Readerlink Distribution Services, which specializes in supplying books to non-trade booksellers such as Walmart, Target, grocery stores, and warehouse clubs, is buying Baker & Taylor, which primarily supplies the library market. According to a letter yesterday to "publishing partners" from Readerlink president and CEO Dennis E. Abboud, Readerlink will acquire "the business and substantially all the of assets" of B&T. Closing is expected on September 26.

With the purchase, "most of the current Baker & Taylor management team and employees will be joining the ReaderLink team, and Aman Kochar, Baker & Taylor’s CEO, will continue to lead the Baker & Taylor business," reporting to Abboud.

Abboud noted that "certain suppliers have outstanding account balances with Baker & Taylor, which will remain with the current ownership. We have been advised that in the coming weeks the current owners or their advisors will provide guidance regarding the process for submitting claims related to pre-closing open invoices." Readerlink will, however, be the guarantor for any post-closing debts.

Abboud observed that "the last several months have been a challenging period for Baker & Taylor. The company has faced headwinds, including the pressures of operating independently, emerging from the Covid-19 pandemic, and overcoming the debilitating impacts and financial losses resulting from cyberattacks in 2022." The library world has also suffered from budgetary pressures at all levels of government as well as waves of book bannings and anti-librarian laws and campaigns.

Readerlink was created in 2011, when the Chas. Levy Company sold its subsidiary, Levy Home Entertainment, to an investment company headed by Abboud, who had been a Levy executive in the 1990s. He renamed the company in order to emphasize the link between publishers, retailers, and readers.

Founded in 1828, Baker & Taylor is the preeminent supplier of books, software, and services to public and academic libraries and schools. Through B&T Publisher Services, it also provides sales and distribution services to publishers. In recent decades, it has been owned by several private equity firms. In 2016, Follett bought B&T and sold it in 2021 to a private investment group headed by president and CEO Amam Kochar. Kochar had been an executive at B&T since 2014.

The New England Independent Booksellers Association's 52nd Fall Conference continued yesterday in Manchester, N.H., with a range of rep pick events, breakfasts, panels and seminars, the awards banquet (see below), and a busy Authors Reception:

Laura Cummings (l.), owner of White Birch Books, North Conway, N.H., and a former NEIBA president, with Andrew Krivak, author of Mule Boy (Bellevue Literary Press).

Dani Jones (l.), graphic novel author/illustrator of the Frankinschool and PopularMMOs series with bookseller and first-time NEIBA attendee Vivi Lee of Porter Square Books in Cambridge, Mass., highlight Jones's upcoming graphic novel, My Sister, the Freak (HarperAlley).

Dan Simon (l.), founder and publisher of Seven Stories Press, whose upcoming debut novel is Ashland (Europa Editions), with Katie Lowe, Islandport Press, Yarmouth, Maine.

Traci Hays-Bryant (l.), a first-time NEIBA attendee, from Toadstool Bookshop, Keene, N.H., with Keya Chatterjee, author of The Revolution Will Not Be Rated G (Green Writers Press).

Hannah Swearingen (l.), a first-time NEIBA attendee and bookseller at Books on the Square in Providence, R.I., with author Natalie Lemle and her 2026 title, Artifacts (S&S).
10th Anniversary of the Windows & Mirrors List: In 2015, a small committee of NECBA (New England Children's Booksellers Advisory Council) members curated the first Windows & Mirrors list of diverse and inclusive children's titles. Ten years later, the list has grown and changed, with the focus remaining on titles that best represent the concept of Windows & Mirrors. The 2025 list can be found on NECBA's Instagram. Pictured: the 2025 Windows & Mirrors committee: (l.-r.) co-chair Sara Waltuck, Brookline Booksmith, Brookline, Mass.; Tildy Lutts, Belmont Books, Belmont, Mass.; co-chair Alyssa Raymond, Copper Dog Books, Beverly, Mass.; Frederick Rossero, Oblong Books, Millerton, N.Y.; Laure Colodner, Odyssey Bookshop, South Hadley, Mass.; Kristin Richland, Phoenix Books, Essex, Vt.

