Episodes
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Elizabeth Barnhill is the book buyer for Fabled Bookshop in Waco, Texas.
In this episode, we chat about how Elizabeth landed her dream job, how she handpicks books for costumers all over the country, her favorite book recommendations and much more.
Here are a few of Elizabeth's favorite books:
Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum
These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant
Bully Market by Jamie Fiore Higgins
Go As A River by Shelley Read
To connect with Elizabth you can reach out to her a @wacoreads
To purchase books or request a Face Time appointment to shop the shelves, you can reach out to @fabledbookshop
Click here to join the Boss Maidel Bookclub and get Elizabeth's summer picks.
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In this episode, we chat about Rachel's new book Atomic Anna.
From the critically acclaimed author of A Bend in the Stars, an epic adventure as three generations of women work together and travel through time to prevent the Chernobyl disaster and right the wrongs of their past.
In 1986, nuclear scientist Anna Berkova is asleep in her bed in the Soviet Union when Chernobyls reactor melts down. The energy surge accidentally sends her through time. When she wakes up, shes in 1992 and discovers Molly, her estranged daughter, shot in the chest. Should Anna travel in time to save her daughter or stop Chernobyl?
Anna goes to 60s Philadelphia, where Molly is coming of age as an adopted refusenik in a family full of secrets. Molly finds solace in comic books, drawing her own series, Atomic Anna. But when she meets volatile Viktor, their romance sets her life on a dangerous course. Anna then seeks out Mollys daughter, Raisa, in the 80s. Raisa is a lonely teen and math prodigy, who finds new issues of Atomic Anna in unexpected places. Each comic challenges her to solve equations leading to two impossible conclusions Time travel is real and so is the strange old woman claiming to be her grandmother.
These three remarkable women must work together across time to prevent the greatest nuclear disaster of the twentieth century, but simply because you can change the past, does it mean you should?
You can follow Rachel at www.rachelbarenbaum.com
You can listen to her podcast Check This Out with Rachel Barenbaum here.
To join the Boss Maidel Booklcub for $5.99 per month click here.
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LAUREN FOX, who earned her M.F.A. from the University of Minnesota, is the author of the novels Days of Awe, Still Life with Husband, and Friends Like Us. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including The New York Times, Marie Claire, Parenting, Psychology Today, The Rumpus, and Salon. She lives in Milwaukee with her husband and two daughters.
In this episode, we talk about Lauren's book Send for Me.
Annelise is a dreamer: imagining her future while working at her parents' popular bakery in Feldenheim, Germany, anticipating all the delicious possibilities yet to come. There are rumors that anti-Jewish sentiment is on the rise, but Annelise and her parents can't quite believe that it will affect them; they're hardly religious at all. But as Annelise falls in love, marries, and gives birth to her daughter, the dangers grow closer: a brick thrown through her window; a childhood friend who cuts ties with her; customers refusing to patronize the bakery. Luckily Annelise and her husband are given the chance to leave for America, but they must go without her parents, whose future and safety are uncertain.
Two generations later, in a small Midwestern city, Annelise's granddaughter, Clare, is a young woman newly in love. But when she stumbles upon a trove of her grandmother's letters from Germany, she sees the history of her family's sacrifices in a new light, and suddenly she's faced with an impossible choice: the past, or her future. A novel of dazzling emotional richness that is based on letters from Lauren Fox's own family, Send for Meis a major departure for this acclaimed author, an epic and intimate exploration of mothers and daughters, duty and obligation, hope and forgiveness.Send for me is a New York Times Best Seller and A Today Show #ReadWithJenna book club pick.
Books discussed in this episode:
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
Northern Spy by Flynn Berry
The Island Child by Molly Aitken
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Michal Oshman is Head of Company Culture, Diversity and Inclusion at TikTok Europe and formerly responsible for international leadership and team development at Facebook. Throughout her career, Michal has trained and coached hundreds of tech leaders. She has three university degrees in psychodynamic and systemic thinking, sociology and anthropology. Michal lives with her husband and their four children in London, UK.
As a mentor for leaders in top global companies, Michal created a unique personal growth methodology based on the life-changing principles of Jewish wisdom. It is easy to think that the daily challenges we experience in the 21st century are new and unlike any that people faced in the past. Michal draws on her own heritage and a wide range of Jewish teachings to offer practical advice for common concerns, such as a broken heart, parenting, overcoming setbacks and getting the most out of your career.
