photos: Tomas Looström

"Opening a store had been in the back of my mind for years and years," said Marissa Coughlin, owner of Swoon City, a romance-focused bookstore and craft store that debuted in Seattle, Wash., on October 18.

Located at 1716 N.W. Market St. in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood, Swoon City spans about 2,250 square feet and carries a wide assortment of romance titles. According to Coughlin, there are large sections devoted to contemporary romance and romantasy, along with "decent-sized" sections for historical romance, dark romance, and erotica. Graphic novels and manga, as well as sports romance, LGBTQ romance, western romance, and others, have smaller sections. Alongside the store's romance offerings, a limited selection of general-interest titles are available, and there is a "very minor" children's section of around 25 titles. 

The crafting side of the business, Coughlin explained, came from its previous incarnation as a store called Monster, which was a "sort of gift shop, art gallery, and crafting studio." Coughlin purchased Monster, a community fixture in Ballard, from its previous owners, and though she has changed the name and added romance books, she has retained the crafting inventory, crafting events, and focus on community.

The crafting inventory, she continued, consists of things like knitting, embroidery, and felting kits, as well as materials for watercolor painting and screen printing. Coughlin noted that she has also brought in new nonbook items like candles, enamel pins, silk scarves, jewelry, and skincare products; her philosophy behind those additions is to "celebrate what you love."

Marissa Coughlin

Touching on the store's layout, Coughlin said there is a very large back area where Monster held its crafting classes, and much of the bookstore shelving is on casters and can be reconfigured for events. As for her event plans, she said she hopes to "meld the two worlds" of books and crafting.

One of her first crafting events, in fact, will involve decorating books with gem painting, and for Jane Austen's birthday in December, author Christina Dudley, whose books are modern takes on Austen's novels, will give a talk and lead a class in making Regency-era bonnets. Going forward, she also plans to host traditional author talks, book club meetings, and classes on things like book binding and spray edges.

When it came to building her opening inventory, Coughlin used her own taste in romance titles as a starting point, but with space in-store for more than 3,000 books, she couldn't rely on that for everything. To choose the additional inventory, she downloaded check-out data for print romance books from the Seattle Public Library for the preceding 18 months, which she then compared to a romance-focused ROSI from Ingram. 

Coughlin figured the checkout data would give her a good idea of what romance readers in Seattle were most interested in, and she broke down the data by quarter to see which titles were growing in popularity. While some things were not particularly surprising, like the prevalence of Emily Henry titles, there were plenty of useful insights, and she decided to create a manga and graphic novel section in part because the library data showed it to be more popular than she would have thought. She also noticed some interesting gaps, like the scarcity of dark romance titles, in the library data. In those instances, she relied on TikTok and Goodreads.

Prior to opening the bookstore, Coughlin worked in marketing for a variety of tech companies around Seattle. While she'd always had a general idea of someday opening a bookstore, it wasn't until June 2023 that the idea "coalesced" around a romance bookstore in particular. 

By that point, Coughlin had become an avid romance reader after delving into the genre following the birth of her first child. She went from reading about 50 books per year representing a wide swath of genres to about 150 books per year, with easily two-thirds of those being romance. At the same time, the Ripped Bodice announced that it would be opening a second location, in Brooklyn, N.Y., and the thought of romance bookstores "sprouting up in more places" did not seem far-fetched.

Coughlin started working on a business plan and talking to Seattle booksellers, but with a one-year-old at home, it "did not end up being the right time." But with a business plan already worked out, Coughlin was able to jump when the owners of Monster announced in June of this year that they would be selling the store. Coughlin put in an offer in early July, signed on August 25, and took possession on September 1. With the help of her family, Coughlin was able to get the bookstore ready to go for the October 18 opening.

"Overall the community response has been super incredible and so positive," Coughlin said. People "loved" Monster's community aspects, and Ballard residents seem very excited that Coughlin is continuing its tradition of being a space for "creativity and connection." The reception, she added, "has been so great." --Alex Mutter

Dreamers Books + Culture, a bookstore focused on Latin American literature and culture, opened last weekend in Houston, Tex., KHOU11 reported.

Elizabeth Farfan-Santos

Located at 711 Milby St., Suite 11, Dreamers Books + Culture carries titles for all ages that "challenge racial, ethnic, and gender stereotypes, diversify our understanding of Latin American cultures, and expand our vision of the past, present, and possibilities for the future," wrote store owner Elizabeth Farfan-Santos. Books are available in Spanish as well as English.

