A children's bookstore called Sleepy Hollow Bookshop is now open for business in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y., the River Journal reported. The store, which carries everything from board books to YA titles, is located at 95 Beekman Ave. and welcomed customers for the first time on November 5.

Once the store finds its footing, owner Leah Bloom plans to start serving coffee and pastry as well as hosting a variety of community events. She told the Journal that she wants to bring in authors to read to children and illustrators to draw with them. She also hopes that the bookshop becomes a place where children and families naturally gravitate and interact with each other.

"For me, if I had tried to do too many things all at once, I couldn't have done any of them very well in a small space," said Bloom, explaining her choice to focus on young people's literature. "So, I thought, here's something I love--I love getting books into kids' hands. In a store that's not this massive space, I can actually do that very well, and be able to provide recommendations to people."

Prior to opening Sleepy Hollow Bookshop, Bloom was a librarian at SUNY Purchase for more than a decade. The idea of opening a store of her own was in the back of her mind for a long time, and she remarked that when her sons were little, she always wished there was a place she could take them within walking distance where she could "set them free for a little bit, and it wouldn't hurt to have a cup of coffee while doing that."

She started looking for commercial spaces in 2019, but the start of the Covid-19 pandemic put her plans on hiatus for a couple of years. "When things let up a little with Covid, I started looking and then I was able to find this space, and then it really happened," Bloom said. "I don't think I believed it for a while, but everything fell in place. It's been really exciting."

The future home of All Good Books

All Good Books, a bookstore, cafe and bar coming to Columbia, S.C., next year, has launched a Kickstarter campaign to help open the bookstore, the State reported. The store's owners are looking to raise $60,000, and so far have raised more than $32,000 from more than 250 backers.

The store will sell new books for all ages, with a focus on local and regional authors, and will reside in a roughly 3,000-square-foot space that once housed a bar. The cafe part of the business will sell coffee, tea, beer, wine and an assortment of food, and the back of the bookstore will be a space called the Reading Room, where customers will be able to relax with their drinks and where the bookstore team will host events like author readings and book clubs.

The owners of All Good Books include Clint Wallace, a tax law professor at the University of South Carolina, and Benjamin Adams, the owner of a 300-square-foot bookstore in Columbia called Odd Bird Books. That shop will close early next year as Adams transitions to running All Good Books.

"Three years ago I opened my little space and that was kind of the most I could do with the resources I had," Adams told the State. "I always assumed I would grow. I didn't think I wanted to stay in a 300-square-foot space forever."

He explained that he and Wallace have known each other for a number of years and frequently talked about opening a bigger bookstore and cafe. At first abstract and hypothetical, those conversations gradually became more serious over time, and about a year ago, "things really fell into place, and these fun, casual conversations got real momentum."

"We want this to be a place where people can come and hang out and have a nice, real, human experience reading and thinking about things they want to read and sharing that adventure with their friends and family," Wallace said.

He noted that while the Five Points area has mostly been associated with nightlife and bars, more restaurants and daytime businesses have been opening, and he and Adams "think this is the perfect spot for a bookstore that will have daytime shopping elements and also some evening events."

Michael Jacobs

Mary McAveney

Michael Jacobs, president and CEO of Abrams for the past 19 years, is stepping down from that role and will be succeeded by Mary McAveney, effective November 28. Jacobs will become executive chair of the Abrams board, remain on the board of Abrams & Chronicle Books in the U.K., serve in an advisory capacity to parent company Média-Participations and help in the transition.

McAveney has most recently been chief revenue officer and chief marketing officer at Open Road Integrated Media. Over the course of her extensive career in publishing, McAveney has held positions at Simon & Schuster, Zondervan, and HarperCollins. Thirty years ago she worked at Abrams in marketing and sales, so this move is a return for her. She is the first female CEO in Abrams history.

McAveney said, "Coming back to one's roots evokes very poignant feelings. Michael's leadership of Abrams has set the bar high in the industry for so many years, and I am honored that he chose me to step into this role. I look forward to working with the incredibly dynamic, creative, and smart team at Abrams. Joining the company at a time when they are experiencing such tremendous success, with the prospect of even greater growth ahead, is incredibly exciting."

