Cindelle's Bookstore hosted a grand opening celebration last month for its physical location at 401 Watchung Ave. in Plainfield, N.J., occupying half of the recently expanded Queen City Coffee Roasters. Owned by Cindelle Harris-Blackmon, it "is the only Black-owned bookstore in the Plainfield area and the only brick-and-mortar bookstore within the city," Tapinto Plainfield reported.

Harris-Blackmon launched Cindelle's Bookstore as an online shop centered on Black voices and stories, and in 2022 she added her first free Little Library. At the time, she said she wanted eventually to find a bricks-and-mortar location. Last week she posted a video tour of the new space.

N.J. Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way recently stopped by, posting on social media: "Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of visiting Cindelle's Bookstore in Plainfield for Black Business Month. As an avid reader, it means so much to support a Black-owned business that celebrates culture, community, and the joy of reading."

Harris-Blackmon told Tapinto Plainfield that she had been "extremely honored that the Lieutenant Governor visited our bookstore for Black Business Month. We nerded out about English Literature, writing, and our favorite books.... 

"My life's work is to show Plainfield off in the way that I see my beautiful city, and being able to show the Lieutenant Governor a small upcoming wonder of this town was beyond exciting. Cindelle's Bookstore started as a labor of love for my hobby of reading, and it has now been embraced by my partners and friends at Queen City Coffee Roasters. I'm forever grateful for my hometown and the opportunity to meet and speak to Lt. Gov. Way."

On its website, the bookstore notes: "More than just retail, Cindelle's aims to be Downtown Plainfield's literary gathering spot where book recommendations flow as freely as the coffee, where authors can share their work, and where the community's reading culture can flourish both in person and online."

The original Talking Animals Books.

Talking Animals Books, a new and used bookstore that debuted in 2023 at 103 W. Worth St. in Grapevine, Tex., is opening "a second, bigger, more ambitious location this fall" at 909 S. Main St. in The 925 mixed-use development downtown, CultureMap reported. In addition to books, the 2,800-square-foot space will feature a full-service coffee bar, wine tasting room, and an event space. 

"We've grown alongside our readers," said Valerie Walizadeh, co-founder, with Katy Lemieux, of Talking Animals Books. "This new location is more than just a bookstore; it's a place to gather, explore ideas, and now we can enjoy coffee and wine while surrounded by stories."

The coffee bar will serve espresso, teas, and pastries. The wine tasting offering "will continue the legacy left by the previous tenant. The larger space will allow for increased seating for author talks, book clubs, live music, and community gatherings," CultureMap noted.

A successful Kickstarter campaign in 2022 raised $54,000 in less than two months to help launch the original Talking Animals Books, which is again taking that approach and recently launched a $100,000 Kickstarter, with hopes "to open the new space ahead of the busy holiday season. It's an ambitious goal, but one that aligns with the increased demand we see during this time and our desire to offer more to our community when it matters most," the owners said. Thus far, more than $9,000 has been raised. 

"We're inviting our community once again to help us write the next chapter. We are growing thanks to them," Walizadeh told CultureMap, adding that they are aiming for a soft opening in October.

Heathen's & Co. Booksellers is opening a physical storefront in Madisonville, Ky., following its debut as a pop-up and event business, the Dawson Springs Progress reported.

The store will sell new and used titles and reside at 24 N. Main St. Owner Frazia Sanders plans to carry books by local and independent authors along with major releases, and she is working with local artists and artisans to display and sell their work. 

Sanders has already been hosting book clubs, book swaps, and silent reads, some in partnership with the local public library. She noted that the book clubs dedicated to the dark romance, thriller, and fantasy genres were the ones that really took off, and she plans to continue working with the local library after the store opens. 

"I hope this is a community space where everybody feels comfortable to come in and hang out," she told the Progress. "A place to get books, talk about books, just chill out. I've been reached out to by people who'd like to come in and study and things like that."

She also publishes a newsletter devoted to local businesses and community members called Heathen's Times, and hosts a podcast called UnMasked Heathen's that features self-published authors and book industry professionals. 

Sanders will begin buying used books from community members this weekend. "This way we can turn around and sell books in a more affordable way. The price point for a brand new hardback is about $30. If we can give the community more opportunities to get books like that, why not."

A grand opening is planned for early September.