You can purchase Michal's book here.
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Elyssa Friedland is the author of four novels and a forthcoming picture book. She attended Yale University, where she served as managing editor of the Yale Daily News, and is a graduate of Columbia Law School. She worked as an associate at a major firm before turning to writing full-time. Elyssa currently teaches creative writing at Yale. Her work has been published in The Washington Post, McSweeney’s, LitHub, POPSUGAR, RealSimple.com, Bustle, Modern Bride, New York magazine, Columbia Journalism Review, CBS MarketWatch.com, Yale Alumni Magazine and more. Elyssa resides in New York City with her husband and three young children.
In this episode, we chat about Elyssa's latest book: Last Summer At The Golden Hotel. In its heyday, The Golden Hotel was the crown jewel of the hotter-than-hot Catskills vacation scene. For more than sixty years, the Goldman and Weingold families – best friends and business partners – have presided over this glamorous resort which served as a second home for well-heeled guests and celebrities. But the Catskills are not what they used to be – and neither is the relationship between the Goldmans and the Weingolds. As the facilities and management begin to fall apart, a tempting offer to sell forces the two families together again to make a heart-wrenching decision. Can they save their beloved Golden or is it too late?
You can follow Elyssa here.
You can purchase Elyssa's book here.
Click here to purchase tickets to my Zoom event with author Nadia Hashimi in conjunction with the Jewish Public Library.
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In this episode, I chat with Esty Perman who is a Chabad shlucha ( emissary) in Kansas. In addition to her numerous responsibilities as a preschool teacher, running various learning and community programs etc. Esty is a busy mom trying to juggle it all. She shares her experiences and thoughts on motherhood, spirituality, her journey with secondary infertility etc. on her Instagram account.
The quote I share in the beginning of the episode is from Wisdom to Heal the Earth: Meditations & Teachings of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson by Tzvi Freeman.
"Each journey the soul travels takes her higher.
Some Journeys are painful, but with purpose. The purpose overwhelms the pain and transforms it into joy.
Some journeys are painful, but with no purpose in sight.There is no medicine to wash away the pain.
There is no medicine, other than faith that ever journey the soul travels takes her higher. Some so much higher, she cannot even imagine their meaning. Until she arrives."
Books that were mentioned:
How To Do the Work by Dr. Nicole LePERA
60 Days: A Spiritual Guide to the High Holidays by Rabbi Simon Jacobson
What Would You Do If You Weren't Afraid? by Michal Oshman
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Beata Heuman: Every Room Should Sing
This is the episode where Rabbi Shais Taub talks about the concept of attaining a level where we thank G-d for the perceived bad a swell as the good in our lives.
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Ruth Druart has been working in international schools in Paris since 1993. Four years ago, she completed a masters in international education, exploring the topic of third culture children and their sense of belonging- a theme that runs through her novel. She has been writing for the last nineteen years in her spare time and runs a writing group in Paris. She has three sons with her French husband.
In this episode, we talk about Ruth's book While Paris Slept. Told from alternating perspectives and set in a dual timeline (during and post World War II), While Paris Slept tells the story of a young woman who is forced to make the hardest decision of her life during one of the darkest times in history. While Paris Slept is a tribute to the kindness, compassion and love that humans can achieve even under the direst of circumstances.
You can follow Ruth here.
You can connect with Ruth on Instagram here.
Purchase While Paris Slept here.
Ruth's recent favorite reads are:
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
This Must Be The Place by Maggie O'Farrell
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As soon as she learned of the discovery of the first-century tombstone that inspired Rebel Daughter, Lori Banov Kaufmann wanted to know more. She was so intrigued by the unlikely but true love story the stone revealed that she embarked on a more than ten-year quest with some of the world's leading scholars and archaeologists to bring the real characters to life as accurately as possible.
Before becoming a full-time writer, Lori was a strategy consultant for high-tech companies. She has an undergraduate degree from Princeton and a masters from Harvard. She lives in Israel with her husband and four adult children.
You can find Lori here.
You can follow Lori here .
