Bookishly Jewish

We are so excited for all the Jewish books publishing in 2026! Unlike most of our posts, we have not yet read most books on this list. They are included because someone signaled to us that the book contains some Jewish content. If that is wrong, or if we are missing a book, please do let us know. This is a page you might want to bookmark, as we are constantly updating as we are told about new books or books already on our radar get their covers and pre-order links.

ADULT FICTION

The Star Society by Gabriella Saab, HarperMuse, January: Amazon | Bookshop

The Kosher Conundrum by Stacey Agdern, Tule, January: Amazon | Bookshop

Remember to Eat and Other Stories by Metyl Ain, SparkPress, January: Amazon | Bookshop

All Roads Lead to Great Neck by Josh Alan Friedman, Wyatt Dyole Books, February: Amazon | Bookshop

The Slow Burn by Ali Rosen, MontLake, February: Amazon | Bookshop

Somewhere I Belong by Jo-Anne Berelowitz, Diaaspora Press, February: Amazon | Bookshop

Gap Year by Lindsey Goldstein, Egret Lake, February: Amazon

The End of Romance by Lily Meyer, Viking, February: Amazon | Bookshop

The Tavern At The End of History by Morris Collins, Dzanc, February: Amazon | Bookshop

This Is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman, The Dial Press, February: Amazon | Bookshop

Virtually Perfect by Melissa Sky, Bold Strokes Books, February: Amazon | Bookshop

Falling for the Rabbi by Jennifer Wilck, Harlequin Special Edition, February: Amazon | Bookshop

The World Between Us by Zeeva Bukai, Delphinium Books, February: Amazon | Bookshop

Two Roses by Miriam Libicki (Author, Illustrator), Rose Lipszyc (Author), New Jewish press, February: Bookshop

Night Night Fawn by Jordy Rosenberg, One World, March: Amazon | Bookshop

Hornytown Chutzpah by Andrew Hiller, Atthis Arts, March: Amazon |

Once and Again by Rebecca Serle, Atria Books, March: Amazon | Bookshop

The Kingdom of Almonds by Ariel Kaplan, Erewhon Books, March: Amazon | Bookshop

Evening Begins The Day by Jessica Brilliant Keener, Koehler Books, March: Amazon | Bookshop

A Novel Crime by Deborah Levison, Thomas & Mercer, March: Amazon | Bookshop

Pomona Afton Can Totally Catch A Killer by Bellamy Rose, Emily Bestler Books, March: Amazon | Bookshop

The Insomniacs by Allison Winn Scotch, Berkley, April: Amazon | Bookshop

Like Wafers in Honey by Leah Eskin, Levine Querido, April: Amazon | Bookshop

All Afternoon by Susan Kleinman, Volume 36, April: Amazon | Bookshop

Homebound by Portia Elan, Scribner, May: Amazon | Bookshop

The May House by Jillian Cantor, Atria, May: Amazon | Bookshop

Soon By You by Dahlia Adler, St. Martin’s Griffin, May: Amazon | Bookshop

Echoes of Infamy by Shaina Steinberg, Kensington, May: Amazon | Bookshop

The Other Beautiful People by Caroline Bock, Regal House, June: Amazon | Bookshop

Off the Record by Sara Goodman Confino, Lake Union, June: Amazon | Bookshop

The Way It Haunted Him by Laura Samotin, Titan, June: Amazon | Bookshop

Shaken To The Core by Dara Levan, Regalo Press, June: Amazon | Bookshop

Dearest Beast by Felicia Grossman, Forever, June: Amazon | Bookshop

Rewrite The Stars by Lindsay Hameroff, St. Martin’s Griffin, July: Amazon | Bookshop

Extra- Curricular by Rachel Lynn Solomon, Berkley, July: Amazon | Bookshop

Her Old Rodeo Rival’s Return by Rebecca Crowley, Harlequin Special Edition, July: Amazon | Bookshop

Love Me Like A Lovesong by Shelly Jay Shore and Michelle Nelson Shore, Dell, August: Amazon | Bookshop

