The publisher’s sales slipped 2% in the quarter ended September 30, and earnings had a steep fall due in part to the write-off of $13 million owed to HarperCollins by the recently collapsed Baker & Taylor.

★ In her stunning debut memoir, poet and novelist Rachel Eliza Griffiths details the most challenging period of her life. She charts a path through devastation: poetic, heartbreaking, and life-affirming, this grief-streaked self-portrait makes a major impression. @randomhouse buff.ly/0uc814v

📚✨ PW’s Middle Grade Best Books 2025 list is packed with heartfelt journeys, big emotions, and unforgettable adventures. Young readers will find stories that spark imagination, celebrate identity, and offer comfort, courage, and wonder. buff.ly/rIYhLYO #PWBestBooks #BookRec #MiddleGrade

Lily Berlin Dodd tosses her hat into the dragon arena with her debut middle grade fantasy The Last Ember. We spoke with Dodd about crafting her own dragon tale and her favorite aspects of worldbuilding.

In the debut author’s The Poet Empress (Bramble, Jan.), set in a world where poetry is magic but women aren’t allowed to read, a peasant girl becomes a prince’s concubine.

★ Padma Lakshmi uses this gorgeous compendium of recipes collected during her travels across the U.S. to craft a “love letter” to “all [the] immigrants who have made a life here and, in turn, made America what it is.” This accomplished collection is a treasure trove. @AAKnopf buff.ly/IgfJl1f

The bestselling author’s new novel is a modern gothic thriller about murder and extreme weather in the American South.

The publishing veteran, who has held senior executive roles at Macmillan, Bloomsbury, and Oxford University Press, has been named chair of the board of the London-based art book publisher, effective January 1.

★ An aspiring country singer grapples with family turmoil and murder in this exceptional standalone from Lori Rader-Day. The result is a consistently surprising mystery that readers will be hard-pressed to put down. @MinotaurBooks buff.ly/tYQeh7D

Author Mike Castleman (l.) unpacked with Guild CEO Mary Rasenberger why the “industrial publishing” model is unsustainable in an oversaturated digital marketplace where authors struggle to “bring any attention to their little books.”

Words literally come to life for a lonely assistant librarian in this exquisite tale from Jennifer Moorman. It’s a marvel.

Keith Riegert, president of the Stable Book Group, offered a master class on AI tools during the recent Sharjah Publishers Conference. He described AI as both transformative and unsettling, telling publishers, “It's time to use it or get left behind.”

Despite ongoing questions about tariffs and uncertainty about the implementation of EUDR, the Book Manufacturers Institute’s financial coffers and high membership gave attendees the sense that, all things considered, they’re in a pretty good place.

Astra Publishing House staff gathered on November 5 to celebrate the release of Zohran Walks New York, published by Astra’s Calkins Creek imprint, after Zohran Mamdani’s historic mayoral win in NNYC. The picture book’s author-illustrator Millie von Platen (fifth from r.), was the guest of honor.

Under the reorg, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers has created two distinct editorial groups, one aimed at young readers and the second targeting older readers, and given VP and editor-in-chief Alvina Ling her own imprint.

Historian Julian Sancton unravels a thrilling maritime saga that spans three centuries. The result is a rollicking historical mystery and a beguiling human drama rolled into one. @crownpublishing.bsky.social

James Ponti is the author of four middle grade series and is also an Emmy–nominated television writer and producer. Here, Ponti discusses how the recent Louvre heist, with its stranger-than-fiction twists, made a mockery of his research as a mystery writer.

When a Tree Falls by Kirsten Pendreigh resonated with Missouri environmental activist Tricia Falmer's mission so much that she decided to donate 350 copies of the picture book to children in her local school district.

In Bonded by Evolution: The New Science of Love and Connection (Crown, Feb.), the UC Davis psychology professor dispels popular theories about what makes relationships work and why.

Crotty, most recently a senior consultant at Clarke & Esposito, will take the helm from John Inglis, who founded the modern-day incarnation of CSHL Press in 1987, on December 1.

The national book chain has named Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman as the title that “best embodied the joy of reading and the enthusiasm of BAM’s team,” per a statement.

Global publishers convened at the Sharjah Publishers Conference for hands-on sessions addressing metadata, AI integration, and the challenge of selling rights from a small market, emphasizing actionable solutions over theoretical discussions.

Nonprofit library organization OCLC, which sued Baker & Taylor over its creation of BTCat in March, has asked a federal judge to set a schedule now that the 30-day stay issued in October has expired.

