Many booksellers and others in the book world are participating in tomorrow's general strike to protest ICE and the Border Patrol's killing, detaining, and harassment of U.S. citizens and others in Minneapolis and elsewhere.

Organized by a group of authors, illustrators, agents, and publishers, Publishing for Minnesota is holding an auction that will benefit organizations in Minneapolis providing legal aid, emergency assistance, food, and community resources. Nearly 600 items are being auctioned, including signed books, manuscript critiques, artwork, consultations of all kinds, and more. The goal is to raise $30,000. The auction began yesterday and runs until 11:45 p.m., January 30. Deep appreciation goes to the two initial organizers: Mabel Hsu, co-editorial director for Sourcebooks' Stonefruit Studio imprint, and Zoey Cole, associate director of marketing at Zando.

A small sampling of the items up for auction:

• Original art by Sally Deng
• Critiques of query letters and manuscripts with multiple agents, including Monika Woods, Amy Bishop Wycisk, and Angeline Rodriguez.
• An hour-long portrait session with Savannah Lauren Photography
• An adult novel or manuscript critique with senior editor Anna Montague at Holt
• Signed first editions from Suzanne Collins
• An AMA with senior editor Jenny Xu at Atria Books
• Signed art prints by Dave Eggers

Winning bidders will contribute directly to any of the following organizations: the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, the Women's Foundation of Minnesota, the Midwest Immigrant Bond Fund, Dios Habla Hoy Church Food Distribution (South Minneapolis), Community Aid Network MN, Central Area Neighborhood Development, or generally Immigrant Defense Project and HandsOffNYC.

Books Are Magic, Brooklyn, N.Y., has launched a Melt the ICE campaign, selling Melt the Ice sweatshirts, with all profits going (via Stand with Minnesota and Unidos MN) to local organizations in Minnesota. "We send love to everyone standing in the cold to protect their neighbors and friends," the store wrote. "May this help keep you warm."

The sweatshirts are designed by Carson Ellis, who created Melt the Guns designs for Books Are Magic. (That campaign has raised about $50,000 for Everytown for Gun Safety.) Pre-order Melt the Ice sweatshirts here. Books Are Magic co-owner Emma Straub said, "It doesn't cure fear or heartbreak but doing nothing feels a thousand times worse."

Noting that "the surge of ICE activity across Maine over the last few weeks is deeply alarming," Print: A Bookstore, Portland, Maine, is closing tomorrow, encouraging customers to take part in a protest in Portland at 3 p.m., and launching a fundraiser. The store wrote, "We know many of you are feeling the same mix of anxiety and anger that we are, and while our staff is doing their parts as individuals, Print also wanted to take a stand as a business."

Print is donating 20% of all in-store and online sales this weekend to the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP). "In the face of the huge, unnecessary surge of ICE in Lewiston, Portland, and across the state--including hundreds of arrests in just the last two weeks--ILAP has been a critical shield for our community. Their recent work has successfully secured state-level protections that limit local law enforcement's cooperation with federal deportation efforts and provided direct legal aid to over 2,400 individuals this year."

The Raven Book Store, Lawrence, Kan., is also closing tomorrow, giving staff a paid day off, and donating 20% of all online sales this weekend to Somos Lawrence and Sanctuary Alliance.

On Instagram, the store wrote, "To our neighbors, our comrades, our fellow book lovers, please join us in this day of (in)action. Don't shop, don't work, don't go to school. Withhold your labor, withhold your capital, and make it clear to the powers that be that these horrific acts of brutality will not go without consequence. Consider meeting up with friends, making some art, and reading instead."

Next Chapter Booksellers, St. Paul, Minn., has "a dedicated anti-ice supply counter," featuring six different "ICE OUT" posters designed by a local artists. All proceeds go the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota. The store also stocks handwarmers, whistles, educational zines, and red cards.

Country Bookshelf, Bozeman, Mont., is highlighting what it calls a major connection between sci-fi/fantasy and resistance. In part of an e-mail to customers, it wrote, "These stories, often mischaracterized as escapism, can take place deep in the future, on planets far away, and in realms we cannot reach except through the prose that brings them so vividly to life. It is, some say, escapism to want to place oneself there instead of here, to want to ignore reality in favor of a dream where everything goes right all the time. We disagree.

