Wow! It's that time of year when we review the previous months and the books that have made an impact. Whether they have provided food for thought or good advice for the coming year, our list, much like our library, contains a variety of genres and subjects and fall into three categories: self improvement, enlightenment, and enjoyment.
SELF-IMPROVEMENT
Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones by James Clear.
The perfect book to read before Rosh Hashanah, when many Jews resolves to do things better or differently in the coming year. It reminded me of one of the classic Jewish books on character development, and Clear's advice is straightforward and easy to implement.
Body & Soul: The Torah Path to Health, Fitness and a Holy Life by Rabbi Alexander Seinfeld & Dr Daniel Grove, MD.
We pray for health and healing, and this book is an interesting combination of Torah sources, suggestions and information to put you on the path to more meaningful living. With advice from rabbis and scholars and a medical advisory board, the book begins with a list of Torah luminaries and what they did to promote health and wellness, including diet and exercise. The authors assert that you are doing twenty mitzvot at the same time when you are exercising, and suggest ways to meet the challenge of staying healthy while partaking in lavish holiday meals, particularly in the month of Tishrei. There are "quiz questions" between the chapters, a food calorie guide, extensive endnotes, and a detailed index.
ENLIGHTENMENT
This book could also have been titled "Can the Whole World Be Crazy?" Amazing and meticulously researched. I learned so much about the mainstream news media and so many terms that pinpoint the zeitgeist of the 21st century: moral schadenfreude, Y2K Mind, oikophobia. Enlightening and at times funny, it is also a warning. I particularly like the "Astoundingly Stupid Statements Discussed in This Chapter" at the end of several chapters because of their irony.
ENJOYMENT
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Loved, loved, loved this book. It reaffirmed the joy of reading. Amazing, complex characters, strong sense of time in the 1960s and the challenges for women to be taken seriously, respected and appreciated. So much interesting information about chemistry and rowing. Although there was tragedy and sadness, there was also humor and lots of love -- the kind you build with the family you choose.
Packing My Library: An Elegy and Ten Digressions by Alberto Manguel
It's always nice to discover a kindred spirit, especially when it comes to books and reading and what a treasure it is to enjoy both. I loved reading about Borges, about Kabbalah, and about the joys of a physical book. It also reminded me of my boxes in storage, which, in the coming year, I hope to unpack.
With the high heat in Israel, the Real Cats have spent a lot of time sleeping in the shade, so, instead, with the New Year, Life Is Like a Library brings you the Beauty of Israel:
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| The Judean Hills near Beit El |
May you be inscribed for a good year!
Happy Reading!
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