Bookishly Jewish

Michelle Cameron’s new book Babylon was the perfect read for a long Tisha b’Av afternoon, though I’m sure I would have enjoyed it even if I had been reading it on the beach. It’s the multigenerational story of the first Jewish exile, a time marked by suffering of so many kinds, made real in this story by the relatable and well-developed characters with their own flaws, wishes and dreams.

The story begins with three young people exiled from Jerusalem: Sarah, her cousin Reuven, and Seraf, a young musician they meet along the long journey – on foot, in chains – from Jerusalem to Babylon. Beautiful Sarah is selected to be regularly raped by the captain of the army, taking her virginity, her innocence, and her hopes at a happy and simple married life.

When Reuven is granted a poor plot of land outside the main city to farm, Sarah tries to go with him, but is instead enslaved as a servant in the palace. An accomplished musician, Seraf is also taken for work in the palace, and is horrified to learn he will be castrated, for all the men serving in the castle are eunichs.

Sarah and Serah have one night of passion before his unwanted procedure, and she conceives. As a pregnant slave, she could be killed. Instead, on a trip to visit Reuven for a festival, her own Jewish compatriots try to stone her for harlotry. Reuven takes pity on her and marries her, ending her life as a
slave in the palace, and setting the stage for many twists and tragedies to come

The story continues through four generations, as Sarah’s children and grandchildren struggle with exile, endure hunger and slavery, in some cases marry idolators, and pray for return to a land they have only dreamed of, to service of the one G-d in a rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem.

As a reader, I appreciated how this multi-generational story probed the long-term consequences of decisions which, in the moment, might seem unimportant. As individual characters’ lives reach their natural ends, their loved ones do their best to go on. Children try to carry on their parents’ legacy without always fully understanding it. Parents’ mistakes are repeated by their children, who seem helpless to avoid the same pitfalls.

As the generations unfold, the far-off image of Jerusalem becomes an ideal that would be hard for any place to meet. The first generation to return face many challenges to reclaim and secure the land, to reinstate lost traditions, and to address moral questions about the non-Judeans who live there –
including, in many cases, their wives.

In this story, the cruelty of royalty and the suffering of slaves are juxtaposed with poor Jews trying to earn their daily bread, zealous and angry at their fellow Jews who lead seemingly more comfortable lives. The leaders and rabbis Jews have always needed to keep our knowledge and inspire also play their pivotal role.

The strength of Babylon is its characters, who face unspeakable horrors and impossible choices, struggle to do the honorable thing and often make tragic but seemingly unavoidable mistakes. By exploring the ancient history of the Jewish people, this book taught me something about what our ancestors suffered, but also who we have always been and who we still are.

Find It: Goodreads | Bookshop | Amazon

The reviewer received a free arc of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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I feel like I’m behind on a billion different things, but the High Holidays are definitely a time for reflection and rejuvenation. I’ll be using the #readsofawe challenge to hopefully catch up on a few books I keep meaning to read but just never have been able to find.

Bonus: Since almost all of these are already published I can gather them in advance.

Endpapers by Jennifer Savran Kelly – Algonquin Feb 2023

Boxes it fulfills for my board: 2023 Release, Non-Holocaust Historical, LGBT Rep, Adult

It’s 2003, and artist Dawn Levit is stuck. A bookbinder who works in conservation at the Met, she spends her free time scouting the city’s street art, hoping something might spark inspiration. Instead, everything looks like a dead end. And art isn’t the only thing that feels wrong: wherever she turns, her gender identity clashes with the rest of her life. Her relationship, once anchored by shared queerness, is falling apart as her boyfriend Lukas increasingly seems to be attracted to Dawn only when she’s at her most masculine. Meanwhile at work, Dawn has to present as female, even on the days when that isn’t true. Either way, her difference feels like a liability.  

Then, one day at work, Dawn finds something hidden behind the endpaper of an old book: the torn-off cover of a ‘50s lesbian pulp novel, Turn Her About. On the front is a campy illustration of a woman looking into a handheld mirror and seeing a man’s face. And on the back is a love letter.  

Dawn latches onto the coincidence, becoming obsessed with tracking down the note’s author. Her fixation only increases when her best friend Jae is injured in a hate crime, for which Dawn feels responsible. As Dawn searches for the letter’s author, she is also looking for herself. She tries to understand how to live in a world that doesn’t see her as she truly is, how to get unstuck in her gender, and how to rediscover her art, and she can’t shake the feeling that the note’s author might be able to help guide her to the answers. 

Find It: Goodreads | Bookshop | Amazon

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Season of Love by Helena Greer – Forever, October 2022

Boxes it fulfills on my board: Themes of forgiveness, Romance, LGBT Rep, Adult

Thanks to her thriving art career, Miriam Blum finally has her decoupaged glitter ducks in a row–until devastating news forces her to a very unwanted family reunion. Her beloved great-aunt Cass has passed and left Miriam part-owner of Carrigan’s, her (ironically) Jewish-run Christmas tree farm. But Miriam’s plans to sit shiva, avoid her parents, then put Carrigan’s in her rearview mirror are spoiled when she learns the business is at risk of going under. To have any chance at turning things around, she’ll need to work with the farm’s grumpy manager–as long as the attraction sparking between them doesn’t set all their trees on fire first. Noelle Northwood wants Miriam Blum gone–even if her ingenious ideas and sensitive soul keep showing Noelle there’s more to Cass’s niece than meets the eye. But saving Carrigan’s requires trust, love, and risking it all–for the chance to make their wildest dreams come true.

Find It: Goodreads | Bookshop | Amazon

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Mooncakes written by Suzanne Walker, Illustrated by Wendy Xu – Oni Press 2019

Boxes it will fulfill for me – Jews of Color, LGBT Rep, Comic/Graphic Novel

Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers’ bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town.

One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any town home.

Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery.

Find It: Goodreads | Bookshop | Amazon

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The Literary Murder by Batya Gur translated by Dalya Bilu – Harper Paerback July 2020 but originally published in 1993

Boxes it fulfills for me – Published before 2000, Translation, Adult

In investigating the deaths of a professor of literature and his junior colleague, Superintendent MichaelOhayon raises profound ethical questions about the relationship between the artist and his creation, and between the artist and a moral code. It brings him into contact with the academic elite and reveals the social problems and differing perspectives of Israel’s various classes.

Known as “the Israeli Agatha Christie, Batya Gur’s The Literary Murder is a clever, compelling, and suspenseful mystery that will leave readers entertained up until the final, harrowing conclusion.

Find It: Goodreads | Bookshop | Amazon

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We’re Here: The Best Queer Speculative Fiction of 2022, short story “The Chavrutah” by Y.M. Resnik – Neon Hemlock October 2023

Boxes it Fulfills for my Board – short story, LGTB, Frum Rep, YA,

Two Bais Yaakov students atempt to summon Ashmedia King of Sheidim to help with college admissions.

Links coming soon!

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Re: by Linda Esptein, self published 2022

Boxes it fulfills for me – Poetry, out of my comfort zone

re: is a short collection of poems by Linda Epstein gleaned from poetry she’s written over the last 40 years. Divided into three parts–air, matter, and motion–this collection includes poems about love and loss, musings about art and god, reflections on the body and being.

