Fergie's Bookshops, the 16-year-old business in Fargo, N.Dak., formerly known as Ferguson Books and More, will be closing January 30. In October, owner Dane Ferguson had announced he was relocating the bookstore from Roberts Alley to a new space inside Daily's Market at 216 Broadway.

In a recent post on social media and the store's website, however, Ferguson wrote that the decision to close was made "with much prayer, reflection, and honest discernment. What began as a simple belief in the power of books and community grew into something far bigger than I ever imagined. Over the years, having 4 stores in 4 different cities across North Dakota, Ferguson Books became places of discovery, connection, generosity, and shared moments--from first books and lifelong favorites to bag sales, author visits, school partnerships, and countless conversations that mattered.

"These stores existed because of people. Customers who showed up again and again. Families who made them part of their routines. Teachers, librarians, authors, nonprofits, and local partners who believed in what we were building. Staff members who poured heart, patience, and care into the work--often far beyond what the job required. And my family, who lived every high and low of this journey alongside me."

He added that he is working closely with the owner of a new local bookstore, Overbooked, that will be opening later this year, "sharing both what I've learned and the mistakes I've made along the way. I wholeheartedly encourage our customers and the broader community to support this new store when it opens and to continue championing independent bookstores."

Ferguson closed his announcement with: "Though the doors are closing, the impact of what we built together does not disappear. Ferguson Books was never just a business to me; it was a mission, a calling, and a season of life I will always carry with gratitude and pride. Thank you for reading with us, growing with us, praying for us, and believing in the quiet power of books and community."

Barnes & Noble will open a new store tomorrow in Washington, D.C. 

Located at 1025 F St. NW between 10th and 11th Streets in downtown D.C., the store spans more than 15,000 square feet across multiple levels and is less than a mile from the White House and National Mall. The opening marks a return to downtown D.C. for B&N; the company closed its earlier downtown location in 2015. 

The F St. store is the first new B&N location to open in 2026. B&N plans to open more than 60 this year, after opening more than 60 in 2025 and more than 50 in 2024. Following two years of rapid expansion, the chain now has more than 700 stores throughout the U.S. and owns the Tattered Cover in Denver, Colo., and Books Inc. in the Bay Area in Northern California.

B&N's owner, Elliott Management, is reportedly preparing an initial public offering of B&N and Elliott's U.K. booksellers, which include Waterstones, Foyles, Hatchards, and Blackwell's. 

WH Smith has appointed Leo Quinn as executive chairman, effective April 7, subject to shareholder approval. The Bookseller reported that Quinn was previously group CEO of Balfour Beatty plc, and prior to that spent more than 20 years in leadership roles at global companies, including seven years in the U.S.

Leo Quinn

"In each case he has led significant business transformation, driving sustained cashflows and strong shareholder returns, including over £5 billion [about $6.7 billion] of total shareholder value," the company noted.

Quinn said: "WH Smith is a great business with a remarkable heritage. Working with the leadership team and our colleagues worldwide, I intend to ensure the company has the right foundations in place to deliver long‑term value for its investors, business partners and employees."

Annette Court will step down as chair and non-executive director, effective February 2, with Simon Emeny continuing as senior independent director, as well as interim non-executive chairman until Quinn's appointment. WH Smith added that the resolution to re-elect Court as a director of the company will be withdrawn.

The appointment "follows a significant changes at WH Smith, following an independent Deloitte review, which found 'insufficient systems, controls and review procedures for supplier income across commercial and finance functions' as well as 'weaknesses in the composition of the finance team' and inconsistent accounting practices in WH Smith's North America division," the Bookseller wrote. The review led to the resignation of Carl Cowling, group CEO and board director, last November.

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Book sales in France declined in 2025. According to the French publishers association (Syndicat Nationale de l'Édition), there was a 2% drop in sales in 2025 compared to the year before, "with the outlook for the market in 2026 not looking as bright as hoped for.... Since this first calculation, GfK-Nielsen has since revised the 2025 sales figure to -1%," the Bookseller reported.

Citing a concerning decline among younger readers, the trade is still waiting for a 10-year government plan to boost reading among children and young adults. SNE director Renaud Lefebvre said, "We hope the culture and education ministries will present details of the plan at our next Paris Book Festival in April."

Other concerns outlined recently by SNE president Vincent Montagne include the increasing sales of used books, which are forecast to rise to 40% of the total in France in 2030, and copyright theft by artificial intelligence operators.  

