"This year I finally decided I'm just going to do it," said Sydne Conant, veteran bookseller and owner of Ink Cap Books in Stoughton, Wis. 

Conant opened Ink Cap Books, a 1,200-square-foot store carrying new and used titles, in September. Roughly 40% of the inventory is new, while 60% is used, and amid the general interest, all-ages inventory, Conant has been making sure that diverse authors are represented and trying to highlight books that feature "a little bit of the natural world."

Since opening, Conant reported, fantasy has proven to be very popular, and she has had to expand the store's history selection. Alongside books she carries puzzles, journals, stickers, stuffed animals, and some items trending on TikTok, such as hair clips and mini coloring books.

Conant described the space's overall feel as "cozy, comfortable, and a little bit nature-y." There are multiple seating areas featuring both adult- and kid-sized rocking chairs, and free tea and coffee are available to customers. The store's first event was a ghost story night around Halloween, and recently Ink Cap hosted its first proper author event, which featured a writer from Wisconsin and their debut novel. Conant plans to host more events in the weeks and months ahead, and mentioned that she has a story hour with a local author planned for this month.

She described Stoughton, a town of about 13,000 people some 15 minutes south of Madison, as "very Norwegian" and very proud of that fact. As a result, she's made sure to have an ample selection of Norwegian- and Scandinavian-interest titles. In fact, the store's building holds the Stoughton Heritage mural, and Conant shares wall space with her landlord, who sells original art with a Norwegian and folk art focus.

Sydne Conant

Touching on the store's name, Conant said she knew she wanted something related to nature, but originally had something different in mind. Then, while having trouble sleeping one night, she was thinking about her interest in mushrooms, particularly photographing them. The visual appearance of an ink cap mushroom, and the connection with "ink on the page," made her decide on it.

Prior to opening Ink Cap Books, Conant has worked in bookselling on and off since 1999, first at an independent bookstore in Michigan and then, from 2006 until recently, at a Room of One's Own in Madison.

In 2017, the same year Conant moved to Stoughton, the community lost a used bookstore after its owner passed away. A few years later, someone else decided to open a bookstore in Stoughton, but it only managed to stay open for a couple of years. Given her long experience in bookselling, as well as Stoughton's "very literate and artistic" community, Conant decided earlier this year to throw her hat in the ring. 

So far, community members "have been really excited and supportive," Conant reported. She's already got some regulars who have been in multiple times, and word is spreading within Stoughton and the surrounding communities. "People are coming from out of town" to visit the bookstore. The space is dog-friendly, and she described her dog Butterbean as a "budding shop dog." The store's first month has "been really promising," and she's looking forward to seeing where things go as the holiday season approaches.

Asked how it feels to own a bookstore after so many years in bookselling, Conant said, "it feels good, and it feels pretty natural. It feels really comfortable." --Alex Mutter

The Next Chapter Books & More, a general-interest, all-ages bookstore, is opening in Quincy, Mass., on Saturday, November 16, Newsbreak reported.

Located at 1147 Hancock St. in historic Quincy, the Next Chapter will carry a wide assortment of books with an emphasis on diverse voices and stories, local authors, and Quincy history. Event plans include options for all ages, such as book clubs, author readings, workshops, and classes. The store will also feature art and items made by local artists and artisans.

Co-owners Helena Skinner, Olivia Picco, and Kayla Barry Skinner have a grand opening celebration planned for November 16 that will run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and include signings with three local authors, a "blind date with a book raffle," face painting, photo opportunities, and more.

As dawn broke on the election results yesterday, many indie booksellers were taking stock and trying to find ways to help their communities sort through the aftermath, as well as to offer perspective and a gathering place, including:

The Novel Neighbor, St. Louis, Mo.: "STL neighbors, we are open today and would love to see your faces. We spent last night and this morning reflecting on the power and importance of community: getting to know your neighbors, grieving together, and standing up for one another. Community is more important now than ever.... No matter what the next few years bring, we are a safe place for you, your family, and your neighbors. Whether you join a book club, attend one of our events, engage with us on social media from afar, or come by for a browse and a chat, we are so glad you are a part of our community. We will weather what comes next together."

