Susan’s Book Talk: A Natural Fit of a Reading Challenge

It seems fitting to post this today, since Hanukkah just started.

I run my book club. I think I’ve mentioned that before.

It’s a Jewish book club. Which is why the Jewish Literature Challenge was a no-brainer for me to sign up for. It runs from Hanukkah to Passover (that’d be now until April, for anyone like me who’s too lazy to consult a calendar.)

Upcoming for our group are books including:

Kabbalah, by Rabbi Lawrence Kushner
Disobedience, by Naomi Alderman
The Kommandant’s Girl, by Pam Jenoff

(I’d like to pause here and point out that all three books came to my attention around last year’s Debut a Debut reading contest!)

A Day of Small Beginnings, by Lisa Pearl Rosenbaum
Rashi’s Daughters: Miriam, by Maggie Anton
The Last Days of Dogtown, by Anita Diamant
Dirty Sally, by Michael Simon
and
Getting Old is Murder, by Rita Lakin.

Now, this is our list of potential reads. Clearly, in four months, we’ll only read three or four of them. The challenge asks us to read at least five books, so I’m looking over my list of what’s coming up on my personal stack. I see a Daniel Silva or two — good stuff. I see Orson Scott Card‘s Sarah (thanks Breeni!) and A Blessing on the Moon, by Joseph Skibell. And as I walk around my office and look at the piles in here, I see more, more, more.

In short, because of book club, I’m always on the lookout for new Jewish lit to bring to the group. As I’ve mentioned before, we read as varied a body of work as we can. (this makes me think of my recent Booking Through Thursday, where I talked about palate cleansers.)

I’m open to suggestions, always. Both for book club and not.

Just remember… I prefer fiction. Go figure.

(and don’t forget to enter the contest for my copy of Auralia’s Colors!)