Heidi Slowinski

Call it spring fever, call it a delayed nesting phase but I have been in the mood to do house projects. Nothing huge but I’m finding a few little things to refresh and improve my space. Like adding some smart features. It’s fun to ask Alexa to handle certain tasks! The motion-activated switch in the pantry and outlets with USB ports around the house are really handy. Next the laundry room is getting a little makeover and the fixture over the front door is getting replaced.

Between playing Ms Fix-It, I’ll also be enjoying some great books this week. First on my list is a new release from Maggie Anton, The Choice. I’m a fan of her work and looking forward to getting to read an advanced copy of her new book! I’ll also be enjoying a new release from travel author, Jules Brown. Jules injects his wonderful sense of humor into his writing so I’m delighted to check out his next book.

A powerful love story with a purpose: to challenge Jewish customs concerning women, marriage, and equality.
     The award-winning author of Rashi’s Daughters, Maggie Anton, has written a wholly transformative novel that takes characters inspired by Chaim Potok and ages them into young adults in Brooklyn in the 1950s, a time of Elvis & Marilyn, communist scares & polio vaccines, Jewish migration & American integration. When Hannah Eisen, a successful journalist, interviews Rabbi Nathan Mandel, a controversial Talmud professor, she persuades him to teach her the mysteries of the text forbidden to women—even though it might cost him his job if discovered. Secret meetings and lively discussions bring the two to the edge of a line that neither dares to cross, as their relationships with each other and Judaism are tested.

“Left at 11am to go pirate-hunting.” Wait, what?

When Jules reads his grandfather’s diary, he discovers he’s not the first in his family with travel stories to tell.

Looking for his own adventures, Jules crosses continents while learning the ropes as a Rough Guide writer. And because travel is unpredictable, there’s no knowing what his next trip will bring.

Surviving the outback, drunk by breakfast time in Montenegro, asked to sing at a Sicilian wedding, appearing as Santa in a Portuguese school – the life of a travel writer can take a wrong turn now and again.

From scary lizards to Highland warriors, it seems that pirates are not the only things to worry about when you’re born to travel.

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book for review, please visit Contact Me and complete the form. I’ll review your request and respond within 48 hours. I’m also happy to work with authors on interviews. To set up an interview, please use the same form.

Meet our hero….

Gareth St. Clair is in a bind. His father, who detests him, is determined to beggar the St. Clair estates and ruin his inheritance. Gareth’s sole bequest is an old family diary, which may or may not contain the secrets of his past…and the key to his future. The problem is – it’s written in Italian, of which Gareth speaks not a word.

Meet our heroine….

All the ton agreed: There was no one quite like Hyacinth Bridgerton. She’s fiendishly smart, devilishly in small doses. But there’s something about her – something charming and vexing – that grabs him and won’t quite let go….

A funny thing happened….

Unlike most men of his acquaintance, Gregory Bridgerton believes in true love. And he is convinced that when he finds the woman of his dreams, he will know in an instant that she is the one. And that is exactly what happened. Except….

She wasn’t the one. In fact, the ravishing Miss Hermione Watson is in love with another. But her best friend, the ever-practical Lady Lucinda Abernathy, wants to save Hermione from a disastrous alliance, so she offers to help Gregory win her over. But in the process, Lucy falls in love. With Gregory! Except….

Lucy is engaged. And her uncle is not inclined to let her back out of the betrothal, even once Gregory comes to his senses and realizes that it is Lucy, with her sharp wit and sunny smile, who makes his heart sing. And now, on the way to the wedding, Gregory must risk everything to ensure that when it comes time to kiss the bride, he is the only man standing at the altar….

I hope everyone is recovering from their post-Passover carb-coma! Personally, I celebrated with a takeout order of pasta, breaded Mahi, and tiramisu. Oh, and barada with still warm bread for an appetizer. It was amazing!

