123: 19 new books on motherhood & family

Welcome to Two Truths—a best-selling newsletter by health journalist Cassie Shortsleeve and Motherspeak creator Kelsey Haywood Lucas. Two Truths explores the many facets of maternal health and living well in today’s world. It’s been named a “best parenting Substack” by Motherly, recommended by The Skimm, and featured in Today, Fast Company, The Bump & more.

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Today’s letter is written by Kelsey Haywood Lucas.

When I fell back in love with books a few years ago—reading as a hobby, aka purely for my personal enjoyment, for the first time since entering motherhood—I read over 100 books in the course of a single year; in 2025, I managed 55. (Here’s exactly how I did it and continue to do it, although not always at that initial intensity.)

2026 is off to a slightly slower start—I blame the news cycle—but my shelves, my book tote, and my #tbr (aka “to be read”) list are filled with titles I’m excited to tell you about.

Ahead you’ll find fascinating non-fiction covering everything from healthier homes to parental rights at work; a sweeping history of motherhood, plus essential examinations of postpartum and matrescence. There’s poetry that reminds us to look for the joy and the beauty in every experience; and there’s fiction so captivating and compulsory, you might just forget to check your notifications for a few hours.

But first, here’s a quick peek at what’s been happening lately:

• All subscribers… learned how Cassie is balancing big-picture health headlines with the hum of everyday life (including four recent reports on women’s health, plus winter must-haves for kids and grown-ups), and received our deep dive on gestational diabetes (including what you might need to do next). Plus, Kelsey shared details on the foot product for cracked heels she was almost embarrassed to talk about…and a grown-up tote for kids that’s perfect for carrying books and art supplies.

• Paid subscribers… got a look behind some of the biggest headlines in women’s and maternal health, got access to the seven journaling techniques Kelsey uses for memory-keeping in motherhood, and got links to soups for sick days, keep-the-stomach-bug-away probiotics and more.

Special thanks to our sponsors:

• Ritual, a female-founded traceable supplement company. Ritual’s support recently unlocked our deep