Sheila Hodgson, senior editor for Mills & Boon, now a division of HarperCollins, died August 6. She was 66. The Bookseller reported that Hodgson moved to London to start her publishing career in the early 1980s, joining Mills & Boon in 1994 after working as a freelancer for several years. Known for her work as senior editor of the Medical Romance series, she also acquired widely for Mills & Boon Modern, Mills & Boon Historical and Mills & Boon True Love (Romance).

HarperCollins said it was "deeply saddened" to share the news of Hodgson's death: "Throughout her 31 years on the team, Sheila had been an insightful expert and champion of the romance publishing industry and an exceptional editor. She will be deeply missed by her colleagues and authors with whom she shared her warmth, humor and constant support. We offer our deepest condolences to Sheila's husband and family and wide network of colleagues and friends."

Author Caroline Anderson commented: "I was privileged to have Sheila as my editor for 26 years, and I was heartbroken to hear the news. To say she was my editor is to leave out so much--her wonderful sense of humor, her kindness and compassion, her tolerance, her annoying habit of being right about the edits--she was my guiding light, my cheerleader, my plot-crunching buddy, and I'll miss her more than words can ever say.... RIP, Sheila. You'll be sorely missed."

In an Instagram post, author Kate MacGuire called Hodgson "a smart, talented editor who taught me a lot in the short time we worked together. She was also a warm, authentic woman who made me feel very welcome when I met her in Toronto last year. I will really miss her wisdom, support and friendship. My deepest condolences to her family and friends."

This past week, Shelf Awareness sent the Kids & YA Pre-Order E-Blast to nearly 240,000 of the country's best book readers. The e-blast went to 238,058 customers of 58 participating independent bookstores.

The mailing features four upcoming titles selected by Shelf Awareness editors and three advertised titles, one of which is a sponsored feature. Customers can buy these books via "pre-order" buttons that lead directly to the purchase page for the title on each sending store's website. A key feature is that bookstore partners can easily change title selections to best reflect the tastes of their customers and can customize the mailing with links, images, and promotional copy of their own.

The pre-order e-blasts are sent the second Wednesday of each month; the next will go out on Wednesday, September 10. This is a free service for indies. Stores interested in learning more can visit our program registration page or contact our partner program team via e-mail.

Ad spots are also available in the Kids & YA Pre-Order E-Blast. For more information contact sales@shelf-awareness.com for details.

For a sample of the August Kids & YA Pre-Order E-Blast, see this one from Vintage Books, Vancouver, Wash.

The titles highlighted in the pre-order e-blast were:

The Poisoned King by Katherine Rundell, illustrated by Ashley Mackenzie (Knopf)
Hansel & Gretel by Stephen King, illustrated by Maurice Sendak (HarperCollins)
Just Shine!: How to Be a Better You by Sonia Sotomayor, illustrated by Jacqueline Alcantara (Philomel)
Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley (Holt Books for Young Readers)

Book Passage in San Francisco hosted Robert B. Reich for his new book, Coming Up Short: A Memoir of My America (Knopf), at the Golden Gate Theatre; he was in conversation with Heather Kinlaw Lofthouse, executive director of Inequality Media and Inequality Media Civic Action, nonprofit organizations co-founded by Reich to educate people about economic inequality and threats to American democracy through the use of digital content.

Pictured: (from left) Bill Petrocelli, co-owner, Book Passage; author Isabel Allende; Heather Lofthouse; Robert Reich; Elaine Petrocelli, co-owner of Book Passage; Allende's husband, Roger Cukras.

Posted by BookHampton bookstore, East Hampton, N.Y.: "You never know who you will see at @bookhampton! It was wonderful to have former President Bill Clinton stop by the store today. Have you read his new book The First Gentleman yet?"

"Beach Reads this way." That was the sidewalk chalkboard message in front of Lupine Books in Kennebunkport, Maine, which noted: "Our official sign writer was in town--so we switched things up! Any ideas on what our next chalkboard sign should say?"

"Before and After.... 5 years ago, we finally repaved one of central PA's worst parking lots," Cupboard Maker Books, Enola, Pa., posted on Facebook. "We used to affectionately refer to our lot as the Surface of the Moon. For those of you who don't remember, there were large sections of cracked concrete, huge broken pieces of asphalt, many pot holes large and small, plus dirt and stone to round it all out.

