News Today’s Book News Tuesday, 25th November

[AgentPete]

Today’s Book News Tuesday, 25th November 2025 (London date)

One of the United States’ biggest book manufacturers expands into distribution, the Reading Agency reveal its 2026 Quick Reads titles, and a flurry of rights deals in speculative romance and literary fiction. A new $15 000 prize for debut writers was announced, while a Quebec writer received a major nonfiction nomination and a Scholarly Kitchen post urged flexibility for worker‑caregivers.

Lakeside Book Company buys B&T distribution arm​

Lakeside Book Company has acquired the distribution arm of Baker & Taylor Publisher Services, including a print‑on‑demand facility in Ashland, Ohio. The company said the deal adds distribution and order‑to‑cash capabilities to its book manufacturing and warehousing services and will let small and mid‑sized publishers integrate with Lakeside’s warehousing. All BTPS employees are being offered positions at Lakeside

Jennifer Hayden discusses The Joy of Not Cooking​

Graphic memoirist Jennifer Hayden speaks about her new book “Where There’s Smoke, There’s Dinner” and her life‑long aversion to cooking. In the interview she says the book grew from telling humorous stories about kitchen disasters and uses “snarky humor and rollicking art” to mix comedy with therapeutic reflection on family meals and food‑related mishaps

2026 Quick Reads revealed​

BookBrunch reports that the Reading Agency has unveiled six new Quick Reads titles for 2026. The announcement marks the scheme’s twentieth anniversary and coincides with the National Year of Reading, celebrating two decades of providing accessible short books for emergent or busy readers

Hodderscape pre‑empts speculative romance in two‑book deal​

Hodderscape has pre‑empted Darianne Schramm’s novel “The Eternal Deaths of Hattie Gold” in a two‑book deal. The publisher describes the book as a new adult speculative romance, noting that the title has also attracted a six‑figure deal in the United States with Macmillan

Simon & Schuster buys Lucy Ashe’s The Model Patient​

Simon & Schuster has acquired Lucy Ashe’s 1960s‑set novel “The Model Patient” in a two‑book deal. The page‑turning story examines a patient’s vulnerability in therapy and the complex power dynamics between therapist and client, introducing themes of attraction, danger and seduction

Verve Books brings Angela Flournoy to the UK​

Indie publisher Verve Books has signed the UK rights to Angela Flournoy’s novels “The Wilderness” and “The Turner House.” Flournoy is a Kirkus Prize finalist and two‑time National Book Award nominee, and Verve said bringing her work to British readers reflects its commitment to publishing “generational talent”

James Patterson and Bookshop.org launch prize for debut writers​

Authors James Patterson and Bookshop.org have created a new $15 000 prize for full‑length debut books, with a $10 000 runner‑up award. Independent booksellers will nominate and judge titles, with nominations opening on 5 January 2026. Patterson said the award aims to support emerging authors and celebrate the role of indie bookstores in discovering new voices

Flatiron and Hachette make personnel moves​

Publishers Lunch notes that Elysia Liang has joined Flatiron Books as senior editor focusing on practical nonfiction. Mary Beth Thomas will become director of field sales at Hachette Book Group on 1 December, overseeing sales to independent bookstores; she previously led HarperCollins’ independent retail sales team

Taiwan‑Mexico book fair program builds rights exchanges​

At the Guadalajara International Book Fair, the Taiwan Creative Content Agency is hosting a pavilion titled “Hogar de Historias” showcasing 98 titles from 25 Taiwanese publishers. The program promotes Taiwanese books—picture books, novels, comics and more—to Mexican publishers and includes translation grants and partnerships with bookstore chain Librerías Gandhi to encourage rights deals. Organisers report growing interest in illustrated works and stories by women, reflecting a broader Spanish‑language demand for Asian literature

Czech publishing group expands into second‑hand books​

Czech publisher Albatros Media has increased its investment in the online second‑hand bookseller Restorio to a 49 percent stake and has acquired the peer‑to‑peer marketplace Trhknih. Spokesperson Eva Karasová said Restorio’s instant‑payment model complements Trhknih’s direct reader‑to‑reader marketplace, creating a circular book economy while Albatros continues to focus on new book sales

Mélikah Abdelmoumen shortlisted for Andrew Carnegie Medal​

Quill and Quire reports that Quebec writer Mélikah Abdelmoumen’s long‑form essay “Baldwin, Styron, and Me,” translated by Catherine Khordoc, is shortlisted for the American Library Association’s 2026 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Nonfiction. The book explores the friendship between James Baldwin and William Styron and examines debates about race, identity and censorship; it previously won the Prix Pierre‑Vadeboncoeur and has been nominated for other translation prizes. Winners of the fiction and nonfiction medals, each worth $5 000, will be announced on 27 January 2026

Scholarly Kitchen: balancing work and caregiving​

In a Mental Health Awareness Mondays post, academic Kristal Gerdes notes that nearly one in four adults is a caregiver and 94 percent are supporting other adults. She highlights that almost 30 percent of caregivers are part of the “sandwich generation,” caring for children and aging parents, and that adult day care costs around $26 000 per year in the United States Gerdes argues that flexible work arrangements are essential for caregivers in academia, urging institutions to develop policies that allow scholars to balance teaching, research and family responsibilities