Posted on January 27, 2021 Leave a Comment
One doesn’t expect going to an open house to view an apartment is going to be a life-changing event. But, for six prospective home buyers, it became just that when a would-be bank robber takes them hostage. Add a mystery man in the bathroom, a real estate agent, and a father-son police duo who have very different ideas of how to do things and you have a recipe for a wonderfully entertaining novel about human relationships, love, loss, and hope. And there’s a thing about a bridge and a psychologist in there somewhere too.
Backman had me laughing within the first few lines of this story and I was hooked. The story brilliantly incorporates a wide range of emotions while exploring the human condition and interpersonal relationships. All within a witty dialogue and delightfully dry sarcasm. I also thoroughly enjoyed the stream of consciousness style of the writing. This is a book that would make for an amazing ensemble cast in a film or series. I found it easy to connect with each of the characters and empathize with their individual stories.
A perfect weekend binge read. This one will give you the feels from beginning to end.
Fredrik Backman is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove (soon to be a major motion picture starring Tom Hanks), My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, Britt-Marie Was Here, Beartown, Us Against You, as well as two novellas, And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer and The Deal of a Lifetime, and the nonfiction collection Things My Son Needs to Know About the World. His next novel, Anxious People, will be published in September in the US and Canada. His books are published in more than forty countries. He lives in Stockholm, Sweden, with his wife and two children. Connect with him on Twitter @BackmanLand or on Instagram @BackmanSK.
Image and bio obtained from fredrikbackmanbooks.com.
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By Adrienne Ross Scanlan Tikkum Olam is a Hebrew phrase translated to ‘repair of the world’. Adrienne Ross Scanlan embodies this Jewish call to action when she moved across the country and immerses herself in repairing spawning habitat for salmon. In Turning Homeward, Ross weaves memoir with a discussion of environmental issues and Jewish thought…
By Deborah Vadas Levison A grisly discovery under her family’s Toronto cottage suddenly brings back author, Deborah Vadas Levison’s parents’, long set-aside memories of the horrors of the Shoah. As renovations are being completed on her family’s idyllic get-away spot, a crate containing human remains is found under the cottage. Vadas Levison’s memoir explores trauma…
By Nancy Pearl and Jeff Schwager The Writer’s Library is a collection of interviews with noteworthy and influential writers. Spanning a wide range of backgrounds, each author was asked what book(s) inspired you to take up the pen and join the literary world? Because before a writer becomes an author, they’re first a reader. As…
So many books, so little time! I am an avid reader and love to share recommendations with fellow readers. My choice in books tend to vary by my mood but some of my favorites are mystery, suspense, thriller, and humor. Get my reviews direct to your inbox every Wednesday and check back here for monthly…
So many books, so little time! I am an avid reader and love to share recommendations with fellow readers. My choice in books tend to vary by my mood but some of my favorites are mystery, suspense, thriller, and humor. Get my reviews direct to your inbox every Wednesday and check back here for monthly…
So many books, so little time! I am an avid reader and love to share recommendations with fellow readers. My choice in books tend to vary by my mood but some of my favorites are mystery, suspense, thriller, and humor. Get my reviews direct to your inbox every Wednesday and check back here for monthly…
Join 5,500+ Followers
As a thank you for registering for our email list, you’ll receive free printable reading journal templates and a bonus 100 book reading list! Members of the email list also receive an exclusive discount code for my Etsy store: MapleStreetStudioHRS.
Posted on January 27, 2021 Leave a Comment
So many books, so little time! I am an avid reader and love to share recommendations with fellow readers. My choice in books tend to vary by my mood but some of my favorites are mystery, suspense, thriller, and humor. Get my reviews direct to your inbox every Wednesday and check back here for monthly features.
Authors, are you interested in having your book reviewed? Interested in an interview about your work? Visit the Contact Me page and complete the form. Requests receive a response within 48 hours.
This page contains affiliate links. This means for any purchases made, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Louise Kimble is an elder in the LDS church and appointed foreman at a luxury estate development near Los Vegas. Kimble’s life is turned upside down when he uncovers a money-laundering scheme and he finds himself testifying against church leaders. For his protection, Kimble is relocated to southern New Jersey with a new name and identity. But will he manage to keep his true identity secret?
Minder creates a well-paced crime thriller that will keep the reader engaged and entertained from beginning to end. The suspense element of the story builds nicely and the characters are well-developed. Kimble’s life is completely turned on it’s head by his involvement in the development in Los Vegas. He goes from a deeply faithful member of the LDS, living in Utah, to posing as a Catholic in south New Jersey. I felt that could have been explored a little further. The moment when Kimble reveals himself to someone very important to him (no spoilers) was also a little anti-climactic. However, these are minor points and did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the story.
In Kimble, Minder has created an interesting character with great potential for a series.
The Ferret is currently available for pre-order on Amazon. I’d like to thank the author for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of the book.
It’s a hot August day in New York when Detectives Tolya Kurchenko and Pete Gonzalvez are called to a Manhattan demolition site to investigate a strange discovery. Inside a wall on the third floor of a building, the construction crew has discovered a murder victim, fully dressed in a suit and hat. The discovery sends the detectives into an investigation of a decades old cold case.