Now That We Don’t Talk by Rachel Pologe, TBD

Four Chuppahs And A Shiva by Jessica Topper, Self, November: Amazon

Gelt-y Pleasures by Amanda Usen, Self, November: Amazon

ADULT NONFICTION

Always Carry Salt by Samantha Ellis, Pegasus, January: Amazon | Bookshop

BernBaum’s Recipes From Fargo’s Nordic-Jewish Deli by Andrea Baumgardner, Dottir, January: Amazon | Bookshop

Half-Jew – Full Life by Georgette Bennet, Heresy Press, January: Amazon | Bookshop

Nothing Random: Bennett Cerf and the publishing house he built, Gayle Feldman, Random House, January: Amazon | Bookshop

Place Envy by Michael Lowenthal, Mad Creek Books, February: Amazon | Bookshop

Choosing to be Chosen by Kylie Ora Lobell, Wicked Son, February: Amazon | Bookshop

Playmakers by Michael Kimmel, W.W. Norton & Company, February: Amazon | Bookshop

Walter Benjamin: The Pearl Diver: Peter E. Gordon, Yale University Press, February: Amazon | Bookshop

Returning: A Search For Home Across Three Centuries by Nicholas Lemann, Liveright, March: Amazon | Bookshop

When We’re Born We Forget Everything by Alicia Jo Rabins, Schocken, March: Amazon | Bookshop

Judy Blume: A Life by Mark Oppenheimer, G.P. Putnam’s Sone, March: Amazon | Bookshop

Stephen Sondheim: Art Isn’t Easy by Daniel Okrent, Yale University Press, March: Amazon | Bookshop

Dickens In Brooklyn by Jay Neugeboren, Eastover Press, April: Amazon | Bookshop

MIDDLE GRADE

When You’re Brave Enough by Rebecca Bendheim, Viking Books For Young Readers, April: Amazon | Bookshop

Miriam’s Magical Creature Files: The Mystery of the Mermaid by Leah Cypess, Amulet Paperback, April: Amazon | Bookshop

A Whiff Of Magic by by Elana Rubinstein (Author), Jennifer Naalchigar (Illustrator), Apples and Honey Press, April: Amazon | Bookshop

How To Walk A Dog by Joanne Levy TBD

PICTURE BOOKS

Challahbaloo by Elizabeth Suneby, PJ Publishing, January: Amazon

All Who Are Hungry Come and Eat by Leslie Kimmelman (Author), Alyssa Russell (Illustrator), HarperCollins, January: Amazon | Bookshop

Talia and The Time Train by Benjamin Kincaid (Author), Tiffany Barnes (Illustrator), self published, January: Amazon | Bookshop

Purim Possibilities by Barbara Kimmel (author), and Irina Avgustinovitch (illustrator), PJ Publishing, February: Amazon

A Place To Pray by Doreen Klein Robinson (Author), Yuke Li (Illustrator), WorthyKids, February: Amazon | Bookshop

Maya’s Journey by Marcella White Campbell (Author), Olivia Smith (Illustrator), Kalaniot Books, February: Amazon | Bookshop

Otherwise Known as Judy The Great by Selina Alko, Christy Ottaviano Books, February: Amazon | Bookshop

My Passover Seder by Claire Freeland and Aviel Basil, Green Bean Books, April: Amazon | Bookshop

The Passover Pet Surprise by Ana María Shua (Author), Ángeles Ruiz (Illustrator), NorthSouth Books, March: Amazon | Bookshop

Miriam And her Dancing Shoes by Sandy Eisenberg Sasso (Author), Joani Rothenberg (Illustrator), Apples and Honey Press, March: Amazon | Bookshop

Something Sweet by Lesléa Newman (Author), Sarita Rich (Illustrator), Charlesbridge, March: Amazon | Bookshop

Tractor Zack on Sunshine Kibbutz by Alice Blumenthal McGinty (Author), Rotem Teplow (Illustrator), Kalaniot Books, April: Amazon | Bookshop

The Tenth Man by Artie Bennett (Author), Shira Neiss (Illustrator), Holiday House, April: Amazon | Bookshop

