Total net book sales in July in the U.S. rose 14%, to $1.032 billion, compared to July 2025, representing sales of 1,416 publishers and distributed clients as reported to the Association of American Publishers. For the first seven months of the year, net book sales rose 5.4%, to $6.673 billion.

In July, trade sales rose 16.4%, to $804.1 million. The biggest categories with sales jumps in July included physical audio, adult hardcovers and paperbacks; children's/YA hardcovers and paperbacks; and university press hardcovers, paperbacks, and e-books. Lagging categories were religious hardcovers, mass market, and e-books; adult and children's/YA e-books; and professional & scholarly books.

In July in trade, hardcover sales increased 18.5%, to $242.5 million, while paperback increased 25.2%, to $311.6 million. Together the two formats represented 68.9% of total trade revenue.

Sales by category for July 2026:

The Understory, an all-ages, general-interest bookstore, opened earlier this summer in Tahoe City, Calif., the Sierra Sun reported.

The bookstore, which carries new and used titles, occupies a 645-square-foot space at 945 N. Lake Blvd. The location is partly underground, giving the bookstore its name, and includes a room called the Fireplace Room, which provides space for events and for customers to sit and read. Understory's event offerings include storytimes, postcard writing parties, and book clubs; the store will host its first author signing at an off-site location on September 29.

Owner Annie Stefani told the Sierra Sun that people in Tahoe City "have been really craving a bookstore," and a few months after opening, the bookstore is increasingly becoming a third space. "It creates another touchpoint or gathering space for people to come together over a shared love of something."

Prior to opening the Understory, Stefani had a career in education: she was a high school teacher for 20 years, and spent five years as a school librarian. She also runs a company called Wonderwood Books that helps individuals and organizations create and curate their own libraries.

Stefani first thought about opening a bookstore while looking for space for Wonderwood Books, and she decided to take the plunge. Per the Sierra Sun, the Understory is the first bookstore to open in the North Tahoe region since the closure of an indie bookstore called the Bookshelf in 2012.

Mystic Tomes Fantasy Bookstore will host a grand opening in Wolfforth, Tex., this coming Saturday, September 26, Everything Lubbock reported. Located at 7702 FM 179, Suite 31, Mystic Tomes will carry a wide selection of fantasy sub-genres, such as epic fantasy, dark fantasy/horror, cozy fantasy, and romantasy, with options for adults and young readers. Event plans include book clubs, silent reading meet ups, craft nights, writing groups, and local author signings.

Owner Anhelica Mata told Everything Lubbock she's wanted to open a bookstore for nearly a decade, and she said she hopes the bookstore becomes a hub for community members: "I hope they feel at home because in the end, that's what stories are for many of us, and I want them to feel like they can come to the store and not only find their next favorite story, hopefully, but also people who relate and feel that way about books and powerful stories."

Prior to finding the bricks-and-mortar location, Mystic Tomes began as a pop-up and online store, with Mata making appearances at markets and other locations in the Lubbock area throughout the summer.  

"Fantasy, I think, is a great escape for a lot of us, just to have so much going on in our own lives, and a great way to decompress, the deeper stuff behind fantasy, behind all the monsters, the fact that we can overcome anything that we work towards and I love that," Mata said.

The opening celebration on September 26 will include a tattoo artist, live music, dirty sodas, local vendors, and a ribbon cutting.

Trailhead Books in Raytown, Mo., will close its bricks-and-mortar store on September 26, the Kansas City Star reported.

"After much consideration and deliberation, we at Trailhead have decided it is time to close our storefront," the owners wrote in an announcement. "There are many reasons for this, personal and professional, and we feel it's the best decision for our family and lives right now.

"We will never be able to express what it has meant to be a part of this community in this way. We've met amazing people, had invaluable experiences, and learned new lessons along the way."

After the storefront at 10009 E. 63rd St. closes, Trailhead Books will continue to sell books online while also making pop-up appearances at markets, fairs, and other events. One of its first such stops will be at the Boozy Book Fest in Kansas City, scheduled for October 3. 

