At Skylark Bookshop, Columbia, Mo.

On Saturday, more than 450 independent bookstores participated in the fifth annual Bookstore Romance Day, celebrating romance fiction--its books, readers, and writers--and strengthening the relationships between bookstores and the romance community. The program included a range of virtual panels addressing such topics as child-free happy-ever-afters; food and cooking in romance novels; celebrations of older and plus-size protagonists; queer romance fiction; and disability in romance. There were also T-shirts, magnets, bookmarks, candles, and more. Bookshop.org also was a part of the day, with reading lists and plenty of information about the event. Libro.fm offered a list of "30 of our top romance audiobooks" and a free copy of The Gay Best Friend by Nicolas DiDomizio (Dreamscape Media). Of course, indies across the country offered their own range of programming, including author events and panels, special deals, and more. 

At Dog-Eared Books, Ames, Iowa

Many bookstores shared their celebrations on social media, including:

That's What She Read, Mount Ayr, Iowa: "That's a wrap! What a fantastic day! Thank you to everyone who stopped in and had fun with us, discussed books, and just had great time! We didn't grab pics with everyone, but we appreciate each and every one of you who made time to come shop small, shop local and shop indie!!! We have the most incredible customers and supporters!! Thank you, thank you 🥰🥰 Happy Bookstore Romance Day!"

At Third Place Books, Seward Park, Seattle

Avant Garden Bookstore, Anoka, Minn.: "Thank you for joining us for Bookstore Romance Day💘You kept us BUSY and inspired future events to celebrate the romance genre. As you know we are breaking in our new space and have barely just started, but we SOLD OUT all blind date with a romance books🌶️🌶️ It was fun watching you browse and guess titles. Thank you for supporting our indie bookstore. Thank you for supporting a small business💕"

A Seat at the Table Books, Elk Grove, Calif.: "Romance as a genre has made leaps and bounds when it comes to inclusion, moving way faster than other fiction genres. We know how important it is for everyone to feel like they deserve their happily ever after. 📚️💖🌸⁠ We've put together some of our inclusive favorites across subgenres. Let us know your favorites in the comments!"

At Blue Cypress Books, New Orleans, La.

The Novel Neighbor, St. Louis, Mo.: "✨Let's live like every day is Bookstore Romance Day✨ It's the most romantic day of the year (👀 your move, Valentine's Day) so we made you these memes to commemorate the occasion 😘 Let us know your favorite/tag a friend who has to see these! We love you all and remember: today and every day, you're REALLY PRETTY!"

RJ Julia Booksellers, Madison, Conn.: "Celebrate #BookstoreRomanceDay with us today! Treat yourself to your favorite nosh at Rj Cafe & Bistro ☕️, then meet us at 4:00 pm for an event with KJ Micciche! Our love language is books, what's yours? 😉📚🥰💋"

Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore, Middletown, Conn.: "It's a date! 📚Celebrate #BookstoreRomanceDay by trying a blind date with a book! Pick a book based only on our staff's reviews and let the fun begin! Don't forget - Visit us in-store today Saturday, August 19, and save 10% of ALL titles in our Romance section."

At Phoenix Books, Essex, Vt.

Betty's Books, Webster Groves, Mo.: "HAPPY BOOKSTORE ROMANCE DAY!!! 💕💖💗❤️‍🔥 We'll be around all day ready to show you the best love stories the graphic lit world has to offer. 😘"

Flyleaf Books, Chapel Hill, N.C.: "Happy Bookstore Romance Day from Flyleaf! 💌 Our booksellers picked a few romance favorites to share, some old and some new, for this very special celebration of the beloved genre and the community it inspires. And while we're on the topic of the romance book community...the rumors are true! Stay tuned for more info on Flyleaf's forthcoming romance book club!"

Paper Crane Bookstore, Two Rivers, Wis.: "Saturday is Bookstore Romance Day! We always have a great selection of love stories. Swing in and grab yourself a feel good love story, something spicy🌶️ or something a little darker🖤 to celebrate."

Wildflower Bookshop, Grand Rapids, Minn. "We're turning the heat 🌶 on at Wildflower Bookshop. It's Bookstore Romance Day💜 We have soo many fun books to choose from. 10% off all romance books today! Blind date with a book is calling your name."

Books & Books, Coral Gables, Fla.: "Snag a *limited edition* Bookstore Romance Day Tee."