Three Pieces of Broken Glass by Emily Barth Isler (Author), Vesper Stamper (Illustrator), Abrams Books For Young Readers, March: Amazon | Bookshop

Day Of Delight by Maxine Rose Schur, J. Brian Pinkney, Brian Pinkney, Kalaniot Books | April: Amazon | Bookshop

Rainbow Cookies by Lesléa Newman (Author), Z.B. Asterplume (Illustrator), Levine Querido, May: Amazon | Bookshop

Oodles of Noodles by Jessie Atkin (author) and Moesha Kellaway (Illustrator), Little Bee Books, July: Amazon | Bookshop

Our Spectacular Sukkah by Sidura Ludwig (Author), Sophia Vincent Guy (Illustrator), Candlewick, August: Amazon | Bookshop

YOUNG ADULT

A Practical Guide to Dating a Demon by Hannah Reynolds, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, February: Amazon | Bookshop

Last Days in Moav by Sharon Reiss Baker, Apples & Honey Press, April: Amazon | Bookshop

Somewhere In Nowhere by Steven Gellman, NineStar Press, April: Amazon | Bookshop

The Cove by Claire Rose, Wednesday Books, May: Amazon | Bookshop

Meet Me At The Picket Line by Jasper Sanchez, HarperCollins, May: Amazon | Bookshop

The City of Slaughter by Aden Polydoros, HarperCollins, June: Amazon | Bookshop

Vayechi is the last Parsha in the book of Bereishit and it opens and closes with death and burial. First, Yaakov has Yosef swear he will bury him with his forefathers rather than leaving his body in Egypt. Then, when it is Yosef’s turn to die, he too makes his family swear they will take his bones out of Egypt. Although Yosef’s bones have to wait for Moses to liberate the people and carry them away, Yaakov’s request is granted immediately in the Parsha. Burial in the way they desired, was crucial for these two Jewish forefathers. Which reminded me of some pivotal scenes in Shelly Jay Shore’s Rules for Ghosting.

Rules for Ghosting literally takes place in a funeral home. Ezra, a trans man, is returning to help out at his family’s funeral home in the wake of his mother coming out and leaving his father. Ezra is taking over the books – which are about as messy as his mothers love life – and trying to keep the family together. The tricky part is actually not the finances or the family feud. It’s the fact that Ezra can see ghosts and funeral homes are full of them.

Rules for Ghosting contains beautiful scenes about family, life (Ezra is also a doula), queerness, and acceptance. one of the most beautiful moments comes when a trans person’s body arrives for burial and Ezra is concerned the wishes of the deceased may not be honored. His family rallies without even questioning it, stating this is their holy purpose, and ensures the proper burial. This is when Ezra truly feels his family’s acceptance – when they do for another what he would want them to do for him when the time comes.

Death and dying are never easy. Ezra is literally a doula because of how much death surrounds him at the family business. Yet, it is no less meaningful or important to ensure the wishes and person hood of the dead are respected than it is to shepherd new life into the world. Yaakov and Yosef both felt the need to express their burial desires to their family, and both requests were important enough to be recorded in the Torah. As we end this Sefer, it is important to meet this challenge head on. Chazak Chazak V’nischazek.

2025 was an interesting year. We posted slightly less reviews than we did in 2024 (alas, we received less guest reviews) but also rolled out several new features, including Reading the Torah With BookishlyJewish and just-for-fun bookstack photos across our socials. Overall, we reviewed 56 books! Below are some pie graphs breaking them down for those interested in a peek behind the curtain.

Secular new year is right around the corner, and it wreaks havoc in writers mental space. Everyone and their uncle is busy putting out lists of “favorite books of the year.” Large media outlets, prestigious awards, and most individual bloggers are ranking this years reads. For a writer, not finding their book on those lists- or finding it on someone’s list of least favorite reads- can be devastating. Which is why I like to remind people that what feels permanent and momentous now, may actually prove fleeting in the grand scheme of things. Which brings me to Hayley Gelfuso’s masterpiece of a debut, The Book of Lost Hours, and the mysterious nature of human memory.

