NEIBA News
February 12, 2020
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Notes from the Advisory Council

Be Fearless
By Clarissa Murphy , MIT Press Bookstore (Cambridge, MA)
Be Fearless.

I tell myself this on a daily basis.

Be Fearless, be fearless, be fearless. 

As someone with the last name Murphy... well. We all know how Murphy’s Law goes right?

Be fearless.
Stay fearless.

Bookselling is about being fearless. Fearlessly share the books we love so much. Fearlessly continue on in the face of Amazon. Fearlessly tear down dividing walls, fearlessly stay true to our hearts, fearlessly innovate and share those ideas with others.

I wouldn’t have applied for my first bookstore job, I wouldn’t have applied for my second or third or fourth or the fifth. I wouldn’t know NEIBA, I wouldn’t know all of you.

I wouldn’t have grown from awkward and shy teenage bookseller, to professional frontline bookseller, to buyer, to manager.

Be fearless.

It drives me forward, keeps me moving, helps me stay true to my goal: one day, I will own my very own store. Somehow that still has the shine it did when I started 12 years ago. I keep polishing that dream, because it is a fragile one. But —

Be fearless.

I don’t have to tell you how challenging it is to stay fearless in the world we currently live in. But we don’t actually do it only for ourselves do we?

We stay fearless for our peers, for our employees, for our communities, and countless other reasons.

We fearlessly boost each other up, remind each other why we keep going when it can feel like the world is stacked against this profession we love. Like good ol’ Murphy’s Law is bent on bringing us down.

There is so much to say to each other. So much time we could spend talking, loving, supporting, boosting, helping each other. We get a taste at a NEIBA meeting, we get a week at Winter Institute, days at Children’s Institute, moments at BEA. We find time in between.

I started to write so many things to all of you, because you are the community that matters, that helps me be fearless. That guides, teaches, nurtures, encourages, and makes me, as this person I have become possible.

In the end I went back to my basics because how could I put all my thoughts on paper when there is just so much to say.

I love my job, this region, our bookstores, this community, what we build. I wouldn’t be me without all of you, and I wouldn’t have all of you if I didn’t stay fearless.

Be fearless.
Stay fearless.

See where it leads you.

Love,
Clarissa
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Items of Importance

February 21: Deadline for Massachusetts stores to submit ArtWeek Event applications

