New Voices New Rooms continued Tuesday in Atlanta, Ga., with the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance Town Hall and the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association's Annual Meeting kicking off the second day. Where Monday's schedule was packed with education sessions, Tuesday saw the opening of the exhibition floor, rep pick sessions, and an editors' reception. The NAIBA Awards Dinner and the SIBA Celebration Reception brought the day to a close.

Booksellers mingle and meet authors at the Indie Press Author Reception Monday night.

Holly Ruck, director of field sales, Macmillan; Valerie Pierce, v-p, independent sales and retail marketing, Sourcebooks; and Jessica Stockton-Bagnulo, owner and events manager, Greenlight Bookstore, Brooklyn, N.Y., hosted a lively panel on Building Relationships with Publishers. Stockton-Bagnulo summed up: "When approaching publishers for author events, one-sheets pitching your store, informative websites, creativity in pitches, and experience with past events are all important and helpful. When you need help or aren’t getting the events you want, reaching out for a conversation with the publisher can be the most important item in your toolkit."

NAIBA and SIBA booksellers peruse the exhibition hall Tuesday morning.

NAIBA president Hannah Oliver Depp, co-owner of Loyalty Bookstores, washington, D.C., addresses NAIBA members during the association’s annual meeting Tuesday morning. (photo: Ryan Grover, NAIBA)

At SIBA's Town Hall on Tuesday, board members Julia Davis, The Book Worm Bookshop, Powder Springs, Ga., and Bunnie Hilliard, Brave + Kind Bookshop, Decatur, Ga., addressed member concerns. (photo: SP Rankin, SIBA)

Northport Books opened last month at 127 Main St. in Northport, N.Y. Greater Huntington reported that owner Jennifer McAuliffe said the idea for the bookstore "came after a big life shift.... Once her kids went off to college and she left her corporate job of 27 years, she started thinking seriously about doing something just for herself--and for the community."

When the idea of a bookstore presented itself, "I wanted it to be in a great location, one that was special to me," she recalled, adding that Northport turned out to be the spot. "I couldn't believe that this town didn't have a bookstore. But when the space became available, it all came together. It was serendipitous."

Before signing a lease, McAuliffe checked out other Long Island bookshops, wanting to make sure she wasn't stepping on any local toes. "I didn't want to compete with other bookstores," she said. "So my first mission was to visit them all and make sure there was distance between us."

The storefront--a former art gallery--needed little renovation, other than a fresh coat of paint, some new floors, and bookshelves. She found the space in the winter and moved quickly when it became available last spring.

"I really wanted this to be a community space," she said. "I'm listening to what everybody wants, and I think it can be a really cool space."

Huzzah Books, which offers primarily used titles along with a smaller selection of new books, opened earlier this month at 114 Clement St. in Boone, N.C., after having to close temporarily and move to a new location, the Appalachian reported. 

Owner Jason Wallace said the bookstore carries a diverse inventory: "We're really concerned with substance, so the quality of literature, whether it's nonfiction or fiction, poetry or drama."

Huzzah previously was located on King St. for almost two years, sharing a building with several other local businesses, before Wallace's landlord informed him he would need to find a new space. It took about three months to prepare the new store for its opening.

"Opening day was really magic," Wallace told the Watauga Democrat. "I think we had between 100 and 150 people come by and everyone was just gushing."

Kay's Book Nook in Weaverville, Calif., is holding a liquidation sale in preparation for a tentative closing date of November 29. Last month, owner Kayley Wheeler, who took over the store in 2023, announced in a social media post that she would be shuttering the business.

"It comes with a heavy heart and my deepest regret that I must share this news: after four decades, thousands of stories, and four passionate owners, the time has come to close the doors of our beloved bookstore," Wheeler wrote. "This decision has not been made lightly."

She added that when she first became the owner, "I knew this outcome was a possibility. But I moved forward with faith, hope, and a deep love for books and this community. I truly believed I could keep this store alive. Sadly, despite that belief--and despite your loyal support--the time has come to face a bittersweet truth: love alone doesn't pay the bills, and passion can't keep the lights on."