The book opens on Kristallnacht when a father attempts to save his daughter Lisavet by stashing her in the time space – a giant library of human memory that can be accessed by individuals with special watches. He runs off in search of his son, and unfortunately never returns, leaving Lisavet trapped with nothing but all of human memory for company. As Lisavet watches government agents attempt to burn inconvenient memories out of existence – including her father’s – she realizes that memory, and history, are fungible things. No two people remember an event the same way, and the truth is probably found somewhere between them. To preserve this sacred truth, she starts salvaging memories others are attempting to destroy. 

In a dual timeline, teenager Amelia is thrust into the time space by sketchy government agents who claim her uncle was killed in there by rival government agents. Amelia is not exactly a super spy, but even she can tell that something is off, and she quickly learns that everyone is keeping secrets from her. Especially when it comes to the memories of a person named Lisavet.

Somewhere between all the intrigue, Gelfuso finds time to explore a poignant love story and the complex nature of parenthood. The Book of Lost Hours is a meditation on time, memory, and humanity’s obsessive need to classify and codify it all. Nobody owns time. Nobody owns memory. Hardest of all – there may not be an objective truth. One generations idea of “good” can be another generations horror show. All we can do is try and live with integrity and love in the time we are given. Which I find oddly comforting. Who cares if nobody put you on their “best of 2025” list? In twenty years from now nobody will even remember half of them. Instead of worrying about when it will be our time, we should join those list makers in celebrating the good parts of our present and fighting for a more honest tomorrow – like Lisavet. 

I devoured The Book of Lost Hours with a rare speed for a book dealing with such serious themes. My only tiny quibble was that I found the ending almost too happy/perfect. I know this is a bizarre statement from me, I’m the queen of happy endings, and the conclusion will be a huge wish fulfillment for many readers who wish they could repair history’s most terrible moments. I am a child of my past, just as Amelia is of hers, and I have a strong aversion to any kind of happy ending to a story that starts on Kristallnacht. Even though I only exist because some Jews did indeed survive and find their happy endings. I guess I’m like Lisavet – I want to remind people of the pasts they would rather forget. 

Find It: Amazon | Bookshop

Vayegash is a story of big reveals and even bigger forgiveness. After Yehuda steps up and offers himself in place of Binyamin, Joseph finally reveals himself to his brothers. After everyone recovers from the shock, Joseph provides reassurance that he forgives them and wants to move forward in peace. This willingness to see people for their potential futures, rather than their mistakes, reminded me of Gayle Forman’s MG novel Not Nothing.

In Not Nothing we know the protagonist, Alex, has done some awful. It’s why he is sentenced to community service in a senior living center. However, we don’t find out what that terrible action is until after we’ve gotten to know him, felt his pain, seen his ability to connect with the seniors – including a Holocaust survivor who shares his story with Alex after years of refusing to speak.

Judaism does not require forgiveness. In fact, teshuva- the process of repentance – involves numerous steps designed to transform a person into their better selves even before approaching a victim for forgiveness. Indeed, Joseph puts his brothers through a series of challenges that prove they no longer leave a brother behind. In the same way, Alex’s mistakes are not diminished or taken away. We are simply asked to remember him for the best things he’s done since that time rather than the worst. Forgiveness is earned, but wouldn’t it be nice if that option was open to us all?

Parshat Mikeitz has all the trappings of an epic fantasy novel. Dream interpretations, promotion of lowly prisoners to high office, a family traveling to a far away land due to hunger, even hidden identities! Throughout, there is an importance of keeping ones word and living with integrity. In Naomi Novik’s novel Spinning Silver, words have special meaning, and promises must always be kept.

When the brothers attempt to convince Yaakov to send Binyamin back with them to Egypt so that they may redeem Shimon and obtain provisions, it is to the pleas of Yehuda that he finally listens. When Reuven asked, offering the lives of his own two sons as collateral, Yaakov refused. What good to him would be the death of his grandsons? Yehudah, on the other hand, promised his own personal liability. He would be guilty forever if he did not bring his brother back. In short, he gave his word, and this was worth something.