"As we see it, science fiction and fantasy have been arming us with the tools of resistance for years. Each time a tyrannical ruler is toppled in a faraway realm, a reader learns to recognize oppression in the world around them. Storybook worlds are almost never as peaceful or bright as “escapism” would suggest. Stories of struggle and uprising told with magic and metaphor contain some of the most important lessons that grace our shelves.

"This week, in honor of Friends of Fantasy Day on Jan. 31, and in recognition of the growing voice of a defiant American public, we are highlighting science fiction and fantasy titles that can be used not as an escape, but as a tool against oppression."

The store linked to a collection of 18 titles. See them here.

Alison Hill

And Allison Hill, CEO of the American Booksellers Association, wrote in a letter to booksellers, in part, " 'We're in dark times, and the light is shining out of the windows of bookstores, and that gives hope.'

"ABA's former senior strategy officer, Dan Cullen, said these words last year in an interview in Bookselling This Week on the occasion of ABA's 125th anniversary. His words ring true right now.

We see you, booksellers. We see you hosting supply drives for immigrant families who are afraid to leave their homes. We see you distributing whistles for protectors and allies. We see you donating the proceeds of sales to charities that support human rights, free speech, and Binc. We see you selling books on history, the U.S. Constitution, how to run for office, mutual aid, and 1984. We see you offering much-needed opportunities for calm, encouragement, and entertainment. We see you gearing up to register voters for the midterms. We see you educating yourself about your rights. We see you providing a gathering space for organizers and neighbors. We see you hosting your own vigils and closing for others. We see you contacting your representatives to demand the rights you’re constitutionally entitled to, the world you want to live in, and the support needed for your business and booksellers to thrive.

"Minneapolis-St. Paul area booksellers, thank you for reminding all of us how powerful we are, even when we feel powerless.

"You are not alone in these dark times. Reach out to your community--fellow booksellers, neighboring small businesses, your regional bookseller associations...

"Reach out to us. Share your experience. Utilize resources. Be in community. Ask Binc for financial or mental health support, or, if you're able, donate money to Binc to support your fellow booksellers. Stay informed and prepared for potential ICE raids. Call your representatives and let them know what you want as their constituent and as a business owner. Participate in ABA's partnership with the League of Women Voters to get out the vote and to educate your customers about the ways their vote impacts your bookstore and the booksellers who they love. Email advocacy@bookweb.org to share how your store is being impacted right now, the ways that you are supporting your community, and updates about your business. Watch BTW for resources to support your business, advocacy calls to action, and opportunities for community.

"Continue to shine your light."

The American Booksellers Association has relaunched the Indies Choice Book Awards, the literary prize program that has been on hiatus since 2019.

Titles featured on the Indie Next List, the Kids' Indie Next List, and Indies Introduce are eligible for the awards. Independent booksellers from ABA member stores will vote to select a shortlist and winner in each of the following categories: adult fiction, adult nonfiction, picture book, middle grade, young adult, debut adult, and debut children's. The winning author and/or illustrator in each category will receive $2,000. 

"The Indies Choice Book Awards are a celebration of what makes independent bookstores so vital to the literary ecosystem," said ABA CEO Allison Hill. "These awards are voted on entirely by independent booksellers--people who read widely, recommend passionately, and engage with readers and authors every day. By drawing from titles featured on the ABA's Indie Next List, Kids' Indie Next List, and Indies Introduce book recommendations, these awards reflect a year of thoughtful curation, deep enthusiasm, and books we can't stop talking about. The Indies Choice Book Awards are a celebration and the best way for readers to find their next favorite book."

The award started in 1991 as the American Bookseller Book of the Year. In 2000 it was relaunched as Book Sense Book of the Year and renamed the Indies Choice Book Awards in 2009. In 2010 it became the Indies Choice Book Awards/E.B. White Read-Aloud Awards. Previously, the awards coincided with BookExpo, which was last held in 2019.

The first round of voting for the Indies Choice Book Awards opened on January 28 and will close on February 28. The shortlists will be announced on March 11 and the final round of voting will take place from March 11 to March 25. The winners will be announced on April 8.

More information about the voting process can be found here, and inquiries about the awards can be made to icba@bookweb.org.

The Folded Leaf will relocate from Cedar, Mich., to Traverse City, Mich., this spring, the Glen Arbor Sun reported. Currently, the Folded Leaf is located at 9044 S. Kasson St. in Cedar. In early March, the store will move about 14 miles away, to a space within the Commongrounds Cooperative at 414 E. Eighth St. in Traverse City, with a grand opening to follow in April. The original Cedar location will remain open for the time being, and a closing date will be announced.