On October 23, the Czech Center NY and European Union National Institutes for Culture hosted its seventh annual European Literature Night at the Ukrainian Institute in Manhattan. The event featured European authors and translators from several different countries. (Johnny Vacar)

A study commissioned by the Gotham Ghostwriters and Bernoff.com found that while 61% of professional writers are embracing AI tools, authors, specifically fiction authors, are much more wary. buff.ly/DWCtHYG

The executive director of the only international literary peace prize awarded in the United States discusses the prize’s place in a divisive and war-torn present. This year’s award will be presented at a two-day ceremony November 8–9.

The Association of Book Publishers of British Columbia’s three book boxes celebrate Canadian indie publishers and authors, covering such topics as Indigeneity, cooking, and eco-consciousness.

Oxford University Press has inked an agreement to purchase Karger Publishers, the Basel, Switzerland–based medical press founded in 1890, with the transaction to be finalized in December.

The inaugural event, held in the Catalonian capital in September, brought together nearly 200 publishers, magazine editors, and intellectuals for networking, panels, and rights discussions, offering an alternative to commercial book fairs in Frankfurt and London.

A spate of new novels featuring strong and sometimes sapphic women warriors could presage the next big thing in fantasy.

Under the new structure, Liz Kribs (l.) will share the title of publisher for the children’s book group with Tara Walker (r.), who has held the role since 2015.

Author John Green made a surprise visit to Golden Hour Books in Indianapolis on October 23 for Naptown Story Hour, an event series where actors perform short stories. Green read “A Conversation With My Father” by Grace Paley. (Casey Patrick)

In this winning romp, bestsellers Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone perfectly balance heat and sweet. Raunchy, funny, and ultimately heartfelt, this is rom-com gold. @avonbooks.bsky.social

The company, known for its book discovery and e-commerce platform, rolled out an automated website builder aimed at authors earlier this year, and is gearing up to launch a new online portal for writers.

Daniyal Mueenuddin’s lavish sophomore effort spans six decades and traces the lives of a wealthy Pakistani clan and those who work for them. Propulsive and peopled with unforgettable characters, this is a masterpiece. @aaknopf.bsky.social

An inside look at the publication process for the Nobel Prize winner’s classic novel.

Check out all the books to receive starred reviews in PW that are hitting bookstore shelves this week. buff.ly/ba7Lho0

Teaching young readers how to prepare for a natural disaster is the aim of Hurricane (Holiday House), the latest STEM-focused picture book by Caldecott Medalist Chin, which salutes the scientists who track devastating storms.

The Hachette imprint, launched in 1950 as the publishing arm of a psychoanalysis book club, has grown into a leading voice in psychology, politics, and history. With the recently formed Basic Books Group, publisher Lara Heimert is setting her sights on the future.

Hachette Book Group’s AAPI Employee Resource Group will kick off the initiative with a panel including author Min Jin Lee (pictured), chief people officer Carrie Bloxson, and Yu & Me Books owner Lucy Yu, at its New York office on November 12.

See what we published in this week’s print issue of Publishers Weekly, including our Star Watch feature and more. buff.ly/luhVtDF

A pair of legal thrillers take the #1 and #2 spots on our hardcover fiction list. Plus Joe Hill returns with King Sorrow, his first novel in nine years, and Philip Pullman wraps up his Book of Dust trilogy.

Vintage lands a Shining-inspired horror anthology from screenwriter Jamie Flanagan (pictured), Ron Chernow sets his next doorstopper biography, and more.

On October 29, Random House Children’s Books hosted a Halloween party at its office. Many employees’ costumes were inspired by RHCB titles, including subsidiary rights assistant Caroline Lese, who dressed as Ms. Rachel. (RHCB)

The radical indie publisher, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2027, aims to secure its future by raising $250,000 to pay off the mortgage on its Binghamton, N.Y., warehouse.

SIBF presents a unique opportunity for networking and dealmaking for publishers from Africa, Asia, India, and the Middle East. This year, 2,350 publishers and exhibitors from 118 countries are participating in the event, which runs through November 16. buff.ly/atKERMF

The Carnegie Medalist reflected on diving into the harrowing history of WWII for her latest YA novel, Under a Fire-Red Sky, which follows a group of English teens as they struggle to navigate the onset of the war.

After leaving her editing job at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2019, the editor turned agent found a niche in selling popular nonfiction titles—especially in the sports space.

Jillian Vandall Miao is senior director of publicity at Random House Children’s Books and the author of the upcoming children’s book series Baby Botanicals. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, she reflects on her cancer journey and how a book by Clea Shearer gave her hope and strength.

Make picture-book hour extra magical with our curated Best Picture Books list of 2025. This collection is full of heart-warming stories, playful adventures, bold art and big messages for little readers. buff.ly/XKJgCAj #PWBestBooks #PublishingNews #BookRecommendations #PictureBookFavorites