"I had never been inside a proper antiquarian bookstore before--had not dared to because I was certain I could never afford a really rare book. But now I couldn't resist a peek, and pushed open the door, ready to flee if the staff made me out as a cheap customer. I was greeted affably by a young man at a desk who asked me to feel free to ask him where what was. I asked if they carried modern first editions and he replied that the store was full of nothing but modern first editions, especially in philosophy, poetry and fiction."--Pradeep Sebastian, writing in the Hindu about his visit to a "very special store," Lame Duck Books, Cambridge, Mass.

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Private equity firm Pacific Equity Partners, which owns the bookselling group A&R Whitcoulls, with stores in Australia and New Zealand, has made a final offer for Borders Group's Australian and New Zealand operations for A$100 million (about US$92 million), Reuters reported. Dymocks, the Australian bookselling company, has apparently withdrawn from the bidding.

In the meantime, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is expected to make a ruling on December 5 on a possible purchase by Pacific Equity Partners or Dymocks.

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Cool idea of the day. Concerning the Writers Guild of America strike, which begins today and affects TV and movie production, SIBA's Nicki Leone writes, "Hey wait. We could maybe, you know, READ A BOOK INSTEAD!"

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That'll teach him.

Well, maybe not.

Only 1,729 purchasers of A Million Little Pieces by James Frey have sought a refund under terms of a class-action lawsuit, according to the AP. A judge has approved a deal for reimbursing readers who bought the book before it was revealed that A Million Little Pieces, sold as a memoir, had stretched the truth.

Random House had set aside $2.35 million to settle the case. The purchasers of the book who have made claims receive a total of $27,348. On the other hand, lawyers will take $738,000 in fees. Random is paying $432,000 in advertising and settlement costs, and $180,000 goes to the American Red Cross, the Hazelden addiction treatment center and First Book.

A lawyer involved in the suit told the AP that such class-action suits usually draw 20% of those eligible; in this case, the amount was 7.2%.

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The New England Independent Booksellers Association has made two more grants to help booksellers "shift consumer culture toward supporting locally-owned businesses," and especially to help developing or established local independent business alliances.

Bunch of Grapes Bookstore, Vineyard Haven, Mass., has been granted $750 to be applied to a Shop Local Martha's Vineyard marketing campaign that involves the Tisbury Business Association (and Edgartown Books) and will take place during the upcoming holiday season.

NEIBA has granted $2,500 to Books Etc, Portland, Me., and Rabelais, Portland, Me., through the Portland Independent Business Community Alliance to support the Portland Retail Diversity Study. The study, modeled after three economic impact studies conducted by Civic Economics in Chicago, San Francisco and Austin, Tex., will be the first such study in New England and should be completed next September.

Since June, NEIBA has awarded six grants totaling $11,250. The association is accepting new grant applications. For more information, go to newenglandbooks.org/neiba_grants.html.

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Books-A-Million has opened its new 15,500-sq.-ft. store in Fultondale, Ala., near Birmingham. The store is in the Colonial Promenade Fultondale at 3429 Lowery Parkway, a new development (Shelf Awareness, March 26, 2007).

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"I'd like to say thanks to everybody who used to shop at the store, and so long, folks," Ted Tafejian, the 80-year-old owner of Ted's Used Books & Collectibles, Santa Barbara, Calif., told the Santa Barbara Independent. He is closing the bookshop after more than three decades in business. 

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In Prague, the Franz Kafka Society honored French poet Yves Bonnefoy with the Franz Kafka Prize, given annually to "authors whose works of exceptional artistic qualities are found to appeal to readers regardless of their origin, nationality and culture."

The Guardian called Bonnefoy, 84, "one of the most influential French poets of the second half of the 20th century. He is also a respected essayist and the pre-eminent French translator of the work of William Shakespeare."

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Irish indie booksellers are optimistic and convinced they are effectively countering the global trend toward online and superstore book retailing, according to an article in the Independent, which wrote, "Given the heavy clouds hanging over the industry, it comes as a surprise when John Butler, chairman of Ireland's booksellers group, says independent traders are 'happy with business this year.'"

Butler contends that even in the face of increased competition, savvy booksellers will prevail: "It's true that independent book sellers have to improve their own game to survive, but inefficient retailers won't survive very long in any game. If sellers are willing to compete and be customer orientated then there will always be a market in Ireland."