Wheeler cited online competition, e-readers, ongoing supply chain challenges, and steadily increasing overhead costs as factors in her decision to close the bookshop, noting: "I've given everything I could--emotionally, physically, and financially--but I can no longer carry the weight. It's time to move on. Time to pass the torch--not to another owner, but to all of you who will carry a piece of this place with you: in the books you've taken home, the conversations we've shared, and the moments this space made possible.... 

"I want to take this opportunity to thank every one of you who chose to shop local--who made the effort to support this bookstore through thick and thin. Your kindness and loyalty allowed me to keep the doors open as long as I have.... From the bottom of my heart: thank you for being a part of this chapter in my story."

This past week, Shelf Awareness sent our monthly pre-order e-blast to more than 895,000 of the country's best book readers. The e-blast went to 897,576 customers of 273 participating independent bookstores.

The mailing features 11 upcoming titles selected by Shelf Awareness editors and a sponsored title. 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 last Wednesday of each month; the next will go out on Wednesday, August 27. Stores interested in learning more can visit our program registration page or contact our partner program team via e-mail.

For a sample of the July pre-order e-blast, see this one from Mystery Lovers Bookshop, Oakmont, Pa.

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

All the Way to the River: Love, Loss, and Liberation by Elizabeth Gilbert (Riverhead)
Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy by Mary Roach (W.W. Norton)
Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy (Scribner)
Circle of Days by Ken Follett (Grand Central)
The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy (Mariner)
Book of Sheen: A Memoir by Charlie Sheen (Gallery)
The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown (Doubleday)
The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand (Little, Brown)
Pitcher Perfect by Bailey by Tessa Bailey (Avon)
Invisible Parade by Leigh Bardugo and John Picacio (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
True and Lucky Life of a Turtle by Sy Montgomery and Matt Patterson (Clarion)

Congratulations to Vero Beach Book Center in Vero Beach, Fla., which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The bookstore, founded by Tom and Linda Leonard in 1975, is now entering its third generation of family ownership, continuing a legacy of literary advocacy, nationally recognized author events, and meaningful community engagement.

"For 50 years, we've welcomed readers and authors into our store as if into our home," said Chad Leonard, owner and manager. "We're honored to carry that tradition forward with the next generation."

Vero Beach Book Center has hosted an impressive lineup of guests over the decades, including Presidents George W. Bush and Jimmy Carter, cultural icons like Julie Andrews and Andy Williams, and bestselling authors James Patterson, Nicholas Sparks, Jodi Picoult, Lisa Jewell, David Baldacci, and many more. Children's authors and illustrators--including Jan Brett, Marc Brown, and Henry Winkler--have left their mark on the store, quite literally, by adorning its walls with original illustrations.

"We're a space where authors feel at home, conversations flow, and events become something memorable. These are shared experiences that stay with our community long after the chairs are folded," Chad Leonard observed.

"As the retail landscape continues to shift, Vero Beach Book Center stands out as a success story for independent bookstores," the bookshop noted. "While many independent bookstores have struggled to survive in the age of online shopping, this family-run business continues to thrive, thanks to its deep community roots, loyal customers, robust event calendar, and warm, in-person experiences that can't be replicated online."

(photo: Chris Frawley/Oprah Daily)

Oprah Winfrey turned back the clock and chose Richard Russo's 2007 novel Bridge of Sighs (Vintage) as the August Oprah's Book Club Pick, Oprah Daily reported, noting: "This book has everything you need for a classic summer read--romance, unrequited love, lifelong friendships--and of course epic family drama.... You all know I love a story that sweeps you up, and this one is not going to disappoint."

"It is, of course, a profound honor to be chosen for Oprah's Book Club," said Russo. "But to be chosen for a novel written two decades earlier? A book that will introduce a whole new generation of readers to my work? How special is that?"

Oprah described Russo as "a master at capturing the ordinary moments that reveal some of the deepest truths, especially in small-town novels."

Winfrey interviewed the author for the most recent Oprah’s Book Club: Presented by Starbucks podcast, available here.

The two most popular books in July at Reading Group Choices were The Club: Where American Women Artists Found Refuge in Belle Époque Paris by Jennifer Dasal (Bloomsbury) and Cheesecake: A Novel by Mark Kurlansky (Bloomsbury).

Book Beat, Oak Park, Mich., shared a photo of one of the shop's themed sales floor displays, noting: "August is Women in Translation Month. Celebrate by picking up a title by one or more of the many talented ladies."