Per the Glen Arbor Sun, the Commongrounds Cooperative is Michigan's first cooperative real estate development. It includes "workforce housing, nonprofit and business tenants, common areas, and dedicated spaces for visual arts and events."

Owner Rachel Zemanek, who is from Cedar, had intended to renew the Kasson St. lease and remain in that community. During the renewal process, however, new requirements were introduced that negatively impacted the store's ability to do business. In particular, a new occupancy requirement greatly hindered the store's events program, and instead of offering customers a lesser version of the bookstore, Zemanek decided to move.

In a message to customers, Zemanek said she plans to maintain the bookstore's presence in Leelanau County, in which Cedar resides. In the short term, that most likely will mean pop-ups, book fairs, and other events, but Zemanek intends to one day reopen a bricks-and-mortar store in Cedar.

"Leelanau County is where the Folded Leaf was planted, and those roots still run deep," Zemanek wrote. "Traverse City gives us room to grow, collaborate, and continue building the warm, inclusive, bookish haven you know and love. Think of this as turning the page, not closing the book." 

Zemanek founded the Folded Leaf in April 2025. The store sells new and used titles and hosts book clubs, readings, and music nights, as well as larger events in partnership with area nonprofits.

Ante Books & Creative Studios in McAllen, Tex., will close early next month, myRGV reported.

"Thank you all who visited the shop, bought a book--gave a book--recommended a book, gave a workshop, attended a workshop, held a community event, the list goes on," wrote owner Selina Herrera in an announcement on social media. "Thank you a million times over for your support and encouragement these past couple years. I hope Ante meant something to you just as it did me."

Herrera told myRGV she decided to close the store because "it was a really rough 2025." Difficulties began in the spring with tariffs, ICE raids, and a flood. Sales did not bounce back, even during the holidays, and the store was down some 50%-75% compared to 2024.

"Folks have probably shied away from doing the normal activities they regularly do," Herrera said. "A bookstore is probably the last thing on their mind at this point in time, and I don't blame them for that. Because even me, as the bookstore owner, I am also conscious of everything that's going on. While I'd love to remain open, there's just so much more at this point in time that has to take priority."

Herrera opened Ante Books on June 3, 2024. She sold books in English and Spanish exploring "identity, migration, and the complexities of life on the border" while emphasizing queer and diverse voices. Herrera also held frequent community events, including screenings, art workshops, author events, open mic nights, reading clubs, bike repair lessons, and much more.

Noting that she made the decision to open the store not long after getting separated, she chose the name Ante Books as a way to reflect that she was betting on herself.

"I am just so grateful to everyone for taking a chance on the bookstore, and ultimately on themselves too," Herrera said. "I can't wait to see what they do, and if the bookstore was any inspiration to them."

The store's last day in business will be February 6.

Cátia Chien (photo: Michael Belcher)

This week, Cátia Chien was named the 2026 Caldecott Medalist for her illustrations in the picture book Fireworks (Clarion Books) by Matthew Burgess. Chien is a Brazilian Taiwanese illustrator of celebrated picture books as well as the founder of A Thousand Worlds, a curated picture book directory celebrating BIPOC creators.

Congratulations! I imagine you're feeling lots of things right now. Would you name a few of those feelings for us?

Elated, grateful, proud, deep calm, shaky, purposeful and excited! Yes, lots of feelings!

Everyone always asks about how early the calls are, so... was it an entirely too early call?

I have heard about those early or very late calls! No, not at all too early. It was mid-day Sunday when I got the call. I was in the middle of walking through the parking lot of a bowling alley my eight-year-old son asked to go to. When the call was done, my husband cried (I was already crying) and my son said, "Mamai, I didn't know you were a famous artist. I thought you were only my good mamai." Then we stood there in the middle of the parking lot crying and hugging.

Was the entire committee on the line?

Jewel Davis, the chair of the Caldecott committee, called me on the phone and said "Hi Catia, I'm Jewel Davis the chair of the Caldecott committee and we are so happy to tell you that your book Fireworks won the Randolph Caldecott medal. You are on speaker phone with the rest of the committee. CONGRATULATIONS!!"

And everyone broke out into a cheer. Time freezes in moments like that. I think that's when I said, through tears, "Thank you, is this what I think it is?" And Jewel repeated it all over again.

Fireworks has already received numerous accolades for your illustrations. How does it feel to top those off with the Caldecott Medal?

