"When you walk into an independent bookstore, it just feels different from any other store. There's the welcoming smile and the smell of fresh pages (and sometimes coffee, too). But even more than that is the feeling of community, knowing you're in a place where stories are valued, and where everyone's story matters. I'd love it if the whole world could be more like an indie bookstore."

Cupid's Bookshop, a 600-square-foot romance bookstore, opened recently at 106 Grape St., Philadelphia, Pa. The Philadelphia Inquirer was on the scene April 24 for the launch in Manayunk's Incubator Space, where "hundreds of people--including some who traveled from Pittsburgh and Brooklyn--browsed monster romances, queer rom-coms, and historical bodice rippers, between noon and 6 p.m. Mayor Cherelle L. Parker even stopped by during a scheduled tour of Manayunk."

The new bookshop is owned by Tina Long, a Manayunk/Roxborough resident and longtime fan of the genre, who said, "I have always loved romance, but it's always been frowned upon--until recently.... I think most people would be practical and say that's the craziest career to go in to right now with the economy. But I think it's important to have more places with judgment-free zones where you can be openly in love with silly romance books [about] dragons, aliens, faeries and feel safe."

A former fashion and publishing professional, Long said that when burnout at her job hit, her husband, Anthony, encouraged her to turn her reading passion into a project: "He's been super supportive, helping out where he can--he's my very own book romance."

She told the Inquirer that she wanted the store to fully embrace the romance genre's reputation for being big, bold, and occasionally over-the-top: "I really wanted a place when you walk in you're like, 'This looks like it's all about campy romance.' I don't want customers to hide what they like. It's fun to read and talk about your silliest book boyfriend or girlfriend."

Long told Philly Voice: "I love escapism. I love that it's all in your mind, imagining whoever that character, that love interest is, and it's in your brain. And everyone's so different, even if it's the same book, everyone has a different idea of who that person is."

In an Instagram post after the grand opening celebration for Cupid's Bookshop, Long wrote: "Words cannot describe how appreciative we are of all of you that waited and showed up to our grand opening on Thursday. From the surprise pop in by Mayor Parker to all the kind words from all that came--we are so excited to build a romance community here in Philly."

A romance bookstore called Pink Couch Books will open later this spring in Wilmette, Ill., the Record North Shore reported.

Owner Lora Amigo has found a space at 1161 Wilmette Ave., and she plans to carry a wide assortment of romance titles, along with a selection of young adult titles and other books. The store's event offerings will include book clubs, author talks, and more

"There is a romance book out there for everybody," Amigo told the Record. "It is such a wide, all-encompassing genre. Part of what I love is the approach, telling stories usually from a female perspective or LGBTQ perspective, which is refreshing."

Amigo initially wanted to open an independent bookstore to provide Wilmette with a community hub, and her original idea was to open a general-interest bookstore. The storefront she found proved to be on the smaller side, which led her to consider focusing on romance, a genre she fell in love with roughly a year ago. She remarked: "I thought about it, and this could actually be perfect."

Amigo hopes to have Pink Couch Books open by Memorial Day.

The 2nd & Charles bookstore in Harrisburg, Pa., recently moved out of the main Harrisburg Mall building into a former Toys 'R' Us location on the property, which had been vacant for a decade. PennLive reported that the change is temporary, however, noting that the mall's owner, St. John Properties, confirmed the bookstore eventually will be moving again.

"2nd & Charles intends to relocate its Harrisburg-area store to a new, to-be-built building next to the existing Bass Pro location. St. John Properties anticipates initiating construction on this building in first-quarter 2026 with a delivery date to-be-determined," the company said.

St. John Properties is demolishing the mall's main building and plans to build the Swatara Exchange, which will include about 50,000 square feet of retail space, but not a 2nd & Charles store.

At Betty's Books

Saturday was Free Comic Book Day, with participating retailers across the country and around the world giving away comics, hosting events, and customers cosplaying for the occasion. Here's a sampling of fun posts from several participating stores:

Secret World Books, Highland Park, Ill.: "Free Comic Book Day has begun! Swing on by to choose 2 free comic books of your choice (and, if you wish, one free Pokemon building set!) We also have a table full of Buy 2, Get 1 Free $1 comic books out front and comics on sale throughout the store!... All decked out for Free Comic Book Day! Still plenty of issues left for fans of all ages!"