Trailhead Books opened two years ago in Raytown. It carries general-interest titles for all ages and hosts book clubs and other events. All books and merchandise will be discounted through September 26.

"We want to thank each one of you who have been a part of this journey, as customers, patrons, vendors, authors, and friends," the farewell announcement read. "We could never have done this without you and you've made it all worthwhile."

Terry Denton, the Australian illustrator and author best known for his work on the Treehouse series with writer Andy Griffiths, died September 21. He was 76. The Guardian reported that Denton was the author and illustrator of more than 30 of his own books, including the Gasp! series, which was adapted for the screen. He also collaborated with several other writers, including Mem Fox, Paul Jennings, and Gillian Rubinstein.

Terry Denton

Griffiths, a longtime friend and collaborator with Denton, said: "Working--and playing--with Terry over three decades has been an incredible honor and a pure delight. I've never laughed so hard as I did when working with him, whether in the writing room or on stage. He was a true clown and much beloved--both in real life and as a character in the Treehouse series. Jill and I will miss him greatly."

"Terry Denton is an icon of children's books, known across the country as prodigiously talented, truly delightful, and very funny," said Claire Craig, deputy publishing director, Pan Macmillan Australia, adding that everyone at the publisher "loved working with Terry, marveling at his extraordinary imagination and joyful humor. Terry's books will keep making kids laugh and laugh, and turn the pages with glee for so many years to come."

Macmillan Children's Books published Denton's Terry Denton's Really Truly Amazing Guide to Everything, The Bumper Book of Silly Stuff to Do, and The Bumper Book of Holiday Stuff to Do, the Bookseller noted.

Associate publisher Gaby Morgan recalled: "We began publishing Terry's wonderful collaborations with Andy Griffiths in 2010. The brilliantly funny text and equally funny illustrations of the Help! and Just! series were immediately popular with kids, but it was the Treehouse series--13 books of 13 stories each--that truly took off. These very funny stories, brought to life by Terry's imaginative, endlessly detailed and entertaining artwork, became the launchpad for countless children's reading, writing and drawing journeys." The series is available in 35 languages in translation and has sold more than 13 million copies in English around the world.

Alison Ruane, managing director at Macmillan Children's Books, added: "For a generation of children--of every reading ability--a Treehouse book was often where a reading habit began. Parents loved them just as much as their kids did, and a new Treehouse book was one of the biggest, most eagerly awaited moments in children's publishing each year. Terry's artwork brought something all its own to that success: brilliantly detailed, clever, funny and often quietly informative, rewarding readers who came back to pore over every page again and again. Our thoughts are with Terry's family at this incredibly sad time."

Griffiths told ABC News: "I'm incredibly grateful for his legacy, that we were able to get so much out to the children of Australia and the world.... We were quite different in many ways. It's that difference that makes a creative partnership work... it was a match made in heaven.... He had a complete lack of ego. In the books, we were mad at each other all the time, but in real life, it was a very harmonious relationship. We would supercharge each other. I would create a structure and he'd come in and throw a spanner in the works."

Denton won several major awards across his career, including the Children's Book Council of Australia Picture Book of the Year Award in 1986 for Felix and Alexander.

Book Soup in West Hollywood, Calif., hosted a sold-out appearance by author, poet, and filmmaker Alexis Krasilovsky (left), who joined performance artist and speculative fiction writer Yves Gore (right) for a conversation celebrating the release of Krasilovsky's novel Portrait of an Artist as a Young Woman (City Point Press). (photo: Frank Fu)

Katy Budget Books in Katy, Tex., shared a photo of the bookstore's staff "having a great time celebrating 40 years of the Baby-Sitters Club book series! Who is your favorite BSC character?"

"POV: Convincing you the book you've never heard of is great." Rainy Day Books in Fairway, Kan., shared a handselling video, noting: "I'm engaging with you as a human being. Sometimes all it takes is a little convincing and you might just find your next favorite book!"

