Nice Jewish Books

In this episode of Nice Jewish Books… Sheryl Stahl sits down with author Katherine Villyard to discuss Immortal Gifts, a historical fantasy starring Abraham, a Jewish vampire trying to balance immortal life, Jewish identity, and his love for his mortal wife, Destiny. But peace is hard to come by—Abraham is relentlessly hunted by Thomas, a radical Christian vampire, and must rely on his loyal friend and patron Ludwig to help him stay one step ahead with new identities and safe passage. Abraham and Destiny also have to deal with the humorous—and not-so-humorous—complications that arise when Abraham turns one of the terminally ill family cats into a vampire. ✨ A blend of history, fantasy, danger, and heart—don't miss this conversation! Follow along with the transcript. Check out Katherine's website (which includes her kick-start campaign) Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Thanks to: The Association of Jewish Libraries Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home) Donate to support the podcast If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.  

Geller has hit rock bottom — homeless, addicted, and haunted by the horrors of war. His only goal is to forget. But when he rescues a dog from another addict, something shifts. After a brutal accident, a stranger named Doris steps in — and suddenly, there's a spark of hope. Can a dog... and a kind stranger... help Geller find a life worth living? Join me for a powerful conversation with author Yishay "Ishy" Ron about his gripping novel Dog. We dive into the realities of PTSD, the struggle to seek help, and the unexpected paths to healing.   Follow along with the transcript. Check out Ishi's website and his publisher Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Thanks to: The Association of Jewish Libraries Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home) Donate to support the podcast If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.            

Louise isn't juggling balls or flames — she's juggling life: the emotional weight of being a daughter, a mother, a wife… and someone facing a terminal diagnosis. In her latest novel, Unfinished Acts of Wild Creation, author Sarah Yahm introduces us to a woman navigating the tangled mess of grief, love, honesty and humor. Join us for a deeply moving (and surprisingly funny) conversation about Louise, her snarky daughter, her desperate-to-hold-it-all-together husband Leon, and the beauty found in unfinished things. We also share some personal stories along the way. 🎧 Listen now at jewishlibraries.org/nicejewishbooks 📚 Because sometimes the most Jewish thing you can do is tell a really good story. Follow along with the transcript and check out Sarah's website and her book club guide. Assist Sarah's call in her Tikun Olam efforts by supporting Rabbis for Ceasefire or Jews for Food Aid for People in Gaza. Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Thanks to: The Association of Jewish Libraries Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home) Donate to support the podcast If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.  

When Allison Epstein first saw the musical Oliver!, one character stood out—Fagin. He was the only Jewish character she'd ever seen on stage. But when she later read Dickens' Oliver Twist, her excitement turned to dismay. The Fagin in the novel was a far cry from what she'd hoped: he was a cruel caricature with no backstory, no first name, and no humanity. So, Allison did what writers do best—she rewrote the story. In her novel Fagin the Thief, Allison breathes life into the man Dickens left in the shadows, giving him depth, history, and a voice of his own. Join me on Nice Jewish Books for a thought-provoking conversation with Allison Epstein, as we explore the origins of this reimagined character, the importance of representation, and the joy of reclaiming stories that were never fully told.  Follow along with the transcript and check out Allison's website. Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Thanks to: The Association of Jewish Libraries Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home) Donate to support the podcast If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.  

In March, Rena Citrin, chair of the Association of Jewish Libraries fiction award, told me (not quite in these words) to get my tush in gear and read Joan Leegant's excellent short story collection, Displaced Persons. It took two months for it to percolate to the top of my "to be read" pile but I'm thrilled that it did. Her stories are full of relatable people, situations, and humor, not to mention delicious sentences.  Follow along with the transcript. Check out Joan's website and her Tikun Olam inspiration Pesia's Kitchen Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Thanks to: The Association of Jewish Libraries Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home) Donate to support the podcast If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.  

