The Reading Tree Bookshop, with a goal of being "a home for readers, dreamers, and community seekers of all ages," will open later this year in Charlotte, N.C. The store is owned by Julie Isgrigg, a veteran of the book industry, with David and Michelle Ebersman, and they've launched a $20,000 Indiegogo campaign "to help us build the shelves, order the inventory, braid the story rug, and pay our staff."

The bookstore will be located at 7314 Waverly Walk Ave., Suite E4, in the Waverly shopping center in South Charlotte. "Until about two years ago, there had only been one full-service indie bookstore selling new books in Charlotte (Park Road Books)," Isgrigg noted. "We'll just be the third indie selling only new books. It's remarkable, given that we're a city of about a million people and a sprawling geographic area."

Current plans call for a soft opening of the Reading Tree Bookshop in December, with a grand opening in January. The 2,200-square-foot general-interest bookstore will feature new books for all ages as well as some small arts and crafts kits (especially embroidery kits) "because they align with my own interests," she said.

Julie Isgrigg

Isgrigg worked in the book trade for more than 25 years, starting at the Borders corporate offices in Ann Arbor, Mich., then moving to Baker & Taylor in Charlotte, and finally, for the past seven years, as a regional sales rep for Hachette. She received NAIBA's Kristin Keith Sales Rep of the Year award this summer, and left Hachette in September. 

"I'm ready to take everything I've learned in my career and try to create something good and bookish and meaningful right in the neighborhood where I live, after focusing on readers and bookstores in other areas of the country," Isgrigg said. 

The transition from sales rep to bookstore owner was sparked in January 2025, according to Isgrigg, who recalled: "I was finishing up a sales call with Gayle [Weiswasser] and Amy [Joyce], the owners of Wonderland Books in Bethesda, Md. They hadn't been open very long at that point, and I had been working with them since the development of their opening inventory. I mentioned out loud my own dream to open a bookstore. Gayle paused and gave me a 'Really? Because I was talking to a friend from college who recently moved to Charlotte. He said he was thinking about opening a bookstore.' 

"She introduced the two of us. That's when David Ebersman and I discovered a shared vision and mission, and found that our skills and experiences made the ideal alchemy for a bookstore partnership. In the spring of this year, we decided to take our ideas and make them a reality." Michelle Ebersman was a high school teacher and David Ebersman worked in technology and healthcare.
 
Isgrigg noted that she will be the face of the Reading Tree Bookstore, responsible for branding, events, and operations. David Ebersman "is more behind-the-scenes. His motivation for wanting to open the store is in memory of his son, who was killed in an accident. His son was on the autism spectrum, and David thought that a bookstore is the kind of place where his son could have worked and thrived. And so, in addition to our other reasons for opening the store, we're using the store as that way to honor the memory of Sam." She added: "We also intend to hire individuals who live with autism as part of our staff."

Following its debut earlier this year, the Perfect Page has been making pop-up appearances around Fairfield, Conn., and the surrounding area, Optimum News 12 reported.

(via)

The mobile and online bookstore, which is built out of an all-electric van, carries new titles for all ages. Owners and best friends Stephanie Schechter and Juliet Majmudar curate the inventory for each stop, with the selection often featuring a mix of local authors, their own personal favorites, and books pertaining to a monthly theme. The pair have made stops at farmers markets, public beaches, and other locations around Fairfield, and they host a monthly book club called the "No Commitment Book Club."

Schechter noted that with the smaller selection, customers feel less overwhelmed by choice, and Majmudar praised the flexibility of a mobile model. It allows them to "bring books to wherever that need is, and whatever the interest is," she told Optimum News 12.

Some of Perfect Page's upcoming appearances include Sasco Beach, Southport Beach, Fairfield Farmers' Market, the Wilton Farmers' Market, and the Fairfield Harvest Market.

"Trust in the news has fallen to the lowest level they have ever recorded," reported Melissa Fleming, UN Under-Secretary-General for Communications, at the Frankfurt Book Fair in Frankfurt, Germany, last week. 

