One of the stupidest things about having my car stolen is the loss of my carefully curated tote-bag collection.

Bookselling compatriots in the Bay Area, or publishing buds with remote positions, hit me up if you need a big brain with strong opinions for your team 👀 I’m on the lookout.

Wanna support a child's access to books? The Reading Bridge is a Bay-Area non-profit hosting book fairs at local schools - they also work with title 1 schools to send every kid home with a book of their choice. Donate today!

In case any other #booksellers think the new Entangled Publishing imprint should NOT set a dangerous precedent and start putting "16+ maturity warnings" on their YA books. You can tell them that here. Tricky to get it in 500 characters, but not impossible. www.entangledpublishing.com/contact-us

Right. I’m off to Sacramento to meet up with some children’s #booksellers. I expect we’ll have a lot to discuss. Remember, in person meetings are important. Build networks, make friends, be a safety net, be a sounding board. “The more we get together the happier we’ll be”.

Here's an example of so called "radical indoctrination". A silly rhyming picture book about a cat who rearranges a to do list to avoid having to take a bath. This book is available at all good bookstores, although not in 2 school districts, in FL and IA, where it was banned in 2024. Not a hoax.

Here in the Bay Area many feel largely (if not entirely) insulated from the concerns surrounding banned books. It's often either an abstract problem or elsewhere. But here's the thing: the ubiquity of Amazon, & their increasingly full-throated support of the GOP, brings it v. close to home. (1/2)

I’ve been pondering the scrappy, defiant, rebellious determination of exchanging my ragged, limping bookstore dollar with other limping stores in LA, and around the country. How is it always thus, that this one ragged bill has such weight, and perhaps a value far greater than that printed upon it?

It’s a small FU to billionaires, but a hugely impactful ILU to you community to shop local. My bookstore is struggling so if you’re looking to pick up a great new read, try www.booksinc.net. Thanks! It truly does mean the world.

If you’ve every loved a book I recommended, tell James Patterson! www.bookweb.org/james-patter...

DnD nerds- do you have a favorite game notebook? And what is it?

How many times do you think I can listen to/watch THE LAST WALTZ today? Robbie’s memory and music are a blessing.