Jacobs, who before joining Abrams in 2004 held executive positions at Scholastic, Simon & Schuster and Viking Penguin, said, "Leading Abrams has been the culmination of my professional career. In my time here, we have experienced astounding growth in our publishing, our people, and our culture. For more than 70 years we've practiced and honed the Art of Books. Now, having added superb children's books (including the all-time bestselling middle-grade series Diary of a Wimpy Kid), graphic novels and comic arts, and adult narrative nonfiction and fiction to our long-established program of impeccable illustrated books, we have greatly expanded our publishing portfolio.

"Most of all, I'm proud of how our company and its culture have thrived, even in the last few difficult pandemic years. This period has been transformative, and it's been my pleasure and privilege to have worked with the dedicated and passionate people who make this place unique. The next steps in our evolution--both commercially and artistically--are still to be taken, and now is the perfect moment for Mary McAveney to help lead us into this phase of our growth. Along with my talented colleagues here at Abrams, I'm thrilled to welcome her."

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At Open Road, Peter McCarthy, most recently director of consumer insights at Ingram Content Group, will become chief marketing officer, succeeding Mary McAveney, effective today.

In an announcement to staff, Open Road chairman and CEO David Steinberger said that McAveney's "contributions to Open Road are without parallel. She was a key driver in the development of our automated marketing platform, utilizing data science to enable book discovery, leading to unprecedented and dramatic increases in the sales of eBooks. She built an outstanding team across marketing analytics, audience development, content development, design and product development. She was a central architect in the launch of our Ignition service, which doubles the sales of backlist e-books, and which now serves more than 90 publishers, from HarperCollins and Scholastic to Yale University Press and University of Chicago Press, from Grove Atlantic and Europa Editions to Chronicle and, of course, Abrams. Mary also played a key role in the launch of Activation, our new service for marketing frontlist titles in print as well as digital formats. Over the past six years, she helped Open Road deliver growth of 20% annually, an extraordinary accomplishment. We look forward to many years of working closely with Mary in her new role, continuing to build on today's highly successful partnership between Abrams and Open Road."

Concerning Pete McCarthy, Steinberger wrote, "We are adding to Open Road the publishing industry's leading expert at the intersection of search, social, content, e-mail marketing and e-commerce. Earlier in his career, Pete led the marketing innovation team at Random House, with a mandate to anticipate and plan for book marketing's future state. He later founded the digital consultancy, Logical Marketing, advising companies throughout the book industry on digital transformation, and worked closely with Mary and Open Road in developing our marketing technology and strategy. He also co-founded the book analytics and discovery software-as-a-service start-up, OptiQly, which was acquired by Ingram Content Group. At Ingram, he led the consumer insights team. Here at Open Road, Pete inherits a talented team and the industry's only automated data science-driven marketing platform, which markets more than 40,000 e-books every day. Our track record of consistently doubling the sales of backlist e-books in 6-8 weeks is unprecedented, and Pete is the ideal executive to build on our exceptional momentum and take our automated marketing capability to the next level."

Entangled Publishing is launching an adult imprint, Red Tower Books, that will focus on romantic fantasy and science fiction, with a feminist and empowered emphasis that draws on Entangled's strengths in romance. The goal of Red Tower Books, the company said, is to offer "explosive, cinematic new stories and develop strong author brands in the vein of Leigh Bardugo, Tracy Deonn, and Sarah J. Maas."

The imprint's first release, scheduled for May 2, 2023, is Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, an epic fantasy set at a brutal and elite war college for dragon riders. Six other titles are planned for next year, including Starbringer by Tracy Wolff (Crave series) and Nina Croft (Breakout); The Wren in the Holly Library by K.A. Linde (the Wright series); Bloodguard by Cecy Robson (Weird Girls series); and The Last One by Rachel Howzell Hall (These Toxic Things).

Red Tower Books editorial director Molly Majumder said, "Red Tower Books is dedicated to delivering standout fantasy and sci-fi romance from some of the most talented writers of today. I'm excited to combine my love and knowledge of the genre with Entangled's creative marketing strategies to bring these incredible stories to a wide audience of readers."

Along with Majumder, the imprint will be led by publishing veterans Liz Pelletier, CEO and publisher; Stacy Cantor Abrams, v-p of operations; and Meredith Johnson, v-p of marketing.

Founded in 2011, Entangled Publishing has published some 2,800 titles and is distributed globally by Macmillan.

