Longtime owner Sarah Bagby has sold Watermark Books & Cafe in Wichita, Kan., to new owners Erin and Ryan Potter, the Wichita Eagle reported.

The Potters were regular customers at Watermark before deciding to buy it. They both have day jobs, which they will keep, and will rely on the store's staff to run things. They do not have any significant changes to the store in mind. Their immediate goals include ensuring a smooth ownership transition and becoming part of the Watermark community.

"We're here to enhance what the community already loves about Watermark and want to continue to make it a special place for everyone," Erin Potter told the Eagle.

In a statement, Bagby said of the Potters: "In our meetings, they were keen to learn more about my story with the bookstore and indicated that they were not looking to make sweeping changes. Customers appreciate our supportive and informed staff. I have confidence that in partnership with the staff, the Potters will ensure that Watermark Books & Cafe remains Wichita’s home for books."

Erin Potter grew up in Neodesha, Kan., and works in physician and provider recruitment, while Ryan Potter grew up in Manhattan, Kan., and is a v-p at Koch Engineered Solutions. They met while attending Wichita State University, and decided to settle in the area.

Watermark was first opened in 1977 by original owner Bruce Jacobs. Bagby became majority owner in 1996 and moved the store to its current location in Lincoln Heights. She put the store on the market earlier this year.

Bromley's Books, which launched a mobile bookstore in a converted bus last September, will open a bricks-and-mortar location this month at 813 N. Third St. in Marquette, Mich. WLUC reported that owner Chelsea Bromley plans to open the store officially on Independent Bookstore Day, April 26.

The bookshop will offer a range of new books, including classics, contemporary titles, books from local authors, and native stories. Bromley added that it will enhance the bus's mission to travel across the Upper Peninsula bringing books to people.

"It gives us the opportunity to take our little mobile bookstore outside of Marquette and make some trips up to Negaunee and Ishpeming," she noted. "We have some plans to go to L'Anse this summer. So, it really helps us get books out into more rural communities here in the U.P." 

In a recent Instagram post, Bromley's Books wrote: "Bookshelves, books, and boxes! Our to-do list is long, but we're making steady progress at Bromley's Books on Third. Thank you being part of this new chapter, we're excited for you to see your new neighborhood bookshop!"

Volunteers helping with Serendipity's move.

Last Sunday, April 13, a 300-strong volunteer book brigade helped Serendipity Books, Chelsea, Mich., move 9,100 books and hundreds of boxes in just under two hours.

Owner Michelle Tuplin told the Sun Times News: "I know the Chelsea community is strong, and Serendipity Books enjoys a central space in that community but to see what that means in action, to see people come together, to hear the laughter and the singing and the new conversations, to see friendships springing up as people chatted about the books they passed, it was a sight to behold for sure. Home is where we make it and Chelsea is our home."

David Tenney, co-founder of Kramerbooks (now Kramers), Washington, D.C., died on January 31 at the age of 80.

David Tenney

In 1976, with Bill Kramer and Henry Posner, he founded Kramerbooks, located just north of DuPont Circle, which grew from a small independent bookstore into what an obituary called "an iconic landmark gathering place for book lovers, intellectuals, creatives, politicians, and celebrities." The store stocked an extensive collection of books and featured a popular café, Afterwords, which became a model for other bookstores that wanted to provide places for customers to lounge and read. For a time, the store was open 24 hours a day. In 1998, Kramerbooks successfully fought a subpoena from Kenneth Starr during the Clinton investigation, seeking records of book purchases by Monica Lewinsky. In 2016, Tenney and Kramer sold the store to Steve Salis, founder of &pizza, with Tenney remaining as minority owner. The following year, Tenney sold his interest.

Tenney was known for his "unwavering commitment to creating a space where people could not only buy books, but also engage in lively discussions, attend author readings, and enjoy good food in a warm, inclusive environment," his obituary noted. "David was a passionate reader and prided himself on his ability to advise and recommend books to his very diverse clientele. Though he insisted that his bookstore was 'serious' (it had an exceptionally broad inventory), his demeanor was always upbeat with a wry, irreverent, and iconoclastic humor...

"David's dedication to independent bookstores and his belief in the importance of local businesses helped preserve a sense of individuality in a world increasingly dominated by chain retailers. His leadership and vision kept the store thriving even in the face of challenges posed by the rise of online shopping.

