Thomas Coesfeld, CEO of Bertelsmann Music Group since 2023, has been named the new chairman and CEO of Bertelsmann, parent company of Penguin Random House. On January 1, 2027, he will succeed Thomas Rabe, who will have been chairman and CEO for 15 years.

Thomas Coesfeld (Bertelsmann/Sebastian Pfütze)

Coesfeld began his career in 2014 as a management consultant at McKinsey after studying business administration in Vallendar, Washington, and Atlanta. Following various roles within Bertelsmann businesses, he became chief strategy officer of Mohn Media in 2018. In 2019, he assumed the same role for the entire Bertelsmann Printing Group (now Bertelsmann Marketing Services) and joined its management board. In 2020, Coesfeld moved to the management board of BMG, becoming CFO in April 2021 and CEO in July 2023. He will continue in this role in a dual capacity. In July 2024, Coesfeld was appointed to the Bertelsmann Executive Board.

Christoph Mohn, chairman of the Bertelsmann Supervisory Board, said of Coesfeld, "As both an entrepreneur and a manager, he has all the qualities needed to lead Bertelsmann successfully and ensure the company's continuity. Over the past 10 years at Bertelsmann, I have come to know Thomas Coesfeld as an entrepreneurial leader. In recent years, he has taken the music company BMG to significantly higher levels of revenue and earnings and positioned it even more firmly for the streaming age. His appointment marks a generational change in Bertelsmann's leadership. I wish him every success and a steady entrepreneurial hand."

Rabe said of Coesfeld: "We have worked closely and with great trust for many years, and I will do everything possible to ensure a smooth transition. Bertelsmann's leadership will be in excellent hands with him and his team."

In another executive change at Bertelsmann, Clément Schwebig is joining the Bertelsmann Executive Board as future CEO of RTL Group on May 1, 2026.

Schwebig began his career in 1999 as an M&A analyst at JP Morgan Chase after earning a master's degree in management from HEC Paris Business School and in corporate law from the Sorbonne. After more than a decade in various management positions at RTL Group, he moved to Hong Kong in 2013 as Asia head of business development & digital, general manager China, and CFO Asia Pacific at Time Warner/Turner. He later served as president and managing director of Warner Bros. Discovery in Asia, based in Singapore, before being appointed president & managing director of Warner Bros. Discovery-Western Europe & Africa in 2023.

Mohn stated: "Clément Schwebig has more than 20 years of experience as a media executive, including 10 years in various management positions at RTL Group. He will continue to drive forward the transformation of RTL's businesses and, in particular, further expand its streaming and production activities."

Rabe added that Schwebig "knows RTL Group well, having worked for the company in senior positions in several countries between 2002 and 2013. In addition to his media expertise, he brings valuable insights into the growth markets of Asia, where Bertelsmann also aims to expand further. I know and value Clément Schwebig--we have worked together for many years--and I look forward to handing over the leadership of RTL Group to him."

Honey and Hue Bookstore will host a grand opening in Chicago, Ill., on Saturday, November 15, the Beverly Review reported. Located at 1804 W. 103rd St. in Chicago's Beverly neighborhood, Honey and Hue carries general-interest titles for all ages and emphasizes local authors, community building, and cultural events.

Raven White

"We are a traditional bookstore," store owner Raven White told the Beverly Review. "We have over 24 genres. We're not a specialty bookstore. We're general; we have every topic from thriller, historical fiction, horror, romance, science, anything that you can think of."

On Instagram, White wrote that her vision is to "curate spaces where people can go to feel seen, heard, and at home. I wanted to create community based off the love of books, art, music, and of course storytelling."

At opening, the store will have the work of around 50 local, independent authors in stock, and White intends to display the work of local artists in the bookstore as well. She'll host events for children, teens, and adults that incorporate books, music, and the arts, and she has already launched a nonprofit arm of the bookstore called the Honey and Hue Literacy Collective, which will work with area schools to make books accessible to students.

"When you want to reach youths, you have to meet them where they are," White said. "It's no secret that the literacy rates are extremely low. So, you have to find what children like, and for a lot of them, they like art; they like to draw; they like to create; and they love music."

Originally from Chicago, White previously lived in Katy, Tex., where she owned and operated Brown Sugar Cafe and Books. While there, White and her store experienced some instances of racist harassment, and the store was vandalized with racist graffiti before it even opened. She closed the store and moved to Chicago about two years ago.