It feels amazing and validating. Moments after the Caldecott call, Kate O'Sullivan, one of my editors for Fireworks, called me. After we were both done screaming in pure joy, she said to me, "This means that your book will be in print for a long long long time... forever." And that made me cry all over again. It really hit me at that moment that this book will have a wide reach and impact. I think that is what we all wish for with the picture books we create, that they will find their readers.

This isn't your first time illustrating for Matthew Burgess--you also illustrated The Bear and the Moon. How did you feel when reading the text for Fireworks for the first time?

I had an immediate emotional response when I read Matthew's text for Fireworks. Reading the text of Fireworks reminded me of myself as a kid: long summer days with my sister exploring our neighborhood and only coming home after dark to have dinner. Even outside of the pyrotechnics, I knew there was something in the poetry and the rhythm of the text that captured something magical about the life of a child. The unabashed exuberance and sense of being outside of time--the very outward expression of freedom within.

Did ideas immediately surface as you read the text?

Yes! Ideas typically come to me right away when I read manuscripts that really grab me. And Fireworks certainly grabbed me! But this doesn't mean I had it all figured out, far from it. I hold on to more questions than I answer in the beginning and maybe even toward the end of every book. And this keeps it interesting for me.

For example, some of the questions I sat with in Fireworks were: "What does sound look/feel like?" "What does heat look like?" "What is the movement of 'Whoop! Weee! Woohoo!' " "How does the first "POP" create a transition from before the POP?"

And at the same time, ideas also come from pushing against material constraints. So, taking a trip to the art store really helps. It is also so fun! I have too much art supplies at this point! Haha.

I (and so very many others) think one of the most staggering pieces of art is the massive "finale" spread. You use these fully saturated colors throughout the book and then the finale is entirely white and blue. Tell our readers about the decision to turn the fireworks into blazes of white light against a blue background.

Thank you! I created the cover first and the finale became an extension of the visual language I created for the cover. But they are two separate pieces. When I created the cover my thought process was that I wanted it to POP off the shelves so it could have an impact from a distance. I intentionally used high contrast--white against dark blue--to allow the shapes to read from far away and capture the feeling of pyrotechnics in fireworks.

Limiting the palette, I believe, also makes it more memorable and iconic. So that is why I kept it to two colors (white against dark blue) plus the accent color of Pantone fluorescent pink.

I think the spread of the two children absolutely going to town on giant slices of watermelon is wonderful. There is palpable joy in their messy faces and dripping hands. How did you create so much movement and emotion in that one still image?

I watched my son eat watermelon! It is a fully immersive experience the way kids eat watermelons. The face smeared with pieces of watermelon while the clothes are just napkins to catch all the juice. It is pure joy. I wanted to capture that. So, I took a lot of pictures of him eating watermelon and used that as reference. And then I made the watermelons just a bit bigger.

Is there anything else you'd like to say to the Shelf Awareness audience?

Independent booksellers and librarians create spaces where readers discover books they didn't know they needed, where conversations happen, and where communities gather around stories. As a kidlit creator, I'm SO grateful every time a bookseller connects my books with the right reader--that personal recommendation is irreplaceable. So, I want to say, "Thank you for the work you do every day to keep readers connected. I hope to visit as many of your stores as possible in the coming months!!" --Siân Gaetano, children's and YA editor, Shelf Awareness

Hudson Talbott, author and illustrator of more than 30 books for young readers, died January 22. He was 76. Born and raised in Louisville, Ky., he began his career in New York City as a freelance designer/illustrator, commissioned by the Metropolitan Museum, the Metropolitan Opera, Bloomingdale's, and the Museum of Modern Art, among others. 

Hudson Talbott (photo: Ken Schiff)

Talbott created his first children's book, How to Show Grown-Ups the Museum, for MoMA. Among his notable works are We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story, which was adapted into a feature-length animated film by Stephen Spielberg, and an illustrated adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods. He also wrote and illustrated Picturing America: Thomas Cole and the Birth of American Art and River of Dreams: The Story of the Hudson River--both about the Hudson Valley, where he lived most of his adult life. His other works include O'Sullivan Stew, From Wolf to Woof, United Tweets of America, and It's All About Me-ow. 

