Josh Niesse and Megan Bell with new owner Anna Anabseh Clark.

Josh Niesse and Megan Bell are selling Underground Books in Carrollton, Ga., to longtime store manager Anna Anabseh Clark. Clark will assume ownership of the store in July and will change the bookstore's name to the Underground Bookshop.

"We're proud of what we've built with Underground Books and deeply grateful to the community that has supported us every stop of the way," said Niesse and Bell, who founded the bookstore in 2011. "Passing the torch to Anna feels not only right, but exciting--we know she will honor the spirit of the bookstore while bringing new energy and ideas."

Clark, who is Palestinian American and is a graduate of the University of West Georgia, was the store's first salaried manager. She remarked: "I've found a home at Underground. To be entrusted with its future is an incredible honor. I'm excited to deepen its roots in the community and carry forward its spirit of curiosity, inclusion, and literary magic."

Bell and Niesse will continue to operate Underground Books.net, their rare and antiquarian business, as well as Hills & Hamlets Bookshop, which they opened in 2016 in Serenbe, a planned community in Chattahoochee Hills, Ga. They are in discussions about a leadership change and "independent future" for that store as well.

The bookstore will celebrate the ownership transition with a special event on Saturday, July 5.

Howling Basset Books hosted a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony last weekend in its new location at 45 N Main St., Lambertville, N.J., as part of the inaugural New Jersey Bookstore Crawl. Co-owners Lisa Lynch and Zohar Kfir recently moved their business from Oldwick, where it first opened in 2022.  

After the celebration, the owners posted on Instagram: "That's a wrap! Wow. It was amazing to meet so many book lovers, nj crawlers and all of the community members who celebrated with us the love of books and our grand opening! Thank you @njbookstorecrawl @jerseycollective for initiating such an awesome state-wide weekend event! And for @lambertvillecc for hosting our ribbon cutting ceremony--this weekend had been the best launch pad for our new Lambertville location!"

The owners noted that in addition to the move, they have changed their mission statement, which now reads: "Howling Basset Books is an independent bookstore with an extensive selection of literary fiction; adult genre fiction (romance, mystery, fantasy and sci-fi); biographies and memoirs; cookbooks; children's books and more. We are women and LGBTQ owned, and our mission is activist and community-focused.  

"We host many community events such as author readings, book clubs and workshops, and we try to be a space for community-building and a place where underserved communities can feel recognized."

The Greater Lambertville Chamber of Commerce posted on Instagram: "Big welcome to @howlingbassetbooks--now open in Lambertville! This independent, women-owned bookstore is such a special addition to our community, and we couldn’t be more excited. Stop in, grab a new favorite read, and say hello to their adorable shop mascot, Fern the basset hound--quite possibly the cutest greeter in town!"

Henry's Books in Spearfish, S.Dak., is expanding into an adjacent space, the Black Hills Pioneer reported.

The all-ages, general-interest bookstore debuted a year ago, selling all new titles. Now it is taking over a space that previously housed a jewelry store and adding gently used titles to its inventory. The new space will also serve as a community room for events.

Co-owner Elizabeth Mattison explained that customers' interest in local history books partly inspired the addition of used titles. "Specifically, we have people asking for really hard-to-find local history books," Mattison told the Pioneer. "I know people have them in nooks and crannies in their houses. Most of the time they're out of print, so we are specifically looking for that. We would be happy to take a look at anything anybody has."

Initially, the store will accept only donations of used books, Mattison added, but "we are going to get a more sophisticated system down the road."

Elizabeth Mattison and her husband, Dylan Mattison, named the bookstore after their son and opened it with the help of community funding. The store has a focus on community and diversity.

Gwendolyn Henderson, who "touched many lives over her 60 years as a teacher, community activist, public official, bookstore owner and champion for Black culture," died on June 10, WUSF reported. She was 60. In 2023, Henderson opened Black English bookstore at 401 E. Oak Ave. in Tampa, Fla.

Gwen Henderson

"Gwen's sudden passing is a shocking and devastating loss for the Tampa Bay book community and the independent bookstore community at large," said Alsace Walentine, co-owner of Tampa's Tombolo Books. "Black English is a thriving new bookstore that was immediately embraced by readers and authors. Gwen lovingly curated the store and made every square inch beautiful, interesting and focused on Black excellence. I loved visiting her thoughtfully designed shop.

"Gwen and her daughter Ariel had just attended their first ABA Winter Institute this past year. I hope the bookselling community can come together to help Ariel continue her and her mother's work."

