The Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association fall show opened in Spokane, Wash., this weekend. On Saturday, booksellers and exhibitors were greeted by the Lilac City Welcome Committee at a pre-show event at the renovated Spokane Central Library, hosted by PNBA Award-winning author and writing education specialist for Spokane Public Library Sharma Shields. Featured local authors included Travis Baldree (Brigands & Breadknives, Tor Books), Kelly Milner Halls (Cryptid Sea Monsters, Sasquatch Books), Sarah Mackenzie (Dear Duck, Please Come!, Waxwing Books), and Maya Jewell Zeller (The Wonder of Mushrooms, AdventureKEEN).

The authors introduced attendees to the sides of Spokane they love most. Baldree finished his first manuscript of Legends & Lattes in a café only a couple blocks away from the library, while Zeller found herself (and her next book) among the vibrant flora and fauna of Spokane's woods. While raising six children, Mackenzie found the time to launch her own publishing house, Waxwing Books, and Halls has spent decades visiting Spokane schools and challenging children to use evidence to draw their own conclusions.

(l.-r.) Katelyn Foutch and Bre Pickens (BookPeople of Moscow, Moscow, Idaho) with Catherine Chapman (Artisans Books and Coffee, Everett, Wash.) at Auntie's Bookstore.

Spokane continued to reveal her charm at an evening reception at Auntie's Bookstore, a staple of the downtown community since 1985. There PNBA attendees mingled and got a sense of what the Spokane literary community has to offer: "reasons to stay hopeful."

Annual Meeting
The fall trade show officially launched on Sunday morning with the annual membership meeting. After a record high attendance last year at the fall trade show in Portland, Ore., PNBA expected a decrease in attendance for this year's show. Canadian exhibitors' registration fell due to the turbulent political climate in the U.S., and the distance from the Interstate 5 corridor resulted in fewer day-trip attendees, yet attendance expectations for this year were surpassed. Executive & marketing director Brian Juenemann estimated more than 175 members had registered.

Tiffany LaSalle, PNBA program support, and Warwick Schaffer, founder of CirclePOS Software.

For the 2024 fiscal year, revenue was $583,376, and expenses were higher, leading to a deficit of $55,000. As has happened for other regionals, ad sales for the holiday catalogue are down significantly (despite an increased PNBA store commitment). 

PNBA is responding in several ways. "We need to be nimble," Juenemann said. "We need to double down to make sure the industry knows how much this means to us, how much we put into this." Juenemann encouraged booksellers to emphasize the importance of the holiday catalogue to their sales reps. "Despite inflation and increased challenges, [book sales] have increased because of the work booksellers are doing. So why," Juenemann asked, "are they leaving us out of the planning equation? That's what I'm going to work hard to solve."

Booksellers are concerned about Barnes & Noble's moves in the past several years that confuse the indie brand, said PNBA president Christine Longmuir of Two Rivers Bookstore, Portland, Ore. These actions include buying Tattered Cover in Denver, Colo.; agreeing to buy Books Inc., in the Bay Area; and taking over the general books department at the University Bookstore in Seattle, Wash.

(l.-r.) Hanna Fischer and Rebecca Crosswhite of Rediscovered Books, Danielle Sherwood of AdventureKEEN, Briana Ryan of Wicked Words, and Laura Stanfill of Forest Avenue Press during the welcome reception at Auntie's Bookstore.

When asked how B&N's aggressive growth strategy can be addressed, American Booksellers Association CEO Allison Hill explained that "although Barnes & Noble's purchase of independent bookstores feels predatory, it's not predatory as defined by law." She speculated that the company's aggressive growth strategy is short-term, but acknowledged that "they can do a lot of damage in the short term." Within the past two years, ABA has surveyed independent bookstores that have had a B&N open within 10 miles of their location. Indie bookstores that subsequently closed described B&N's arrival as "the final nail in the coffin."

Rosa Hernandez, vice-president of PNBA and marketing manager at Third Place Books in Seattle, encouraged booksellers to seek solace in solidarity: "We as booksellers have so much knowledge, creativity, and ingenuity. Whether you are a general bookstore, BIPOC-owned, queer, pop-up, or a bookstore rooted in activism, we can learn so much from each other." Despite the heavy pressure of "book bans happening in our community schools and libraries, pushback for carrying and hosting Palestinian authors, attacks on our queer and trans community members, and ICE raids in our neighborhoods," said Hernandez, booksellers can "join our regional bookselling community where we can learn and lean on each other." --Madison Gaines

The Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association fall trade show in Spokane, Wash., opened officially yesterday and, among other events, featured the opening of the show floor, where a range of booksellers, authors, and publishers happily mixed:

(l.-r.) Allyson Howard of Invitation Bookshop (Gig Harbor, Wash.), author Caskey Russell (The Door on the Sea, Simon & Schuster), and Nathaniel Hattrick and Lacy Anders of Saltwater Bookshop (Kingston, Wash.).

