FlashFeed

Full text

July, incredibly, is already here, a midpoint month in a madcap year unlike any other, and it takes little Holmesian ratiocination to deduce that you, Dear Reader, could almost certainly use a bit of a break, a chance to curl up on a sunny day with a book in your hands. If so, you’re in luck. Below, you’ll find twenty wide-ranging tomes to consider, each out this July in a fresh new paperback edition, from daring debut novels to provocative memoirs and bold biographies.

You’ll find Nicholas Boggs’ powerful exploration of the men who shaped James Baldwin’s sense of life and love; powerful queer fiction from Benedict Nguyen, Tess Sharpe, and Eloghosa Osunde; Giaae Kwon’s roving love letter to and critique of the complexities of K-Pop and the culture that created it; a wild kitchen memoir by the memorably named Slutty Cheff; excursions into exile and identity in shifting political landscapes; and much, much more. I hope you’ll choose one—or many!—of these to accompany you as you take that much-needed sit-down under the summer sun.

We’ll make it through this year if it kills us, to paraphrase a Mountain Goats song, and it’s always easier, isn’t it, with books by our side. Be safe, and enjoy these paperbacks!

*

Stephanie Wambugu, Lonely Crowds

(Little Brown)

“[An] uncommonly elegant debut novel….Wambugu’s prose has a propulsive, almost hypnotic drive, and she knows how to keep it moving, getting through about as much time in one book as [Elena] Ferrante does in three…a thrilling and capacious novel about intimacy and art-making in which the narrator proves to be more compelling than her muse.”

– The Cut

Jemimah Wei, The Original Daughter

(Doubleday)

“Jemimah Wei’s debut The Original Daughter goes for all the big stuff: ambition, time, family, forgiveness, constructing the self. Thrilling, to find a new author with an appetite for the whole spectrum of living, and the skill to get it down true. A contract of sisterhood is signed, then life, then ambition, then disappointment and heartbreak and and and. Wei’s prose is delicious, propulsively hurdling us through the lives of Gen and Arin, who will live in my marrow forever. The Original Daughter is so much the real deal.”

–Kaveh Akbar

Charlotte Runcie, Bring the House Down

(Vintage)

“ Bring the House Down is an agile, addictive story exploring art, ethics, the role of the critic, vindication of female rage, and the public appetite for blood. Runcie is sharply attuned to the vast uncomfortable grey areas of gender and power relations, navigating them with wry, revelatory observations that are devastatingly acute. Atmospheric, propulsive, electric.”

–Heidi Sopinka

Nicholas Boggs, Baldwin: A Love Story

(Picador)

“Nicholas Boggs’ monumental biography considers James Baldwin through the prism of love, placing four beloved men at the center of his writing, his activism, his political consciousness, his philosophy, and his life. We have been presented with many partial Baldwins over the years, but here is the whole lovable man: the radical and the celebrity, the civil rights hero and the downtown playwright, the cosmopolitan jet-setter and the son of East Harlem. Compulsively interesting and beautifully written—there is something to treasure on every page. I absolutely loved it.”

–Zadie Smith

Giaae Kwon, I’ll Love You Forever: Notes from a K-Pop Fan

(Holt)

“ I’ll Love You Forever transcends the fandom of any genre, delivering a deeply personal journey that reverberates far beyond its origins in K-pop music. Kwon moves fluidly from intimate memories of being a Korean American in Los Angeles to keen social critique, touching on body-shaming, mental health, the weight of Korea’s history, and the nuances of diaspora. Reading it, I felt as if I’d been given a fresh lens to understand not only a vibrant culture of music but also the resilience of those who live within and beyond its boundaries. This is a work that captures and edifies, moves the heart, and expands what it means to be a K-Pop fan.”

–Esmé Weijun Wang

Slutty Cheff, Tart: Misadventures of an Anonymous Chef

(Scribner)

“ T art is Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential meets Lena Dunham’s Girls , steaming with sweaty double shifts (in the kitchen and bedroom), devouring the city of London with a belly-deep sense of hunger. To be inhaled in one sitting.”

– Vogue

Francesca Serritella, Full Bloom

(Ballantine Books)

“Francesca Serritella is a literary wonder. Atmospheric and lush, Full Bloom is the story of Iris, so overwhelmed by life that only a miracle could set her free. With one spritz of an elixir, Iris is able to explore her potent past and visit the magical possibilities of her future. Serritella’s elegant prose includes a top note of originality, a middle note of pure heart, and a base note of self-discovery. A sensory feast for readers everywhere.”

