The Last Mandarin by Louise Penny and Mellissa Fung

THE LAST MANDARIN by Louise Penny and Mellissa Fung is a stand-alone political thriller. The audiobook is narrated by Eunice Wong who does an absolutely excellent job. In this novel, modern day terrorist attacks are occurring simultaneously all over the globe and a Chinese dissident, Vivien Li and her daughter, Alice, are drawn into a mystery which even leading intelligence agencies are struggling to decipher. A favorite scene is the online gathering of the experts from several countries and Wong’s ability to use her voice and convey their biases and country of origin. As readers would expect from Penny (Inspector Gamache series), there are numerous plot twists and surprises. She and Fung also convey the political intrigue and behind the scenes maneuvering, in a manner reminiscent of writers like Allen Drury or Gore Vidal. Barnes & Noble and Abe Books each recommend more authors/titles in this genre. Looking for a political thriller in movie form? Try these suggested by IMDb.

Change of Plans by Sarah Dessen

CHANGE OF PLANS by Sarah Dessen (Lock & Key; Just Listen; The Truth about Forever and more) is her first novel in seven years and offers the chance for new readers to sample Dessen’s expressive writing. Booklist says, “Dessen’s greatest strength is her creation of vivid atmosphere, which enhances both her characters' personalities and their conflicts.” Here, the award-winning young adult author introduces readers to Finley, a graduating high school senior who lives with her stepmom, dad, and their young family. Finley has a strong, two-year relationship with Colin, but must decline his family’s invite to a cruise because her career-oriented and distant mother, Catherine (Cat) has plans for the two of them to travel together. Quite a bit does change when Colin meets another girl on the cruise and Finley’s Mom chauffeurs Finley to The Woods, a family home on a rural lake, instead of heading to New York City. Finley meets new friends (Clark, Ben, and Lana) and aunts (Liz and Kasey) as she begins to learn more about her Mom – and herself. CHANGE OF PLANS received starred reviews from Kirkus (“she discovers strength, independence, and the transformative power of being fully present …. A sweet, nuanced, and reflective coming-of-age love story filled with moments of true beauty between family and friends”) and Publishers Weekly (“delightfully layered, bighearted novel”). As Clark says, “Everything changes. You have a choice: make it hard or make it work. And there's enough hard shit already.”

Mother Tongue by Sara Nović

MOTHER TONGUE by Sara Nović (Girl at War and True Biz) received well-deserved starred reviews from Booklist, Library Journal and Publishers Weekly. Nović uses this memoir to share her experiences, reflections, and research about being deaf and the deaf culture. In an effort to teach and inform others, she is willing to be vulnerable, resulting in a poignant tale. Nović explores related history (e.g., Nazi eugenics and Alexander Graham Bell’s campaign against American Sign Language) as well as the prejudice she encountered when trying to adopt a deaf son from another race. The tone is not academic, but the vocabulary often is, in MOTHER TONGUE, a moving and educational work.

Good Joy, Bad Joy by Mikki Brammer

GOOD JOY, BAD JOY by Mikki Brammer (The Collected Regrets of Clover) introduces readers to Joy Bridport, someone who at first seems truly too good to be true. Joy invariably looks on the bright side, gives others the benefit of the doubt, and sacrifices her own needs to help others. Her life, however, gets turned upside down (look at that cover!) when she learns that her best friend of eighty years, Hazel, has terminal cancer. Brammer shares Joy’s innermost thoughts about her parents’ values, her troubled relationship with her own daughter (Elizabeth) and grandson Finn, as well as a new friendship with Rowan, a neighbor recently released from jail. Joy starts to take some risks, and the lack of consequences will have readers nodding in agreement about how older women often are invisible. GOOD JOY, BAD JOY is a rather sad story and while Joy grows, it can be a difficult read emotionally. Like “good” Joy, Booklist describes this novel more positively as “a heartwarming, poignant story of self-discovery and hope.” Book groups will find much to discuss.