Spinning Silver‘s main character Miryem first gets into trouble over words – boasts bring her to the attention of the fey like creatures known as the Staryk, who demand she turn their silver into gold. Later, in the climax of the book, she realizes that magic and nobility, and so many other things, involve expanding yourself to meet the promises you have made. She pushes past her comfort zone to achieve the impossible – albeit sometimes through clever use of exact wording – and becomes herself a worthy Queen of the Staryk.

I love the story of Spinning Silver because it takes a fairy tale rooted in antisemitism – Rumpelstiltskin – and turns it on its head. This is a story of Jewish triumph and of understanding between cultures. Similarly, Joseph experiences a huge turn around in the Parsha. He goes from being a prisoner to having unbridled influence in the worlds biggest superpower – second only to Pharaoh himself. Miryem achieves great things, but she still wants to visit her family. Joseph had every right to be angry at his brothers and retaliate. Instead, he tried to give them the chance to prove they have changed (and he really, really wanted to see his younger brother again).

Words have power, promises should be kept, and anything can change on a moments notice.

Winter is a tiring time of year for me. Not because I’m overwhelmed by all the Christmas – I actually enjoy winter villages and twinkly lights and such. It’s the early darkness that really gets my brain confused. Plus, this winter has come with its own challenges. It seems like everywhere I look there is division, side taking, and hate. I found my cure for all of that in the delightfully adorable middle grade novel, Let it Glow, co written by Marissa Meyer and Joanne Levy.

Let It Glow manages to seamlessly integrate both Christmas and Hanukkah into one novel that celebrants of any holiday can enjoy. Aviva and Holly are both adopted, and neither one knows she has an identical twin sister out there – until they meet at holiday pageant rehearsals for an assisted living facility. Aviva is there because her grandmother lives in the facility, knows Aviva loves to perform, and has encouraged her to provide the show with a Hanukkah number amidst all the Christmas performances. Holly is touring the facility as a potential new home for her grandfather, has the worlds biggest case of stage fright, and is reluctantly joining the backstage crew. When the two spot each other, and discover they share the same birthday, they make the logical conclusion that they are twins and the illogical decision to swap places and experience each others lives.

Aviva has been feeling down that while her family is Jewish they don’t practice all that much. She’s convinced them to have a full on Hanukkah celebration – which means after the swap Holly is getting a crash course in Jewish food and joy. Over at Holly’s house, Aviva finds out that cutting down a Christmas tree is real work but totally pays off when you get to decorate it. There are plenty of hijinks related to the swap, both holidays, and the girls having such different personalities. Not to mention one very grumpy cat that is not falling for the swap. When they finally reveal their sisters’ existence to their respective families everyone is too shocked to be all that angry about the swap.

The book covers important topics like respecting each other boundaries, facing our fears, accepting other cultures, and aging family members. It is unabashedly fun, full of excitement, and HAPPY. It was the perfect answer to all the divisiveness around me. Whether your curl up next to a menorah, Christmas tree, or on a coach, Let It Glow is a very cozy winter read that will give you the warm fuzzies.

Bote – BookishlyJewish received a copy of this book from one of the authors.

Find It: Amazon| Bookshop

The key to a good picture book is managing to write something kids will love, and parents don’t mind reading over and over again. In Beam of Light, by Elisa Boxer and illustrated by Sofia Moore, parents learn about the first white house menorah while children get to enjoy the soft colors and mystery about what will happen to the titular beam.

I don’t know what shocked me more. Learning that there wasn’t a piece of Judaica in the White Houses permanent collection until 2022, or that the White House was collapsing in the 1940’s. Apparently, I wasn’t alone, because Beam of Light was written after the author first heard the story of a beam removed from the collapsing white house being later repurposed into a menorah. The story of collapse and rebirth is classic Judaism. We undergo great tragedy, but the Jewish people always survive, even if it means transforming into something new.

The text is not too long and the pictures are soothing, making Beam of Light an easy read. It’s an educational yet entertaining way to spend a Hanukkah night. Maybe even share the stories of where your own menorahs come from, and personal stories of reinvention while still holding on to tradition.