Find It: Goodreads

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Ana on the Edge by A.J. Sass – Little Brown Books for Young Readers October 2021

Boxes it Fufills for me – Blue cover, Themes of Renewal, Contemporary, LGBT

Twelve-year-old Ana-Marie Jin, the reigning US Juvenile figure skating champion, is not a frilly dress kind of kid. So, when Ana learns that next season’s program will be princess themed, doubt forms fast. Still, Ana tries to focus on training and putting together a stellar routine worthy of national success. Once Ana meets Hayden, a transgender boy new to the rink, thoughts about the princess program and gender identity begin to take center stage. And when Hayden mistakes Ana for a boy, Ana doesn’t correct him and finds comfort in this boyish identity when he’s around. As their friendship develops, Ana realizes that it’s tricky juggling two different identities on one slippery sheet of ice. And with a major competition approaching, Ana must decide whether telling everyone the truth is worth risking years of hard work and sacrifice.

Find It: Goodreads | Bookshop | Amazon

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The Mitten String by Jennifer Rosner – Random House Books for Young Readers October 2014

When her family invites a deaf woman and her baby to stay, Ruthie, a talented knitter of mittens, wonders how the mother will know if her child wakes in the night. The surprising answer inspires Ruthie to knit a special gift that offers great comfort to mother and baby—and to Ruthie herself.
        With language and imagery reminiscent of stories told long ago, this modern Jewish folktale will resonate with those who love crafts, anyone who’s encountered someone with physical differences—and with everyone who has ever lost a mitten in the depths of winter.

Find It: Goodreads | Amazon

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Jewish Magic and Superstition by Joshua Trachtenberg – University of Pennsylvania Press 2004

Boxes it fulfills for me- nonfiction, blue cover

Alongside the formal development of Judaism from the eleventh through the sixteenth centuries, a robust Jewish folk religion flourished–ideas and practices that never met with wholehearted approval by religious leaders yet enjoyed such wide popularity that they could not be altogether excluded from the religion. According to Joshua Trachtenberg, it is not possible truly to understand the experience and history of the Jewish people without attempting to recover their folklife and beliefs from centuries past.

Jewish Magic and Superstition is a masterful and utterly fascinating exploration of religious forms that have all but disappeared yet persist in the imagination. The volume begins with legends of Jewish sorcery and proceeds to discuss beliefs about the evil eye, spirits of the dead, powers of good, the famous legend of the golem, procedures for casting spells, the use of gems and amulets, how to battle spirits, the ritual of circumcision, herbal folk remedies, fortune telling, astrology, and the interpretation of dreams.

First published more than sixty years ago, Trachtenberg’s study remains the foundational scholarship on magical practices in the Jewish world and offers an understanding of folk beliefs that expressed most eloquently the everyday religion of the Jewish people.

Find It: Goodreads |Bookshop | Amazon

BookishlyJewish is always on the look out for new writers and unique styles of writing and telling stories to share with our readers. Therefore, we were thrilled to chat with author Abby Goldsmith about her upcoming progression SFF novel, MAJORITY.

Abby Goldsmith is the author of the Torth series, originally released on Wattpad and Royal Road with 750,000+ reads. She has sold short works to Escape Pod and Writer’s Digest Books, having attended the Odyssey Fantasy Writing Workshop. Goldsmith is a 2D and 3D game animator, has lived on all three coasts of the United States, and is married to her favorite reader.

BookishlyJewish: MAJORITY is a new genre for the blog. Can you tell our readers a little bit more about Progression Fantasy and what it was like bringing this concept into the Sci-Fi space?

Abby Goldsmith: Progression Fantasy is defined by a leveling system, where a hero levels up within a pre-set system. This has a lot of overlap with superhero fiction, and also with litrpg, which takes place in a game world. To me, the key takeaways are that the hero gains a lot of power, and the rules for gaining power in that universe are well-defined. My series is not litrpg, but it does feature bioengineered superpowers. 

BookishlyJewish: Who is MAJORITY’s intended audience and what do you hope they will take away from the story?

Abby Goldsmith: Like most authors, I want a wide audience, but I do see mine resonating more with male readers who are in their teens or twenties. I go deep with themes of oppression and power imbalances on the scale of individuals all the way up to the scale of galactic civilization, as well as the power/oppression ramifications of instant communication via social media. I hope my series gets readers to think more widely on these issues! 

BookishlyJewish: What was the inspiration behind MAJORITY?

Abby Goldsmith: Can I say Nazism? 

One of the biggest sociological questions of our era is: “How can an entire forward-thinking society elect a genocidal maniac and stand behind him for years? How does that happen?” 

I wanted to explore that question through the exaggerated lens of science fiction. The Torth are incredibly oppressive. Why are they all uniformly okay with owning slaves? Why have they all collectively agreed to repress their own emotions? Why do they always elect sociopaths to lead their civilization? How did they get this way? Can they be changed? 

Well, there are great answers to all of those questions. Read and find out! 

BookishlyJewish: You mentioned some of the themes are informed by your personal background. Can you elaborate? 

Abby Goldsmith: I grew up Reform Jewish in a traditionally Christian part of northern New England. Even though I got mistaken for Scots-Irish all the time, due to being a redhead, I had a sense of otherness from a young age. I was the weird kid whose parents had New York accents. My dad was a retired inventor. My mom was an artist, and I inherited the art obsession. Our family was the only one in town with a menorah instead of a Christmas tree. Kids like to pick on any perceived differences, and I was the weird one who didn’t quite act like everyone else in my elementary school. 

Add in an early education on the history of antisemitism, plus a reading habit, and I was mulling over the question of “why?” throughout my childhood. 

BookishlyJewish: There definitely seems to be a take on the future of social media in MAJORITY How does social media play a role in your own life either as a private person or as an author, and can you even differentiate those two things anymore? 

Abby Goldsmith: Social media is an interesting new experiment for humankind. Instant global communication is in its infancy, and the ramifications have yet to be fully explored. I don’t see it explored enough in fiction. When everyone can vote on everything, that takes collectivism to a whole new level. How does individuality fit in? How does peer pressure and mob rule twist a society? I explore that in MAJORITY. 

Of course, I hope our own world never takes it as far as the Torth Majority. 

Social media tends to be superficial, because it’s risky to share anything super personal with the general public. The vast majority of Twitter and Instagram users, I think, are people with something to share or sell–artists and writers and marketers and service providers and self-help gurus. We all feel pressure to show up online a lot in order to please algorithms in order to gain the coveted visibility boost. 

It’s also nice to stay connected with acquaintances. And doom-scrolling can be addictive. But overall, I hope our civilization can figure out a better way to connect people online. For now? I live in the world as it is. I participate in social media primarily because I want to reach more of an audience. 

BookishlyJewish: Is there anything you wished I asked that I didn’t? This is the space for it!

Abby Goldsmith: Some readers see a Christ figure in MAJORITY. I did that on purpose, to subvert the trope of a holy savior Chosen One. The character of Ariock was set up to become the messiah by his own ancestor, with guidance from an oracle who died long before he was born. Ariock has everything handed to him on a silver platter, so to speak. He inherits great power, great wealth, great strength, without needing to earn it. Wise characters manipulate him onto the messiah path, and he claims that role without much effort. He even gets betrayed and sentenced to death by crucifixion (the betrayer is the actual hero of the series). So is Ariock the real deal? Or is it actually Thomas, the unsung hero who guides Ariock every step of the way? There’s a bit of a Frodo and Samwise relationship going on with Ariock and Thomas. Ariock is celebrated and worshiped and given all the credit for the victories … but it’s actually Thomas who masterminds every victory and who takes the biggest risks, all while being overshadowed by Ariock. In the end, everyone, including Ariock, has to acknowledge that. 

