The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden
Katherine Arden’s latest novel, *The Unicorn Hunters*, reimagines the 15th‑century duchess Anne of Brittany as a politically savvy heroine navigating a French marriage plot and a hidden faerie realm. The book intertwines Breton folklore—unicorn hunts, the forest of Brocéliande, and the anaon—with a tiered magic system that rewards careful world‑building. Reviewers praise Arden’s atmospheric prose, the depth of Anne’s character, and the authentic folklore, while noting a sluggish middle and a villain who lapses into cliché. The novel averages four‑star reviews, signaling strong reader interest despite its flaws.
Monthly Features – May 2026
The May 2026 Monthly Features spotlight two new titles: John Burt’s literary novel *A Moment’s Surrender*, which follows a freshman writing instructor tangled in guilt and secret betrayal after his best friend’s murder, and Allen Rebot’s horror work *At Death’s Door*,...
The Dinner Party Test: May Reading Recap
The author launches a new series called "The Dinner Party Test," a personal framework for evaluating books based on their conversational worth, recommendability, and ability to shift thinking. Instead of star ratings, the approach asks whether a book would spark...
Proudly Serving Now Available in Print and Digital Formats
“Proudly Serving: Public Service with and for the People” has officially launched after years of development. The book compiles 25 chapters contributed by more than 20 experts in public service and civic innovation. It is offered in print at cost...
Recommended Reading
This week’s curated reading list spotlights a diverse set of long‑form pieces, ranging from Chris Jones’s personal account of a marriage collapse to a deep dive into Mozart’s moral complexities. It also includes Sam Kriss’s warning about AI‑generated writing, a...
Four Unique Art Books For Your Coffee Table
The article highlights four distinctive coffee‑table art books that blend visual appeal with fresh perspectives. Katie Hessel’s *The Story of Art Without Men* re‑examines art history through the lens of women creators. *Why Cats Paint* treats feline smudges as a...
Our Next Book: The Ethics of Authenticity by Charles Taylor
The Commonplace Philosophy book club will read Charles Taylor’s concise 140‑page work, The Ethics of Authenticity, over June and early July. The schedule breaks the text into weekly 20‑40 page segments with two member‑only Zoom discussions. Taylor, a Canadian philosopher...
How I Wrote This Book: Eddie Huang’s “Come Undone”
Eddie Huang’s debut novel *Come Undone* arrives on June 16, marking his first foray into long‑form fiction after a career as a bestselling memoirist, restaurateur, and media personality. The book, described as fun and open‑hearted, tackles the redemption of a...
Book Short: Incorruptible, Right and Timely and Inspiring and Depressing All at the Same Time
Eric Ries’s new book *Incorruptible* argues that today’s capitalist system pushes even well‑intentioned firms toward short‑term financial extraction, compromising their original mission. The work offers a playbook for redesigning ownership, governance, and incentive structures so companies can grow without being...
The Missing Magic of Sparrow Xia Is Strong Start to New Fantasy Series
Scholastic Press released the hardcover debut of "The Missing Magic of Sparrow Xia" on May 5, 2026, priced at $16.99. Written and illustrated by Leia Ham, the 320‑page middle‑grade novel follows a weak fire‑mage navigating a competitive magic academy while...
Cold Silence (Silence #4) by Freya Barker
Freya Barker’s fourth installment, *Cold Silence*, follows new detective Tessa Androtti as she juggles a violent murder investigation with the challenges of raising two teenage sons in the small town of Silence, Washington. Her youngest, Remi, gets entangled in trouble...
‘On the Greenwich Line’ Wins James Tait Black Prize
Katharine Halls’ English translation of Shady Lewis’s novel *On the Greenwich Line* captured the 2026 James Tait Black Prize for fiction, earning the £10,000 (≈ $12,500) award. The book, published by Peirene Press, follows an Egyptian social‑services worker navigating the death...