Comma Bookstore, Flint, Mich.: "When I first had the idea of building Comma in 2020, I envisioned a place where people felt heard, safe, and seen. So much was going on in the world at that time, from a global pandemic, political unrest and police brutality. The only thing I knew to do in that moment was to organize by bringing people together and here we are 4 years strong! Let's process this loss now but prepare ourselves to organize for a better future."

The Little Book, Des Moines, Iowa: "We're open today, at least for as long as I can keep some semblance of composure. I'll be at the register today. We'll close early so I can pick my kids up from school. You are welcome to come in, lay down on a couch, and stare at the ceiling. I'll cry with you, I'll step outside and scream at the sky with you.... We are here for you, as much as we can be. I know so many of you, like me and my family, woke up feeling less safe and less at home in your country. I'm so sorry. Today, I'll grieve with you. Tomorrow, we'll still fight to Find the Little Joys."

Carmichael's Bookstore, Louisville, Ken.: "A bookstore, our bookstore, your bookstore, is often a place to go when you are seeking something. Yes, a good read, but also an escape, a gift, knowledge, refuge, quiet, peace, understanding, a safe space. Our doors are open."

The Astoria Bookshop, Queens, N.Y.: "We will be open regular hours today, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., but we know it won't be business as usual. We invite you to join those of us who are at the store, to sit and read quietly, chalk our front sidewalk, and be in community. Grab a cup of coffee (our nearby favorites are Little Flower and Cerasella), and come be in a room full of books. Or on our back patio in unseasonably warm weather. It's all we can offer today but it's available to all."

Park Books, Severna Park, Md.: "Today is a hard and confusing day for many in our country.... Now, more than ever, we have to engage in discourse. We must break through the noise and protect our freedom of access to the truth and unbiased information. But how do we do that, you ask? WE READ."

Big Hill Books, Minneapolis, Minn.: "We will be open at 7 a.m. today. Come join us at any time if you're feeling the dread that we are. Whether you need a third space to have your morning coffee in, want to chat, or just want to be around people in your community, we're here. We are devastated. AND, we have each other."

The Lynx, Gainesville, Fla.: "Today, we grieve. Today, we invite you to grieve with us, to join us in building up our communities. The Lynx is loudly, forcefully, and defiantly a safe space. Today we raise our voices louder. The Lynx is YOUR space, YOUR safe place, YOUR community space. We proudly and unabashedly open our doors to you all--especially our BIPOC and LGBTQ+ friends. We are here. You can come and be safe with us.
Thank you for continuing to be here with us. We love you."

A Room of One's Own, Madison, Wis.: "We believe in you and need you. You don’t have to buy anything, just come be in community for a bit and pet our poodle if you want to.... Today we mourn, keep ourselves alive, dig down into reserves of resilience, care, and resolve, and reach out to each other--we are going to need one another to do the hard work that’s coming. We’re going to be mostly offline for a bit--please know we cherish you."

Author Jamie Ford posted: "When Trump won in 2016, I went to my local indie bookstore the next day. I just wanted to go to my happy place and was surprised at how many other people showed up for the same reason. I saw many friends there that day and we commiserated together. I'm planning on doing the same thing [this] afternoon."

And in Bookselling This Week yesterday, ABA CEO Allison Hill wrote to members in part, "It would be easy to despair. But that's not what we're going to do. ABA remains committed to our work on behalf of our members because we believe deeply in the work of independent bookstores and in the critical role they will play in what happens next in this country.

"Independent bookstores provide inclusive and affirming community spaces; support access to books; ally with librarians and teachers; ensure that people can see themselves reflected in books; champion the right to read and the First Amendment; promote long-form reading that fosters critical thinking; create opportunities for discourse; provide alternatives to monopolies that limit consumer choice; and bring people together. The work of independent bookstores matters more than ever.

"If your candidates won, hold them accountable and demand bipartisan partnerships to accomplish what is needed for all people, small businesses, and our country to thrive.

"If your candidates didn't win, take care of your mental health, keep the faith, and connect with others. Find ways to support yourself and the goals you hoped your candidate would achieve to ensure that all people, small businesses, and our country thrive.

"We know today is a painful and divisive day for many, but election results are not the end; they’re the beginning. What matters most is what we do next."