BookishlyJewish: I always finish by asking if you have a favorite Jewish book or author you’d like to recommend to our readers. 

Abby Goldsmith: I’m not sure if it’s kosher to mention deconversion stories, but I was blown away by All Who Go Do Not Return, a memoir by Shulem Deen. His experiences with the early internet resonate with me, and there are thematic overlaps with my book. 

Fin Majority: GoodReads | Bookshop | Amazon

Recently while attending a shiva I noticed a party rental truck pulling into the driveway of the mourner’s home. I assumed it was a delivery of more chairs. Shiva’s get crowded around here, extra seating is often needed, and there are community organizations that provide this service free of charge. I offered to help, but the bereaved simply smiled and shook their heads. “It’s not a delivery,” they informed me. “It’s a pick up. We had a cousins wedding a couple of days ago in the yard.”

This juxtaposition of marriage and death, the joy and the sorrow, encapsulated for me the relentless march of Jewish lifecycle events. Through our holidays, our brissim, bar mitzvah’s, weddings, and funerals we live our lives both individually and communally. No matter where we are, even if we are unsure if ‘home’ will still be safe next year, we move through these events together.

Kantika by Elizabeth Graver is a wide reaching historical novel, based on the true life story of the authors own grandmother, that displays this particular ethos. The main POV character, Rebecca, is born to an affluent Turkish family. Due to both political upheaval and various bad business choices the family is forced to relocate several times. This has a profound effect on Rebecca, whose options are thus severely limited, and who reflects on how she never achieves the life of privilege she was born and raised to expect. Still, she perseveres.

Rebecca is one of those people that always manages to come out on top, even if the outcome isn’t quite everything what she wants. She is fiercely independent, cheerful, loves the spot light, and even turns her appreciation for fashion into a full fledged business. She is no Pollyanna. She fully experiences each and every hardship life throws her way, and the reader vicariously does too, however she never gives up.

If in the very firs few chapters the voice tended to be too literary for my genre loving self- at times slipping into second person and using more metaphors and symbolism than I could follow – I tried to remember that writing the life of a child is a unique challenge for an adult. Perhaps I wasn’t meant to understand it all. Childhood, especially an idyllic one like Rebecca’s, is often remembered in a dreamlike quality by adults who remember more of the sweet than the sour. The narration reflects that innocence of youth of memory and distortion. Later, we get the full grit of Rebecca’s adult voice.

Rebecca’s chapters are held together by short interludes narrated from the point of view of her father, her mother, her eldest son and her step daughter Luna. Each of these viewpoints adds context to Rebecca’s ongoing story and allows the reader to delve deeper into the minds of those around her. It is particularly effective when it comes to Rebecca’s father and mother who we first experienced through child’s eyes. We can almost see Rebecca slowly becoming her mother, facing the same trials and tribulations, yet retaining her individual spirit.

Where I might have wished for more of someone else’s perspective is when it comes to Luna. Born with cerebral palsy and physical difficulties, Luna has an inquisitive and bright mind. Rebecca is both an advocate and an adversary – pushing Luna to achieve more than others ever thought possible for her. Watching her through Rebecca’s eyes is often painful, however it is unrelentingly honest. I was grateful we were allowed to see Luna from her own perspective, although I do wonder how much of these chapters would have changed if Luna herself (based on an actual relative of the author) had more input into the story.

In the afterword we learn that although Luna left behind a rich body of writing she had already passed away before the author began writing this book. The ending in particular, without giving away spoilers, struck me as indicating there was more to Luna’s story than we had space for in this book and that we had barely scratched the surface of her personality. By learning about her through Rebecca, we the reader see her mainly as yet another character in the cast of Rebecca’s life. Which maybe is exactly how we are supposed to feel. Even her abled children sometimes felt overshadowed by Rebecca’s bright star.

For fans of Ladino, there are some beautiful songs in the narration, and many of the characters describe Spanyol as their primary language. The glimpse into customs of Jewish Turkish residents in the early 20th century was particularly effective, as was the depiction of what it means to go into diaspora – yet again – from a place one finally thought of as home and how some never truly recover from this.

The book wisely ends on a life cycle event – I won’t tell you which – and thus brings the narrative full circle. No matter where Rebecca ends up her Judaism and El Dyo are always with her. Her family grows and changes, the wheel of fortune turns, but always at its core is a faith and an identity that will not be denied.

Find It: GoodReads | BookShop | Amazon

by: Stacey Agdern

The festival began on Thursday night as a cross section of literary authors and zinesters discussed the direct impact of Judaism on their writing. It was an inspiring and fascinating, yet esoteric, discussion brought down to basics when each of the authors talked about their research and writing processes. Which was important because the authors wrote a collection of subgenres and time periods, coming at writing from a kaleidoscope of different perspectives.

Saturday’s event began with a progression of childrens’ authors. The featured authors also wrote a wide selection of information; from non-fiction biography to middle grade to picture books. They shared their stories, as well as the path they took to writing what they do. And the stories, as well as the authors
themselves, were both inspiring and engaging. Bindy Bitterman, who wrote and published her first picture book at 92 , shared bits of her life, including how limericks played a huge role in her life and in the picture book she read earlier that morning.

Ruth Spiro told the engaging story of how a wild idea turned into a multi award winning board book series, one scientific concept at a time. And Marlene Targ Brill told the story of her multiple publications, and explained how subjects make the biography.

As the focus changed, author Eden Robins talked about her fascinating adventures (to the bottom of the ocean!) and the history that inspired her newest book, as well as the idea that’s inspiring books to come.

I spoke after Eden, talking about my books and Jewish romances in general, pulling threads together from all of the conversations I’d heard throughout the two days I’d participated in.

And to close out the afternoon, Terry Grant of 3 rd Coast Comics in Chicago gave a beautiful talk about the Jewish history of Comics, showing original art and telling stories that get forgotten.

And Saturday evening finished with a keynote by biographer Jonathan eig, discussing his latest book about Martin Luther King Jr.

All in all, the festival was wonderful, and I cannot wait to see what happens next year.

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BookishlyJewish is super excited to be a part of Zoe Kaplan’s #ReadsofAwe this year! We are releasing several reading lists for those wanting to plan ahead and strategize the best way to complete their Bingo boards.

Today’s list, The Overachiever Version, features one book for each box, no duplicates. This would require A LOT of reading in a very short time frame, and likely is not possible for most. However, we also note the other categories each book will fulfill. Even if you are short on time, or have read some of these before, you can still find something new for your TBR. We look forward to seeing your pretty bookstacks as part of the photo challenge!

Coming soon: My personal reading list and a short-on-time board that uses short stories instead of novels.

