In this month’s roundup of the best-reviewed BookLife titles, we highlight an Ayurvedic cookbook, a guide to reducing screen time while still staying connected, a thriller, and others.

★ The Laureate by Ken Tentarelli

Synopsis: Set in Renaissance Italy, Tentarelli’s novel begins with the death of Cosimo de Medici, which creates a power vacuum in Florence.

PW’s Takeaway: Tentarelli makes the setting accessible to neophytes in the service of a page-turning and suspenseful plot. Readers will eagerly await the sequel.

Comparable Title: Michael Ennis’s The Malice of Fortune

Sample Line: “Bartolomeo Scala chose an unusual place for our meeting. The monastery of San Salvi has been home to Benedictine monks for hundred of years.”

Thou Shall Not Kill by John Leifer

Synopsis: This is Leifer’s third thriller featuring John Hart, a former Navy SEAL and the president’s fixer.

PW’s Takeaway: Readers will appreciate Leifer’s ingenuity in coupling suspense with a believable scenario.

Comparable Title: Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse

Sample Line: “Having witnessed the near annihilation of New York City following the detonation of a 15-kiloton nuclear bomb, Hart responded viscerally. He could taste the sickly sweet bile rise up in his gut in response to Meir’s plea.”

New Shoes by B.C. Palmer

Synopsis: Palmer’s debut stars sorcerer Adam Saint, who was possessed by a demon as a child.

PW’s Takeaway: A well-drawn cast, terrific worldbuilding, and snarky humor make this perfect for fans of Simon R. Green.

Comparable Title: Stephen Blackmore’s Dead Things

Turmeric & Spice by Bina Mehta

Synopsis: Mehta shares her knowledge in this wide-ranging collection of Indian fare for cooks of all skill levels.

PW’s Takeaway: Readers are certain to appreciate Mehta’s assortment of classic and contemporary Indian recipes.

Comparable Title: Sahara Rose Ketabi’s Eat Feel Fresh

Log Off by Blake Snow

Synopsis: Snow realizes that screen time is toxic and develops a strategy for balance.

PW’s Takeaway: Snow’s warnings and strategies for dealing with internet overuse will be a wake-up call for readers.

Comparable Title: Cal Newport’s Digital Minimalism