Forgiving Stephen Redmond is the third installment in Sidransky’s Forgiving series and brings the series full circle. The story ties back to the first book in the series, Forgiving Maximo Rothman. Set in the 50s and 60s, the story explores the experience of Hungarian Jews who fled WWII Europe to the Dominican Republic, before immigrating to the United States. I found the cultural experience of this group, and the contrast in those who remained orthodox versus those who chose to become secular, very interesting.
The crime drama, at the heart of the plot, was well-developed and well-paced. It kept me guessing to the very end. The historical detail and various subplots interweave to create a compelling read. I highly recommend this book.
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Tikkum Olam is a Hebrew phrase translated to ‘repair of the world’. Adrienne Ross Scanlan embodies this Jewish call to action when she moved across the country and immerses herself in repairing spawning habitat for salmon. In Turning Homeward, Ross weaves memoir with a discussion of environmental issues and Jewish thought in beautiful prose.
Ross’s writing is engrossing from beginning to end. Her insights into the issue of restoring urban habitat for salmon are informative and inspiring. She does an incredible job of balancing her personal experience with factual information about her work in environmental restoration. I also found this book motivational, a call to consider where the reader can make an impact in the world.
In her book, Meditation with the Hebrew Letters, author and scholar, Gilla Nissan, examines the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet, not as a means of communication or the language of the Torah, but as the building blocks of life. The book explores the letters as a means of meditation, within the construct of Kabbalah, to heighten one’s understanding of the mission of the soul.
Nissan presents her meditation guide in four parts, beginning with her own journey in the study of the Hebrew letters and Kabbalah. She then provides background information on the Hebrew language. This is followed by some instruction on how to use the Hebrew letters within your own meditation. And finally, she presents each of the letters, their unique characteristics, and how each can assist a seeker in their understanding of their soul’s individual mission.
The set is wonderfully presented and very visually appealing. I found the background information on Kabbalah and how the Hebrew letters fit within the mystic framework helpful when putting this system into context. Each letter is thoroughly explored within the book. The corresponding cards are beautifully illustrated along with cues to assist the user in their meditations on life’s great questions.
This box set would be a wonderful addition to the library of the Jewish seeker wanting to grow in their mindfulness, self-care, or spiritual well-being. I would like to thank author, Gilla Nissan for the free box set in exchange for my honest review.
The Writer’s Library is a collection of interviews with noteworthy and influential writers. Spanning a wide range of backgrounds, each author was asked what book(s) inspired you to take up the pen and join the literary world? Because before a writer becomes an author, they’re first a reader.
As a writer myself, I found it interesting how many of the authors in this collection were inspired and influenced by many of the same books I was, as a young reader. I was also intrigued by the types of books some of them chose to collect. The interviews asked thoughtful questions and flowed well. I also appreciate that at the end of each interview, there is a list with many of the authors and titles mentioned. I found this made it easy for me to jot down the interesting titles mentioned for my own to-be-read pile.
I enjoyed the relaxed flow to the conversations in this collection. The introductions, setting the scene for where each interview was taking place, allowed me to feel as though I was tagging along, sitting in the on the conversation, rather than feeling like I was reading a transcript.
If you are an aspiring writer, or just enjoy hearing what others are reading, this book is for you.
A grisly discovery under her family’s Toronto cottage suddenly brings back author, Deborah Vadas Levison’s parents’, long set-aside memories of the horrors of the Shoah. As renovations are being completed on her family’s idyllic get-away spot, a crate containing human remains is found under the cottage. Vadas Levison’s memoir explores trauma and survivor’s guilt as she recounts the atrocity faced by her parents in the Holocaust and the present day shattering of their new-found peace.
Vadas Levison recounts her family story in remarkable detail as she explores her parents’ story of survival as well as the crime involving their family cottage. I found her own search for a Jewish identity very relatable. The parallel between her desire to shelter her children, especially the youngest, from the discovery of the body at their family cabin and her own parents’ desire to shelter her, as a child, from their experiences in the Shoah was interesting. The book is very well-written. As more and more survivors are lost, the preservation and retelling of their stories becomes all the more essential. So the world never forgets.
This was a compelling story. I would like to thank the author for a free copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. I look forward to reading more from her.
Anna is a second generation Russian-American Jew and a senior at UConn when she gets an opportunity to study in Moscow, in 1980. She finds herself navigating a Cold War culture she doesn’t fully understand. But an encounter with a young man at a Rosh Hashanah service leads to uncovering a lost piece of family history.
Bordetsky-Williams weaves a beautiful, multi-generational story contrasting the early days following the Russian revolution and the height of the Cold War era. Anna is an interesting character who returns to her ancestral homeland with optimism and an innocence that is quickly lost in a world where everyone has secrets. Her grandmother’s tragic story of being orphaned in a pogrom, immigrating to the United States only to return to Soviet Russia with her dreamer husband is artfully interwoven. I found the parallels between the generations very interesting.
This is an elegantly written story of romance, tragedy, and hope.
Make planning your next reading list fun and easy! Download a free copy of Reading Bingo! Thirty fun ideas for selecting your next read.