GENRE BOXES

Non -Holocaust Historical

Marry Me by Midnight by Felicia Grossman

London, 1832: Isabelle Lira may be in distress, but she’s no damsel. Since her father’s death, his former partners have sought to oust her from their joint equity business. Her only choice is to marry—and fast—to a powerful ally outside the respected Berab family’s sphere of influence. Only finding the right spouse will require casting a wide net. So she’ll host a series of festivals, to which every eligible Jewish man is invited.
 
Once, Aaron Ellenberg longed to have a family of his own. But as the synagogue custodian, he is too poor for wishes and not foolish enough for dreams. Until the bold, beautiful Isabelle Lira presents him with an irresistible offer . . . if he ensures her favored suitors have no hidden loyalties to the Berabs, she will provide him with money for a new life.
 
Yet the transaction provides surprising temptation, as Aaron and Isabelle find caring and passion in the last person they each expected. Only a future for them is impossible—for heiresses don’t marry orphans, and love only conquers in children’s tales. But if Isabelle can find the courage to trust her heart, she’ll discover anything is possible, if only she says yes. 

Also fulfills: romance, adult, and 2023 release squares

Find It: Goodreads | Bookshop | Amazon | BookishlyJewish Review

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Contemporary

Imogen Obviously by Becky Albertalli

Imogen Scott may be hopelessly heterosexual, but she’s got the World’s Greatest Ally title locked down.

She’s never missed a Pride Alliance meeting. She knows more about queer media discourse than her very queer little sister. She even has two queer best friends. There’s Gretchen, a fellow high school senior, who helps keep Imogen’s biases in check. And then there’s Lili–newly out and newly thriving with a cool new squad of queer college friends.

Imogen’s thrilled for Lili. Any ally would be. And now that she’s finally visiting Lili on campus, she’s bringing her ally A game. Any support Lili needs, Imogen’s all in.

Even if that means bending the truth, just a little.

Like when Lili drops a tiny queer bombshell: she’s told all her college friends that Imogen and Lili used to date. And none of them know that Imogen is a raging hetero–not even Lili’s best friend, Tessa.

Of course, the more time Imogen spends with chaotic, freckle-faced Tessa, the more she starts to wonder if her truth was ever all that straight to begin with. . .

Also Fulfills: Romance, LGBTQ+, and YA boxes

Find It: Goodreads | Bookshop | Amazon

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Science Fiction/Fantasy

Tracker220 by Jamie Krakover

Through thoughts and blinks, Kaya can access anyone or anything on the tracker network. But the authorities monitor everything-where Kaya goes, who she talks to, and what she searches. And without the ability to turn it off, Kaya and her family can’t observe a tech-free Shabbat. To fix the glitch, the authorities slice into her skull to reset her tracker, leaving Kaya to question more than the system’s invasion into her faith.

Kaya won’t be a lab rat again.

Evading the authorities requires some serious tech skills the rogue underground Ghosts can offer. But Kaya’s not sure she can trust them-even if their top tech wiz, Bailen, has interest in her running deeper than her bum tracker. Kaya must decide if gaining freedom is worth losing her tracker’s infinite knowledge-because to take down the tracker network, she must betray the only tech she’s ever known.

Also Fulfills: YA

BONUS Box: Supports an independently published book

Find It: Goodreads | Bookshop | Amazon | BookishlyJewish Review

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NonFiction

One Hundred Saturdays: Stella Levi and the Search for a Lost World by Michael Frank, illustrated by Maira Kalman

With nearly a century of life behind her, Stella Levi had never before spoken in detail about her past. Then she met Michael Frank. He came to her Greenwich Village apartment one Saturday afternoon to ask her a question about the Juderia, the neighborhood on the Greek island of Rhodes where she’d grown up in a Jewish community that had thrived there for half a millennium.

Neither of them could know this was the first of one hundred Saturdays over the course of six years that they would spend in each other’s company. During these meetings Stella traveled back in time to conjure what it felt like to come of age on this luminous, legendary island in the eastern Aegean, which the Italians conquered in 1912, began governing as an official colonial possession in 1923, and continued to administer even after the Germans seized control in September 1943. The following July, the Germans rounded up all 1,700-plus residents of the Juderia and sent them first by boat and then by train to Auschwitz on what was the longest journey–measured by both time and distance–of any of the deportations. Ninety percent of them were murdered upon arrival.

Probing and courageous, candid and sly, Stella is a magical modern-day Scheherazade whose stories reveal what it was like to grow up in an extraordinary place in an extraordinary time–and to construct a life after that place has vanished. One Hundred Saturdays is a portrait of one of the last survivors drawn at nearly the last possible moment, as well as an account of a tender and transformative friendship between storyteller and listener, offering a powerful “reminder that the ability to listen thoughtfully is a rare and significant gift” (The Wall Street Journal).

Also Fulfills: Adult

Find It: GoodReads | Bookshop | Amazon | BookishlyJewish Review

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Poetry

Everything Thaws by R.B. Lemberg

R.B. Lemberg’s poems are a manifesto of memories, unearthing worlds that are gone and poignantly present: their childhood in the Soviet Union, suspended between Ukraine and the permafrost of Siberia, among the traumatized, silent, persecuted members of their Jewish family; Lemberg’s coming of age in Israel, being the other wherever they go, both internally and externally, in multiple identities, languages, genders; and the arrival in “the lost land” of their America, where they have put down “tentative roots.”

Every line in this stunning, lyrical memoir is chiseled with the poignant precision of ice into a coruscating cascade that engulfs us with the author’s sensations of solitude, anger, grief; sometimes hurling like an avalanche, sometimes tenderly unfolding like constellations in a circumpolar sky – leaving open the possibility that with the disturbing truths covered for decades, the thawing permafrost from Lemberg’s past might also lay bare layers of love.

Also Fulfills: nonfiction, adult

Find It: GoodReads | Bookshop | Amazon

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Short Story

The Moon Rabbi by David Ebenbach published in Clarkesworld

It’s a short story, so there’s no cover copy, but trust me when I say if you are struggling with processing everything that is going on right now, this story will uplift you.

Also fulfills: Themes of Renewal

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Comic/Graphic Novel

Hereville by Barry Deutsch

Spunky, strong-willed eleven-year-old Mirka Herschberg isn’t interested in knitting lessons from her stepmother, or how-to-find-a-husband advice from her sister, or you-better-not warnings from her brother. There’s only one thing she does want: to fight dragons! Granted, no dragons have been breathing fire around Hereville, the Orthodox Jewish community where Mirka lives, but that doesn’t stop the plucky girl from honing her skills. She fearlessly stands up to local bullies. She battles a very large, very menacing pig. And she boldly accepts a challenge from a mysterious witch, a challenge that could bring Mirka her heart’s desire: a dragon-slaying sword! All she has to do is find–and outwit–the giant troll who’s got it!

A delightful mix of fantasy, adventure, cultural traditions, and preteen commotion, Hereville will captivate middle-school readers with its exciting visuals and entertaining new heroine.

Also Fulfills: MG/Children’s, Sci Fi/Fantasy, frum

Find It: Goodreads | Bookshop | Amazon | BookishlyJewish Review

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Romance

B’Nai Mitzvah Mistake by Stacey Agdern

Judith Nachman loves working as a project manager at the Mitzvah Alliance charity, and after five years, it’s finally her turn to have the bat mitzvah of her dreams. Judith is enjoying every single moment of the process-until she learns she has to share her day with the annoying hockey player who derailed her sister’s career.