Find the Path Books, Port Orchard, Wash.: "It's here! The best day! Bookstore Romance Day! We have a Photo Booth, 15% off all romance titles, free treats, a game to find your romance trope, and a raffle for a gift card to either Aphrodisia Boutique or The Coffee Oasis!"

The Book Loft, Solvang, Calif.: "Happy Bookstore Romance Day! 📚♥️ Stop by today and celebrate with us by picking up a new romance book. Take a picture and post it on Instagram or Facebook with the hashtag #RomanceReads for a chance to win a $250 gift card!"

Whitelam Books, Reading, Mass. "Today is the day! Come down to Whitelam Books to celebrate Bookstore Romance Day! Purchase any romance book and get a free, rose and love poem, while supplies last!"

At Page 158 Books

Page 158 Books, Wake Forest, N.C.: "Don't miss out on all the book love! Happy #bookstoreromanceday."

Barrett Bookstore, Darien, Conn.: "It may be the fifth anniversary of BOOKSTORE ROMANCE DAY 💞 but here @barrettbookstore_ it's our first time at the rodeo with a section dedicated exclusively to the genre of LOVE 💓Swipe through for a glance at some of our favorite picks 💋⁠"

Happily Ever After Books, Toronto, Ont., Canada: "One of the many reasons I knew Happily Ever After Books had to exist was the amount of times I'd asked a store if they had romance only to be given *the look* (if you read romance you know the look) and I hoped that one day I'd be able to provide a judgement free space where people who loved romance could come together and share that joy and meet other people who felt the same. So this day is for you, our darling readers of romance, you deserve to celebrate your joy 💕"

Our Next Chapter, an all-ages, general-interest bookstore, is opening next month in Conway, S.C., the Post and Courier reported.

Residing in a 900-square-foot space at 325 Main St. in downtown Conway, the store will carry a mix of new releases and classics for children, teens and adults, with an opening inventory of about 1,900 titles.

Co-owners and married couple Bob and Lisa Martire plan to host plenty of community events. They'll start with children's storytime sessions and book club meetings and eventually add author readings, writing workshops led by their daughter, and book fairs. Bob Martire will run the shop day-to-day while Lisa Martire, who is a middle school algebra teacher, will help out on the weekends.

The couple had often talked about one day owning a bookstore of their own, but it was typically something of a retirement daydream. After Bob Martire was severely injured in a car crash and could no longer continue his career as a dentist, however, Lisa Martire suggested they finally open that bookstore.

"He was in a bad place," she told the Post and Courier. She remembered thinking, "What if we made this happen? What if we could find a space?"

"I was devastated," Bob Martire said of the crash. "I figured I'd ruined the family. And then she came up with this idea. Gave me some hope."

Per the Post and Courier, Our Next Chapter will be the first bookstore to open in Conway for close to 20 years. The news has already met with enthusiasm.

"If you're a person that wants to just feel that book in your hand and come to a store that's local and support your local business, then you're going to come here," Lisa Martire said. "Now you can come to an actual place and look through mysteries instead of just Googling a mystery."

More than two dozen independent bookstores in Philadelphia, Pa., are taking part this coming Saturday, August 26, in the first-ever Philly Bookstore Crawl, Philly Voice reported.

The bookstore crawl will feature appearances from local authors, discounts, giveaways, and plenty of special activities. Iffy Books, for example, will have a coding workshop for children and adults, while A Novel Idea will host florist pop-up Books & Blooms.

Harriett's Bookshop, which has been closed while the owner has operated a pop-up in Paris, will reopen during the crawl, and the new bookstore Healing While Black will host a grand opening celebration.

More details about the event, and a full list of participating stores, can be found here.

Mary Ann Donaghy

Mary Ann Donaghy, owner of the Bookworm in Bernardsville, N.J., died last Tuesday, August 15. She was 79.

After a two-decade career in publishing, Donaghy fulfilled her dream of owning a bookstore by buying the Bookworm in 1985. "Over the next 38 years, she did what she loved--sharing the joy of reading with her customers. She made many friends through the Bookworm and participated in the community as a board member of the Chamber of Commerce and by donating to many local causes. The Bookworm was her favorite place to be and she made many people feel the same way."

The store said, "We will continue to keep her memory alive by lovingly caring for her dream of an independent, community bookstore. She treasured her relationships with our wonderful, supportive customers."

Congratulations to Blue Cypress Books, New Orleans, La., which is celebrating its 15th anniversary on Saturday, September 9, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., with music, new store merchandise, giveaways--and a few surprises throughout the day.