Maureen Karb with Como Sales (l.) flipped the coin for Binc's Heads or Tails fundraising game at the NEIBA Fall Conference, with Binc development director Kathy Bartson. Lori Kauffman (r.) at Harvard Book Store in Cambridge, Mass., was the lucky winner of the $250 prize.

A romance-focused bookstore called Seventh Shelf opened last weekend in Hanover, Pa., the York Daily Record reported.

Located at 9 Carlisle St., the bookstore carries a wide array of romance titles, with sub-genres like romantasy, dark romance, LGBTQ+, and contemporary represented. A selection of young adult titles are also available, and alongside books, customers can find nonbook items like tote bags, stickers, and candles.

Store owner Tiffany Michael Hammer told the York Daily Record that during the bookstore's opening on Sunday, September 7, there was a line of customers around the block. "We received so much kindness, warmth and compliments--I cried several times throughout the day," she said. "It's more than I could've ever imagined--it's been a dream come true."

Serena Dupuis at Once Upon a Bookstore

Once Upon a Bookstore, a new and used pop-up bookstore in Fall River, Mass., will host a grand opening celebration tomorrow, September 12, the Herald News reported.

Located on the second floor of SoCo Art Labs at 418 Quequechan St., Once Upon a Bookstore sells general-interest titles for all ages. Owner Serena Dupuis, who spent 20 years as an early childhood educator and currently works for the Fall River Public Library, plans to emphasize local authors and illustrators and carry titles that represent everyone in the community. She noted that she chose to sell used books in order to make the shop "affordable for everyone." 

She told the Herald News that she wants to "shine a spotlight on the local talent, and the voices that may not be as well known, but you may just fall in love with."

The grand opening celebration on Friday will run from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. and feature local author Jenny L. Howe. Dupuis said she was "still a bit in shock" by the fact that the event already sold out, with 100 RSVPs. Going forward, she plans to host author talks, book clubs, storytimes, and more.

"I definitely have buzz for the opening," she continued, "but my events are all over the board that I aim to have something for everyone. I hope the buzz continues, and the store becomes a pillar of the community."

Dupuis hopes to one day open a bricks-and-mortar space of her own.

Bright Side Books & Wine romance bookstore and wine bar will open this fall in Raleigh, N.C., in a commercial space at Kane Realty's Platform apartment complex on West Cabarrus Street. RALtoday reported that the new business, owned by Susannah Baird, "promises a community space in addition to a space for local and independent authors to thrive."

Baird, who has raised more than $50,000 through a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the business, describes herself as "an avid romance reader, small business owner, and lover of getting lost in a good book. For years, I dreamed of a place where love stories take center stage. A cozy, inviting space where readers can sip wine, browse shelves full of happily-ever-afters, and connect with others who believe in the power of a good book and a better ending."

On the Kickstarter page, she noted that Bright Side Books & Wine will be "a bright, comfortable space filled with curated romance reads (especially indie authors and local favorites), cozy seating, thoughtful wine pairings, and room to gather, browse, and belong. It's the kind of place where you lose track of time--and maybe find a new favorite author or a new friend."

She plans to host book clubs, author events, trivia nights, page-turner paint nights, along with "dreamy themed celebrations like 'Enemies to Lovers Night' or 'Cozy Season Kickoff,' plus local food and wine pairings to make every visit feel like a special occasion."

Money raised from the Kickstarter will go toward the final construction costs and opening inventory, "two of the biggest investments we need to bring this dream across the finish line. Every contribution, no matter the size, brings us one step closer to a space filled with books, joy, and connection," Baird wrote.

Brazos Bookstore in Houston, Tex., hosted Rice University professors Scott McGill and Susannah Wright for a full house pub day launch of their translation of The Aeneid (Liveright).