It's Passover! Time to slurp the soup, crunch the matzah, and make jokes about Moses never stopping to ask directions in the desert. It's also a great time to speak with Maggie Anton about her latest book, the Midwives' Escape. Through the eyes of the Egyptian midwives, we see what life was like for the Israelites as they learned to transition from a people enslaved to a self-supporting community.  Follow along with the transcript. Check out Maggie's website. Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Thanks to: The Association of Jewish Libraries Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home) Donate to support the podcast If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.  

Every year, the Association of Jewish Libraries Fiction Award committee scours the book world for books with significant Jewish content. They look for extra-ordinary writing, accurate depictions of Jewish life in all its diversity, and contributions to the field of Jewish literature. This month I am excited to speak with Rena Citrin about the lastest winners of this award. See the 2025 press release. Winner: Songs for the Brokenhearted by Ayelet Tsabari (Random House, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC) Honor: The Hebrew Teacher by Maya Arad, translated by Jessica Cohen (New Vessel Press) Honor: Displaced Persons: Stories by Joan Leegant (New American Press) Honor: Rules for Ghosting by Shelly Jay Shore (Dell, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC) Follow along with the transcript. Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Thanks to: The Association of Jewish Libraries Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home) Donate to support the podcast If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.  

After her town is carpeted with antisemitic leaflets, ceramic artist Faye finds refuge in her studio and before she knows it, her hands have created the figure of a man. She enscribes all her wishes into the clay and buries it under her rose bushes. The next day she runs into a handsome stranger, knocking him unconscious and giving him amnesia. As she gets to know him, he seems more and more like the man of her dreams. But is he just too good to be true? Or could he be a golem that she created and who just might become dangerous?  Find Jean on her website. Follow along with the transcript. Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Thanks to: The Association of Jewish Libraries Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home) Donate to support the podcast If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.  

Sharon is surrounded by secrets. It is 1968 and she has been recruited to clandestinely bring Israel sailors, soldiers, and engineers to the French port of Cherbourg. She needs to help support them until the last 5 ships which were promised to Israel were fully constructed. Since France has instituted an embargo against Israel, the men would have to smuggle to ships out for the Israeli Navy. On a smaller scale, she learned that her supervisor Daniel had been taken out of Israel as a young child as part of the youth aliyah program. Although Daniel only had thoughts of Israel's future, Sharon became obsessed with learning about his past. The information Sharon discovers could have major consequences on Daniel's life. Join me for a conversation with Talia Carner about her latest book,  The Boy with the Star Tattoo. Learn more about Talia on her website. Follow along with the transcript. Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Thanks to: The Association of Jewish Libraries Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home) Donate to support the podcast If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.  

Genevra Ex is a best-selling mystery author with a major quirk. Instead of inventing new characters, she hires a real-life person to be the main character of her book. The latest hire is a young woman named Rory. After an intensive three months of interviewing, Genevra gifts Rory with a ticket on the newly refurbish Orient Express. After boarding the train, Rory is shocked to find her brother Max, her best friend Caroline, and her ex-fiance Nate. She also finds a manuscript of Genevra's latest novel and a letter with secrets that rock Rory's life. although the trip takes them through gorgeous Italian country-side, tension among the passengers magnifies until it explodes into murder. Follow along with the transcript. Connect with Jaclyn through her website. Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Thanks to: The Association of Jewish Libraries Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home) Donate to support the podcast If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.  