Blue Cypress Books is a local, woman-owned bookstore and has been a warm and welcoming place to find high-quality used and new books. It's an inclusive and welcoming place where, the store says, "we speak our minds and invite open conversations."

Kira Weiner has been promoted to associate marketing manager, events for Catapult, Counterpoint, and Soft Skull Press.

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At Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, Bezawit Yohannes has been promoted to assistant marketing manager for Aladdin, Boynton Bookworks, Little Simon, Simon Spotlight, Simon Pulse, and Margaret K. McElderry Books. She was most recently a marketing coordinator.

Stuntboy, In-Between Time by Jason Reynolds, illustrated by Raúl the Third (Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books).

Today:
CBS Mornings: Nasim Alikhani, co-author of Sofreh: A Contemporary Approach to Classic Persian Cuisine (Knopf, $40, 9780593320747).

Good Morning America: Elizabeth Acevedo, author of Family Lore: A Novel (Ecco, $30, 9780063207264).

Also on GMA: Karin Slaughter, author of After That Night: A Will Trent Thriller (Morrow, $32, 9780063157781).

The View repeat: Jake Tapper, author of All the Demons Are Here: A Thriller (Little, Brown, $29, 9780316424387).

Tamron Hall repeat: T.D. Jakes, author of Disruptive Thinking: A Daring Strategy to Change How We Live, Lead, and Love (FaithWords, $27, 9781546004004).

Tomorrow:
Good Morning America: Winsome Earle-Sears, author of How Sweet It Is: Defending the American Dream (Center Street, $29, 9781546004479).

CBS Mornings: Jennifer Wallace, author of Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic--and What We Can Do About It (Portfolio, $29, 9780593191866).

Jennifer Hudson Show repeat: Jay Shetty, author of 8 Rules of Love: How to Find It, Keep It, and Let It Go (Simon & Schuster, $28.99, 9781982183066).

LibraryReads, the nationwide library staff-picks list, offers the top 10 September titles public library staff across the country love:

Top Pick
The September House by Carissa Orlando (Berkley, $27, 9780593548615). "Margaret believes in following the rules. Four years after moving into a haunted Victorian, she knows how to avoid the dangerous ghosts. But her husband can't take it anymore and leaves when the paranormal activity escalates to excessive levels. Now their estranged daughter--who's never been to the house--is coming to visit, and Margaret doesn't know how to explain (much less keep her child safe from) the specters' violent antics." --Lucy Lockley, St. Charles City-County Library District, Mo.

Perfectly Nice Neighbors by Kia Abdullah (Putnam, $18, 9780593713815). "This domestic thriller is about the dynamic and ongoing battle between neighbors, giving readers a suspenseful and exciting conclusion that they won't see coming. The commentary about race and social media is relatable to the world we live in. The battle between these neighbors may make readers think twice about moving to the suburbs." --Tabrizia Jones, the New York Public Library, N.Y.

The Long Game: A Novel by Elena Armas (‎Atria, $18.99, 9781668011300). "Adalyn needs a hug, not that she'll ever admit it. Exiled to tiny Green Oak, North Carolina, after a very public breakdown, she's forced to examine her life--and of course, falls in love along the way. Armas hits all the right emotional notes and the slow burn is delicious. Pick this one up if you like small-town romance, love interests who actually talk to each other, and female leads who can handle their stuff." --Amanda Baumann, JCL Northwest, Mo.

A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel by KJ Charle (Sourcebooks Casablanca, $16.99, 9781728255880). "Rufus is the new Earl of Oxney, much to the consternation of his uncle. But another possible claimant steps forward, Luke. As Rufus and Luke work together to get the estate organized, it becomes impossible for them to ignore their mutual attraction. This fun historical LGBTQ romance set 13 years after the first in the series is an ideal beach read." --Nancy Eggert, Chicago Public Library, Ill.

The Vaster Wilds: A Novel by Lauren Groff (Riverhead, $28, 9780593418390). "This stunningly haunting, lyrical novel is set in the New World settlement of Jamestown, when colonists established an outpost neighboring the Powhatan natives. Disease, conflict, and drought loom, with death soon following. In this period known as the Starving Time, sadly resulting in cannibalism, a servant girl flees, traveling deep into the woods. Escaping only with a few possessions, she eats what she can, desperate to survive." --KC Davis, LibraryReads Ambassador, Conn.