"Tenney was also known for his generosity and commitment to his community. He will always be remembered for his support for local authors, his involvement in literary events, and his love for fostering intellectual dialogue. He built meaningful relationships with both customers and employees, many of whom considered him a mentor and friend."

Schuler Books in West Bloomfield, Mich., hosted the launch for The Perfect Divorce by Jeneva Rose (Blackstone). More than 330 fans attended the sold-out event.

"A good book can help you grow." Wonderland Books, Bethesda, Md., shared a photo of the shop's spring-themed sidewalk chalkboard message. 

Ivy Quirk is joining Simon & Schuster as field account manager for the Northern California region, effective April 21. She joins Simon & Schuster from Bookshop Santa Cruz, where she has been for more than 10 years, first managing the adult hardbacks section before working as children's buyer for the last six years. She worked to increase access to books for the underserved part of their community, working with local schools, including a Spanish-language option in their summer reading program, and working with the local county office of education to bolster LGBTQIA+ selections in school libraries. She also recently served as part of the political advocacy arm of CALIBA. She started her career as a bookseller at Borders.

Quirk succeeds Cheri Hickman, who is taking on the newly created role of new accounts and backlist specialist.

"We've dressed up our back wall to celebrate National Poetry Month! Stop by to leave your favorite poem and take a new one home with you." lala books, Lowell, Mass., posted on Instagram.

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 19
9:30 a.m. Jay Hakes, author of The Presidents and the Planet: Climate Change Science and Politics from Eisenhower to Bush (‎LSU Press, $39.95, 9780807181904). (Re-airs Saturday at 9:30 p.m.)

3:30 p.m. Ana Minian, author of In the Shadow of Liberty: The Invisible History of Immigrant Detention in the United States (‎Viking, $32, 9780593654255), and Hidetaka Hirota, author of Expelling the Poor: Atlantic Seaboard States and the Nineteenth-Century Origins of American Immigration Policy (‎Oxford University Press, $36.99, 9780190055561).

4:45 p.m. George F. Will, author of Men at Work: The Craft of Baseball (Harper Perennial, $18.99, 9780061999819), and Kevin Baker, author of The New York Game: Baseball and the Rise of a New City (‎Knopf, $35, 9780375421839).

Sunday, April 20
8 a.m. Elie Mystal, author of Bad Law: Ten Popular Laws That Are Ruining America (The New Press, $26.99, 9781620978580), at Politics and Prose in Washington, D.C. (Re-airs Sunday at 8 p.m.)

9 a.m. Eric Schmidt, co-author of Genesis: Artificial Intelligence, Hope, and the Human Spirit (‎Little, Brown, $30, 9780316581295). (Re-airs Sunday at 9 p.m.)

10 a.m. Viet Thanh Nguyen, author of To Save and to Destroy: Writing as an Other (Belknap Press, $26.95, 9780674298170). (Re-airs Sunday at 10 p.m.)

2 p.m. Riley Black, author of When the Earth Was Green: Plants, Animals, and Evolution's Greatest Romance (St. Martin's Press, $29, 9781250288998).

3 p.m. Bernadette Atuahene, author of Plundered: How Racist Policies Undermine Black Homeownership in America (Little, Brown, $32.50, 9780316572217).

4:20 p.m. Daniel Stone, author of American Poison: A Deadly Invention and the Woman Who Battled for Environmental Justice (‎Dutton, $32, 9780593473627).

5:12 p.m. John Green, author of Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection (Crash Course Books, $28, 9780525426059).

6:28 p.m. Meenakshi Ahamed, author of Indian Genius: The Meteoric Rise of Indians in America (HarperCollins India, $40, 9789365692402).

7:30 p.m. Katie Mitchell, author of Prose to the People: A Celebration of Black Bookstores (Clarkson Potter, $26.99, 9780593581346).

Commonwealth Foundation Creatives has released a shortlist for the 2025 Commonwealth Short Story Prize. This year's shortlist of 25 writers, representing 18 Commonwealth countries, was chosen by the international judging panel from a record-breaking 8,000 submissions. Writers from Antigua & Barbuda, and Saint Lucia are included for the first time. See the complete list of finalists here.