Imprint Group and Book Travelers West, both independent publisher rep groups covering the western U.S., are merging, effective January 1.

Kurtis Lowe, Book Travelers West, and Derek Lawrence, Imprint Group, heads of the respective groups, will be co-heads under the moniker Imprint Group. The combined sales team will consist of five full-time reps, with its home office in Denver, Colo. In addition to the group heads, John Votaw, Kevin Peters and Suzi Hough will be covering the territory. Fifteen-year Book Travelers West veteran Phoebe Gaston will be leaving the group at the end of the year to relocate to the Midwest.

Both groups cover the same 13 western states and have long histories serving publishers and bookstores in the territory. Book Travelers West was founded in 1951 by Stan Gould. Imprint Group was founded by Bill Maher in 1977 as Bill Maher and Associates, then operated as Thomas McFadden and Associates, and became Imprint Group in 2011.

The Mysterious Bookshop in New York City celebrated the launch of Michael Connelly's Desert Star (Little, Brown) this week. An SRO crowd enjoyed a conversation with Connelly (r.) and store owner Otto Penzler.

Alex Kanenwisher, book buyer at Costco, has selected Going Rogue by Janet Evanovich (‎‎Atria, $28.99, 9781668003053) as the pick for November. In Costco Connection, which goes to many of the warehouse club's members, Kanenwisher writes:

"Stephanie Plum is good at what she does, but it takes the disappearance of a colleague to figure out just how good she is.

"In Going Rogue, Janet Evanovich's 29th Stephanie Plum novel, the bounty hunter has to find office manager Connie Rossoli and a special coin that has gone missing. As the stakes grow higher, Stephanie taps into her circle of family and friends before deciding to do things her way.

"Evanovich truly gives readers her thrill-ride best."

At Nosy Crow, the recently opened U.S. company formed by the U.K. children's publisher:

Avery Cook has been named marketing associate. She has worked in sales and marketing at Rubin Pfeffer Content Literary Agency, Pearson Education, and Beacon Press.

Ally Russell has been named marketing manager. Previously, she was consumer & educational outreach manager at Candlewick Press. She has an MFA in writing for children from Simmons University and is a former children's bookseller.

Maestro Evarista's Orchestra by Raquel Bonita (The Secret Mountain).

Tomorrow:
Good Morning America: Audrey Elledge and Elizabeth Moore, authors of Liturgies for Hope: Sixty Prayers for the Highs, the Lows, and Everything in Between (WaterBrook, $20, 9780593442807).

The View: Bob Woodward, author/narrator of The Trump Tapes: Bob Woodward's Twenty Interviews with President Donald Trump (Simon & Schuster Audio Originals, $24.99, 9781797124735).

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, November 12
9:30 a.m. David Pietrusza, author of Roosevelt Sweeps Nation: FDR's 1936 Landslide and the Triumph of the Liberal Ideal (‎Diversion Books, $34.99, 9781635767773). (Re-airs Saturday at 9:30 p.m.)

10:25 a.m. David Woolner, author of The Last 100 Days: FDR at War and at Peace (Basic Books, $35, 9780465048717). (Re-airs Saturday at 10:25 p.m.)

4:20 p.m. Mary Llewellyn McNeil, author of Century's Witness: The Extraordinary Life of Journalist Wallace Carroll (Whaler Books, $32.95, 9781737886495).

5:15 p.m. Buzz Bissinger, author of The Mosquito Bowl: A Game of Life and Death in World War II (Harper, $32.50, 9780062879929).

Sunday, November 13
8 a.m. Charlie Baker, co-author of Results: Getting Beyond Politics to Get Important Work Done (Harvard Business Review Press, $30, 9781647821807). (Re-airs Sunday at 8 p.m.)

9:10 a.m. Margaret Sullivan, author of Newsroom Confidential: Lessons (and Worries) from an Ink-Stained Life (St. Martin's Press, $28.99, 9781250281906). (Re-airs Sunday at 9:10 p.m.)

10 a.m. Beth Truesdale, editor of Overtime: America's Aging Workforce and the Future of Working Longer (Oxford University Press, $34.95, 9780197512067). (Re-airs Sunday at 10 p.m.)

2 p.m. Samuel Spitale, author of How to Win the War on Truth: An Illustrated Guide to How Mistruths Are Sold, Why They Stick, and How to Reclaim Reality (Quirk Books, $24.99, 9781683693086).