Hudson also illustrated numerous picture books, including Newbery Honor winner Show Way (by Jacqueline Woodson) and Leonardo's Horse (by Jean Fritz), an ALA Notable and VOYA Honor Book. His most recent picture book, A Walk in the Words, was a Schneider Family Honor Book. Celebrating how people learn differently, it tells the story of his struggles with reading and how his love for art and stories kept him moving at his own pace. His final book, The Next Shiny Object, is set to be published in August.  

Nancy Paulsen, Hudson's longtime editor at Putnam and Nancy Paulsen Books, said: "Hudson was a great artist, author, and friend. We got to spend such memorable time together, working, eating and laughing, as he created a library of fascinating books. Hudson was interested in everything, history, geography, animals, and the human psyche, and he, our art team and I had endless fun (and debates) over how to bring his imagination and curiosity to life. His artwork helped us all see things differently, and his most recent book, A Walk in the Words, helped children feel less overwhelmed by learning differences. Hudson's forthcoming title, The Next Shiny Object, about his experiences with his roaming attention, portrays the challenges as well as the benefits of having an overactive imagination. We are going to miss him, and his imagination, so much but his spirit--and his books--will live on and continue to inspire."

Staffers at Boulder Book Store, Boulder, Colo., gathered to celebrate: "One million books later... and we completed inventory! A huge shout out to our amazing team for counting every last book, chocolate, card, and stuffed animal. Y'all rock!"

Click here to see the latest Independent Press Top 40, the weekly bestseller list celebrating the bestselling 40 fiction and 40 nonfiction titles from independent publishers, as sold by independent bookstores across the country. The list is sponsored by the Independent Publishers Caucus and the American Booksellers Association.

In the HarperOne Group:

Alison Cerri has been promoted to senior publicist.

Ashley Candelario has been promoted to publicist.

"I always love this view of our little shop and city!" Nooks Gallery & Bookshop in Lancaster, Pa., posted on Instagram.

Today:
Fresh Air: Brooke Nevils, author of Unspeakable Things: Silence, Shame, and the Stories We Choose to Believe (Viking, $35, 9781984880185).

Tomorrow:
Good Morning America: Jennifer Breheny Wallace, author of Mattering: The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection and Purpose (Portfolio, $30, 9780593850596).

Today: Kat Ashmore, author of Big Bites: Time to Eat!: Nourishing Family Recipes That Cook in an Hour or Less (Rodale Books, $35, 9780593736258).

Sherri Shepherd Show: Sarah Shahi, author of Life Is Lifey: The A to Z's on Navigating Life's Messy Middle (Regalo Press, $28.99, 9798895650288).

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, February 1
8 a.m. Gov. Josh Shapiro, author of Where We Keep the Light: Stories from a Life of Service (Harper, $30, 9780063463905). (Re-airs Sunday at 8 p.m.)

9 a.m. Kori Schake, author of The State and the Soldier: A History of Civil-Military Relations in the United States (‎Polity, $29.95, 9781509570539). (Re-airs Sunday at 9:05 p.m.)

12 p.m. Jeffrey Kluger, author of Gemini: Stepping Stone to the Moon, the Untold Story (St. Martin's Press, $32, 9781250323002).

1:55 p.m. Dr. Marschall Runge, author of The Great Healthcare Disruption: Big Tech, Bold Policy, and the Future of American Medicine (Forbes Books, $29.99, 9798887505909), at Harvard Bookstore in Cambridge, Mass.

2:55 p.m. Tim Carpenter, author of The Grave Robber: The Biggest Stolen Artifacts Case in FBI History and the Bureau's Quest to Set Things Right (Harper Horizon, $29, 9781400248636), at Boswell Book Company in Milwaukee, Wis.

4 p.m. Charlene Mires and Howard Gillette, co-editors of Greater Philadelphia: A New History for the Twenty-First Century (University of Pennsylvania Press, $125, 9781512829358).

Winners have been selected for the Sydney Taylor Book Award, sponsored by the Association of Jewish Libraries and recognizing "books for children and teens that exemplify high literary standards while authentically portraying the Jewish experience."

Winning authors and illustrators will receive their awards at the Annual Conference of the Association of Jewish Libraries, to be held in Evanston, Ill., from June 22 to 24. Gold and silver medalists will participate in a blog tour February 9-12. This year's winners are:

Gold Medalists
Picture Book: Shabbat Shalom: Let's Rest and Reset by Suzy Ultman (Rise x Penguin Workshop/PRH)
Middle Grade: Neshama by Marcella Pixley (Candlewick)
Young Adult: D.J. Rosenblum Becomes the G.O.A.T. by Abby White (Arthur A. Levine/Levine Querido)

See the five Silver Medalists and nine Notable books here.

