Related

Cardinal (The Storyteller’s Death) deftly blurs the boundaries between literary and relationship fiction, crafting a novel full of magical realism that unfolds with leisurely grace as it traces a plot that is deeply engaging. Swift yet reflective, intimate yet universal, this is a novel of deep rewards.

On September 4, the United States Second Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a March 2023 ruling that the Internet Archive’s (IA) program of scanning print books and distributing digital copies on a one print-book, one-ebook, one-user basis for free is not protected by fair use doctrine. The ruling was the result of a lawsuit filed by Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, John Wiley & Sons, and Penguin Random House in June 2020.

The longlist for the Financial Times and Schroders Business Book of the Year is announced. Poets & Writers releases its seventh annual selection of the best new memoirs and essay collections. “Tantie Merle and the Farmhand 4200” by R.S.A. Garcia wins the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award for best short science fiction story. Acclaimed Cree novelist Darrel J. McLeod, author of A Season in Chezgh’un, has died at age 67, and Steve Silberman, author of Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity, has died at age 66. Plus, interviews with Ketanji Brown Jackson, Gillian Anderson, and Cynthia Zarin.

I realize that genealogical research has long been associated with the retiree demographic, something one’s grandparents might do in their free time, and not what today’s students would gravitate toward on their own initiative. But that is where the wonder of the required assignment comes in, and where budding amateur genealogists are made. As the great American novelist William Faulkner once said, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” And that’s what I try to instill in the students I teach about the wonders and magic of genealogical research.

The Cundill History Prize and the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish crime fiction shortlists and the Baillie Gifford Prize for Nonfiction and the Giller Prize for Canadian fiction longlists are released. Danielle Treweek’s The Meaning of Singleness wins Australian Christian Book of the Year. W. Paul Coates, founder of Black Classic Press, wins National Book Foundation’s Literarian Award. An appeals court upholds the ruling that Internet Archive’s National Emergency Library program is in violation of copyright law. Little Free Library partners with ALA and PEN America on a book ban map.

Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winner Erdrich (The Sentence) yet again displays her storytelling skills.

The setting, characters, and structure of the novel are compelling, and, as the title suggests, there are secrets and lies aplenty. For fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid and The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins.

Reese Witherspoon selects The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year by Margaret Renkl as her 100th book club pick. Read with Jenna’s September pick is Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors. Winners of the Anthony Awards are announced, including All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby and A Fever in the Heartland by Timothy Egan. Sisters in Crime’s Davitt Awards winners are announced, and the Washington State Book Award finalists are announced. LitHub reports on NaNoWriMo’s AI controversy. Nightbitch, based on the book by Rachel Yoder, gets a trailer. Plus, LibraryReads and LJ offer read-alikes for Matt Haig’s buzzy book The Life Impossible.

This must-have anthology is a treasure trove not to be missed.

For the work it has done to create a robust community hub through responsive services and strong partnerships, the Mendocino County Library Round Valley Branch, CA, is the recipient of LJ’s 2024 Best Small Library in America Award, sponsored by Ingram Library Services. Honorable mentions go to Northfield Public Library, MN, and Valley of the Tetons Library, ID.

Perhaps one of the truest versions of life in America’s small and rural communities can found each day in their public libraries, where residents connect.

The Life Impossible by Matt Haig leads holds this week. Also getting buzz are titles by J.D. Robb, Vince Flynn & Don Bentley, Rachel Kushner, Lee Child, and Kate Atkinson. The Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature shortlist is announced. Audiofile announces the September Earphones Award winners. Seven LibraryReads and eleven Indie Next picks publish this week. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson discusses her new memoir, Lovely One. Plus, fall book previews arrive.

From the Tampa Bay Times: A coalition of the nation’s largest book publishers filed a lawsuit Thursday against Florida education officials alleging that a 2023 Florida law that increased scrutiny of school library books unconstitutionally limits free speech.

Winners of the Christianity Today Book Awards and the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses Firecracker Awards are announced. National Book Awards longlists will be announced between September 10 and 13, finalists will be announced October 1, and winners will be announced November 20. Bookshop.org launches a buy-back scheme for second-hand books that will pay royalties to the authors. Plus new title bestsellers.

Readers looking for a wild romp of a sci-fi caper story, complete with long games, big plans, wild heists, and epically flirtatious banter, are going to fall in love with Ada Lamarr every bit as much as Agent Rian White does in this first of a projected trilogy from Revis (Museum of Magic). Perfect for fans of Valerie Valdes and Constance Fay.