A teacher for 23 years, the West Tampa native was voted onto the Tampa City Council in 2023. In a tribute to her, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and City Council Chairman Alan Clendenin said, in part: "Councilwoman Henderson was a powerhouse in our community--she was a teacher, business owner, and champion for African-American culture and Tampa's history. Her sense of humor energized our city and her loss leaves a deep void for all of us. Councilwoman Henderson brought passion, empathy, and deep community knowledge to her role." 

Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw praised Henderson as a leader with "strength, dignity and unwavering respect. Her passing is a somber reminder that legacy is not just defined by what we accomplish in our time here, but by the impact we make in the lives of others."

Councilman Luis Viera posted on social media: "My heart goes out to the family of my late friend Gwen Henderson.... I tell people that if you wanted to see Gwen's heart, you should visit Black English Bookstore in Tampa Heights. It was a bookstore about her family and families like her--black families and names in Tampa, in Florida and throughout our country.  Names we know and names we will never know. It was a bookstore on pride in Black History--and pride in where she came from. It was a love letter to her family and to Black Tampa and our history--both painful and triumphant. Her values, life and journey were intertwined with the values, life and journey of Black Tampenos. That bookstore was a love letter to the beauty of Black History in our country and city--and a challenge to the pain. I would go there and always saw moms and dads--mostly African-American--bring their young kids to meet Gwen and see the bookstore and pick up a book on MLK or Medgar Evers or Emmett Till or Fannie Lou Hamer."  

Anderson majored in education at Florida A&M University, then earned a master's degree in education and an education specialist degree at Saint Leo University. She recalled that a favorite teacher at Jefferson High School, her alma mater and the school where she taught for two decades, inspired her to become an educator.

While teaching a class on entrepreneurship, she created a plan to start an online store that sold books reflecting African American culture and history. "Two years later--a few months after winning the council seat--she passed a building for lease that soon became the home of Black English, a bookstore she opened with her daughter, Ariel, a Howard University graduate," WUSF wrote.

Henderson "often referred to the books in her shop as 'emancipated,' adding that there is not a 'banned' section at Black English because all the books are free. Work from non-Black authors isn't segregated either," the Tampa Bay Times reported. 

"They get to come to the cookout. They mixed in with us. They don't get a special table, a section, they are in here," Henderson had said in a video about Black English.

Councilman Viera observed: "I really will miss this lady a lot. She was hilarious--even whenever she got mad at you (and she got mad at me occasionally because of a vote or two...) she was hilarious. If she liked you, you would know and she would let you know what was happening with her. And if she did not like you, you would know it. She let you know where she stood. I could tell you stories about her that will crack me up till my last day. She was hilarious, authentic and passionate. I will miss her a lot. And I am one of many."

Posted on Instagram by Little Shop of Stories, Decatur, Ga.: "It's a Little Shop proposal! Sydney and Vaughn, we were overjoyed to be a part of your special day. Wishing you the very best in this next chapter."

Juli Kiyan has been promoted to deputy publicity director at Penguin Press.

---

Hannah Poole has been promoted to publicist at Dutton.

Writers of the Future, Volume 41 (Galaxy Books).

Book TV airs on C-Span 2 this weekend from 8 a.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Monday and focuses on political and historical books as well as the book industry. The following are highlights for this coming weekend. For more information, go to Book TV's website.

Saturday, June 14
3:05 p.m. Frank W. Garmon Jr., author of A Wonderful Career in Crime: Charles Cowlam’s Masquerades in the Civil War Era and Gilded Age (‎LSU Press, $45, 9780807182161).

4:30 p.m. Joyce E. Chaplin, author of The Franklin Stove: An Unintended American Revolution (‎Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $32, 9780374613808), at Harvard Book Store in Cambridge, Mass.

5:30 p.m. Bennett Parten, author of Somewhere Toward Freedom: Sherman's March and the Story of America's Largest Emancipation (Simon & Schuster, $29.99, 9781668034682).

Sunday, June 15
8 a.m. Montel Williams, author of The Sailing of the Intrepid: The Incredible Wartime Voyage of the Navy's Iconic Aircraft Carrier (Hanover Square Press, $30, 9781335081032). (Re-airs Sunday at 8 p.m.)

12:45 p.m. Edna Bonhomme, author of A History of the World in Six Plagues: How Contagion, Class, and Captivity Shaped Us, from Cholera to COVID-19 (‎Atria/One Signal, $29.99, 9781982197834).

1:45 p.m. Mike Tidwell, author of The Lost Trees of Willow Avenue: A Story of Climate and Hope on One American Street (St. Martin's Press, $29, 9781250362261).

