Jewish Novel recommendations

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amother

Fri, Nov 08 2019, 11:06 am

Hi,
I’m hoping for some good novel recommendations. I didn’t grow up frum an was really into reading. I haven’t started a frum novel where I could get past the first few chapters
I belong to a Jewish library so would love some guidance !
Criteria :
Well written
Not sensationalized / realistic
Prefer with a contemporary setting

Thank you!

sequoia

Fri, Nov 08 2019, 11:11 am

Sorry, they don’t exist.

[What makes a novel Jewish?...]

amother

Mistyrose

Fri, Nov 08 2019, 11:22 am

Are you looking for only Jewish book recommendations?

If you are interested in clean non Jewish, I can recommend the author Kate Morton. Her books are extremely well written and well designed. I found myself amazed by the quality of writing and complexity of the plot.
Her books are pretty clean. There might be a small s-xual reference but that’s it.

amother

Fri, Nov 08 2019, 11:30 am

Sorry, I’m looking for Jewish novels . I know plenty of nonJewish.

Thanks

qwerty4

Fri, Nov 08 2019, 11:38 am

My favorite authors are Riva Pomerantz, Etka Gittel Schwartz, M Bassara's Sun Inside Rain

amother

Apricot

Fri, Nov 08 2019, 11:40 am

Rachel Pomerantz's books - especially "A Time to Rend, a Time to Sow" and "Wildflower" - are masterpieces.

If you like the spiritual/reality genre, you may enjoy Meir Uri Gottesman, especially his incredible Morning Star.

PinkFridge

Fri, Nov 08 2019, 11:51 am

Segue in with Rochel King Feuerman - Seven Blessings and another book, I forgot what it's called. You won't find them in the frum libraries but you will in the public library.

Frum books/authors you'll find in your local library that/who are decent if not better reads:
Sun Inside Rain - M. Bassara
E.G. Reich - Shortchanged. Full Harves
Miriam Zakon - Freefall. The Cohens of Tzfat and Jerusalem Diaries are kids books but beautiful.
As is The Exiles of Crocodile Island by Henye Meyer.
And yes, Meir Uri Gottesman! His books are folkorish, e.g. The Morningstar, The Harp, The Chase, other.
Libi Astaire - Terra Incognita
Leah Gelber is a gripping writer. I'm looking forward to seeing Map the Starlight in bookform. Meanwhile, there's Chains.
Yitzchak Goldman (First Identity, The Other Side of the Farm, one more older book I can't remember) is a really engaging writer. (He also wrote Code 1 and Code 2 which are also fun reads but more Jewish thriller type.)

There are some beautiful biographies out there too, but I'll stop here.

esuss

Fri, Nov 08 2019, 12:51 pm

Miriam Luxembourg I forgot the titles but she wrote 2 books that are historical fiction I thought are excellent

PinkFridge

Sat, Nov 09 2019, 10:02 pm

esuss wrote:

Miriam Luxembourg I forgot the titles but she wrote 2 books that are historical fiction I thought are excellent

Victory Gardens and Field of Dreams? I was especially impressed with the latter.
And I should mention that there is a genre I didn't mention, I'll call it Jewish soap operas, like every Voice of Lakewood serial that I've read in book form.
Riva Pomerantz is really good at that kind of stuff.
There are a lot of very competent writers out there. And yes, some truly excellent, but maybe I shouldn't name names since some are on Imamother ;-D

But back to the list:
Other books I especially enjoyed include Yael Mermelstein's Second Chances. (Speaking of really good writers. There's also Batya Rudell and Dov Haller. His books are really good. I should mention I personally don't enjoy books that are one train wreck after another. I can't read some of the recent serials, as skillfully as they may be executed.)

Ruchel

Sun, Nov 10 2019, 5:02 am

If you do French, pm me.

Lizzie4

Sun, Nov 10 2019, 6:42 am

I recently read, "The Lamp of Darkness" and "The Key of Rain" by Mark Feuer and Dave Mason (Available on amazon) and was very impressed. Well written books!

mimom

Sun, Nov 10 2019, 7:41 am

There are many very well written historical fiction books by authors Avner Gold, Sarah Feldbrand, A. Shalom, Chanala Brownstein, and more. They read read like novels and are masterfully designed.

PinkFridge

Sun, Nov 10 2019, 8:03 am

mimom wrote:

There are many very well written historical fiction books by authors Avner Gold, Sarah Feldbrand, A. Shalom, Chanala Brownstein, and more. They read read like novels and are masterfully designed.

What has she written?

whewpy

Sun, Nov 10 2019, 8:04 am

Never heard of chanala Brownstein. Which book did she write?

Rubber Ducky

Sun, Nov 10 2019, 10:22 am

Final Judgement by Yisroel Mayer Merkin — legal thriller

Walled Secrets by Dina Neuman — Well-written, for older childen and young adults. Contemporary, set in the Old City.

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik — fantasy set in Medieval Lithuania. Not a frum book but has a frum protagonist, beautifully written by a well-known fantasy writer. I've read it 6 times, it's that good if you like this genre.

Rubber Ducky

Sun, Nov 10 2019, 10:28 am

Where There's a Will by Bracha Rosman — young adults

farmom

Sun, Nov 10 2019, 1:43 pm

whewpy wrote:

Never heard of chanala Brownstein. Which book did she write?

Maybe she meant Sorale Brownstein?

https://www.amazon.com/Gilded-.....97135

Beautiful book, well written and makes queen Esther come alive

mimom

Sun, Nov 10 2019, 2:30 pm

Yes, you're right, it's Sorale Brownstein.

mimom

Sun, Nov 10 2019, 2:34 pm

https://www.amazon.com/Musawi-.....r=8-1

Odelyah

Sun, Nov 10 2019, 2:41 pm

PinkFridge wrote:

Segue in with Rochel King Feuerman - Seven Blessings and another book, I forgot what it's called. You won't find them in the frum libraries but you will in the public library. .

Yes-- you mean Ruchama King (Feuerman). I was going to say this-- she is the best! Seven Blessings and In the Courtyard of the Kabbalist. She has received a lot of (secular) critical acclaim.

There is also Welcome to Heavenly Heights by Risa Miller -- it won a PEN Discovery Award. It was good but ultimately heavier and a bit depressing compared to Ruchama's books and short stories, which I find uplifting. But if you like magical realism, and don't mind sadder themes, you might enjoy Heavenly Heights a lot.

Another outstanding Jewish writer is Sudy Rosengarten.

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