It’s been nearly five years in the making, and now it’s almost here! The Trees of My Country: A Natural History of India in 50 Trees, published by Aleph, will hit the bookstores soon.

It took me across India, this great country of the trees, from the steamy forests of the Andaman and Nicobar islands to the high Himalaya, from the coral atolls of Lakshadweep to the far reaches of Arunachal […]

Fort Wayne’s charming kitty curators of used books

One perk of loving to visit independent bookstores is every now and then you get the added bonus of meeting the resident cat(s) who live and/or work there. As everyone knows, cats in a store are the true brains of the operation and they stay there to make sure their human subjects follow all store policies to the letter.

Recently, on a day trip to Hyde Brothers Booksellers in Fort Wayne, Indiana, we were treated to just such a welcome by their kitty curators, Scout and Sherlock.

These two oh-so-adorable cats are brother (Sherlock) and sister (Scout) from the same litter. They are 12 years old and definitely the official rulers of the roost.

Scout was striking a restful pose on her cushy ottoman throne in the Literary aisle, while Sherlock was roaming and relaxing in the History aisle. Scout was immediately endearing to us newcomers by allowing us to softly rub her ears and pet her head, as well as give her a kitty back massage. Well-placed chairs on either side of her royal daybed were at perfect petting level for guests to bestow homage upon Scout, while deciding which books they wanted to purchase. Her quiet purrs were delightfully dainty and demure.

Just a touch more hesitant, Sherlock was very welcoming if you let him smell your hand first. Once acquainted, he was your buddy, though you do need to avoid sudden moves or he may scamper away. While not as regally positioned as Scout, he was no less triumphant in his ruling of his domain.

Both Scout and Sherlock were lovely and welcoming hosts into their literary world. It was a heartwarming reminder of how much we adored our Gus (a.k.a. Secret Agent 47) who passed away a little more than two weeks ago at 17 years of age.

Thank you, Hyde Brothers Booksellers for sharing joyful kitty moments with these two humanoids through Scout and Sherlock. It was very cathartic and healing for our recently broken hearts. 💔

Peace and love!

"Always Here Books Starts Letter Campaign Against AI in Bookstores"

https://www.wweek.com/arts/books/2026/05/18/always-here-books-starts-letter-campaign-against-ai-in-bookstores/

"More than 30 bookstores have signed on to Hart’s letter. It’s mainly small, independent bookstores in the Portland area, such as Wallace Books, Grand Gesture Books and Belmont Books, but some are as far away as North Carolina and Florida."

#Portland #PDX #Books #Bookstores #Bookstodon #NoAI #FuckAI