The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout

THE THINGS WE NEVER SAY is the latest novel by award-winning author Elizabeth Strout (Olive Kitteridge, My Name is Lucy Barton, and more). Once again, Strout offers readers insight into the thoughts and feelings of a “regular” person: in this case, fifty-seven-year-old Artie Dam who is married to Evie with one son, Rob and teaches high school history classes where he impacts the lives of students like Danny Marino and Rhonda Lazarre. Strout writes, “all of us live with a huge blind spot before our eyes, meaning that no matter what we think we know we can never fully understand how we appear to others.” This is a bittersweet story which explores themes of loneliness, sadness, compassion, perspective, inter-connectedness, and, overall, the secrets we keep. There are several upheavals in Artie’s life and one in particular leaves him feeling “as though he had lived these many years looking at things from one angle, and now it was as though someone had turned him partly in a different direction and everything - everything - looked different.” Both melancholy and hopeful (“it was a private thing to be alive”), THE THINGS WE NEVER SAY received a starred review from Booklist.

Healthy Living High-Protein Cookbook by Toby Amidor

HEALTHY LIVING HIGH-PROTEIN COOKBOOK by Toby Amidor really has appeal for its “Easy Low-Carb Recipes for Strength, Energy, and Metabolic Health.” Amidor, a leading dietitian and recipe developer, follows through on the promise of easy – most recipes have relatively few ingredients, almost all readily found in your pantry (and sample shopping lists are included), and many recipes are freezer friendly or made in one pot. The cookbook is divided into two parts with the first covering Why Protein Matters, Building a Protein Rich Life, and then Cooking and Planning for Protein Success. The second, longer, part contains recipes which are grouped into fairly classic categories like Breakfasts, Fish and Seafood Mains or Poultry and Meat Mains, but they all have a High Protein focus including the ones on Smoothies and Shakes or Snacks and Sweets. Amidor’s biography says that she “believes that healthy and wholesome can also be appetizing and delicious” and recipes like Chicken, Pepper, and Mushroom Scramble or Salmon Salad Stuffed Pita reflect that thinking. With an eye towards improving their diets, readers will be genuinely excited to try many of her suggestions, including a Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Farro Casserole, Rotisserie Chicken Wrap, and Wild Blueberry Power Smoothie. All recipes have nutrition and calorie information included; plus, meal prep storage suggestions and times are listed. Although, each one does not have an accompanying picture, many photos are interspersed and are close-up, tempting, and colorful.

For those interested in more recipes, you may also wish to have a look at Well-Plated by Erin.

What I Wish I Knew about Luck by Seelig

WHAT I WISH I KNEW ABOUT LUCK by Tina Seelig (What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20) has three main parts: Construct Your Ship; Recruit Your Crew; And Hoist Your Sail, reflecting Seelig’s propensity to give direction and guidance to young readers especially. She draws on her teaching experience of more than twenty-five years at Stanford and encourages readers to begin by changing their mindsets and behavior to more actively take calculated risks. Her main argument is that rather than being apparently brought in by chance, luck is the result of deliberate actions. She writes, “Luck is like the wind, often unpredictable, and always in motion.” One’s prepared mind (core values, skills, risk profile, goals) is essential along with the support of mentors, friends, family, collaborators and a willingness to do the hard work (the afore-mentioned risk taking, plus stretching beyond your comfort zone, showing up, and recovering from inevitable failures). Seelig’s tone is conversational but buoyed by both research and personal stories. WHAT I WISH I KNEW ABOUT LUCK is a practical, action oriented guide. Each chapter has a saying at the beginning to help readers reflect as they read and “A few questions that are designed to help you assess how you can now - or could in the future - increase your luck by applying the ideas in that chapter.”  Notes and Index comprise about ten percent of the book. 