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Alyssa Goldwater is a CEO, wife, mom and the Digital Influencer behind the lifestyle brand, A Glass of Goldwater (@alyssagoldwater). Merging motherhood with humor, A Glass of Goldwater has become a community and support network of over 50,000 women across the world. Alyssa has created a world where creativity is queen and a glass ceiling does not exist. In this episode, we chat about how Alyssa grew her brand and how it has evolved over time. We also talk about Alyssa's experience being a Type 1 diabetes mom. We both get candid about our experience with anxiety and Alyssa shares what has helped her manage it. Of course, we also talk about books and we have some great recommendations for you! You can follow Alyssa here. Check out this important post about Type 1 diabetes. Alyssa's reading recommendations are: Beach Read by Emily Henry The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah The Rose Code by Kate Quinn Dear Emmy Blue by Lia Louis Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens You can find all these books here.
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Asha Lemmie is the New York Times Bestselling Author of Fifty Words For Rain. After graduating from Boston College with a degree in English Literature and Creative Writing, she relocated to New York City where she worked in book publishing. Asha writes historical fiction that focuses on bringing unique perspectives to life. In normal times, she divides her time between New York, London, and Kyoto.
Fifty Words for Rain is Asha’s first novel. You can purchase it here.
In this episode, we talk about the inspiration and story behind Asha's best selling book Fifty Words for Rain. Asha started writing this book at the young age of sixteen years old! We chat about what drew her to write about Japan post WWII, how she has dealt with the huge success of the book ( Asha had a fear of public speaking) and why it's important to NOT choose a book by its Good Reads rating!
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This is a special episode, where I partner with Rucki from Blue Door Books to talk about some great summer reads. If there was a theme or subtitle for this episode it would be getting out of your comfort zone. This episode is sure to zhoosh up your reading life! We recommend some well know books as well as some hidden gems and we offer selections in numerous categories: mystery/thriller, historical fiction, self help etc.
All books mentioned in this episode can be purchased through Blue Door Books. Make sure to follow Blue Door Books on Instagram, you are not going to want to miss their new selections every Tuesday on Insta stories. Happy reading everyone!
Books mentioned in this episode:
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidge
Early Morning Riser by Katherine Heiny
A Question Mark is Half a Heart by Sofia Lundberg
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker
The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo
Bonus picks:
Haven Point by Virginia Hume
How To Do The Work by Dr. Nicole LePera
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Jenna Maio Esq. is a wife, mother, and freelance writer. She studied English and creative writing at Emory University and then completed a joint degree in law and environmental studies from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Over the years, she learned at Neve Yerushalayim and Midreshet Rachel V’Chaya in Jerusalem, where she deepened her Jewish learning. She recently published her first book, Princess Without A Crown: Returning to My Jewish Roots, which was a serial column in AmiLiving magazine and can now be bought on Amazon and in select Jewish bookstores. She also hosts the Modern Jewish Girl podcast, available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. She can be contacted through her website, www.modernjewishgirl.com.
In this episode, we talk about Jenna's remarkable story of reconnecting to her Jewish roots. Jenna also shares how she discovered her passion for writing using the Feldenkrais Method. In addition to her writing, Jenna shares various thoughts and ideas about living a Jewish life on her podcast Modern Jewish Girl.
Jenna's favorites:
Book: A Well Behaved Woman by Therese Anne Fowler
Easy Dinner: Anything in the Dinner Done cookbook by Between Carpools
City: Jerusalem
You can follow Jenna here.
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JENNY ASHCROFT is a British author of historical fiction books including Beneath a Burning Sky and Island in the East. Having spent many years living, working and exploring in Australia and Asia, she is now based in Brighton where she lives with her family by the sea. She has a degree from Oxford University in history, and has always been fascinated by the past—in particular the way that extraordinary events can transform the lives of normal people.
In this episode, we chat about Jenny's new book (and the #bmbookclub pick for May) Meet Me in Bombay. We talk about Jenny's love of historical fiction and how her travels have inspired her writing. We also get a sneak peek into what Jenny is currently working on!
You can find Jenny here.
Jenny's summer reading list:
The Last Daughter by Nicola Cornick
The Perfect Guests by Emma Rous
The Hidden Child by Louise Fein
The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough
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Yaffy Newman is a born South Floridian currently residing in Jerusalem with her Israeli husband. She is a proud Jew of color who shares about her lived experience in order to break down stigmas and build bridges of understanding. Yaffy is currently studying computer science, loves to read in her free time and is passionate about fashion.