Gutter Pop Comics, Buffalo, N.Y.: "Today is FREE COMIC BOOK DAY see you soon!"

Bedrock City Comic Co., Houston, Tex.: "DOORS ARE OPEN for #FreeComicBookDay!"

That's Entertainment, Worcester, Mass.: "Don't miss out on the BIGGEST comic book event at That's Entertainment! Today is Free Comic Book Day, Saturday, May 3rd! We still have lots of amazing FREE COMIC BOOK DAY exclusive comics to give away!"

At Alternate Reality in Las Vegas

Collectors Corner, Parkville, Md.: "Free Comic Book Day has officially BEGUN at Collectors Corner in Parkville! The sun is out, the comics are free, and the vibes are high. Whether you're a hardcore collector or just looking to dip your toes into a new multiverse, today's the day to swing by and scoop some magic. Support local. Collect something epic. Be the hero of your own story."

Galactic Greg's, Valparaiso, Ind.: "It's happening..."

Betty's Books, Webster Groves, Mo.: "It's finally FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!! We're so excited to celebrate graphic lit all day and share all of these wonderful comics + our COMMUNITY ZINE! Swing by for all the goodies and deals!"

Dr. No's Comics & Games Superstore, Marietta, Ga.: "Free Comic Book Day is in full swing!! Stop on by and say hi!"

Heroes and Fantasies, San Antonio, Tex.: "#freecomibookday is in full swing at @heroesandfantasies!! We'll be open till 9pm, get in here and check out all the vendors, swag, and photo-ops! Also got a pic of all the flash tattoos you can get done while here at the shop by Tattoo Perfection, make a choice and come on down! See you at Heroes!"

Crowds at Comix Connection

Comix Connection, Mechanicsburg, Pa.: "#freecomicbookday is going strong. Come in and join us!"

Knowhere Games & Comics, San Marcos, Calif.: "It's #FREEComicBookDay in full swing at #KnowhereGC!!! Swing by and get FREE comics, take advantage of great sales, get your favorite items signed by brilliant creators." 

Four Color Fantasies, Winchester, Va.: "#FCFCoversLiteracy has ended with $11,500 (Thanks Tony for the $5!) raised, bringing our total to over $50,000 raised for Literacy Volunteers Winchester Area raised since 2019!"

Hall of Justice Comics & Collectibles, Parker, Colo.: "Shout out to the best crew and the most incredible customer base in comics. Once again, Hall of Justice Comics & Collectibles had another record breaking FCBD. We couldn't do it without everyone's support. We are truly nothing without the incredible comic book community. YAY COMICS!!"

Infinite Realities: Comics, Games & More, Tucker, Ga.: "It's FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2025 and what an amazing turnout! It's been fantastic seeing so many of our friends together in one place celebrating the medium we all love so dearly! Hooray for comic books!"

Bell, Book & Comic, Dayton, Ohio: "First and foremost, THANK YOU !!!!!! To everyone who came out and celebrated FCBD 2025 with us. We love all of you!!... To say yesterday was a success is a huge understatement. Even with the cold rainy weather you all showed up and showed us love and we appreciate all of you!"

After a driver plowed into the front window of The Book Jewel, Los Angeles, Calif., right before Independent Bookstore Day, team members rallied to find another location for their event scheduled for Friday evening, moving it to Tomat, the restaurant next door. The event featured women authors over 50--Sibylline Press's focus--including (from left) Sibylline Press publisher Vicki DeArmon (Foghorn), Susan Mattern (Who Nun It?), Book Jewel owner Karen Dial, Book Jewel events coordinator Emma Olson, Samantha Rose (Giving Up the Ghost), Lisa Jones Gentry (A Dead Man Speaks), and Lorraine Devon Wilke (Chick Singer). The store was able to clean up and re-open for Indie Bookstore Day.

