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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.

We’ve been shaking things up at the MIT Press for over 60 years, changing how knowledge flows between academics and the world. Reflecting and amplifying the values of an educational institution that places a premium on experimentation and open knowledge, the MIT Press has been a leader in open access publishing for decades.

The moon has turned into cheese in John Scalzi's latest, while Amal El-Mohtar offers a highly anticipated solo novella about two sisters living on the edge of Faerie.

LJ Best Book author TJ Alexander sets their newest in Regency England, Lexi LaFleur Brown debuts with a hockey romance, and Lucy Score launches a new series.

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.

The Life Impossible by Matt Haig is the top holds title of the week. LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.

All the February 2025 Prepub Alerts in one place, plus a downloadable spreadsheet of all titles from every post.

Fantasy fans and steampunk enthusiasts will enjoy Glover’s astounding, creatively envisioned Prohibition-era United States, where magical and historical events intertwine in a thrilling plot full of adventurous characters.

This sequel to Gilliland’s first romance, Witch of Wild Things, is sure to be just as popular.

Penny’s follow-up to A World of Curiosities plays on readers’ fears as she launches a new story arc that is completed in this installment but presents a cliffhanger. It’s a frightening novel of duality, of good versus evil, with an allegorical tale for today’s world, as only Penny can write.

Cookbook authors are sharing a closer look at their pantries, their heritage, and their kitchens, detailing their methods and offering mesmerizing stories that foster laughter and empathy.

Paola Velez is an award-winning chef, entrepreneur, fierce community activist, and author. Her debut cookbook, Bodega Bakes, will be published in October. Growing up between the Bronx and the Dominican Republic, Velez is known for combining the flavors of her childhood and heritage and reinterpreting them through her experience as a professional chef specializing in the pastry arts.

Titles not to miss across fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, and reference.

This monthlong observance marks the achievements, histories, and cultures of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America, including those from Indigenous and Afro-Latino communities. The following books celebrate the diverse contributions and experiences of Latine people and include literary fiction, short stories, memoirs, and poetry.

Laura Dave is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of several novels, including The Last Thing He Told Me and Eight Hundred Grapes. Her novels have been translated into thirty-eight languages, and six of them, including The Night We Lost Him, have been optioned for film and television.

Indie presses have more latitude to take on titles about a vast array of boundary-pushing subjects or narrow their focus to a single niche genre. The publishers we spoke with this month exemplify the diversity in the indie ecosystem.
 

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.