Regional winners, who each receive £2,500 (about $3,305), will be revealed May 14, with the overall £5,000 (about $6,610) winner named June 25. If the winning short story is a translation into English, the translator receives £750 (about $990). The winning stories are published online by Granta and in a special print collection by Paper + Ink. The shortlisted stories are published in adda, the online literary magazine of the Commonwealth Foundation. 

Chair of judges Vilsoni Hereniko commented: "A great story moves us, causes us to think, and sometimes changes us. This shortlist of relevant, vibrant, and essential reading is made up of the best 25 stories from a pool of almost 8,000 entries. Together, they demonstrate why the short story form must continue to be supported and promoted."

Selected new titles appearing next Tuesday, April 22:

Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry (Berkley, $29, 9780593441299) is a romance about two writers vying to write the biography of a secretive heiress.

Notes to John by Joan Didion (Knopf, $32, 9780593803677) is a journal written by the author when she began seeing a psychiatrist in 1999.

Shadow of the Solstice by Anne Hillerman (Harper, $30, 9780063344853) is the 28th Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito mystery.

Medicine River: A Story of Survival and the Legacy of Indian Boarding Schools by Mary Annette Pember (Pantheon, $29, 9780553387315) explores the history of Native American boarding schools in the U.S.

Eat the Ones You Love by Sarah Maria Griffin (Tor Books, $27.99, 9781250910691) follows a woman working in a florist shop run by a sentient orchid.

The Pretender: A Novel by Jo Harkin (Knopf, $30, 9780593803301) is historical fiction about a peasant boy in 1480 England who turns out to have a claim to the throne.

Into the Gray Zone by Brad Taylor (Morrow, $32, 9780063222083) is the 19th Pike Logan thriller.

Change the Recipe: Because You Can't Build a Better World Without Breaking Some Eggs by José Andrés and Richard Wolffe (Ecco, $26.99, 9780063436152) is the memoir of a chef and humanitarian.

Tahini Baby: Bright, Everyday Recipes That Happen to Be Vegetarian by Eden Grinshpan (Avery, $35, 9780593713426) is inspired by Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine.

Accidentally on Purpose by Kristen Kish (Little, Brown, $30, 9780316580915) is the memoir of a chef and cooking show host.

Don't Cause Trouble by Arree Chung (Holt, $14.99, 9781250887306) is a middle-grade novel featuring a young protagonist with immigrant parents who, despite English being his first (and only) language, is placed in an ESL class.

Here Is a Book by Elisha Cooper (Abrams, $18.99, 9781419766756) is a picture book that describes exactly how the child reader received the book they are reading.

Paperbacks:
The Book Club for Troublesome Women: A Novel by Marie Bostwick (Harper Muse, $18.99, 9781400344741).

When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy (Tor Nightfire, $18.99, 9781250354341).

The Keeper of Lost Art: A Novel by Laura Morelli (Morrow Paperbacks, $18.99, 9780063206014).

Genocide Bad: Notes on Palestine, Jewish History, and Collective Liberation by Sim Kern (Interlink Books, $18.95, 9781623716363).

The Friendship Bench: How Fourteen Grandmothers Inspired a Mental Health Revolution by Dr. Dixon Chibanda (New World Library, $18.95, 9781955831024).

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

Hardcover
Hunchback: A Novel by Saou Ichikawa, trans. by Polly Barton (Hogarth, $22, 9780593734711). "Saou Ichikawa makes disability visible in Japan. This book shakes you to the core and takes you on an unforgettable journey. A portrait of what it's like to live with disability and what it's like to be a strong woman who makes her own decisions." --Rosita Georgiades, City of Asylum Bookstore, Pittsburgh, Pa.

O Sinners!: A Novel by Nicole Cuffy (One World, $28, 9780593597446). "A beautiful novel that seamlessly weaves together themes of trauma, belonging, and belief. The underlying eeriness and sense of paranoia throughout are gripping, and the thought-provoking questions raised offer plenty to discuss." --Maggie Shaw, Honest Dog Books, Bayfield, Wis.

Paperback
Annie Bot: A Novel by Sierra Greer (Mariner, $18.99, 9780063312708). "Annie is an AI-enabled sex doll that learns from her mistakes to please humans. What happens when her intelligence turns inward? A novel about power, intimacy, artificial intelligence, and an imperfect relationship under patriarchy." --Jennifer Carney, Sidetrack Bookshop, Royal Oak, Mich.