IPG has added five publishers to its sales and distribution programs:

The Pentecostal Resources Group, which since 1945 has been the major publisher of Oneness Pentecostal resources, including books, Bibles, curriculum and church supplies to help churches spread the gospel to the world.

Goose Lane Editions, which specializes in the publication of original works of fiction and poetry; nonfiction on such topics as history, biography, politics and current affairs, travel, nature and the environment; and informative art books on the work of historical and contemporary artists, with a particular emphasis on Canadian art. Founded in 1954, Goose Lane Editions showcases home-grown Canadian literary talent.

D6 Family Ministry, which is rooted in Deuteronomy 6:5-7 and offers conferences, curriculum, books, and more that help weave biblical principles into daily living for Christ-centered homes and communities.

Storyteller's Forge, a roleplaying game design studio that focuses on crafting compelling narratives--with a creator-focused spotlight. It offers full campaigns, storylines, and worlds adaptable for any storyteller's home world in evocative and immersive ways.

Doran Press, the trade imprint of the Freiling Agency, which publishes 15-20 business, leadership, self-help, and fiction titles a year by authors with national platforms and the media reach to support them. The imprint takes its name from George H. Doran, who founded his New York house in 1908 and built it into one of the country's great publishers, which eventually merged with Doubleday.

Mother Dearest: A Novel by Clare Bird (Minotaur).

Tomorrow:
Good Morning America: Carleigh Bodrug, author of PlantYou Quickies: 140+ Nourishing Plant-Based Recipes for Busy People (Balance, $35, 9780306837517).

Drew Barrymore Show: Taylor Tomlinson, author of Actually, Nevermind: Essays (Gallery, $32, 9781668097236).

AMC+ has picked up the series Smilla's Sense of Snow, based on Peter Høeg's bestselling 1992 novel. Deadline reported that Amma Asante and Clive Bradley (Trapped) are behind the series adaptation. The book also inspired a 1997 movie adaptation, starring Julia Ormond and directed by Bille August.

Directed by BAFTA winner Asante (The Handmaid's Tale), the new project stars Filippa Coster-Waldau, Elyas M'Barek, and Henry Lloyd-Hughes. The cast also includes Amanda Collin, Morten Suurballe, Silver Wolfe, Set Sjöstrand, and Alexandre Willaume.

The series is set in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2040, where a surveillance state is under threat from an impending energy crisis. From the synopsis: "Smilla is alone and leads a withdrawn life until she meets a young Inuit boy who finds a way to her heart. When the boy suddenly dies in mysterious circumstances, Smilla's search for answers leads her to Greenland and to the center of dangerous political power games."

The six-title shortlist has been released for the 2026 Booker Prize for Fiction. The winner, who will be named on November 9 in London, receives £50,000 (about $66,720). Each of the finalists gets £2,500 (about $3,336). This year's shortlisted titles are:

The End of Everything by M. John Harrison
The Disappearers by Marlon James 
Black Bag by Luke Kennard
May We Feed the King by Rebecca Perry
The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout
John of John by Douglas Stuart

Chair of judges Mary Beard said the finalists "range from the hilarious to the discomfiting, from the frighteningly strange to the alarmingly domestic, from the powerfully shocking to the intriguingly understated. In them, we meet characters from different countries and different centuries, created by authors 40 years apart, new talent and well-known favorites.

"This is writing at its best. There's plenty to enjoy, some blissful escapism and prose to die for ('I just wish I could have written that' kept going through my mind). But there is also plenty here to change the way we see the world, to surprise us and to challenge our certainties."