"This year's winners and honorees exemplify excellence in Jewish children's literature through vibrant storytelling and rich perspectives that foster empathy, understanding, and a deep appreciation for culture and community," said Melanie Koss, chair of the awards committee. 

Selected new titles appearing next Tuesday, February 3:

Stolen in Death by J.D. Robb (‎St. Martin's Press, $30, 9781250414526) is the 62nd In Death thriller.

Wolf Hour: A Novel by Jo Nesbø, trans. by Robert Ferguson (Knopf, $30, 9780593803653) follows a Norwegian crime writer investigating a case in Minneapolis.

Jigsaw by Jonathan Kellerman (Ballantine, $30, 9780593497715) is the 41st Alex Delaware thriller. 

This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page (Berkley, $30, ‎ 9798217186990) follows a woman whose late husband arranged a year of monthly book gifts.

Isles of the Emberdark: A Cosmere Novel by Brandon Sanderson (‎Tor, $30.99, 9781250415394) expands a previously published fantasy novella into an illustrated novel.

A Blood Moon by Morr Meroz, illus. by Collin Fogel (Graphix/Scholastic, $14.99, 9781546171737) is the first in the middle-grade graphic novel series Snowlands, following an orphaned wolf cub, a leopard, and a wildcat as they journey across an unforgiving landscape.

Love Me Tomorrow by Emiko Jean (Sarah Barley/Simon, $19.99, 9781665974370) features a jaded teen who begins to receive letters from the future written by "her greatest love."

Language as Liberation: Reflections on the American Canon by Toni Morrison, edited by Claudia Brodsky (Knopf, $32, 9780593802748) collects lectures from Morrison's tenure as a professor at Princeton.

Super Nintendo: The Game-Changing Company That Unlocked the Power of Play by Keza MacDonald (Knopf, $32, 9780593802687) plumbs the history of the iconic video game company. 

Empire of Madness: Reimagining Western Mental Health Care for Everyone by Khameer Kidia (‎Crown, $32, 9780593594285) advocates treating the social conditions underlying much mental illness rather than focusing only on symptoms. 

Bonfire of the Murdochs: How the Epic Fight to Control the Last Great Media Dynasty Broke a Family--And the World by Gabriel Sherman (Simon & Schuster, $29, 9781982167417) explores the legal battles over News Corp.

Paperbacks:
How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson (Gallery, $17.99, 9781668206713).

Free Falling by Jill Shalvis (Sourcebooks Casablanca, $16.99, 9781464243929).

Autobiography of Cotton by Cristina Rivera Garza (Graywolf Press, $17, 9781644453698).

Love and Other Brain Experiments by Hannah Brohm (Atria, $18.99, 9781668095034).

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

Hardcover
Meet the Newmans: A Novel by Jennifer Niven (Flatiron, $29.99, 9781250372444). "The Newmans are the perfect family, but behind their perfect lives lurks reality and a world that has moved forward, leaving them in the dust of past generations. With humor, heart, and hope, Niven rewrites the script and rips the band-aid off this 'perfect' family. Loved!" --Maxwell Gregory, Madison Street Books, Chicago, Ill.

Homeschooled: A Memoir by Stefan Merrill Block (Hanover Square Press, $30, 9781335000989). "In such a raw and honest way, Block conquered the very human failure of trying to explain nuanced and complicated family relationships. An incredibly readable book. I can't recommend this one enough!" --Jessica Harley, Linden Tree Children's Books, Los Altos, Ca.

Paperback
A Monsoon Rising: A Novel by Thea Guanzon (Harper Voyager, $19.99, 9780063277311). "Talasyn and Alaric must prepare for the Moonless Dark and the eruption of the Voidfell. This book is equally funny and heartbreaking as we find out more about their pasts, the present, and how it affects their actions. A stellar Hurricane Wars installment." --Lisa Kroger, Village Books, The Woodlands, Tex.

Ages 4-8
This Hair Belongs by JaNay Brown-Wood, illus. Erin K. Robinson (Astra Young Readers, $19.99, 9781662620867). "This Hair Belongs is a lesson in Black history, culture, and excellence. Brown-Wood's verse pairs beautifully with Robinson's illustrations to further highlight the significance of individual hairstyles and textures." --Elena Espinoza, Schuler Books, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Ages 8-12
Secrets of the Broken House by Taryn Souders (Sourcebooks Young Readers, $16.99, 9781464244971). "As always, Souders' books have great mysteries, characters, and lots of heart. I was invested in every one of these characters and I can picture these sleuths working to solve the crime. Souders is always a great choice for our middle schoolers!" --Tania Galinanes, White Rose Books & More, Kissimmee, Fla.