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Mustard Seed Bookstore Sold to Employee,
Soon-to-Become the Mockingbird Bookshop
Last week on Facebook , The Mustard Seed Bookstore of Bathe, ME shared "with hearts full of gratitude" that co-worker and friend Terri Schurz would be opening Mockingbird Bookshop in its place: "She is full of new ideas, excited, and can't wait to serve you! Thank you for all the love and support!" The Mustard Seed Bookstore will officially closed on April 15. Mockingbird Bookshop will open on April 25. Congratulations, Terri — and thanks for the memories, Julie!
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New Membership Relations Contacts at the ABA
Last week, the ABA announced that Ryan Quinn — previously a member of ABA’s IndieCommerce team — is now a Member Relations Manager. With this change, Lauren Anastasio will take on additional responsibilities as a member relations liaison. Kate Brennan will also take on the role of liaising with publisher and vendor members. Daniel O’Brien , Senior Membership Manager, wrote: "We’d like to take this opportunity to re-introduce ourselves, both so you can get to know us a little better, as well as to clearly identify which member of the team you should reach out to with questions." That said, general inquiries can still be sent to   info@bookweb.org .
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Booklovers' Gourmet Turns 25, Plans to Expand
Booklovers' Gourmet in Webster, MA announced via press release that it has "big plans" for its 25th anniversary: an expansion — and move! — just a few blocks down the street to 72 East Main Street. In addition to a larger space, the new location will offer plenty of off-street parking and be fully handicap-accessible. The move is currently planned for April 2020. To celebrate, the store will offer week-long sales, raffles, giveaways, and cake at its current location, 55 East Main Street, from March 3-7. Patrons will have a chance each day to win a $25 gift certificate and take advantage of a 25% off sale on all new and used books as a thank you for their ongoing support. Happy 25 years!
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Brookline Booksmith seeks Events Co-Director
Interested in joining Brookline Booksmith ? The Events Co-Director should be outgoing and possess strong communication and interpersonal skills. They should be comfortable with public speaking. They should be savvy with social media and knowledgeable of literary market trends. Of course, being able to work collaboratively and with a team is a must, but the Co-Director must also be able to work independently to recognize and manage their own priorities, and be able to execute tasks correctly, efficiently, and quickly. This is a full-time position. Please direct any inquiries to Peter Win, Owner & Manager at  peter@brooklinebooksmith.com.
Simon & Schuster seeks Telesales Account Manager
Simon & Schuster is looking for a Telesales Account Manager on the Independent Bookstore Team based in the New York office to sell our complete list—wholly-owned children’s, adult, audio, and distributed client titles—to an account base of 150 independent bookstores across the country. The telesales account manager is responsible for maximizing sales exposure for frontlist and backlist titles by performing analysis and using independent judgment to make recommendations on product selection and quantity to their accounts based on knowledge of both their customers and our titles. To read more about this role (and apply online), visit the Simon & Schuster website.
To add a listing to the newsletter 
and website, e-mail  Ali@NEBA.org
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Pre-Register for 2020's Find Waldo Local
Would your bookstore like to participate in the year's Find Waldo Local event? If so, submit your application through the ABA website. The application deadline is March 1. Participation will be capped at 250 host bookstores. Stores will find out if they were selected by March 15. This event is co-sponsored by the ABA and Candlewick Press.
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On February 5, ABA Board President Jamie Fiocco (of Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, NC) shared a letter that touched on ABA leadership, the organization's resources, recent personnel changes, and the continual conversation of bookseller healthcare —among other topics. Click here to read the letter in full.
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B ook Love for Valentine's Day 💕
From left to right, top to bottom: Book Review Maine (Falmouth, ME); Tatnuck Bookseller (Westborough, MA); Whitelam Books (Reading, MA); RJ Julia Booksellers (Madison, CT); Compass Rose Books (Castine, ME); Ink Fish Books (Warren, RI).
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Food for Thought
A round-up of pieces across publications
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Social Media Spotlight
Wellesley Books (Wellesley, MA)
@wellesleybooks : Jerry Craft wowed the crowd at our event yesterday. We are so grateful he could make time in his busy schedule for a visit to our store. If you could not attend we do have autographed copies of NEW KID available (while supplies last).
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NEIBA 
Best Sellers   
for the week ended
Sunday February 9, 2020

Based on reporting from the independent booksellers of
NEIBA and IndieBound 

HARDCOVER FICTION
1. American Dirt
Jeanine Cummins, Flatiron Books, $27.99, 9781250209764
2. Where the Crawdads Sing
Delia Owens, Putnam, $26, 9780735219090
3. The Dutch House
Ann Patchett, Harper, $27.99, 9780062963673
4. A Long Petal of the Sea
Isabel Allende, Ballantine, $28, 9781984820150
5. Such a Fun Age
Kiley Reid, Putnam, $26, 9780525541905
6. Olive, Again
Elizabeth Strout, Random House, $27, 9780812996548
7. On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous
Ocean Vuong, Penguin Press, $26, 9780525562023
8. Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line New!
Deepa Anappara, Random House, $27, 9780593129197
9. The Giver of Stars
Jojo Moyes, Pamela Dorman Books, $28, 9780399562488
10. Dear Edward
Ann Napolitano, The Dial Press, $27, 9781984854780
11. Nothing to See Here
Kevin Wilson, Ecco, $26.99, 9780062913463
12. Long Bright River
Liz Moore, Riverhead Books, $26, 9780525540670
13. The Topeka School
Ben Lerner, FSG, $27, 9780374277789
14. The Water Dancer
Ta-Nehisi Coates, One World, $28, 9780399590597
15. The Resisters New!
Gish Jen, Knopf, $26.95, 9780525657217