Farfan-Santos told KHOU11 that she "always wanted to have a Latino bookstore" in Houston, and amid the ongoing ICE raids and harassment of immigrant communities, it is more important than ever. 

"It's my way of kind of providing hope," Farfan-Santos explained. "This is the most important time. I feel like so much of our humanity collectively is being taken away from us, and we can't let that happen."

Prior to opening the bricks-and-mortar store, Farfan-Santos did pop-up appearances around Houston. She has a Ph.D. in anthropology with a specialty in Latiné and Latin American cultures. She chose the name "Dreamers" based on the children's book of the same name by Yuyi Morales, about immigrants finding refuge in a public library.

Camino Books: For the Road Ahead in Del Mar, Calif., is for sale. Owners John Evans and Alison Reid opened the store under the name Diesel in 2019. Last year, when they sold their store in Brentwood in Los Angeles, they changed the name of the Del Mar store to Camino Books.

Since 1989, Reid and Evans have opened five Diesel bookstores, all in California. In 2017, they sold the Oakland store to longtime manager Brad Johnson; it's now called East Bay Booksellers. They've also had stores in Larkspur and Malibu.

In announcement about the sale--which had the great subject line "Give the gift of a bookstore!"--they wrote in part, "Our beautiful store is the talk of Del Mar, and a haven for booklovers in North County. We are so excited about the new store but, unfortunately, we are having to step back. For personal reasons we are having to sell it and are hoping to find the right applicant for moving the store forward....

"Known for our excellent curation and vigorous events program, our stores have always worked with schools, concert venues, nonprofits, and institutions along with our daily supply of a diverse range of books to our communities....

"We were drawn to open a store in North County out of our love for the area and the owners of Del Mar Plaza's dedicated desire to have a great independent bookstore again. Del Mar has had a wonderful history of great bookstores over the decades, but had been sorely lacking one.

"We, and the local businesses, families and customers who rely on Camino Books are hoping someone new will seize this opportunity to maintain a great bookstore in the area. Inquiries can be made directly to the owners by filling out the application here.

"We are looking for new energy, passion and commitment to serve this wonderful community with all of its reading needs. We will help through the transition and look forward to keeping a great bookstore in Del Mar, as the village deserves."

Barnes & Noble will open new stores next Wednesday, November 5, in Austin, Tex.; Napa, Calif.; Brea, Calif.; and Glenwood Springs, Colo.; and will reopen its renovated store in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

The Austin store, in a 20,000-square-foot space in the Southpark Meadows shopping center, will include a B&N Cafe. Tracy Wolff, author of It Happened on a Sunday, will cut the ribbon and sign copies of her books.

The 10,000-square-foot store in Napa, Calif., will reside at 3900 Bel Aire Plaza and will not include a B&N Cafe. Wednesday's ribbon cutting and signing will feature Jill Shalvis, author of He Falls First. 

The Brea B&N, in the Brea Plaza at 439 S. Associated Rd., will measure around 15,000 square feet and will not include a B&N Cafe. Holly Goldberg Sloan, author of Finding Lost, will be on hand for the ribbon cutting and signing.

The Glenwood Springs store, located at 115 E. Meadows Dr. in the Glenwood Meadows shopping center, will span around 23,000 square feet and include a B&N Cafe. Author Kylee Marshall will preside over the ribbon cutting and stay to sign copies of her book, Of Dirt and Wildflowers: A Memoir on Growing the Courage to Bloom.

And in Park Slope, the store at 267 7th Ave. is reopening after undergoing renovations. It measures 23,500 square feet and has been in business since September 1997. Among other improvements, the renovations included expanding the children's department. Ann Napolitano, author of Hello Beautiful, will cut the ribbon before signing copies of her books.

B&N plans to open 14 new stores in total in November, and more than 60 new stores in 2025.

Shelf Awareness's Kristianne Huntsberger with James Crossley of Leviathan Bookstore in St. Louis, Mo.

At several of the regional shows this fall, Shelf Awareness partnership program manager Kristianne Huntsberger informally polled attendees about their picks for most anticipated upcoming titles and best reads of the year. More than 250 votes were cast, producing a rich list of new releases and some backlist gems. The regional shows were the New England Independent Booksellers Association Fall Conference in Manchester, N.H.; the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Fall Tradeshow in Spokane, Wash.; the Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association Fall Con in Denver, Colo.; and the Heartland Fall Forum in Indianapolis, Ind.