Nonfiction Book Publishers Aren’t Remotely Ready for AI
Steven Rosenbaum’s forthcoming nonfiction title, *The Future of Truth*, relied on AI as a research partner, resulting in more than half a dozen misattributed or fabricated quotes. The New York Times investigation highlighted the error, exposing a broader industry weakness:...
12 Books that Separate the Well-Read From Everyone Else (Pt.3)
The May 28, 2026 post launches part 3 of a series that lists twelve canonical titles separating the truly well‑read from casual readers, emphasizing quality over quantity. It argues that literary authority comes from engaging with works that have shaped cultural and philosophical...
Meghan P. Browne’s The Edge of Forever Is Wholesome MG
Meghan P. Browne’s middle‑grade novel *The Edge of Forever* debuted on May 12, 2026 as a hardcover from Feiwel & Friends, priced at $18.99 and aimed at readers ages 9‑12. Set in the small Texas town of Heaven, the story follows grieving teen...
Phoebe Berman’s Gonna Lose It by Brooke Averick
Brooke Averick’s debut novel *Phoebe Berman’s Gonna Lose It* follows a 29‑year‑old pre‑K teacher in Los Angeles who battles intimacy anxiety as she races to lose her virginity before her birthday. The book blends sharp humor with raw panic‑attack moments, delivering...
Indian Camp, Part Four
The Story Club’s fourth installment examines Ernest Hemingway’s short story “Indian Camp” focusing on Part 3. The discussion highlights a surge of narrative escalation, examining how the doctor’s calm demeanor contrasts with the intense emotional undercurrents. Participants dissect the symbolism of...
Writing & Publishing Awards Have Difficult Decisions to Make Regarding AI
Generative AI is now ubiquitous in writing, yet publishers and literary awards are still scrambling to define enforceable policies. Some organizations, like Microcosm Publishing, combine AI‑detection tools with human review, while others consider third‑party certification that places the burden on...
How Not to Write an Author's Note for a Book Club Reader's Guide
The piece walks readers through the anatomy of a book‑club kit—discussion guide, recipes, bonus items, and a crucial author letter—and explains why many writers stumble on the letter’s tone. It shares a personal anecdote about a painful first club appearance...
K. A. Applegate’s Animorphs Return with an All-New Look
Scholastic is re‑launching K. A. Applegate’s Animorphs series with fresh cover designs to mark the 30th anniversary of the original debut. The first three books—The Invasion, The Visitor, and The Encounter—were released on May 5, 2026, each priced at $8.99 and aimed at readers...
The Surprising Ritual Renaissance
Bestselling author Bruce Feiler joins Zachary Karabell on the *What Could Go Right?* podcast to discuss his new book *A Time to Gather* and the emerging “celebration recession.” Feiler argues that, despite fewer traditional ceremonies, a grassroots revival of rituals...
Poetry in Hard Times
Margaret Atwood’s Substack post “Poetry in Hard Times” spotlights the Joan Margarit International Poetry Prize while teasing several upcoming projects. She hints at a soft opening of the PIBO Bird Centre on Pelee Island and a forthcoming essay on triumphal...
African Drones | C/O Futures Book Review
Lisa J. Campbell’s review of *Drones in the African Battlespaces* highlights a shift toward African scholarship on drone warfare, emphasizing the continent’s active role in a geopolitical contest among the U.S., Turkey, Iran and China. The book argues for a...
In Maggie O’Farrell’s Haunted Ireland, the Land Remembers Everything
Maggie O’Farrell’s new novel Land, published by Knopf, opens in 1865 on Ireland’s famine‑scarred west coast. It follows Tomás, a surveyor for the British Ordnance Survey, and his family as they navigate post‑Great Hunger trauma, mythic landscapes, and a haunting encounter...
Books I Read in April 2026
Harry Shukman's *Year of the Rat* won the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award and offers a year‑long undercover look at nine British far‑right groups, exposing their fragmented power structures. Katie Kitamura’s *Audition*, a Booker‑shortlisted and Women’s Prize‑longlisted...