(l.-r.) William Ham from Time Enough Books (Ilwaco, Wash.), Simon & Schuster sales rep Christine Foye, Simon & Schuster account manager Alex Yokom, Lucy Thomas of Books & Bottles (Snoqualmie, Wash.), Emily Foster from Page & Pine Bookshop (Puyallup, Wash.), and Michelle Jing Chan, author of Weiwei’s Winter Solstice (Bloomsbury Children's).

(l.-r.) Marissa Coughlin from Swoon City (Seattle, Wash.), Abilene Hagee of Trail's End Bookstore (Winthrop, Wash.), Kelly Groller from Paragraphs and Pages (Liberty Lake, Wash.), with BrocheAroe Fabian, senior marketing manager at Sourcebooks.

Karen Sawyer-Meehan, owner of Pier Six Press (right), with Kate Larson and Miracle Lucketti of Ballast Book Company in Bremerton, Wash.

(l.-r.) Annie Lampman, author of The Origin of Ava (Torrey House Press), Will Neville-Rehbehn, co-executive director of Torrey House Press, Scout Invie, marketing & publicity manager of Torrey House Press, and James Workman, co-author of Sea Change (Torrey House Press).

Patrick Flaherty has been named store manager at Community Bookstore in Brooklyn, N.Y. He will continue as the university press buyer. He joined Community Bookstore, which includes Terrace Books, in 2013, initially focusing on Terrace Books.

Owner Stephanie Valdez called Flaherty "an incredible problem solver and a customer favorite. From holding the door open for strollers to finding book recommendations, no job is too big or too small for Patrick."

Flaherty is a graduate of Hunter College/CUNY and has earned master's degrees in history from Columbia University and the London School of Economics. 

Charley Rejsek, most recently CEO of BookPeople, Austin, Tex., is becoming executive director of Put It In a Book, a nonprofit organization committed to increasing literacy and book access among underserved youth, effective October 1.

Charley Rejsek

Rejsek joined BookPeople as general manager in 2019 and was named CEO in 2022. She started her book career as a bookseller at Barnes & Noble in 1998, rising to national business development manager before leaving the company in 2016. After that and before joining BookPeople, she produced events across Texas for nonprofit news organization the Texas Tribune, and coordinated speaker book signings at the annual Texas Tribune Festival. She has also been involved with the Texas Book Festival since 2007.

During her tenure at BookPeople, Rejsek was a plaintiff along with Blue Willow Bookshop, Houston, the ABA, the AAP, the Authors Guild, and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, in the 2023 lawsuit against Texas's HB 900 law, also known as the READER Act, which would have established a " book sexual rating system" for books sold to school libraries. (The suit has blocked implementation of the law.) As Put It In a Book noted, Rejsek's involvement in the lawsuit solidified "her role as a statewide advocate for intellectual freedom."

Tim Mooney, who had a 37-year career at Penguin Random House, died September 19 after a short illness. He was 70.

Tim Mooney

Mooney began working in the book world at Staver's, a Chicago bookstore. He joined Random House in 1989 as a trade sales representative and later was trade sales rep for B&N College, associate director of trade sales communication, national account manager for Baker & Taylor, and sales manager for children's. Most recently, he was sales manager for PRH Publisher Services.

In a memo to staff, Jaci Updike, chief revenue officer at PRH, wrote in part: "Tim absolutely loved his work and his colleagues. He was a brilliant reader, one of the best, and across all genres. He was known as quiet but thoughtful about his observations, and when he spoke, all listened, as they knew Tim would have a unique and important perspective. His perfectly timed humor and infectious grin were his hallmark, and those who had the benefit of his mentoring have important career stories with Tim to share.