NEIBA booksellers were most looking forward to Mona Awad's We Love You, Bunny (Marysue Rucci Books). MPIBA attendees were eagerly anticipating Alchemised (Random House Worlds) by SenLinYu, and Heartland booksellers were looking forward to Yesteryear (Knopf) by Caro Claire Burke, which also came up on PNBA's and NEIBA's most-anticipated list. The Gales of November (Norton) by John U. Bacon was the only other anticipated title that showed up in two regions, garnering several mentions at Heartland and one callout at PNBA.

When the Cranes Fly South (Vintage) by Lisa Ridzén, translated by Alice Menzies, showed up several times on the PNBA Best Read of the Year list and appeared on the NEIBA Best Read list as well. The Correspondent (Crown) by Virginia Evans was the most frequently cited Best Read of the Year title at Heartland and also showed up on MPIBA's Best Read list. Devney Perry though got the most attention from the MPIBA region: her Shield of Sparrows (Entangled) won the most votes as Best Read book of the year and her Rites of the Starling (Entangled) came up several times on the region's most anticipated book list. Heart the Lover (Grove) by Lily King was the only title that got attention on both lists in the NEIBA region.

A group of Richmond, Va., booksellers meets quarterly to tour each other's stores, discuss current victories and challenges, exchange ideas, and plan co-marketing efforts. At the most recent meeting: (from left) Kelly Justice, Fountain Bookstore; Berkley McDaniel, Shelf Life Books; Caroline Davidson, Midlothian Book Exchange; Chris McDaniel, Shelf Life Books; Riqia E. Taylor, Insomnia Book Company; David Schuman, Book People; Jill Stefanovich, bbgb books; Brian Baynes, Brian's Books; Mariela Gavino, I Love You So Much Books.

"Is there somewhere I can sit and read a book?" Blue Couch Bookshop, Grandview Heights, Ohio, offered a video answer to this perennial customer question, adding: "Need a place to sit and read? We've got those!" 

Jennifer McDivitt has joined Simon & Schuster's Independent Sales Team as field account manager, Mid-Atlantic. She was previously director of branch locations at Politics & Prose, Washington, D.C.

Mind over Mood: Change How You Feel by Changing the Way You Think, Second Edition by Dennis Greenberger and Christine A. Padesky (Guilford Press), celebrating the 30th anniversary of the book's publication.

Tomorrow:
Tonight Show repeat: Malala Yousafzai, author of Finding My Way: A Memoir (Atria, $30, 9781668054277).

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 1
1 p.m. James Dodson, author of The Road That Made America: A Modern Pilgrim's Journey on the Great Wagon Road (Avid Reader Press, $32, 9781476746746).

2 p.m. Robert Watson, author of Rebels at the Gates: The Confederacy's Final Gamble and the Battle to Save Washington (Rowman & Littlefield, $35.99, 9798881807337).

Sunday, November 2
8 a.m. Michael E. Mann and Peter J. Hotez, authors of Science Under Siege: How to Fight the Five Most Powerful Forces that Threaten Our World (PublicAffairs, $32, 9781541705494), at Politics and Prose in Washington, D.C. (Re-airs Sunday at 8:10 p.m.)

11:15 a.m. William D. Lopez, author of Raiding the Heartland: An American Story of Deportation and Resistance (Johns Hopkins University Press, $28.95, 9781421453705). (Re-airs Sunday at 10:55 p.m.)

12:30 to 7 p.m. Coverage of the 2025 Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, Tenn. Highlights include:

• 12:30 p.m. Liz Pelly, author of Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist, and Ben Ratliff, author of Run the Song: Writing About Running About Listening.
• 1:14 p.m. Andrew Greer, author of More Than a President: Sundays with Jimmy Carter.
• 2 p.m. Mary Bridges, author of Dollars and Dominion: US Bankers and the Making of a Superpower.
• 2:44 p.m. Martha Barnette, author of Friends with Words: Adventures in Languageland, and Stefan Fatsis, author of Unabridged: The Thrill of (and Threat to) the Modern Dictionary.
• 3:41 p.m. Cheryl McKissack Daniel, author of The Black Family Who Built America: The McKissacks, Two Centuries of Daring Pioneers.
• 4:30 p.m. Craig Shelburne and Brenda Colladay, authors of 100 Years of Grand Ole Opry: A Celebration of the Artists, the Fans, and the Home of Country Music.
• 5:18 p.m. Tom Piazza, author of Living in the Present with John Prine.

