Historian Baer, author of The Ottomans: Khans, Caesars, and Caliphs (2021), reminds readers that Islam arose in 7th century Arabia, which was home to many Jewish tribes that sometimes cooperated in Muhammed’s struggles. Both believers were strict monotheists who claimed descent from Abraham, practiced circumcision, honored Moses and Jesus, and shared dietary restrictions. Muhammad’s relations with Jews were mixed, but, by the appearance of the great medieval Islamic empires, there was official “toleration,” if not equality. Baer emphasizes that Judaism was considered a false religion, but, as children of Abraham, Jews were considered a protected people. They remained socially inferior, paid a special tax, and were subject to restrictions, such as a ban on interfaith marriages, but participated in all professions, practiced their religion openly, and often rose high in Islamic bureaucracy. The author stresses that this was not, despite the myth, an interfaith utopia. In those far-off days, religion was a matter of life and death, so average Muslims had no doubt that God loathed false religions, and they often acted accordingly; but “Jews and Muslims were almost always closer and had better relations with each other than with Christians until modern times.” The 19th century changed everything. Modern antisemitism appeared, based on pseudoscience that placed Semitic races below Aryans (traditional antisemitism was based on theology). Zionism, born in that century, considered Palestine the Jewish homeland. After Hitler took office, no Western power, the U.S. included, welcomed Jews fleeing Germany. Victory in World War II did not change matters, and Zionists ran the most efficient refugee escape route. Israel’s 1948 formation was a disaster for Jews in Islamic nations. Within a decade, almost all had left, including many who didn’t want to go. With admirable objectivity, Baer describes events down to the present day, in which the news routinely features murder, atrocities, and war between supporters of two ancient faiths.

In 1990, Sen. Ariana Peters of the United States Shifter Council encounters an unusual sinkhole in California. It exudes a silver, tendril-like substance that interacts with her directly and raises concerns about general public safety. The senator, prioritizing containment, authorizes the use of a substance called oblivion tincture to wipe locals’ minds and then relocate them. In a parallel storyline set in 2000,Iris Bai struggles to control her magical power after she absorbs multiple abilities. Her attempts to return these powers from whence they came, using transfer stones, are unsuccessful, leaving her feeling disoriented and fragmented. Meanwhile, Nivi Dawan attends a boarding school for magically gifted Shifters, where she makes friends with fellow attendees Ai and Jorge, who help her to accept herself. Iris goes on to experience psychologically taxing situations, including ocean-like visions and the direct influence of external entities, and one character is overtaken by “the silver.” Later, Iris and her friends undertake a daring rescue. Hawthorne’s complex book masterfully intertwines high-stakes storylines, immersing readers in a world of magical powers in which characters struggle with difficult ethical choices. The tension between Ariana’s authority and Iris’ and Nivi’s personal struggles results in a compelling, fluid narrative. Nivi’s and Iris’ journeys, in particular, highlight feminist empowerment as they reclaim their agency, resist manipulation, and assert control over their own destinies. The integration of Chinese and Aztec mythology adds cultural richness and a sense of history to the narrative, even though the author only hints at the full background of the fictional world. Still, these glimpses will entice readers to imagine a larger history beyond the text.

Antonini, a software engineer with experience working in the financial and insurance industries (who also holds degrees in pharmacy and technology), lays out clear and practical advice to help readers adapt to uncertainty and overcome life’s challenges. Likening the human system to a computer, Antonini outlines her trademarked concept of the “Thrivegorithm”—the process the mind uses to interpret and react to information—and how it can be “debugged” to improve one’s life. This algorithm is the inner logic that runs your operating system, which she defines as resourcefulness. Supported by scientific evidence and research, the author presents practical steps and exercises to help readers transform limits into strengths, manage motivation (which Antonini compares to a bank account, subject to deposits and withdrawals), determine a reason for being (the Japanese concept of ikigai), and ultimately reach the final upgrade to become the best versions of themselves. Filled with tables and visualizations to help readers better conceptualize and absorb the material, the text culminates in a 30-day resourcefulness challenge that details day-by-day actions readers can take toward betterment. Throughout the book, the author uses real-life examples of well-known figures (including Thomas Edison, Serena Williams, and Nelson Mandela) who have adapted their mindsets to achieve their goals to illustrate the benefits of resourcefulness. Antonini presents their successes alongside beautifully written anecdotes from her own life and her emotionally compelling poetry. This combination of the personal and practical (“Think of your motivation account like your operating system. If you’re not patching the bugs—such as negative self-talk, toxic bonds and poor health—the system lags, crashes, or gets hijacked by malware”) makes for a thoroughly memorable read.

Sylvia—along with her faithful girlfriend, Charlie—arrives at the lake house of her university friend Karen. The secluded weeklong vacation is intended to be a much-needed reunion of their old friend group, which also includes reserved Esben, wild Quince, and caring Gry, who’s also brought her husband, Adam. After the first day among the “quiet and dazzling” lake and “silver birch trees,” Karen and Esben, who have been in love since the group’s undergraduate days, announce that they intend to get married during the vacation. Everyone is excited except Sylvia, who’s had a decade-long crush on Esben. The news sends her into a tailspin of yearning, causing her to doubt her own feelings about monogamy. “We could be living this utopian life together,” she argues to her friends, who are all settled in adulthood, “but instead…you have to choose between loneliness or a twosome, which is the same as loneliness.” Ernst’s novel explores the boundaries we maintain and the boundaries we are willing to cross in pursuit of romantic and platonic love. Through the loving, reminiscent, and sometimes awkward exchanges between old friends, the reader learns which insecurities define an entangled group of millennials hoping to impress each other: “Esben looks at the table, takes stock—is there an i to dot? He goes back inside, returns holding champagne and fruit juice, bottles dewy with cold.” Ernst brings the lush setting of the novel alive, using descriptions of food—like the “crisp and fatty” fried wild elder blossoms—to highlight the physical decadence of the Danish countryside and the ideological decadence of Sylvia’s proposed nonmonogamous utopia.

Holly Kilgour, a former model, is newly divorced and enjoying the freedom that comes with finally living life on her own terms. Her 26-year-old son, Austin, attends medical school, and she now embraces a future in which her life is no longer centered on taking care of others. Her newfound confidence is tested when Austin tells her of his discovery that he has a previously unknown sibling. Meanwhile, homemaker Lisa Doyle struggles with the growing distance between herself and her teenage children. “Back in the fall, Carly still told her everything,” she reflects about her daughter, but now Lisa “must beg for scraps of information.” She also feels disconnected from her marriage to her husband, Dean. She eventually starts a parenting advice YouTube channel that unexpectedly becomes popular, giving her a much-needed emotional outlet. Savannah Moore, a first grade teacher, begins questioning her relationship when her fiancé, James, assumes, without seriously considering her own wants or career goals, that they’ll eventually move closer to his extended family. The three women initially connect through playing tennis at a local country club, and their friendship deepens as they support one another through family conflicts, relationship struggles, and changing identities. When Savannah’s tensions with James escalate, she temporarily stays with Holly, reinforcing the bond between the women. The use of alternating third-person perspectives keeps the story moving, and each woman’s plotline remains engaging enough that the shifts between them rarely feel disruptive. The novel leans more heavily on character growth than it does on dramatic plot twists, focusing on such aspects as the importance of learning to communicate honestly with family members and partners. Although some characters take a long time to fully recognize their own value, the gradual development feels believable and earned. The straightforward prose and dialogue-heavy scenes make the novel consistently accessible, and the tennis aspect gives the women a believable reason to connect during different stages of life.