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Who gets custody of Richard & Judy's books? The Telegraph reported that British television's most famous bookselling couple will terminate their on-screen partnership of two decades next year. Richard Madeley and Judy Finnegan created their influential Book Club in 2004 as part of their popular daytime program. It is now "thought to be the single most important sales window for U.K. authors, responsible for selling more books than the country's literary prizes put together. . . . In its first year alone, it was responsible for one in 50 of all book sales, according to the Bookseller."

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No working overtime for Harry. AFP reported that Greece's four main bookstores were forced to cancel plans for a midnight launch of the Greek-language edition of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows after "the association of Greek private employees (OIYE) complained that 'the right of staff to go home on time' was compromised by the nocturnal Potter launch which it said was as an 'illegal and immoral act' on the part of bookstores."

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Lucretia Voight decided to open Brant Point Books, Nantucket, Mass., because she "had often heard people ask about used book stores on the island when she worked at Nantucket Bookworks for two years," according to the Inquirer & Mirror.

"I've always wanted to have a bookstore," Voight said, "and I knew there were already two good new book stores on the island so I figured this would be my niche and I figured that's what the community needed."

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The Ohio Book Store, Cincinnati, Ohio, "has it all," according to the Enquirer, which featured a profile of owner Jim Fallon and the bookshop that has been in business since 1940. 

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This morning on Good Morning America: Terri Irwin, author of Steve and Me: Life with the Crocodile Hunter (Simon Spotlight, $25.95, 9781416953883/1416953884). She will also appear tonight on Larry King Live.

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Today on Regis and Kelly: Nigella Lawson, author of Nigella Express: 130 Recipes for Good Food, Fast (Hyperion, $35, 9781401322434/1401322433).

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Today on the Rachael Ray Show: Julianne Moore, whose first picture book is Freckleface Strawberry (Bloomsbury USA, $16.95, 9781599901077/1599901072).

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Today on the Diane Rehm Show: Thomas DeFrank, Washington bureau chief for the New York Daily News and author of Write It When I'm Gone (Putnam, $25.95, 9780399154508/0399154507).

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Today on Oprah: Mehmet Oz, M.D., co-author of You: The Owner's Manual: An Insider's Guide to the Body that Will Make You Healthier and Younger (Collins, $24.95, 9780060765316/0060765313)

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Today on NPR's Talk of the Nation: Joseph Ellis discusses his new book, American Creation: Triumphs and Tragedies at the Founding of the Republic (Knopf, $26.95, 9780307263698/030726369X).

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Tonight on the Charlie Rose Show: entrepreneur Tom Perkins, author of Valley Boy: The Education of Tom Perkins (Gotham, $27.50, 9781592403134/1592403131).

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Tonight on the Colbert Report: David Levy, author of Love and Sex with Robots: The Evolution of Human-Robot Relationships (HarperCollins, $24.95, 9780061359750/0061359750).

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The winners of the 2007 World Fantasy Awards were announced during the World Fantasy Convention in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.:

• Life Achievement: Betty Ballantine and Diana Wynne Jones
• Novel: Soldier of Sidon by Gene Wolfe (Tor)
• Novella: Botch Town by Jeffrey Ford (The Empire of Ice Cream, Golden Gryphon Press)
• Short Fiction: "Journey Into the Kingdom" by M. Rickert (F&SF, May 2006)
• Anthology: Salon Fantastique edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling (Thunder's Mouth)
• Collection: Map of Dreams by M. Rickert (Golden Gryphon Press)
• Artist: Shaun Tan
• Special Award, Professional: Ellen Asher (for work at the Science Fiction Book Club)
• Special Award, Non-Professional: Gary K. Wolfe (for reviews in Locus and elsewhere)

Judges for this year's awards were Gavin Grant, Ed Greenwood, Jeremy Lassen, Jeff Mariotte and Carsten Polzin. The nominees are available at worldfantasy.org/awards/.

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Congratulations to the winners of USABookNews's 2007 Best Books of the Year Awards. See them all here.

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Congratulations again to Presidential Medal of Honor winners, who will be presented the award today at the White House:

• Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird
• Brian Lamb, co-founder and CEO of C-Span and host of Booknotes on Book TV from 1989-2004
• Francis S. Collins, head of the Human Genome Project and author of The Language of God (Free Press)
• University of Chicago economist and Nobel laureate Gary Becker, author of The Economics of Discrimination, A Treatise on the Family and The Economics of Life.