Love was in the air at Book Society in Berkeley, Calif., this past weekend, when customer Osas Aiguwurhuo proposed to Sophia Azebe-Osime. Azebe-Osime, a lifelong lover of bookstores and libraries, had visited the shop a few months earlier and fell in love with the space. Knowing how much it meant to her, Aiguwurhuo chose Book Society as the setting to pop the question. Opened in 2024, Book Society is a hybrid bookstore and wine lounge.

"Let your bookshelf blossom." That was the sidewalk chalkboard message in front of Protagonist Books & Coffee in Dryden, N.Y.
 

Wil Apolinario has joined Simon & Schuster as senior manager, client services and support. He was previously service delivery manager at LVMH Fashion Group.

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At Bloomsbury Academic:

Carrlee Craig has joined the company as U.S. associate marketing manager.

Amber Reichert has joined the company as U.S. associate marketing manager.

Carey Cameron has been promoted to U.S. associate marketing manager.

Woodpecker: A Year in the Life of North American Woodpeckers by Paul Bannick (Mountaineers Books).

Today:
Fresh Air: Reality Winner, author of I Am Not Your Enemy: A Memoir (Spiegel & Grau, $30, 9781954118843).

Tomorrow:
Today Show: Zosia Mamet, author of Does This Make Me Funny?: Essays (Viking, $28, 9780593490563).

Drew Barrymore Show: Jennifer Aniston, author of Cook with Clydeo: A Cookbook for Kids (HarperCollins, $24.99, 9780063372382).

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, September 13
2 p.m. Christian Keller, author of The Great Partnership: Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and the Fate of the Confederacy (Pegasus Books, $17.95, 9781643136042).

2:58 p.m. Angela Esco Elder, author of Practical Strangers: The Courtship Correspondence of Nathaniel Dawson and Elodie Todd, Sister of Mary Todd Lincoln (University of Georgia Press, $36.95, 9780820351025).

Sunday, September 14
9:05 a.m. Phyllis Bennis, author of Understanding Palestine and Israel (Olive Branch Press, $20, 9781623716479). (Re-airs Sunday at 9:05 a.m.)

10:10 a.m. Matthew Facciani, author of Misguided: Where Misinformation Starts, How It Spreads, and What to Do About It (‎Columbia University Press, $40, 9780231205054), at Boswell Books in Milwaukee, Wis. (Re-airs Sunday at 10:10 p.m.)

2:10 p.m. Ben Weissenbach, author of North to the Future: An Offline Adventure through the Changing Wilds of Alaska (‎Grand Central, $30, 9781538758335).

7 p.m. Lee Tilghman, author of If You Don't Like This, I Will Die: An Influencer Memoir (‎Simon & Schuster, $29, 9781668051504), at the Strand in New York City.

This week the National Book Foundation is releasing longlists for the 2025 National Book Awards. Finalists will be announced October 7, and winners named November 19 at the National Book Awards Ceremony. This year's longlisted titles in the Poetry and Nonfiction categories are:

Poetry
Death Does Not End at the Sea by Gbenga Adesina (University of Nebraska Press)
The New Economy by Gabrielle Calvocoressi (Copper Canyon Press)
Becoming Ghost by Cathy Linh Che (Washington Square Press)
Scorched Earth by Tiana Clark (Washington Square Press)
Death of the First Idea by Rickey Laurentiis (Knopf)
Cold Thief Place by Esther Lin (Alice James Books)
Stay Dead by Natalie Shapero (Copper Canyon Press)
I Do Know Some Things by Richard Siken (Copper Canyon Press)
The Intentions of Thunder: New and Selected Poems by Patricia Smith (Scribner)
TERROR COUNTER by Fargo Nissim Tbakhi (Deep Vellum)