–Adriana Trigiani

Benedict Nguyen, Hot Girls with Balls

(Catapult)

“A mixed-media satire told with style and verve….The narrative will inevitably draw comparisons to Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers , but with volleyballs instead of tennis rackets, a much heavier dose of internet culture, and two Asian American trans women as its leading characters….Benedict Nguyễn’s sharp, funny-yet-serious debut explores the constant pressure to present identity ‘correctly,’ especially when that identity is under equally constant threat.”

– Elle

Hannah Pittard, If You Love It, Let It Kill You

(Holt)

“Hannah Pittard’s If You Love It, Let It Kill You is a masterclass in autofiction: incisive, hilarious, heartbreaking, and mercilessly candid. This novel, its narrator makes clear, is ‘neither a comedy nor a tragedy but something much worse: real life.’ If You Love It, Let It Kill You is Pittard’s most impressive and innovative book yet.”

–Maggie Smith

Aymann Ismail, Becoming Baba: Fatherhood, Faith, and Finding Meaning in America: A Memoir

(Vintage)

“An absolute pleasure to read. What does it mean to be a Muslim man in America today? In the face of rising Islamophobia and an era of increased isolation among men, how does one find and build lasting community and genuine connection? In Becoming Baba , Ismail thoughtfully interrogates his relationship with masculinity, faith, and culture, taking us on a journey as friend, son, husband, and father with both compassion and vulnerability.”

–Prachi Gupta

Aatish Taseer, A Return to Self: Excursions in Exile

(Catapult)

“At once restless and meditative, A Return to Self is a writer’s journey into the liminal spaces—of memory, nationality, culture, and sexuality—that we inhabit. From a collection of moving and erudite travel pieces, Aatish Taseer brilliantly creates a portrait of the outsider, whose search for belonging defines the age in which we live.”

–Tash Aw

Henri Wiencek, Stan and Gus: Art, Ardor, and the Friendship That Built the Gilded Age

(Picador)

“Wiencek dexterously chronicles the fruitful thirty-year friendship of architect Stanford White and sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, who designed grand buildings and public art and ignored sexual taboos, leading to lurid tragedy….[Wiencek] effectively contextualizes their work and depicts Saint-Gaudens in particularly memorable detail….A brisk, absorbing portrait of troubled artistic allies whose work embodied an era.”

– Kirkus Reviews

Eloghosa Osunde, Necessary Fiction

(Riverhead)

“ Necessary Fiction ‘s Nigerians are inseparable from Nigeria itself: brazen, willful, sexy, dynamic, explosive. They love hard, fight fierce, and love fiercer. And yet they are forced to the margins of their own society, having to navigate love and happiness under a blanket of fear, danger, and uncertainty. This is where the title becomes gospel, for they need those stories in order to live. When life has risk at every turn, family is chosen, and love is on the edge of the knife, fiction indeed becomes necessary.”

–Marlon James

Tess Sharpe, No Body No Crime

(Picador)

“Dynamic plot twists, shrewd pacing, and well-placed timeline jumps provide sturdy narrative scaffolding, but it’s Sharpe’s depiction of Chloe and Mel’s complicated relationship…that makes the novel shine. Readers who love rooting for antiheroes, or are hungry for queer stories that don’t put queerness at the very center, will adore this.”

– Publishers Weekly

Hattie Williams, Bitter Sweet

(Ballantine Books)

“The power dynamic between artist and consumer of art blurs in this unsettling account of a young publicist who meets her idol—a much older author. The lines of consent, control, and even reality shift. Like our main character we know this can’t end well—but we also can’t pull away from the impending implosion. This is beautifully crafted, with aftershocks of conscience that will leave you processing for hours with others who’ve read it.”

–Jodi Picoult

Calvin Duncan, Sophie Cull, The Jailhouse Lawyer

(Penguin)

“A superbly written, compelling memoir chronicling Calvin Duncan’s remarkable life—an innocent man incarcerated at the infamous Angola State Prison who became a self-taught, brilliant jailhouse lawyer. Although the word ‘hero’ is greatly overused in today’s society, in my mind, Calvin Duncan is a hero in the truest sense of that word. I urge all who are in need of inspiration to please read this riveting account of an indomitable spirit in the face of ongoing stiff resistance.”

–Jim McCloskey

Iain MacGregor, The Hiroshima Men: The Quest to Build the Atomic Bomb, and the Fateful Decision to Use It

(Scribner)

“The atomic bombing that obliterated Hiroshima has not lacked for attention from historians and other writers. But Iain MacGregor’s gripping book vastly expands the cast of characters: politicians and scientists in Japan and the United States; military men on both sides, from generals to pilots and air crews; victims on the ground both dead and alive; writers and journalists covering the story—all portrayed vividly as the story dramatically unfolds.”