Retired hockey player Ash Mendel is determined to start an organization to support Jewish athletes, and the first step is to have his bar mitzvah. He’s not sure what he wants his day to look like, but he knows he definitely wants forgiveness from Judith, the woman he’s sharing the date with.

But Judith’s nephew needs to interview an athlete, and Ash needs professional advice for his foundation, so they exchange favors. Except as they get to know each other and their worlds start to mingle, Ash and Judith will have to decide whether sharing their lives as well as their B’Nai Mitzvah is the best decision they could make, or the biggest mistake of their lives.

Also Fulfills: blue cover, 2023 release, contemporary, adult

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AGE BOXES

Picture Book

Gitty and Kvetch by Caroline Kusin Pritchard

Gitty and her feathered-friend Kvetch couldn’t be more different: Gitty always sees the bright side of life, while her curmudgeonly friend Kvetch is always complaining and, well, kvetching about the trouble they get into.

One perfect day, Gitty ropes Kvetch into shlepping off on a new adventure to their perfect purple treehouse. Even when Kvetch sees signs of impending doom everywhere, Gitty finds silver linings and holds onto her super special surprise reason for completing their mission.

But when her perfect plan goes awry, oy vey, suddenly it’s Gitty who’s down in the dumps. Can Kvetch come out of his funk to lift Gitty’s spirits back up?

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MG/Children’s

Rebecca Reznik Reboots The Universe by Samara Shanker

Rebecca Reznik is having a rough time. Her dad lost his job, and her parents are fighting all the time. Her obnoxious brother, Jake, is acting out even more than usual. And post-Bat Mitzvah Becca is expected to be grown up and spiritually mature–whatever that means–but in the wake of these upsets to her routine, she just feels frustrated and helpless. Even worse, she’s starting to suspect that the awful vibes surrounding her house might be about more than family drama.

When Becca discovers a (not) Hanukkah goblin that’s turned her bedroom upside down, literally, she and her best friends Naomi and Eitan once again find themselves facing down demons from Jewish lore.

Armed with the lessons learned from her last tussle with mythological figures and the loyalty of her friends, Becca will do whatever it takes to defend her fractured family and save Hanukkah.

Also Fulfills: Science Fiction/fantasy, contemporary, neurodivergence, 2023 release

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Young Adult

Bone Weaver by Aden Polydoros

The Kosa empire roils in tension, on the verge of being torn apart by a proletarian revolution between magic-endowed elites and the superstitious lower class, but seventeen-year-old Toma lives blissfully disconnected from the conflict in the empire with her adoptive family of benevolent undead.

When she meets Vanya, a charming commoner branded as a witch by his own neighbors, and the dethroned Tsar Mikhail himself, the unlikely trio bonds over trying to restore Mikhail’s magic and protect the empire from the revolutionary leader, Koschei, whose forces have stolen the castle. Vanya has his magic, and Mikhail has his title, but if Toma can’t dig deep and find her power in time, all of their lives will be at Koschei’s mercy.

Also Fulfills: science fiction/fantasy, LGBTQ+,

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Adult

Fire Season by K.D. Casey

Charlie Braxton has it all: a wicked curveball, a beautiful wife, and the kind of money and attention that’s attached to a professional baseball contract. Except his famous curveball comes with intense social anxiety, his wife is actually his soon-to-be ex-wife, and the money… Well, suffice it to say, he knows what it’s like to be treated like an ATM. But at least he’s better off than the new guy.

Relief pitcher Reid Giordano is struggling to maintain his sobriety—and his roster spot. The press, along with a heck of a lot of his new Oakland teammates, seem to think his best baseball days are behind him. Only Charlie Braxton gives him the benefit of the doubt—and a place to stay when Reid finds himself short on cash…and friends.

When their growing friendship turns into an unexpected attraction, and that ignites a romance, both Charlie and Reid must grapple with what it means to be more than teammates. And as their season winds down, they’ll need to walk away…or go out there and give it everything they’ve got.

Also Fulfills: Romance, LGBTQ+, contemporary

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REPRESENTATION BOXES

LGBTQ+

Going Bicoastal by Dahlia Adler

Natalya Fox has twenty-four hours to make the biggest choice of her life: stay home in NYC for the summer with her dad (and finally screw up the courage to talk to the girl she’s been crushing on), or spend it with her basically estranged mom in LA (knowing this is the best chance she has to fix their relationship, if she even wants to.) (Does she want to?)

How’s a girl supposed to choose?

She can’t, and so both summers play out in alternating timelines – one in which Natalya explores the city, tries to repair things with her mom, works on figuring out her future, and goes for the girl she’s always wanted. And one in which Natalya explores the city, tries to repair things with her mom, works on figuring out her future, and goes for the guy she never saw coming.

Also Fulfills: YA, romance, contemporary

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Frum

Aviva Vs. The Dybbuk by Mari Lowe

A long ago “accident.” An isolated girl named Aviva. A community that wants to help, but doesn’t know how. And a ghostly dybbuk, that no one but Aviva can see, causing mayhem and mischief that everyone blames on her. That is the setting for this suspenseful novel of a girl who seems to have lost everything, including her best friend Kayla, and a mother who was once vibrant and popular, but who now can’t always get out of bed in the morning. As tensions escalate in the Jewish community of Beacon with incidents of vandalism and a swastika carved into new concrete poured near the synagogue…so does the tension grow between Aviva and Kayla and the girls at their school, and so do the actions of the dybbuk grow worse. Could real harm be coming Aviva’s way? And is it somehow related to the “accident” that took her father years ago?

Also Fulfills: MG/Children’s, Contemporary,

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Jews of Color

A Kiss From The Past by Kelly Cain

Nichelle Sampson is living the life she always dreamed of. She’s a political science professor like her father, is in her sorority’s leadership like her mother, and has wonderful friends. The only thing missing is romance. But when a letter and mysterious ring arrive, Nichelle’s perfect life is shattered. She’s shocked to learn that she’s adopted, bi-racial, and her origin story isn’t what her parents claimed. Looking for the truth, Nichelle sets out to unlock the secrets behind her birth family through the heirloom ring.

Geochemist Clark Lin-Lee prefers spending time alone in his lab, but when a beautiful professor visits his family jewelry store intent to solve a mystery, he agrees to accompany her. Clark should say no-he has his own unresolved family history and is secretly scheduled to testify against Nichelle’s mother’s company in his latest conservation case. But Nichelle is as persuasive as she is sexy, and for the first time in his life, Clark is ready for an adventure.

Can Nichelle and Clark wade through the increasing questions together or will secrets drive them apart?

Also Fulfills: contemporary, romance, adult, blue cover

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Disability/Neurodivergence

The Many Mysteries of the Finkel Family by Sarah Kapit

When twelve-year-old Lara Finkel starts her very own detective agency, FIASCCO (Finkel Investigation Agency Solving Consequential Crimes Only), she does not want her sister, Caroline, involved. She and Caroline don’t have to do everything together. But Caroline won’t give up, and when she brings Lara the firm’s first mystery, Lara relents, and the questions start piling up.

