In a week marked by transitions, one new store opened, Green Apple on the Park in San Francisco and two announced that they will open, a "nerd mecca" in Nola and an LGBTQ bookstore to replace Giovanni's Room in Philadelphia. There was also optimistic news for Florida's only feminist bookstore, Wild Iris Books in Gainesville, which is trying to become a not-for-profit. And who knew that a bookstore name could make a film. But the awning for New York City's Unoppressive Non-imperialist Bargain Books has been getting consistent laughs for the film Obvious Child.
Openings
Second Location for Green Apple in SF: PW’s Bookstore of the Year opened its Green Apple on the Park store in San Francisco last weekend, ahead of schedule.
New Bookstore for Nola: Candice Huber told a blogger for Gambit that she’d like to create a “nerd mecca” at her New Orleans store, which is named for her grandparents, Tubby and Coo’s Mid-City Book Shop. The store will focus on genre fiction and children’s books.
Queer Books to Open in Philly: After their attempt to buy Giovanni’s Room failed last winter, Makella Craelius, director of Spectrum Philly, and Puppet, founder of Liberty City Kings, decided to open their own multi-generational LGBTQ bookstore, Queer Books.
Celebrations
Wedding Bells for Two Dogs at Parnassus: Ann Patchett’s shelter dog Sparky wed Maggie, adopted by PW’s Tory Abel and Pamela Carter, last weekend at Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tenn.
Fun Facts
Powell’s List of 25 Books to Read Before You Die: Don’t worry about Shakespeare or too many classics pre-To Kill a Mockingbird in this idiosyncratic list that veers from Man’s Search for Meaning to Where the Wild Things Are. It’s based on 1,400 nominations from booksellers.
West Village Bookstore Name Gets the Laughs in Obvious Child: According to Off the Grid, one of the biggest laughs in the film Obvious Child comes from the shot of the awning for Unoppressive Non-imperialist Bargain Books in New York City. As for the bookstore interior, those scenes were actually shot in Brooklyn at Human Relations.
Transitions
BAM to Close Salisbury Store: Going-out-of-business sales have already begun at the Books-A-Million in the West End Plaza (formerly the Salisbury Mall) in Salisbury, N.C., which will close by the end of September.
SF’s Bibliohead’s Loses Space: Late last month Bibliohead was told that its building would be retrofited to withstand earthquakes http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/63142-little-bibliohead-faces-big-trouble.html and that its rent would increase. Now the landlord has chosen to give its lease to a boutique.
Feminist Bookstore Seeks Not-for-Profit Status: Wild Iris Books in Gainesville, Florida’s only feminist bookstore, is seeking not-for-profit status to turn around its finances.
