One for the Books

In a ruling that sets a strong precedent for keeping books on public school library shelves, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida has upheld the freedom to read in Penguin Random House v. Gibson, which challenged a Florida law barring any book that “depicts or describes sexual content” from school and classroom libraries. A new literary roleplaying platform will allow users to explore the worlds of their favorite books, from Pride and Prejudice to the comics series The Crow. And the nation’s biggest festival for young adult literature will return for its 15th year this fall. The New York Times explores how AI data centers are shaking up the power grid, and spotlights a new book that collects 500 years of author portraits. As more Supreme Court justices ink major book deals, Lit Hub columnist Maris Kreizman wonders whether our highest court should be spending its time—and making millions—writing memoirs. Capital B Atlanta profiles children’s author and publisher Denene Millner, who’s on a mission to bring Black stories to young readers. And on Substack, author Lincoln Michel gives a pep talk to writers feeling disillusioned by an age that seems to value algorithms over art.