- 2025 Jul 30
Greathead Wins Gabe Hudson Prize
Kate Greathead’s novel The Book of George has won this year’s $10,000 Gabe Hudson Prize, administered by McSweeney’s.
Love Is in the Air in West Virginia
Miss Willa’s Bookshop, which is dedicated to the romance genre, opened in Charles Town last weekend.
German Book Trade Peace Prize Winner
Author Karl Schlögel has won the 2025 Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, presented by the German Publishers and Booksellers Association.
Momentum Grant for Translators Winner
Melody Makeda Ledwon has won this year’s Momentum Grant for Early-Career Translators, presented by Words Without Borders.
- 2025 Jul 29
Alliance Names New CFO
Alliance Entertainment has promoted Amanda Gnecco to chief financial officer following the aborted attempt to buy Diamond Comic Distributors.
Russian Bookshop Fined For Graphic Novel
Falanster in Moscow was fined by a court for selling LGBTQ “propaganda,” including C.S. Pacat’s graphic novel Fence: Vol. 2, according to Jurist.
Pennsylvania Comic Shop Suffers Flood
After Symbiote Collectibles in West Reading had part of its vintage comic book collection damaged by a recent flood, community members turned out to show their support, reports WFMZ.
SDCC Gets Real About Tariffs
The Beat reports on “Toys, Tariffs, and Trade Wars,” one of San Diego Comic-Con’s most “consequential” panels focusing on the rising costs of consumer goods.
More Highlights From SDCC
AP rounds up some standout moments from San Diego Comic-Con, including an appearance by James Gunn and a sneak peek at the newest series in the Star Trek universe.
Torishima Ponders Manga’s Future
Longtime Dragon Ball editor Kazuhiko Torishima fears that a growing reliance on data and analytics will harm the manga industry, per Screen Rant.
Frank Miller Draws For DC/Marvel Collab
The legendary comic book creator is set to draw art for an upcoming crossover event featuring Wolverine and Batman, reports Bleeding Cool.
What Comes After ‘Superman’?
Following the success of the newest Superman film, the Beat wonders what comes next for DC Comics.
The Forgotten ‘Fantastic Four’ Film
The New York Times revisits the first attempt at making a movie featuring the quartet of superheroes—a low-budget affair that was shot, abandoned, and forgotten in the 1990s.
‘Sandman’ Says Goodbye
The Hollywood Reporter talks with The Sandman creator Allan Heinberg about the series’ final episodes and the impact of the allegations against Neil Gaiman.
An Early Look at George Lucas’s Museum
During SDCC, the filmmaker offered a preview of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, which is slated to open in Los Angeles in 2026, per Variety.
Books and Records Unite in Vermont
Antidote Books and Records is slated to open in Washington Square next month.
Family-Owned Bookshop Comes to Ohio
Dragonfly Bookshop will open in Hilliard this fall.
- 2025 Jul 28
From the Washington Post
Trump administration releases billions it withheld from schools.
From I Am Expat
German publisher to challenge offensive AI memes of iconic children’s character.
From the New York Times
Moomins Enter the Cuteness Pantheon, with Help from Gen Z.
Mother-Daughter Duo Opens Texas Bookshop
The Plot Twist, a bookstore-boutique fusion, opened in Midland last week.
Cundill History Prize Longlist
Tiya Miles and Sophia Rosenfeld are among the 15 longlisted authors for this year’s Cundill History Prize, presented by McGill University in Montreal.
New Bookstore Lands in New York
Literally Books is the first bookstore to open in New Paltz’s Water Street Market in more than 25 years.
Bookshop Soft Launches in Pennsylvania
The Raven’s End in Oil City had its trial run this past weekend and is slated to officially open in August.
- 2025 Jul 25
Florida Bookshop Navigates Tariffs
Back in the Day Books in Dunedin is planning how to adjust its business model once Trump’s new tariffs go into effect this August.
Lucy Steeds Wins Waterstones Prize
Steeds’s The Artist has won the British book retailer’s Debut Fiction Prize.
Wisconsin’s Latest Romance Bookshop
Thirst, an all-romance bookstore, opened in Milwaukee this past May.
Missouri Bookshop’s Next Chapter
Instead of closing upon its owners retirement, Willa’s Books and Vinyl in Kansas City, one of the state’s oldest-operating Black-owned bookstores, will serve as a public archive and the new headquarters for the Kansas City Defender.
- 2025 Jul 24
Barnes & Noble Is Coming to Maryland
B&N will open its first location in Carroll County next week.
PEN Translates Winners
English PEN has announced the 14 winners of this year’s PEN Translates Award, with titles in Arabic, Danish, and Portuguese, among others.
Yoga Studio-Bookshop Lands in Kansas
Walli’s Wellness opened in downtown Mission last week.