Left to right: Marten Risius, Yuliia Kozlovets, Melissa Fleming, Sherif Bakr

Fleming was the moderator of a panel discussion entitled "From Apathy to Action: The Fight for Democracy in an Age of Bad News," that included speakers Marten Risius, a professor at Neu Ulm University studying online trust and safety; Yuliia Kozlovets, director of the International Book Arsenal Festival in Kyiv, Ukraine; and Sherif Bakr, general manager of Al Arabi Publishing and Distributing in Cairo, Egypt. They discussed online misinformation and disinformation, news fatigue, and the role books can play in combating them.

The newest digital news report from the Reuters Institute, Fleming continued, has found that more than four in 10 people around the world "avoid news altogether," and more than six in 10 people "say they worry about telling what is real from what is fake online." Disinformation and clickbait increasingly "shape what we see" online, Fleming said, and it is "no wonder that many of us go on a so-called news diet." But switching off comes at a cost, as "we risk becoming disengaged at the very moment our democracies need informed and active citizens."

On the subject of today's information environment, Risius noted that people often say that there are "no gatekeepers anymore," but that is not exactly accurate. Traditional gatekeepers like news agencies are now in the position of trying to reach audiences through online platforms, which are the new gatekeepers. And while the traditional gatekeepers used to have standards of things like source credibility and verification, there are "other mechanisms at play" with social media, mainly attention and engagement.

Risius said a blog post written by Mark Zuckerberg in 2021 does a good job of illustrating how social media has altered editorial practices and content policies, and the harm it can lead to. The post described a "spectrum of content" where on one end there is "very unproblematic content" like cat videos or photos of someone's lunch, and on the opposite end, there is content like child sexual abuse material or terrorist videos. At some point between those ends of the spectrum, Risius explained, social media platforms have to decide where to "draw the line" on what they do and do not allow. 

While platforms are "fairly good" at keeping out the truly extreme content, he continued, the closer content comes to that line, "the more engagement you see." When users encounter "borderline content" or "gray area content" they clash with users holding opposing views, and in response to that, "the algorithm picks it up" and shows that toxic content to more users.

Kozlovets described the exhaustion and fatigue felt by Ukrainians in the "fifth year of the full-scale invasion." Those on the frontline are of course exhausted, but even those living far from it have been worn out by the continual danger and unpredictability. Though people try to get used to it, "you cannot feel it like a normal situation." That exhaustion, as well as a feeling of helpless, can lead to apathy. 

At the same time, "information fatigue" can also lead to disengagement. It is impossible to remain alert all the time, Kozlovets said. One cannot monitor Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram channels for 18 hours a day. "You need to go to the grocery store, you need to go to the doctor. You need to switch off this fucking phone." Doing so can take you "back to your agency." 

Kozlovets called books "crucial in this moment," saying she looks to them "as a method and instrument" of keeping going, even in this "awful situation." Reading is a mechanism through which people can survive and cope, because "when you are diving inside, you are safe." Book events like IBAF make people feel a return to agency and feel like they're not alone. It works as an "antidote," with people feeling that "we are here, we are alive, and we are not, you know, giving up."

Bakr recalled feeling overwhelmed and made helpless by images and videos coming out of Gaza. It "really breaks your heart," he said, and for many people, "you start not opening these videos" and disengaging. But as a publisher, he has recognized that when "some kind of a crisis" happens, people "run to the book," as they still see books as sources of trustworthy, credible information. 

When people rely on social media platforms for news, he said, "there are gaps in the market," and publishers should look to "fill in the gaps" with the books they publish. As examples he pointed to books his company has published about Gaza, an Italian book about drone warfare and "how terrible that can be," and a Canadian title about how "people are numb towards news now." Literature helps people make sense of what's happening, "whether it's wars" or "the phenomenon of misinformation," Bakr said.

He pointed out that it's not only about providing information but also about providing comfort. It is important to translate books from Ukraine, he said, in order to "hear them, feel them, humanize them." For Gaza, he has published books about geopolitics and history, but he has also made sure to publish books not just about war, but about daily life and going to the doctor, about people's dreams. That way, "you feel it's not just a building that fell or books that were burned," Bakr remarked. --Alex Mutter

British crime author Mandasue Heller, whose 20-plus novels sold more than one million copies worldwide, died September 30, the Bookseller reported. She was 66. Heller published books with Hodder & Stoughton, Pan Macmillan, and, most recently, Orion, which will release her latest novel, The Child, in paperback in January.