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So many books, so little time! I am an avid reader and love to share recommendations with fellow readers. My choice in books tend to vary by my mood but some of my favorites are mystery, suspense, thriller, and humor. Get my reviews direct to your inbox every Wednesday and check back here for monthly…
So many books, so little time! I am an avid reader and love to share recommendations with fellow readers. My choice in books tend to vary by my mood but some of my favorites are mystery, suspense, thriller, and humor. Get my reviews direct to your inbox every Wednesday and check back here for monthly…
So many books, so little time! I am an avid reader and love to share recommendations with fellow readers. My choice in books tend to vary by my mood but some of my favorites are mystery, suspense, thriller, and humor. Get my reviews direct to your inbox every Wednesday and check back here for monthly…
Posted on January 27, 2021 Leave a Comment
Anna is a second generation Russian-American Jew and a senior at UConn when she gets an opportunity to study in Moscow, in 1980. She finds herself navigating a Cold War culture she doesn’t fully understand. But an encounter with a young man at a Rosh Hashanah service leads to uncovering a lost piece of family history.
Bordetsky-Williams weaves a beautiful, multi-generational story contrasting the early days following the Russian revolution and the height of the Cold War era. Anna is an interesting character who returns to her ancestral homeland with optimism and an innocence that is quickly lost in a world where everyone has secrets. Her grandmother’s tragic story of being orphaned in a pogrom, immigrating to the United States only to return to Soviet Russia with her dreamer husband is artfully interwoven. I found the parallels between the generations very interesting.
This is an elegantly written story of romance, tragedy, and hope.
L. Bordetsky-Williams (aka Lisa Williams) grew up in New York City. She is also the author of The Artist as Outsider in the Novels of Toni Morrison and Virginia Woolf (Greenwood Press, 2000) and has been inspired by both of these towering authors. In 2005, she published a book of creative nonfiction, Letters to Virginia Woolf (Hamilton Books). She is also a poet and has published three poetry chapbooks: Sky Studies (Finishing Line Press), The Eighth Phrase (Porkbelly Press), and In the Early Morning Calling (Finishing Line Press). She is a Professor of English and Literary Studies at Ramapo College of New Jersey.
Do you have a book in new of review? Would you like to be interviewed about your latest project? I’d like to work with you! Please visit my Contact Me page to complete the form with your details.
This page contains affiliate links. This means for any purchase made, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Join 5,500+ Followers
As a thank you for registering for our email list, you’ll receive free printable reading journal templates and a bonus 100 book reading list! Members of the email list also receive an exclusive discount code for my Etsy store: MapleStreetStudioHRS.
By Adrienne Ross Scanlan Tikkum Olam is a Hebrew phrase translated to ‘repair of the world’. Adrienne Ross Scanlan embodies this Jewish call to action when she moved across the country and immerses herself in repairing spawning habitat for salmon. In Turning Homeward, Ross weaves memoir with a discussion of environmental issues and Jewish thought…
By Deborah Vadas Levison A grisly discovery under her family’s Toronto cottage suddenly brings back author, Deborah Vadas Levison’s parents’, long set-aside memories of the horrors of the Shoah. As renovations are being completed on her family’s idyllic get-away spot, a crate containing human remains is found under the cottage. Vadas Levison’s memoir explores trauma…
By Nancy Pearl and Jeff Schwager The Writer’s Library is a collection of interviews with noteworthy and influential writers. Spanning a wide range of backgrounds, each author was asked what book(s) inspired you to take up the pen and join the literary world? Because before a writer becomes an author, they’re first a reader. As…
So many books, so little time! I am an avid reader and love to share recommendations with fellow readers. My choice in books tend to vary by my mood but some of my favorites are mystery, suspense, thriller, and humor. Get my reviews direct to your inbox every Wednesday and check back here for monthly…
So many books, so little time! I am an avid reader and love to share recommendations with fellow readers. My choice in books tend to vary by my mood but some of my favorites are mystery, suspense, thriller, and humor. Get my reviews direct to your inbox every Wednesday and check back here for monthly…
So many books, so little time! I am an avid reader and love to share recommendations with fellow readers. My choice in books tend to vary by my mood but some of my favorites are mystery, suspense, thriller, and humor. Get my reviews direct to your inbox every Wednesday and check back here for monthly…
Join 5,500+ Followers
As a thank you for registering for our email list, you’ll receive free printable reading journal templates and a bonus 100 book reading list! Members of the email list also receive an exclusive discount code for my Etsy store: MapleStreetStudioHRS.
Posted on January 26, 2021 Leave a Comment
Today, I’m excited to share with you the books I’m looking forward to reading in February. These are the titles that will be appearing in my weekly book review posts throughout the month.
What books are on your list this month? I hope you’ll add your suggestions in the comments.
Are you an author, publicist, or publisher with a book in need of review? I’d like to work with you. To submit your 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.
This page contains affiliate links. This means for any purchase made, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
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As a thank you for registering for our email list, you’ll receive free printable reading journal templates and a bonus 100 book reading list! Members of the email list also receive an exclusive discount code for my Etsy store: MapleStreetStudioHRS.
In the heat of wartime Manila, 23-year-old American GI Kurt Berlin is recruited by the OSS to return to Europe to aid in the interrogation of captured Nazis. A refugee from the Nazis himself, Berlin discovers the Nazi he’s interpreting is responsible for much of the torment and misery he endured during his escape. And that very same Nazi may hold the key to finding the girl he left behind. Will the gravitational pull of revenge dislodge his moral com-pass? From the terror of pre-war Vienna to the chaos of occupied Brussels, through Kurt’s flight with his family through Nazi-Occupied France, to the destruction of post-war Europe, The Interpreter follows Kurt’s surreal escape and return. How much can a young mind absorb before it explodes?