Ages 12+
Gaslit by Megan Davidhizar (Delacorte Press, $19.99, 9780593705711). "From the medical gaslighting she experiences when trying to identify the cause of her debilitating migraines to the cause of the accident that rips her family apart, Ella doesn't know who or what to trust. Is someone following her? Is there more to the accident that night? I felt so connected to Ella as she questioned her reality and the truth." --Julie Swearingen, Roundabout Books, Bend, Ore.

[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]

Hallie Cantor's first novel, Like This, But Funnier, is a hilarious and brutally honest send-up of comedy writing for television, a serious consideration of the woes of modern womanhood, and a compassionate telling of one woman's fumbling journey.

Caroline Neumann is 34 years old. After a relatively successful and socially engaged stint in New York writing for a sketch comedy show, she moved to Los Angeles to write for a sitcom, which was then canceled. She's been working from home for the past four years--if you can call it "working" when she's mostly doing unpaid "development." "In their twenties, she and [husband] Harry had happily not known together" whether they wanted to have kids. But in the interim, he became sure that he did, while Caroline remains doubtful. Harry used to be unhappy at work, too, but now he is a therapist. "They'd made a little home in the despair together. Until he'd abandoned her to go off and get a fulfilling career that he loved. How dare he." Now, dubiously employed and depressed, Caroline navigates lonely, work-from-home desperation, cataloging all the ways in which she can feel bad (down to the varieties of milk she might put in her coffee: "oat milk: cliché spoiled California millennial princess, very bad"), while Harry nudges her to consider motherhood.

Propelled by work-related frustration and curiosity about Harry's favorite therapy client, whom she knows only as "the Teacher," Caroline indulges in a tiny bit of snooping. When she happens to mention a tidbit from the Teacher's life in a meeting with a producer, however, events snowball beyond Caroline's control, until she finds herself working on an actual television script featuring the confidential details of a woman's life that she has no business knowing. Caroline, for whom failure and rejection have come to feel like a professional norm, figures that rather than withdraw from the questionable project, she'll just tank the pitch meeting: "Why bother quitting when you could fail instead?" And just to keep things complicated, she assents to freeze her eggs for possible future motherhood, as "spiritual atonement for stalking and befriending [her] husband's favorite therapy patient." What could go wrong?

Cantor brings her experience writing for Arrested Development, Dollface, and Inside Amy Schumer to Caroline's often excruciating story: despite the considerable pathos, these conflicts are deeply funny. This protagonist--liable to clog a toilet at the most inopportune moment, frozen by self-loathing, desperate to do the right thing in an industry that's never heard of it--is, against all odds and her own fears, uncomfortably easy to relate to. Like This, But Funnier is winning, awkward, and unforgettable. --Julia Kastner, blogger at pagesofjulia

Shelf Talker: A 30-something woman writing for television comedy in Los Angeles must wrestle with personal and social as well as professional qualms in this discomfiting and hilarious debut.

At Silver Unicorn in Acton, Mass.

Last Saturday's winter storm warnings for the mighty Fern stretched from New Mexico to Maine, and indie booksellers were watching the radar, with many posting book-themed forecast maps, including Búho, Brownsville, Tex.; Dark Star Books and Comics, Yellow Springs, Ohio; and the Last Word, Mount Airy, Md.

Up here in the Polar Vortex-ish Northeast, I played the waiting game and opted for a winter storm post-forecast, tracking Fern through bookseller reports on social media. Here's my day-by-day retrospective:

Friday
The Plot Twist Bookbar, Denton, Tex.: "Welp... we knew this was coming. Due to inclement weather, we will be closing... but we'll continue to monitor conditions and keep y'all updated as soon as possible.... We hope you are safe, cozy, and warm all weekend long."

Left Bank Books, St. Louis, Mo.: "Hey Y'all, it's beyond freezing out there, if you or someone you know needs a coat please swing by and grab one! If you have any extra coats to drop off we have room for a few more! Let's help each other through this. Keep warm!"

