From an engrossing trip across diverse former Soviet states to the latest novel from a rising Irish writer and William Dalrymple’s chronicle of the most rapacious company in history, here is a sampling of the best books of the week. A fever dream of motherhood, Robert Harris’s latest historical thriller and a journey round Britain with great writers are also on offer, along with other titles. Artificial intelligence is having one of its periodic moments, led by dramatic advances in technology that have been accompanied by a growing anxiety that machines might finally be on the cusp of usurping us.