Jewish Literature Challenge: 2010

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Jewish Literature Challenge 2010-2011

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NOTE: I am holding this challenge again because it's seems to be fairly popular but this will be a self run challenge. I won't be posting linkies for reviews or offering related posts or anything. The only thing I will be doing is approving comments for this blog and adding any new members who wish to post on this blog.

What: Reading books by Jewish Authors or about Judaism

When: December 1, 2010 (First Night of Hanukkah) to April 26, 2011 (End of Passover)

Who: Anyone who wants to participate! Bloggers or Non-Bloggers alike

Where: Right here of course! You can also post your picks and reviews to your own blog if you have one.

Levels

Read 1 book that fits the criteria
Read 3 books that fit the criteria.
Read 5+ books that fit the criteria.

How Do I Join?
Sign the comments on THIS post to join the challenge. If you have a blog, you can leave your url if you want. I will NOT be doing a participants list this time. If you don't have a blog just mention you are joining.

You still have the option of being a member of this blog. This allows you to post you reviews here which helps make a good directory of Jewish Literature. You don't have to have a blog to join this one but you do have to have a blogger profile. Get one free at http://www.blogger.com

If you want to be added to the blog, please include your email address. (put it like this to prevent spam: yourname AT yourdomain DOT com) in your comment.

Are you wondering more about what books are okay?
Fiction, Non-fiction, memoirs, Adult books, Teen books, Children's books, books about the Holocaust, books about anti-semitism, books about Jewish Life, Jewish Culture, Jewish Customs. Books by Jewish Authors no matter what the subject.

See side bar for links that might help or check out the archive to see what participants read in the past.

Anything else?

Books don't count if you read them before the start date so keep that in mind.

Monday, July 5, 2010

Nick and Norahs Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Nick and Norahs Infinite Playlist

Pages: 192
Pub Date: August 28, 2007
Author Website/Blog: http://www.davidlevithan.com/index.html http://www.rachelcohn.com/
Synopsis: It all starts when Nick asks Norah to be his girlfriend for five minutes. He only needs five minutes to avoid his ex-girlfriend, who's just walked in to his band's show. With a new guy. And then, with one kiss, Nick and Norah are off on an adventure set against the backdrop of New York City and smack in the middle of all the joy, anxiety, confusion, and excitement of a first date.

Just brilliant. As always the book is better then the movie. The movie made me tear off my nails and eat them it (figuratively) it was so painful. I dont think Ive ever been truly bored to tears. The book made up for it. The book always makes everything so much better. This book was slow at the beginning but the end made up for it. It really showed that things arent as they seem. Granted I gaged a bit when Norah talked about Tukan Olam which is a jewish idea that the world is broken and we need to put the pieces back together again. I really enjoyed that the story showed the true feelings of the characters. It wasnt some cheesy novel where all they wanted to do is fall in love. THis was a great well written story.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

You Are SO Not Invited To My Batmitvah by Fiona Rosenbloom

Pages: 208
Pub Date: August 29, 2005
Synopsis: Stacy Friedman is getting ready for one of the biggest events of her young life--her bat mitzvah! All she wants is the perfect BCBG dress to wear, her friends by her side, and her biggest crush ever, Andy Goldfarb, to dance with her (and maybe give Stacy her first French kiss .). But of course, things never work out quite the way you'd like them to.. Her stressed-out mother forces her to buy a hideous beaded sequined dress that she wouldn't be caught dead in. Her mitzvahs are not going at all well. And then the worst thing in the entire world happens--Stacy catches her best friend, Lydia, making out with Andy! And thus she utters the words that will wreak complete havoc on her social life ...You are so not invited to my bat mitzvah!

This book was just perfect. It reminded me of everything MY Batmitvah wasnt. I absolutely loved that. My Batmitvah was a small affair and no one really cared. Meanwhile with this oh its a Batmitvah so its like a stinkin wedding! And also only a few of my friends had one. In this book there was every single person she knew having one, EVEN if they werent jewish! In real life, sadly its not cool to have a Batmitvah. But in this book there were people throwing faux batmitvahs. Ridiculous! Right? This book also showed that you shouldnt freak about right or wrong with a batmtivah. Just enjoy it!

Saturday, June 12, 2010

The Devil's Arithmetic - Jane Yolen

When I began looking for books for the Jewish Literature Challenge, I thought immediately of Jane Yolen's The Devil's Arithmetic. It follows the story of a young Jewish girl named Hannah Stern. Hannah is tired of her Grandpa ranting about the Holocaust, and wishes she could spend Seder with her Gentile friends.

When her family asks her to symbolically open the door to invite the prophet Elijah in, she finds her self in the Poland of 1942. Everyone there thinks she's a young girl named Chaya, who survived the cholera that killed her family. She tries to explain to them that she's from a different time & place, but they think she's still feverish from her illness.

She slowly acclimates to her new surroundings, but during her uncle's wedding, the Nazis come to relocate the entire village to a concentration camp. Hannah tries to warn them of the dangers they face...starvation, gas chambers, hard work...but they don't believe her. After all, how would a young girl know of such things?

This book is a sobering look at just some of the realities of the Holocaust. It was the 1989 winner of the National Jewish Literature Award for children's literature. It's a very fast read, and its skillful writing pulls you into the story line immediately.

Friday, June 11, 2010

How's everybody doing?

Well how's everyone doing? Sorry to those I never sent invites to. I've now sent them. If you're read a book, please add your review here or email it to me and I'll add it. Remember we're trying to create a blog of review of Jewish books or books by Jewish authors.

Check in, tell me how you're doing. Have you read any books?

Tuesday, January 26, 2010