Nominations for our book of June 2021

[Jan]

We are looking for nominations of recent Jewish fiction from your to-read list (or stack).

We were thinking of "fun," "fascinating," or just "readable," until Stacey came up with the idea of going to your to-read list. That should capture it all!

Maybe you'll make a nomination and reduce your list, in one fell swoop.

We're looking for six or seven nominations by the end of the weekend, if not before, with poll to follow.

One nomination per person, please.
Please make a nomination and don't submit a list of suggestions. Thanks.

You can scroll through the years on the home page or through the group's bookshelf to rule out prior choices.

Nominations by a book's author or other interested parties will be deleted. Please nominate the book in this category that you'd most like to read or think others will appreciate.

In the context of the ensuing discussion, we'll arrive at a consensus on the nominations, with your moderators, Jan & Stacey, helping to vet for availability etc., and then we'll have the poll.

Looking forward to seeing your nominations!

[Brina]

Here’s mine: The Ministry of Special Cases by Nathan Englander. School aka work is out mid June I can finally read again.

[Cheryl]

This one is my Temple book club read for April and which I can’t seem to get to this month, so I’ll share it with you instead. It sounds fascinating.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...

[Lior]

I nominate The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem ! It will be turned into a TV-serie pretty soon so it's the right time to read it :)

[Jan]

Thanks for the nominations, everybody.
I'm having an internet problem so will wait til later today on checking availability. Meanwhile, keep them coming. They will be taken in the order they came in.

[Mel]

Jan wrote: "We are looking for nominations of recent Jewish fiction from your to-read list (or stack).

We were thinking of "fun," "fascinating," or just "readable," until Stacey came up with the idea of going..."

I started reading Brina's suggestion, The Ministry of Special Cases and was blown away by his writing craft. I bought and hope to read it soon.

[Brina]

Good to know. My dad’s book club read earlier this year and he recommended to me. I have been working full time this year so I have a stack of books to read over summer vacation.

[Jan]

Brina wrote: "Here’s mine: The Ministry of Special Cases by Nathan Englander. School aka work is out mid June I can finally read again."

There are lots of used copies of The Ministry of Special Cases, plus probably in libraries as well. I did a fast check and didn't see it on our shelf. We read another one of his books last year, but that's okay.

So, The Ministry of Special Cases is Nomination No. 1.

Saw Mel's comment & take that as an affirmation. ☺️

[Jan]

Cheryl wrote: "This one is my Temple book club read for April and which I can’t seem to get to this month, so I’ll share it with you instead. It sounds fascinating.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4..."

A Bend in the Stars by Rachel Barenbaum: Amazon has used hardbacks in the $9 range and so does eBay; a little cheaper at AbeBooks (which Amazon owns, if I remember right!). And my library has copies!
Yay--another one in the WWI era--I just finished The Radetsky March, which had been on my to-read list a long time (but not recent by any stretch of the imagination. Maybe if we do translated lit sometime!)

A Bend in the Stars by Rachel Barenbaum is Nomination No. 2.

[Jan]

Lior wrote: "I nominate The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem ! It will be turned into a TV-serie pretty soon so it's the right time to read it :)"

Lior, sounds intriguing, but The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem by Sarit Yishai-Levi is Kindle-only. (Except I see a copy on sale on eBay for $42 -- in Hebrew) Not everybody likes ebooks, plus some of our members whose best day for reading is Shabbat don't read via Kindle on Shabbat. I checked the public library but not in there either.

Would you be willing to make another nomination instead?

[L.]

I'd like to nominate Rebel Daughter by Lori Banov Kaufmann. It's a beautiful read that I just couldn't put down. The history of Jews, Romans, and slavery in the ancient world is riveting.

[[deleted user]]

Orphan number 8 by kim van allkemade

[Hermien]

I would like to nominate Track Changes by Sayed Kashua.

[Jan]

L. wrote: "I'd like to nominate Rebel Daughter by Lori Banov Kaufmann. It's a beautiful read that I just couldn't put down. The history of Jews, Romans, and slavery in the ancient world is riveting."

Thank you, L. Sounds good!
Rebel Daughter is new so not so inexpensive, but is in libraries.

Nomination No. 3 is Rebel Daughter by Lori Banov-Kaufmann.

[Jan]

Aurora wrote: "Orphan number 8 by kim van allkemade

"

And we have Nomination No. 4. Orphan Number Eight by Kim van Alkemade. Thank you, Aurora

[Jan]

Hermien wrote: "I would like to nominate Track Changes by Sayed Kashua."

Thanks, Hermien.
Fairly new, and not in the local library system; did find used copies from AbeBooks.
No. 6 is Track Changes by Sayed Kashua

[Jan]

Will hold open for one more if there's one more out there!
Lior, did you come up with another nomination?

Very intriguing nominations. The majority are new to me (although probably not to Stacey 😊).

[debra]

Great! rebel daughter; bend in the stars and the beauty queen of jerusalem are ALL on my to-read list!! looking forward!

[Jan]

debra wrote: "Great! rebel daughter; bend in the stars and the beauty queen of jerusalem are ALL on my to-read list!! looking forward!"

Debra, yes: no matter which one wins, we get all these ideas for what to read! 😍

[Jan]

Poll time! Going to set up the poll to begin at midnight tonight.

[Jan]

I miscounted. Does anybody want to make another nomination (or two)?

The Ministry of Special Cases by Nathan Englander
A Bend in the Stars by Rachel Barenbaum
Rebel Daughter by Lori Banov Kaufman
Orphan Number Eight by Kim van Alkemade
Track Changes by Sayed Kashua

[Jan]

One more day to go on the poll!

[Daniel]

The slaughter Man’s daughter by Yaniv Iczkovits

[Jan]

Daniel -- nominations are done. Please jump in next time!