"Summer of 2020, Kristian Beverly also completed the first round of spines on our books mural. While we do add or replace books on our mural every summer, many of the originals are still there helping us wow visitors and catch the attention of passing motorists. We thank you all for being part of our 27 plus years journey and hope to have you around for the next 27 plus years."

Tomorrow:
CBS Mornings: Sheryl Ziegler, author of The Crucial Years: The Essential Guide to Mental Health and Modern Puberty in Middle Childhood (Harvest, $29.99, 9780063378650).

Jennifer Hudson Show repeat: Nicole Avant, author of Think You'll Be Happy: Moving Through Grief with Grit, Grace, and Gratitude (HarperOne, $28.99, 9780063304413).

"In a competitive situation," Hulu has acquired for development a drama series inspired by Kristy Woodson Harvey's bestselling novel, The Summer of Songbirds, Deadline reported. The project, which "revolves around three girlfriends and their unbreakable bond forged in their childhood summers spent in North Carolina," is from Aaron Kaplan's Kapital Entertainment and 20th Television.

The Summer of Songbirds is adapted by Brennan Peters (The Power), who executive produces alongside Harvey and Kaplan. Kapital's Tiffany Przybyla Wong and Jaiden Kaplan co-executive produce.

Shortlists for the 2025 Ned Kelly Awards have been released. Sponsored by the Australian Crime Writers Association, the awards honor works in the categories of best crime fiction, true crime, and international crime fiction, as well as debut crime fiction, which was previously announced. Winners will be named in September. 

The judging panel said this year's entries "offered a large range of sub-genre within the crime fiction category, including humor, horror, futuristic, historic and rural crime as well as a book of connected short stories. Settings, too, ranged across several international locations in addition to Australia's inner city, farmlands, and much loved outback."

photo: Southspringbreeze

Yiming Ma was born in Shanghai and spent a decade working in tech and finance in New York, Toronto, London, Berlin, and South Africa. He attended Stanford University for his MBA and holds an MFA from Warren Wilson College, where he was the Carol Houck Smith Scholar. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Guardian, LitHub, Hazlitt, and the Florida Review. His story "Swimmer of Yangtze" won the 2018 Guardian 4th Estate Short Story Prize. His debut novel is These Memories Do Not Belong to Us (Mariner Books, August 12, 2025), a hauntingly beautiful and prescient debut novel set in a future where a renamed China is the sole global superpower.

Handsell readers your book in 25 words or less:

In a world where memories are sold and surveilled, governed by a renamed China, how does one survive while keeping their mother's banned memories safe?

On your nightstand now:

Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel, The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa, We Were the Universe by Kimberly King Parsons, A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan, Your House Will Pay by Steph Cha, The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson, Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff, The Audacity by Ryan Chapman, What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad, River East, River West by Aube Rey Lescure.

A lovely mix of books by author friends I may be speaking with during my tour, and books I'm in the middle of falling in love with again.

Favorite book when you were a child:

The Wheel of Time series. I grew up in Shanghai watching Chinese martial arts dramas known as wuxia, so reading fantasy series such as the Wheel of Time was probably the closest thing after my family moved to New York and then Toronto. Naturally, I am absolutely devastated that Amazon canceled the television series after the incredible season finale. The series had just found its footing and I want to give a special shoutout to Natasha O'Keeffe, the actress who played the Forsaken Lanfear, for bringing the character to life beyond my wildest expectations.

Book you're an evangelist for:

Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang. In particular, the Nebula Award-winning novella from the collection that was adapted into the movie Arrival starring Amy Adams, but also Hell Is the Absence of God. I love how emotionally resonant Chiang's works are, even with all the science embedded within them, and in the titular novella, how everything comes full circle.

Recently, I was gratified when Debutiful's Adam Vitcavage brought up Chiang himself when reviewing my book for the second half of his Most Anticipated List: "It was reminiscent of the first time I read Ted Chiang's Story of Your Life. It made me believe that books can change my brain's chemistry."

That's also how I feel about Chiang's works every time I have the privilege to read a new story from him every one or two years.

Book you've bought for the cover:

The paperback edition of The Vegetarian by Han Kang from Portobello Books (now Granta Books). That severed wing of a white bird above the bloody veins resembling a leaf is seared in my memories. I think I must have recommended that book to over 30 people by now.