- 2025 Jul 23
From the Wall Street Journal
The Most-Taught Books in American Classrooms Have Barely Changed in 30 Years.
From the New York Times
At Some Bookstores, Pets Are the Most Popular Sales Associates.
From NPR
Cancer stole her voice. AI, curse words, and children's books saved it.
From the New York Times
Lemony Snicket's Anti-Summer Summer Reading List.
From Upworthy
Fifth-grade teacher explains why he thinks The Rainbow Fish isn't great.
From Book Riot
5 Queer YA Summer Books to Read in the Sunshine.
Black-Owned Bookshop in NYC May Shutter
Sister’s Uptown Bookstore and Cultural Center in Harlem is at the risk of closing due to rising costs.
First Novel Prize Longlist
Addie E. Citchens, Michael Clune, and Yrsa Daley-Ward are among the 29 longlisted authors for this year’s First Novel Prize, presented by the Center for Fiction.
Indie Bookshop Opens in North Carolina
Huzzah Books celebrated its grand opening in Boone earlier this month.
DAG Prize for Literature Winner
Michael Zapata’s The Census Taker has won the inaugural DAG Prize for Literature, presented by the DAG Foundation.
Ohio’s Newest Bookshop
Snapdragon Books and Gifts is slated to open in Green Township this weekend.
- 2025 Jul 22
Bookshop to Land in South Carolina
Emry’s Bookshop is slated to open on Hilton Head Island in August.
- 2025 Jul 21
From USA Today
A look at Ohio's Cover to Cover, one of the country's oldest children's bookstores.
From the Washington Post
Little House on the Prairie, beloved and troubling, gets a reappraisal.
From Country Life
The never-before-seen photographs of The House at Pooh Corner, when A.A. Milne and his son Christopher Robin called it home.
From 100 Scope Notes
Down the Children's Book Parody Rabbit Hole: 2025 Edition.
Bookshop-Cafe Combo to Open in N.Y.
The LGBTQ-owned Protagonist Books & Coffee will open this September in Dryden.
Mobile Bookshop Rolls Through Kentucky
The Ownesboro-based Poppy Alan Book Boutique is making its way across Daviess County this summer.
Russian Bookshop Fined for LGBTQ+ Books
A Moscow court has fined the bookstore Falalster and its owner for disseminating LGBTQ+ “propaganda,” including titles by C.S. Pacat and Adam Silvera.
- 2025 Jul 18
Mobile Bookshop Hits the Road in Maine
Novella Books is the state’s first mobile romance bookstore.
Niu Wins Vanderbilt University Prize
Stephanie Niu’s I Would Define the Sun is the inaugural winner of the Vanderbilt University Literary Prize, awarded annually to the author of a full-length collection of poetry.
Christian Bookshop Sues in Colorado
Born Again Used Books in Colorado Springs has filed a federal lawsuit pushing back against recent legislation that expanded protections for LGBTQ+ people in the state.
- 2025 Jul 17
Torched Va. Bookshop Rises From Ashes
After burning down last fall, Friends to Lovers has opened a new location, also in Old Town Alexandria.
Forward Prize for Poetry Shortlists
Simon Armitage and Zoë McWhinney are among the 20 poets shortlisted for this year’s Forward Prizes, presented by the U.K.-based Forward Arts Foundation.
Basement Bookshop Burrows into Wisconsin
Augie’s Books has opened in a Madison basement in honor of Paul’s Bookstore, another local business that recently closed.
Jewish Literary Foundation Starts Prize
The U.K.-based Jewish Literary Foundation’s £3,000 Freudenheim Translation Prize will recognize translated fiction and nonfiction about Jewish life, culture, and ideas.
B&N Teams with University of Washington
Barnes & Noble and University Bookstore have opened a joint shop in Seattle’s University District.
Arkansas Bookshop Owner Dies
Tributes have been rolling in after Leah Jordan, co-owner of Pearl’s Books in Fayetteville, died on July 14.
- 2025 Jul 16
From New Hampshire Public Radio
Gov. Ayotte vetoes Republican-backed public school book ban bill.
From Cosmpolitan
YA author Sarah Dessen returns with her first novel in seven years, ‘Change of Plans,’ part of a three-book deal with S&S.
From Variety
Ariana Grande, Josh Gad to Lead Oh, the Places You'll Go! Voice Cast.
From Reactor
The Ambiguous Realism of Ursula K. Le Guin's Lost Trilogy.
From the Washington Post
How a critic's reading experiences taught him to distrust censorship.
From Literary Hub
Writing Advice and Literary Wisdom from the Great E.B. White.
From Book Riot
The All-Time Best Movie Adaptations of Children's Books.
From People
10 Books to Read If You Can't Get Enough of The Summer I Turned Pretty.
Black-Owned Bookshop to Reopen in N.C.
