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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.