Instead of nominations for our book of January 2023

[Jan]

This month, due to your moderators being overextended + Thanksgiving, I'm going to skip nominations. Let's go back to biographies and vote on one from a list of five I'm going to give you.

Two months ago I noticed which biography won. So I've come up with five that are exciting to me. Maybe at least one of them will be exciting to you too.

I stuck to modern times again.

You'll get an email to let you know when the poll is up.

Here's the list, in alphabetic order by author, along with a little info on each book. P.S. I did notice they're all men. At least the bio on a woman won two months ago.

1. Herzl's Vision: Theodor Herzl and the Foundation of the Jewish State by Shlomo Avineri: available used in the $7 to $8 range and is in my public library so maybe yours too

2. The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World by Jonathan Freedland, who also is the playwright behind Jews. In Their Own Words, written in response to an antisemitic scandal in British theater. In looking him up I also discovered that he writes thrillers under the pen name Sam Bourne and that I had read one, maybe the first one. This is the most expensive one on the list since recently out in hardback, but likely to be in your library, albeit with a queue

3. Who by Fire: Leonard Cohen in the Sinai by Matti Friedman, author previously of Spies of No Country and others. When I looked it was showing as $13.59 new on Amazon, and not much benefit to order used once postage is added. Surprisingly, not in my library, although several others of his are. If not in your library, you could try asking them to get it. High ratings on Goodreads reviews.

4. Tom Stoppard: A Life by Hermione Lee; bio of the celebrated British playwright; also someone whose Jewish ancestry was long kept from him, a category that fascinates me. Out in paperback at $15.99 when I checked Amazon and also in the library. Lengthy with reference to his plays, yet fans find it wonderful

5. [book:Rebbe: The Life and Teachings of Menachem M. Schneerson, the Most Influential Rabbi in Modern History|18651997 by Joseph Telushkin; $10-$15 used and sadly not in my library

If either of the last two should win, will plan on two months to read, given their length.

This is not the poll; you'll get an email when the poll is ready to go.

We'll hopefully be back to taking nominations next month.

[Jan]

Trying again to see if the link to Rebbe will show up correctly:
Rebbe: The Life and Teachings of Menachem M. Schneerson, the Most Influential Rabbi in Modern History