Wise Effort: How to Focus Your Genius Energy on What Matters Most by Diana Hill (Sounds True).

Tomorrow:
CBS Mornings: Jenny Han, author of To All the Boys I've Loved Before (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $13.99, 9781442426719).

Today: Edy Massih, author of Keep It Zesty: A Celebration of Lebanese Flavors & Culture from Edy's Grocer (Harper, $39.99, 9780063280908).

The View repeat: Matteo Lane, author of Your Pasta Sucks: A "Cookbook" (Chronicle, $29.95, 9781797229560).

Lionsgate and Suretone Pictures released a trailer for Do Not Enter, a movie based on David Morrell's bestselling novel Creepers that follows a group of young urban explorers who venture into New Jersey's abandoned Paragon Hotel seeking a legendary gangster's missing $300 million fortune, only to encounter hostile rivals and supernatural forces. 

The project, directed by Marc Klasfeld from Stephen Susco's adaptation, features a cast that includes Adeline Rudolph (The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Nicholas Hamilton (IT franchise), Francesca Reale (Stranger Things), Jake Manley (The Order), and Laurence O'Fourain (Game of Thrones), along with Kai Caster, Shane Paul McGhie, Brennan Keel Cook, and Javier Botet.

"I have waited decades to find the right feature film project to which I could truly dedicate myself," said Klasfeld, whose music video credits include Lady Gaga, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, and Eminem. 

Jordan Schur, chairman and CEO of Suretone Pictures, added: "We have arrived at our destination with a powerful script adapted from a timeless book and a gifted director leading the charge. We could not ask for a better partner in Lionsgate."

Eda Kowan, Lionsgate's executive v-p of acquisitions, commented: "We are excited to work with Jordan and the team at Suretone along with Marc Klasfeld to bring this supernatural adventure thriller to audiences everywhere."

Shortlists in six categories have been released for the 2025 James Cropper Wainwright Prize for U.K. Nature Writing, which celebrate "nature and our environment, nurturing respect for our planet, and informing readers of the threats that the earth currently faces." Check out the shortlisted titles here.  

This year three new categories have been added, "reflecting the evolving landscape of environmental storytelling--particularly in how it reaches and inspires younger audiences," the organizers said. Adult Wainwright Prizes will be given for nature writing, the prize for conservation writing and illustrative books, while the children's categories include includes the fiction, non-fiction, and picture books. 

The two overall winners of the Wainwright Prize Book of the Year and Wainwright Children's Prize Book of the Year will be named on September 10, with each receiving £2,500 (about $3,320). Category winners will each receive £500 (about $665).

photo: Justin Lim

An Yu is the author of the novels Braised Pork and Ghost Music. She was born and raised in Beijing and has lived in New York and Paris. She received her MFA from New York University and writes her fiction in English. She now lives in Hong Kong. Her new book, Sunbirth (Grove Press, August 5, 2025), is a novel following two sisters in an isolated village as the sun begins to diminish above them.

Handsell readers your book in 25 words or less:

It's a story about sisters, secrets, and suns. Read it if you need something to cool down your summer!

On your nightstand now:

When the Museum Is Closed by Emi Yagi. I enjoyed her novel Diary of a Void very much so I'm quite looking forward to this one. Plus, who wouldn't want to read a novel about having conversations with a statue of Venus?

The Drunkard by Liu Yichang. I read Liu Yichang for the first time when I was a teenager and thought it was some of the most evocative writing I'd ever read. I still think so, of course!

Favorite book when you were a child:

I had a beautifully printed collection of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales that I brought with me everywhere I went. It must've been my first introduction to translated literature. The worlds and imagery captivated me so deeply.

Your top five authors:

This is a question I always run away from because I really have no idea. It appears to be such a simple question, yet it is demands a criteria so encompassing that it is impossible to answer. So I will try to evade it again here by listing some authors that I go to when I feel uncomfortable, anxious, or afraid: Natsume Sōseki, Jean Rhys, George Saunders, Elena Ferrante, and J.R.R. Tolkien.

Book you've faked reading:

I'm not sure I've faked reading anything, but I read War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy when I was 12 and didn't understand much of it. So I suppose, in a sense, I didn't actually read it.

