Before the pandemic, I often bought books in airport bookstores. You know, the books you can buy, read, and then return for a trade-in. But without the ability to fly anywhere, my ability to keep up with this resourceful program simply lapsed. But it appears that bookstores are now, in these early post-pandemic days, flourishing once again. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, bookstore sales in May 2022 increased 12.3 percent over last year, with revenue bouncing back to a new record – $665 million.
Some polls show that while publishing is booming, that reading appears to have slacked, with Americans reading an average of twelve books a year in 2021. But the numbers are picking up. Reading at all levels is back as well and World War II stories are increasingly popular, particularly in the fiction category, and that includes romances.
But WWII nonfiction continues to surge as well. There are still many stories to tell, and our understanding of that time isn’t complete until we have the full picture. History goes beyond the actions of world leaders, the politicians and military leaders orchestrating campaigns, operations, and battles.
We know the stories of individual soldiers, sailors, and Marines and their bravery but there is much we still don’t have a full appreciation for. Every story deserves to be told, to take its place in our collective understanding. I think this may be why the untold stories of The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line have found their way into the hands of thousands of readers, ordering from Amazon, sharing with book clubs, and being devoured in libraries. The paperback is in airport bookstores, with many finding the individual stories are just the right length for an average flight. A flight that is actually on time, that is.
On August 27th, The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line will be recognized by the Military Writer’s Society of America at their annual conference. The conference will be held at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, a fitting place for these stories to find their voice. I’m thrilled that these women are receiving the recognition so long overdue, and their contributions are being accorded the respect they are due.
The museum is working on a future exhibit entitled “Our War Too.” I’ll be looking forward to that and learning more about the contributions of so many who had been overlooked for so long.
Each year the Library of Virginia hosts an annual awards program in fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and the category called “The People’s Choice Awards.”
This year, 2022, marks the 19th anniversary of the program, which celebrates Virginia authors or works about Virginia. This year’s gala event celebrating the awards will take place at the Library in Richmond, VA for the first time since the start of the pandemic. The 25th Annual Library of Virginia Literary Awards Celebration will be held on Saturday, Oct 15th. This is a major fundraising event for the library.
Here are the People’s Choice nominees. Check out the 19 finalists and vote for your favorites!
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