Shortlists have been released for the 2025 Scotland's National Book Awards, presented by the Saltire Society, the Bookseller reported. The Saltires, which recognize the best Scottish books of the year across fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and research, are open to writers who originate from, or who are resident in Scotland. Category winners will be named November 19. See the shortlisted titles here.

Mairi Kidd, director of the Saltire Society, said: "The 2025 Saltires' shortlists showcase the exceptional variety of work coming out of Scotland today. There is a clear preoccupation with the urgent questions of our time, in particular the climate crisis and social justice, and the shortlisted writers bring to bear a constellation of interests in examining these from fascinating and often unexpected angles. We very much hope that readers in Scotland and further afield will enjoy exploring the shortlists and will join us via livestream in November as we announce the winners."

Selected titles appearing next Tuesday, November 4:

The Eleventh Hour: A Quintet of Stories by Salman Rushdie (Random House, $29, 9798217154197) contains four works of fiction set in India, England, and the U.S. 

Queen Esther: A Novel by John Irving (Simon & Schuster, $30, 9781501189449) returns to the world of The Cider House Rules.

Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts by Margaret Atwood (‎Doubleday, $35, 9780385547512) is the acclaimed speculative fiction writer's memoir.

We Did OK, Kid: A Memoir by Anthony Hopkins (S&S/Summit Books, $35, 9781668075500) is the memoir of the legendary film and theater actor.

The Look by Michelle Obama (Crown, $50, 9780593800706) contains more than 200 photographs cataloguing the former First Lady's style choices.

Bread of Angels: A Memoir by Patti Smith (Random House, $30, 9781101875124) explores the author's younger years. 

Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run by Paul McCartney, edited by Ted Widmer (‎Liveright, $45, 9781324096306) includes 150 photographs.

The Story of Oog: A New Thinker's Guide to the Forest by Len Vlahos, illus. by Richard DiStefano (Left Field Publishing, $18, 9781966883005) is part philosophical satire and part bedtime story for adults and teens featuring a creature who lived thousands of years ago who learns to think. (November 3)

Palaver: A Novel by Bryan Washington (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $28, 9780374609078) follows a gay man working in Tokyo whose unsupportive mother arrives for an unexpected visit.

Otherwise Engaged: A Novel by Susan Mallery (‎Mira, $30, 9780778387268) follows four women united by a decades-old secret.

Eternal Ruin by Tigest Girma (Little, Brown, $21.99, 9780316570411) is a limited, special edition with stenciled sprayed edges of the sequel to Immortal Dark.

Goodnight, Crayons by Drew Daywalt, illus. by Oliver Jeffers (Philomel, $9.99, 9780593694817) is the 15th collaboration between author and illustrator to bring to life a box of crayon characters.

The Dealmaker's Will by Walker Thrash (Left Field Publishing, $18, 9781966883036) is a literary business fable/thriller about the positives and negatives of dealmaking. (November 3)

Paperbacks:
Days at the Torunka Café: A Novel by Satoshi Yagisawa, trans. by Eric Ozawa (‎Harper Perennial, $17.99, 9780063445857).

Ladies in Waiting: Jane Austen's Unsung Characters by Adriana Trigiani and Elinor Lipman (Gallery Books, $19, 9781668204177).

The Wildest Dreams Bookshop by Gracie Page (Avon, $12.99, 9780063479012)

From last week's Indie bestseller lists, available at IndieBound.org, here are the recommended titles, which are also Indie Next Great Reads:

Hardcover: An Indies Introduce Title
Sister Creatures by Laura Venita Green (Unnamed Press, $28, 9781961884571). "Sister Creatures introduces itself with an unconscious voice that quietly unravels itself through the lives of four women who find themselves yearning for more. Their stories delicately overlap as a subliminal force exposes their desires, fears, and regrets." --Nadi Hinojosa, Lark and Owl Booksellers, Georgetown, Tex.

Hardcover
Overdue: A Novel by Stephanie Perkins (Saturday Books, $31, 9781250313461). "Overdue will be a delight to anyone who loves Perkins's YA novels. A true valentine to bookstores and book lovers, and the most agonizingly slow burn romance that finally blazes beautifully hot." --Cristin Stickles, Strand Bookstore, New York, N.Y.

Paperback
That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America by Amanda Jones (Bloomsbury, $19.99, 9781639737246). "Fierceness and bravery should not be a requirement for librarians. In this era of book banning, however, a librarian must be a warrior. Jones is fighting the good fight to give everyone freedom to read and feel safe in a library space." --Pamela Klinger-Horn, Valley Bookseller, Stillwater, Minn.

