Scroll lists new novels from Stuart, Strout

Scroll published a May global-fiction roundup on May 16 that put new novels by Douglas Stuart and Elizabeth Strout at the front of a six-book reading list for the month. The Scroll Staff item said all information in the list was sourced from publishers and framed the selection as a current guide to newly released international fiction. (scroll.in) The article’s subheading also flagged two of the other books in the package: a science-fiction novel tied to the Arab Spring and a novel about elderly pregnancy. Elizabeth Strout and Douglas Stuart were presented as the marquee names in the roundup, both described in the headline as Booker favourites. Scroll’s list appeared in the outlet’s Books and Ideas coverage stream, where it regularly publishes monthly fiction and nonfiction recommendation packages. (scroll.in) ### Which books did Scroll put at the center of the roundup? Elizabeth Strout’s *The Things We Never Say* opened the list. Scroll described the novel through its central character, Artie Dam, a history teacher in Massachusetts Bay whose outwardly settled life is disrupted by isolation and a secret that “threatens to upend his entire world.” Penguin Random House describes the book as a standalone novel, and bookseller listings show it was published in early May 2026. (scroll.in) Douglas Stuart’s *John of John* was the other headline title named in Scroll’s package. Pan Macmillan and Grove Atlantic describe the book as a story of a young man’s return home and the strain of family expectation, with the plot moving through lambing and shearing season in a fragile community. (scroll.in) Literary Hub listed the novel among books released on May 5. ### Why were Stuart and Strout singled out in the headline? Scroll used the phrase “Booker favourites” in the headline for Stuart and Strout. Douglas Stuart won the Booker Prize for *Shuggie Bain* in 2020, while Elizabeth Strout has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize and is also a Pulitzer Prize winner, according to publisher and trade coverage tied to her new novel. (scroll.in) Oprah Winfrey added another current marker around Stuart’s release this month. Associated Press coverage carried by the *Boston Herald* reported on May 5 that Winfrey selected *John of John* for her book club. ### What else did Scroll say was in the package? Scroll’s subheading said the list also included “a science fiction novel chronicling the Arab Spring” and “a novel on elderly pregnancy,” but the search snippets available publicly do not expose the full six-title list. (panmacmillan.com) The outlet’s own result page shows only the opening section on Strout before truncating. That means the broader shape of the package can be verified, but not every title in it from the accessible excerpts alone. (thebookseller.com) Scroll has used the same monthly format before. Its May 2025 and May 2024 global-fiction roundups also grouped six recently published international novels under a single reading-list article, with short publisher-based descriptions for each title. (bostonherald.com) ### How does this fit into Scroll’s books coverage? Scroll’s Books and Ideas section has continued to publish recurring monthly reading lists in 2026, including global fiction in February, March and April. The May roundup follows that same cadence and sits alongside other literature coverage, including prize reporting and excerpts. February’s global-fiction list, for example, was published on February 14 and presented six new novels from around the world. (scroll.in) April’s reading pages likewise carried a global-fiction selection in mid-April. ### Where can readers find the roundup next? Scroll’s May 2026 roundup remains on the site’s Books and Ideas pages, where the article is filed under reading coverage and global fiction. (scroll.in) Penguin Random House lists *The Things We Never Say* as available now, and publisher pages for *John of John* are already live, giving readers a direct next stop after Scroll’s monthly list. (scroll.in 1) (scroll.in 2) (scroll.in 3)