When it came to picking a location in Chicago, White spent a year researching neighborhoods, as it was "important to me that I chose the space that chose me back.... We chose the Beverly/Morgan Park community because we felt like it chose us back."

Prior to the grand opening on Saturday, there will be a ticketed gala Friday night with proceeds going to the store's youth programming and community initiative. The public celebration on the 15th will feature a 15% off sale, book signings, a raffle, live music, and more.

J.B. Akers has opened Dead Petals Press, a mobile bookstore in the Hampton Roads, Va., area that features independent authors, particularly local writers. WHRO reported that the 85-square-foot trailer "was a cheaper and more flexible option than a typical brick-and-mortar location. It took her family two months to transform the trailer into a cozy and chic bookshop that comfortably fits six browsing customers and Akers behind the counter." 

Noting that this isn't the first mobile bookstore in the area, Akers said each one has its own niche and hers is independent authors: "You can actually find really great, unique stories from these independent authors who can't get into these big publishing houses. And I think that's where a lot of the gems are." The shop also carries local coffee beans, handmade soaps, and reading accessories.

Pagination Bookshop, Springfield, Mo., which announced in September that it would be ending the bookstore's operation when the sale of its historic building was finalized, has officially closed. In a November 7 post on Facebook, owner Jennifer Murvin, who founded the bookstore in 2019, wrote: 

"A big day today as I close on the bookshop. There aren't words enough on these shelves to express my gratitude to everyone who has helped make Pagination the vibrant and beautiful community bookstore it's been these past six years. It's truly been a dream come true, and I mean that with all my heart. I will cherish the years spent in this space with people I love and people who love books. Thank you for everything. A huge thank you to my friend and realtor Melisa McGuire for commissioning this gorgeous painting as a gift on the occasion of our closing. I am the luckiest to be surrounded by such loving people in my life!"

Jim Hamilton, co-owner of Forbidden Planet International and Forbidden Planet Glasgow, died November 9. He was 67. Bleeding Cool reported that Hamilton and Kenny Penman had been the owners of Science Fiction Bookshop in Edinburgh, Scotland, which opened under previous owners in 1975 and was purchased by them in 1985. The first Forbidden Planet, founded by Nick Landau, Mike Lake, and Mike Luckman, launched in 1978 as a small store on Denmark Street, then relocated to larger premises. 

The original partners then teamed with Hamilton and Penman to open other stores around the country, "expanding Forbidden Planet out and making it the first British proper chain of stores," Bleeding Cool wrote. In 1992 and 1993, the original chain split into two firms--Forbidden Planet and Forbidden Planet Scotland, later renamed Forbidden Planet International. Hamilton had remained prominent since, especially in the running and recent relaunch of Forbidden Planet Glasgow.

Penman, his business partner for more than 40 years, wrote to staff: "Both Jim and I came from pretty ordinary working class backgrounds, and despite not coming from wealthy families both had happy childhoods a big part of which was the escapism of the cheapest form of entertainment going--comics. It was our first passion, and for both of us, it never waned as we grew Forbidden Planet from one little shop on the backstreets of Edinburgh. We were a partnership; I had perhaps more of a business head, but Jim knew comics like no one else, and he was always the one guiding the product mix.... 

"When we started out, our ambition was that Science Fiction Bookshop would be the shop Jim, as a fan and collector, wanted to shop in. We worked hard to achieve that over the years, and I know he was very proud of the amazing shop that is our Glasgow store. There were always new things to be doing, but I think he felt we had nearly achieved what he set out to do, and more, by bringing all sorts of new fans into the fold, with the Sauchiehall St branch. If there was one thing we can all do to remember Jim, I think he would be more than happy if, by our love and application, we finally perfected his vision."

Mrs. Dalloway's Literary & Garden Arts, Berkeley, Calif., hosted a capacity crowd at UC Berkeley's International House for pop star and author Hayley Kiyoko and her YA book Where There's Room for Us (St. Martin's). Pictured: (l.-r.) bookstore staffers Isabella Rosoff, Eli Leichter Wilson, Grace Kenny, Hayley Kiyoko, owners Jessica and Eric Green, and Michael Leali.

Oprah Winfrey chose Ann Packer's new novel Some Bright Nowhere as the November Oprah's Book Club Pick. Oprah Daily reported that "in her first book in more than a decade, Packer tells the story of a couple whose bond--built on four decades of marriage, two children, and years of navigating terminal illness--is shaken to its core when the wife requests that her best friends, not her husband, care for her in her final weeks."