4:25 p.m. Rachel Frazin, co-author of Poisoning the Well: How Forever Chemicals Contaminated America (‎Island Press, $32, 9781642833324), at Politics and Prose in Washington, D.C.

6:05 p.m. Jocelyn Benson, author of The Purposeful Warrior: Standing Up for What's Right When the Stakes Are High (The Open Field, $30, 9780593994207).

7 p.m. Edward Tenner, author of Why the Hindenburg Had a Smoking Lounge: Essays in Unintended Consequences (‎ The American Philosophical Society Press, $34.95, 9781606180273).

Winners of the 2025 Doug Wright Awards, which celebrate excellence in the field of Canadian comics, have been named. Winners in each category receive a small cash prize, and the winner of the Nipper also receives a week-long retreat at the Valleyview Artist Retreat, in Caledon, Ont. This year's winners are:

Best book: I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together by Maurice Vellekoop 
Emerging talent (the Nipper): The Jellyfish by Boum, translated by Robin Lang and Helge Dascher
Small or micro-press book (the Pigskin Peters): Customer Service by Patrick Allaby 
Kids' book (the Egghead): Lost at Windy River: A True Story of Survival by Trina Rathgeber, Alina Pete, & Jillian Dolan

In addition, Richard Comely and Lou Skuce were inducted into the Canadian Cartoonist Hall of Fame.

Selected new titles appearing next Tuesday, June 17:

Toni at Random: The Iconic Writer's Legendary Editorship by Dana A. Williams (Amistad, $29.99, 9780063011977) chronicles Toni Morrison's work as an editor.

Fox: A Novel by Joyce Carol Oates (Hogarth, $32, 9780593978085) revolves around the disappearance of a mysterious English teacher at an elite boarding school.

Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman (Morrow, $30, 9780062998101) is a mystery set on a Parisian river cruise.

Bug Hollow: A Novel by Michelle Huneven (Penguin Press, $29, 9780593834879) follows a Northern California family in the decades after a son's death.

How to Dodge a Cannonball: A Novel by Dennard Dayle (Holt, $28.99, 9781250345677) is satire about the misadventures of a Civil War soldier.

The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau: A Novel by Kristin Harmel (Gallery Books, $28.99, 9781982191733) follows a jewel thief seeking answers about her family's deaths during World War II.

The Blood Phoenix by Amber Chen (Viking, $20.99, 9780593622780) is the sequel to the YA fantasy novel Of Jade and Dragons.

The Tournament by Rebecca Barrow (McElderry, $21.99, 9781665932301) features three young women competing in their boarding school's annual--and cutthroat--tournament.

Hit Girls: Britney, Taylor, Beyoncé, and the Women Who Built Pop's Shiniest Decade by Nora Princiotti (Ballantine, $28, 9780593725085) looks at female pop stars in the early 2000s.

Human Nature: Nine Ways to Feel About Our Changing Planet by Kate Marvel (Ecco, $30, 9780063241534) is a scientist's exploration of climate change through nine emotions.

Loud and Clear: The Grateful Dead's Wall of Sound and the Quest for Audio Perfection by Brian Anderson (St. Martin's Press, $32, 9781250319678) tracks a legendarily large speaker system used by the Dead in 1974.

Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet by John G. Turner (Yale University Press, $35, 9780300255164) is a biography of the founder of Mormonism.

Paperbacks:
A Far Better Thing by H.G. Parry (Tor, $18.99, 9781250334183).

Someone Knows: A Novel by Vi Keeland (Atria/Emily Bestler, $16.99, 9781668047491).

The Rushworth Family Plot by Claudia Gray (Vintage, $18, 9780593686607).

Before Dorothy by Hazel Gaynor (Berkley, $19, 9780593440339).

The Iron Dreamers by Ashley Christine (Mango, $19.99, 9781684817382).

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

Hardcover
Aftertaste: A Novel by Daria Lavelle (Simon & Schuster, $28.99, 9781668061596). "A captivating and innovative debut novel that seamlessly blends food writing with the supernatural. A deliciously unique and deeply poignant narrative interwoven with themes of grief, healing, and letting go." --Kyra Tatlow, Book Love, Plymouth, Mass.