Linguistic Acts: Yoko Tawada’s “Paul Celan and the Trans-Tibetan Angel,” Translated From the German by Susan Bernofsky
Yoko Tawada’s 2024 novel *Paul Celan and the Trans‑Tibetan Angel*—published by New Directions and translated from German by Susan Bernofsky—uses a COVID‑19 lockdown backdrop to explore language, identity, and friendship. The story follows Patrik, a Berlin scholar obsessed with poet Paul Celan, whose...
Andrew Krivak: 'No Storyteller Speaks in Sentences.'
Award‑winning novelist Andrew Krivak explains how his grandmother’s stories and the sentence‑level mastery of James Joyce and William Faulkner shaped his writing philosophy. He details the experimental, period‑free prose of his latest novel Mule Boy, describing it as a single...
The Sunday Best (05/24/2026)
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released its April 2026 Consumer Price Index report, showing modest year‑over‑year inflation and notable price gains in medical services and housing. The data reveal a 0.3% increase in the overall CPI, while the medical care...
Dirty Myrtle by Kennedy Weible
Kennedy Weible’s latest novel *Dirty Myrtle* immerses readers in a gritty, sun‑bleached Myrtle Beach where a private‑eye‑type sibling and a Black police officer chase parallel mysteries that inevitably collide. The story weaves a kidnapping, marital infidelity, and a drifter’s return into...
The One Day You Were My Husband by Rosie Walsh
“The One Day You Were My Husband” by Rosie Walsh opens with a Thai wedding that ends abruptly, launching a dual‑timeline narrative that intertwines a 2010 disappearance with a 2022 quest for closure. The novel blends thriller mechanics with domestic...
The Burning Side by Sarah Damoff
Sarah Damoff’s second novel, *The Burning Side*, opens with a house fire that forces April and Leo to flee with their two children, exposing a marriage already on the brink. Told through alternating first‑person chapters from April, Leo, and April’s...
To Vex the World. Jonathan Swift’s Frustrated Humor
Jonathan Swift insisted his prose be plain enough for servants to grasp, editing his work until it was crystal‑clear. This commitment to accessibility made *Gulliver’s Travels* a vehicle for sharp political satire, using absurdist humor to lampoon 18th‑century British politics...
Best Financial Books for New Doctors Who Don’t Have Time To Waste
Physician On Fire released a curated list of essential financial books tailored for newly‑trained doctors who can’t spare time for lengthy finance texts. The guide highlights concise, action‑oriented titles covering student‑loan repayment, investment basics, practice‑ownership fundamentals, and personal wealth building. Each recommendation...
The Sands of Time: Anita Lasker-Wallfisch at 100
Faber has reissued Anita Lasker‑Wallfisch’s memoir *The Cellist of Auschwitz* with a new preface by renowned war‑crimes lawyer Philippe Sands. The updated edition, retitled *Inherit the Truth*, revisits Lasker‑Wallfisch’s experiences as a survivor‑musician and probes the relevance of Holocaust testimony...
Your New AI Colleague – A Field Guide to the AI That’s Going to Do Your Job
Ryan McClead spent five weeks co‑authoring a book with Claude Cowork, an agentic desktop AI that behaves like a colleague rather than a prompt‑driven chatbot. The AI absorbed his voice, debated phrasing, restructured chapters, and corrected its own errors, delivering...
How Is AI Affecting the Quantity and Quality of New Books?
A new NBER working paper analyzes Amazon data and finds that the number of new book titles surged, nearly tripling between 2022 and late 2025, as large‑language models (LLMs) spread. AI‑detected content jumped from virtually none in 2022 to over...
Cyber Agony Aunts: New Book Offers Practical Look at Resilience
Rebecca Taylor of Sophos and Amelia Hewitt of Principle Defence released their second co‑authored book, *Resilient You: An Agony Aunts’ Guide To Keeping It Together*, on May 12, 2026. The guide adopts an Agony Aunt format to teach resilience as...