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Winners have been chosen for the 2026 Wainwright Prize, celebrating nature and the environment, nurturing respect for the planet, and informing readers of the threats that the earth currently faces. Jackie Morris & Robert Macfarlane's The Book of Birds won the Wainwright Prize Book of the Year, with Thomas Halliday and Gavin Scott taking the Children's Wainwright Prize Book of the Year for Otherlands: An Illustrated Journey Through Earth's Lost Worlds. The 2026 Wainwright Prize category winners are:

Nature Writing: Ancient: Reviving the Woods that Made Britain by Luke Barley
Conservation Writing: The Savage Landscape by Cal Flyn 
Illustrative Books: The Book of Birds by Jackie Morris & Robert Macfarlane
Children's Fiction: The Danger of Small Things by Caryl Lewis 
Children's Nonfiction: Otherlands: An Illustrated Journey Through Earth's Lost Worlds by Thomas Halliday, illustrated by Gavin Scott
Children's Picture Books: The Great Bear by Annie Booker 

The two overall winning books received £2,500 (about $3,330), with the picture book award jointly shared by author and illustrator. Category winners were each awarded £500 (about $666) per book.

The Wainwright Prize director Alastair Giles said: "Warmest congratulations to all our longlisted, shortlisted, and winning authors and illustrators. This year's entries once again show just how vital and vibrant nature and conservation writing has become, not only as a form of creative expression, but as a force for change. As environmental and social challenges grow ever more urgent, it's inspiring to see writers using their voices to deepen our connection with the natural world. The Wainwright Prize continues to champion those who remind us that storytelling can be a powerful step towards awareness, action, and ultimately, hope."

Linda Kass {photo: Lorn Spolter)

Linda Kass is the founder and owner of Gramercy Books, the independent bookstore in Bexley, Ohio. She began her career as a magazine journalist and correspondent for regional and national publications. She is the author of three previous works of historical fiction: Tasa's Song, A Ritchie Boy, and Bessie. A longtime civic leader, Kass lives in the Columbus area with her husband, Frank. Her new novel is World News from Waverley High (She Writes Press, September 8, 2026), set during one school year when the U.S. was on the brink of change in the 1960s and narrated through the eyes of an unforgettable girl.

Handsell readers your book:

In this late 1960s coming-of-age story, classmates in World News from Waverley High navigate school hallways with idealism and hope against a backdrop of national unrest.

On your nightstand now:

Colson Whitehead's Cool Machine. It concludes one of the richest portraits of New York--his entertaining trilogy of novels that opened in the late 1950s with Harlem Shuffle. This third volume portrays 1980s New York during the exact years I lived in the city so I'm particularly excited to dig in. Whitehead's versatility as a writer is unmatched. From a noir detective story to an autofictional coming-of-age tale, from a zombie apocalypse novel to profound literary historical fiction based on true events, Whitehead's voice remains distinctive and his prose is consistently precise, assured, and pitch-perfect. I have another dozen books piled on my nightstand. I'm a bookseller, after all.

Favorite book when you were a child:

It is a tie between Charlotte's Web and The Velveteen Rabbit. The former, by E.B. White, reveals the power of friendship and family, the inevitability of mortality, and the transformative impact one individual can have on many; the latter, by Margery Williams Bianco, taught me about values, about the real meaning of beauty, that old is lovable, and that who you become takes a long time.

Your top five authors:

There are so many extraordinary authors, and I'd never be able to narrow my favorites to five if I went back in time or included those writers of my favorite short stories, like James Baldwin ("Sonny's Blues"), Bernard Malamud ("The Magic Barrel"), and Tobias Wolff ("Bullet in the Brain"). But the contemporary novelists whose new books I will read every time they are released are Jennifer Egan, Kazuo Ishiguro, Ann Patchett, Elizabeth Strout, and Colson Whitehead. I'd love to also include Michael Connelly, Barbara Kingsolver, and Amor Towles. As a bookseller, I read and admire so many writers working in a wide range of genres!

Book you've faked reading:

I haven't faked reading any books, but there are some classics, like Homer's The Odyssey and George Eliot's Middlemarch, that I know I should have read.

Book you're an evangelist for:

I suppose many folks who know me, especially those who study my "favorites" tower at my indie bookstore, Gramercy Books, know that I adore The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa (translated by Stephen Snyder); Never Let Me Go and The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro; A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan; The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead; A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara; and Bel Canto by Ann Patchett.