But Lara and Caroline’s truce doesn’t last for long. Caroline normally uses her tablet to talk, but now she’s busily texting a new friend. Lara can’t figure out what the two of them are up to, but it can’t be good. And Caroline doesn’t like Lara’s snooping–she’s supposed to be solving other people’s crimes, not spying on Caroline! As FIASCCO and the Finkel family mysteries spin out of control, can Caroline and Lara find a way to be friends again?

Also Fulfills: MG/Children’s, contemporary, themes of forgiveness

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OTHER/MISCELLANEOUS BOXES

Themes of Renewal

When The Angels Left The Old Country by Sacha Lamb

Uriel the angel and Little Ash (short for Ashmedai) are the only two supernatural creatures in their shtetl (which is so tiny, it doesn’t have a name other than Shtetl). The angel and the demon have been studying together for centuries, but pogroms and the search for a new life have drawn all the young people from their village to America. When one of those young emigrants goes missing, Uriel and Little Ash set off to find her.

Along the way the angel and demon encounter humans in need of their help, including Rose Cohen, whose best friend (and the love of her life) has abandoned her to marry a man, and Malke Shulman, whose father died mysteriously on his way to America. But there are obstacles ahead of them as difficult as what they’ve left behind. Medical exams (and demons) at Ellis Island. Corrupt officials, cruel mob bosses, murderers, poverty. The streets are far from paved with gold.

Also Fulfills: non-holocaust historical, Young Adult, LGTBQ+

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Themes Of Forgiveness

Ellen Outside The Lines by A.J. Sass

Thirteen-year-old Ellen Katz feels most comfortable when her life is well planned out and people fit neatly into her predefined categories. She attends temple with Abba and Mom every Friday and Saturday. Ellen only gets crushes on girls, never boys, and she knows she can always rely on her best-and-only friend, Laurel, to help navigate social situations at their private Georgia middle school. Laurel has always made Ellen feel like being autistic is no big deal. But lately, Laurel has started making more friends, and cancelling more weekend plans with Ellen than she keeps. A school trip to Barcelona seems like the perfect place for Ellen to get their friendship back on track. Except it doesn’t. Toss in a new nonbinary classmate whose identity has Ellen questioning her very binary way of seeing the world, homesickness, a scavenger hunt-style team project that takes the students through Barcelona to learn about Spanish culture and this trip is anything but what Ellen planned.

Making new friends and letting go of old ones is never easy, but Ellen might just find a comfortable new place for herself if she can learn to embrace the fact that life doesn’t always stick to a planned itinerary.

Also Fulfills: MG/Children’s, blue cover, LGBTQ+, neurodivergence, contemporary

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Translation

The Saturday Morning Murder by Batya Gur translated by Dalya Bilu

When Dr. Eva Neidorf is found dead on the morning that she is to give a lecture to the Jerusalem Psychoanalytic Society, Chief Inspector Michael Ohayon investigates–revealing, along the way, intimate details about his own life. As he works around the clock to find the killer, he must also solve the riddle of the enigmatic self-contained world of the Psychoanalytic Society.

Also Fulfills: published before 2020 and adult

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Out Of Your Comfort Zone

Charwood by Josh Schlossberg

Dark doings are afoot in the forests of Charwood…

After joining the Tenders, a band of backwoods activists claiming to solve climate change by burning trees for energy, Orna Tannenbaum falls in with Rowan, their odd yet charming leader. But when she uncovers what the Tenders are really up to in the forest, she must apply the ancient wisdom of her culture to battle dark forces threatening to gain a foothold in our world.

An ecological Jewish folk horror novel 5,783 years in the making.

Also Fulfills: adult

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Blue Cover

Solomon’s Crown by Natasha Seigel

Two rival kings fall desperately in love–but the fate of medieval Europe hangs in the balance.

Twelfth-century Europe. Newly crowned King Philip of France is determined to restore his nation to its former empire and bring glory to his name. But when his greatest enemy, King Henry of England, threatens to end his reign before it can even begin, Philip is forced to make a precarious alliance with Henry’s volatile son–risking both his throne, and his heart. Richard, Duke of Aquitaine, never thought he would be king. But when an unexpected tragedy makes him heir to England’s royal seat, he finally has an opportunity to overthrow the father he despises. At first, Philip is a useful tool in his quest for vengeance . . . until passion and politics collide, and Richard begins to question whether the crown is worth the cost.

When Philip and Richard find themselves staring down an impending war, they must choose between their desire for each other and their grand ambitions. Will their love prevail if it calls to them from across the battlefield? Teeming with royal intrigue and betrayal, this epic romance reimagines two real-life kings ensnared by an impossible choice: Follow their hearts, or earn their place in history.

Also Fulfills: LGBTQ+

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Fall Setting

Black Bird, Blue Road by Sofiya Pasternack

Pesah has lived with leprosy for years, and the twins have spent most of that time working on a cure. Then Pesah has a vision: The Angel of Death will come for him on Rosh Hashanah, just one month away.

So Ziva takes her brother and runs away to find doctors who can cure him. But when they meet and accidentally free a half-demon boy, he suggests paying his debt by leading them to the fabled city of Luz, where no one ever dies–the one place Pesah will be safe.

They just need to run faster than The Angel of Death can fly…

Also Fulfills: MG/Children’s, Science Fiction/fantasy, disability

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Published Before 2020

If All The Seas Were Ink by Ilana Kurshan

At the age of twenty-seven, alone in Jerusalem in the wake of a painful divorce, Ilana Kurshan joined the world’s largest book club, learning daf yomi, Hebrew for “daily page” of the Talmud, a book of rabbinic teachings spanning about six hundred years. Her story is a tale of heartache and humor, of love and loss, of marriage and motherhood, and of learning to put one foot in front of the other by turning page after page. Kurshan takes us on a deeply accessible and personal guided tour of the Talmud. For people of the book–both Jewish and non-Jewish–If All the Seas Were Ink is a celebration of learning, through literature, how to fall in love once again.

Also Fulfills: non fiction, adult

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2023 Release

Endpapers by Jennifer Savran Kelly

It’s 2003, and artist Dawn Levit is stuck. A bookbinder who works at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, she spends all day repairing old books but hasn’t created anything of her own in years. What’s more, although she doesn’t have a word for it yet, Dawn is genderqueer, and with a partner who wishes she were a man and a society that wants her to be a woman, she’s struggling to feel safe expressing herself. Dawn spends her free time scouting the city’s street art, hoping to find the inspiration that will break her artistic block–and time is of the essence, because she’s making her major gallery debut in six weeks and doesn’t have anything to show yet.

One day at work, Dawn discovers something hidden under the endpapers of an old book: the torn-off cover of a lesbian pulp novel from the 1950s, with an illustration of a woman looking into a mirror and seeing a man’s face. Even more intriguing is the queer love letter written on the back. Dawn becomes obsessed with tracking down the author of the letter, convinced the mysterious writer can help her find her place in the world. Her fixation only increases when her best friend, Jae, is injured in a hate crime for which Dawn feels responsible. But ultimately for Dawn, the trickiest puzzle to solve is how she truly wants to live her life.

A sharply written, page-turning, and evocative debut, Endpapers is an unforgettable story about the journey toward authenticity and the hard conversations we owe ourselves in pursuit of a world where no one has to hide.