Ages 4-8
So Tortoise Dug by Emmy Kastner (S&S Books for Young Readers, $19.99, 9781665931359). "Such a cute tale of animal friendships. When faced with a flood, tortoise digs burrows for all, but is frustrated when no one is ready to move in. I love the illustrations underground!" --Alissa Redmond, South Main Book Company, Salisbury, N.C.

Ages 8-12
River of Spirits by Shana Targosz (Aladdin, $18.99, 9781665957632). "For fans of Percy Jackson and The Clackity. The young Senka, ferrier-in-training to the underworld, is full of spunk and determination. Poppy, alive, is searching for her dead brother. What could go wrong?! Giant birds, evil witches, and mythic monsters are just the start." --Rachel Brewer, Carmichael's Bookstore, Louisville, Ky.

Teen Readers
Hunger's Bite by Taylor Robin (Union Square & Co., $24.99, 9781454950240). "What should be another routine crossing of the Atlantic for Emery, Neeta, and the SS Lark turns deadly when new management steps in and their intentions are... less than good. Perhaps even a little demonic. An enthralling debut graphic novel." --Morgan Holub, E. Shaver, Bookseller, Savannah, Ga.

[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]

Though he's best known as the author of novels including his Pulitzer Prize-winning Empire Falls and the North Bath Trilogy, Richard Russo is also a perceptive and empathetic essayist and critic. That skill is manifest in his second nonfiction collection, Life and Art.

In the seven pieces that compose the book's "Life" section, Russo (The Destiny Thief) examines America's troubling tribal culture ("Stiff Neck"), considers the effect of the Covid-19 lockdown on his writing life ("Triage"), and tells a remarkable story of how a lost wedding ring reminded him that "stories... are incubators of meaning" ("Meaning"). Several of the remaining essays in this portion reflect from different angles on his relationship with his parents and his upbringing in the mill town of Gloversville, N.Y., named for the industry that provided its main source of employment until its collapse and that inspired him to create its fictional alter ego.

As Russo portrays it in "A Marriage Story," his parents were a badly mismatched pair. They separated during his childhood, after which he and his mother moved into an upstairs apartment in a home purchased by his maternal grandparents. They eventually landed in Arizona when he left to attend college. Although his father's proclivity for gambling away the earnings from his job as a construction worker and closing down Gloversville's bars was the proximate cause of their split, Russo plumbs the depths of their unhappiness. He locates the roots of the breakdown in the irreconcilable clash between his father's fundamentally dark view of American life after returning from heroic service in World War II and his mother's "patriotic optimism."

In Life and Art's "Art" section, Russo offers six essays that touch on an assortment of topics related to the writing and teaching to which he has devoted his life. Among the most intriguing is "The Future." In it, he explains why, for him, the 1969 film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid presents a thoughtful study of disruption, illuminating how the changes in the world in which these outlaws first thrived and then failed reflect contemporary economic and social changes. In "Words and Their Arrangement," he efficiently dissects iconic singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt's song "Pancho and Lefty" to reveal how "great art, it seems, can be made of humble materials."

That statement, in fact, is an apt characterization of Russo's own approach to his craft. As is true of his fiction, he's a direct and plainspoken stylist. But that lack of affectation should not be confused with an absence of depth. Despite their brevity and transparency, Life and Art's insightful explorations offer more grist for contemplation than many longer and superficially more complex works. --Harvey Freedenberg, freelance reviewer

Shelf Talker: In 13 cogent essays, novelist Richard Russo candidly reflects on aspects of his personal and professional life.

Carl was not fond of groups of people: they made him uncomfortable. Besides, he was the Book Walker, not the Book Talker. But how much longer could that continue? In that moment, he could no longer avoid reality: only a very few more book rounds lay ahead of him. And without books, he would cease to walk. He delivered books: that was his life. Without books, that life would be no more. 