The Covid-19 epidemic exploded in Israel on the heels of the joyous Purim festival in mid-March 2020. Trying to make sense of the ensuing insanity, Chaya Passow, a resident of Jerusalem, soon began to share her thoughts and reflections with friends and family in the form of a letter from the new Planet Corona, formerly Planet Earth. What began as an attempt at personal catharsis grew to a collection of 70 letters describing seven tumultuous months in 2020 culminating in the Jewish High Holidays.Letters from Planet Corona is unique, the result of an intelligent, strong feminine voice which combines witty, satirical, and humorous narratives with thought-provoking, uplifting, and inspirational insights. The author has an engaging style which makes her often penetrating and incisive observations accessible to all as she describes her personal journey from initial bewilderment and occasional despair to a deeper understanding of what it means to truly put your faith in God in the midst of a pandemic that tested human endurance.Reading Letters from Planet Corona will open your mind and touch your heart.
It’s February 1940, and four siblings triumphantly overcome two years of bureaucratic hurdles and flee to America. The youngest brother begins to pursue his American dream, only to have it interrupted. Not yet a citizen, he’s inducted into the army and chooses to serve in the infantry to defend his newfound American freedom, champion the honor of his people, and save the family he left behind. Small serendipities repeatedly safeguard him from almost certain death. Join him on his transformative journey and be inspired by his courage, kindness, and optimism in the face of unspeakable tragedy. Documented by extensive primary sources, this memoir precedes an upcoming, remarkably comprehensive, special online collection of correspondence, documents, photos, and artifacts at the US Holocaust Museum (ca. 2021).
Do you hear the beasts scratching at the door? They’ve been sleeping too long, and now they’re getting feisty.
Through a mash-up of poetry, comic fiction and watercolor illustrations, this beautiful picture book for adults weaves a narrative of how we can all become wild and free again. Looking at life through the eyes of Sloth, Bear, Koala, and even Blob Fish, these animals tell the stories of the raw beauty of life on our planet, encouraging us to let go of fear, stick our fingers/paws up at societal pressure, and love ourselves and one another with abandon.
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The river-any river-is another planet, with its own language, rules, and culture. River Queens is a story of the unlikeliest of fellows (and a dog) coming to the river-and what happens to them once they arrive. At first glance, it seems to be a how-to manual for any adventuresome (but perhaps foolhardy) type who’s ever thought of restoring a wooden yacht and sailing it halfway across the country. Second glance, however, shows that it’s a classic travel narrative in which two intrepid (but perhaps foolhardy) explorers head out to tour what is usually called “a distant, alien world.” To Alexander Watson and his partner, Dale Harris, the river is as exotic as any foreign locale they’d previously traversed. There is danger, of course- unpredictable nature, lurking water hazards, quickly rising human squalls but the initial difficulty is language: can they become fluent in the argot of harbormasters, helmsmen, navigators, and the various deck hands, skippers, and swabbies? The language of river people is gloriously colorful and idiosyncratic, and Watson has a gift for capturing it. River talk is the animated essence of River Queens, in which these typically hard-working people are rendered so specifically, in all their salty humanity, that they become a kind of tribe, passing Watson and Harris along from outpost to outpost, encumbered by their hospitality. This is the genius of River Queens, in which Watson’s sensibility is so adroit that he captures perfectly the two sides of America that seem elsewhere on permanent outs. Here on the river, though, they become assembled in a near-perfect unity, displaying a charity that seems to be missing on the inland geography. With happy authority and never a condescending glance (well, only where one is deserved), Captain Watson gives us a striking, often hilarious picture of river life, elevating its savvy inhabitants into the first rank of admirable Americans and showing us finally how little divided America actually can be. River Queens is at once a romance of men and the river, a fantasy come to life, an unparalleled adventure story, one of the best travel journals around and a glad picture for our turbulent times.
Told by an eye witness to evil, author Severyn Ashkenazy, himself a Holocaust survivor, lays out in great detail a fact based scathing critique of the Vatican and the Church’s history of persecution, falsehoods and underhanded support of mass murderers including Hitler and Mussolini as one edge of the sword to allow for millions of innocent people to be lead to horrible deaths only so the Catholic Church and the Vatican could maintain world wide dominance.
The author asks the reader to use this book as their own jumping off point for further reading. So many passages will make one want to explore the horror further because it seems so unbelievable when all these horrors are collected in one book.
My Own Words “showcases Ruth Ginsburg’s astonishing intellectual range” (The New Republic). In this collection Justice Ginsburg discusses gender equality, the workings of the Supreme Court, being Jewish, law and lawyers in opera, and the value of looking beyond US shores when interpreting the US Constitution. Throughout her life Justice Ginsburg has been (and continues to be) a prolific writer and public speaker. This book’s sampling is selected by Justice Ginsburg and her authorized biographers Mary Hartnett and Wendy W. Williams, who introduce each chapter and provide biographical context and quotes gleaned from hundreds of interviews they have conducted.
Tim Desmond–an esteemed Buddhist philosopher who has lectured on psychology at Yale and leads a mental health project at Google–offers a path to self-growth, connection, and joy like we’ve never seen before.