The Kirkus Prize finalists are announced. Tracey Slaughter wins the Moth Short Story Prize. Time previews the most anticipated books of this fall . LibraryReads and LJ offer read-alikes for Hannah Grace’s buzzy book Daydream. Leonard Riggio, founder and longtime head of Barnes & Noble, has died at the age of 83.

A superb, marvelously informative introduction to Latine cooking and cuisine in the U.S., enriched with intriguing snippets of Salazar’s heritage and culinary journeys.

With an eminently likable group of characters, a generous helping of wine and foodie culture, and an extra steamy and tender love story, YA author Khorram’s (The Breakup Lists) first foray into adult fiction will warm readers’ hearts.

Bouchercon World Mystery Convention kicks off tomorrow in Nashville; the Anthony Awards will be announced at the event on Saturday, August 31. The winners of the Prix Rosny Aîné and Firecracker Awards are announced. NYT offers a printable checklist of its 100 Best Books of the 21st Century. Former first lady Melania Trump’s memoir, due out on October 1, hits #1 on several Amazon bestseller lists. Prince Harry’s memoir will get a paperback release on October 22. Diana Gabaldon has confirms that the Outlander series adaptation will end differently than her books.

Daydream by Hannah Grace leads holds this week. Also getting buzz are titles by Ann Cleeves, Emma R. Alban, and Fiona Barton. Four LibraryReads and two Indie Next picks publish this week. People’s book of the week is Small Rain by Garth Greenwell. September’s LibraryReads list features top pick The Night Guest by Hildur Knútsdóttir. The inaugural American Manga Award winners are announced. Moonflower Murders, based on the novel by Anthony Horowitz, premieres September 15. Plus, Kazuo Ishiguro’s A Pale View of Hills is being adapted for the big screen in Japan.

Nguyen’s delicious efforts to bring her unique cuisine and personal style to print will be a hit with fans and newbies alike.

A new Knight Foundation survey supports the idea that book bans are being pursued by a vocal, politically motivated minority. The Independent Book Publishers Association and EveryLibrary Institute will launch the We Are Stronger Than Censorship program. Plus, interviews with Danez Smith and Francesca Segal and Page to Screen.

An affecting book and always slightly to the side, as indeed were all of Kafka’s writings.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Public Library (CPL) on August 15 announced the launch of “Chicago Book-Wrapped,” a new popup initiative offering instant access to a curated collection of ebooks and e-audiobooks with no hold times or library card requirements during special events in Chicago. The initial collection was curated to celebrate the Democratic National Convention.

Winners of the Indiana Author Awards are announced, including Tess Gunty’s The Rabbit Hutch, Rebecca McKanna’s Don’t Forget the Girl, and Brittany Means’s Hell If We Don’t Change Our Ways. The Bookseller reports on censorship in UK school libraries. Interviews with Danez Smith, Carole Hopson, and Alexis Pauline Gumbs arrive. Plus, new title bestsellers.

Nail-biting suspense makes for an engaging and compulsively readable intro to yet another ambitious series from this writing team.

NYT explores “How the Push To Diversify Publishing Fell Short.” The German Book Prize longlist is announced. New College of Florida’s library dean has been placed on leave after book disposal controversy. LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for Spirit Crossing by William Kent Krueger. Charles R. Cross, biographer of Kurt Cobain and Jimi Hendrix, has died at the age of 67. Frank Andre Guridy discusses his new book, The Stadium: An American History of Politics, Protest, and Play. Anya Taylor-Joy will star in a Netflix series adaptation of Bella Mackie’s How To Kill Your Family. Plus, Vanity Fair gives an inside look at the new adaptation of Stephen King’s Salems Lot.

The weather conditions are an essential component in this sequel to All We Buried. Readers who appreciate the strong woman police chief in Linda Castillo’s Kate Burkholder books or the vivid landscapes of Craig Johnson’s Walt Longmire mysteries will appreciate Taylor’s riveting crime novel.

Dr. Colleen Shogan took the oath of office as the 11th Archivist of the United States—the chief administrator of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)—in May 2023, succeeding former Archivist David Ferriero. She is the first woman to permanently hold the role. LJ caught up with Shogan to hear about her national tour of presidential libraries, NARA’s stepped-up digitization efforts, and preserving the record of presidential cat Socks.