But enough about carb-comas and all that, let’s get to the books. This week, I’m looking forward to continuing my reading of Chaya Rochel Zimmerman, with her book The Next Pair of Shoes. Zimmerman’s novels explore mental health care in the Orthodox community. Also on my list this week is Jewish Noir II by Kenneth Wishnia. This collection of of writings explores a number of important topics in modern Judaism such as anti-Semetism, Jewish stereotypes, views on Israel, and more. I am very pleased to have an advanced copy of this book, scheduled for release in July.

Froyim handed Fraidel Leah a package. “I don’t want my son to go barefoot in the streets as the other children do. I hope I’ll see you again before he needs his next pair of shoes.”

He planted a kiss on his son’s forehead, then climbed up onto the wagon.

Ruthless pogroms and unbearable poverty force idealistic shoemaker Froyim Grinburg to leave his wife, Fraidel Leah, and their infant son to establish a more promising life abroad. But constant setbacks — tragedy, theft, and the unavoidable Great War — delay their reunion. With emunah and determination, the young couple makes one difficult decision after another, forging on despite their pain.

In this heartwarming historical novel, based on a true story, talented author Chaya Rochel Zimmerman takes readers on a compelling journey through the early 1900s — from a close-knit Polish shtetl to the lush, grassy farmland of Argentina; from the crowded tenements of downtown Chicago to the hustle and bustle of New York’s Lower East Side. Step into Froyim and Fraidel Leah’s shoes as they struggle to build a brighter future, one footstep at a time.

Jewish Noir II is unique collection of twenty-three all-new stories (and one reprint) by Jewish and non-Jewish literary and genre writers, including numerous award-winning authors such as Gabriela Alemán, Doug Allyn, Rita Lakin, Rabbi Ilene Schneider, E.J. Wagner, and Kenneth Wishnia, with a foreword by MWA Grand Master Lawrence Block. The stories explore such issues as the perpetual challenge of confronting resurgent anti-Semitism in the US, the enduring legacy of regional warfare in the land of Israel since biblical times, how the “entitled” behavior of certain ultra-Orthodox communities can fuel anti-Semitic attitudes, Jewish support of the civil rights movement, greedy Jewish businessmen who reinforce negative ethnic stereotypes, the excesses of “golden ghetto” American Jews, the appeal of “tough” Israeli-Jewish soldiers and mercenaries, how real estate fortunes are made, and the consequences of political corruption that feed into an exploitive system, how obsession can lead “good” people to do “bad” things. The stories in this collection include many “teachable moments” about the history of prejudice, and the contradictions of ethnic identity and assimilation into American society.

Submit Your Book

book for review, please visit Contact Me and complete the form. I’ll review your request and respond within 48 hours. I’m also happy to work with authors on interviews. To set up an interview, please use the same form.

Sir Phillip knew that Eloise Bridgerton was a spinster, and so he’d proposed, figuring that she’d be homely and unassuming, and more than a little desperate for an offer of marriage. Except . . . she wasn’t. The beautiful woman on his doorstep was anything but quiet, and when she stopped talking long enough to close her mouth, all he wanted to do was kiss her . . . and more.

Did he think she was mad? Eloise Bridgerton couldn’t marry a man she had never met! But then she started thinking . . . and wondering . . . and before she knew it, she was in a hired carriage in the middle of the night, on her way to meet the man she hoped might be her perfect match. Except . . . he wasn’t. Her perfect husband wouldn’t be so moody and ill-mannered, and while Phillip was certainly handsome, he was a large brute of a man, rough and rugged, and totally unlike the London gentlemen vying for her hand. But when he smiled . . . and when he kissed her . . . the rest of the world simply fell away, and she couldn’t help but wonder . . . could this imperfect man be perfect for her?

In every life there is a turning point. A moment so tremendous, so sharp and breathtaking, that one knows one’s life will never be the same. For Michael Stirling, London’s most infamous rake, that moment came the first time he laid eyes on Francesca Bridgerton.

After a lifetime of chasing women, of smiling slyly as they chased him, of allowing himself to be caught but never permitting his heart to become engaged, he took one look at Francesca Bridgerton and fell so fast and hard into love it was a wonder he managed to remain standing. Unfortunately for Michael, however, Francesca’s surname was to remain Bridgerton for only a mere thirty-six hours longer—the occasion of their meeting was, lamentably, a supper celebrating her imminent wedding to his cousin.