Also Fulfills: adult, LGBTQ+

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Pushing boundaries and breaking through restrictive norms set by previous generations is practically a right of young adulthood. So is hearing a lecture about how such progress is only achieved on the backs of those who came before. It’s an endless cycle of that somehow results in moving society forward, to the point where many issues described by community elders can seem incomprehensible to the individuals they mentor. Finding the balance, with new trailblazers realizing what their ancestors went through and bringing those lessons forward is at the heart of Lydia Cohen Loigman’s historical novel The Matchmakers Gift. 

Many people see the word “matchmaker” in the title and assume that this is a story about boring old traditions. After all, matchmaking is thought to be an outdated relic of the past when marriage was based on business rather than love. Even the more generous among us see matchmakers as a fun but harmless spectacle, much like the spate of new streaming shows featuring matchmakers from various cultures. They certainly don’t see this as a male dominated profession that excluded women for a large portion of history. After all, the worlds most famous fictional Jewish matchmaker, Yenta, was a woman. What more proof do we need?

Readers will be interested to learn that the truth is far from what the movies and the reality shows have lead them to believe. Matchmaking used to be the provenance of men and intrusion of women on the scene was less than welcomed. Such is the plight of Sara, a young woman freshly immigrated to the lower east side who has been gifted with the ability to literally see the connections between matches. She wants to make these love matches, no matter how impossible they seem, and in doing so she faces the wrath of the male matchmaking establishment. These men do not appreciate the encroachment on their livelihood, forcing Sara to work underground and largely without pay or compensation. She does so with the help of her friendly local Rabbi. 

The story is told in two timelines, with the second featuring Sara’s granddaughter Abby. Abby is, of all things, a divorce lawyer. After Sara’s death Abby discovers Sarah’s journals and learns more about the fantastic stories her matchmaking grandmother used to tell her. She also discovers that Sara may not have been as retired as she claimed to be, and that she had some particular thoughts about who should take over the family business. Namely: Abby.

As Abby begins to follow the intuition about connections between couples that she has long suppressed during her parents messy divorce, she earns the ire of her boss who would rather she focused on giving clients what they ask for rather than what she intuits they might need for their relationships. One character goes so far as to call her a nudge. Anyone with any matchmaking experience will recognize this essential quality of a matchmaker. Sara possessed this tenacious perseverance too, finally culminating in a show down with the men that sought to exclude her from the field. 

Such tactics are hardly relics of the past. While matchmaking reality shows feature the profession as female dominated, there is a growing number of men seeking to control access to entire swaths of eligible singles in their communities where traditional matchmaking is still the norm. Anyone seeking to make a match within their community is expected to go through them. Their arguments are eerily familiar to those Sarah faced- men need this livelihood more, it is immodest for a woman to be setting up unmarried men, how can we trust a woman with something so important. Such ideas weaponize a process that should be about building connections. I would urge singles and matchmakers alike to instead take a book from Sarah’s page and leave the gender binary behind. Abby discovers that in her later life, Sarah made matches across all barriers. She worked with people of various religions, backgrounds, and sexualities. It was never about the money to her. It was about bringing together two people who were well suited to build a lasting relationship. 

Abby herself internalizes Sarah’s message by aiding some very unlikely pairings – nobody is more likely to be looking for love than the people in the waiting room of a divorce lawyers office. She accepts the mantle grudgingly at first, but then blossoms as she finds a way to merge it with her chosen profession. This is the stuff of true progress, and in that the novel achieves its purpose.

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Bar or Bat Mitzvah’s have become a touchstone of Jewish culture, a coming of age ceremony that many outside of the Jewish community have come to recognize and relate with. Readers across cultures enjoy hearing about twelve and thirteen years olds prepping their speeches and learning to lead the congregation in prayer. I, however, view all of this from the angle of someone who did not have such a celebration. Not because my family wasn’t observant, simply because they didn’t like to make a big deal of things. They still don’t. Instead, I was given the knowledge that I would become responsible for my own actions, whether there was a celebratory party or not, and encouraged to participate in some extra community service.

Naomi Teitelbaum, lead character of Samara Shanker’s MG fantasy, Naomi Tietelbaum Ends the World, might have preferred it if her two moms felt the same way as my parents did. Naomi certainly does not seem enthused about her lessons with the Youth Rabbi or the construction of her speech. She is, however, excited by the gifts. Which is why it is only fitting that one of those gifts is yet another touchstone of Jewish culture that appears to be more and more relevant these days: a Golem.

For those who are unfamiliar with Golems, these animated clay creatures are known for defending Jews against antisemitism but also had a reputation of getting out of control. If left to their own devices, they can take their missions to extremes and eventually must be laid to rest by their creators.

Naomi knows none of this Golem Lore. Instead, she and her two best friends try to figure out the Golem on their own, with mixed results. When hiding the golem becomes increasingly difficult, Naomi gives it a mission designed to keep it busy. As can be expected, this does not turn out well. Instead, Naomi and her friends must set out on adventure to stop The Golem, armed with wisdom from some kindly Rabbi’s, both living and dead, and seeking shelter in various Jewish institutions of California. (My favorite line is about how one can always find a chabad house if they are in need).

Naomi steps up and assumes responsibility not only for her actions, but also for the tasks she may not have asked for but that ultimately fall on her shoulders anyway. Through the Golem, she realizes that personal choice is truly at the crux of Jewish ethics. It’s the stuff of an excellent B’ne Mitzvah speech, and I look forward to following the other two friends on their journeys towards these milestones in the upcoming sequels.

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I have long ago come to accept that there is exactly one thing I can control in the traditional publishing process – the quality of my work. Everything else is subject to the whims of random business people that I am not likely to ever meet. We all know of a gorgeous book that never got picked up due to agents’ and/or editors’ saying it wasn’t to their taste, the market was too competitive, or the ubiquitous catchall “I just didn’t fall in love.” Frustrations with that statement aside, it sometimes helps to remember that there is a whole lot of luck involved in this process.

While my colleagues who have gone the self or independent publishing route have more control over their covers and marketing, they too are subject to random market forces outside of their control. Books featuring pandemics published during 2020, for example, had no way to know they were about to enter the worst possible market. They rely on bookstagrammers and reviewers (like me!) for promo. Still, it leads authors to wonder how bookshelves might look if we weren’t so reliant on the taste of a handful of people. Perhaps it would be worse than the zombie apocalypse with shelves and shelves of unreadable work. But I like to think we might be pleasantly surprised to see books that were told they had no market in fact thriving and finding their readers.

I’ve read and reviewed several books by Joanne Levy before so when I saw a copy of The Sun Will Come Out, her contemporary MG about a girl named Bea heading off to summer camp sans her best friend, I was intrigued enough to pick it up. The cover is straight up gorgeous (a factor outside of many author’s control), and like many Jews I have fond memories of summer camp.

The camp in the book was quite different from my own, but there were still recognizable features that brought home the nostalgia – the treachery of shared showers, mystery night activities, a musical production, and of course bunk-mates that we could do without. In the case of Bea Gelman, there is also a wicked case of urticaria that causes some embarrassment, especially as two of her bunk-mates relentlessly tease her about it. Luckily Bea has made some good friends, but when a crush goes awry she finds herself hiding out in the nurses office. There she meets Harry, a boy with significant medical challenges.

