Jewish Genre Reading Challenge discussion

Use this thread to talk about your current and upcoming reading, where you're currently at with the challenge, and anything else book or reading related. You can discuss all your August reading here, not just books you are reading for the Jewish Genre Challenge.

August's "genre of the month" is Romance, in honor of Tu B’Av which is like Jewish Valentines Day and is coming up on August 18th. Have you ever read a Jewish romance? How was it?

Romance is by far the biggest category when it comes to Jewish genre fiction! You can find our booklist of Romance books featuring Jewish main characters here: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

(And a reminder that these lists are member created, so we can't guarantee a book you find there will have a Jewish main character and count towards your reading for the Jewish Genre Challenge.)

Here are the Jewish romances I've read in 2024:
Sadie on a Plate
Playing the Palace
Kissing Kosher
Unorthodox Love
Late Night Love
Marry Me by Midnight
Till There Was You
B'Nai Mitzvah Mistake
Flirty Little Secret
Wake Me Most Wickedly
You, Again
Funny You Should Ask
Cool for the Summer

So wow, yeah, that's actually a lot. I track my reading stats and I'm only at 30% romance for my total reading, but I've been doing tons of comfort-rereads of fantasy books on audiobook, so that may have heavily skewed the data. Since 10/7 I haven't had much of a stomach for speculative fiction, which is usually my main genre. So glad I also love romance which goes down a lot smoother right now!

And also, right on for the Jewish Genre Reading Challenge! Last year I informally challenged myself to read more Jewish books, and I read a total of six. But once I started putting together the database and book lists for the official JGC, I found tons of titles I wanted to read. So now I've read twice as many Jewish romances as I read total Jewish books last year, and it's only August. I like this trend!

I'm currently reading Lady Eve's Last Con and Climbing the Date Palm. Lady Eve is sci-fi and I like it but it's slow going for me. Climbing the Date Palm is fantasy and written in a charming, almost folktale style and I've been zooming through it.

I'll be celebrating romance in my personal life more than my reading this month - my husband and I have just had our first night away from the children since February 2020 to celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary! I'm not a big romance fan but did read Marry Me by Midnight for this challenge - which I liked more than any other romance book I've read, but which has not inspired me to fall in love with the genre. 😂

Which was your favorite of your Jewish romance reads?

I'm currently reading The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, and debating whether I think it can fall under Adventure (it is in the title, after all!) or whether I need to shelve it under Literary Fiction. How would you define an adventure novel?

I had Lady Eve's Last Con in my hands at the bookstore today and put it back - because I have so many books I'm partway through right now. But it's a decision I may have to revisit....

I love hearing everyone's Romance reads!

The Jewish romance books I have read this year so far have been:
Unorthodox Love
Time and Time Again (so darn gorgeous!)
and The Queen's Fool

Rebecca wrote: "I'll be celebrating romance in my personal life more than my reading this month - my husband and I have just had our first night away from the children since February 2020 to celebrate our tenth we..."

Happy 10th Anniversary!

I just finished The Golem and The Jinni. I liked it. Now I am on to the Yiddish Policemens Union.

I love hearing about all of your reading!

Heather, I'm glad you liked The Golem and the Jinni. I've heard great things about The Yiddish Policemen's Union, I hope you enjoy it!

Sophie, I didn't have The Queen's Fool in the database or the Historical Fiction list, so that's a great one to have to add.

Rebecca, I finished Lady Eve's Last Con, and I think it was good? It was really slow going for me, but I think my tired brain just can't handle anything but the most spoon-fed prose right now. It's written in a cool sort of neo-noir style in a sci-fi setting. The noir writing style isn't over the top or a caricature, but it's definitely present.

The Jewish romances I enjoyed the most were
Sadie on a Plate
Late Night Love
You, Again
Funny You Should Ask

I've just started Benji Zeb is a Ravenous Werewolf. It's a middle grade book with a Jewish werewolf sanctuary/kibbutz and a young werewolf with Bar Mitzvah prep anxiety. I'm excited about it! But I also am having a hard time with speculative fiction so I've read two other (not Jewish) romances in the time since I started Benji Zeb. I hope I can get in a flow with it.

The Golem and The Jinni was really good. I liked the characters. I just finished the Yiddish Policemens Union. I liked that one as well! I just added The Queens Fool to my list. I liked the Other Boylen Girl.

I finished Benji Zeb is a Ravenous Werewolf and thought it was great. Deke Moulton is a really skilled writer.

I also read Finn and Ezra's Bar Mitzvah Time Loop, another middle grade book. It was so good! It was the first speculative fiction I've read in 2024 that I didn't have to coax myself to read at any point.

I just finished Michelle Mars' novella, Embracing Irina. I had been curious about it but it's definitely not my cup of tea! If anyone is in the market for an erotic Sapphic love story between a Jewish bear shifter and an alien warrior, definitely check it out.

I've decided to try completing a reading challenge which is a Bingo-style card of 25 reading prompts, all have to be fulfilled by speculative fiction. I'm going for an all-Jewish themed card. I have until the end of March for that one, but I only have 8/25 so far, so I am motivated!

Heather Sloan wrote: "The Golem and The Jinni was really good. I liked the characters. I just finished the Yiddish Policemens Union. I liked that one as well! I just added The Queens Fool to my list. I liked the Other B..."

I enjoyed The Golem and The Jinni too Heather! Let me know what you think of The Queen's Fool, if/when you read it.

The Yiddish Policemen's Union is on my TBR - so glad to hear you enjoyed it. And The Other Boleyn Girl is on my TBR too.

chysodema wrote: "I finished Benji Zeb is a Ravenous Werewolf and thought it was great. Deke Moulton is a really skilled writer.

I also read Finn and Ezra's Bar Mitzvah Time Loop, a..."

I love the idea of a bingo card!