The international literary triumph with rights sold in seven countries, Shtum is a powerhouse debut that untangles the complicated strands of personal identity, family history, and lapsed communication. Drawn from Jem Lester’s experience of raising an autistic child, Shtum is “a darker, sadder version of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, but just as moving” (Observer).

In this darkly funny and emotive novel, Ben Jewell has hit a breaking point. His profoundly autistic ten-year-old son, Jonah, has never spoken, and the family is struggling to cope. So when Ben and Jonah are forced to move in with Georg, Ben’s aging and cantankerous father, three generations of men―one who can’t talk, two who won’t―are thrown together. As Ben confronts single fatherhood, he must learn some harsh lessons about accountability, all before the arrival of a tribunal that will determine the future of Jonah’s education.

Chag Pesach Sameach! I hope you’re enjoying a wonderful Passover season. It was so nice to be able to gather with friends and loved ones again after two years of virtual seders. And especially nice to see little ones excited to hunt for afikomen and welcome Elijah to join the celebration.

With the enjoyment of the holiday comes a lighter reading list this week. The first book on my list explores the topic of mental illness in the Orthodox Jewish community: Lemons in the Fog by Chaya Rochel Zimmerman. I’m also looking forward to continuing with Atomic Anna by Rachel Barenbaum. I made progress reading this last week and am looking forward to finishing it this week. And finally, I’m continuing my progress through Julia Quinn’s romance series with the fourth book, Romancing Mister Bridgerton.

Meir Rosen is a mature, responsible bachur who’s excited to be in a post- high-school yeshivah in Eretz Yisrael—a year filled with Torah study, visits to the Kosel, and touring ancient sites. But periods of nervous high energy leave Meir anxious and afraid; his bouts of sleepiness and haziness make it hard to focus. After several months of uncertainty, Meir receives a shocking diagnosis. Can he regain his mental health and stability, despite his family’s fear and rejection? Lemons in the Fog is an eye-opening novel about overcoming challenges and building anew. This sensitively written account gives hope and support to anyone dealing with challenging ordeals-clearing the fog to a brighter future. “Lemons in the Fog is a powerful portrayal of mental illness in the Jewish Orthodox community. It depicts how a nineteen-year-old yeshivah student learns to navigate his diagnosis, his relationships with his family, and the stigma he faces, while adjusting to living a full life with a mental disorder. An important, hopeful story that raises much-needed awareness.” -Miriam Ament, Founder and President, No Shame on U

Three brilliant women.
Two life-changing mistakes.
One chance to reset the future.

In 1986, renowned nuclear scientist, Anna Berkova, is sleeping in her bed in the Soviet Union when Chernobyl’s reactor melts down. It’s the exact moment she tears through time—and it’s an accident. When she opens her eyes, she’s landed in 1992 only to discover Molly, her estranged daughter, shot in the chest. Molly, with her dying breath, begs Anna to go back in time and stop the disaster, to save Molly’s daughter Raisa, and put their family’s future on a better path.

Submit Your Book

book for review, please visit Contact Me and complete the form. I’ll review your request and respond within 48 hours. I’m also happy to work with authors on interviews. To set up an interview, please use the same form.

Penelope Featherington has secretly adored her best friend’s brother for . . . well, it feels like forever. After half a lifetime of watching Colin Bridgerton from afar, she thinks she knows everything about him, until she stumbles across his deepest secret . . . and fears she doesn’t know him at all.

Colin Bridgerton is tired of being thought of as nothing but an empty-headed charmer, tired of the notorious gossip columnist Lady Whistledown, who can’t seem to publish an edition without mentioning him. But when Colin returns to London from a trip abroad, he discovers nothing in his life is quite the same—especially Penelope Featherington! The girl who was always simply there is suddenly the girl haunting his dreams. When he discovers that Penelope has secrets of her own, this elusive bachelor must decide . . . is she his biggest threat— or his promise of a happy ending?