Liberation Station, a Black-owned children’s bookstore, will return to Raleigh on Juneteenth 2026.
Rushdie Wins Sun Valley Conference Award
Salman Rushdie has won the 2025 Writer in the World Prize, presented by the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference to “a writer whose work expresses a rare combination of literary talent and moral imagination.”
Bookshop to Launch in Illinois
The Book Loft will open in Oak Park next month.
Bookstore-Cafe Combo Comes to Virginia
Daydrift, a cafe, market, and bookstore, is slated to open this summer in Arlington’s Crystal City neighborhood.
Georgia Bookshop Has a New Owner
Elizabeth Webber has taken over Newnan Book Co. in Newnan following the previous owner’s retirement.
From Brightly
Gross Me Out! Hilarious Poop and Fart Books for Kids.
- 2025 Jul 15
Random House Teams with Webtoon
The Random House comics imprints Inklore and Ink Pop will partner with Webtoon to bring 14 of its most popular webcomics into print over the next five years.
Chris Ware Puts His Stamp on Stamps
In celebration of the United States Postal Service’s 250th anniversary, the cartoonist and graphic novelist has designed a special pane of 20 commemorative stamps.
Massive Invests in New Series
Massive Publishing has launched the Massive Pilot program, a creator-first platform designed to help comic book creators launch new series through crowdfunding.
Wattpad Webtoon Studios Rebrands
Wattpad Webtoon Studios will rebrand as Webtoon Productions, with David Madden helming the studio as president.
Radish Fiction to Shutter
Just four years after Kakao Entertainment acquired the mobile-first serialized fiction platform, the company announced it will close down Radish Fiction the end of the year.
Comics, Graphic Novel Sales Up Last Year
Sales of comics and graphic novels were up in 2024 thanks to sales growth in comic stores, according to a new estimate by ICv2.
Silver Sprocket’s Neverending Debt
The Comics Journal takes an in-depth look at the precarious financial situation of the San Francisco-based comics publisher.
Remembering Jim Shooter
The comic book editor, who took the helm at Marvel at 27 and revolutionized how superhero stories were written, died on June 30 at 73.
Universal CEO Speaks
The Beat recaps ICv2’s conversation with Universal Distribution CEO Angelo Exarhakos, who discussed the company’s aim “to bring in new readers to the comic book marketplace.”
Nebraska Gets Its Own Comic Con
Omaha will host its first-ever Comic Con from August 2–3 at the city’s convention center, reports the Omaha World-Herald.
Why ALA Is Comics’ Most Important Show
Many industry figures say the American Library Association Annual Conference has surpassed even the biggest comics events as the best place to reach new readers, per the Beat.
Dynamite Teams with S&S on Distro
Dynamite Entertainment has inked a deal with Simon & Schuster for worldwide distribution to bookstores, libraries, and Amazon, reports Bleeding Cool.
A Feminist History of Comics
The Comics Journal unravels the complicated feminist legacy of the Underground Comix movement.
‘Superman’ Helps Save Warner Bros.
Thanks to its $217 million box office opening, the new Superman film is the latest part of a major turnaround for the once beleaguered film studio, says the New York Times.
Is Superman “Woke”?
The Guardian responds to former Superman Dean Cain’s claim that the superhero’s new film is too “woke.”
‘Cartoon Brew’ Gets a New Owner
Veteran editor and journalist Jamie Lang has taken over the animation site from cofounder Amid Amidi, reports Animation magazine.
Dayton Literary Peace Prize Finalists
Percival Everett, Kaveh Akbar, and Annie Jacobsen are among the 12 finalists for this year’s Dayton Literary Peace Prize.
Indianapolis Bookstore to Shutter
Dream Palace Books & Coffee is set to close at the end of July.
What Killed ‘Elio’?
CBC investigates claims that the Pixar film’s “bean mouth” animation style is responsible for its disappointing results at the box office.
Oregon’s Newest Bookshop
Oliver Books has opened in Prineville.
Anime and Chill
Netflix says its anime viewership has tripled over the last five years, with half of all global users now watching anime, per the Hollywood Reporter.
Arkansas Bookshop Goes Digital
Arkansas State University-Mountain Home has closed its brick-and-mortar bookshop and is moving to an online-only model this month.
- 2025 Jul 14
From the Wall Street Journal
Scholastic Became a Children's Publishing Giant. Now It Needs a Turnaround.
From the Georgia Recorder
South Georgia officials who fired local librarian over LGBTQ book face pressure to reverse decision.
From the Bookseller
Margaret McDonald's 'deeply moving' Glasgow Boys wins Branford Boase Award.
From Northeastern Global News
Why The Summer I Turned Pretty appeals to both adults and teens.
School Library Association Honors List
The U.K.-based School Library Association has announced this year’s Honors List, spanning awards for school librarians, primary libraries, and library enterprises.
