Book Sense

In the spirit of inclusiveness and accuracy, the Upper Midwest Booksellers Association (UMBA) has changed its name to the Midwest Booksellers Association (MBA). "Our new name now accurately includes the whole territory and all of the bookstores that we represent," said the regional's executive director, Susan Walker. "It's a large geographic area to call the Upper Midwest.

Based on sales reports from hundreds of independent bookstores nationwide, for the eight-week period ending February 13, 2005.

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

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

The February Book Sense Red Box mailing is brimming with informative and useful items for your consideration. Among the contents:

From the ABA and Book Sense:

Here is the full listing of the March "Book Sense Picks," with booksellers' comments. Independent booksellers in the Book Sense program are receiving their Picks fliers in the February Red Box.

Book Sense sends many, many thanks to all the booksellers who contributed to this list, and to the upcoming Poetry Top Ten list.

Over recent months, there's certainly been no shortage of media reports touting the burgeoning mass appeal of gift cards. According to gift card sales figures recently compiled by ABA, sales of Book Sense gift cards increased by 256 percent in December 2004, compared with the same period last year.

Independent bookstores in New York State's Hudson Valley were featured in the December issue of Chronogram: A Mid-Hudson Magazine of Events and Ideas, a widely distributed free publication. Nina Shengold, author of the piece, entitled "Best-Sellers" focused on two of the region's bookstores -- Ariel Booksellers in New Paltz and Oblong Books & Music in Millerton and Rhinebeck, and, in a sidebar to the article listed an impressive 11 Book Sense bookstores located in the region, several with multiple locations.

Here are independent booksellers' picks for the Top Ten Easter and Passover titles for 2005. This list was developed by Book Sense in collaboration with the Association of American Publishers' Get Caught Reading initiative, an ongoing project.

Many thanks to all the independent booksellers who contributed a wealth of enthusiastic nominations for this list. Pads of the list will be included in the February Red Box.

To download this list in PDF format, click here.

ABA is asking all owners and staff of member bookstores to cast their votes for the 2005 Book Sense Book of the Year Awards. All ABA member stores are eligible to participate, and every employee has a vote, but all ballots must be received by midnight on February 28.

Ballots may be cast through an online form or via a downloadable PDF, which may be mailed or faxed to ABA.

Here is a preview of the March "Book Sense Picks," which will be posted with booksellers' comments on BookWeb next week. Independent booksellers in the Book Sense program will receive their Picks fliers in the February Red Box.

Beginning with the March selections, the additional 20 titles chosen in the Book Sense Picks program will now be designated "Book Sense Notables." Formerly, announced under the heading "We Also Recommend...." the 20 Book Sense Notables titles will still be available each month to booksellers in a downloadable PDF flier designed to complement the monthly, printed Book Sense Picks fliers.

ABA is asking all owners and staff of member bookstores to cast their votes for the 2005 Book Sense Books of the Year Awards. All ABA member stores are eligible to participate, and every employee has a vote, but all ballots must be received by midnight on February 28.

Chips, beer, pizza, goal-line stands, facemasks, and ... reading?

Book Sense is now in its sixth year as the national marketing program for independent booksellers, and because of the widespread participation of booksellers, it has had significant success in raising the awareness of independents among the book-buying public, publishers, authors, media, and literary agents.