Despite an absent father, childhood homelessness, and losing a wife to cancer, Desmond has emerged with not only inner strength and joyful resilience, but also a deep understanding of human suffering necessary to advocate for those hurting all over the world. Through his work, Desmond realized the truth: we don’t need a mindfulness practice for productivity or sleep, and it shouldn’t come from religion, philosophy, or hypothetical situations. Instead, mindfulness should be rooted in the pain, sadness, loneliness, and trauma of the here and now, because it is the only true antidote for this sometimes-miserable world we call home.
For auld lang syne, my dearFor auld lang syneWe’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yetFor days of auld lang syne As 2020 is quickly coming to a close (and not a moment too soon, am I right?!), I compiled a list of my top ten reads from the year. In no particular order, whether particularly…
With Hanukkah fast approaching, I’ve assembled a list of my most recommended books, with a Jewish voice, as a gift guide for the book lover in your life. This list contains a wide variety of genres, including mystery/thriller, romance, historical fiction, and non-fiction. Enjoy! This page contains affiliate links. This means for any purchase made,…
People often ask me for recommendations when they’re looking for a book to read. So I have complied a list of my top ten recommended books. These are in no particular order. I’ve provided links to Amazon for your convenience (not affiliate links) along with what I find meaningful about each of them. A Cry…
“Summertime and the living is easy” Trying to figure out your summer reading list for time spent by the pool? I’ve put together a list of 10 of my favorite reads to help get you started. These are in no particular order and all come from my Ultimate Reading List. Need more suggestions? New subscribers…
Posted on January 20, 2021 Leave a Comment
A grisly discovery under her family’s Toronto cottage suddenly brings back author, Deborah Vadas Levison’s parents’, long set-aside memories of the horrors of the Shoah. As renovations are being completed on her family’s idyllic get-away spot, a crate containing human remains is found under the cottage. Vadas Levison’s memoir explores trauma and survivor’s guilt as she recounts the atrocity faced by her parents in the Holocaust and the present day shattering of their new-found peace.
Vadas Levison recounts her family story in remarkable detail as she explores her parents’ story of survival as well as the crime involving their family cottage. I found her own search for a Jewish identity very relatable. The parallel between her desire to shelter her children, especially the youngest, from the discovery of the body at their family cabin and her own parents’ desire to shelter her, as a child, from their experiences in the Shoah was interesting. The book is very well-written. As more and more survivors are lost, the preservation and retelling of their stories becomes all the more essential. So the world never forgets.
This was a compelling story. I would like to thank the author for a free copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. I look forward to reading more from her.
Debbie’s life has two parts: the first in Canada, where she attended the Royal Conservatory of Music and the University of Toronto, and the second in Connecticut, where she shares a home with three children, two doodles, and one husband.
She’s an award-winning writer, published in national and international media. Her first book, THE CRATE, won seven literary awards and has been called “gorgeous and poetic,” “heart wrenching,” and “a brilliant story.” Since its release she has done over one hundred author talks, from Canada to Florida. She loves connecting with audiences to tell stories.
Her love of storytelling began one summer night by a camp bonfire, listening to a counselor tell a ghost story: The Monkey’s Paw. The memory still makes her shiver.
Visit her at www.debbielevison.com.
Do you have a book in new of review? Would you like to be interviewed about your latest project? I’d like to work with you! Please visit my Contact Me page to complete the form with your details.
This page contains affiliate links. This means for any purchase made, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Join 5,500+ Followers
As a thank you for registering for our email list, you’ll receive free printable reading journal templates and a bonus 100 book reading list! Members of the email list also receive an exclusive discount code for my Etsy store: MapleStreetStudioHRS.
By Max Gross Imagine, if you will, a village so remote that time has seemingly passed it by. In his book, The Lost Shtetl, Max Gross transports us to a village, home to an Orthodox Jewish community, in a remote part of Poland that has been untouched by history. That is until a young woman,…
By Adrienne Ross Scanlan Tikkum Olam is a Hebrew phrase translated to ‘repair of the world’. Adrienne Ross Scanlan embodies this Jewish call to action when she moved across the country and immerses herself in repairing spawning habitat for salmon. In Turning Homeward, Ross weaves memoir with a discussion of environmental issues and Jewish thought…
By A.J. Sidransky It’s a hot August day in New York when Detectives Tolya Kurchenko and Pete Gonzalvez are called to a Manhattan demolition site to investigate a strange discovery. Inside a wall on the third floor of a building, the construction crew has discovered a murder victim, fully dressed in a suit and hat.…
So many books, so little time! I am an avid reader and love to share recommendations with fellow readers. My choice in books tend to vary by my mood but some of my favorites are mystery, suspense, thriller, and humor. Get my reviews direct to your inbox every Wednesday and check back here for monthly…
So many books, so little time! I am an avid reader and love to share recommendations with fellow readers. My choice in books tend to vary by my mood but some of my favorites are mystery, suspense, thriller, and humor. Get my reviews direct to your inbox every Wednesday and check back here for monthly…
So many books, so little time! I am an avid reader and love to share recommendations with fellow readers. My choice in books tend to vary by my mood but some of my favorites are mystery, suspense, thriller, and humor. Get my reviews direct to your inbox every Wednesday and check back here for monthly…
Join 5,500+ Followers
As a thank you for registering for our email list, you’ll receive free printable reading journal templates and a bonus 100 book reading list! Members of the email list also receive an exclusive discount code for my Etsy store: MapleStreetStudioHRS.