"This beautifully written story is going to get you thinking about some things that really matter," said Winfrey, noting that in addition to sparking discussions about "the obligations of marriage and the difference between male and female friendships," it will open readers up to "one of the most significant of questions: How do you want to spend your last days?"

Recalling the moment when she picked up the phone and heard the news, Packer told Winfrey: "I don't think I've ever said 'Oh my god' so many times in so few minutes.... No one has done more than Oprah to champion wonderful, meaningful books, nor to make talking about them an urgent project for millions of readers. Oprah's Book Club reads like a list of my favorite books of the last three decades. I am honored, thrilled, and humbled to be included among them, and more grateful than I can possibly say."
 
Winfrey interviewed the author for the most recent Oprah's Book Club: Presented by Starbucks podcast, available here.

Sam Funderburg-Lentz has been promoted to associate national account manager at Simon & Schuster.

Real Skills for Real Life: A DBT Guide to Navigating Stress, Emotions, and Relationships by Shireen L. Rizvi and Jess Finkelstein (Guilford Press).

Tomorrow:
Kelly Clarkson Show: Lionel Richie, author of Truly (HarperOne, $36, 9780063253643).

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.

Sunday, November 16
8 a.m. Osita Nwanevu, author of The Right of the People: Democracy and the Case for a New American Founding (Random House, $31, 9780593449929), at Harvard Book Store in Cambridge, Mass. (Re-airs Sunday at 8:15 p.m.)

10:50 a.m. Caleb Gayle, author of Black Moses: A Saga of Ambition and the Fight for a Black State (Riverhead, $33, 9780593543795), at Harvard Book Store in Cambridge, Mass. (Re-airs Sunday at 10:30 p.m.)

11:50 a.m. Kenneth P. Vogel, author of Devils' Advocates: The Hidden Story of Rudy Giuliani, Hunter Biden, and the Washington Insiders on the Payrolls of Corrupt Foreign Interests (Morrow, $30, 9780063341210). (Re-airs Sunday at 11:40 p.m.)

12:55 to 7 p.m. Coverage of the 2025 Brooklyn Book Festival. Highlights include:

• 12:55 p.m. Clay Risen, author of Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America, and Anne Applebaum, author of Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World.
• 1:46 p.m. Saeed Jones, author of The People's Project: Poems, Essays, and Art for Looking Forward, Scaachi Koul, author of Sucker Punch: Essays, and Maris Kreizman, author of I Want to Burn This Place Down: Essays.
• 2:36 p.m. Pria Anand, author of The Mind Electric: A Neurologist on the Strangeness and Wonder of Our Brains, Susannah Cahalan, author of The Acid Queen: The Psychedelic Life and Counterculture Rebellion of Rosemary Woodruff Leary, and Olga Khazan, author of Me, But Better: The Science and Promise of Personality Change.
• 3:30 p.m. Cory Doctorow, author of Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It, and Adam Becker, author of More Everything Forever: AI Overlords, Space Empires, and Silicon Valley's Crusade to Control the Fate of Humanity.
• 4:16 p.m. Molly Jong-Fast, author of How to Lose Your Mother: A Daughter's Memoir, Amanda Hess, author of Second Life: Having a Child in the Digital Age, and Hala Alyan, author of I'll Tell You When I'm Home: A Memoir.
• 5:09 p.m. Deborah Archer, author of Dividing Lines: How Transportation Infrastructure Reinforces Racial Inequality, and Susan Sturm, author of What Might Be: Confronting Racism to Transform Our Institutions.
• 6:02 p.m. Leslie Jamison, author of Splinters: Another Kind of Love Story, Emily Raboteau, author of Lessons for Survival, and Eric Dean Wilson, author of After Cooling: On Freon, Global Warming, and the Terrible Cost of Comfort.

Ibrahim Nasrallah has been named laureate of the $50,000 2025 Neustadt International Prize for Literature, awarded in alternating years with the NSK Neustadt Prize for Children’s and Young Adult Literature and recognizing "outstanding literary merit in literature worldwide." The award is sponsored by the University of Oklahoma and World Literature Today and was announced by Kathy Neustadt during the annual Neustadt Lit Fest. The next Lit Fest will be held in Nasrallah’s honor in fall 2026.