State Champ by Hilary Plum (Bloomsbury, $26.99, 9781639735433). "When a doctor at a women's health clinic is arrested for providing abortions post-Dobbs, Angela, the receptionist, goes on hunger strike in an attempt to free her. The angry, darkly funny prose hits like shards of shattered glass." --Grace Harper, Mac's Backs, Cleveland Heights, Ohio

Paperback
Left of Forever: A Novel (Spunes #2) by Tarah DeWitt (St. Martin's Griffin, $18, 9781250329448). "Left of Forever is a wonderful second-chance romance about two people finally finding their way back to each other as they road trip up the western coast. If you love to yearn, you will love this." --Kaylie Padgett, Women & Children First, Chicago, Ill.

Ages 4-8
Here Is a Book: A Picture Book by Elisha Cooper (Abrams Books for Young Readers, $18.99, 9781419766756). "So very sweet. I like the cyclical story, starting with an artist and ending with an artist, and it was fun to journey with the book as it was made. The illustrations are gorgeous!" --Thea Lamarre Anderson, LaLa Books, Lowell, Mass.

Ages 8-12
Bashir Boutros and the Jewel of the Nile by George Jreije (HarperCollins, $19.99, 9780063382244). "This little gem of a book is sprinkled with adventure and delights, and reminders that in the midst of the distractions of our everyday personal struggles, we can still make choices that help change the world around us in powerful, positive ways. Hooray for Bashir!" --Michelle Souliere, The Green Hand Bookshop, Portland, Maine

Teen Readers: An Indies Introduce Title
All the Noise at Once by DeAndra Davis (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, $19.99, 9781665952651). "All the Noise at Once is a captivating read about Aiden, a Black, autistic teen, his love of football, his struggle with identity, and his fight against injustice after a jarring experience with the police. I was cheering Aiden on to the very end." --Kalli King, Rediscovered Books, Boise, Idaho

[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]

In Elaine Castillo's second novel, Moderation, a moderator for a social media site thrives in the psychologically challenging role precisely because she has closed herself off to emotion and romance--until she meets her new boss on a virtual reality project.

Thirtysomething Filipinx American "Girlie Delmundo" (the pseudonym she chose) is a top-performing moderator at Reeden's Las Vegas office, reviewing and removing distressing violent and sexually explicit content all day long. That Girlie is the sole "Subject Matter Specialist" on child sexual abuse indicates how tough she is--but also that she has personal experience of victimization. ("Girlie had known since she was seven what it looked like when she turned a man on.") In addition, her father died by suicide when she was a child. As the family's eldest daughter, she feels financially responsible for her mother, a nurse, and the five other relatives who live with them. When she's offered a promotion to Playground, a VR theme park project acquired by Reeden, she can't pass up the astronomical pay rise.

Playground specializes in re-creating historical spectacles, like the Roman gladiators and the St. Louis World's Fair. The real-time VR moderator job involves suppressing violence, racism, and sexual harassment. The challenge is nothing Girlie can't handle. But what does bother her is her growing attraction to Playground boss William Cheung, who's from Hong Kong via London. Girlie, a "battle-hardened bisexual," hasn't dated in a long time. Castillo (America Is Not the Heart) unfolds this relationship slowly and convincingly. It takes time for Girlie to realize that her multiple "interviews" with William resemble dates, that he's good-looking, and that he's drawn to her. Her deadpan reactions, conveyed in close third person, are amusing: "So Cupid's arrow had come for her. Fine." Her only choice, she thinks, is to extract it. He's her boss, after all.

Girlie is as cynical about trauma as about romance; she refuses to be perceived as damaged. It's a huge step when she agrees to VR "immersive therapy" sessions, where she walks in a redwood forest and learns to swim. Castillo renders all the VR spaces effectively, but it's even more delightful to be in her real world of mostly queer people of color--Girlie's cousin's birthday party is a hoot.

A winning combination of cutting-edge technology and old-fashioned romance, this is perfect for fans of The Ministry of Time and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. --Rebecca Foster, freelance reviewer, proofreader, and blogger at Bookish Beck

Shelf Talker: Elaine Castillo updates old-fashioned romance for the social media and virtual reality age; think Jane Austen meets Ready Player One with queer characters of color.

As he spoke he released a hook somewhere, and raised the whole side of his wagon like a flap. Some kind of catch clicked, the flap remained up like a roof, displaying nothing but books--rows and rows of them. The flank of his van was nothing but a big bookcase. Shelves stood above shelves, all of them full of books--both old and new. 

--from Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley (1917)

What better time than late spring and summer to hit the road, especially if you're in a mobile bookshop. Shelf Awareness often tracks the launch of bookmobiles, including, quite recently, Between the Covers Co. in Asbury Park, N.J., and Reading Between the Lanes in Williston, N.Dak. As summer season heats up, I've noticed that bookish traffic flow is increasing at an impressive pace. 

