- 2026 Feb 03
Minnesota Bookshop Changes Hands
The manager of Zenith Bookstore in West Duluth will take over the business as its new owner.
PEN/Faulkner Award Longlist
S.A. Cosby’s King of Ashes and Lily King’s Heart the Lover are among the 10 longlisted titles for this year’s PEN/Faulkner Award.
Ukrainian Awards Proceed Amid Blackout
The third edition of the Chytomo Awards, which honor the best in Ukrainian publishing, took place January 29 in Kyiv, despite frigid temperatures and a blackout resulting from Russian drone attacks.
Queer Bookstore to Expand in S.C.
Queer Haven Books in Columbia is slated to move to a bigger location.
Idaho Bookshop Also Expands
Shared Stories in Caldwell recently increased its footprint amid strong community support.
Minnesota Bookstore’s Community Mission
Garden Party Books in Rochester donated a day’s worth of earnings to rent relief for immigrant families, in support of last week’s National Shutdown strike.
Pittsburgh’s First Romance Bookshop
Passionate Pages opened in the city’s Lawrenceville neighborhood last week.
- 2026 Feb 02
From Legacy.com
Longtime children's bookseller Ellen Mager, former owner of Booktender's Secret Garden Children's Bookstore in Doylestown, Pa., died on January 28.
From the New York Times
Poet and educator X.J. Kennedy, author of two dozen books of verse for children, has died at age 96.
From CBS News
Activists Gloria Steinem and Leymah Gbowee on their new children's book and inspiring the next generation.
From NPR
The author and illustrator of the kids' book The One About the Blackbird are big Beatles fans.
From the Guardian
"People were starving for it": Mem Fox on the incredible, surprising success of Possum Magic.
From Book Riot
Romantic YA Dystopian Books That Prove Love at the End of the World Is Possible.
Maryland Bookshop Supports Refugees
The Novel Refuge in Laurel is raising funds for local refugee and immigrant services.
- 2026 Jan 30
Texas Bookstore to Bid Farewell
Ante Books in McAllen will close its doors next month due to economic uncertainty.
PEN America Literary Awards Finalists
The free speech organization has announced 50 finalists for this year’s Literary Awards, including Siddharth Kara, Yiyun Li, and Joy Williams.
N.Y. Bookstore-Bar Temporarily Shutters
Rough Draft Bar & Books in Kingston closed this week after burst pipes flooded the building.
Hans Christian Andersen Award Shortlist
The International Board on Books for Young People has announced the award’s shortlisted authors and illustrators, with winners to be revealed at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair.
Spotlight on California Bookshop
Scribble, Scrawl & Smirch Books opened in Gustine this past summer.
- 2026 Jan 29
Audie Award Finalists
The Audio Publishers Association has announced the finalists for its annual prizes across 28 categories, including Audiobook of the Year.
Omaha Bookshop Deals with Construction
The reconstruction of a nearby bridge has caused foot traffic to decline at the family-owned Next Chapter Books and Gifts.
New Canadian Award to Recognize Editors
Former Greystone Books associate publisher Nancy Flight has teamed with the Writers’ Trust of Canada to launch a $25,000 prize for nonfiction editing, endowed by Flight.
Oregon Bookstore Gets Historic
Heppner’s Flood Town Books has teamed with antiques store One Suitcase to open a joint storefront.
Georgia’s ‘Purrfect’ Bookstore
Second Thoughts Bookstore in Tifton has partnered with a local animal shelter to introduce its readers to adoptable cats.
- 2026 Jan 28
From PEN America
Authors and Illustrators Are Paying a Steep Price for Book Bans.
From Mississippi Free Press
Educator Fired for Reading I Need a New Butt! to Students Must Be Reinstated, Mississippi Court Rules.
From the New York Times
Op-Ed: Why Gen Z Doesn't Love Harry Potter.
From Deadline
Amazon MGM Developing Elise Kova’s Bestselling Fantasy Novel Dragon Cursed for Film.
From the New York Times
Broadway’s New Musicals Keep Losing Money. Except for The Outsiders.
From Nippon.com
Tarō Gomi: The Everyone Poops Author Looks Back on a Life in Picture Books.
From Literary Hub
Where Are They Now? Baby-sitters Club Edition.
From People
Super Bowl Champion Malcolm Mitchell Announces New Kids' Book My Super Duper Me.
From Book Riot
That’s Unfair!: Children’s Books About Intelligent Disobedience and Challenging Norms.
From the New York Times
Picture Books About Snow That Will Melt Your Heart.