Posted on January 20, 2021 Leave a Comment
The Writer’s Library is a collection of interviews with noteworthy and influential writers. Spanning a wide range of backgrounds, each author was asked what book(s) inspired you to take up the pen and join the literary world? Because before a writer becomes an author, they’re first a reader.
As a writer myself, I found it interesting how many of the authors in this collection were inspired and influenced by many of the same books I was, as a young reader. I was also intrigued by the types of books some of them chose to collect. The interviews asked thoughtful questions and flowed well. I also appreciate that at the end of each interview, there is a list with many of the authors and titles mentioned. I found this made it easy for me to jot down the interesting titles mentioned for my own to-be-read pile.
I enjoyed the relaxed flow to the conversations in this collection. The introductions, setting the scene for where each interview was taking place, allowed me to feel as though I was tagging along, sitting in the on the conversation, rather than feeling like I was reading a transcript.
If you are an aspiring writer, or just enjoy hearing what others are reading, this book is for you.
Do you have a book in new of review? Would you like to be interviewed about your latest project? I’d like to work with you! Please visit my Contact Me page to complete the form with your details.
This page contains affiliate links. This means for any purchase made, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Join 5,500+ Followers
As a thank you for registering for our email list, you’ll receive free printable reading journal templates and a bonus 100 book reading list! Members of the email list also receive an exclusive discount code for my Etsy store: MapleStreetStudioHRS.
By Max Gross Imagine, if you will, a village so remote that time has seemingly passed it by. In his book, The Lost Shtetl, Max Gross transports us to a village, home to an Orthodox Jewish community, in a remote part of Poland that has been untouched by history. That is until a young woman,…
By Adrienne Ross Scanlan Tikkum Olam is a Hebrew phrase translated to ‘repair of the world’. Adrienne Ross Scanlan embodies this Jewish call to action when she moved across the country and immerses herself in repairing spawning habitat for salmon. In Turning Homeward, Ross weaves memoir with a discussion of environmental issues and Jewish thought…
By A.J. Sidransky It’s a hot August day in New York when Detectives Tolya Kurchenko and Pete Gonzalvez are called to a Manhattan demolition site to investigate a strange discovery. Inside a wall on the third floor of a building, the construction crew has discovered a murder victim, fully dressed in a suit and hat.…
So many books, so little time! I am an avid reader and love to share recommendations with fellow readers. My choice in books tend to vary by my mood but some of my favorites are mystery, suspense, thriller, and humor. Get my reviews direct to your inbox every Wednesday and check back here for monthly…
So many books, so little time! I am an avid reader and love to share recommendations with fellow readers. My choice in books tend to vary by my mood but some of my favorites are mystery, suspense, thriller, and humor. Get my reviews direct to your inbox every Wednesday and check back here for monthly…
So many books, so little time! I am an avid reader and love to share recommendations with fellow readers. My choice in books tend to vary by my mood but some of my favorites are mystery, suspense, thriller, and humor. Get my reviews direct to your inbox every Wednesday and check back here for monthly…
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As a thank you for registering for our email list, you’ll receive free printable reading journal templates and a bonus 100 book reading list! Members of the email list also receive an exclusive discount code for my Etsy store: MapleStreetStudioHRS.
Posted on January 19, 2021 Leave a Comment
In her book, Meditation with the Hebrew Letters, author and scholar, Gilla Nissan, examines the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet, not as a means of communication or the language of the Torah, but as the building blocks of life. The book explores the letters as a means of meditation, within the construct of Kabbalah, to heighten one’s understanding of the mission of the soul.
This beautifully presented box set includes:
Nissan presents her meditation guide in four parts, beginning with her own journey in the study of the Hebrew letters and Kabbalah. She then provides background information on the Hebrew language. This is followed by some instruction on how to use the Hebrew letters within your own meditation. And finally, she presents each of the letters, their unique characteristics, and how each can assist a seeker in their understanding of their soul’s individual mission.
The set is wonderfully presented and very visually appealing. I found the background information on Kabbalah and how the Hebrew letters fit within the mystic framework helpful when putting this system into context. Each letter is thoroughly explored within the book. The corresponding cards are beautifully illustrated along with cues to assist the user in their meditations on life’s great questions.
This box set would be a wonderful addition to the library of the Jewish seeker wanting to grow in their mindfulness, self-care, or spiritual well-being. I would like to thank author, Gilla Nissan for the free box set in exchange for my honest review.
A graduate of Tel Aviv University, Yeshiva University of Los Angeles and American Jewish University, Gilla has taught Hebrew and Jewish Studies for three decades. Her teaching and writing have been informed by great kabbalists. Gilla is loved by her students for her unique ability to see deeply into their lives and lovingly guide them toward their highest destiny. She is a prize-winning poet, essayist and visionary. Her work is centered on the Hebrew Letters as tools of creative and the mysticism of biblical Hebrew. A native Israeli, she lives in Los Angeles, California.
Visit her at www.thehebrewletter.com.
Do you have a book in new of review? Would you like to be interviewed about your latest project? I’d like to work with you! Please visit my Contact Me page to complete the form with your details.
This page contains affiliate links. This means for any purchase made, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Join 5,500+ Followers
As a thank you for registering for our email list, you’ll receive free printable reading journal templates and a bonus 100 book reading list! Members of the email list also receive an exclusive discount code for my Etsy store: MapleStreetStudioHRS.