Someone Once Told Me Our House Feels Like a Warm Hug and I Think This Might Be Why
The author recounts how a visitor’s comment that her home felt like a "warm hug" sparked a lasting aesthetic vision. She describes moving from a modest New Jersey house to a renovated beach‑side home in Massachusetts, emphasizing that comfort can...
The ‘Celtic’ in Celtic Buddhism
Sr. Gryphon, Dharma heir of Rev. Yeshe Tungpa Perks, has released a new book titled “Drinking While Playing with Matches—the Idiot Servant’s Chela.” In a related essay, Driú Peers argues that the term “Celtic” masks a historically fragmented set of...
Liv Mae Morris Exceeds Expectations with The Last Dragon House
Liv Mae Morris’s new middle‑grade novel, The Last Dragon House, hit shelves on May 12, 2026, priced at $19.99. The story follows siblings Olly and Jenny Atwood as they aid a secretive dragon sanctuary against conspiracies and magical threats. Reviewers...
Two Facets of Gilded Age New York
The author has released an audio lecture that pairs Edith Wharton’s novel The House of Mirth with Stephen Crane’s short story “An Experiment in Misery” to illuminate the contrasting worlds of elite Gilded‑Age New York and its impoverished Bowery. The...
On Arabic Young Adult Literature in Translation
The Centre for Book Cultures and Publishing partnered with Outside in World to host a panel on Arabic young‑adult literature and its translation into English. Scholars Sawad Hussain, Marcia Lynx Qualey and Susanne Abou Ghaida discussed market trends, highlighting the...
Submit a Story to the Protopian Prize and Get Published in an MIT Press Anthology
The Protopian Prize, a new fiction contest launched by Ruthanna Emrys and a MIT Press editor, seeks stories that envision democratic governance and human‑centric AI. Submissions opened on May 1 and close on July 31, with the two winners each receiving $5,000...
Short Fiction for Summer Reading, Experiments with Claude, Tote Bags to Get Excited About
The Tournament of Books is launching a summer pop‑up focused on short fiction, with a community‑curated reading list that runs from mid‑June to late August. Six stories—from Lauren Groff’s “Brawler” to Sigrid Nunez’s “I’ll Come Back to You”—will be discussed in weekly...
Those “100 Best Novels of All Time”
The Guardian has released its "100 Best Novels of All Time" list, topping it with George Eliot’s *Middlemarch* and placing Toni Morrison’s *Beloved* at No. 2. The compilation highlights multiple entries from authors such as Virginia Woolf, Jane Austen and Charles...
Seek the Traitor’s Son by Veronica Roth
Veronica Roth’s *Seek the Traitor’s Son* launches the two‑book *Burning Empire* duology with a romantic dystopian fantasy set on the quarantined world of Cedre. Soldier Elegy Ahn Rosyk and Talusar general Rava Vidar are thrust into a prophecy that threatens Elegy’s...
What Should Be on a List of Almost Great Books?
A Twitter user proposes an “almost‑Great Books” syllabus that spotlights works that either lost out to dominant worldviews or represent secondary expressions of winning ideas. The list would also feature obscure titles by canonical authors and once‑popular intellectual books that...
June Book Club: The Road of Bones
The Romantasy Book Club announced its June pick, *The Road of Bones* by Demi Winters, a Viking‑inspired fantasy that follows Silla Nordvig’s perilous flight across the titular road. The club will read the novel together throughout the month, sharing reactions...
Book Freak #209: Science and Sanity
Book Freak #209 reviews *Science and Sanity*, a book that argues most human problems arise from treating our words and mental models as if they were reality itself. It outlines four core principles: the map‑is‑not‑the‑territory concept, the danger of “is”...
Book Marketing in 2026: The Author’s Guide to Strategy, Budgets, and Sustainable Growth
Mark Andrew Watson’s May 2026 guide reframes book marketing from one‑off ad bursts to a sustainable, data‑driven system. It highlights the decline of traditional BookBub‑style campaigns and promotes community‑centric channels that generate recurring sales. The piece breaks budgeting into two tiers—a...