In this episode, we talk about Yaffy's important work educating people (particularly the Orthodox Jewish community) on racism. One really important quote that we discuss is "nice does not equal not racist". It is imperative that we educate ourselves and step out of our comfort zones to really create internal change.
You can follow Yaffy here.
Yaffy's favorites:
Book: The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
City: NYC
Easy meal: Pasta
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Sarri Singer, born in Lakewood, New Jersey, is the daughter of New Jersey State Senator, Robert Singer. Until 9/11, Sarri worked a few blocks away from the World Trade Center. Deeply moved by the tragedy of 9/11, Sarri decided to resign from her position in December 2001 and move to Israel to help victims of terror. While there, Sarri volunteered with various organizations working with victims of terror.
On June 11, 2003, Sarri was on Bus 14 in Jerusalem when an 18-year-old Palestinian terrorist dressed as a religious Jew boarded and blew himself up. 17 people were killed, including all those seated and standing around her, and over 100 people were injured. Sarri was hospitalized for two weeks and then returned to New Jersey to be with family.
Her story became high profile. She appeared on television stations such as CBS, Fox News, CNN and radio interviews. She spoke before Congressmen and Senators in Washington, D.C. and politicians in New York and New Jersey. In September 2003 she returned to work and volunteering in Israel. In June 2004, she returned to the United States to take care of ongoing medical issues associated with her attack.
Sarri is the Founder and Director of Strength to Strength (www.stosglobal.org), which focuses on bringing together victims of terrorism together from around the world and assisting with long term psychological needs. Sarri has addressed audiences throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, South America, and Israel and continues to share her unique insight into the ongoing struggle for victims of terror in Israel and around the world.
You can follow Sarri here.
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Rachel Beanland writes essays and fiction and is the author of the debut novel, Florence Adler Swims Forever, which was released by Simon & Schuster (July 2020). The book was selected as the Barnes & Noble Book Club pick for July, and was named a Featured Debut by Amazon and an Indie Next pick by the American Booksellers Association. It was also named a New York Times Editors’ Choice and one of the best books of 2020 by USA Today.
Rachel’s essays have appeared in Lit Hub, Business Insider, Creative Nonfiction, and Broad Street, among other places. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and earned her MFA in creative writing from Virginia Commonwealth University. Rachel lives in Richmond, Virginia with her family.
In this episode, we chat about the story behind Florence Adler Swims Forever. Rachel decided to write the story as it was based on real life events that took place in her family. We also talk about Atlantic City in the 1930's and the extraordinary achievements of Gertrude Ederle, the first woman to swim the English Channel.
You can purchase Florence Adler Swims Forever here.
You can follow Rachel here.
Learn more about Martin Couney and his boardwalk incubators.
Rachel's current favorite reads are:
Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidge
Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
Half A Life by Darin Strauss
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Frumee Taubenfeld is an influencer, fashion blogger and social media personality who thrives on connecting with her followers by showcasing fashion styling and inspiration while doing carpool in between. She's built her following by showing her authentic self, letting people know that what you see is what you get. She lives in Lawrence, NY with her husband and three beautiful daughters.
In this episode, we talk about the delicate balance of showing up authentically on social media while maintaining privacy and boundaries. Frumee shares how her style has evolved and how the ever changing landscape of social media has influenced how she shows up and cultivates her tribe.
We also talk about her favorite books as Frumee is an avid reader.
Some of them include:
Untamed by Glennan Doyle
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
Good Morning Monster by Catherine Gildiner
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum
Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie
The Storyteller's Secret by Sejal Badani
The Push by Ashley Audrain
You can find Frumee here.
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Please note, we do talk about sensitive topics, this episode is not intended for little ears!
Dr. Bat Sheva Marcus is a certified sex therapist and the author of Sex Points: Reclaim Your Sex Life with the Revolutionary Point System. Dr. Marcus is the Clinical Director of Maze Women’s Sexual Health, the largest independent sexual health center in the country. Dr. Bat Sheva has a masters in public health, social work, Jewish studies and a phd in human sexuality. She co-hosts the popular podcast Joy of Text with Rabbi Dov Linzer.
