October reads
I had such a busy month that I’m surprised I got to read this much! Although to be honest, I read most of them earlier in the month and took a break in last couple weeks.
Also with the 1 year anniversary of October 7th, I focused on Jewish authors (with the exception of Nicholas Sparks). Looking forward to more downtime in November and read more before the holidays craziness begin!
HIGHLY RECOMMEND
You never can go wrong with Nicholas Sparks. Having read all of his books, I’m amazed how he continues to write even more great books! Counting Miracles was a beautiful read about family connections, figuring out where one belongs, and romance. Nicholas Sparks has the ability to make you care about the characters and feel the bond. While the story focused on Tanner and Kaitlyn, I adored Jasper and Arlo! Such a good read that I binge-read in two days. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
FAVORITE
I was introduced to this author when I read THE MATCHMAKER’S GIFT. I was thrilled to get my hands on the ARC of this newly published book. I absolutely adored this book, Lynda Cohen Loigman has me under her spell! This was a beautiful written Jewish historical fiction about Augusta Stern, a pharmacist who grew up in her father’s old pharmacy. Unfortunately after her mother’s passing, her great-aunt Esther moves in to help the family. Esther is unconventional when it comes to remedies and mixing elixirs. Augusta learned a lot from her great aunt and made a huge mistake that she still struggled with 60 years later. She finally confronted her feelings and found the answers she needed. It was a VERY heartwarming story, it tugged at my heart! I loved the strong theme of family in this book. I will devour anything Lynda writes! Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND
In this book, we meet Zohara who is 30-something living in NYC. She returns back to Israel when her mother passed away. She goes through a self-journey of finding her happiness and where she belongs. The book has dual timeline taking place in 1995 (with Zohara) and in 1950 when we get a glimpse of Zohara’s mom who just immigrated to Israel from Yemen. She lived in an immigrant camp and fell in love with another man that wasn’t her husband. This is a BEAUTIFUL read about mothers and daughters. The writing is so lyrical. I can’t believe this is a debut!
DNF
Just couldn’t get into it.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND
A Jewish rom-com featuring a HOH (hard of hearing) person… count me in! We meet Leo, who is HOH and wants to take over his father’s antiques business. We also are introduced to his neighbor, Andie who is a preschool teacher looking for a new job because her program had been cut. They decide to spend eight nights of Hanukkah together. Now Andie isn’t sure if she wants to move to Ohio for her new job and has to decide if she wants to stay in Boston. I don’t know if I’ve requested an ARC (advanced reader copy) as fast as I did for EIGHT NIGHTS TO WIN HER HEART. Three things that spoke to me: deaf/hoh rep, jewish rep, and New England setting. This was the book I needed! It is cozy, fun and heartwarming read. Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
DNF
Unfortunately I couldn’t get interested in the family drama!
NO RATING
One of the hardest book I’ve ever read. I kept having to put down this book and progress what I just read. This is a collection of 100 stories about people living in Israel and what happened to them on 10/7/2023. While reading, it’s like you get to know them and feel like they’re a family member. Maybe that’s just me, being involved in the Jewish community. Regardless, this is a must read if you can emotionally handle it.
How are the books rated:
Favorite — LOVED the book / Couldn’t put it down!
Highly Recommend — Great book / Enjoyed.
Liked — Good book / Liked it while reading, but will not remember.
DNF — Did Not Finish / Do not recommend.
No Rating — I do not give ratings on sensitive subject/memoirs.