Half Price Books spoke out recently in opposition to a new bill, Texas, HB 1375, which would allow people to sue bookstores for “damages arising from the distribution, transmission, or display of harmful material to a minor.” Half Price Books owner Kathy Doyle Thomas criticized the bill, saying it’s vague, and unrealistic to expect booksellers to read and assess every single book in their stores. She told NBC DFW, “How do we know in all of these books that we have in all of the stores across the state — we don’t know what’s inappropriate. [They] could be inappropriate in Corpus […]
People 5/14
Authors Guild Files Suit to Reinstate NEH Grants
The Authors Guild has filed a lawsuit seeking class action status against DOGE and the National Endowment for the Humanities to reinstate the NEH grants that were withdrawn in April. The organization’s co-plaintiffs include several scholars who had their grants revoked, many of whom were working on book projects. According to the filing, at least 1,400 grants were canceled, amounting to approximately $175 million. The AG argues that the termination of grants was unlawful, as well as deeply disruptive to grantees who were in the middle of their projects and “were required to forego other employment or compensation opportunities during […]
Oprah’s Book Club
Trump Appoints Loyalists at LOC and Copyright Office
After abruptly firing the highly qualified, non-partisan longtime leaders of the Library of Congress and US Copyright Office, Donald Trump moved quickly to install loyalists with little relevant experience in their place. Todd Blanche, Trump’s personal attorney from his 2024 criminal trial and now Deputy Attorney General, was appointed acting Librarian of Congress. And Paul Perkins, an associate deputy attorney general, is acting register of copyrights and director of the Copyright Office. Additionally, Brian Nieves, a deputy chief of staff and senior counsel in Blanche’s office, was made acting assistant librarian at the LOC. The AP says, “The implications of […]
Trade Sales Slumped in February
The Association of American Publisher released StatShot data for February, reporting trade sales of $605 million, down 5 percent from the previous year. Adult books sold $447 million in the month, down 2 percent. Fiction sales were flat at $260 million and nonfiction fell 6 percent to $187 million. Hardcover sales were flat at $128 million, paperbacks fell 12 percent to $142.5 million, ebooks grew 11 percent to $90.1 million, and digital audio sales grew 9 percent to $76.4 million. Children’s and YA book sales fell 13 percent to $158 million, with $131 million in fiction (down 14 percent) and […]