Ages 4-8
I Am Not Happy! by Caroline L. Perry, illus. by Sydney Hanson (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $19.99, 9781665953351). "I've been mildly obsessed with quokkas since Q Is for Quokka, so I'm delighted to see a picture book starring 'the world's happiest animal.' Super cute character with layers--I love it." --Tegan Tigani, Queen Anne Book Company, Seattle, Wash.

Ages 9-12
Finding Lost by Holly Goldberg Sloan (Rocky Pond Books, $17.99, 9780593530252). "Cordy, never Cordelia, lost her dad in a boating accident over two years ago. She navigates life wearing a cloak of sadness. With the help of a lost dog, her younger brother Geno, her mom, a pink dolphin, and some very kind people, Cordy realizes that moving forward does not mean you cannot look back." --Jennifer Siegel, Otto Bookstore, Williamsport, Pa.

Ages 12+
Good Old-Fashioned Korean Spirit: A Graphic Novel by Kim Hyun Sook and Ryan Estrada (Penguin Workshop, $24.99, 9780593521328). "This graphic novel, set in 1980s South Korea, is full of secrets, humor, and just enough creepiness to engage readers! What will Taehee and her dance club friends encounter during the first full moon celebration on her grandmother's remote farm? Have a good time learning some traditions, but don't get too spooked! " --Shannon Krug, Serendipity Books, Chelsea, Mich.

[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]

In Three Stories of Forgetting, Portuguese author Djaimilia Pereira de Almeida (That Hair) sharply and wrenchingly confronts terrifying colonial legacies in three novellas interconnected by suffering and (im)morality. De Almeida introduces three distinct narrators separated by centuries; these aging men struggle with debilitating memories of enslavement, war, and senseless violence as they confront grave acts of inhumanity both perpetrated by and forced upon each of them.

"A Vision of Plants" opens the trio, perhaps the collection's most powerful. Former ship captain Celestino "woke up at home, restored, after a full life." He's returned from countless voyages facilitating the heinous logistics of Portugal's slave trade: "He had burned down huts, cut off heads, and let everyone know it. And the world did nothing." He endures the last of his days trying to tame his "unkempt garden," its chaos not unlike his savage past. The local priest is his sole visitor, hoping to take the unrepentant old man to church to confess. His mesmerizing invitation, "Come to me, children," turns the town's curious youngsters into an audience of witnesses to the relentless horrors he's committed.

"Seaquake" follows, jumping ahead to 21st-century Lisbon, presented as a father's epistolary confession to his estranged grown daughter, Aurora, whom he hasn't seen since he nearly killed her mother when she was small child. His name, Boa Morte, means "good death"--"good" is relative, "death" accurate. Born in Angola, he killed indiscriminately for the Portuguese military in his youth; now impaired by a hernia, he's barely subsisting, although he lives as if to make amends, extending kindness to his found family--an abandoned dog, a young runaway, an unhoused woman.

Slavery haunts again in "Bruma," the name of an enslaved 19th-century, 60-something footman. An "angel friend" helps him survive endless abuses. Voracious literacy--self-taught--allows him reprieve from his captive servitude, escaping to the "cabin" of his imagination. The story's epigraph from one of Portugal's literary icons, Eça de Queirós, slyly hints that Bruma may be the "old Black footman" referenced in the quote. Bruma repeatedly, convincingly blurs reality and the literary as a means of survival.

Despite the book's title, readers are unlikely to forget. Complacence is impossible as de Almeida exposes centuries of horror with demanding graphic detail in Alison Entrekin's haunting English translation. Forgetting is not a viable option. --Terry Hong

Shelf Talker: Portuguese writer Djaimilia Pereira de Almeida hauntingly, inexorably confronts heinous colonial legacy via a trio of aging narrators in Three Stories of Forgetting.

Yes, the true spirit of Halloween is a numbers game. This year, WalletHub projects that $13.1 billion will be spent overall in the U.S., with $4.3 billion going for costumes and $3.9 billion for candy. The annual revenue generated by ticket sales in the Halloween attraction industry is estimated to be $400 million. On the plus side, 53% of haunted houses are supporting or being affiliated with a nonprofit organization.

But what about books that need to be sold rather than balanced? Indie booksellers are definitely into the spirit of the season, as evidenced by some of the bookishly spectral social media posts I've seen recently. 