ALA’s Carnegie Medal Winners
Megha Majumdar and Yiyun Li are the respective winners of this year’s Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction, presented by the American Library Association.
A New Bookstore in Upstate New York
MoJoe’s Book and Brew, which aims to open in Cortland later this year, will feature a taproom and retail space.
Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize Winner
Migwi Mwangi has won the annual prize for Desire Path, selected by judge Terrance Hayes. The University of Pittsburgh Press will publish the collection as part of its Pitt Poetry Series in September 2026.
- 2026 Jan 27
Florida’s Newest Bookshop
Midnight Moon Books and Boutique has landed in St. Augustine.
Eisner Hall of Fame Inductees Selected
Nineteen individuals—eight deceased comics pioneers and 11 living creators—were selected to be inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Awards Hall of Fame for 2026, per Comic-Con.
- 2026 Jan 26
Pennsylvania Bookshop Grows
The 185-year-old Otto Bookstore in Williamsport will nearly double its footprint this spring.
Michigan Feels the Love
The Next Chapter, a new romance bookstore, has opened in Clio.
South Dakota Books-A-Million to Shutter
The chain has announced that it will close its Rapid City location.
Cassandra Pelham Fulton Rises at Graphix
Cassandra Pelham Fulton, previously editorial director, has been promoted to associate publisher of Scholastic’s Graphix imprint.
SDCC Bans AI-Created Art
After coming under fire on social media, the organizers of San Diego Comic-Con changed the event’s policy to ban artworks generated by artificial intelligence, reports the Beat.
- 2026 Jan 25
MoCCA Arts Festival Set for March
The MoCCA Arts Festival will return to Manhattan for its 24th edition this March, presented by the Society of Illustrators in partnership with the School of Visual Arts and CalmerCon NYC.
Pennsylvania Bookshop Grows
The 185-year-old Otto Bookstore in Williamsport will nearly double its footprint this spring, a move that will increase the size of its comics section, per NorthcentralPA.com.
- 2026 Jan 23
Wisconsin Bookshop Vandalized
A suspect has smashed the door of Bound to Happen Books in downtown Stevens Point due to the store’s focus on political activism.
- 2026 Jan 22
Former Mississippi Mayor Gets Bookish
Former Jackson Mayor Kane Ditto plans to open a used bookstore in the city’s downtown area.
Science + Literature Selected Titles
The National Book Foundation and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation have named the three titles to be featured for the fifth year of the Science + Literature program.
Indie Bookstore Settles Down in Nevada
Moss & Midnight opened its doors in Genoa earlier this month.
Minnesota’s Comic Book Boom
Comic shops in Duluth, including Collector’s Connection, have seen a sharp rise in sales.
- 2026 Jan 21
From School Library Journal
Minnesota School Librarians Supporting Students and Peers.
From the San Antonio Current
Texas parents voice anger after school district cancels visit by Chris Barton, whose nonfiction book about the history of glitter and plastic was deemed too radical under Texas's anti-DEI law.
From WBUR
How Wimpy Kid is changing the face of Plainville, Mass.
From the Disney Insider
Flat Stanley Feature Film in the Works at Disney+.
From People
Sunrise on the Reaping Gets New Paperback Editions.
From the New York Times
Jeff Kinney's Favorite Funny Books for Young Readers.
From 100 Scope Notes
That's So Meta! 10 New Metafictional Children's Books.
California Bookstore at Risk
Planet Books in Signal Hill is facing sudden closure after its landlords decided to sell the property.
PEN/Hemingway Award Longlist
North Sun by Ethan Rutherford and Blob by Maggie Su are among the eight debut novels longlisted for this year’s PEN/Hemingway Award for Fiction.
Drue Heinz Literature Prize Winner
Patricia Grace King has won this year’s Drue Heinz Literature Prize, presented by the University of Pittsburgh Press.
- 2026 Jan 20
Hachette UK and Libraro Launch Award
The U.K.-based Libraro Prize will allow international readers to select a shortlist from submitted manuscripts.
Kentucky Bookshop Launches Magazine
Book & Bottle Shop in Hopkinsville has announced its new regional magazine, By the Glass.
Gotham Book Prize Finalists
Katie Kitamura, Keith McNally, and Andrew Ross Sorkin are among the 11 finalists for this year’s Gotham Book Prize for fiction and nonfiction set in or about New York City, presented by P&T Knitwear.
Republic of Consciousness Longlist
Ten books from small, independent presses across the U.S. and Canada have been selected for this year’s Republic of Consciousness Prize.
Outstanding International Books List
The United States Board on Books for Young People has revealed this year’s Outstanding International Books list, featuring 41 titles for children and young adults published in 2025 and originating from 24 countries.