Friendly City Books, Columbus, Miss.: "In case y'all haven't heard, it's gonna get icy this weekend. For the safety of our staff and customers, we'll be closed tomorrow.... BUT we're still open until 6 p.m. today--stock up your book stacks and prepare to get cozy!"

novel., Memphis, Tenn.: "Bread, milk, books, repeat. Stay safe out there, friends!"

Cleary's Bookstore, Mt. Holly, N.C.: "Have you heard? We're having the storm of the century. We're watching the weather closely, but in the meantime we've got your 'essentials' for surviving the weekend."

Saturday
Sower Books, Lincoln, Neb.: "BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR but we have hot chocolate and kittens!"

Bookmarx Books, Springfield, Mo.: "We'll be closed today due to weather conditions. Everyone stay safe and warm! Perfect time for some cozy winter reading with the cats."

Monstera's Books, Overland Park, Kan.: "We will be around until at least 4ish on Saturday, doing chores and getting some things done. It's beautiful out there but sure is cold!"

Main & Mountain Bookstore, Kernersville, N.C.: "Forget bread and milk! Buy books!"

Wellesley Books, Wellesley, Mass.: "We will be closed Sunday, Jan. 25th, due to the impending snowstorm. Monday opening is still to be determined.... Stay safe!"

Books Are Magic, Brooklyn, N.Y.: "Make sure to stop by today to get a book before the storm!... Stay warm."

Oblong Books, Rhinebeck, N.Y.: "We did the math and it turns out that you need one book for every inch of snow--so that means you might need 12 to 19 books. We don't make the rules, we just follow them!"

Sunday
Front Street Books, Alpine, Tex.: "Front Street Books is CLOSED today--y'all stay home, snuggle up, and be warm!"

Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza, Albany, N.Y.: "It's a snow day! We are closed for the storm--stay safe!!"

Inkwood, Haddonfield, N.J.: "Did I want to walk in to the shop today when my phone said it was 12 degrees and we're closed for the storm? Not really. But I had to feed the foster kitties."

Novel Book Bar & Cafe, Portland, Maine: "Need a place to stay warm and escape the winter storm?? Novel will be open all day."

Monday
Joy and Matt's Books, Cincinnati, Ohio: "We are open today!... Road and sidewalks are cleared. Stop by if you need something to read or simply want to stretch your numbed legs."

Whistlestop Bookshop, Carlisle, Pa.: "The sidewalk is shoveled, a sort of path to the curb is next to the streetlamp--think of it as a stile. Mulan and I will be at the desk with kibble and water for her, granola and coffee for me, telling each other yarns about the past 40 hours."

Roundabout Bookstore, Greenfield, Mass.: "Open, with a circuitous path to books."

Bridgeside Books, Waterbury, Vt.: "Well, there's a first time for everything! And today was my first time skiing to work."

White Birch Books, North Conway, N.H.: "Just came in to do a 'quick' shovel to make tomorrow a little easier. All I can say is that I'm glad this snow is fluffy!!!"

Tuesday
Dickson Street Bookshop, Fayetteville, Ark.: "Thanks to Kathy Thompson for these great action shots of Suedee clearing the sidewalk today!"

Avid Bookshop, Athens, Ga.: "We have to stay closed today.... The parking lot and all the sidewalks in front of the shop are way too treacherous for me to feel right encouraging folks to come see us. Trust me, I fell on my booty despite being very cautious!"

Square Books, Oxford, Miss.: "We are still without power and unfortunately will be closed until that is resolved. We will let y'all know as soon as that changes and can't wait to welcome you all back. Hang in there, friends. Keep your head up and keep reading."

Parnassus Books, Nashville, Tenn.: "We're open-ish! It's still too dangerous for most of us to get to the store today, so no Laydown Diaries, but the store has power and a couple of booksellers who live close by are going to open the store."

Burke's Book Store, Memphis, Tenn.: "Thank you to all who walked or braved the roads to get to us today. It was good to see your faces and we appreciate every dollar spent!"

Wheatberry Books, Chillicothe, Ohio: "We are OPEN! Refresh your book stack, add in a puzzle, pick up a cozy sweatshirt, grab a mug for your hot cocoa. We have all of that and more today."

A Book Place, Riverhead, N.Y.: "We have a path to the shop and it's warm and cozy inside. Come visit. We know you need a book (or two) after reading for days."

East End Books, Provincetown, Mass.: "We have finally dug our way into @eastendbooksptown and the store has made it through okay! We look forward to seeing you."