Mandasue Heller

She began her career as a professional singer, touring with country and western band Missouri Sunshine before moving into television, appearing in programs including Coronation Street, Brookside, and Boys from the Blackstuff. The Bookseller noted that after moving to Manchester in the early 1980s, she became involved in the city's underground music scene, but illness "forced her to temporarily stop singing in the late 1990s, prompting her to turn to crime fiction." 

Her debut novel, The Front, was published by Hodder & Stoughton in 2002. Other works include Afraid, The Family, and Forget Me Not.

"Readers devoured Mandasue's thrilling and genuinely gripping books, which explored dark themes, but always through a very human lens," said Anna Valentine, managing director of Orion. "When Mandasue joined Orion, she spoke of always seeking out the 'glimmers of hope' for her characters, even in the darkest of times.... I'm sure that this is one of the reasons why she was such a joy to work with and will be sorely missed by everyone at Orion, particularly those who were lucky enough to be part of her publishing team."

Sheila Crowley, her literary agent at Curtis Brown, added: "I first met Mandasue over 25 years ago, when I was sales director at Hodder. Her gritty storytelling with women at the core of every story, launched her long career. Later on, I became her literary agent. I will miss her beautiful spirit but know she will live on through her many stories."

Booksellers are great curators. Every table, staff pick, and event reflects a point of view about what customers will find interesting. Gift buying calls for that same instinct--but it can be hard to know where to look for products beyond the book trade.

Shelf Awareness and three sponsors--Dallas Market Center, The Unemployed Philosopher’s Guild, and Anne McGilvray & Company--are creating a special bookseller experience at the Total Home & Gift Market (January 6-12, 2027) in Dallas, Tex., designed to help booksellers discover the gift-market world, meet other bookstore buyers, find new resources, and learn how to shop a gift market with confidence.

The special experience will take place during the show, on January 6, 2027, and we're offering scholarships that will provide a dozen first-time attendees with two hotel nights, $200 for miscellaneous expenses, and market registration. Shelf Awareness and our partners will conduct a day of programming, including an introduction at the Anne McGilvray Showroom; a guided tour of the market; time to explore the market independently; and a closing reception where everyone can share what they've learned.

If gifts and sidelines are becoming a bigger part of your business--come to market. You already know how to curate a great bookstore. Now discover the sidelines that will delight your customers, build bigger baskets, and generate even more foot traffic.

Apply for the scholarship here. Applications are due by October 31, 2026, at 5 p.m. PT.

Roebling Books & Coffee, Newport, Ky., hosted a standing-room-only book launch/reception for Denise Derya Brandt. Brandt discussed her debut novel, Istanbul Dreaming, with fellow She Writes Press author Kim Danielson (Piece by Piece) (photo: Lisa VonLeuhrte/LiVon Photography & Design

Click here to see the latest Independent Press Top 40, the weekly bestseller list celebrating the bestselling 40 fiction and 40 nonfiction titles from independent publishers, as sold by independent bookstores across the country. The list is sponsored by the Independent Publishers Caucus and the American Booksellers Association.

This week's debut fiction titles:

13. Dark Reading Matter: The Last Thursday Next Novel (A Thursday Next Novel #8) by Jasper Fforde (Soho Press)
21. Brother of the More Famous Jack by Barbara Trapido (NYRB Classics)
22. F*cked Up Fairy Tales: Sinful Cinderellas, Prince Alarmings, and Other Timeless Classics by Liz Gotauco, illustrated by Jade Gotauco (W. W. Norton)
23. Fair Ones: A Double Novel by Lydia Millet (W. W. Norton)
24. We by Layli Long Soldier (Graywolf Press)

This week's debut nonfiction titles:

1. Blockers: Rebels in the Deep State by Michael Lewis (W. W. Norton)
7. Living in the Present with John Prine by Tom Piazza (W. W. Norton)
10. Monstrous Bitch: A History of Terrifying Women by Eleanor Johnson (Princeton University Press)
18. Strung Up: How White America Learned to Lynch Black Children by Stacey Patton (Beacon Press)
22. The Fifth Risk by Michael Lewis (Norton)
26. Requiem for Gaza by Chris Hedges, Joe Sacco (Fantagraphics)
31. Eros the Bittersweet: An Essay (Princeton Classics #129) by Anne Carson (Princeton University Press)
36. There's a Monster in the Lake: The World as a Fantastical Place by Laura Fernández (Graywolf Press)
40. California Inside Out: Mapping an Ecology of Mind by Obi Kaufmann (Heyday Books)

"Dreaming of snuggling up in a cozy spot with a good book! What are you currently reading? Any books you're excited to start soon now that the weather is cooling down for fall? (Not counting today--what even is this 80 degree weather?!)" Garden Wall Bookshop in Verona, Wis., posted.