New Bookstore Lands in Virginia
Half Full Bookstore opened in Portsmouth last month.
North Dakota Bookstore Shutters
Fergie’s Bookshops in Fargo will close its doors at the end of the month.
- 2026 Jan 16
Nebraska Bookshop in Danger of Closing
Tattered Bookstore in Grand Island may shutter due to rising costs after nearly 20 years in business.
Lim Wins Dos Passos Prize
Novelist Eugene Lim has won the 44th Dos Passos Prize for Literature, presented by Longwood University.
Idaho’s Bookstore on Wheels
Curbside Bookstore has hit the road in and around Boise.
- 2026 Jan 15
This Year’s USA Fellows
United States Artists has announced the recipients of its 2026 fellowship, including writer Sarah Aziza and essayist Mayukh Sen.
Texas Bookstore to Expand
The Menil Bookstore in Houston is undergoing renovations and plans to reopen next year.
Furthermore Opens Up Grant Cycle
After resuming its publishing grantmaking for nonfiction books last year, Furthermore is now accepting applications for its spring cycle through March 1.
Virginia Bookshop to Pop-Up
Magnolia & Main will transition from a brick-and-mortar to a mobile, pop-up model.
Canadian Booksellers to Decide
The Canadian Giller Prize has announced that its jury will consist of seven booksellers and no authors for the first time in its history.
Indie Bookshop to Shutter in N.Y.
Akimbo Books in Rochester will close after six years in business.
- 2026 Jan 14
From PEN America
'I Never Saw That Coming': Shannon Hale Couldn't Believe Her Children's Book About a Unicorn Was Tossed Off Shelves.
From Book Riot
Grab Your Popcorn: 2026 YA Adaptations Hitting Big and Small Screens.
From Print
Looking at Children's Books from Different Lenses: A Q&A with Leonard Marcus on the importance of photographic literacy.
From the Washington Post
A copy of Harry the Dirty Dog finds its way back to a Virginia library after 36 years and a world tour.
From the Associated Press
Mattel and Alex Aster team up for Barbie young adult novel, Barbie: Dreamscape.
From People
Kenan Thompson's New Picture Book, Unfunny Bunny, Has a Joke for Any Playground.
From Artnet
Meet Esphyr Slobodkina, Author of Caps for Sale, the Russian-Born Abstractionist Who Shook Mid-Century New York.
From JSTOR Daily
The Children's Book That Became The Iron Giant.
From Book Riot
Warm and Wintery: Best Cozy Picture Books for Kids.
Washington State Feels the Love
Romance bookstore Bagg Books has opened its doors in Kennewick.
Story Prize Finalists
André Alexis, Lydia Millet, and Ayşegül Savaş are the three finalists for this year’s Story Prize, which recognizes outstanding short story collections.
Jewish Book Awards Shortlists
Iddo Gefen, Julia Ioffe, and Sam Sussman are among the authors shortlisted for the Jewish Book Council’s 75th Jewish Book Awards, which span five categories.
Nero Book Award Winners
Sarah Perry and Benjamin Wood are among the winners of the U.K.-based Nero Book Awards, presented by Caffè Nero.
Indie Bookstore Settles Down in Ohio
Mobile bookshop Books A Go Go has opened a brick-and-mortar location in Ravenna.
Seattle Turns Up the Heat
The recently opened Beguiled Books offers romance titles in the city’s Pioneer Square neighborhood.
- 2026 Jan 13
MWA Announces Special Awards
Mystery Writers of America has named Donna Andrews and Lee Child as its 2026 Grand Masters, while Book Passage and John Scognamiglio have won this year’s Raven Award and Ellery Queen Award, respectively.
Mobile Bookstore Rolls Through Virginia
The Wandering Shelf has hit the road in and around Arlington.
Caine Prize Celebrates 25 Years
The Caine Prize for African Writing marked its 25th anniversary by presenting NoViolet Bulawayo’s short story ‘Hitting Budapest’ with the Best of Caine Award.
Bookstore-Bakery Sweetens Georgia
Estelle Books and Bakery opened in Wrens last summer.
California Bookshop to Shutter
Face in a Book in El Dorado Hills will close its doors after 14 years.
Nashville’s First Romance Bookstore
Slow Burn Bookshop has opened in East Nashville.
This Year’s Chicago Poet Laureate
Mayda Alexandra del Valle has been selected as the city’s second poet laureate, serving a two-year term.
- 2026 Jan 12
From Literary Hub
Thanks to the Trump administration, LGBTQ+ books are getting harder to sell.