Antonio Skármeta, a Chilean novelist, screenplay writer, playwright and television presenter "who captured his country's affections with warmhearted tales of its suffering and redemption through dictatorship and democracy," died October 15, the New York Times reported. He was 83.

Antonio Skármeta

President Gabriel Boric Font of Chile paid tribute on social media to the leading role Skármeta played in his country's cultural life, praising the author "for the life you lived.... For the stories, the novels and the theater. For the political commitment. For the book show that expanded the boundaries of literature."

Skármeta's literary career "traced the arc of Chile's modern political journey in lightly ironic stories that depicted the strategies of ordinary citizens faced with repression and arbitrary government," the Times wrote, noting that he also lived that life himself--as an activist supporting the leftist government of Salvador Allende in 1970; as a political exile in Argentina and in Germany after the 1973 coup d'état that inaugurated Gen. Augusto Pinochet's brutal 15-year military dictatorship; as host of El Show de los Libros, a popular 1990s TV program about literature, after democracy returned to Chile. He was also his country's ambassador in Berlin from 2000 to 2003.

His best-known work, the 1985 novel Ardiente Pacienca (Burning Patience), was translated into 30 languages and made into several films, including The Postman (Il Postino), released in 1994 and nominated for several Academy Awards (it won for best score). 

Skármeta wrote more than a dozen other novels and short-story collections, many of which were translated into English. He won several Latin American literary awards as well as France's prestigious Prix Médicis in 2001 for the 1999 book La Boda del Poeta (The Poet's Wedding). Other books include Soñé Que la Nieve Ardía (I Dreamt the Snow Was Burning, 1975), Días del Arcoíris (The Days of the Rainbow, 2011), The Names of the Things That Were There (2011), and A Distant Father (2014). He also wrote several screenplays, including a number for the German director Peter Lilienthal, and five plays. Skármeta returned to Chile in 1989 and won the country's National Literature Prize in 2014.

"He sort of forged happiness out of sadness," Chilean-American writer Ariel Dorfman said of his friend. "All his characters are imbued with sadness, and yet have enormous energy and love and tenderness.... He was fascinated by human relations. And how difficult it is to understand one another."

After the publication October 22 of Hot Mess (Amulet Books), the 19th title in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, author Jeff Kinney went on a sold-out tour for the title, including (above) in Wrentham, Mass. At the "Hot Mess Shows," thousands of middle-grade children and their families experienced Hot Mess come to life as Kinney enlisted the help of audience members to open a restaurant. Kids and families got involved and were hired as waiters and line cooks to compete in interactive games from taste testing to barefoot grape stomping to balancing inflatable meatballs.

Hot Mess has been a hot seller, reaching the No. 1 spot on major bestseller lists, including the New York Times, USA Today, IndieBound, BookScan, the U.K. Top 50, and more. As Andrew Smith, senior v-p and publisher of Abrams Children's Books, observed, "The success of Hot Mess across all markets demonstrates the enduring appeal and growing strength of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. Jeff Kinney continues to captivate readers worldwide, and these results reflect the passionate engagement of fans around the world and across multiple generations."

In a sign of the approaching holiday season, From My Shelf Books & Gifts, Wellsboro, Pa., shared a photo of its Angel Tree, which "is up and ready! Help make a child smile on Christmas morning."

At the HarperCollins/Morrow Group and Children's:

Katie Tull has been promoted to the new role of director, integrated marketing & analytics, for the Morrow Group and HarperCollins Children's. She formerly was the marketing lead for the Harvest imprint.

Odette Fleming has joined the Morrow team as associate director of marketing, overseeing marketing strategy and execution for the Harvest and Harper Wave imprints, while also working on campaigns across the Morrow division. Most recently she was assistant director of marketing for Harmony Books and Rodale Books at Penguin Random House.

The Queen's Path: A Revolutionary Guide to Women's Empowerment and Sovereignty by Dr. Stacey Simmons (Hay House).

Today:
Fresh Air: Justene Hill Edwards, author of Savings and Trust: The Rise and Betrayal of the Freedman's Bank (W.W. Norton, $29.99, 9781324073857).

Tomorrow:
Good Morning America: Valarie Kaur, author of Sage Warrior: Wake to Oneness, Practice Pleasure, Choose Courage, Become Victory (One World, $32, 9780593448441).
 
