More than 100 independent bookstores are receiving funds from author James Patterson’s College Book Bucks program, which awards college-bound high school seniors with gift certificates ranging from $250 to $1,000 to be spent at an IndieBound-affiliated bookstore of their choice. 

There is less than two weeks left for ABA members to submit nominations for Board directors to the Nominating Committee, chaired by Valerie Koehler of Houston’s Blue Willow Bookshop.

Booksellers are singing praises for Graeme Simsion’s debut novel, The Rosie Project, their top pick for the October 2013 Indie Next List. Here, Simsion talks about the winding path that led to him to The Rosie Project and what booksellers can expect from him next.

ABA announced this week that a select group of the new line of Kobo eReaders and tablets will soon be available for order from Ingram: the Kobo Aura and Kobo Aura HD eReaders and the Kobo Arc and Kobo Arc HD tablets. In connection with the launch, Kobo is phasing out the Kobo Mini and the Kobo Arc 16G, 32G, and 64G.

The October 2013 edition of the ABC Group Common Core Resource is now available to all ABA member booksellers with a BookWeb user name and password. The sortable Excel file features 900 Common Core-compatible backlist titles.

Two teams of booksellers have chosen the hottest upcoming debut titles to be part of the Indies Introduce spring promotion. There are 10 adult Debut Author picks and 10 children’s New Voices titles to choose from and an array of bookseller blurbs to help you decide before the October 25 sign-up deadline.

New Maryland bookstore has international impact; New Orleans bookstores featured in Gambit; Book Bin to open second location; Acorn Books celebrates first anniversary

A part of Thomasville, Georgia, since 1984, The Bookshelf and Gallery has undergone many transformations but has always maintained its same purpose, said co-owner Annie Jones, “to celebrate good books and good conversations in a small-town setting.”

ABFFE and Pen American Center host Paradise Banned; Writers receive MacArthur fellowships; PayPal offers small business loans; Georgetown’s Harborwalk Books destroyed by fire; Anti-tax groups support Amazon’s appeal to Supreme Court 

Winter Institute 2014 registration is now very near its limit of 500 booksellers, and ABA is encouraging any member who wants to attend to register as soon as possible. The ABA block at the host hotel, the Westin Seattle, is currently sold out, but booksellers are encouraged to add their names to the hotel waiting list.