Montagne added that despite several physical attacks on bookshops, "we have every reason to be proud of the fact that the book trade does not bow to fear or tension."

In 2025, the Syndicat de la Librairie Française (French Booksellers Association), many indies showed "a slight resilience" after a difficult year in 2024. The Bookseller wrote that SLF outlets "reported an average annual sales increase of 0.9% or 0.6% for books alone, but an inflation-adjusted drop of 0.5%. December provided a welcome uplift, with a year-on-year sales increases of 3.4% for books and 5.4% for other goods." The SLF added that almost a third of outlets had a sales drop of 5% or more, with those in medium-sized towns (50,000-200,000 inhabitants) being particularly hard hit. 

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A new round of applications for the RISE+ Booksellers Exchange Program will launch later this month, the European & Independent Booksellers Federation's Newsflash reported. RISE+ supports booksellers from Europe and beyond in spending a few days abroad, working voluntarily in another bookshop to see firsthand how colleagues in other countries are navigating challenges, embracing new opportunities, and running their businesses.    

Applications are currently open to bookshops wishing to host a bookseller colleague from another country in your shop. "As a host, you would include the visiting bookseller in your daily tasks, involve them in various activities happening in the bookshop, and make them feel part of the team for the duration of their stay," Newsflash noted. 

Mohammed Harbi, "a maverick historian of Algeria whose perspective--that of an insider turned outsider--shattered myths about his country's break from France," died January 1, the New York Times reported. He was 92.

Harbi "saw Algeria's bloody split with France from within, as a high official in the early revolutionary government," the Times wrote. "Then, when he denounced widespread torture and other abuses, he was imprisoned after the military seized power in 1965, before escaping into exile after a period of house arrest and beginning a long second career as a historian who rewrote the story of his country's flawed independence."

He contended that contemporary Algeria had its roots in the country's troubled birth, saying: "Usually, every country has an army. In Algeria, it is the opposite: It's the army that has the country."

French historian Pierre Vermeren wrote in Le Figaro that Harbi was "the most brilliant and implacable historian of independent Algeria." In the magazine L'Histoire, historian Benjamin Stora said that Harbi was a "pioneer in deconstructing the official ideology." 

In The Origins of the F.L.N. (1975), the French acronym for the ruling National Liberation Front, and The F.L.N.: Mirage and Reality (1980), both of which were begun during his imprisonment and completed in exile, Harbi, "using documents he had patiently assembled for several decades, demonstrated that the revolutionary F.L.N. party was not really a political party at all," the Times noted.

"In the days after the cease-fire" with France, Harbi wrote in Une Vie Debout: Mémoires Politiques (2020), "behind the divided forces of the armed resistance, what stirred above all were groups of partisan camp followers seeking rewards, and with no other goal but the personal appropriation of the colonial heritage left behind by the fleeing Europeans."

Harbi's books were banned in Algeria until the early 1990s, and he did not return to his country until 1991. "We won our independence, but we left behind one crisis to enter into another. The militarization of our society took place because of these crises," he told Le Monde in 2019. "Our independence was stolen by armed men who have robbed the inhabitants of their country."

The inaugural Dallas-Fort Worth area quarterly bookstore meetup took place last week. The group aims to help all area stores grow stronger, share best practices, collaborate, and encourage the bookselling community. The meeting was organized by Bibliobar Bookstore in Plano, and was held at Talking Animals' new location in Grapevine.

Attendees included: (from left) Katy Lemieux and Valerie Walizade, Talking Animals, Grapevine; Donya Craddock, The Dock Bookshop, Fort Worth; Chelsea Tresp, Bibliobar, Plano; Darci Middleton, The Plot Twist, Denton; AJ Bell, Leather & Bound, Fate; Kait Thibeaux, Folklore Grove, Arlington; Abbey Anderson, Storytellers, Dallas; Dawn Conner, The Plot Twist, Denton; Dakhota Rodgers, Arts & Letters, Grandbury.

Congratulations to One More Page Books, Arlington, Va., which is celebrating its 15th anniversary this Thursday, January 22, 6:30-8 p.m., with a party featuring "cookies, snacks, bubbly and more." Attendees are encouraged to share their favorite memories of One More Page. The celebration is not just for the store; "We wouldn't be here without your support, good humor and friendship," One More Page emphasized.