–William Taubman

Alison Espach, The Wedding People

(Holt)

“ The Wedding People is so much more than a funny story (though it is very funny). Espach has penned a keenly observed novel about depression, love, the ways women make themselves small, and how one woman got over it. Fully realized and completely memorable.”

– Booklist

Aisha Muharrar, Loved One

(Penguin Books)

“Debut novelist Aisha Muharrar was involved in three television comedies, Hacks , Parks and Recreation , and The Good Place …the opening scene of Loved One could be a set piece for any of these shows, as we jump inside the head of our narrator, thirty-year-old Julia, who is delivering the eulogy at a friend’s funeral, a popular indie musician at the time of his death.”

–Associated Press

Stacey Abrams, Coded Justice

(Vintage)

“ Black Mirror , but for political thrillers….Stacey Abrams is the queen of writing a strong female lead who is equal parts intelligent and relatable. Readers will admire and adore Avery in equal measure….A fascinating exploration of the ethical questions surrounding AI.”

–Ana Huang

Full text

Harlan Coben 's partnership with Netflix has become one of the streamer's most reliable success stories. His mystery thrillers consistently rack up impressive viewing numbers , but ironically, a different trend accompanies those wins. While Coben's adaptations continue to hook audiences with shocking twists and family-driven mysteries, critics' and audience reactions have increasingly been at odds. The popularity of Coben's work now appears to be driven merely by compelling premises rather than overall quality. Run Away , his first Netflix release of the year, was deeply polarizing, and now, his latest release, I Will Find You , appears to be continuing the divisive trend.

Full text

It’s the shortest text we’ve covered so far, and the oldest of its kind in the world. Referred to as a trauma-informed document by one constitutional scholar (there’s your clue), it was born of a major screw-up in the aftermath of the American Revolution that left laws unenforceable and foreign policy a hot, hot mess. It’s one of the nation’s most important foundational documents, but as you’ll learn, a deeply imperfect one. We’re talking about the United States Constitution.

In honor of America’s 250th birthday, Jeff and Rebecca sat down with historical content creator and political commentator Amanda Nelson (yes, Book Riot OG Amanda Nelson—real ones know!) for a deep dive into the U.S. Constitution. They talk about what the framers were reacting to when they outlined the foundation of a new government, what the Constitution does and doesn’t say about individual rights, and how a concept that is never specifically named in the document has shaped the country ever since.

Listen to Zero to Well-Read on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Some Constitution Did-Ya-Knows

The U.S. Constitution was written in 1787 and ratified in 1788.

It clocks in at just 4400 words, 7700 with the amendments.

Its purpose really was to fix a screw-up: the vague language of the Articles of the Confederation made our early governing systems as weak as my resolve when presented with a nice piece of cheese

The only way to get the representatives from the Southern states to sign the Constitution was to allow them to continue not only the practice of slavery, but the ongoing importation of human beings, for at least a period of time. They were all, “We’ll sign your lil paper as long as we can continue doing the human rights violations. Give us twenty years plus one!”

If that last bullet wasn’t enough to make your eyes roll to the very back of your head, those concessions were made without saying the word “slavery” at all in the document. Not once.

For funsies: who remembers this SchoolHouse Rock jam?

Constitutional Quotables

Jeff and Rebecca on the mic are a hoot. Jeff, Rebecca, and Amanda on the mic are a hoot, a holler, and a hootenanny. Enjoy these out-of-context quotes from the episode, the most fun I’ve had learning about the Constitution ever.

“It was just a bunch of dudes in a hot Pennsylvania summer trying to figure it out and missing their family and also kind of hating each other!”

“So much of the best American literature is born out of the problems caused by this document for the people who live in this country. from like Melville to Morrison, it is all a constitutional argument, in my opinion, or at least nodding to the constitutional arguments, and the failures of our leadership to create an accepting culture, to in any way live up to the promises in this or the Declaration of Independence.”

“Alright guys. We’re gonna get out a quill pen and some parchment, and we’re gonna give GW the gavel, and we’re gonna lock ourselves in the room and figure this shit out.”

“I call this the original wet hot American summer!”

“Think of the chafing!”

“Think about Thomas Jefferson learning large language models.”

And to drive it all home, why you should listen to this episode and care about this document:

“You can’t defend yourself if you don’t know what’s defensible.”

Full text

CD Projekt Red has confirmed more about its quartet of main Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 characters , but datamined leaks suggest an unseen fifth major player in Night City has surprising links to two of those already announced.

As revealed on the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 website , Weak Kingsley is described as a "washed-up cyberpunk legend" who is "forced to live without chrome in a world that's passed him by."