St. Martin’s Press makes a statement regarding a marketing and promotional boycott by Readers for Accountability. Booktopia is sold to DigiDirect. Authors sue AI startup Anthropic over its popular chatbot Claude. Time argues that “This Election Will Determine the Fate of Libraries.” Amazon Prime cancels My Lady Jane, based on the book by Jodi Meadows, after one season. Millie Bobby Brown is adapting her book Nineteen Steps for Netflix. Plus, Deadline rounds up everything we know about Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 2.

Fans of Carmen Maria Machado will find in this debut novelist a new author to follow every bit as voraciously.

Representing approximately 80 percent of the trade book market, the Big Five publishing houses—Hachette, Harper­Collins, Macmillan, Penguin Random House, and Simon & Schuster—are key stakeholders in the library value chain. In Five Questions with the Big Five, LJ interviews publishing’s top brass to better understand the issues they’re facing, the trends that have their attention, reading culture, and where they see library and publishing interests aligned. We kick off this series with Jonathan Karp, President and Publisher of Simon & Schuster, as he reflects on the state of publishing and his company's 100th anniversary.

Spirit Crossing by William Kent Krueger leads holds this week. Also getting buzz are titles by Jodi Picoult, Karin Slaughter, P.J. Tracy, and Christine Feehan. Two LibraryReads and six Indie Next picks publish this week. People’s book of the week is We Love the Nightlife by Rachel Koller Croft. Peter Swanson’s Eight Perfect Murders will get an adaptation. And talk show host and author Phil Donahue has died at the age of 88.

Well written and informative, with extensive research notes. Highly recommended for fashion merchandising and women’s studies readers.

The shortlists for the British Fantasy Awards are announced. Poets & Writers selects the best memoirs and essay collections of the year. The National Book Foundation issues $350,000 in new grants. Editor Betty A. Prashker, an advocate for women in publishing, has died at age 99. Plus page to screen and interviews with Louise Erdrich, Jodi Picoult, and Stella Sands.

Highly approachable and friendly to all skill levels, this book fits the bill for anyone who hesitates to prepare meals; a must-have for time-constrained cooks. Essential for every collection.

Shortlists are announced for the Wainwright Prize for nature and conservation writing, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, the Heartland Booksellers Awards, and Australia’s Prime Minister’s Literary Awards. Science fiction author M.J. Engh has died at age 91, and Susan Wojcicki, a key player in convincing publishers to allow Google to scan books into its search engine, has died at age 56. Plus, new title bestsellers and interviews with Yoko Ogawa, Bill Schutt, and Francine Prose.

With its focus on books and book lovers, eccentric villagers and frauds, this first mystery from the author of The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend is a delightful traditional, filled with fascinating characters. Those who escape to Louise Penny’s Three Pines might want to check out Great Diddling.

Lush scenery, well-drawn secondary characters, and believable, grounded conflicts lead to a sweet and satisfying ending for Kit and Theo in McQuiston’s (I Kissed Shara Wheeler) funniest, sexiest novel to date, here in a special edition with painted edges.

Shortlists for the Indiana Author Awards, the Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize, and the Ned Kelly Awards are announced. LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for Angel of Vengeance by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child, the top holds title of the week. Interviews arrive with Joy Williams, Ailton Krenak, Paolo Bacigalupi, and Christy Hall.

Former President Barack Obama shares his ever-popular summer reading list. Tommy Orange is picked as the 11th writer to contribute to the Future Library project. The winners of the Aurora Awards, the Analog AnLab and Asimov’s Readers’ Awards, and the Sidewise Award are announced. Publisher DarkLit Press appears to shutter, under controversial circumstances. Interviews arrive with T.J. Newman, Moon Unit Zappa, Leslie Jamison, and Joe Moore. Plus, librarian Mychal Threets will be featured on a new limited-edition library card at the Berkeley Public Library.

Highly recommended for readers who enjoy reimagined legends.

The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) and the Independent Publishers Group (IPG) today announced a new model that will give libraries ownership rights to ebooks purchased from Austin Macauley, Arcadia Publishing, Dynamite Entertainment, Dover Publications, JMS Books, and dozens of other independent publishers.

LJ recently spoke with Rebekah Cummings, a librarian for the University of Utah's Marriott Library, who is currently running for Lieutenant Governor of Utah.