Ghoulish Books, Selma, Tex., shared a photo of the shop's unsettling sidewalk chalkboard message: "This is a normal shop. This is not a trap. We will not put you in a soup.*
Please come in....

Today co-host Jenna Bush Hager has chosen The Names by Florence Knapp (‎Pamela Dorman) as her May Read with Jenna book club pick. The Names, which will be published tomorrow, May 6, "follows a mother named Cora, who is going to register her son's birth. Through three separate storylines in which she gives her son three different names, readers will find out how his life drastically differs with each name."

"We watch these three different realities take place over a lifetime," Jenna said. "We watch a family who comes together, grows apart, and we meet this boy whose name, in three different ways, predicts who he will be. It's a book about second chances. It's a book about family, it's a book about hope."

The Names is Florence Knapp's debut novel.

At Macmillan:

Jeanette Zwart has been promoted to senior director, Canada sales, on the trade sales team.

Amanda Crimarco has been promoted to director, library marketing.

Kayla LaVallee has been promoted to associate director, e-commerce sales, on the special sales team.

Tiffanie Mueller has been promoted to senior manager, Amazon product, on the trade sales team.

William Plunkett has joined the company as national accounts manager, e-book sales.

Kathleen McCutcheon Luppino has been promoted to national accounts manager on the trade sales team.

Lisa Huang has been promoted to associate manager, sales strategy, on the trade sales team.

Frances Metzger has joined the field sales team as inside sales rep.

Kristoff Ramsamujh has been promoted to sales associate, client services, on the trade sales team.

Kaitlin Layton has joined the trade sales team as sales assistant.

Ruby Finkelman Finds the Real Magic by Mike King (The Collective Book Studio).

Today:
CBS Mornings: Suzy Welch, author of Becoming You: The Proven Method for Crafting Your Authentic Life and Career (Harper Business, $32, 9780063418608).

Today: Misty Copeland, co-author of Letters to Misty: How to Move Through Life with Confidence and Grace (Aladdin, $19.99, 9781534443037).

Also on Today: Nate Bargatze, author of Big Dumb Eyes: Stories from a Simpler Mind (Grand Central, $30, 9781538768464). He will also appear tomorrow on the Tonight Show.

Tamron Hall: Lakeysha Hallmon, author of No One Is Self-Made: Build Your Village to Flourish in Business and Life (Dey Street, $29.99, 9780063315891).

Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Suleika Jaouad, author of The Book of Alchemy: A Creative Practice for an Inspired Life (Random House, $30, 9780593734636).

Tomorrow:
CBS Mornings: Tinx, author of Hotter in the Hamptons: A Novel (Bloom Books, $27.99, 9781464245374).

Today: Meredith Hayden, author of The Wishbone Kitchen Cookbook: Seasonal Recipes for Everyday Luxury and Elevated Entertaining (Ten Speed Press, $35, 9780593835951).

Tamron Hall: Kelsey Grammer, author of Karen: A Brother Remembers (Harper Select, $31.99, 9781400252817).

Daily Show: Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach, and Amanda Doyle, authors of We Can Do Hard Things: Answers to Life's 20 Questions (The Dial Press, $34, 9780593977644). Doyle and Wambach will also appear on Morning Joe.

Lulu Is a Rhinoceros, a family pop musical special for kids and parents based on the children's book by father-daughter duo Jason Flom and Allison Flom, will premiere globally on May 30 on Apple TV+.

The show is led by a voice cast that includes Auli'i Cravalho (Moana) as Lulu, Alex Newell (Glee) as Cory, Dulé Hill (Psych) as Flom Flom, Paul Rust (Love) as Finn, and Utkarsh Ambudkar (Ghosts) as Hip-Hop. 

Produced by Propagate Content and Bento Box Animation, Lulu Is a Rhinoceros is developed by Jason and Allison Flom, who serve as executive producers alongside Brett Coker, Scott Greenberg, and Dana Tafoya-Cameron. Ben Silverman, Howard T. Owens, and Rodney Ferrell executive produce for Propagate Content. 