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From last week's Book Sense bestseller lists, available at booksense.com, here are the recommended titles, which are also Book Sense Picks:

Hardcover

Matrimony by Joshua Henkin (Pantheon, $24.95, 9780375424359/0375424350). "Henkin has written a beautiful book about 20 years in the life of a married couple. He explores conflict, ambition, and love in its purest form. Julian and Mia meet at college, and Michigan and Iowa are backdrops to their love story. Henkin tests the strength of family ties amid turmoil, and, at the end, leaves us with hope for Mia and Julian."--Roberta Rubin, The Book Stall at Chestnut Court, Winnetka, Ill.

The Art of Political Murder: Who Killed the Bishop? by Francisco Goldman (Grove, $25, 9780802118288/0802118283). "In today's world of media cover-ups and governmental irresponsibility, Goldman's investigation into the murder of Bishop Juan Gerardi, a Guatemalan human rights activist, will strike a powerful chord with readers. Goldman's strengths as a journalist and novelist make for an appealing, poignant story."--John M. Hugo, Andover Bookstore, Andover, Mass.

Paperback

The Thanksgiving Table: Recipes and Ideas to Create Your Own Holiday by Diane Morgan (Chronicle, $19.95, 9780811855426/0811855422). "Since I was born on Thanksgiving Day, this holiday has been special to me. I tell people that having your birthday the week of Thanksgiving guarantees you'll have at least one good meal near your birthday--and this is a great book to help you do just that."--Caroline Stoufer, Buckskin Booksellers, Ouray, Colo.

For Ages 4 to 8

The Apple Pie That Papa Baked by Lauren Thompson, illustrated by Jonathan Bean (S&S, $15.99, 9781416912408/1416912401). "My favorite picture book of the year. The story describes what goes into the apple pie a father bakes for his daughter: not just apples and pastry, but ingredients that can't be measured, such as the sun that helped the tree grow, and a parent's love. Rhythmic text and superb illustrations ensure that, like the best apple pie recipes, this book deserves to be a classic!"--Lori Kauffman, Brookline Booksmith, Brookline, Mass.

[Many thanks to Book Sense and the ABA!]

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My Family and Other Saints by Kirin Narayan (University of Chicago Press, $22.50, 9780226568201/0226568202, November 1, 2007)
 
That Kirin Narayan had decided to write a memoir came as no surprise to her mother. As a 10-year-old, she had promised (or perhaps threatened) to write about her unusual family and a childhood that was, by any standard, unconventional. Fortunately for that family, Narayan has created a portrait of them that is realistic in its depiction of their flaws and foibles but generous and always loving.
 
Born to an American mother and an Indian father, Narayan grew up in Bombay with her three older siblings in the late 1960s and early 1970s when Western obsession with Indian spirituality was at its height. Their beachfront home became a stopover for dozens of hippies and would-be seekers, prompting her mother to claim that it was known as a haven "all along the hash trail." Narayan's sari-wearing mother embraced all visitors and their spiritual quests while her father remained both cynical and skeptical, calling the houseguests "urugs" (backwards "gurus") and instructing mosquitoes to go "Off to a better reincarnation" as he slapped them from his leg. Spiritually and socially, Narayan and her siblings remained somewhere in between these poles.
 
In 1969, when she was 10, Narayan's brother Rahoul, who was 16, announced he was dropping out of school and going to live in an ashram. She sees this event (which bemused rather than alarmed her family) as setting the entire family in a slow-forward motion along their own spiritual journeys. She describes the next few years with fine impressionistic prose, weaving together her parents' disintegrating marriage, her father's descent into alcoholism and her brother's departure for the U.S. with visits to ashrams, friendships with gurus and tales from her paternal grandmother, Ba, who was visited regularly by Hindu deities.
 
Narayan's descriptions of India are particularly rich; from the banana milk she drank after school each day to the tie-dye shirts of the "urugs," her father's mounting Kingfisher beer bottles and her grandmother's pujas (devotions) to the Goddess Lakshmi. But it is in her questions of identity, both individual and familial, where Narayan's narrative attains real poignancy. As time moved forward, her family scattered (her mother to the foot of the Himalayas, she and her siblings to various cities in the U.S.) but remained bonded both by what she calls their "shared karma" and by their individual searches for higher meaning. Some of their stories end sadly or without resolution ("Who knows why I became a drunkard?" her father asks at the end of his life), but Narayan, a cultural anthropologist, finds the wonder and joy in her family's journey and presents it to us with insight and grace.--Debra Ginsberg

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