At BookPeople

"It's Halloween season at your local bookstore," BookPeople, Austin, Tex., posted. "Not only do we have scary season displays for all ages but also TWO Halloween-themed events--one for little readers and one for big ones.... Costumes are encouraged for both!⁠" The events included a Boook Bash and Tattoo Flash last weekend, and tomorrow is Trick-Or-Read musical storytime for the kids. 

As mentioned above, Halloween costumes are a big biz game that not everyone can afford to play, but Storytime Bookshop, Kennewick, Wash., offered a nice option: "COSTUME SWAP!!!!... No need to swap, if you need free costumes for your kiddos, please come get them. No one will be turned away."

Well Read Books, Elk River, Minn., suggested some "books that would make great costumes, noting: "Looking for a little Halloween inspiration??? Look no further than your favorite book!... If you dress as any of these, please, PLEASE, stop by to show us or share your pictures!"

Or why not dress up as booksellers, like the folks at Lost City Books, Washington, D.C.: "who goes there? oh it's just the cutest booksellers in town rockin their limited edition spooky shirts. all proceeds through the end of the year go towards supporting @harrietsdreams. design by @badbucket print by @malokul202 cop yours today."

I noticed several spooky cool ideas, including one at Watermark Books, Wichita, Kan., which hosted its first annual Haunted Bookstore Day last weekend: "Thank you to everyone who came out, shopped, ate and participated in the activities.... We had an amazing day and can't wait to do it again next year!⁠"

And at Recluse Books in Fort Worth, Tex., "every day we hand-make a couple dozen bags with little messages, jokes, or drawings, so every time you buy a book at Recluse it's like you're also supporting a local artist as well as a local business! What a great neighbor you are! A pillar of your community and a patron of the arts!"

In the "Double, double toil and trouble;/ Fire burn, and cauldron bubble" department, Petals & Pages, Custer, S.Dak., noted: "What a witchin' good time we had tonight at our second annual Witches Night Out!! So many gorgeous brooms flew out the doors tonight! Thanks to many of you who dressed up and hung out!... We can't wait to do it again!"

River Bookshop, Amherstburg, Ont., Canada, held its "third Annual Witches Walk at River Bookshop. Thank you so much to the 17 participating businesses and locations for the treats and contest donations, to our judges Chris Gibb and Jennifer Ibrahim, and especially to all the amazing families who joined us for the trick or treating fun and costume parade. We had some great costumes from our participants and our participating businesses."

At House of Books, Kent, Conn.

National Pumpkin Day was October 26. It seems a touch cruel to celebrate during the same week pumpkins everywhere also become stabbing victims, but I guess ironic horror is also key to the spirit of the season.

On a brighter note, Magical Forest Bookstore, Fox River Grove, Ill., had a great Jacko-lantern ("Thank you to pumpkincarver.net for an amazing design!"), and Bonfire Bookstore, Woodstock, Va., went for the undead pumpkin scarecrow option: "Please enjoy Zedric the Zombie reading important life skills books with his zombie cat buddy!"

Quill & Quest Bookstore, Farmington, N. Mex., posted: "Thank you to everyone who came out to the Pumpkins and Pages night. We had a blast and hope you all did too. These are the pumpkins we remembered to get pictures of. I think we have some very talented people in this town. This was an awesome event that we plan to do again this year."

We've been featuring Halloween-themed chalkboards a lot recently, so why not add one more from the Dog-eared Page, Danville, Va. ("Nothing haunts us like the books we didn't buy.").

At Vroman's

Of course, Halloween-themed bookstore sales floor displays are a must, and Vroman's Bookstore, Pasadena, Calif., had an interesting take on theirs: "Vroman's booksellers have put some HAUNTING READS together!⁠ Here's a little more about their display: ⁠'An alternative Halloween reads display which features books that have left a haunting impression on Vroman's booksellers. Some that are more obvious than others and some that may leave you questioning.... 'why that book?' If you are looking for something off the beaten path this season, try a haunting read!" ⁠

Did I see ghosts? Well, sort of, at Copperfish Books, Punta Gorda, Fla.: "We do what we can for trendy content…and we don't ask questions!!"

But if you really want to be frightened, Sulfur Books in Clifton Springs, N.Y., warns us that we're less than a month away from another terrifying holi-deadline: "Come see Karen the Christmas Wreath for your candy treats tonight during the Spooktacular!"

The Xmas Creep manifests earlier each year. For him, all other holidays after July 4 are simply inconveniences, brief stops along the red-&-white brick road to Christmas. Black Friday as the beginning of the holiday season is as much an illusion as Marley's ghost. Happy Halloween!