Nasrallah was born in Amman, Jordan, in 1954 to Palestinian parents uprooted in 1948. Raised in the Al-Wehdat refugee camp, he began his career as a teacher in Saudi Arabia. A poet, novelist, painter, and photographer, Nasrallah has published more than 40 works, including novels that form part of his celebrated Palestinian Comedy series. His writing, deeply rooted in themes of exile, identity, and resistance, has been translated into multiple languages, earning him international acclaim as one of the most important voices in contemporary Arab literature.

His novel Time of White Horses (2016), published in English translation by Hoopoe, has been selected as the representative text for the prize. Thomas Willshire, executive director of the American University in Cairo Press, said, "The AUC Press is proud that author Ibrahim Nasrallah and his novel, published under our Hoopoe literary imprint, have received such distinguished recognition. Time of White Horses tells a deeply moving story rooted in Palestinian history and identity, exactly the kind of powerful, boundary-crossing narrative that embodies Hoopoe's mission to bring distinguished voices from the Middle East to readers around the world."

The Press has published four of Nasrallah's novels, including Gaza Weddings (Hoopoe, 2017) and The Lanterns of the King of Galilee (Hoopoe, 2015).

Selected new titles appearing next Tuesday, November 18:

100 Rules for Living to 100: An Optimist's Guide to a Happy Life by Dick Van Dyke (Grand Central, $29, 9781538777909) is being published less than a month before the legendary entertainer's 100th birthday.

The Greatest Sentence Ever Written by Walter Isaacson (Simon & Schuster, $20, 9781982181314) explores the first sentence of the Declaration of Independence.

Simply More: A Book for Anyone Who Has Been Told They're Too Much by Cynthia Erivo (‎Flatiron, $28.99, 9781250428325) is the memoir of the film and theater actress.

The Breath of the Gods: The History and Future of the Wind by Simon Winchester (Harper, $35, 9780063374454) probes a tempestuous force of nature.

Off the Scales: The Inside Story of Ozempic and the Race to Cure Obesity by Aimee Donnellan (St. Martin's Press, $30, 9781250389060) investigates the rise of new weight loss medications. 

Evil Bones by Kathy Reichs (Scribner, $27.99, 9781668051474) is the 24th thriller with anthropologist Temperance Brennan. 

Brimstone by Callie Hart (‎Forever, $33, 9781538774229) is the second Fae & Alchemy romantasy book.

The Seven Rings by Nora Roberts (St. Martin's Press, $30, 9781250288790) concludes the paranormal fantasy Lost Bride trilogy.

The Color of Hope: A Novel by Danielle Steel (Delacorte, $29, 9780593498828) follows an American widow who relocates to a French village.

Return of the Spider by James Patterson (Little, Brown, $32, 9780316569569) is the 34th Alex Cross thriller.

The Last Ember by Lily Dodd (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $19.99, 9780374393120) is the first title in a new middle-grade series, The Aerimander Chronicles, about supposedly extinct dragon-like creatures.

Heartcheck by Emily Charlotte (McElderry, $12.99, 9781665971430) is a YA romcom about a hockey player and his number one nemesis.

Paperbacks:
And Then There Was You by Sophie Cousens (Putnam, $19, 9780593718926).

Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore by Emily Krempholtz (‎Ace, $19, 9780593954300).

Daddy Issues: A Novel by Kate Goldbeck (Dial Press, $18, 9780593730812).

Secret Nights and Northern Lights by Megan Oliver (Berkley, $19, 9780593952405).

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

Hardcover
Bad Bad Girl: A Novel by Gish Jen (Knopf, $30, 9780593803738). "This is Gish Jen's autobiographical novel, all about her mother and their relationship, spanning decades through wars and Mao's regime. It starts as more of a novel but by the end it reads almost fully as a memoir." --Anton Bogomazov, Politics and Prose Bookstore, Washington, D.C.

Girl Dinner by Olivie Blake (Tor, $29.99, 9781250883452). "A darkly satirical novel exploring power, lust, and a sinister wellness trend among wealthy women. Blake's sharp prose delves into the complexities of femininity and societal expectations. A thought-provoking read." --Kailey Fox, Kingfisher Bookstore, Coupeville, Wash.

Paperback
Shy Creatures: A Novel by Clare Chambers (Mariner, $19.99, 9780063258235). "An inventive and satisfying novel. Not just a story you'll look forward to cozying up with, but a brilliant affirmation of non-conformity, self-determination, and the power of art. For fans of Elizabeth McCracken, Tessa Hadley, and Ann Patchett!" --Kristen Iskandrian, Thank You Books, Birmingham, Ala.