Heidi Rabinowitz and I both saw a cartoon from the New Yorker in which one spouse was trying to move a pile of tottering books off the other spouses night-stand. The other spouse yelled in alarm (something like) "don't move those - they are my emotional support books!" We were inspired to ask our fellow attendees at the 2024 Association of Jewish Libraries conference to speak about their emotional support books! Follow along with the transcript.   Enter the drawing for your own personal emotional support book bag! Share a review on social media (such as Facebook or Instagram) or post a review on your podcast platform (such as  Apple podcasts, Spotify,  Amazon, etc.) Take a screen shot of the review and email it to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com by Oct. 24 2024 (the ultimate Jewish reading holiday, Simchat Torah) If you can't wait for the drawing or you want to buy one for your friends and family you can get one (or many) at our Zazzle shop.   OUR EMOTIONAL SUPPORT BOOKS Sheryl Stahl: He, She, and It by Marge Piercy Heidi Rabinowitz: When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb Heidi Rabinowitz: Joyful Song: A Naming Story by Lesléa Newman  Dara Henry: On All Other Nights: A Passover Celebration in 14 Stories ed. by Chris Baron, Joshua Levy, and Naomi Milliner A.R. Vishny: Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik  David Schlitt: Teitelbaum's Window by Wallace Markfield  Sally Weiner Grotta: Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl  Sally Weiner Grotta: The Golden Dreidel by Ellen Kushner  Lies Meerboom: The Promise by Chaim Potok  Aden Polydoros: A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft  Rifka Yerushalmi: What a Beautiful Morning by Arthur A. Levine Sidura Ludwig: Starry Sally J. Freedman as Herself by Judy Blume  Elysa Keshen: All Rivers Run to the Sea by Elie Wiesel  Susan Dubin: Sisters at Sinai by Jill Hammer and other books about women in the Bible Richard Ho: Happy Hanukkah, Curious George by H.A. Rey  Shoshana Traum: The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King  Shoshana Traum: Jewish Futures: Stories from the World's Oldest Diaspora by Michael A. Burstein  Henry Woodall: Maimonides' Commentary on the Mishnah  Dina Herbert: The Baby-Sitters Club by Ann. M. Martin  Olga Potap: the works of Sholem Aleichem  Daniel Scheide: the works of William Morris  Jane Rothstein: All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor  Sally Stieglitz: Sandwich by Catherine Newman  Michal Babay: the works of Harlan Coban  Xandra O'Neill: Golemcrafters by Emi Watanabe Cohen  Bette Stahl: Jewish Cookbooks David Stahl: A Torah Commentary for Our Times by Harvey J. Fields Thanks to: The Association of Jewish Libraries Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home) Donate to support the podcast If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

Whether you play the lottery or not, I think that all of us dream about what we would do if we won a major jackpot. This is what happened to three out of the four Jacobson siblings. Matthew, Laura, Sophie, and Noah were gathered to pack up the family summer house on Long Beach Island, when Noah announced he was going out and would be buying a lottery ticket. Laura and Sophie jumped to go in on the tickets, while Matthew flatly refused. They were all completely shocked to find that one of their tickets was a winner. The three winning siblings quickly set about spending the money. They found that becoming overnight millionaires brought more complications into their lives than they possibly could have projected. Join me for a conversation with Ellyssa Friedland about her latest work, Jackpot Summer. Follow along with the transcript. Check out her website. Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Thanks to: The Association of Jewish Libraries Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home) Donate to support the podcast   If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.  

Eve is only looking for some shelter from the rain, but what she finds will change her work, her heart, and her life. In a small cave in the Scottish highlands, Eve finds a journal written in as a series of letters from a woman named Shira to her lover Benjamin. Eve realized that the letters contain secrets about the family of her new love Mac. What secrets are revealed and can Eve and Mac's love survive? Join me for a conversation with Lynne Golodner about her latest book, Cave of Secrets.  Find the author at her website, her substack, and her social media Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn Follow along with the transcript. Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Thanks to: The Association of Jewish Libraries Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home) Donate to support the podcast If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.  

Often we just want to connect with all the people around us and fix any problems we see. In the Hebrew Teacher, a collection of three novellas, people attempt to do this in very different situations. But sometimes, other people see the problem from a different perspective, or the problem is not what it seems. And to connect with someone else, they need to want to connect back with you. Join me for a conversation with Maya Arad about navigating life, jobs, and family.  Follow along with the transcript. Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Thanks to: The Association of Jewish Libraries Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home) Donate to support the podcast   If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.  