--from The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn

I started reading Carsten Henn's lovely novel just after National Bookmobile Day snuck up on me. Appropriately enough, the Book Bus, Cincinnati, Ohio, had tipped me off with a Facebook recommendation: "Book Reveal! Here's the surprise book that the online Book Club received this month. This sweet little read is a German translation and has all the bookish vibes. The Door-to-Door Bookstore takes place in a small town in Germany and centers around Carl Kallhoff, who is a book seller at City Gate Bookstore. When he unexpectedly loses his job, he must find another way to fuel his passion for books. He soon meets nine-year-old Schascha and together they make a plan to get books in the hands of folks who need them. It's a delightful novel about the power of books and friendship."

Okay, it used to be National Bookmobile Day; now it's National Library Outreach Day. Celebrated during National Library Week, NLOD recognizes "library outreach and the dedicated library professionals who are meeting their patrons where they are. Whether it's a bookmobile stop at the local elementary school, services provided to community homes, or library pop-ups at community gatherings, these services are essential to the community."

For a little historical perspective, the New York Public Library Bookmobile posted on Facebook: "Did you know? The first Bookmobiles began in the early 1900s, bringing books to communities that didn't have easy access to libraries. Fast forward to today, and the NYPL Bookmobile is still on the road, delivering not just books, but also joy, discovery, and connection to neighborhoods across New York City! We're celebrating the legacy of bringing books right to your doorstep, and we couldn't do it without our amazing Bookmobile team!"

Independent booksellers were celebrating as well, of course. Indie bookmobiles come in a wide range of options: some are full-time bookmobiles, while others are part of a physical bookstore's own outreach operations. Many booksellers who launched their businesses with bookmobiles eventually expanded into bricks-and-mortar stores. Some, like the Book Bus, have literally combined them under one roof. 

During the first couple years of the Covid pandemic, most booksellers became Book Walkers, as well as Book Bikers, Book Drivers, or any means of transportation to deliver books into the hands of readers, if at a safe distance. 

Flash forward to National Bookmobile Day 2025, and several mobile indies have been checking in on social media, including:

Eureka Books, Eureka, Calif.: "We are so fortunate to have a bookmobile that serves those that may not be able to make it to the main branches of our Humboldt County Library. So Happy National Bookmobile Day today!"

Wandering Quills Bookshop, Columbus, Ohio: "Some detail shots of Wandering Quills Bookshop! I (Kristen) worked diligently with @elephantheadgraphics to create this absolutely incredible wrap for our trailer! We hope it brings the perfect woodsy, hedgehog-y vibes!! The books were also hand designed by me with inspiration from @stories.by.anne. it could not look better!! so excited to take this baby out onto the road!!"

Bloom Wild Bookshop, Los Angeles, Calif.: "BIG NEWS! Today, on National Bookmobile Day, I'm thrilled to finally share the name of the shop with you... Bloom Wild Bookshop. Bloom Wild is a mobile bookstore and native plant shop, carrying banned books, BIPOC literature, and California native plants. To bloom wild is to reclaim space, restore ecosystems, reimagine access, and nurture community with bold possibility."

Birdie's Bookmobile, Detroit, Mich.: "Woohoo! We are celebrating National Bookmobile Day with a new #Birdiesbookmobile! Thank you Arts & Scraps. We are proud to be the new stewards of the original Scrapmobile! We can't wait to hit the road this summer with a fresh design and lots of books.... Thank you, @sourcebooksellers and Griot Book Club, for hosting a book drive for #BirdiesBookmobile. We are in awe of the beautiful books you selected with love and care. We have shared them with children in Detroit who added these gorgeous books to their home libraries. It brings us great joy to know they can open the gift of a book again and again!"

The Book Bus also reminded me of another favorite read, perfectly suited to the National Bookmobile Day vibe: "How pleased was I to sit down with my Slightly Foxed Spring edition to find a musing on Christopher Morley's Parnassus on Wheels!! If you're new here, you may not know that The Book Bus was inspired by this book. And now I have a desire to reread this little gem of a book. It's been years since I've read it."

Morley published Parnassus on Wheels more than a century ago, and it still resonates with book people. "By and by I got this idea of a travelling bookstore," he wrote. "I had always been a lover of books, and in the days when I boarded out among the farmers I used to read aloud to them. After my mother died I built the wagon to suit my own ideas, bought a stock of books from a big second-hand store in Baltimore, and set out."

The notion of a bookshop that travels to where the readers are is still revolutionary, necessary, and logical. Happy belated National Bookmobile Day.

--Robert Gray, contributing editor