Spokane Public Library, WA, served as both host for Library Journal’s May 9 Design Institute and—using its creative and community-responsive systemwide redesigns and new construction as a jumping-off point—the inspiration for many of the day’s discussions. Fortunately, the conversation didn’t end there. LJ circled round with participants to find out what knowledge they brought back from Design Institute and what trends they think libraries looking to build, renovate, or retrofit their spaces should be keeping an eye on.

Angel of Vengeance by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child leads holds this week. Also getting buzz are titles by Danielle Steel, T.J. Newman, Emma Lord, and Peter Heller. The Hugo Awards are announced, with Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh winning best novel and Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher winning best novella. The Lodestar and Astounding Awards winners and the World Fantasy Awards finalists are announced. People’s book of the week is The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore by Evan Friss. Plus, CBS Sunday Morning reflects on James Baldwin’s legacy at 100.

This sparkling novel is highly recommended for all collections.

Kwame Anthony Appiah has been awarded the Library of Congress Kluge Prize for Achievement in the Study of Humanity. Open Road will launch the Free Voices Geo-Targeting initiative to help consumers find and read banned books in the 10 states where book bans are most prevalent. EarlyWord releases its August GalleyChat roundup. Mary Wings, pioneering creator of queer comics, has died at 75. Plus Page to Screen and interviews with Jamaica Kincaid, Ellen Atlanta, and Gill Paul.

This compelling mix of horror, found family, and intricate mythology will appeal to those who loved Winter Tide by Ruthanna Emrys and The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin.

Voting on proposals for 2025 SXSW and 2025 SXSW EDU panels opened on August 6, and libraries are well represented among the many panels submitted for consideration.

Imani Perry’s South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation wins the inaugural Inside Literary Prize, which is judged by incarcerated people. Los Angeles Public Library is launching the Bureau of Nooks and Crannies, a game that will inspire guests to view their library in a new way. A Liverpool library was burned by far-right rioters in England on Saturday and is now raising funds to rebuild. Plus new title bestsellers and interviews with Roxane Gay, Jasmin Graham, and Ala Stanford.

Wassmer’s debut novel succeeds in being the opposite of its title. He might become a new favorite for fans of John Scalzi and David Wong (a.k.a. Jason Pargin).

For fans of Herman Melville’s novel Moby-Dick, the name New Bedford, MA, may ring a bell, since it’s where Ishmael, the main character, signs up for the whaling expedition. The city is also home to the New Bedford Whaling Museum, which was founded as the Old Dartmouth Historical Society in 1903. 

August book club picks arrive, and the Dragon Awards ballot and the Premio Italia finalists are announced. Utah has banned 13 books from public schools statewide. Heresy Press is becoming a Skyhorse imprint. Publishers Lunch will host a “Romance Buzz Books” virtual event on Wednesday, August 21. LibraryReads and LJ offer read-alikes for Brad Thor’s buzzy book Shadow of Doubt. Liza Minnelli will release a tell-all memoir in spring 2025. Plus, Bob Woodward’s next book, War, due out October 15, will focus on conflict abroad and politics at home.

To the oft-invoked online debate of man vs. bear, Tama offers a new question: man vs. bird. The magpie narrator offers more nuance and understanding to human relations than do most people. Chidgey (Pet) is a skilled storyteller and doesn’t stop surprising with this gorgeously haunting work. Endlessly faceted and highly recommended for book clubs.

The Academy of American Poets Announces 2024 Poet Laureate Fellows. GMA selects The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia for its August book club. CBC announces its “writers to watch” list. Flatiron will launch a new imprint, Pine & Cedar, with S.A. Cosby’s next book, King of Ashes, in summer 2025. Brooke Shields and Michael Caine will publish memoirs next year. Interviews arrive with Lena Valencia, Drew Afualo, Taffy Brodesser-Akner, Timothy W. Ryback, Theodore H. Schwartz, and George Saunders. Plus, a new Game of Thrones prequel, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, is in the works at HBO.

On the evening of July 31, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) celebrated its 2024 National Medal for Museum and Library Service at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC. IMLS Acting Director Cyndee Landrum presented the National Medals to the award recipients, which included a range of libraries from across the country.

Several major companies—including Clarivate, EBSCO, OCLC, and OverDrive—are introducing new AI tools and features that will impact researchers, patrons, and library work directly.

Artificial intelligence—a creative’s job killer or a game changer?