"Don't ghost your friend's small business!" the Reading Rabbit Bookshop in Azle, Tex., offered a friendly, Halloween-themed reminder, adding: "We know September has been busy for everyone. Cost of living is also rising and books might not make the priority list. However, that is what makes the Reading Rabbit Bookshop so great! We just miss people coming and hanging out. So next time you get a free moment, perhaps consider spending some time in your local indie bookshop. We can't wait to see you!"

Tomorrow:
Good Morning America: Ryan Bartlow, co-author of Essentially Basque: Bringing Spanish Cooking Home (Abrams, $40, 9781419784422).

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.

Sunday, October 18
8 a.m. Nikolas Bowie and Daphna Renan, authors of Supremacy: How Rule by the Court Replaced Government by the People (W.W. Norton, $31.99, 9781324092803).

10 a.m. Rye Barcott, author of Courage Can Save US: Ten Extraordinary Americans and the Fight for Our Future (Bloomsbury, $32, 9798260200575).

11 a.m. Lois Romano, author of An Inconvenient Widow: The Torment, Trial, and Triumph of Mary Todd Lincoln (Simon & Schuster, $31, 9781982140724), at the 2026 Jackson Hole Book Festival in Wyoming.

11:45 a.m. Leah C. Stokes, author of The Carbon Wave: A Story of Democracy, Parenthood, and the Race to Protect Our Planet (The MIT Press, $32.95, 9780262054775). 

1 p.m. Emmaia Gelman, author of The Anti-Defamation League and the Racial State (University of California Press, $29.95, 9780520410442), at the 2026 Baltimore Book Festival.

1:53 p.m. Monique Couvson, author of Black Stats: African Americans by the Numbers (The New Press, $22.99, 9781620979624), at the Baltimore Book Festival.

2:48 p.m. Gil Durán, author of The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy (Avid Reader Press, $30, 9781668221402), at the Baltimore Book Festival.

3:41 p.m. Julia Harte, author of Americans Without Borders: The Radical Activists Who Fought for US Ideals Abroad While Facing Political Persecution at Home (Redwood Press, $30, 9781503632837), at the Baltimore Book Festival.

4:29 p.m. A discussion on the America West with Paul Andrew Hutton, author of The Undiscovered Country: Triumph, Tragedy, and the Shaping of the American West (Dutton, $35, 9781524746131); Robert Moor, author of In Trees: An Exploration (Simon & Schuster, $30, 9781476739250); and Craig Johnson, author of The Brothers McKay: A Longmire Mystery (Viking, $30, 9780593830734), at the Jackson Hole Book Festival.

5:24 p.m. A discussion on American history, geopolitics, and media with Eugene Robinson, author of Freedom Lost, Freedom Won: A Personal History of America (Simon & Schuster, $30, 9781982176716); David E. Sanger, author of New Cold Wars: China's Rise, Russia's Invasion, and America's Struggle to Defend the West (Crown, $21, 9780593443613); and Theo Baker, author of How to Rule the World: An Education in Power at Stanford University (Penguin Press, $32, 9780593832837), at the Jackson Hole Book Festival.

6:15 p.m. David M. Rubenstein, author of Inside the Owner's Box: Conversations on Power and Leadership in Sports (Simon & Schuster, $30, 9781668022498).

Three Canadian editors have been named finalists for the 2026 Nancy Flight Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction Editing. The award, which was announced in January, is named for the longtime nonfiction editor who is funding the prize from 2026 to 2033, Quill & Quire reported. The finalists are:

katherena vermette for Carry Your Heart: Indigenous Helping Wisdom and the Science of Psychological Flexibility by Louis Busch (Simon & Schuster Canada)
George Galt for My Year in Fairyland: Grief, MAID and a Lifetime of Books by Sarah Ellis (Stonehewer Books) 
Rachel Rose for Humanitarienne: A Doctor's Stories from the Conflict Zone by Kirsten Johnson (Douglas & McIntyre)

The C$25,000 (about US$17,560) prize highlights the vital role editors play in shaping a manuscript. Finalists each receive C$2,500 (about US$1,760). The winner will be named at the Writers' Trust Awards in Toronto on November 10.

