Needle in the Bookstacks

Welcome to the New (secular) Year and a new batch of Jewish book related blog entries; designed to keep you warm on these long winter nights.

At the Book of Life, Heidi Estrin offers an interview with author Linda Glaser and illustrator Adam Gustavson, creators of the picture book Hannah’s Way which won the 2013 Sydney Taylor Book Award in the Younger Readers Category.

On My Machberet, Erika Dreifus shares her year just past in Jewish books.

At Shilo Musings, Batya Medad, reviews two books. A Life Not with Standing, Inspirational Memoir by Chava Willig Levy. In her fantastic inspirational memoir, Chavi reveals more about herself than she usually allows people to know. Batya finds  The Soul of Chanukah: Teachings of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach to be good reading all year long. Reb Shlomo’s wonderful stories are always good for reading and telling others.

Diana Bletter explores the “new-old-new” anti-Semitism, a writer’s dilemma and other issues in an interview with Phyllis Chesler whose latest book is American Bride in Kabul. [http://thebestchapter.com/2013/12/26/phyllis-chesler-on-a-writers-dilemma-an-american-bride-in-kabul-and-the-new-anti-semitism/]

Lorri M. has reviewed The King of Schnorrers, by Israel Zangwill, and found the bantering to be quite comical.

Kathy Bloomfield of forwordsbooks.com talks about feet at her own website. While at InterfaithFamily.com where she also writes a column, she discusses what’s new in Tu B’Shevat books.

The Jewish Book Council announced the winners and finalists of the 2013 National Jewish Book Awards and also shared a Spring 2014 Jewish Book Preview.

Hadassah-Brandeis Institute celebrated the launches of three new books featuring Jewish and gender issues including The Best School in Jerusalem: Annie Landau’s School for Girls, 1900–1960, by Laura Schor, “Fertility and Jewish Law: Feminist Perspectives on Orthodox Responsa Literature,” by Ronit Irshai and “Marriage and Divorce in the Jewish State: Israel’s Civil War,” by Netty Gross-Horowitz and Susan Weiss.

Barbara Krasner at The Whole Megillah interviewed Neal Bascomb, author of The Nazi Hunters (Arthur Levine, 2013), which chronicles the capture and trial of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann. http://wp.me/pUBjo-v2

Barbara Bietz interviews Mark Lichtenfeld, author of Line Change over at Jewish Books for Kids

Once again, we’re happy to pass on some great links from the Jewish literary blogosphere.

At Rhapsody in Books, Jill Broderick travels back to 18th century Frankfurt to review the Origin of Sorrow by Robert Mayer

On My Machberet, Erika Dreifus interviews Racelle Rosett, author of Moving Waters, a new short-story collection featuring a community of Reform Jews in Los Angeles.

The Jewish Book Council offers a big batch of reviews of new children’s literature.

Matti Friedman at the ProsenPeople compares technologies on the Codex v. the Kindle.

“How Jewish is relativity?” Jonathan Kirsch, Book Editor of The Jewish Journal asks in his review of EINSTEIN’S JEWISH SCIENCE .

Ya-Ya and Yo-Yo are the brother/sister protagonists in Sliding Into the New Year by Dori Weinstein. Ann Koffsky reviews this frum-lit book at  http://annkoffsky.com/2012/08/09/ya-ya-and-yo-yo

Kathe Pinchuk dives in (with knitting needles ready) to the newest Hereville graphic novel by Barry Deutsch

Barbara Bietz interviews Monique Polak, author of What World is Left (Orca, 2008) http://barbarabbookblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/monique-pollack.html

At Jewaicious, Lorri gives a glimpse of Italy in her review of A Thread of Grace

Jewesses with Attitude features Moran Solomon, an amazing young Israeli athlete, who sang the Israeli national anthem when she realized that the competition sponsors forgot the get a CD with HaTikvah.

Sylvia Rouss waxes nostalgic about her time on Family Feud.

Three-in-One Notebook Special: The Whole Megillah speaks with author Linda Glaser, publisher Joni Sussman and illustrator Adam Gustavson about Hannah’s Way, published recently by Kar-Ben.

Shayna Galyan of Books and Beliefs reminds us of the importance of speaking up even (or especially) when we’re worried about being beaten down.

Bagels, Books, and Shmooze’s book club selection is older novel. Gay Courter’s Flowers in the Blood traces a Jewish family’s involvement in the opium trade in colonial India.

And here at Needle in the Bookstacks, we’ve had a busy month. In honor of Curiosity landing on Mars, I got curious about religion in science fiction. We are also very happy to welcome our first guest blogger; Maggie Anton, author of Rav Hisda’s daughter, describes how her research took a magical turn.

Check out some great winter reading at December’s Jewish Book Carnival. It is hosted this month at the Whole Megillah.