Specialty Bookselling

Based on the last four weeks of sales of nearly 400 independent bookstores across America.

After a month of activities in honor of National Poetry Month, Book Sense is pleased to publish Part 2 of Chapter and Verse: The Book Sense Poetry Bestseller List. (Part 1 can be found at http://news.bookweb.org/read/1297).

Thanks to all the stores that report!

On Saturday, May 31, at BookExpo America (BEA) in Los Angeles, ABA will be offering a full plate of Specialty Bookseller-to-Bookseller Roundtables, giving specialty booksellers an excellent opportunity to get together with their colleagues and chat about their specific niche market. ABA will conduct 12 different specialty roundtables designed for booksellers who are predominantly engaged in selling books in specialty areas; roundtable sessions are not intended for general stores with specialty sections.

Based on the last four weeks of sales from nearly 400 independent bookstores across the United States.

Attention Media: Please contact Kristen Gilligan at [email protected]for reprint guidelines for your newspaper or magazine.

(To view previous Book Sense category bestseller lists, click here.)

Based on the last four weeks of sales from nearly 400 independent bookstores across the United States.

It's snowing in the East, sunny in the West, and thawing in the middle. What is a gardener to do?

The answer can be found in the titles on the new Book Sense Gardening Bestseller List. Thanks to all stores that report!

Attention Media: Please contact Kristen Gilligan at [email protected] for reprint guidelines for your newspaper or magazine.

Former Wisconsin bookseller (and database software manager of the San Francisco Giants) Nick Glass has introduced a free Web site, TeachingBooks.net, useful for anyone involved with children's books. The comprehensive site offers useful links for all booksellers -- original multimedia information about authors, tour schedules, reading guides, and more arcane bits.

The Audio Publishers Association (APA) recently announced the names of the 130 finalists for the Eighth Annual Audie Awards. This year, the Audie Awards, which honor excellence in audio publishing, will be presented in 27 categories. A panel of over 150 judges representing all areas of the audiobook world selected the finalists. All titles submitted must have been released between November 1, 2002 and October 31, 2002. The awards will be presented on Friday evening, May 30, at the Petersen Car Museum in Los Angeles, in conjunction with BookExpo America.

Based on the last four weeks of sales of nearly 400 independent bookstores across America.

In honor of National Poetry Month, Book Sense is publishing a poetry bestseller list at the beginning and the end of April. Thanks to all the stores that report! Please check back in four weeks to see how customers respond to poetry events all around the country. (To view previous lists, click here.)

Graphic novels have emerged as one of the book industry's hottest formats, and BookExpo America (May 28 - June 1, in Los Angeles) has designated May 31 as Graphic Novel Saturday at the show. Related events will include educational and author-related sessions. In addition, new for 2003, BEA will also host a Graphic Novel Pavilion on the show floor.

Based on four weeks of sales from over 350 independent bookstores across America.

Past Category Bestseller lists are available at http://www.bookweb.org/read/5677.

Attention Media: Please contact Kristen Gilligan at [email protected] for reprint guidelines for your newspaper or magazine.

The month of April always strikes an emotional chord. It's been taunted as the "cruellest month," flattered as the gentle lamb, and endured as that necessary soaker before the beautiful blooms of May can appear. Lyricists have extolled the romance of April in Paris. But Chaucer saw the sweet showers of April as a most propitious time to embark on a journey of discovery.

Sex, drugs, and other "problems of the month" persist as subjects of Young Adult books, but, according to booksellers who recently spoke to BTW, the YA field is growing more fantasy titles, getting more fuzzy about labeling, and appealing to more adults.

"It's gotten edgier," said Valerie Lewis, co-owner of 24-year-old Hicklebee's in San Jose, California. "The line between adults and young adults is thinner than ever."

Thursday, May 29, at BookExpo America will be replete with activities of interest to children's booksellers, beginning with the annual meeting of the Association of Booksellers for Children (ABC). Registration and box-lunch pick up will begin at 11:45 a.m. until 12:15 p.m. All those pre-registered for the meeting can pick up a free box lunch.

Based on the last four weeks of sales from over 350 independent bookstores across America.

Finalists for the 15th Annual Lambda Literary Awards, honoring "the best and the brightest" in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered publishing, have been announced by the Lambda Literary Foundation. The finalists in 20 categories were chosen after a rigorous selection process. Awards will be presented at a gala banquet at BookExpo America in Los Angeles, May 29, 2003.

Ingram Book Group has collaborated with OurSelves, a new newsletter and Web site (www.ourselves.com) aimed at women between the ages of 45 and 65, to develop a merchandising program to reach women baby boomers, a demographic group of significant book buyers.