Book that changed your life:

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. I still vividly remember reading this novel in a tiny upstairs dessert café in London's Chinatown, the day after I moved to the city for a new job. I couldn't leave until I finished, drinking multiple bowls of almond dessert. The restraint in Ishiguro's prose was nothing short of haunting when juxtaposed with the novel's horrific secrets and the psychological states of its characters.

Ishiguro was the author who most inspired me to take a year off between my career working in education/tech and my graduate degree at Stanford, in order to dedicate time to writing my first stories. One of those eventually became "Swimmer of Yangtze" and won the Guardian 4th Estate Short Story Prize two years afterward.

Favorite line from a book:

"1. Suppose I were to begin by saying that I had fallen in love with a color. Suppose I were to speak this as though it were a confession; suppose I shredded my napkin as we spoke. It began slowly. An appreciation, an affinity. Then, one day, it became more serious."

Those opening lines of Maggie Nelson's Bluets changed me. With each word, I felt as if I was silently falling further into her river of language, until the moment I realized that the current had captured me completely, swiftly carrying me into the depths of her obsessions.

Bluets also taught me that fragmentary structures can often capture the non-linear or recursive nature of grief and other complex emotions better than more traditional forms. This was instructive as I wrote certain Memory Epics within These Memories Do Not Belong to Us.

Book you most want to read again for the first time:

A Wild Sheep Chase. Or any early novel by Haruki Murakami. When I lived in Tokyo, I used to imagine running into him, the way I once did with the Michelin-starred chef Jiro Ono in a public bathroom in Ginza. My wife always jokes about how often Murakami describes the ears of women in his novels, but I find his early work both surreal and mesmerizing, unexpectedly offering me permission to play more with my loneliest characters. One of my favorite movies is the Korean psychological thriller Burning directed by Lee Chang-dong, which was adapted from one of Murakami's short stories.

Final dedications:

Each of the 11 banned memories in These Memories Do Not Belong to Us is written in a different style. I owe much to all the authors featured in this interview (Chiang, Ishiguro, Nelson, Kang), and many more, for helping bring this novel to life.

Special thanks also to the authors who pushed the constellation novel structure, such as A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan, Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell, The Power by Naomi Alderman, and more recently, How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu, who kindly wrote my book a blurb.

If you enjoyed any of those titles, I think there's a good chance you'll enjoy These Memories Do Not Belong to Us too.

Author/illustrator Pam Fong (The Little Cloud), who spent decades working in the art world, lets her background in and appreciation for art shine in The Clock, a distinctive and atmospheric narrative nonfiction picture book about the life of a grand clock in Paris, France.

Fong's title character begins its life in 1900 at the Gare d'Orsay where it "ticked to control the crisscrossing of trains" and "tocked to signal new opportunities." The clock kept the "station humming, and the world moving." But while the clock continues to tick and tock, the "fast-changing city outgrew the station." Paris abandons both, and the Gare d'Orsay stands dark and empty for decades. The clock "was abandoned.... But it was not forgotten." In 1986 the newly renovated building opens as a museum, the Musée d'Orsay, and the clock is again given a place of prominence. Now the "clock keeps a world-class art museum humming... and stops the world from moving."

Fong's text is concise and poetic, and she excludes details to maintain her economy of words. Instead, she uses backmatter to explain the names, dates, and locations shown in the book. Much like the inner workings of the clock itself, each piece of the book's design fits neatly within the whole and works seamlessly with the other components to make magic happen. From opening endpapers depicting the Orsay as a train station to closing endpapers, showing the Orsay as a museum, Fong's illustrations are clever, precise, and affecting. The inside of the groundbreaking steel and glass structure sparkles as diffused light shines through the windows, spotlighting the hustle and bustle of activity. The colors are crisp, the gold clock glitters, and the composition exudes constant movement. When the plot transitions to the abandoned station, Fong's palette gets hazy and dark, and images of broken windows and overall neglect create a powerful atmosphere of sadness. A view of the Eiffel Tower through shattered panes of glass is particularly effective in providing the reader with the clock's lonely perspective. A shining beam of light from a flashlight, though, pulls the clock out of the darkness, readying it for its new place in the spotlight.

The Clock is extensively researched, intricate, and a celebration of art in many forms; the simple text and detailed illustrations are likely to keep young audiences enthralled. --Jen Forbus, freelancer

Shelf Talker: In a stunningly illustrated children's picture book, a majestic clock tick tocks its way through the evolution of a Paris train station.