HARDCOVER NONFICTION
1. A Very Stable Genius
Philip Rucker, Carol Leonnig, Penguin Press, $30, 9781984877499
2. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
Charlie Mackesy, HarperOne, $22.99, 9780062976581
3. The Body
Bill Bryson, Doubleday, $30, 9780385539302
4. Talking to Strangers
Malcolm Gladwell, Little Brown, $30, 9780316478526
5. Why We're Polarized
Ezra Klein, Avid Reader Press/S&S, $28, 9781476700328
6. Brother & Sister: A Memoir New!
Diane Keaton, Knopf, $25.95, 9780451494504
7. Say Nothing
Patrick Radden Keefe, Doubleday, $28.95, 9780385521314
8. Educated
Tara Westover, Random House, $28, 9780399590504
9. Nothing Fancy New!
Alison Roman, Clarkson Potter, $32.50, 9780451497017
10. Catch and Kill
Ronan Farrow, Little Brown, $30, 9780316486637
11. Maybe You Should Talk to Someone
Lori Gottlieb, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $28, 9781328662057
12. You Can Only Yell at Me for One Thing at a Time: Rules for Couples
Patricia Marx, Roz Chast (Illus.), Celadon Books, $20, 9781250225139
13. Profiles in Corruption New!
Peter Schweizer, Harper, $29.99, 9780062897909
14. Open Book New!
Jessica Simpson, Dey Street Books, $28.99, 9780062899965
15. Arguing with Zombies: Economics, Politics, and the Fight for a Better Future New!
Paul Krugman, Norton, $29.95, 9781324005018

TRADE PAPERBACK FICTION
1. The Overstory
Richard Powers, Norton, $18.95, 9780393356687
2. Little Fires Everywhere
Celeste Ng, Penguin, $17, 9780735224315
3. The Tattooist of Auschwitz
Heather Morris, Harper, $16.99, 9780062797155
4. A Gentleman in Moscow
Amor Towles, Penguin, $17, 9780143110439
5. Unsheltered
Barbara Kingsolver, Harper Perennial, $17.99, 9780062684738
6. Girl, Woman, Other
Bernardine Evaristo, Grove Press/Black Cat, $17, 9780802156983
7. The Woman in the Window
A.J. Finn, Morrow, $16.99, 9780062678423
8. There There
Tommy Orange, Vintage, $16, 9780525436140
9. Lost Children Archive New!
Valeria Luiselli, Vintage, $16.95, 9780525436461
10. Daisy Jones & The Six New!
Taylor Jenkins Reid, Ballantine, $17, 9781524798642
11. The Last Romantics
Tara Conklin, Morrow, $17.99, 9780062358219
12. The Great Alone
Kristin Hannah, St. Martin's Griffin, $17.99, 9781250229533
13. We Must Be Brave
Frances Liardet, Putnam, $17, 9780735218871
14. Olive Kitteridge
Elizabeth Strout, Random House, $17, 9780812971835
15. Before We Were Yours
Lisa Wingate, Ballantine, $17, 9780425284704

TRADE PAPERBACK NONFICTION
1. No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference
Greta Thunberg, Penguin, $10, 9780143133568
2. Just Mercy
Bryan Stevenson, Spiegel & Grau, $17, 9780593133934
3. Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup
John Carreyrou, Vintage, $16.95, 9780525431992
4. The Source of Self-Regard
Toni Morrison, Vintage, $16.95, 9780525562795
5. Born a Crime
Trevor Noah, Spiegel & Grau, $18, 9780399588198
6. The Library Book
Susan Orlean, S&S, $16.99, 9781476740195
7. Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love
Dani Shapiro, Anchor, $16.95, 9780525434030
8. Deep Creek: Finding Hope in the High Country
Pam Houston, Norton, $15.95, 9780393357660
9. Sapiens
Yuval Noah Harari, Harper Perennial, $24.99, 9780062316110
10. Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster New!
Adam Higginbotham, S&S, $19, 9781501134630
11. These Truths: A History of the United States New!
Jill Lepore, Norton, $19.95, 9780393357424
12. White Fragility
Robin DiAngelo, Beacon Press, $16, 9780807047415
13. Barracoon New!
Zora Neale Hurston, Amistad, $16.99, 9780062748218
14. Braiding Sweetgrass
Robin Wall Kimmerer, Milkweed Editions, $18, 9781571313560
15. The Old Farmer's Almanac 2020 New!
Old Farmer's Almanac, $8.95, 9781571988102