Selected new titles appearing next Tuesday, October 20:

Miss Wolcott's Ghost: A Novel by Louise Penny (Minotaur, $30, 9781250412607) is the 21st Chief Inspector Gamache mystery.

Chain Reaction by Lee Child and Andrew Child (Bantam, $34, 9798217375158) is the 31st Jack Reacher thriller.

The Bishop of Durham Attempts to Surrender the City by Susanna Clarke (Bloomsbury, $16.99, 9781639739813) is an illustrated short story set in the fantasy world of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell.

Whale Harbor: A Novel by Mary Beth Keane (Scribner, $29, 9781668224632) is an intergenerational family saga beginning in 1960s Ireland, where a father of 11 sends his older sons abroad for work and keeps the younger ones at home.

The Family Cross by James Patterson (Little, Brown, $32, 9780316569743) is the 36th thriller with Alex Cross.

Front Desk by Kelly Yang (Graphix, $14.99, 9781338856446) is the graphic novel edition, illustrated by Fumio Obata, of the 2018 middle-grade novel about a girl working at her immigrant parents' motel.

The Little Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak (Rocky Pond, $10.99, 9798217242597) is a board book version of Novak's 2014 picture book The Book with No Pictures, rewritten to make the words and actions accessible to little ones.

Simply Ina: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten (Clarkson Potter, $40, 9780593234174) includes 85 new recipes.

Redemption: Faith, Justice, and Sisterhood on Death Row by Lawrence Wright (Knopf, $35, 9780593805084) tells the story of a convent of nuns who met regularly with women on death row in Texas.

Our Arab: On Longing, Belonging, and Hope by Zaina Arafat ‎(Little, Brown, $28, 9780316584685) is an essay collection about the Palestinian diaspora.

Anti-Fascist Economics: In Defense of Affordability, Dignity, and Democracy by Isabella Weber (Random House, $32, 9798217154432) explores how inequality, inflation, and corporate power threaten democracy.

Hyperscale: The Ambition and Excess of Big Tech's Data Empires by Paris Marx (Riverhead, $31, 9798217048526) chronicles the deception, exploitation, and destruction involved in the explosion of data centers.

Paperbacks:
Wild Wicked Mate by Laurie Gilmore (HarperCollins, $18.99, 9780008834890).

The 10:12: A Novel by Anna Maloney (Harper Perennial, $18.99, 9780063487888).

Goblin Market by A.J. Hackwith (Ace, $20, 9780593546598).

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

Hardcover
The Radiance: A Novel by Ayad Akhtar (S&S/Summit Books, $29, 9781668078631). "A near-fatal accident elevates the author-protagonist to an altered state of perception--mystical and radiant, akin to a religious epiphany or pre-seizure euphoria. His pursuit of an explanation converges with a campus scandal, revealing incisive field notes on the state of higher education in our country." --Karen Hwang, Wellesley Books, Wellesley, Mass.

Ply: A Novel by Hernan Diaz (Riverhead, $32, 9780593719541). "An epic dystopian novel that feels familiar, and all too possible, which adds to the sense of dread. This future still has music, art, and against all odds, science. But to balance the darkness, it has a strong dose of love and hope." --Alana Haley, Schuler Books, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Paperback
See You Next Tuesday: A Novel by Kate Stayman-London (Dial Press Trade Paperback, $19, 9780593980118). "Like the author, I worked on Democratic campaigns. This book transported me back to my campaign days of late nights, endless pizza and emotions running high. Anya and Gabe reminded me so much of my campaign crush back in 2016, and I couldn't help but think about what could have happened between us. I loved everything about this book." --Sam Miller, The Novel Notion, Athens, Ohio

Ages 4-8
I Am Not Grumpy! by Caroline L. Perry, illus. by Sydney Hanson (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $19.99, 9781665984195). "This is the perfect follow up to I Am Not Happy! The most adorable rain frog is feeling very misunderstood with her 'resting frog face.' Her frown does not mean she is grumpy. The best picture book that will be a huge hit this year." --Amy Traughber, pages: a bookstore, Manhattan Beach, Calif.