Shadow of Doubt by Brad Thor leads holds this week. Also getting buzz are titles by Katee Robert, T. Kingfisher, Casey McQuiston, Sarah Pekkanen, and Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman. Nine LibraryReads and eight Indie Next picks publish this week. People’s book of the week is Hum by Helen Phillips. Audiofile announces the August Earphones Award winners. August’s Costco Connection features C.J. Box and the paperback release of his novel Three-Inch Teeth. The Wedding People by Alison Espach is the Read with Jenna and B&N book club pick for August.

A highly readable suspense novel in the style of Riley Sager, Alice Feeney, and Lisa Jewell, with a dash of Liane Moriarty thrown in for good measure.

Bowen is adept at writing mysteries filled with intriguing clues, satisfying solutions, expertly captured historical settings, and a little romance. A must-add to popular mystery collections.

NPR, NYT, and LitHub honor the centenary of James Baldwin’s birth. Praiseworthy by Alexis Wright wins the Miles Franklin Literary Award. The longlist has been selected for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. A new revised volume of Freud’s complete works, 30 years in the making, is out now from Rowman & Littlefield. The Dallas-based Southwest Review is launching New Pony Press. Plus, Page to Screen.

On July 30, the U.S. Senate passed the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) 91–3.  Supporters of the bill say that it will help protect children from the potential harms of social media platforms and other online services, but critics say that if the legislation passes the House and becomes law, it will lead to online censorship—potentially including politicized censorship by the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general who would enforce the law.

The NYT Book Review book club picks Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend for August. Catherine Taylor wins the TLS Ackerley Prize for memoir and biography with The Stirrings: A Memoir in Northern Time. The Cundill History Prize longlist is announced. The short stories on the Caine Prize for African Writing shortlist are revealed. Finalists are selected for the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award, recognizing the best books with a horse racing backdrop. Howard Andrew Jones wins a Trigon Award, honoring “the past, present, and future of science fiction, fantasy, and horror.” Time releases its list of the 50 best romance novels. Plus new title bestsellers.

“Warm and human even as it’s post human,” as Jo Walton observes in her introduction, Reed’s remarkable debut skillfully blends mind-bending speculation with riveting intrigue, alluring romance and harrowing drama, set in a prescient de-souled future.

Readers who enjoy the work of Nadia Hashimi and E.M. Tran are likely to embrace this deeply engaging and satisfying tale. Thanki is a new voice to definitely keep an eye on.

Robyn Schiff has won the Four Quartets Prize for her poetry collection Information Desk. The September Indie Next list is out, featuring #1 pick Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner. A bankruptcy court has approved B&N’s purchase of the Denver-based bookstore the Tattered Cover. NPR says The Most by Jessica Anthony “deserves to become a classic.” LibraryReads and LJ offer read-alikes for Alison Espach’s buzzy book The Wedding People. John Scalzi signs a major 10-book deal. Plus, Riley Keough announces a fall book tour for her late mother Lisa Marie Presley’s forthcoming memoir, From Here to the Great Unknown, due out October 8.

The Booker Prize 2024 longlist and the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards are announced. The man who attacked author Salman Rushdie with a knife in 2022 will be charged with new counts of terrorism. Washington Post explores arsenic and old books. And Francine Pascal, creator of the “Sweet Valley High Book” series, has died at the age of 92.

Short story fans might just discover their new favorite author in this arresting collection, a must-have.

Marked by Harkness’s deft evocations and appreciation of learning, this is a book to treasure. The portentous ending, rife with new story threads and threats, will leave readers hoping that she doesn’t wait another six years to continue the series.

The Wedding People by Alison Espach leads holds this week. It is also the August Read with Jenna book club pick, the #1 Indie Next pick, and People’s book of the week. Also getting buzz are titles by Shari Lapena, James Patterson and Mike Lupica, Rainbow Rowell, and Kimberly McCreight. Sam Helmick is elected as ALA’s 2024–25 president. Authors honor the legacy of Irish novelist Edna O’Brien, who has died at the age of 93.

With its mix of astute cultural analyses, quippy personal anecdotes, and deeper dives into sociopolitical and theoretical factors, this book does more than show disabled and chronically ill people that they belong. It also serves as a reminder that it matters how one shows up on dating apps and in relationships, in order to counteract the systems that try to render invisible the people whose bodies don’t conform to social norms.