"Tim was known as a true intellectual, and his curiosity knew no bounds. He completed a substantial number of accredited courses on a wide variety of topics at institutions like Yale, Stanford, Harvard. The variety of his interests were legendary: there were courses on legal topics, Social Behavior, Human Rights, Journalism, Economics, and many others. It is not surprising, then, to hear a story at his 35th service award ceremony about his taking time off to read all six volumes of Proust's Remembrance of Things Past. During that same ceremony, it was said that if one was lucky, they might experience the 'Wisdom of Mooney: sometimes you can fix it. And sometimes you just need to be patient.' And sometimes you need to find someone like Tim Mooney, someone wise and generous and someone you trust to be a kind of North Star. That was Tim Mooney for so many.

"What will be said of Tim to all who knew him was how very kind he was. What a truly, incredibly good person, and how much he impacted people's lives. He had the best sense of humor, and we will always remember his perfect timing for a funny quip and his fast and easy grin."

Andy Bennett (l.) and Katy Halbacka celebrated their debut YA thriller, Codebreaker (Wednesday Books), written under the pen name Jay Martel, with a code-breaking puzzle hunt through the neighborhood around Wild Rumpus Books in Minneapolis, Minn. Codes like those found in the book were posted in the windows of local businesses; participants found these and raced back to the bookstore to deliver the password that granted access to a prize chest of stickers, bookmarks, buttons, and ARCs.

"Nice day for a stroll through town. Feel free to stop by for a book break on your travels," the Yankee Bookshop, Woodstock, Vt., posted on Facebook.

At Sourcebooks:

Gianna Antolos has joined the company as senior marketing manager.

Kim Cook has been promoted to marketing associate for Callisto Adult.

Daisy Rankin has joined the company as marketing assistant.

Scared by the Bible: The Roots of Horror in Scripture by Brandon Grafius (Morehouse Publishing).

Today:
Good Morning America: Lionel Richie, author of Truly (HarperOne, $36, 9780063253643). He will also appear tonight on Late Night with Seth Meyers and tomorrow on Live with Kelly and Mark. 

CBS Mornings: Dan Hurley, co-author of Never Stop: Life, Leadership, and What It Takes to Be Great (Avid Reader Press, $32, 9781668095744).

Also on CBS Mornings: Brandon Stanton, author of Dear New York (St. Martin's Press, $42, 9781250277589).

Today Show: Kate McKinnon, author of Secrets of the Purple Pearl (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, $17.99, 9780316555296). She will also appear tomorrow on the View.

All Things Considered: David McCloskey, author of The Persian: A Novel (W.W. Norton, $29.99, 9781324123194).

Tomorrow:
Today: Jake Cohen, author of Dinner Party Animal: Recipes to Make Every Day a Celebration (Harvest, $35, 9780063239722).

The View: John Edward and Robert Hilland, authors of Chasing Evil: Shocking Crimes, Supernatural Forces, and an FBI Agent's Search for Hope and Justice (St. Martin's Essentials, $32, 9781250291752).

Kelly Clarkson Show: Matthew McConaughey, author of Poems & Prayers (Crown, $29, 9781984862105).

A trailer has been released for Hamnet, based on Maggie O'Farrell's novel, directed by Oscar-winner director Chloé Zhao (Nomadland) and starring Paul Mescal, Jessie Buckley, Emily Watson, and Joe Alwyn. Written by Zhao and O'Farrell, the film will be released November 27.

From the Toronto Film Festival's synopsis: "In William Shakespeare's day, the names Hamlet and Hamnet were interchangeable. The newest film by Chloé Zhao... uses that context as the basis for a tender exploration of Shakespeare's domestic life, connecting a family tragedy to one of his most famous works.... Many historical accounts preface reports of Hamnet's death with statistics about how common child mortality was in the 16th century, as though it barely made an impact. Hamnet rejects that premise, presenting Shakespeare not as a distant, untouchable genius but as a real man whose literary prowess was irrevocably impacted by his domestic life."

Winners have been announced for the Dayton Literary Peace Prizes, which celebrate "writers whose work demonstrates the power of the written word to foster peace, social justice, and global understanding." Sponsored by the Dayton Literary Peace Prize Foundation, which marks its 20th anniversary this year, the prizes will be presented on November 9 at the Dayton Awards Gala.

Salman Rushdie is the 2025 recipient of the Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award. The Award will be presented by Joshua Carter, grandson of late President Jimmy Carter, who accepted the award on behalf of his grandfather last year. 

Nicholas A. Raines, executive director of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize Foundation, said, "In a moment when our world finds itself ensnared in perpetual conflict, Salman Rushdie's persistent and courageous efforts to guide readers through experiences they often aren't equipped to understand on their own, has never been more important. Mr. Rushdie's example of resilience and forgiveness, even in the face of violence, makes him a beacon of light within our ranks. His voice is indispensable to all who fight for peace." 

Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar (Random House) won the 2025 Dayton Literary Peace Prize for Fiction. Judges called the book "a haunting debut novel that follows Cyrus Shams, a queer Iranian-American poet grappling with grief and addiction. As he navigates the aftermath of his mother's tragic death and his own unraveling, Akbar delivers a lyrical exploration of identity, faith, and the search for meaning. 

Black Butterflies by Priscilla Morris (Knopf) was the runner-up in the fiction category. Judges called Black Butterflies "a powerful debut novel set during the Siege of Sarajevo. Each night, nationalist gangs erect barricades, splitting the city into ethnic enclaves. Each morning, the locals--whether Bosniak, Croat, or Serb--push them aside. When violence finally erupts, Zora, an artist and teacher, sends her family away to safety. She stays behind, reluctant to believe that hostilities will last. As the city falls under siege, her home is laid to waste, yet Zora finds ways to rebuild."

The Burning Earth: A History by Sunil Amrith (W.W. Norton) won the 2025 Dayton Literary Peace Prize for Nonfiction. Judges said, "The Burning Earth offers a sweeping global history of how humanity has shaped the planet and vice versa. Amrith, a historian and 2017 MacArthur Fellow, delves into the intersections of climate, migration, and inequality, providing a compelling narrative that challenges our understanding of the modern world."

A Map of Future Ruins: On Borders and Belonging by Lauren Markham (Random House) was the runner-up in the nonfiction category. Judges called A Map of Future Ruins "a poignant exploration of migration, identity, and the human cost of borders. In 2021, journalist Markham went to Greece in search of her heritage and to cover the aftermath of a fire that destroyed the largest refugee camp in Europe, for which six young Afghan refugees had been arrested. Markham soon saw that she was tracing a broader narrative: in this trailblazing synthesis of reporting, history, myth, memoir, and essay, she helps us see that the stories we tell about migration don't just explain what happened. They predict the future." 

The fiction and nonfiction winners each receive $10,000, and the fiction and nonfiction runners-up each receive $5,000.

Amy K. Green (The Prized Girl) presents a twisting puzzle of a thriller with Haven't Killed in Years, starring a young woman whose hidden past resurfaces in bizarre, gruesome, and often funny ways.

"On the day my mother was released from prison I stubbed my toe four times.... It was a statistical anomaly and, in hindsight, a warning that bad things were coming my way." In this way, readers meet Gwen Tanner, who has a boring office job, an unremarkable one-bedroom apartment, and no serious relationships. From the outside she appears to be "your standard almost-too-basic law-abiding woman approaching thirty. On the inside? Eh, not so much." Gwen was born Marin Haggerty. When she was nine, her father was convicted on eight counts of first-degree murder (eight being just the ones they could pin on him) and both parents went to prison (her mother for aiding and abetting). Marin became Gwen and disappeared from the public eye. She has spent the past two decades building a resolutely ordinary life, hoping to avoid the fate her father intended for her: to be just like him. Her father had "also had a good job and worn nice clothes; it was the easiest way to hide in plain sight."

But now a severed arm turns up on her doorstep, with a note: "Hi, Marin." Someone knows Gwen's real story. Her safe, staid lifestyle is disrupted; and more than that, Gwen is offended that someone thinks they can get the better of her. She sets out to investigate, but the clues and the characters just tangle her up further. She meets a tour guide who specializes in her father's crimes, a group of murder-obsessed young men, and a woman from her own childhood who does not recognize her. These relationships complicate her sterile existence; she mostly accidentally finds herself making friends--who are also suspects. "When you let people into your life, there are so many details. I knew that and I had ignored my own rules anyway." Is it time for Gwen--Marin--to come into her own as her father's protégé? Or is she going to surprise herself and set out on her own path?

Just when this unforgettable protagonist thinks she knows who is behind which crimes, new information throws her (and readers) off track. Many scenes spin into comedies of errors, playing on constant subversions of expectations. In Gwen/Marin's dryly cynical voice, these madcap events hit both tender and comic notes. Despite instances of poignant suffering and a noteworthy serial killer, Haven't Killed in Years is weirdly, deeply fun. --Julia Kastner, blogger at pagesofjulia

Shelf Talker: The long-hidden daughter of a serial killer is caught up in a new wave of crimes in this clever, absorbing, constantly surprising novel about finding one's own way.