REQUIRED READING

What We Were Promised Lucy Tan (f iction, Little, Brown)

Set in modern Shanghai, where extreme wealth edges against poverty, a family in a luxurious housing complex employs Sunny, a woman from the provinces. She observes their lives from afar, watching the friction that developsops when Qiang, the husband’s brother, comes to visit.

Invitation to a Bonfire Adrienne Celt (f iction, Bloomsbury)

Zoya is a young refugee from the Soviet Union, trying desperately to fit in at the NJ boarding school where she now works. She falls in love with a visiting teacher, a fellow Russian émigré. An uneasy (and danger-dangerous) love triangle develops, inspired by the real-life marriage between Vladimir Nabokov and wife Vera.

The Joke’s Over, You Can Come Back Now Laurie Burrows Grad (memoir, CreateSpace)

Grad and her husband, Peter, shared 47 years together, ending with Peter’s death during a vacation in Vail. With Peter gone, she is left to navigate a new world of grief and widowhood. idowhood. While it’s a memoir, others going through the same will appreciate Grad’s helpful tips and thoughts.

My Twenty-Five Years in Provence Peter Mayle (memoir, Knopf)

The beloved author died in January, but he left behind this last memoir, reflecting on more than two decades spent in Provence, including culinary tips, life in France and observations of how things havee changed.

Her Pretty Face Robyn Harding (f iction, Gallery/ Scout)

Frances doesn’t fit in with the other mothers at Forrester Academy, until she meets glamorous Kate Randolph. The two bond over their sons and make fun of the other moms, until Frances uncovers a shocking se-secret about her new friend.

Caged Ellison Cooper (f iction, Minotaur)

The daughter of a US senator has been murdered, and FBI neuroscientist Sayer Altair has been called in to lead the investigation. While public pressure mounts, a second girl is taken and Altair must workk fast to catch the killer.