The View:  Alex Guarnaschelli, author of Italian American Forever: Classic Recipes for Everything You Want to Eat (Clarkson Potter, $35, 9780593578001).
 
Live with Kelly and Mark: Tim Matheson, author of Damn Glad to Meet You: My Seven Decades in the Hollywood Trenches (Hachette Books, $30, 9780306832932).
 
Late Show with Stephen Colbert repeat: Pamela Anderson, author of I Love You: Recipes from the Heart (Voracious, $35, 9780316573481).

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 9
2:55 p.m. Jeremi Suri, author of Civil War by Other Means: America's Long and Unfinished Fight for Democracy (‎PublicAffairs, $30, 9781541758544).

5:55 p.m. Lisa Tetrault, author of The Myth of Seneca Falls: Memory and the Women's Suffrage Movement, 1848-1898 (University of North Carolina Press, $32.50, 9781469633503).

Sunday, November 10
8 a.m. Lindsey Cormack, author of How to Raise a Citizen (And Why It's Up to You to Do It) (‎Jossey-Bass, $28, 9781394278701), at Theodore's Books in Oyster Bay, N.Y. (Re-airs Sunday at 8 p.m.)

9 a.m. Gary Shapiro, author of Pivot or Die: How Leaders Thrive When Everything Changes (Morrow, $29.99, 9780063374775). (Re-airs Sunday at 9 p.m.)

2 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. Coverage of the 2024 Brooklyn Book Festival. Highlights include:

• 2 p.m. A discussion on New York City's history with Ava Chin, author of Mott Street: A Chinese American Family's Story of Exclusion and Homecoming, Tanisha Ford, author of Our Secret Society: Mollie Moon and the Glamour, Money, and Power Behind the Civil Rights Movement, and Ross Perlin, author of Language City: The Fight to Preserve Endangered Mother Tongues in New York.
• 2:46 p.m. A discussion on police and surveillance with Ruha Benjamin, author of Race After Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code, Ben Austen, author of Correction: Parole, Prison, and the Possibility of Change, and Petra Molnar, author of The Walls Have Eyes: Surviving Migration in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.
• 3:34 p.m. A discussion on the workplace with Carrie Sun, author of Private Equity: A Memoir, Samhita Mukhopadhyay, author of The Myth of Making It: A Workplace Reckoning, and Benjamin Waterhouse, author of One Day I'll Work for Myself: The Dream and Delusion That Conquered America.
• 5:13 p.m. A discussion on social movements and solidarity with Astra Taylor, author of The Age of Insecurity: Coming Together as Things Fall Apart, Hamilton Nolan, author of The Hammer: Power, Inequality, and the Struggle for the Soul of Labor, and Deepak Bhargava, author of Practical Radicals: Seven Strategies to Change the World.
• 6:08 p.m. A discussion on debt with Luke Messac, author of Your Money or Your Life: Debt Collection in American Medicine, Chrystin Ondersma, author of Dignity Not Debt: An Abolitionist Approach to Economic Justice, and Melissa Jacoby, author of Unjust Debts: How Our Bankruptcy System Makes America More Unequal.

7:16 p.m. Abbott Kahler, author of Eden Undone: A True Story of Sex, Murder, and Utopia at the Dawn of World War II (Crown, $32, 9780451498656).

Nimitz at War: Command Leadership from Pearl Harbor to Tokyo by Craig L. Symonds (Oxford University Press) has won the $50,000 Gilder Lehrman Military History Prize, sponsored by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History in recognition of the best eligible English-language book in the field of American military history, distinguished by its scholarship, its contribution to the literature, and its appeal to the broadest possible general reading public.

Jury chair Lorien Foote wrote, "Well-written and engaging, [Nimitz at War] gives scholars their first full portrait of Nimitz in over fifty years, and general readers an easy-to-understand overview of the leadership qualities and bold decisions of the commander vital to U.S. success in the Pacific."

James G. Basker, president and CEO of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, who was part of the board that made the final choice, said, "Symonds' biography offers a fresh and engaging perspective on the Pacific Theater of World War II. Nimitz at War is a crowning achievement from one of the nation’s premier military historians."

---

Mara Faye Lethem has won the 2024 Lewis Galantière Award for her translation from the Catalan of When I Sing, Mountains Dance by Irene Solà (Graywolf Press, 2022).