All these books are surprising in their ability to draw me into worlds far from my own. All remain vivid in my memory. Over the past year, I have been an evangelist for a less widely known novel, Life, and Death, and Giants by Ron Rindo, having learned about it thanks to friend and Minnesota book ambassador Pamela Klinger-Horn. The story has emotional depth and masterful character development, and it offers a respectful and authentic portrayal of Amish culture, including a thoughtful treatment of difficult topics like shunning. The novel brings out the conflict between community and individual liberty, and between humility and the quest for fame and fortune, which ultimately become central themes of the story, one that explores faith, family, love, and personal growth in an authentic and nuanced way. The novel is an elegant testament to how an entire community is touched and transformed by the open heart and generosity of one kind, gentle, remarkable human being.

Book you've bought for the cover:

I've never bought a book for the cover. I explore the inside flap and the back cover, and I try to read the first few pages before I buy a book by an author with whom I'm not familiar. I realize many people do gravitate to covers, which is why I was so thrilled to have such a bright green background that pops out for my upcoming novel, World News from Waverley High.

Book you hid from your parents:

Maybe I was a nerd about reading, but I never read a book that I had to hide from my parents.

Book that changed your life:

So many books that I read expand my ability to see humanity and to see myself. There isn't one book that altered me. It has been an additive experience over many decades of reading.

Favorite line from a book:

I have this paragraph from The Velveteen Rabbit sitting across from me at my desk:

"He said, 'You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand.' "

Five books you'll never part with:

That goes along with those books I'm an evangelist for.

Book you most want to read again for the first time:

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. It's one of those rare novels built entirely around the slow reveal, and I recall my emotional realization of piecing together what Hailsham actually is, and why Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy exist.

A connecting thread to the books you write:

I write human-centered stories--especially those that connect my personal experiences to broader moments in history. I'm drawn to resilience, social consciousness, identity, and the tension between individual lives and sweeping social change.

Poet Max Fischer's devastating and divine YA debut novel-in-verse, The Unpoetic Life of August Grey, follows a transgender teen grieving the death of his friend and trying to find the determination to declare his identity.

Every summer since his parents' divorce, August leaves his mom in Nebraska and visits his dad and stepbrother in New York City. When August was 10, he met Waylon Halloway at the beach off Brooklyn's Pier 3. The two shared a love of writing, and Waylon became August's best friend and crush. At 15, August realized he's trans; a year later, Waylon drowned in the East River. "Three minutes," August thinks. "That's how long you can survive/ underwater before going/ unconscious." Now 17, August has been accepted into his and Waylon's dream writing workshop. He's trepidatious about returning to New York but envisions this summer as a self-imposed, figurative "third minute": it's his "last chance--/ to relearn how to/ breathe" and speak out before his past drowns him, too.

The Unpoetic Life of August Grey is told through August's direct, passionate perspective. August feels isolated in his ongoing struggle to live authentically; his father insists on calling him by his "birth name," which is consistently redacted in the text, and he is haunted by how negatively Waylon responded to his hints about his trans identity. When August opens up in the same way to his only remaining friend, Levi, he hangs up before Levi can respond. Then Levi unexpectedly arrives in the city, and the boys embrace a tender budding romance while Levi helps August find the courage to "break the water's surface."

Fischer creatively plays with form and format. For example, one poem is titled "Waylon Refused to Write in Any Form Except for Couplets," and any time August thinks of Waylon, his narration takes that form. Later, August realizes he doesn't know "how to exist in/ words when" all he's ever done is "erase" himself from them. Afterward, his text swells across the page until the last poem fills its width. Fischer uses water as an inventive and multifaceted metaphor: puddles reflect August's duality, and being underwater blocks out pain but prevents forward momentum.

This essential read carefully unfurls fierce truths for many queer and trans teens, including heartbreak, body politics, and the desire to be truly seen by loved ones. --Kieran Slattery, freelance reviewer, teacher

Shelf Talker: This bittersweet, queer YA novel-in-verse follows a transgender teen poet grieving the death of his best friend and trying to write his true self into existence.