Ages 4-8
Moon Song by Michaela Goade (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, $18.99, 9780316461634). "A gorgeously illustrated bedtime story full of wonder for our natural world. Journey under the moon and aurora borealis, through the forest and the ocean, and back to our cozy beds. A beautiful read aloud for the winter months!" --Meghan Bousquet, Titcomb's Bookshop, East Sandwich, Mass.

Ages 9-12
Outside by Jennifer L. Holm (Scholastic Press, 17.99, 9781546138143). "Part dystopian, part thriller, all an exciting read! Perfect for pre-teens who are looking for a bit of an adventure. Just remember--don't go outside!" --Ashley Watts, CoffeeTree Books, Morehead, Ky.

Ages 12+: An Indies Introduce Title
Last Chance Live! by Helena Haywoode Henry (Nancy Paulsen Books, $21.99, 9780593625309). "I have been reeling from the ending of this book since I finished it. We meet Eternity Price, who is on death row for reasons that are unclear at first, as she is given the chance to vie for her life on reality TV in exchange for giving up any chance at future appeals. This debut is stunning, and not just for young adult readers!" --Andrea Richardson, Fountain Bookstore, Richmond, Va.

[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]

An orphan working at a tea stall in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, grows up to become head chauffeur for a feudal family in Daniyal Mueenuddin's contemporary epic This Is Where the Serpent Lives. Spanning six decades, this finely textured generational saga probes with rich irony the power dynamics between Western-educated Pakistani elites and the deferential but shrewd underlings who manage their agricultural estates and serve their tea.

Set in Pakistan, with scenes at a college campus in the U.S., This Is Where the Serpent Lives expands superbly on themes of ambition and betrayal introduced in the author's award-winning short story collection, In Other Rooms, Other Wonders. Mueenuddin's writing has a satirical bite, featuring scheming farm managers, charming gangsters, and lazy landowners married to intelligent women. Worst are police officials who "under their uniforms" are "cousins to the thieves."

The story opens in 1955 when a child found abandoned on the roadside is taken in by Karim Khan, a kindly shop owner who teaches him the art of making chapattis. The boy, Bayazid, has a "cool temper" and grows up to be "exceptionally large for a Pakistani." He is hired by the Atar family in Lahore and rises swiftly up the ranks.

Hisham Atar is one of Pakistan's "gadgety wealthy men" who considers himself "free from old-fashioned views of the relation between master and servant." He met his brilliant wife, Shahnaz, when they were undergraduates at Dartmouth College. Enjoying the "frictionless ease" of exceptional staff like Bayazid and his protégé Saqib, the Atars' marriage, an intriguing partnership, stays on a low, indifferent simmer until a stinging betrayal spirals into a crisis.

Mueenuddin juxtaposes depictions of simple rural life at the Atars' farm with their extravagant, cocaine-fueled parties and art deco homes in the city. When Bayazid, now Hisham's right-hand man, and Saqib accompany the Atars to their friend's cliffside mansion for a party, Saqid inadvertently witnesses an incident he shouldn't have and it shatters his reverence for his master. With a family to care for, Saqib lets his personal ambitions overshadow his loyalty towards the Atars, leading to a fallout that is as shocking as it is swift.

The central conflict in This Is Where the Serpent Lives unfolds with fable-like simplicity: Will Hisham and Shahnaz, with their Dartmouth education and modern sensibilities, embrace change when challenged or will they fall back on the harsh feudal ways that have kept their family comfortably on top for generations? Crafted with elegant prose, Mueenuddin's conclusions are infused with thrilling tension. --Shahina Piyarali

Shelf Talker: Set in Pakistan, with scenes at a U.S. college campus, this contemporary epic expands superbly on themes of ambition and betrayal introduced in the author's award-winning short story collection.

If you open Google Maps and search for 1331 E 6th St., Tulsa, Okla., you'll find the location of Hoot Owl Books, a fictional used bookstore. This moment was captured by a Google Street View car in March 2025. The mystery deepens when you add a March 3 Facebook post by Tulsa's Magic City Books: "Uh oh. Look like there's some new competition in town. And we've heard it's run by some pretty unsavory folks." The plot is clarified, however, with the addition of one more sentence: "That being @sterlinharjo and @ethanhawke. #hootowlbooks #fake."