Ferdia Lennon wins the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize for Glorious Exploits. Lisa Jewell’s None of This Is True, Rebecca Yarros’s Fourth Wing, and Laurie Gilmore’s The Pumpkin Spice Café win TikTok Book Awards. Longlists for the Polari Prizes for LGBTQIA+ literature are announced. Plus, interviews with Elise Bryant, Hala Alyan, and Claire Kilroy and Page to Screen.

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) on July 24 announced the availability of almost $1 billion in competitive grant funding for programs that “support efforts to achieve digital equity, promote digital inclusion activities, and spur greater adoption and meaningful use of broadband,” according to a notice of funding opportunity posted by the agency. Application materials are available on NTIA’s BroadbandUSA website, and must be submitted through the NTIA Grants Portal by September 23.

Collecting one of the most popular, beloved, and influential comic strips ever created, this volume and the four preceding it are essential purchases for all libraries.

Many accessibility options are available to academic librarians and library workers, but the costs involved in training staff, reworking spaces, and purchasing tools can be limiting. It therefore falls on each library to best allocate their resources. In order to bring to light possible approaches, Osama Youssef Smadi, associate professor of special education at the Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University in Saudi Arabia, surveyed students with disabilities. In the 2021–22 academic year, 160 students with physical, health, visual, and hearing disabilities registered with the university’s Special Needs Services Center.

Martin MacInnes wins the Arthur C. Clarke Award for In Ascension. Finalists have been named for the New England Book Awards. The Jewish Literary Foundation reveals the Genesis Emerging Writers cohort for 2024. More audiobooks from indie publishers will be offered on Spotify. The latest GalleyChat roundup is out from EarlyWord. Plus, new title bestsellers and an obituary for cookbook author Rosa Ross.

Nevada’s libraries have long been an important part of the state’s workforce development programs, and in June, the state’s Board of Examiners approved a new librarian-in-residence program for two municipal systems—the North Las Vegas Library District and the Carson City Library—that will boost those efforts. For two years beginning last month, these librarians-in-residence will facilitate an Individual Career Mapping and Training Delivery Model program developed by the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development with libraries throughout the state. The program includes innovative features such as hands-on virtual reality “field trips” and access to NCLab’s Career Readiness Assessment to build STEM skills.

On July 16, Ithaka S+R released a new report, “Exploring Basic Needs Support Across Public and Community College Libraries,” as the first phase of its Maximizing Public-Academic Library Partnerships project. The report, authored by Senior Analyst Sindy Lopez, Analyst Sage Love, and Researcher Melissa Blankstein, surveys basic needs services promoted on public and community college library websites to see where that information differs, overlaps, and could potentially be expanded as partnerships.

This brief, potent book offers a fresh understanding of diaspora; readers of contemporary poetry will seek it out.

Pankaj Mishra wins the Weston International Award for his nonfiction work. The Frank R. Paul Award winners are announced. Seattle Worldcon 2025 announces Brandon O’Brien as its poet laureate. LibraryReads and LJ offer read-alikes for India Holton’s buzzy book The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love. NYT examines the rise and fall of the Romance Writers of America. Harper Alley will expand to publish adult graphic novels. People highlights Kaia Gerber’s literary platform, Library Science. Plus, PW previews Comic-Con, which kicks off in San Diego tomorrow.

An incredibly helpful guide for beginners, but readers who just want a refresher on crocheting techniques will appreciate this title too.

Jo Callaghan wins the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. Sales of Kamala Harris’s and J.D. Vance’s books have skyrocketed after this week’s news. The Imadjinn Award winners are announced. Sabrina Fielding wins the inaugural Montreal Fiction Prize. Catalina by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio gets buzz and raves from NYT and Washington Post. N.K. Jemison argues why “we need speculative fiction now more than ever,” in an essay for Esquire. Fortunate Sons by Liel Leibovitz & Matthew Miller will be adapted for film. Orbit launches the new horror imprint Run for It. Plus, the Glasgow Hugo Administration releases a statement regarding fraudulent votes cast in the final ballot.

This touching, funny, sexy novel from Simone (Ravaged) is a joy to read and is sure to be popular where contemporary sports romances and multicultural fiction circulate well.

The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love by India Holton leads holds this week. People’s book of the week is The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. The August LibraryReads list is out, featuring top pick House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen. Rebecca Yarros previews her forthcoming third book in the “Empyrean” series, Onyx Storm. Open Road launches a new industry podcast, The Open Book Podcast with David Steinberger, offering a behind-the-scenes look at books and publishing.