Dr. Marcus has worked as the executive director of not-for-profit institutions and corporations, medical practices and laboratories. In addition to being featured in a NY Times article, she is a frequent guest on radio, podcasts and has lectured both nationally and overseas on a wide variety of women’s issues.
In this episode, we talk about Dr. Bat Sheva's new book Sex Points
Dr. Bat Sheva Marcus believes a healthy, robust, fulfilling sex life is a right for all women. And after twenty years as a sex therapist, Dr. Bat Sheva knows that there’s more to sex than lingerie and beach vacations. Sex Points is the first book that helps you identify and analyze for yourself what factors are affecting your sex life. Using Dr. Bat Sheva’s revolutionary Sex Points Assessment, you can pinpoint what’s keeping you from the great sex you deserve by looking at where you’re scoring low in four key areas: pain, arousal, libido, and orgasm. And then she’ll help you get points back in each of those areas!
You can purchase Sex Points here.
You can find Dr. Bat Sheva here.
Dr. Bat Sheva mentions this book in our interview.
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Dara Horn was born in New Jersey in 1977 and received her Ph.D. in comparative literature from Harvard University in 2006, studying Hebrew and Yiddish. In 2007 she was chosen by Granta magazine as one of 20 “Best Young American Novelists.” Her first novel, In the Image, published by W.W. Norton when she was 25, received a 2003 National Jewish Book Award, the 2002 Edward Lewis Wallant Award, and the 2003 Reform Judaism Fiction Prize. Her second novel, The World to Come, published by W.W. Norton in 2006, received the 2006 National Jewish Book Award for Fiction, the 2007 Harold U. Ribalow Prize, was selected as an Editors’ Choice in The New York Times Book Review and as one of the Best Books of 2006 by The San Francisco Chronicle, and has been translated into eleven languages. Her third novel, All Other Nights, published in 2009 by W.W. Norton, was selected as an Editors’ Choice in The New York Times Book Review and was one of Booklist’s 25 Best Books of the Decade. In 2012, her nonfiction e-book The Rescuer was published by Tablet magazine and became a Kindle bestseller. Her fourth novel, A Guide for the Perplexed, was published by W.W. Norton in September 2013, and was selected as one of Booklist‘s Best Books of 2013 and was longlisted for the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. She has taught courses in Jewish literature and Israeli history at Sarah Lawrence College and City University of New York, and was a Visiting Professor in Jewish Studies at Harvard, where she taught Yiddish and Hebrew literature. She has lectured at over two hundred universities and cultural institutions throughout North America, in Israel and in Australia. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and four children.
In this episode, we talk about Dara's book All Other Nights.
How is tonight different from all other nights? For Jacob Rappaport, a Jewish soldier in the Union Army, it is a question his commanders have answered for him: on Passover, 1862, he is sent to New Orleans to murder his own uncle, who is plotting to assassinate Lincoln. After this harrowing mission, Jacob is required to pursue another enemy agent - this time his job is not to murder the spy but to marry her.
All Other Nights brilliantly explores themes such as free will, regret, atonement, forgiveness and freedom. Based on historical facts, this book offers a rare glimpse into the Jewish population and the role they played in the Civil War.
You can learn more about Dara's work here.
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Zibby Owens is the creator and host of the award-winning podcast Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books. Zibby, named “NYC’s Most Powerful Book-fluencer” by New York Magazine’s Vulture, conducts warm, inquisitive conversations with authors, making her show a top literary podcast as selected by Oprah.com in 2019 and 2020. She also created the Moms Don’t Have Time to Lose Weight community and hosts the accompanying podcast. Zibby is a regular contributor to Good Morning America and has recommended books in the Washington Post, Real Simple and other outlets.She has also contributed to Parents, Marie Claire, Redbook, the New York Times online, and many other publications. Most recently, she released an anthology, Moms Don’t Have Time To: A Quarantine Anthology.
In this episode, we chat about Zibby's podcast and her new book Moms Don't Have Time To: A Quarantine Anthology. Filled with essays by over 60 authors the book is grouped into categories of moms don't have time to: read, work out, eat, have sex and breathe. This book will make you laugh, cry and feel ever so normal about whatever it is that you are attempting to do amidst the all consuming job of motherhood.
You can purchase the book here.
You can follow Zibby here.
You can listen to Zibby's podcasts here.
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