Bestowed by the American Translators Association in even-numbered years, the Lewis Galantière Award honors a distinguished, book-length translation from any language, save German, into English (the Ungar German Translation Award, which is bestowed in odd-numbered years, exists to honor German to English translations).

The ATA called Lethem's translation "vivid and palpable. Through the voices of many different speakers, which Lethem masterfully expresses in English, this slim novel becomes increasingly expansive, almost epic, conveying a deep sense of Catalan culture and history through the present day."

This year, there were 69 nominations for the award across 19 languages. Every nomination was read by three professional translators and ATA members, at least one of whom knew the source language and compared translated passages to the original. A jury of ATA members then selected the winner based on those evaluations.

The award is named for Lewis Galantière, a founding member of the ATA who translated from the French, and has been awarded since 1984. It was awarded at the ATA's annual conference in Portland, Ore., which ran from October 30-November 2. 

Selected new titles appearing next Tuesday, November 12:
 
To Die For by David Baldacci (Grand Central, $30, 9781538757901) is book three in the 6:20 Man thriller series.
 
Lazarus Man: A Novel by Richard Price (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $29, 9780374168155) follows a cast of characters affected by the collapse of a tenement in East Harlem.
 
Clive Cussler Desolation Code by Graham Brown (Putnam, $32, 9780593719206) posthumously continues Cussler's NUMA Files series.
 
The Navigator's Children by Tad Williams (DAW, $32, 9780756418557) concludes the Last King of Osten Ard fantasy series.
 
Deadly Animals: A Novel by Marie Tierney (Holt, $29.99, 9781250357595) is a mystery starring a teenage girl obsessed with the macabre.
 
Skyshade by Alex Aster (Amulet, $22.99, 9781419773785) is book three in the YA fantasy Lightlark Saga.
 
The Bad Guys in One Last Thing by Aaron Blabey (Scholastic, $6.99, 9781546111801) is the 20th and last book in the humorous chapter book series.
 
I Am the Dark That Answers When You Call by Jamison Shea (Holt, $19.99, 9781250909589) features the ballerina protagonist from I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me attempting to escape her bloody past.
 
Martha: The Cookbook: 100 Favorite Recipes, with Lessons and Stories from My Kitchen by Martha Stewart (Clarkson Potter, $40, 9780593139202) is Stewart's 100th book.
 
There's Treasure Inside by Jon Collins-Black (Treasure Books, $49.95, 9798989813315) ties into a real life treasure hunt.
 
How to Let Things Go: 99 Tips from a Zen Buddhist Monk to Relinquish Control and Free Yourself Up for What Matters by Shunmyo Masuno, trans. by Allison Markin Powell (Penguin Life, $26, 9780143138136) shares wisdom for freer living.
 
Vanishing Treasures: A Bestiary of Extraordinary Endangered Creatures by Katherine Rundell (Doubleday, $26, 9780385550826) chronicles animals in danger of extinction.
 
Cassino '44: The Brutal Battle for Rome by James Holland (Atlantic Monthly Press, $35, 9780802163844) explores the costly battles for Monte Cassino and Anzio during World War II.
 
Paperbacks:
LBJ and McNamara: The Vietnam Partnership Destined to Fail by Peter Osnos (Rivertowns Books, $17.95, 9781953943552).
 
Made of Rivers by Emory Hall (Hay House, $16.99, 9781401980184).
 
The Lotus Empire: The Burning Kingdoms Book 3 by Tasha Suri (Orbit, $19.99, 9780316538602).
 
Toto by A.J. Hackwith (Ace, $19, 9780593546574).
 
The Co-op: A Novel by Tarah DeWitt (St. Martin's Griffin, $18, 9781250329387).

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 Ancients: A Novel by John Larison (Viking, $30, 9780593831168). "In this apocalyptic story, Larison sweeps us across a landscape through the eyes of characters each with a unique view of the devastation of the past. Different societies clash as resources grow scarce, and plans for colonization of other lands become paramount." --Josie Williams, Invitation Bookshop, Gig Harbor, Wash.