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on July 18 voted to allow libraries and schools to use funding from the federal E-rate program to purchase Wi-Fi hotspots for lending. A component of FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel’s Learn Without Limits proposal—which was announced at the American Library Association’s (ALA) 2023 Annual Conference in Chicago—integration of hotspots into the program was aimed at responding to increasing connectivity needs and modernizing the E-rate program.

This highly entertaining and fun book is especially recommended for educators and caregivers of school-age kids.

English PEN Translates winners are announced. NYT releases its readers’ picks for best books of the 21st century. The winners of the Oklahoma Book Awards are revealed. Emerald ᏃᏈᏏ GoingSnake and Kira Hayen win Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Awards for Indigenous writers. Plus interviews with Lorrie Moore, Jasmine Graham, and Howard Blum and Page to Screen.

Speaking to Jew and Gentile, believer and nonbeliver, this poetry collection makes our hungers radiant. Highly recommended.

New York Magazine’s summer book club pick is Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner. The Night Field by Donna Glee Williams wins the North Carolina Speculative Fiction Foundation’s Manly Wade Wellman Award. Wales Book of the Year winners, American Manga Award nominees, and shortlists for the UK’s Forward Prizes for Poetry are announced. London Libraries creates a reading app inspired by the “Couch to 5K” training program. Critic Maris Kreizman spills the details on the making of the NYT Best of the 21st Century list. 

Based on extensive primary research, this detailed case study will magnetize readers interested in U.S. Civil War history and politics.

In an NYT Book Review poll, Edward P. Jones’s The Known World is voted the best work of fiction by an American writer in the 21st century so far. The Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction shortlist and the Scribe Award nominees are announced. LibraryReads and LJ offer read-alikes for buzzy book The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey. In a restructuring at Hachette, Algonquin will be folded into Little, Brown, while Workman announces layoffs. Melissa De La Cruz’s Blue Bloods will get a series adaptation. Plus, a first look at Apartment 7A, a prequel to Rosemary’s Baby, based on the novel by Ira Levin.

A most moving, memorable memoir that expertly incorporates sensory details. Readers will be able to easily envision de Bastion’s grandfather, his love of music and great talent for it, his strength and resilience during the war, and the power of his music to keep him alive.

J.D. Vance, author of Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis, is named Donald Trump’s running mate. The Sturgeon Award finalists are announced. Esquire examines “The Second Coming of the Sports Novel.” Interviews arrive with Deborah Harkness, Kathie Lee Gifford, Halle Butler, Madiba K. Dennie, and Liz Moore. Plus, Netflix’s The Perfect Couple, based on the book by Elin Hilderbrand, gets a trailer.

The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey leads holds this week. Also getting buzz are titles by Deborah Harkness, Lev Grossman, B.K. Borison, Jessica Joyce, and Meg Shaffer. The Shirley Jackson Award winners are announced; Tananarive Due’s The Reformatory wins best novel. Eight LibraryReads and eight Indie Next picks publish this week. People’s book of the week is The Briar Club by Kate Quinn. Sex therapist and author Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer has died at the age of 96.

Will draw fans of redemptive family sagas that cross time and space, such as Amanda Dyke’s Set the Stars Alight and Heidi Chiavaroli’s Hope Beyond the Waves. Cox (He Should Have Told the Bees) is fast becoming an auto-buy for library collections.

Featuring wonderfully developed characters and fluid, well-paced writing, Roberts’s (Text Appeal) latest is highly recommended for fans of small-town and supernatural romances.

James McBride’s body of work wins the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction. A new posthumous novel by Zora Neale Hurston, The Life of Herod the Great, is due out from Amistad in 2025, and Goose Island, a previously unpublished novel by the late Margaret Walker, is coming next year from Univ. Pr. of Mississippi. Reagan Arthur, the former publisher of Knopf, is joining Hachette to start and run a new imprint.

The American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference, held June 27–July 2 in San Diego, CA, was big and busy, with more than 8,400 attendees and 5,000 exhibitors, authors, illustrators, members of the press, and staff. And while those numbers didn’t top last year’s Annual in Chicago, which saw more than 15,000 guests, it felt busier—possibly because of the slightly smaller venue, and definitely because of the sense of engagement and enthusiasm throughout. The great weather may have kicked the mood up a few notches as well.