Owner Eileen McGervey, who had worked in the tech world for more than 20 years, founded One More Page store in 2011 because, as the store noted, "she loves reading and talking about books, and she remembers the joy of her first job--shelving books on a book mobile while in high school." 

The store received tremendous support from the Arlington and Falls Church communities. Especially with the closing of other area businesses like Borders, "people were searching for a place to find new literary selections and gather together to share and discuss books." In its first year alone, One More Page hosted some 70 authors.

Besides promoting a love of books and diverse authors and offering books, puzzles, chocolate, wine, and more, the store has provided "a space for bringing community together in support of local writers, artists, and independent businesses." For the past five years, the store has led the Arlington/Falls Church Small Business Passport Program featuring more than 20 local stores and restaurants for a weekend of shopping and dining, and the store has participated in the Indie Bookstore Crawl, featuring 15 area bookstores. It partners with the Arlington Public Library on the Arlington Reads series and other events.

One More Page also hosts nonbook events that focus on staff and customer interests, including wine and chocolate tastings, the Sweetest 16 Chocolate Taste-off, a Taylor Swift Bracelet Making Night, a Twilight 20th Anniversary party, puzzle exchanges, and more. The store has offered programs like "Free Books (and Puzzles) for Feds" during the recent government shutdown and "Shop for a Cause" donation days for World Central Kitchen, and also supports Binc, the ACLU, and ActBlue, among other organizations.

Split Rock Books in Cold Spring, N.Y., posted a winter weather update on Instagram: "OPEN & shoveling out! If you can safely take the train, sled, snow shoe, ski, skate, or walk over come on by."

Colin Shields has joined Lonely Planet as senior director of sales & marketing, North America, a newly created position. Shields was most recently v-p and executive director of global digital & international sales at Simon & Schuster, where he worked for more than 20 years.

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Sam Kusek has joined Oni Press as director of business development. He most recently was senior outreach lead for Kickstarter and earlier was special projects manager at BOOM! Studios and operations manager for Tiny Onion. He also owns and operates Cave of Monsters Games, a tabletop roleplaying game publisher in Portland, Ore.

Rose Dhu by Mark Murphy (Girl Friday).

Today:
Good Morning America: Dr. Tara Narula, author of The Healing Power of Resilience: A New Prescription for Health and Well-Being (S&S/Simon Element, $30, 9781982198848).

Tamron Hall: Kwame Alexander, author of Say Yes: Find Your Passion, Unleash Your Potential, and Transform Your Life (Andrews McMeel, $16.99, 9781524899820).

Live with Kelly and Mark: Jennette McCurdy, author of Half His Age: A Novel (Ballantine, $30, 9780593723739). She will also appear on the Tonight Show.

Fresh Air: Rachel Eliza Griffiths, author of The Flower Bearers (Random House, $28, 9780593730218).

NPR's Marketplace: Dorothy A. Brown, author of Getting to Reparations: How Building a Different America Requires a Reckoning with Our Past (Crown, $30, 9780593593615). 

Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Senator Bernie Sanders, author of Fight Oligarchy (Crown, $14.99, 9798217089161).

Tomorrow:
Drew Barrymore Show: Chris Appleton, author of Your Roots Don't Define You: Transform Your Life. Create Your Comeback. (Hanover Square Press, $30, 9781335001429).

Tamron Hall: Kenan Thompson, co-author of Unfunny Bunny (Feiwel & Friends, $19.99, 9781250364814).

Kelly Clarkson Show: Brad Meltzer, author of The Viper: A Zig & Nola Novel (Morrow, $32, 9780062892430).

Universal has said its "radical redo" of The Exorcist, which is being written, directed, and produced by Mike Flanagan, will be released on March 12, 2027. The cast includes Scarlett Johansson and Jacobi Jupe (Hamnet). 

Flanagan's take on William Peter Blatty's 1971 bestselling horror novel "has been billed as an all-new story and not connected to the world of the franchise or the latest Exorcist pic, 2023's The Exorcist: Believer, which grossed $65.5 million in North America and $136.2 million worldwide after NBCUniversal, Peacock, and Blumhouse acquired rights from Morgan Creek in 2021," Deadline reported.

Shortlists have been released for the 2025 Chytomo Award, which is "aimed at highlighting those who are transforming Ukraine's publishing industry and making Ukrainian literature increasingly visible worldwide." The International Renaissance Foundation is the main partner of the award, which is also held in cooperation with the Frankfurt Book Fair. The category winners, who will be named January 29 in Kyiv, each receive UAH 150,000 (about $3,455). See the complete shortlists here. 