Note: BookishlyJewish received a copy of this book from the publisher

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Find It: Amazon | BookshopJ

It is the curse of the book blogger to read a book off season and then sit on it for a year while she waits for the right moment to come back around. At least, that’s what happened to me and Amanda Elliot’s hilarious grumpy/sunshine Hanukkah romance Love You A Latke. I started reading it last Hanukkah, but did not finish in time to post for the holiday. So I’ve sat here dying to tell everyone about it for an entire year. But now, Hanukkah is back and I’m posting my review on the very first day.

Love You A Latke has those small town vibes – our notorious grump Abby is drafted against her will into spearheading a Hanukkah festival to help the floundering town economy. Abby herself is a transplant to the town, having moved there for a relationship that didn’t work out, and then decided to stay. Her main qualification to run a Hanukkah festival seems to be that she is the only Jewish person anyone knows. She’s got lots of great ideas, but unfortunately, it quickly becomes obvious that Abby is running things only in name. What the real festival organizer wants is a Christmas market with the word ‘hanukkah’ slapped on it, and a token Jewish person’s nod of approval, so that it will look different than all the other local fairs without actually having to be different.

Abby, who runs a coffee shop, is pretty salty, yet somehow she finds it hard to stand up to this woman. Possibly because her parents were emotionally abusive towards her. Still, she keeps trying to imbue some actual Hanukkah into the fair. Which is how she finds herself fake dating her one true nemesis – Seth the local ray of sunshine who seems to get under her skin more than anyone else. He just so happens to have connections to a ton of Hanukkah vendors, and desperately wants to bring home a girlfriend to his parents in Manhattan to prove small town life is agreeing with him.

Turns out Seth has some confrontation issues too – rather than talk to his parents or his ex, he just kind of ran away. Except, unlike Abby, his people are the literal best. Including his ex, who quickly becomes Abby’s friend. Which is sort of awkward because feelings are starting to develop and the fake dating may not be so fake anymore.

Abby is a wonderful grump, and Seth is the shiniest of sunshines. They work really well together and the sense of humor in this book is delightful. As is all the Jewish food representation. The tropes used are on point, and I appreciated how Abby’s issues with her parents are not simply wrapped up in some platitudes, but instead acknowledged for something that isn’t just going to go away. Sometimes separation from toxicity is the only way to a happy ending.

Join me in screaming about this book – even if you don’t finish it until after Hanukkah. I have to wait for my posts to hit at the right time, but you can shout anytime! Happy Hanukkah to all the grumps and sunshines out there.

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Find It: Amazon | Bookshop

This week is all about dreams. In Parshat Vayeshev, we meet one of history’s most famous dreamers – Joseph, who later also turns to dream interpretation during his stint in prison. Which is why I’m pairing this parsha with Ariel Kaplan’s brilliant Jewish fantasy, The Pomegranate Gate. 

Joseph is know for angering his brothers by describing his two dreams that seem to indicate he will be king over them. Many people also know that he interprets the dreams of Pharaohs two deposed courtiers when they are in Egyptian prison together. The Bible presents these dreams as logically connected to life, if only one can find the correct interpreter. Indeed these dreams were taken so seriously the brothers almost killed Joseph, and ended up selling him into slavery over the issue. Clearly dreaming is a serious business 

The Pomegranate Gate is a gorgeous portal fantasy that is way too complex to summarize here (I encourage you to check out our review!) but it has one of the most interesting depictions of dreaming I’ve seen in fiction. Nonhuman creatures, such as Maziks, have a shared dream world. These dreams are not harmless ephemera – they will be remembered after waking, and can have really work consequences. They can also help communication between individuals who are not even in the same realm, for better or for worse.

Nowadays, dreams usually don’t lead to fratricide. Nor can someone attempt to hunt you down and successfully assassinate you while you dream. But they still hold power. They reflect what we have been thinking over the day, and sometimes provide clarity on life choices. May we all share a dream of health and happiness.