Ages 8-12
The Moonlit Spiral: A Graphic Novel by Mike Maihack (Candlewick, $24.99, 9781536224481). "Rion (doesn't believe in magic) is about to go on the most magical adventure (seriously) to find a legendary treasure (that may not even be real)! What's life without a little adventure? I know you don't want to hear this, but what if the treasure really was the friends we made along the way?" --Jamie Kovacs, Flyleaf Books, Chapel Hill, N.C.

Ages 13+
Radio Free Texas by Libba Bray (Scholastic, $21.99, 9781546156543). "Full of captivating, complex characters, brimming with nostalgia, and backed by a great rock-and-roll soundtrack, Radio Free Texas is sure to appeal to both teens feeling stuck and adults who remember that frustration." --Jenn Guare, The Briar Patch, Bangor, Me.

[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]

Sports reporter and basketball player Kate Fagan (What Made Maddy Run; The Three Lives of Cate Kay) scores big with Instant Classic, a novel of three women navigating basketball, same-sex love, and Hollywood over decades. This is a big-hearted love story, a review of how far women's sports have and have not come since the 1950s, and a rejuvenating narrative of female friendships.

In alternating chapters, Fagan follows three strong characters. In present-day Los Angeles, Marion May wishes desperately to step out of her father's shadow as a film director. The two also share a background in and love of basketball, but perhaps little else; Marion is forever seeking his approval and hiding her true self. Into her trajectory steps Jaz Jones, a self-assured, openly gay star in the WNBA, though her career may be nearing its end. With Jaz comes her coach and lifelong parental figure, Harper Kidd, now in late life. It is Jaz's idea that Marion's next film should tell Harper's story: the farm girl who played for Hanes Hosiery for a single season during their early-1950s domination of the Amateur Athletic Union before she moved out west and reinvented herself again. A former collegiate player, Marion is surprised at how strongly she is drawn to Harper's account (told in riveting flashback sequences), which quickly expands to encompass Jaz's very different one. But the film will also include both women's queer identities--a thread Marion still struggles to confront in her own life, and a story that Hollywood is yet more reluctant to tell. "Can you believe it?" Jaz tells her, "We're mythologizing women's sports, and they're paying us to do it." But of course it won't be that simple. Alongside the highs and lows of screenwriting and production comes Marion's personal growth and the romance she yearns for and fears.

Fagan writes moving, stirring, in-the-moment action scenes, most notably on the basketball court, but she also includes scenes of love, conflict, and self-discovery, as when young Harper finally finds a place where she fits in, or looks up "lesbian" in the dictionary. Good sportswriting is deceptively difficult, but Fagan has that gift; in parallel, Marion and her team ask themselves, "Would it be easier to make basketball players good actors or actors good basketball players?" This layering of basketball and art is consistently rewarding, and sports fans will be on the edge of their seats, but the human drama of self-actualization and the fulfillment of a journey toward love and acceptance are at least as central. Instant Classic is a heart-wrenching, ultimately heartwarming feat that lives up to its name. --Julia Kastner, blogger at pagesofjulia

Shelf Talker: A young film director takes a gamble on the narrative of a trailblazer in women's basketball, which leads her to face her own hidden truths, in this heartfelt novel about queer love, women's sports, and the power of storytelling.

Bookshop Day was celebrated last Saturday, October 10, in the U.K., New Zealand, and Australia (where it is called Love Your Bookshop Day). Among the highlights:

The U.K. 
According to new YouGov polling commissioned by the the Booksellers Association of the U.K. & Ireland and released just ahead of Bookshop Day and World Mental Health Day (also October 10), 90% of respondents felt visiting a bookshop improved their mood in the moment, while 84% said it had a positive impact on their overall wellbeing, the Bookseller reported. The survey also showed that 78% said bookshops helped them switch off from social media and screen time, while 72% said visiting a bookshop or attending a bookshop event helped them feel better during difficult times.

"Bookshop Day is a celebration of brilliant bookshops and booksellers, and everything they bring to our lives. They make our high streets more vibrant, bring people together and inspire us to read--but their impact goes even further," said Emma Bradshaw, head of brand and consumer marketing at the BA. "These findings show just how much bookshops can mean to us personally: lifting our mood, supporting the wellbeing of our communities and giving us precious time away from our screens."

