, and Arrival of the Gods. Collectively, his books sold more than 70 million copies.

Brad Meltzer visited Books & Books, Coral Gables, Fla., for the launch of his new thriller, The Viper (Morrow). The store reported: "We've had the pleasure of hosting Brad many times in our store, and [the events] always have a 'family reunion' feel to them, with a lot of our long-time customers and Brad's own family and friends showing up for support." Among the supporters: store owner Mitchell Kaplan (r.) with Meltzer.

"Danny is our e-newsletter Dog of the Week," Wellesley Books in Wellesley, Mass., posted on Facebook. "You've heard of A Boy Named Sue, now meet A Girl Named Danny. Danny and her owner ran into a friend while at Wellesley Books. The friend endorsed Danny as Dog of the Week, since the friend's dog is a DotW alumnus. Word of this prestigious honor travels far, apparently! Unfortunately, we're not sure of Danny's breed (doodle-ish?) or age, but we hope that her cuteness and fetching bandanna make up for the lack of info. Come back soon, Danny! We are a dog friendly store and would love to meet your family pup."

Hannah Boardman has been promoted to senior publicist at TvS Media Group. She was previously publicist.

Sometimes small businesses just have to celebrate. Nooks Gallery & Bookshop, Lancaster, Pa., shared a video on Instagram of a recent local triumph: "Took a moment to walk the new sidewalk, finally open after 16 months, and celebrate with a few of the other shop owners and managers on the block. A toast to 2026 and whatever comes next! We made it through this particular challenge and look forward to seeing you all soon!"

Tomorrow:
CBS Mornings: Dr. Ezekiel J. Emanuel, author of Eat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life (W.W. Norton, $28.99, 9781324117537).

Good Morning America: Jamie Oliver, author of Eat Yourself Healthy: Food to Change Your Life (Flatiron, $39.99, 9781250427069).

The View: Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Ania M. Jastreboff, authors of Enough: Your Health, Your Weight, and What It's Like to Be Free (Avid Reader Press, $30, 9781668217283).

Kelly Clarkson Show: Danielle Steel, author of The Devil's Daughter: A Novel (Delacorte, $29, 9780593498859).

Netflix has given a series order to I Suck at Girls, based on Justin Halpern's book. Deadline reported that the comedy is from Halpern, Patrick Schumacker, Bill Lawrence's Doozer, and Warner Bros TV. Co-showrunners Halpern and Schumacker (Abbott Elementary) are writing the series, which "revolves around three awkward high school sophomores who stumble through the messy world of teenage romance and identity, learning that sucking at girls is just part of growing up." 

The Giller Prize has, for the first time, named a jury composed exclusively of independent booksellers. This year's judges are:

• Dan MacDonald & Lori Cheverie of Bookmark bookstores in Halifax, N.S.; Charlottetown, P.E.I.; and Fredericton, N.B.
• Danielle & Rupert McNally of Ben McNally Books in Toronto, Ont.
• Chris Hall of McNally Robinson Booksellers in Winnipeg, Man., and Saskatoon, Sask.
• Sarah Klassen of Mosaic Books in Kelowna, B.C.
• Jenn Baerg Steyn of Yellowknife Books in Yellowknife, N.W.T.

Giller Prize executive director Elana Rabinovitch commented: "As CanLit's frontline workers, independent booksellers play a vital role in platforming Canadian authors, fostering literary community, and bringing new publications to Canadian readers. Representing eight different provinces and territories, these five booksellers will ensure a pan-Canadian, 'people's choice' sensibility in determining this year's best works of Canadian fiction."

The 2026 Giller Prize longlist will be released in mid-September followed by the shortlist in early October, with a winner, who receives C$100,000 (about US$72,080) named in mid-November. Organizers noted that the prize is in search of new sponsors and donors to continue its mission. 

Observing that in previous years, authors and artists have sat on the jury, the Canadian Press wrote that "for two decades, Scotiabank was the naming sponsor of the prize, but protests erupted in 2023 over its subsidiary's investment in an Israeli arms manufacturer and the Giller Foundation eventually 'parted ways' with the big bank."

Jade Song's first novel, Chlorine, landed on various awards and choice lists. Their notable sophomore title, I Love You Don't Die, is another intense examination of a solipsistic protagonist caught in the liminal space between suffering and surviving. Song's opening author's note acts as warning: "This novel carries darkness such as depression, anxiety, self-harm, disordered eating, suicide, and suicidal ideation--please be aware of this content." But it also counters with "in the darkness, there is light too: friends, lovers, and selves."

If Vicky could, she'd "settle down in her unmade bed for the remainder of her pointless, silly life," but her ever-changing alarm, set to five minutes before the next day's first meeting, regularly prods her it's "time to act alive." She's her boss's "favorite copywriter" at Onwards, a start-up specializing in death--"Death, the safest industry. Everyone would die. Everyone was already dying"--and boosted with irresistible celebrity-founded appeal. She's currently working on the "buzzworthy" marketization of said founder's official name change from Ernie to Urnie. Death, so to speak, keeps Vicky alive: she cocoons in a shabby sixth-floor walk-up above a Chinatown funeral parlor ("she's above grief"), comforted by an ever-growing collection of zhizas, paper offerings meant to be burned as sacrifices to the dead to make their afterlives easier, enjoyable, luxurious.

Besides work, which she does mostly from home (in bed), Vicky's only other regular interactions happen with (because of) Jen, her best (only) friend. Jen lives antithetically to Vicky, with an emotionally stable partner and employment at a wellness company. Her nagging encouragement to "at least try" leads Vicky to respond on a dating app to "Kevin, he/him, artist and gallery assistant. Angela, she/her, organizer." The couple seeks to become a throuple, although "no pressure on first meetup." A fulfilling threesome cautiously develops, but Vicky fights any discomfort by fleeing from her feelings, never allowing her emotions to settle. Mired in her own messiness, she doesn't recognize the potentially fatal trajectory she's on. Only love--in its myriad forms--albeit long discounted and dismissed, might offer lifesaving options.

Song's fiction clearly benefits from their filmmaking/artist background; the camera-ready scenes are rife with exquisite visual details ("a zhiza air conditioner unit she had cut from her zhiza two-story house... perfect paper fantasy positioned next to defective reality"). They write with unhindered vulnerability, of course about death, but also about exhaustion and tenacity, resignation and struggle, abandonment and trust--and the hope that "we figure it out together." --Terry Hong

Shelf Talker: Jade Song's sophomore novel intriguingly examines a solipsistic young woman's obsession with death.

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

1. Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid
2. Game Changer by Rachel Reid
3. The Long Game by Rachel Reid
4. Tough Guy by Rachel Reid
5. Role Model by Rachel Reid
6. Stop, in the Name of God by Charlie Kirk
7. Common Goal by Rachel Reid
8. The Wisdom of Walt by Jeffrey A. Barnes
9. Fallen Gods by Rachel Van Dyken
10. Insatiable by Leigh Rivers

[Many thanks to IndieReader.com!]