. Annamae lives in New York with her brother and linguist mother. She yearns for connection and feels that someone will show up to take her away to where she is supposed to be. In the meantime, she pours her thoughts and dreams into her diary. Ani lives on a homestead which is a safe place for misfits and homeless. One day, the Captain, one of the long time residents, hears a call and just walks away to follow it. When Ani realizes that he forgot his treasured journal, she attempts to follow him to him to return it. Each girl is growing into her identity and finding her place in her family, community, and world. Join me for a conversation with Leah Hager Cohen about her book (or books!) To and Fro. Follow along with the transcript and check out her website. Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Thanks to: The Association of Jewish Libraries Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home) Donate to support the podcast If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.  

Every year the Research, Archive, and Special libraries division of the Association of Jewish Libraries (otherwise known as RAS) gives awards for excellence in Reference and in Bibliography. Since these are obviously not fiction, they wouldn't ordinarily be a candidate for this podcast. But I got an opportunity to share the interview with last year's bibliography winner that I found too delicious to pass up. The bibliography award focuses on books written about other books. In the case, the winner Adras Koerner won for this work Early Jewish Cookbooks: Essay on Hungarian Jewish Gastronomical History.  Join me at Nice Jewish books to listen to RAS vice president Eitan Kensky and author Andras Koerner discuss Jewish food, cookbooks and culture. Follow along with the transcript. Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Thanks to: The Association of Jewish Libraries Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home) Donate to support the podcast   If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.  

During the Holocaust, desperate Jewish parents placed their children with Christian families and in convents in the hope that the children would survive the war.  After the war, Jewish organizations went to reclaim these children to be raised in the Jewish community. But how did the children deal with yet another displacement.  Join me for a conversation with Jennifer Rosner. Follow along with the transcript. Find out more on the author's website Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Thanks to: The Association of Jewish Libraries Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home) Donate to support the podcast   If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.  

We start in a familiar place, in contemporary Chicago, where Jennifer, a museum curator, is asked to go to Belarus to create a living installation of Jewish life there before the Holocaust. She invites a distant cousin to participate, and she brings with her an old Yiddish literary magazine to use as a prop in the installment. In each chapter we move backward in time. As the settings become less familiar to us, we see the cousin relationships getting closer and see that there is a poem in the journal that is directed at three brothers in the family. The triplets had been separated at a young age. To find out why, and what the poem has to do with it, we must travel back further in time. Join me on this journey of Our Little Histories by Janice Weizman Check out her Jewish fiction website which focuses on literature from small presses. Follow along with the transcript. Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Thanks to: The Association of Jewish Libraries Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home) Donate to support the podcast   If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.  

Adam is a twelve year old boy preparing for his bar mitzvah in Flushing New York in the early 1970. In many ways, he is a typical kid, trying to fit in at school, but also trying to find himself and find ways to stand out. But his year is off to a difficult start when his parents decide to move the family to a different neighborhood and at the same time his best friend decides to ghost him. Can Adam make new friends, find his people, and survive his bar mitzvah? Join me for a conversation with author Don Futterman about Adam Unrehearsed. Find the author's website and podcast. Don supports the residents and rebuilding of Kfar Azza and the Israel Center for Educational Innovation. Follow along with the transcript. Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Thanks to: The Association of Jewish Libraries Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home) Donate to support the podcast   If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.  

While the body of Yiddish literature is vast, many people still think of Tevye the milkman, trudging along with his lame horse and arguing with God. But the many new translations of Yiddish fiction show the breadth and depth of the settings, characters, and topics covered as well as the many different voices of the authors.  This past fall, Nice Jewish Books in conjunction with AJL presents, gathered three amazing scholars to speak about the past, present, and future of Yiddish literature and especially Yiddish literature in translation. Yermiyahu Ahron Taub, poet, writer, and translater; translator Mindy Liberman, and Ellen Cassedy, a translator, author and activist, discussed the resurgence of interest in Yiddish literature and their own particular projects. Follow along with the transcript. Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Links from the  chat: Yermiyahu's website : https://yataubdotnet.wordpress.com/bio/ Ellen's website: https://ellencassedy.com/translations... Mindy in geveb: https://ingeveb.org/people/mindy-libe... https://www.yiddishbookcenter.org/tra... https://yivo.org/Irena-Klepfisz Thanks to: The Association of Jewish Libraries Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home) Donate to support the podcast   If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.