For more on Seelig’s perspective, here is her TEDTalk from a few years ago: 

 

The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden

THE UNICORN HUNTERS by Katherine Arden is a work of historical fiction, based in part on a real person, Anne, Duchess of Brittany. The story occurs in 1491 and centers around her attempts to keep Brittany separate from France, despite the efforts to have her wed the French King. Initially, the unicorn hunt is conceived as a delaying tactic, but it opens connections to The Lost Lands and the magic – sorcery and enchantments – still practiced there. As a result, Anne, her sister, and her kingdom are in great peril. In its starred review, Booklist says, “The lush historical details, descriptive language, and intriguing relationships will draw readers into this world of mystery, deception, danger, and fantasy.” THE UNICORN HUNTERS blends romance (including some bedroom scenes), folklore (with a legendary missing city and sea dragons), pageantry, and political intrigue for a memorable reading experience.

The Book of Birds by Macfarlane and Morris

I requested a preview of THE BOOK OF BIRDS by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris for several reasons: it was the notable nonfiction LibraryReads selection in June 2026; Macfarlane also wrote Is a River Alive? (New York Times bestseller and on my TBR list due to being highly recommended by a voracious reader friend); and the general interest in birds by our book group members. However, this “Field Guide to Wonder and Loss” was actually somewhat disappointing to me because it did not include sections on common birds like robins and cardinals. I think this is because the authors chose to focus on endangered species and, understandably, seem to have included birds more likely to be found in the UK. They crafted 49 amazing essays along with colorful illustrations of species such as kestrel, puffin, and woodcocks. The clever essays are sometimes written in first person and the illustrations are gorgeous. Saying, “bird lovers will be delighted,” Publishers Weekly gave THE BOOK OF BIRDS a starred review (“The ordinary becomes extraordinary in this ode to the wonders of the natural world”) and Booklist described it as a “radiant, exhilarating, and invaluable creation.”   

I found myself being especially grateful for this introduction to the beautiful artwork of Jackie Morris (how did I miss his voluminous work for young children?) and the previous Macfarlane-Morris collaborations, The Lost Words (voted the most beautiful book of 2016 by UK booksellers) and The Lost Spells, both of which seem truly magical. I want to spend more time with them and their accompanying resources, like the Spring Edition Explorer’s Guide. 

Here, to offer a sense of their talent, is a short video on The Red Fox:

The Big Unlock by Laura L. Rubin

THE BIG UNLOCK by Laura L. Rubin is subtitled “Liberate Your Creativity Through Mindful Journaling.” Rubin, creative coach and founder of mindful writing company AllSwell Creative, provides tons of prompts and encouragement. She divides her book into four (increasingly deeper) sections: Living Unlocked; Make Yourself Comfortable; Having a Blast; and Digging In; within these sections, “each chapter can stand on its own.” Examples of specific prompts include: “Make a list of songs on your life soundtrack. What's on your personal playlist? What memories do you associate with each song? Why did you choose them?” OR “When was the time you didn't follow the rules … and the outcome was beneficial?” OR “Try writing a letter from your loved one to you. Use your imagination to tune into their voice. What do you think they’d like to communicate?” Throughout she advocates for personalizing each suggestion like her 4x4x4 plan (write for four minutes a day for four days a week for four weeks) which can adjust to 6x6x6 or 5x3x5 or 9x3x8, and so forth.  Rubin says, “Essentially, write into any resistance. … All of this is an experiment, an exploration. Just bring your attention back to the page and keep going.” That is wonderful advice, and I would echo her call to “let yourself be curious. … “dog-ear, underline, annotate. But, most of all, enjoy.”

Death at King's Cross by Rosanne Limoncelli

DEATH AT KING’S CROSS by Rosanne Limoncelli (The Four Queens of Crime) is the second in the series to feature four famous mystery writers (Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham) and pioneering policewoman Detective Chief Inspector Lilian Wyles as they all work together to solve a puzzling crime in 1941 London. A young woman is found stabbed at King’s Cross Station and the case is given to MI5 where the higher-ups seem reluctant to share information. The writers and Wyles are increasingly convinced that several more women’s lives may be at stake; it is only combining their findings (regarding stolen medicines, missing relatives, and blackmail threats) that they are able to concoct a plan and act upon it. Although the plot rests a bit too heavily on coincidences, it is still suspenseful and entertaining, especially the reflections on the role for women in the police force at that time. Look for this title when it becomes available in July 2026.