3 p.m. Brenda Myers-Powell, co-author of Leaving Breezy Street: A Memoir (Holt, $17.99, 9781250838957).

5:50 p.m. Jeremi Suri, author of Civil War by Other Means: America's Long and Unfinished Fight for Democracy (PublicAffairs, $30, 9781541758544).

Suzette Mayr won the C$100,000 (about US$74,650) Scotiabank Giller Prize, which recognizes the "author of the best Canadian novel, graphic novel or short story collection published in English," for her novel The Sleeping Car Porter. Each of the remaining finalists receive C$10,000 (about US$7,465). 

The jury said: "Suzette Mayr brings to life--believably, achingly, thrillingly--a whole world contained in a passenger train moving across the Canadian vastness, nearly one hundred years ago. As only occurs in the finest historical novels, every page in The Sleeping Car Porter feels alive and immediate--and eerily contemporary."

Elana Rabinovitch, executive director of the Scotiabank Giller Prize, commented: "Suzette Mayr's magnificent and powerful work of fiction inspired this year's jury to select her as the 2022 Scotiabank Giller Prize winner and cements her reputation as a world-class writer. Heartiest congratulations to Suzette on her win tonight!"

The winner will join the Guadalajara International Book Fair for a celebratory event on November 30 at the World Trade Center Guadalajara and will also be honored with an in-person interview as part of the 2023 San Miguel Writer's Conference & Literary Festival on February 16.

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Death by Equine by Annette Dashofy has won the $10,000 16th annual Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award, which recognizes "quality book length writing with a racing backdrop." The winner is the fourth work of fiction to be honored.

Organizers said that Death by Equine "tells the story of a young racetrack veterinarian who unexpectedly finds herself investigating the suspicious death of her mentor. In the process, she encounters unsavory characters and deceitful friends, uncovers a spate of illicit activities, and ultimately becomes a target herself."

Dr. Tony Ryan founded the competition in 2006. Following his death in 2007, the award has been continued by his son Shane, president of Castleton Lyons.

Selected new titles appearing next Tuesday, November 15:

The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times by Michelle Obama (Crown, $32.50, 9780593237465) is a followup to the former First Lady's memoir, Becoming.

A Book of Days by Patti Smith (Random House, $28.99, 9780593448540) collects 365 images inspired by the author's Instagram.

The Queen: Her Life by Andrew Morton (Grand Central, $30, 9781538700433) is a biography of the late British monarch.

Marie Kondo's Kurashi at Home: How to Organize Your Space and Achieve Your Ideal Life by Marie Kondo (Ten Speed Press, $28, 9781984860781) continues Kondo's quest to spark joy with furniture arrangements.

The Lost Metal: A Mistborn Novel by Brandon Sanderson (Tor Books, $29.99, 9780765391193) is book seven in the Mistborn fantasy series.

Bleeding Heart Yard: A Novel by Elly Griffiths (Mariner, $27.99, 9780063289277) is a mystery surrounding a murder during a school reunion.

The Serpent in Heaven by Charlaine Harris (Gallery/Saga Press, $27.99, 9781982182496) is the fourth Gunnie Rose historical fantasy.

Construction Site: Farming Strong, All Year Long by Sherri Duskey Rinker, illus. by AG Ford (Chronicle, $17.99, 9781797213873) features the construction crew working in a new environment.

How to Send a Hug by Hayley Rocco, illus. by John Rocco (Little, Brown, $17.99, 9780316306928) is a picture book about the joy of writing and receiving handwritten letters.

Paperbacks:
Ship Wrecked: A Novel by Olivia Dade (Avon, $16.99, 9780063215870).

A Wish for Winter by Viola Shipman (Graydon House, $17.99, 9781525804847).

Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan (Forever, $15.99, 9781538706794).

The Perfect Assassin: A Doc Savage Thriller by James Patterson and Brian Sitts (Grand Central, $17.99, 9781538721841).

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

Hardcover
Lark Ascending: A Novel by Silas House (Algonquin, $27, 9781643751597). "In a near future that seems closer and closer to becoming a reality, Lark Ascending follows Lark as he survives ordeal after ordeal. Silas House manages to imbue Lark's story with humanity and hope. This will stick with you for a long time." --Chelsea Bauer, Union Avenue Books, Knoxville, Tenn.