Although Google Maps apparently doesn't know it yet, Hoot Owl Books is the headquarters for Lee Raybon in the brilliant new FX/Hulu TV series, The Lowdown. Created, exec produced, written, and directed by Sterlin Harjo (Reservation Dogs), the series stars Ethan Hawke as an incorrigible bookseller/citizen reporter and self-proclaimed "truthstorian," whose obsessive journalistic pursuits attract attention of the dangerous, if often funny, kind. 

Lee lives and works in his used and rare bookstore, tucked in the heart of Tulsa and mostly run by his sometimes paid bookseller, Deidra (Siena East). If you haven't seen the show, I--along with most folks who have--highly recommend it. 

I'll confess that one of the many things that drew me in from the start was the key role books and bookstores play in The Lowdown. The Orange County Register offered a good reason "why you should consider checking it out: Partially set in a bookstore with a plot that is triggered by some old Jim Thompson novels, there may be no other show on right now so lovingly aimed at readers, writers and lovers of books (and music) that is also such an ungovernably rollicking crime story.... In fact, early in the show, the line 'You must be a writer' is used as a punchline in a way that only a writer could conjure up--and then love the insult so much that it didn't get cut." 

Magic City Books was featured in the first episode as a meeting place for Lee with his ex-wife Samantha (Kaniehtiio Horn) and their daughter, Francis (Ryan Kiera Armstrong): "Did you catch us in the first episode of The Lowdown? Big thanks to Sterlin and the amazing cast/crew for including MCB in this magical mosaic. And that writers room! WOW. Might just be the best show ever for book nerds!"

(courtesy FX)

Dickson Street Bookshop in Fayetteville, Ark., checked in to note that "you might notice Ethan Hawke with some vintage crime paperbacks their production picked up from us last year when filming the pilot in Tulsa. Also, the always amazing Magic City Books in Tulsa is heavily featured."

Yes, kids, book worlds are colliding out there. Author Erik Larson posted: "At last one of my books has made it to the big screen! (Ethan Hawke in The Lowdown; see shelf behind.)"

Raybon's character was inspired by Lee Roy Chapman, a Tulsa legend who wrote for This Land Press, which noted in its digital publication, the Pickup, that Harjo "honors Chapman's incredible work.... Lee uncovered historical truths that many people in Tulsa would prefer to have kept buried."

"If you watched The Lowdown, 'Hoot Owl Books' looks a lot like Oak Tree Books," the Pickup posted on Facebook, adding that in the series, "Tulsa lore is everywhere. In particular, Lee Raybon's rare bookstore 'Hoot Owl Books' reminds us a lot of @oaktreebookstulsa, where the basis for Raybon's character, Lee Roy Chapman, worked and researched."

Production designer Brandon Tonner-Connolly and set decorator Tafv Sampson spoke with the Decorating Pages podcast about how the team created an authentic bookstore set inspired by Oak Tree Books and with the help of Gardner's Used Books & Music. 

Oak Tree Books was launched in 1993 by Scott Dingman and Charles Curtsinger "with the goal of selling rare and out of print books and a focus on Oklahoma and Native American History," a post on the bookshop's Facebook page explains. A couple of decades later, ownership went to co-worker Lee Roy Chapman, whose "commitment to unearthing rare and often forgotten or neglected Oklahoma history and relics was integral to reinforcing Oak Tree Books' place in Tulsa and nationwide as a staple for uncommon and scarce pieces." The bookshop closed in 2016 after Chapman's untimely death, but Sean Stanford reopened it in 2024 at the same location. 

The Lowdown's final episode ran earlier this month, and Magic City Books offered a heartfelt goodbye: "What a ride. Big thanks to @sterlinharjo and @ethanhawke and everyone behind THE LOWDOWN. We are honored to have been a small part of your big project. If you haven't seen it, you're doing it wrong!"

It's all about the books, man. Hawke even said as much while covertly signing at a New York City bookshop: "I love my character.... And the whole show, in some strange way, revolves, around his love of books, so I thought I would come to Housing Works Bookstore and I would sign some postcards and slip them inside some books that I wrote and you can come find them.... In the show, I find a very strange note inside a very old book that leads me on a terrible journey. But maybe that's cool... I don't know."

(courtesy FX)

Episode 5 of The Lowdown might be my favorite, with Peter Dinklage guest starring as the former owner of Hoot Owl Books. From their first scene together until the last, he and Hawke engage in a running banter that's filled with wit, sarcasm, sadness, and a flurry of head-spinning literary and bookselling references. 

And yes, my bookish friends, somewhere out there Hoot Owl Books is still in business... kinda. Google Street View told me so.