Allison Flom is head writer for the musical, which features original songs by Golden Globe nominee Leland and lyrics by Flom. Jina Hyojin An and Shirley Song (BE@RBRICK) provide an original score. Angela Stempel directs the project.

Winners in 13 categories were announced for the 2025 Christian Book Award, sponsored by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer (WaterBrook) was named Christian Book of the Year, and the ECPA Pinnacle Award was presented to Josh McDowell and to Kay Arthur in special recognition of the outstanding contribution of their body of work to the industry, church, and society at large.

Organizers said Practicing the Way "grew out of a five-year spiritual formation initiative at Bridgetown Church in Portland, where Comer served as founding pastor, to organize community around the simple idea: practicing the Way of Jesus together."

To see the 13 category winners, click here.

National Book Award-winner Susan Choi (Trust Exercise) presents another gripping novel with Flashlight. In the opening scene, 10-year-old Louisa and her father go for an evening walk on the beach with a flashlight to guide them, to gaze at the sea that separates Japan from Korea. That night, Louisa washes up on the beach barely conscious yet alive, but her father does not. When someone discovers her, Louisa reports that her "father was kidnapped."

The novel shifts among the perspectives of Louisa and her parents--Anne, a native Ohioan, and Serk Kang, a Japanese-born man of Korean descent--as well as Tobias, born of an affair Anne had before she met Serk, with a married man who insisted that he and his wife adopt Tobias. Choi's ability to make coincidences seem inevitable makes this a delicately balanced drama.

Soon after the beach incident, other strange details surface. Tobias, who traveled to Japan and secretly met with Anne weekly while she was living there, encounters one Japanese couple who believes their daughter was kidnapped. Choi feeds to readers seemingly disparate clues that coalesce in a tale of espionage and global conflict, and the heartrending ways in which world struggles play out in individual lives.

Anne, Serk, and Louisa waver between acts of tenderness and cruelty. Anne suffered great loss in giving up Tobias in her early 20s, a fact she kept from Serk. Serk saw his only future in his academic studies in Japan, refusing to follow his parents to their native Korea, a fact he kept from Anne. They met in the 1960s in the U.S. and their options were few: "The world had not been fit for either of them; this suggested they were fit for each other." Both Anne and Serk live in fear, but rather than confide those fears to each other, they grow increasingly remote, especially when Serk's career takes the family back to Japan. Louisa internalizes her parents' strategy. When Anne develops physical symptoms, "losses of normal sensation, and gains of ghost sensations that shouldn't exist," Louisa thinks her mother is faking an illness. Even years later, when Anne is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Louisa cannot show her mother kindness.

Choi has a gift for instilling empathy in readers as she shows her characters' flaws; she gives insight into the tools Anne, Serk, and Louisa developed in order to protect themselves, even as they push one another away and cling to their secrets. Yet there is hope for Louisa--who by the end of Flashlight has opened her mind and can perceive a world outside herself. --Jennifer M. Brown

Shelf Talker: In this gripping novel, Susan Choi's seemingly disparate clues coalesce in a tale of espionage and global conflict, and the heartrending ways in which world struggles play out in individual lives.

The bestselling Libro.fm audiobooks at independent bookstores during April:

Fiction
1. Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry (Penguin Random House Audio)
2. Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez (Hachette Audio)
3. Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic)
4. The Wedding People by Alison Espach (Macmillan Audio)
5. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (Bloomsbury)
6. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by Julia Whelan (Macmillan Audio)
7. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (HarperAudio)
8. Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor (HarperAudio)
9. The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang (HarperAudio)
10. The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune (Macmillan Audio)

Nonfiction
1. Everything Is Tuberculosis by John Green (Penguin Random House Audio)
2. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer (Tantor Media)
3. Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams (Macmillan Audio)
4. Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson (Simon & Schuster Audio)
5. All About Love by bell hooks (HarperAudio)
6. Love in a F*cked-Up World by Dean Spade (Hachette Audio)
7. Who Is Government? by Michael Lewis (Penguin Random House Audio)
8. Who's Afraid of Gender? by Judith Butler (Macmillan Audio)
9. One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad (Penguin Random House Audio)
10. Cher: Part One by Cher (HarperAudio)