By Max Gross Imagine, if you will, a village so remote that time has seemingly passed it by. In his book, The Lost Shtetl, Max Gross transports us to a village, home to an Orthodox Jewish community, in a remote part of Poland that has been untouched by history. That is until a young woman,…
By Adrienne Ross Scanlan Tikkum Olam is a Hebrew phrase translated to ‘repair of the world’. Adrienne Ross Scanlan embodies this Jewish call to action when she moved across the country and immerses herself in repairing spawning habitat for salmon. In Turning Homeward, Ross weaves memoir with a discussion of environmental issues and Jewish thought…
By A.J. Sidransky It’s a hot August day in New York when Detectives Tolya Kurchenko and Pete Gonzalvez are called to a Manhattan demolition site to investigate a strange discovery. Inside a wall on the third floor of a building, the construction crew has discovered a murder victim, fully dressed in a suit and hat.…
So many books, so little time! I am an avid reader and love to share recommendations with fellow readers. My choice in books tend to vary by my mood but some of my favorites are mystery, suspense, thriller, and humor. Get my reviews direct to your inbox every Wednesday and check back here for monthly…
So many books, so little time! I am an avid reader and love to share recommendations with fellow readers. My choice in books tend to vary by my mood but some of my favorites are mystery, suspense, thriller, and humor. Get my reviews direct to your inbox every Wednesday and check back here for monthly…
So many books, so little time! I am an avid reader and love to share recommendations with fellow readers. My choice in books tend to vary by my mood but some of my favorites are mystery, suspense, thriller, and humor. Get my reviews direct to your inbox every Wednesday and check back here for monthly…
Join 5,500+ Followers
As a thank you for registering for our email list, you’ll receive free printable reading journal templates and a bonus 100 book reading list! Members of the email list also receive an exclusive discount code for my Etsy store: MapleStreetStudioHRS.
Posted on January 19, 2021 1 Comment
Leon Stevens is an author, composer, guitarist, songwriter, and an artist with a Bachelor of Music and Education. He published his first book of poetry: Lines by Leon – Poems, Prose, and Pictures in January 2020, a book of original classical guitar compositions, and a short story collection of science fiction/post-apocalyptic tales called The Knot at the End of the Rope and Other Short Stories.
That’s like writing Haiku, counting each syllable on your fingers…Oops, now I just wasted 10 words. I think the best description is from a quote that I wrote that should have made it on to the back cover (slightly pared down to fit the required length): “Words to encourage you, to make you laugh, and to invite you to reflect. Each chapter revealing a different observation.”
I began to write songs and song lyrics to get through a tough time in my life, and this led me to write more poetry. I finally decided that my writing was something that others could relate to or at least find entertaining. There are some deep topics, but many of the poems have humorous elements to them.
I took up sketching at the same time as I was writing. Some of the illustrations came from memories of places I had been, some from just starting to draw to see where it goes, and others from the Inktober challenges where you are given a word each day to draw.
I can’t say that I do. Each work had a purpose and served it well.
I read somewhere that writers write the words that non-writers cannot. I like to think that I have put into words something that another may be thinking or dealing with, or a different way of looking at an experience-both good and bad. Ultimately, I want people to smile and laugh. One reader wrote:
“I have loved reading this book. It has given me what I needed the most. It is a very charming book!”
This, to me, is a success in my writing endeavor.
It has been out for a year, and so far, all the reviews have been positive. I know that my writing is not going to appeal to everyone, but I think that everyone that has read it so far has found something that they have enjoyed. I’ll quote another reader:
“I thought the pieces in this collection were mostly okay. I’ve read much better, but there are much worse collections out there.”
Well, I’m glad I’m not the worst. I think that is another success, isn’t it?
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It is a collection of science fiction and post-apocalyptic short stories, with a few poems thrown in. I tried to write without dwelling on technology, which can sometimes overshadow a good story. When I read science fiction, if someone travels faster than light, it doesn’t matter how. As long as it gets them to where they need to be to move the story forward.
My father used to make up science fiction stories at night for me, which fostered my enjoyment of the genre. After discovering my love for writing, it was a natural fit to expand my writing.
I want to read more of Ernest Cline. I thoroughly enjoyed Ready Player One.
I always joke that my stories come to a natural conclusion sooner rather than later, so that is why I gravitate toward short stories. But I joined NoNoWrMo (National Novel Writing Month) as an incentive to write longer, so I took one of my short stories and continued it. I didn’t make the 50000-word goal (not even close), but I’m still writing it, and it’s getting close to a novella length.
I’m the most active blogging on www.linesbyleon.wordpress.com, which will soon be
my main website: www.linesbyleon.com, but I do have Twitter (@linesbyleon) and Instagram (@lines_by_leon) on which I post once or twice a week. I also put out a weekly newsletter to keep my readers up to date and entertained between projects.
Thank you for this opportunity! I hope that you and your readers have enjoyed getting to know me, and I hope that they will enjoy my writing. I do have free sample eBooks available so new readers can get an idea of my writing style.
This page contains affiliate links. This means for any purchase made, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Interested in working with me on an interview? Complete the form on Contact Me. I’ll be in touch within 48 hours. I look forward to working with you!