Hester: A Novel by Laurie Lico Albanese (St. Martin's Press, $27.99, 9781250278555). "A magical retelling of a strong woman coming into her power. I would have enjoyed The Scarlet Letter in high school if this was the book we were forced to read. I love the incorporation of synesthesia and the art of the needle and thread." --Sebya Gorre-Clancy, A Seat at the Table Books, Elk Grove, Calif.

Paperback
When Ghosts Come Home: A Novel by Wiley Cash (Morrow, $17.99, 9780062313096). "This addictive, character-driven crime drama has an ending that will take your breath away. Written with subtlety and grace, When Ghosts Come Home will haunt you long after you read its final page." --Amanda Gawthorpe, Page 158 Books, Wake Forest, N.C.

For Ages 4 to 8
Witch Hazel by Molly Idle (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, $18.99, 9780316541138). "So beautiful! This book delights in the beauty of storytelling, of relationships with older family members, and how stories carry us forward when we might otherwise be sad. Smile and cherish." --Kappy Kling, HearthFire Books, Evergreen, Colo.

For Ages 8 to 12
How to Heal a Gryphon by Meg Cannistra (Inkyard Press, $16.99, 9781335426871). "Meg Cannistra created a spunky, animal-loving witch that you will not able to resist! I can't wait to introduce the world of magical creatures and witches to all middle grade children." --Elisa McIntosh, The Bookstore Plus Music & Art, Lake Placid, N.Y.

For Teen Readers
After Dark with Roxie Clark by Brooke Lauren Davis (Bloomsbury YA, $18.99, 9781547606146). "After Dark with Roxie Clark's small-town October ghost tour setting is spot on, and Roxie herself is just weird enough to put you firmly in her corner. Throw in a brutal murder and a family curse, and you're in for a wild ride--hang tight." --Maggie Henriksen, Carmichael's Bookstore, Louisville, Ky.

[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]

Climbing the ladder toward happiness may, in truth, be scaling the wrong wall. That's the persuasive case Mike Rucker makes in The Fun Habit: How the Disciplined Pursuit of Joy and Wonder Can Change Your Life, a lively and engaging argument for escaping the "happiness trap," by trading the pursuit of an elusive mental state for the effort to inject more fun into your everyday life.

If there's an overriding theme to Rucker's book, it's that there's a strong element of intentionality in the quest for more fun. In aid of that effort, for example, he recommends creating a "Fun File" of activities in the upper two quadrants of something he calls the PLAY Model (just one of the book's several helpful acronyms)--things that are easy to execute and enjoyable ("Pleasing") and those that are more challenging ("Living"). And rather than detracting from enjoyable pursuits, he points out that it's critical to schedule time for fun, "looking carefully at the choices you're making about how to spend your time and considering whether they are in alignment with what supports your well-being, now and in the future."

The Fun Habit blends abundant, but concise, accounts of contemporary scientific research, stories drawn from Rucker's life--including the sudden death of his brother, his participation in an Ironman competition in New Zealand and the hip surgery that brought his athletic career to a premature end--and a profusion of practical tips on how to consciously bring more joy into our "critically fun-starved" lives. "Happiness is a state of mind," he writes, "but fun is something you can do."

Rucker helpfully includes a chapter on having more fun as a parent (making it child-centric is a key) and devotes another to fun at work, pointing out that there's greater value to "engaging with your work more playfully," than there is to dutifully attending yet another happy hour with your colleagues. And in a moving epilogue on life's finitude, he reminds readers that "Fun allows us to cope with life's pain, and even sometimes transcend it, by more fully experiencing life's gifts."

Though he holds a Ph.D. and is a charter member of the International Positive Psychology Association, Rucker writes in a conversational style that makes The Fun Habit feel more like advice over a coffee from a well-informed, thoughtful friend than a dry academic treatise. He leavens his insights with substantial doses of humor, even nominating several candidates to an imaginary "Hall of Fun," among them Albert Einstein and Chris Hadfield, the first astronaut to create a music video in space, for their willingness to approach life with a sense of whimsy. There's ample fun to be found in Rucker's book, but the real delight will begin when you put its prescriptions into practice. --Harvey Freedenberg, freelance reviewer

Shelf Talker: Psychologist and fun lover Mike Rucker has written an enjoyable treatise on the art of bringing more play and joy to life.