Book you're an evangelist for:

Anything and everything by Can Xue. One of my favorite Chinese writers; her work is so avant-garde, so weird, and so mesmerizing that I feel like every time I'm in her world, I end up with an entirely new experience. I can't guarantee that you will like it (or even understand it, to be honest), but it will be unlike anything you've ever read before.

Book you've bought for the cover:

I might be biased but I am always in awe of the designs by Suzanne Dean who did the jackets for all my books. She is a genius!

I also love all the Sayaka Murata covers. They're so cute that they can feel a little unsettling, which serve as perfect introductions to her worlds. The Grove Atlantic editions of Yan Lianke's books are also beautiful, with paintings from artists like Fang Lijun and Chen Yu gracing the covers.

Book you hid from your parents:

Of all the things I hid, books were never one of them!

Book that changed your life:

I read Osamu Dazai's No Longer Human at a time when I was young and lonely and exhausted and felt so alienated from the world around me. The power of literature is that it makes us feel less alone, and I felt that deeply while reading this novel. The story has lived with me throughout the years in a way that others have not. I carry it with me the way I imagine we hold our memories of youth. It's not my favorite book and it's not a book I would recommend to everyone, but it occupies a space in me that is private and vulnerable.

Favorite line from a book:

I've always loved this one so much: "Memory fades, memory adjusts, memory conforms to what we think we remember." It's from Joan Didion's Blue Nights and it sums up what I preoccupy myself with thinking about every day.

Five books you'll never part with:

Can I choose 500? Right now, I don't ever want to part with my set of cookbooks from The Good Cook series that I've finally managed to collect in full. Other than that, I Am a Cat by Natsume Sōseki, Good Morning, Midnight by Jean Rhys, Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges, and maybe The Drunkard by Liu Yichang and Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell.

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

Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov. I remember reading it and thinking that I could never be a writer if that was the kind of book writers had to live up to. Nabokov is an absolute master of his craft.

Brian Lies's visual delight Cat Nap is a feline-fueled romp through 10 masterpieces of art history, all lovingly re-created by hand. The story opens in a late-afternoon living room, warm with light and drifting shadows. A sleepy gray kitten stirs when a mouse darts by. Together, they leap into a Metropolitan Museum of Art poster hanging over the sofa, and the chase begins--through time, culture, and media.

Caldecott Honor winner Lies (Little Bat in Night School; Got to Get to Bear's) opens with soft alliteration--"Late light lies, warm, over sofa, Kitten, book"--setting a lyrical tone for the immersive journey that follows. As Kitten bounds after the mouse, they tumble through artworks from diverse cultures and eras: an ancient Egyptian limestone carving, a 14th-century illuminated manuscript, a Japanese ink drawing, a Mblo portrait mask of the Baule people, and more. In each piece, the chase adapts to the aesthetic, subject matter, and mood of the work, deepening the visual storytelling and subtly educating readers.

The transformation of style across spreads is striking. Lies's palette shifts to match the original works, filling the pages with the saturated blues, reds, and green of stained glass, circa 1497, or the earthy tones of a ceramic dog from the Remojadas culture in the early 8th century. The 3D nature of the illustrations, crafted from materials like clay, paper, glass, and much more, gives many pages a tactile, museum-like feel, inviting close inspection.

But this isn't just an artistic showcase. Lies also brings readers a heartfelt adventure. When Kitten gets separated from the mouse and becomes lost in the museum-like world, he's scared and alone. In a spread inspired by an Italian panel painting of St. Anthony of Padua, the saint gently points Kitten toward home: "And like a whisper of wind, Kitten is home." That return to warmth and familiarity is deeply satisfying, a reminder that art can both stir the spirit and comfort the soul. And was it only a cat-nap fantasy? Perhaps. But real or not, the adventure feels true.

Extensive backmatter identifies each artwork, its origin, and medium and includes notes from Lies about the creative process. Readers are also encouraged to "write stories and to make pictures and build things," underscoring the book's invitation to engage with art in hands-on ways.

With its lyrical text, handcrafted visuals, and journey through global artistic traditions, Cat Nap is a feast for the eyes and imagination. Art lovers, young and old, will surely be captivated. --Julie Danielson

Shelf Talker: In Brian Lies's layered picture book, a kitten's chase leads readers through a beautifully crafted journey across time, culture, and iconic works of art.