Smitten Booktique, a romance book-themed trailer, "is now rolling around the metro" Kansas City area, the Star reported. Owners Kara and Damien Bowersock, who had been quietly testing their concept since last September, officially launched in May.

They have converted a 20-foot long, 160-square-foot cargo trailer "into a bookshop: tearing down the walls, replacing the roof, installing windows and shelves," the Star noted. "Today, it's a cozy space with light blue walls--and some hot pink accents for added spice. The outside is built to look like a storefront, with wreaths on the outside, a welcome mat, even a lawn chair."

Smitten Booktique features 500 to 600 titles. "Kara tries to stay really in touch with the community as far as romance books," Damien Bowersock noted. "Half of the content is like a Barnes & Noble, and the other half is something you wouldn't find... a little more niche to the romance community."

There will also be romance on the road later this month in Germantown, Md., where L'Amour en Route, a "pink, heart-adorned cart" from online bookseller Romantique Books, specializes in bringing curated romance novels and bookish gifts directly to readers at markets, pop-ups, and community events. Founder Jeanette Thompson described the project as "a love letter on wheels," designed to make romance literature more accessible and fun. 

Wandering Quills Bookshop, "a dreamy bookstore on wheels" owned by Anne Hampton and Kristen Quanrud in Columbus, Ohio, "will be coming to a brewery or event near you this summer," [614] Now reported, adding that the bookshop "was originally a 16 foot utility trailer that has been fully renovated and turned into a fully stocked bookstore, complete with whimsical woodland decor and a full selection of books for every type of reader. On the outside is their logo, an adorable hedgehog taking a stroll."

The owners said Wandering Quills Bookshop "believes diverse voices matter and stories hold the power to ignite social change--one page, one book, and one community at a time." 

Gladys, a 1963 lime-green Ford Econoline truck also known as the Kinetic Bookshop, is getting ready to roll out from Belmont, Maine. Mainebiz reported that owner Jill Conner works part-time at the Camden Public Library, and with her new business aims to raise funds for local libraries. 

"That's always been the goal, but that's become more pertinent with funding cuts to the Institute of Museum and Library Science," she said. "We're hoping this can be an avenue to provide a little extra support for the libraries in midcoast Maine." The plan is to make the rounds on the midcoast this summer, but no more than 25 to 35 miles from where Conner lives in Belmont, "since Gladys can't pip around super-fast," MaineBiz noted. 

Three teachers in Santa Barbara, Calif., are turning their dream Into "a charming, genre-bending refresh--on wheels" with All Booked Up, "a roaming love letter to literature, community, and the magic of possibility," edhat reported. 

"As teachers, we were always exchanging book recommendations," they said. "It became clear that we didn't just love reading--we loved connecting people to stories.... We gravitate toward books that offer escape, empowerment, and emotional depth. Romance is all about emotional connection and hope. Fantasy lets us imagine entire new worlds. Both genres give readers a break from the ordinary--and the courage to dream bigger."

Operating a bookstore inside "Taylor" the trailer comes with its share of logistical hurdles, including parking, towing, storage, and weather. "Taylor lives in a storage unit with about a foot of clearance on each side. Let's just say we've become expert drivers by necessity," they said. "Things don't always go as planned. But we've learned to laugh through the mishaps and focus on what matters most: creating moments of connection."

Pages of Ink, located in Deja Bleu House of Coffee, Alexandria, Minn., "is taking its business to the streets--literally," Echo Press reported. Owner Angelica Garcia has acquired a trailer that will allow the shop to go mobile. "This will be the first official summer that I'm out and about with the trailer, as well as my space here," she said. "It's super-fun. My uncle from out of town helped me get in contact with a couple who built the trailer for me. It's super cute."

That's the latest mobile bookstore traffic report. Stay tuned for updates later this summer. 

The following were the most popular book club books during May based on votes from book club readers in more than 92,000 book clubs registered at Bookmovement.com:

1. The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon (Doubleday)
2. James: A Novel by Percival Everett (Doubleday)
3. The Wedding People: A Novel by Alison Espach (Holt)
4. The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (Riverhead)
5. Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall (Simon & Schuster)
6. The Women: A Novel by Kristin Hannah (St. Martin's Press)
7. The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali (Gallery Books)
8. The Briar Club: A Novel by Kate Quinn (Morrow)
9. The Measure by Nikki Erlick (Morrow)
10. All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker (Crown)

Rising Stars:
The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris by Evie Woods (One More Chapter)
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy (Flatiron Books)