I’m going to leave aside the discussion of hives and urticaria treatment because I am fairly certain that I am the only one interested in that, and instead say that I found the characters likeable and fun. Bea’s closest friend is actually visiting from overseas because her Jewish mother wanted her to meet more Jewish kids than she can at home. She has many important lessons to teach Bea, whose best friend abandoned her in order to go to horse camp which Bea could not afford. In addition, Harry has some significant insights into standing up for oneself even when things are hard. Bea helps him with his courage and he does the same for her. The trio are not overly maudlin and the book does not fall into the trap of sick lit where everything is all about trauma. This is about three kids figuring out how to deal with bullies, friendships, crushes, and life challenges as they grow up.

Note for the parents – there is a significant amount of crushing and one off page kiss. If your kid isn’t yet up to that, save this one for a few years down the road.

What I found most surprising was the afterword in which the author states that this book, which I found extremely relatable, was trunked due to never finding a home. I can CERTAINLY relate to having a trunk story, or twelve lolsob, so I was curious how it came to be in my hands and not gathering dust in the cloud. Turns out my agent is correct when she tells me we do not declare well written books dead, we simply wait for new markets to open up. She usually is right about everything, so this should not be coming as a shock to anyone. In the case of The Sun Will Come Out, when the PJ Library Our Way program opened up and was on the look out for MG books with Jewish themes this book fit the bill. With that support it was able to make its way into the world.

I am not knowledgeable enough about that program to comment on it or its book selections. I would, however, like to comment on the fact that a Jewish themed book couldn’t find a home until a Jewish themed organization came looking to support it. I often wonder how many Jewish books we are missing out on because publishers “already have a Jewish book” in their catalogue for the season or don’t think the market is big enough as they fear non-Jews will not relate. What would happen if an organization provided similar support for Jewish YA books as is being provided for these Jewish MG’s? It’s certainly something to think about.

For all the writers and books that haven’t found their homes yet, maybe take a lesson from both Bea and Joanne Levy. Don’t let one or two people’s opinions stand in your way when it comes to doing things that you love. Keep on the lookout for new opportunities for that trunked story. Most of all, try to make a few good friends on the journey.

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Growing up, I thought there were two types of orthodox Jews: Germans and Hungarians. Arguments could break out amongst these two factions about the correct way to practice orthodoxy, but the bottom line was that none of this appeared to involve more than trivial stuff. The Germans arrived early to events, the Hungarians dressed up more. Oh and the big waiting-different-amount-of-times-between-meat-and-dairy thing. Such were the limits of my knowledge about the diversity in the world of orthodox Jewry.

I’ve since met Jews, many of whom identify as orthodox, from a wide variety of geographic and cultural backgrounds. It has been my pleasure to watch a small fraction of these many facets of orthodoxy finally claw their way into traditional publishing. Previously, if a book happened to feature orthodox characters, it was usually a story about unhappy hassidim or people who were OTD (a shorthand phrase for those who choose to stop practicing orthodoxy). While these stories are necessary, and often extremely personal and truthful, they are by no means the only narrative. Orthodoxy is not a monolith. Even within modern orthodoxy, there is variation in practice, and I was therefore very intrigued when I read the cover copy for Heidi Shertok’s romance Unorthodox Love, which said it feature a modern orthodox protagonist.

Please do not let the unnecessarily scandalous title put you off. This is not a story about adultery, premarital sex, or orthodox Jews breaking a bunch of rules and having “unorthodox” affairs. The narrative features an orthodox Jewish single named Penina who is having trouble on the matchmaking market due to her infertility. She is feeling particularly pessimistic about her chances at married life when she starts to fall for her new boss, Sam, who is a secular Jew.

Penina is very much an orthodox Jew, and proud of it. She and her family may do certain things that did not necessarily mesh with my particular world view of orthodoxy, but there were so many small details that did – like the different types of sponges used on shabbos in their home. While she acknowledges that her particular dating hardship is because of the way her community functions, she is not resentful or bitter about it. She loves who she is and where she comes from. She has no intentions of leaving. (I use the ashkenaz pronunciation and spelling for words in this review, because Penina appears to do so in the book).

Indeed, Penina is a modest fashion influencer on instagram. Her references to social media usage and her cool outfits are numerous. She does not chafe at her clothing restrictions. She takes pleasure in making them work for her and her followers. Plus, she is very clear with Sam the she is unwilling to compromise on her religious principles in a relationship. She may fantasize about wanting to be with him physically, but she would never take such action before marriage because it just doesn’t fit with her character or her belief system.

The voice of the book, particularly Penina and her banter, is the exact kind of drama I would have expected and the trials Penina faces are very realistic. Including the fact that orthodoxy is not kind to those that are infertile. The focus on family life sometimes makes Penina feel like her uterus is the most important part of herself, making her medical condition all the more painful. Plus, the community is tight knit, meaning everyone is up in Penina’s business. She handles this with grace and humor, but she’s also unwaveringly honest.

Anyone that has ever been made to feel “less than” on the marriage market, Jewish or not, will immediately relate to her. She very eloquently describes how when given the choice to go on a date with a person who has infertility or a person who does not, people will always choose the latter option. I couldn’t help but insert the many various “defects” that people are warned to hide, into that sentence. Too poor, too short, having a disability, being overweight etc. et.c etc. The list goes on and on and varies from culture to culture but the basic principle is the same, and it is brutal. Yet somehow Penina finds her happy ending against that backdrop.

My only one qualm was when Penina is set up with a closeted homosexual man and essentially considers becoming his beard. For such a kind and caring person I was surprised that she did not express as much empathy for his situation as she had for so many others in the book. It’s almost as if she took for granted that there wasn’t a place for him in orthodoxy – despite her own struggles with finding her place in the community. She was more focused on what this meant for herself and her potential gain from the situation- which was out of character for a woman that has been described as relentlessly selfless the entire book. During the second half of the book this gets sorted out satisfactorily for all, and we see Penina acknowledging the feelings of both the man and his family, but for a book with such an amazing message of inclusion under the orthodox umbrella, I was surprised to find this small gap.

Overall, the book felt geared to welcome secular readers – a perfectly valid choice. Any reader whose religious practice involves not reading anything of a sexual nature might not be comfortable with the level of fantasizing involved. Not to mention the numerous wardrobe malfunctions that are fashionista manages to have. Then again, I could be totally wrong about this. I am not familiar with every religion out there and their reading preferences. Readers should go in with the knowledge that although this is a romance involving a religious character that does not believe in premarital sex, there are mild descriptions of a sexual nature. These are exclusively in people’s thoughts rather than actually occurring on the page and nothing is graphic by any means. It’s what I would call a low heat romance but it is by no means devoid of sex.

I can’t really say there’s been an explosion of orthodox literature recently, because that would be a lie, but there has been a nice uptick in different types of orthodox representation. Penina and her fun outfits, witty comebacks, and huge heart are a great addition to that body of work. If she was a real person, I’d love to hang out with her – although I’d probably be exhausted by the end of the day. She’s high energy and high drama and so is this book. It’s a great way for readers to meet orthodoxy in the context of a fulfilling story.

Content warnings: Infertility, shidduchim (if you don’t know what that means, you are not the person that needs the warning)

BookishlyJewish received an e-arc of this book after we asked for one from the publisher. Admittedly this was done like five days before before release, leading to some frantic reading. They have our utmost appreciation for replying so quickly.

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