Sherry V. Ostroff is the author of two books, The Lucky One, is a memoir originally published in 2016, and Caledonia, a work of historical fiction was published last year. She is a winner of the Indie Diamond Book Award. Q: Can you sum up Caledonia in 20 words or less? Caledonia is the tale…
AJ Sidransky is joining my blog today to tell us about his newest novel, The Interpreter. We’re also getting insight into the third installment in his Forgiving series, Forgiving Stephen Redmond, set for release early next year. Q: Can you sum up the The Interpreter book series in 20 words or less? The Interpreter is…
Ashley Amber is a 26-year-old author who calls Boston home. Whether it was her first picture book that she entered in a Reading Rainbow contest at 9 years old, loads of fanfiction as a teenager, or her own novels, Ashley has always been writing. When she’s not writing, she’s making videos as an “Authortuber.” Ashley…
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Posted on January 15, 2021 7 Comments
My self-titled blog, Heidi Slowinski LLC, is proud to host the first Jewish Book Carnival of 2021. This is a monthly event, bringing together those who cover Jewish literature online to “meet, read, and comment on each other’s posts”. Organized by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL), the Carnival is hosted by a different participant’s site on the 15th of every month.
And here on Heidi Slowinski LLC, I recently had the pleasure of reviewing Forgiving Stephen Redmond, AJ Sidransky’s third installment in his Forgiving series. This literary crime drama explores the immigration experience of Hungarian Jews who came to America by way of the Dominican Republic and Cuba.
February 2021 will be hosted by Heidi Rabinowitz at The Book of Life. To participate, submit your link by February 11, 2020 to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com and please include “Jewish Book Carnival” in the subject line. One link per participant is preferred.
I would like to thank all of the bloggers to contributed to this month’s Carnival. Please take a few moments to visit each of their sites. Show your support by leaving a ‘like’ or a comment on their posts.
Posted on January 13, 2021 Leave a Comment
Tikkum Olam is a Hebrew phrase translated to ‘repair of the world’. Adrienne Ross Scanlan embodies this Jewish call to action when she moved across the country and immerses herself in repairing spawning habitat for salmon. In Turning Homeward, Ross weaves memoir with a discussion of environmental issues and Jewish thought in beautiful prose.
Ross’s writing is engrossing from beginning to end. Her insights into the issue of restoring urban habitat for salmon are informative and inspiring. She does an incredible job of balancing her personal experience with factual information about her work in environmental restoration. I also found this book motivational, a call to consider where the reader can make an impact in the world.
Adrienne Ross Scanlan is the author of Turning Homeward – Restoring Hope and Nature in the Urban Wild (Washington State Book Award Finalist 2017, Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award 2016 Notable Book, and Nautilus Book Award Silver Medal 2016-2017). Her nature writing and other creative nonfiction has appeared in City Creatures, LabLit: The Culture of Science in Fiction & Fact, the For Love of Orcas anthology, and many other publications. She received an Artist Trust Literature Fellowship, was the nonfiction editor for the Blue Lyra Review, and is a reviewer for the New York Journal of Books. Adrienne has a Certificate in Editing from the University of Washington and is a freelance developmental editor. Her second book (in progress) is about a small personal project – planting one thousand trees in western Washington. You can reach her at adrienne@adrienne-ross-scanlan.com.
Do you have a book in new of review? Would you like to be interviewed about your latest project? I’d like to work with you! Please visit my Contact Me page to complete the form with your details.
This page contains affiliate links. This means for any purchase made, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Join 5,500+ Followers
As a thank you for registering for our email list, you’ll receive free printable reading journal templates and a bonus 100 book reading list! Members of the email list also receive an exclusive discount code for my Etsy store: MapleStreetStudioHRS.
By Max Gross Imagine, if you will, a village so remote that time has seemingly passed it by. In his book, The Lost Shtetl, Max Gross transports us to a village, home to an Orthodox Jewish community, in a remote part of Poland that has been untouched by history. That is until a young woman,…
By Jodi Picoult Dawn Edelstein life changes in a moment when an announcement on her flight is made to brace for impact. She survives the crash, and after being checked out by medical staff, is offered a flight to wherever she’d like to go. Home to Boston is the obvious choice. But her last thoughts…
By Tom Minder Louise Kimble is an elder in the LDS church and appointed foreman at a luxury estate development near Los Vegas. Kimble’s life is turned upside down when he uncovers a money-laundering scheme and he finds himself testifying against church leaders. For his protection, Kimble is relocated to southern New Jersey with a…
So many books, so little time! I am an avid reader and love to share recommendations with fellow readers. My choice in books tend to vary by my mood but some of my favorites are mystery, suspense, thriller, and humor. Get my reviews direct to your inbox every Wednesday and check back here for monthly…
So many books, so little time! I am an avid reader and love to share recommendations with fellow readers. My choice in books tend to vary by my mood but some of my favorites are mystery, suspense, thriller, and humor. Get my reviews direct to your inbox every Wednesday and check back here for monthly…
So many books, so little time! I am an avid reader and love to share recommendations with fellow readers. My choice in books tend to vary by my mood but some of my favorites are mystery, suspense, thriller, and humor. Get my reviews direct to your inbox every Wednesday and check back here for monthly…
Join 5,500+ Followers
As a thank you for registering for our email list, you’ll receive free printable reading journal templates and a bonus 100 book reading list! Members of the email list also receive an exclusive discount code for my Etsy store: MapleStreetStudioHRS.
Heidi Slowinski 