"The jury's work this year did not encounter any major disagreements," Oleksandr Mymruk, jury chair, managing editor, and head of the Chytomo public organization, said. "Our views on who should be among the award finalists turned out to be quite similar, which is evidence that all shortlisted participants truly deserve their place there, and that their work over the past year has been visible not only in Ukraine." 
 
Iryna Baturevych, co-founder of the award and a member of its organizing committee, commented: "This year, it is particularly telling that among the ambitions and achievements of the shortlisted nominees is the ability to retain and expand their readership. This is the most pressing challenge facing the market today, and addressing it is the task of both profile institutions and cultural practitioners. Most likely, it is precisely the ability to attract and bring together new (as well as existing) readers that will determine what publishing in Ukraine looks like in the future. The past year has shown how difficult this is, especially against the backdrop of crises that continue to deepen in wartime conditions. That is why their achievements seem especially worthy of recognition." 
 
One of the nominated publishing entities in the Publishing Market Trendsetter category will also receive the Frankfurt Book Fair Special Award.

Louise Erdrich's formidable second short story collection, Python's Kiss, after 2009's The Red Convertible, is a family affair, with detailed black-and-white illustrations by daughter Aza Erdrich Abe; Erdrich also dedicates the collection to Abe, who has designed numerous book covers for Erdrich. Family--particularly relationships between parents and children--takes center stage in many of the most memorable narratives here, whether underscoring unbreakable bonds or exposing horrific betrayals.

In "Wedding Dresses," an aunt shares sanitized summaries of her four marriages with her beloved 11-year-old niece, but reveals far more intimate, often devastating details with readers. In "December 26," a mother desperate to save her adult son forced on the run for potentially fatal choices will do just about anything to save him. Chosen family proves even more supportive and nurturing in "Amelia," about a teen determined to escape her small town, encouraged and enabled by an older bachelor who recognizes her potential for so much more. Erdrich chooses speculative fiction to explore noncorporal relationships: in "Domain," a woman transitions into the afterlife intending to terminate her father, who let her young son die; in "Asphodel," Evlin must repeatedly sentence her daughter, Caroline, to death in accordance with her afterlife contract--but this time, Caroline 8,037 forcibly chooses to live. Erdrich presents the undead in "Borsalino," which features a woman who meets an irresistible Venetian thief who, 16 years later, saves her from the manipulatively charming husband determined to kill her. Animals appear both to haunt and to help humans: in the wrenching "Python's Kiss," a young girl shows singular kindness to her grandparents' guard dog, Nero, a prisoner forever denied affection and freedom; a feral cat emerges as the hero in "The Feral Troubadour" when she attacks and manages to trap a would-be thief in a bathroom window.

Among the 13 stories gathered here, seven were previously published, with five initially appearing in the New Yorker. Erdrich, who has won both the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award, uses short stories as an opportunity to experiment with various content and forms with unfettered, effortless ease. Several stories in Red Convertible, for example, morphed into novels, including the titular story (originally published in 1981) that became 1984's Love Medicine, and the penultimate "Future Home of the Living God," which became a novel of the same name in 2017. Lucky readers could and should consider this collection as a prescient gift. --Terry Hong

Shelf Talker: Louise Erdrich's second story collection presents 13 intriguing narratives, many of which poignantly, memorably explore the complicated relationship between parents and children.

Trudi Bartow

Trudi Bartow, sales director at the Unemployed Philosophers Guild, has shared insights about nonbook and sidelines sales at regional shows like the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association and Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association. Here Bartow provides an overview of the importance of nonbook products for independent booksellers while also offering tips and suggestions.

Walk into any thriving bookstore today and you'll notice something immediately: the shelves are telling more than one story. Alongside the frontlist and staff picks, there are stickers, candles, plush axolotls, puzzles, tarot decks, and cleverly designed mugs that have become essential parts of the indie bookstore experience. Sidelines are no longer the side dish--they're a key ingredient in the retail recipe.

At Auntie's Bookstore in Spokane, Wash.

Between tariffs, freight costs, and shifting consumer budgets, bookstores need dependable categories that perform year-round. Sidelines deliver exactly that. Under-$20 items remain the sweet spot: small, joyful indulgences customers can justify any time they walk in.