The new synopsis also confirms family, obsession, and legacy are major themes in play here – which makes this next leak all the more intriguing.

Smets205 on Reddit has uncovered a fifth character card on the Edgerunners site.

Meet Avida, a "jazz singer and corpo insider" who is apparently "Weak's old flame." The plot thickens from there with the reveal she has a "fragile" daughter: Talia, the pink-haired Maelstrom member who forms part of Edgerunners season 2's main crew.

Old flame? A daughter? It's possible Weak Kingsley is hiding plenty of secrets – while the 'fragile' and 'weak' connection means there's almost certainly some hidden family drama brewing up in Night City's streets between the chrome-less protagonist and his ex-lover. A clip on the site, shown below, also shows a tense interaction between Weak and Talia.

Here's a clip between Talia & Weak that I haven't seen posted. Found it on the Edgerunners 2 site. pic.twitter.com/GCcaRtEvUO June 30, 2026

All told, it sets up an extra layer of tragedy to what is surely going to be another depressing story told in NC.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2, a standalone 10-episode story, is set for release on Netflix this fall.

For more, check out our picks for the new anime you should be watching right now. Need to fill out your watchlist? Our collection of best Netflix anime will ensure you have plenty to watch.

Full text

SVP at Samsung says the Galaxy Ring 2 is officially in development

It could come with a slew of design upgrades as well as deeper integration with other Samsung devices

The biggest improvement is support for iOS, a first for Samsung wearables

When Samsung released the Galaxy Ring in 2024 it shot to the top of our list of best smart rings , but the Korean tech company has been rather silent on plans for the next-gen wearable — until now.

Speaking with Forbes , Senior Vice President and Head of the Digital Health Team at Samsung, Hon Pak, shared that the company’s next smart ring (presumably named the Galaxy Ring 2) is officially in development; “We are working on the next generation. I can tell you that,” he shared.

The announcement arrives just after the new Oura Ring 5 hit the shelves which, compared to its predecessor, is roughly 40% smaller with an even longer battery life, although does come with a higher price tag. It’s about time Samsung returned to the smart ring world given how fierce the competition has grown over the last two years — so how will the Galaxy Ring 2 stand against its rivals?

When Samsung released the first Galaxy Ring, Pak described it as “a comprehensive and simplified approach” to health and sleep, and it seems that he wants to build on this across both hardware and software.

For starters, if we look at the Oura Ring 5’s slimmer redesign, it wouldn’t come as a complete surprise if Samsung replicated a similar ‘smaller but tougher’ approach to its own smart ring for added comfort improvements.

Additionally, Samsung could take a page out of Oura’s book and remove skin contact bumps from the inside of the ring, all while extending its battery life — we also predicted that it will come with a solid state battery .

(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans) Though design upgrades are likely, Pak hinted that this won’t be the biggest difference with the Galaxy Ring 2. “If you look at the comparison of other rings, regardless of the competitor, the sensors are not that different right now,” he said, adding “It’s really about what services you create on the top layer. It’s really the software differentiation that you see.”

With these remarks in mind, the Galaxy Ring 2’s main focus will be on developing deeper software integration rather than reupholstering the hardware. Pak also shared that Samsung has plans to build on its connected ecosystem to help users receive more accurate metrics and get a better sense of their health habits.

Instead of using just the Galaxy Ring 2's collection of metrics to present the full picture of your well-being, Samsung takes your data from the smart ring and blends it with other devices in its network via the Samsung Health app. This could include Galaxy Watches and smartphones, and even its range of SmartThings home appliances to give you more detailed context into your daily activity and overall well-being.

For users who are deep into Samsung’s ecosystem of devices already, it’s a huge win, but one of the biggest setbacks with the first-gen Galaxy Ring is its lack of support for iOS. While Samsung has the overall edge over the likes of Oura, the latter supports iOS, giving users more reason to opt for its wearables over Samsung’s — but this could change with the Galaxy Ring 2.

In addition to software upgrades, Pak heavily teased that iOS support will finally be coming to the Galaxy Ring; “I’m smiling but I can’t say anything,” he hinted. Out of all the new upgrades, iOS support would throw the biggest curveball into the competition, giving non-Android users even more reason to make the switch to Galaxy Ring over rival wearables.

While it’s not exactly a formal announcement, it’s certainly a promising affirmation of what to expect from the long-awaited wearable. Despite not giving any details on an official launch date, Galaxy Unpacked 2026 is just around the corner where we’re expecting the announcement of the S26 lineup — could Samsung also throw the Galaxy Ring 2 into the mix?