The Elements of Marie Curie: How the Glow of Radium Lit a Path for Women in Science by Dava Sobel (Atlantic Monthly Press, $30, 9780802163820). "There's a very short list of biographers whose books I'll read no matter the subject. And there is an even shorter list of science communicators who make complex subjects both accessible and fascinating. At the center of that Venn diagram is Dava Sobel. A deeply satisfying read!" --Susan Tunis, Bookshop West Portal, San Francisco, Calif.

Paperback
Family Meal: A Novel by Bryan Washington (Riverhead, $18, 9780593421109). "Family Meal is a heartbreaking story of love, loss, and grief. Cam returns to Houston after the love of his life, Kai, dies. He and his estranged best friend, TJ, try to work through their grief and past hurts. A painful, gorgeous read." --Kristen Beverly, Half Price Books, Dallas, Tex.

Ages 4-8
The Café at the Edge of the Woods by Mikey Please (HarperCollins, $19.99, 9780063345492). "Oh my goodness, what an endearing, quirky little folktale. It's goofy in a subtly clever way, with instant-classic feeling illustrations to boot. I think adults will get a kick out of it as much as children." --Leah Atlee, Bright Side Bookshop, Flagstaff, Ariz.

Ages 8-12
The Graveyard Gift by Fern Forgettable, as told by Piper CJ (Random House Books for Young Readers, $14.99, 9780593810477). "This book gave me all the Wednesday Addams vibes. Young Rosemary can see how people die. She's a student a Fern's school for other demi-fae. When classmate goes missing, she'll have to use her gifts to find him. Mystery, friendship and so much more!" --Morgan DePerno, Bookmarks, Winston-Salem, N.C.

Teen Readers: An Indies Introduce Title
Tangleroot by Kalela Williams (Feiwel & Friends, $19.99, 9781250880666). "Sometimes your family history is as tangled as the vines on the ground. When Noni is forced to make a new home in the 'Big House' built by an enslaved ancestor, she may discover truths about herself and her family that none could have imagined." --Sally Sue Lavigne, The Storybook Shoppe, Bluffton, S.C.

[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]

A satisfied smile surely awaits readers of The Rainfall Market, the bestselling debut fantasy by Korean author You Yeong-Gwang, arriving in an inviting English translation from Slin Jung. The feel-good, magical narrative features a teen's self-discovery quest with (slightly) softened reminders of universal, contemporary societal challenges.

Serin "didn't ask for much. All she wanted was an ordinary life." Her father died, leaving the family poor. Their home burned down, forcing a move into a dark, semi-basement apartment, and now the building is slated for demolition. Her mother is overworked; her younger sister ran away a year earlier without any further contact. Serin is finishing high school soon but has "no chance of saving enough for university." She has no friends; she's "always alone. Always lonely." One night, with nothing to lose, Serin chooses to believe a local legend about the Rainfall Market and writes a long letter describing her difficult life. "Rumor had it if you sent a letter about your misfortune" to a certain abandoned house in Rainbow Town outside the big city, "you would receive a mysterious Ticket. If you brought that ticket to the house on the first day of the rainy season, you could completely change your life."

Two months later, Serin finds a "vivid red envelope in the letterbox." Inside is an unusual offer: "Would you be interested in selling us your misfortune? At the Rainfall Market, you will have the chance to trade in your misfortune for a happier story in our stock." When the rain (finally) arrives, Serin leaves a hurried note for her mother and rushes to Rainbow Town, where she meets numerous Dokkaebi--mythical Korean goblins, some kind, some not. Her misfortunes earn her significant amount of gold coins that allow her to shop throughout the Rainfall Market for Dokkaebi Orbs; each orb "contains the extraordinary--or ordinary--life you desire." Serin's new wealth means she'll have many lives to try; she just needs to choose the one by the end of the rainy season. What she'll discover--with the help of her puppy-like guide-kitty Issha--will, of course, be full of unexpected surprises.

You's acknowledgements reveal his publishing journey--initially rebuffed with "We don't believe your writing has what it takes for publication." His self-described result, "a light, fun read that was still packed with meaning," is exactly what audiences are gifted here. Rainfall Market's undeniable antidotal qualities will surely soothe minds and warm hearts. --Terry Hong

Shelf Talker: This bestselling Korean import presents a delightfully magical quest about a tenacious teen struggling to escape her difficult life--guided by a puppy-like kitty.