At Village Books and Paper Dreams in Bellingham and Lynden, Wash., co-owner Sarah Hutton sees it daily. "Gifts don't just pad the bottom line--they make customers linger," Hutton said. "And the longer people linger, the more they buy."

Mica Perruzzi, buyer at Sherman's Maine Coast Book Shops, emphasizes the impact of sidelines on customer experience: "Sherman's is known as the place to browse. That's intentional, and sidelines play a huge role in it."

And across the indie world, stores echoed the same sentiment in the American Booksellers Association's January 2025 survey, where 52.7% of responding bookstores reported higher 2024 sales than 2023.

At Posman Books in Atlanta, Ga.

The categories are growing. According to Gifts & Decorative Accessories, the candle market grew 8% year-over-year in specialty retail, and journals and stationery continued to rise in 2024, supported by a global stationery market valued at $117.69 billion with a forecast 4.4% CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) through 2030. Plush and sensory items have also remained strong across specialty channels.

One of the biggest drivers behind the sideline surge is what many retailers describe as the "digital backlash." After years of screens, customers are craving tactile experiences.

Circana's consumer research shows 64% of Gen Z and Millennials prefer shopping environments where they can touch products, and more than half say they're purchasing more journals, notebooks, and plush items than in the previous year. Globally, analog play is trending as well: Circana's G12 market analysis reported 36% growth in games and puzzles in the first half of 2025.

At Oblong Books in Rhinebeck, N.Y.

This dovetails neatly with book culture. Journals pair beautifully with romance and literary fiction. Puzzles slot naturally beside cozy mysteries. Tarot decks fit evenly between fan-favorite fantasy titles. And store-branded merchandise, from totes to mugs, continues to rise nationwide.

"People expect bookstore merch now," Hutton said. "And it keeps them connected to your store long after they've gone home."

When it comes to merchandising, strong sideline programs mirror strong book displays: they tell a story. "Think in stories," said Lisa Bach, director of sales at Anne McGilvray & Co, a national gift rep agency working across hundreds of independent bookstores and specialty retailers. "You'd never build a display without a theme, and the same applies to sidelines."

Bach's approach is simple:

• Pair romance with journals and candles
• Add plush and sensory toys to kids' sections
• Place literary candles near classics, art mugs near art history
• Use small displays at the cash wrap for easy add-ons

In Portland, Ore., Powell's Books gift buyer Rin Stone focuses on accessibility. "Is it easy to reach? Will it delight the kid or the parent?"

At Atticus Coffee and Teahouse in Park City, Utah

These questions guide every table, spinner, and shelf. Booksellers consistently report that cross-merchandising increases attachment sales and helps customers discover items they didn't know they wanted.

Platforms like Faire have made browsing easier, but booksellers say the best buying strategy blends online discovery with rep expertise.

"Faire is fantastic for finding new brands," said Karen Sawyer of Pier Six Press. "But reps know what's trending, what stores like yours are selling, and what terms you can access."

Reps also help with freight navigation, MOQ strategies, and trend forecasting. As Bach put it: "Reps save you time, save you money, and make you money."

For stores growing their sideline mix, the advice is consistent: start with proven high-margin categories, add a few trend-forward items tied to your community, test small, and attend at least one major gift show for hands-on inspiration.

While every store's mix looks different, booksellers nationwide consistently describe nonbook items as a meaningful and growing share of revenue over the past several years.

At The Unemployed Philosophers Guild, we think of bookstores as "idea-forward retailers"--places where design, intellect, and whimsy naturally meet. Bookstores are often where we first see traction for new aesthetics or product themes. Customers who shop there tend to be thoughtful, intentional, and emotionally connected to what they buy.

At The Well-Read Moose, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

When a literary mug, notebook, or candle succeeds in a bookstore, it usually signals a cultural thread worth following. Sidelines thrive in bookstores not simply because they're clever or beautiful, but because they extend the reading experience. They let customers carry a piece of the story into daily life.

Sidelines aren't fluff, they're fuel. Sidelines don't compete with books. They complete them. They offer tactile joy, deepen the emotional experience of browsing, and keep customers coming back for more. Most importantly, they help bookstores express their personality--their humor, warmth, curiosity, and quirks.

A great sideline doesn't shout. It simply says: This store gets you. And that's how bookstores continue to thrive--beyond the book.

Bartow can be reached here.