Godkiller by Hannah Kaner (Harper Voyager, $18.99, 9780063348271). "Three mortals and a minor god go on a quest and encounter a water spirit. Gripping from the first page, this fantasy novel explores this complex world with just the right amount of world-building and description. Highly recommended for fans of The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Chakraborty, The Name of the Wind by Rothfuss and classic fantasy." --Tommy Buttaccio, the New York Public Library, N.Y.

The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic: A Novel by Breanne Randall (Alcove Press, $18.99, 9781639105731). "A light, witchy novel where the relationships aren't just romantic--there are family issues for the main character to work through as well. The magic system is a favorite cozy trope--herbs and baking--and there are lots of tasty-sounding recipes to try throughout. Readers will look forward to more to come from Randall." --Josephine Incolla-Moore, Frederick County Urbana Branch, Md.

Things We Left Behind by Lucy Score (‎Bloom Books, $18.99, 9781728276120). "In this series entry, Sloane Walton, local librarian, and Lucian Rollins, DC power player, mix as well as oil and water. When Sloane decides she's ready to settle down, Lucian insists on watching out for her. Can they get past their animosity and build a relationship? Lucian and Sloane are likable but flawed characters and readers will root for them to get their HEA." --Shari Suarez, Genesee District Library, Mich.

Hush Harbor: A Novel by Anise Vance (Hanover Square Press, $30, 9781335449528). "When racism explodes and it feels like the world is on fire, siblings Jeremiah and Nova decide to form a resistance group in an abandoned housing project. But differences about how to move forward divide the group, threatening to derail their work. The group must find a way forward without becoming like the enemy. Thought-provoking and intense!" --Alicia Ahlvers, Henrico County Public Library, Va.

The Museum of Failures by Thrity Umrigar (Algonquin, $28, 9781643753553). "Remy Wadia is back in Bombay to adopt a child and to check in on his estranged mother, but nothing is working out as planned. As necessary truths are finally shared, Remy is forced to rethink his entire life. A beautifully written, heart-warming, and welcoming glimpse into the Parsi community and the complications of family." --Jessica Trotter, Capital Area District Libraries, Mich.

Readers often assume that a novel must extend over large expanses of both time and space to earn the label epic. But in his deliciously imaginative North Woods, Daniel Mason (A Registry of My Passage upon the Earth; The Piano Tuner) upends that conventional wisdom by demonstrating that the story of a single plot of land and the people who inhabit it is a tale that's capable of containing multitudes.

Spanning a period from the middle of the 18th century to an indeterminate future when climate change has irrevocably altered the earth, North Woods focuses on a section of several hundred acres in rural Western Massachusetts first cultivated by Charles Osgood, an English veteran of the French and Indian War who believes "God had willed me to raise an orchard," in his case one that magically springs from a remarkable source. He's a devoted apple farmer, and to house his family he erects a lemon-yellow New England saltbox on the property that becomes the foundational dwelling for those who live on this land over the ensuing centuries.

Beginning with Osgood and his fractious spinster twin daughters, Mary and Alice, who maintain the orchard for more than four decades after their father's death, Mason fashions a parade of intriguing characters (including a handful of ghosts), who experience the full gamut of human life and emotion in this entrancing corner of the world. An enslaved teenager named Esther, a fugitive; painter William Henry Teale and writer Erasmus Nash, who must conceal their mutual affection; and a schizophrenic, known only as "Robert S." in his psychiatrist's notes, are just a few of those whose lives are shaped by their connection to this place. Their stories--often passionate and, occasionally, shockingly violent--are both colorful and emotionally resonant.  

Mason is a graceful writer who adeptly juggles an impressive variety of literary styles. In addition to his conventional narrative, he relies on memoir, letters, poems, ballads, psychological case notes, an address to a historical society, a lurid story in a pulpy true-crime magazine, and even a real estate advertisement. He has a taste for the fanciful, reflected in vivid accounts of the travels of a chestnut tree spore that lands near the yellow house, there to spread its blight efficiently, and of an amorous beetle's mating dance that spells doom for the property's elm trees. Mason possesses a deep affection for the natural world, and his story is replete with lush, evocative descriptions of the Massachusetts landscape in every season of the year.

Near the end of North Woods, a character reflects that "the only way to understand the world as something other than a tale of loss is to see it as a tale of change." In this strange, enchanting, and memorable novel, Daniel Mason beautifully allows readers to experience that truth most profoundly. --Harvey Freedenberg, freelance reviewer

Shelf Talker: Through the history of one house and the people who inhabit it, Daniel Mason creates an extraordinary story that encompasses an entire world.