Nonfiction
One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad (Knopf)
Black Moses: A Saga of Ambition and the Fight for a Black State by Caleb Gayle (Riverhead)
Motherland: A Feminist History of Modern Russia, from Revolution to Autocracy by Julia Ioffe (Ecco)
For the Sun After Long Nights: The Story of Iran's Women-Led Uprising by Fatemeh Jamalpour and Nilo Tabrizy (Pantheon)
Things in Nature Merely Grow by Yiyun Li (Farrar, Straus and Giroux) 
The Autobiography of H. Lan Thao Lam by Lana Lin (Dorothy, a publishing project)
Run the Song: Writing About Running About Listening by Ben Ratliff (Graywolf Press)
Wards of the State: The Long Shadow of American Foster Care by Claudia Rowe (Abrams)
When It All Burns: Fighting Fire in a Transformed World by Jordan Thomas (Riverhead)
The Salt Stones: Seasons of a Shepherd's Life by Helen Whybrow (Milkweed Editions)

Last night, winners were celebrated at the 2025 New England Book Awards, sponsored by the New England Independent Booksellers Association, at the awards banquet at NEIBA's fall conference. The winners:

Fiction: The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett (Ballantine Books)
Nonfiction: How to Love a Forest by Ethan Tapper (Broadleaf Books)
Poetry: Super Gay Poems: LGBTQIA+ Poetry After Stonewall by Stephanie Burt (The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press)
Young Adult: The Forbidden Book by Sacha Lamb (Levine Querido)
Middle Grade: Blood in the Water by Tiffany D. Jackson (Scholastic)
Picture Book: Big Enough by Regina Linke (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)

Technological advancement seems to be reshaping not only how people direct their attention but also the economy itself, in ways that disenfranchise the average person. The Age of Extraction by professor of law, science, and technology Tim Wu (The Master Switch; The Attention Merchants) shows how those changes are happening. As an expert in competition and antitrust policies, he exercises that knowledge while analyzing how tech platforms have altered perceptions of what competition, and the stifling of competition, among tech platforms looks like today. For example, if everyone is encouraged to use a single platform for a given service--e.g., Amazon as the primary marketplace for exchanging goods--there is little opportunity for smaller tech platforms. or even bricks-and-mortar shops, to compete.

Wu's argument is that despite the best efforts of the tech corporations to make it seem like there is a lack of resources for everyone, the amount of resources is not the problem. Rather, it is a distribution problem. He explains in a forthright and commonsense way how modern tech firms do not create value but rather extract the value conferred by its users: user data has become one of the most valuable commodities as this industry grows and consolidates its economic power.

Wu also makes it clear that to understand this centralization of power, consumers need to recognize how the idea of "platform power" has evolved. While people used to exchange information and goods in the public agora or city square, now the movement to do the same in digital spaces has added to the ability of platforms essentially to monopolize or corner parts of the wider market.

Wu argues that breaking up such monopolies is necessary in order to reinvigorate the economy and to enhance the public's ability to respond creatively to a changing world. But he also demonstrates that there are better approaches to progress. In the last chapter, Wu offers a vision of the world where tech platforms can promote an economic model that supports everyone, not just major corporations: "It is not too late to restore the early promise of the Internet economy as a common square for commerce and an agent of economic uplift for all."

Accessible and engaging, The Age of Extraction addresses a critical problem and charts a path forward through both public skepticism of "accumulated economic power" and a distrust of "unaccountable power"--essentially mapping a way to trust in ourselves above tech platforms. --Michelle Anya Anjirbag, freelance reviewer

Shelf Talker: Professor of law and expert in antitrust, technology, and competition policy Tim Wu shows readers how power, money, and technology have become intertwined and what might be done about it.

The following were the most popular book club books during August based on votes from book club readers in more than 92,000 book clubs registered at Bookmovement.com:

1. The Wedding People: A Novel by Alison Espach (Holt)
2. The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon (Doubleday)
3. The Briar Club: A Novel by Kate Quinn (Morrow)
4. Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall (Simon & Schuster)
5. The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (Riverhead)
6. James: A Novel by Percival Everett (Doubleday)
7. All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker (Crown)
8. Atmosphere: A Love Story by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Ballantine)
9. My Friends by Fredrik Bachman (Atria)
10. The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali (Gallery Books)

Rising Stars:
The Spellshop by Beth Sarah Durst (Bramble)
The History of Sound by Ben Shattuck (Viking)