Moonlight Murder by Uzma Jalaluddin

MOONLIGHT MURDER by Uzma Jalaluddin is her second Detective Aunty novel and I found it even more enjoyable than the first, although also a bit slow-paced in parts. Kauser Khan, the main character, is an older widow whose heritage is Muslim and South Asian. She lives in Toronto where her son (Ali, then 15) was killed by a hit and run driver eighteen years ago. The story revolves around her belated investigation of his death and the more recent death of another young teen, Qasim, close friend of her granddaughter, Maleeha. As the beautiful cover illustrates, the culture of the tightly knit community in the Golden Crescent neighborhood of Toronto is integral to the story and Jalaluddin brings to life secondary characters like Kauser’s daughter; old friends May (“Who knew that a shared love for Louise Penny and the Public Library would lead to a friend for life?”), Fatima, and Nasir (also a potential romantic interest); the local police; and several high school students, including the brother, Kamal, and the best friend, Joquiem, of Qasim as well as some of his teachers. The dual mysteries (“Two parallel stories, separated by decades and circumstance, linked by place and community. Both deaths assumed accidents. Both with unanswered questions about motive, story, and intention…”) offer suspense and surprise. Kauser is an appealing character who relies on her faith and also still grapples with grief (“It felt good to make plans for the future. It felt good to feel capable of thinking beyond the next few days. She had lived her life in survival mode for so long, wrestling with the ghosts of death, loss, and grief, … but she could feel something shift inside her now, at last.”). Read this series in order as you anticipate the next title.

The Flag Was Still There by McKean and Bennett

THE FLAG WAS STILL THERE by David McKean and M. Todd Bennett is a scholarly work which traces “A History of the American Experiment in Five Anniversaries:” 1776, 1826, 1876, 1926, and 1976. THE FLAG WAS STILL THERE received a positive review from Kirkus and praise from well-known historians like Douglas Brinkley and Walter Isaacson. However, it is fairly dense and would be daunting for our high school students, even those enrolled in AP US History. The reoccurring patterns (discrimination, nativism, corruption) and “inflection points” beg to be documented in a more accessible form – what interesting, informative, and necessary conversations they could prompt as the nation will soon be celebrating 250 years. Kudos to McKean, a former U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg, and Bennett, a professor of history at East Carolina University, for highlighting these key issues.

Open To Work by Ryan Roslansky and Aneesh Raman

OPEN TO WORK by Ryan Roslansky (LinkedIn CEO) and Aneesh Raman (Chief Economic Opportunity Officer at LinkedIn) is heartfelt advice about “How to Get Ahead in the Age of AI.” The authors point to how in the industrial age “standardization was the point. When AI handles the standard, though, things start to flip. Suddenly your differences aren't limitations. They're your competitive advantage.” They relate stories of Nilofer Merchant (consultant who coined the term “onlyness”); John Henry (founded a dry-cleaning service at 19 and sold it two years later for a million dollars); and Leena Nair (CEO of Chanel) to illustrate how important it can be to build on one’s unique strengths and experiences. They stress “distinctly human capabilities which AI cannot replicate” and the interaction amongst these 5Cs: curiosity, courage, creativity, compassion, and communication. They say, “As you get going, remember that it's OK to pause, restart, or change direction. The key is just to keep moving.” OPEN TO WORK will encourage readers to experiment with AI due to its conversational tone, thoughtful prompts, and helpful exercises (e.g., listing twelve top tasks sorting them into one of three buckets: (1) routine tasks that AI can do alone; (2) tasks to do together with AI tools and (3) uniquely human tasks, generally involving emotional intelligence). In fact, the final chapter includes a detailed, practical 30-60-90-day plan for getting started with AI, complete with examples and coaching. Over twenty percent of OPEN TO WORK is devoted to Notes and an Index.  Additional interviews with Ryan Roslansky are available on the podcast The Path.