MASS MARKET
1. Dune
Frank Herbert, Ace, $10.99, 9780441172719
2. The Name of the Wind New!
Patrick Rothfuss, DAW, $9.99, 9780756404741
3. The Left Hand of Darkness
Ursula K. Le Guin, Ace, $9.99, 9780441478125
4. 1984
George Orwell, Signet, $9.99, 9780451524935
5. The Last Wish
Andrzej Sapkowski, Orbit, $8.99, 9780316029186
6. Good Omens
Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, Morrow, $9.99, 9780062836977
7. The Diary of a Young Girl New!
Anne Frank, Bantam, $7.99, 9780553577129
8. The Wise Man's Fear New!
Patrick Rothfuss, DAW, $9.99, 9780756407919
9. Neverwhere New!
Neil Gaiman, Morrow, $9.99, 9780062476371
10. Neuromancer
William Gibson, Ace, $8.99, 9780441569595

CHILDREN'S ILLUSTRATED
1. Love from the Crayons
Drew Daywalt, Oliver Jeffers (Illus.), Penguin Workshop, $9.99, 9781524792688
2. Make Way for Ducklings
Robert McCloskey, Puffin, $7.99, 9780140564341
3. Pat the Bunny
Dorothy Kunhardt, Golden Books, $9.99, 9780307120007
4. The Very Hungry Caterpillar New!
Eric Carle, Putnam, $10.99, 9780399226908
5. Curious George: I Love You New!
H.A. Rey, HMH Books for Young Readers, $8.99, 9780358156666
6. Goodnight Moon
Margaret Wise Brown, Clement Hurd (Illus.), Harper, $8.99, 9780694003617
7. Love From the Very Hungry Caterpillar New!
Eric Carle, World of Eric Carle, $8.99, 9780448489322
8. Dr. Seuss's Lovey Things New!
Dr. Seuss, Tom Brannon (Illus.), Random House Books for Young Readers, $8.99, 9781984851888
9. In a Jar
Deborah Marcero, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, $17.99, 9780525514596
10. Happy Valentine's Day, Mouse! New!
Laura Numeroff, Felicia Bond (Illus.), Harper, $7.99, 9780061804328

CHILDREN'S INTEREST
1. New Kid
Jerry Craft, Harper, $12.99, 9780062691194
2. Karen's Witch
Ann M. Martin, Katy Farina (Illus.), Graphix, $10.99, 9781338315196
3. One of Us Is Next
Karen M. McManus, Delacorte Press, $19.99, 9780525707967
4. Guts
Raina Telgemeier, Graphix, $12.99, 9780545852500
5. Here in the Real World New!
Sara Pennypacker, Balzer + Bray, $17.99, 9780062698957
6. Best Friends
Shannon Hale, LeUyen Pham (Illus.), First Second, $12.99, 9781250317469
7. Chirp New!
Kate Messner, Bloomsbury Children's Books, $16.99, 9781547602810
8. A Good Girl's Guide to Murder New!
Holly Jackson, Delacorte Press, $17.99, 9781984896360
9. Little Women
Louisa May Alcott, Puffin, $8.99, 9780142408766
10. Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy: A Graphic Novel: A Modern Retelling of Little Women New!
Rey Terciero, Bre Indigo (Illus.), Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, $12.99, 9780316522885

CHILDREN'S SERIES TITLES
1. Dog Man: Fetch-22
Dav Pilkey, Graphix, $12.99, 9781338323214
2. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Wrecking Ball
Jeff Kinney, Abrams, $14.99, 9781419739033
3. Hilo Book 6: All the Pieces Fit New!
Judd Winick, Random House Books for Young Readers, $13.99, 9780525644064
4. Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls
Dav Pilkey, Graphix, $12.99, 9781338236590
5. The Princess in Black New!
Shannon Hale, Dean Hale, LeUyen Pham (Illus.), Candlewick, $6.99, 9780763678883
6. Dog Man
Dav Pilkey, Graphix, $9.99, 9780545581608
7. Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas New!
Dav Pilkey, Graphix, $9.99, 9780545935173
8. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
J.K.Rowling, Scholastic, $10.99, 9780590353427
9. The Princess in Black and the Bathtime Battle New!
Shannon Hale, Dean Hale, LeUyen Pham (Illus.), Candlewick, $14.99, 9781536202212
10. I Survived The Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 (I Survived Graphic Novel, #1) New!
Lauren Tarshis, Haus Studio (Illus.), Graphix, $10.99, 9781338120912
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