Griffin Books in Penarth, Wales, posted that a bookshop "is more than just a shop selling books, it is a portal to another place, another country, another time and even another world. The Tardis has nothing on us. It is a place of safety and understanding, somewhere to make new friends and connect with old ones.... Today isn't just #BookshopDay it is also #WorldMentalHealthDay which feels like the most perfect combination to us."

Portobello Books in Edinburgh, Scotland, noted that Bookshop Day "serves as a dedicated time each year to highlight all that bookshops do for their communities, and we couldn’t be prouder to be a part of such a wonderful bookselling scene here in Edinburgh. So, from our shop to yours, happy Bookshop Day!"

Later, Books Are My Bag posted: "As Bookshop Day 2026 comes to a close, here's just a little glimpse of everything that's been happening today... it's been wonderful to see bookshops across the U.K. and Ireland celebrating in so many creative ways. What a brilliant day!"

Australia 
Love Your Bookshop Day 2026 "was huge," according to Australian Booksellers Association CEO Susannah Bowen, who told Books+Publishing that many bookshops had reported their best-ever foot traffic and sales, and that this year's theme, "Ask a bookseller. Shake up your shelf," resonated well with media and consumers. Community ambassadors Tough Guy Book Club and Birds of a Feather Book Club "came out to support"; and the Tough Guy Book Club's U.S. chapter in Denver, Colo., even visited its local bookshop, Black & Read.

"Personally, I was in Brisbane where I visited as many bookshops as I could," said Bowen, adding that it was "brilliant to see activities including cookies, book tent, maker's market, live music, sausage sizzle, free champagne, costumes and so much more!" 

"What an INCREDIBLE day!!!" Avid Reader Bookshop in Brisbane posted. "We truly felt the love on #LYBD2026. Thank you to everyone who came by, and thank you to our remarkable vendors for joining us to celebrate! Here's to many more Love Your Bookshop Days to come"

Tough Guy Book Club members

"Have you spotted the #LYBD2026 campaign artwork in a bookshop near you?," asked the ABA. "This year’s artwork is by illustrator Bill Hope, whose wonderful illustrations capture the joy of finding your next great read and, in his words, 'show booksellers as a tour guide to your next literary adventure.' "

Collins Booksellers in Warrnambool captured the thoughts of many in thanking "the hundreds of people who came through our doors and celebrated Love Your Bookshop Day.... There has perhaps never been a time more critical for championing bookshops and all that they stand for, so witnessing people choose a bookseller over an algorithm, take a moment to sit in the sun and try a new read, be playful with stories and engage kids in literature.... These things fill our hearts. These things matter." 

New Zealand 
As Bookshop Day New Zealand approached, Booksellers Aotearoa NZ reminded readers that "there has never been a better reason to get out and explore your local bookshops.... Booksellers are what make our book-buying experience so special. They are book experts, community champions, and matchmakers--the people who press the right book into your hands at exactly the right moment."

This year's Bookshop Day NZ tote was created by Coco Solid, "author, artist, and self-described standard-issue nerd," who shared "the story behind the artwork and what bookshops mean to her."

"As an author who had an incredible experience releasing my work in Aotearoa, there are now two groups of people I do not play about: librarians and booksellers," Coco Solid wrote. "My pukapuka, How to Loiter in a Turf War, was able to reach my intended audience fairly quickly (and beyond) because of the commitment, humor, creativity and white-knuckle support of bookshops, big and small.... I experienced a week of hype and Instagram stories, and I felt like releasing my book into the world was something I could transmit successfully because of the cultural labor that booksellers do. I will always be grateful for this relationship."

Unity Books in Auckland posted its own enthusiastic response to the artist: "How we spent @bookshopdaynz 2026 at Unity Books Auckland: Chatting with the amazingly talented author and artist @cocosolid."

Jess Segar-Young, manager of Timaru Booksellers in Wellington, summed up the spirit of Bookshop Days everywhere by telling the Press that bookstores are more than just retail spaces: "We are cultural powerhouses, that help keep our high streets alive, promote a positive sense of place, and enhance the literacy of our patrons by providing an abundant and diverse offering of print titles."