Here’s a selection of books I’m reading right now.
Like most clergy I know and adore, I’m a big reader. I’m part of an annual reading competition called “The Book Off” and my nightstand seems to grow taller each day with new material. I may be a fall-asleep-as-she’s-reading kinda gal, but I do it with heart and purpose!
LAST SUMMER AT THE GOLDEN HOTEL
Elyssa friedland (Berkley, 2021)
Once upon a time my parents, born-and-bred New Yorkers, took my brother and me on one of our annual summer trips back east to visit family. It must have been in early elementary school, early 90s - I think I was eight or nine years old. And on this particular trip my parents decided to book a few nights at the Nevele Resort in the Catskills, giving us a small taste of their idyllic childhood summers nestled among the low mountains of upstate New York. Since that visit I’ve been fascinated by the Catskills - the culture, the history - and this particular book touches on all of it. It’s a story of two families who’ve co-owned the (fictional) Golden Hotel for decades navigating the decline of the Catskills, their relationships, the hotel itself, etc. One can only hope this one ends with a real-life Catskills Renaissance - in which case, sign me up! Many thanks to Dani Y for recommending!
Renegade Grief: An Guide to the Wild Ride of Life After Loss
Carla fernandez (Simon & Schuster, 2025)
This book is absolutely stunning, and I wish it existed 10+ years ago when my chevruta (study partner) and I were writing our rabbinic thesis on ritual innovation. I met Carla several years ago and was instantly captivated; among her many talents, Carla co-founded The Dinner Party, a thoughtful, dynamic, modern community for young grievers. This book is a gorgeous and meaningful expansion on exactly what The Dinner Party seeks to facilitate: pathways to access grief for every single one of us. We all must one day confront the pain of loss, and thank God we have folks like Carla helping us navigate that complex, bewildering reality.
Maybe You Should Talk To Someone
Lori Gottlieb (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019)
This book. I’m so in love with this book. It should be required reading for all humans, finding a home on every nightstand in the world. I was excited about “Maybe You Should Talk to Someone” long before it was released given my own activism around mental health and proclivity for talking about the wonders of therapy. I thought I would enjoy the book, appreciate it & recommend it to others. But the experience of reading it - actually diving headfirst into Lori’s story and the stories of her patients - was life-affirming. Lori is an incredible writer; the narrative unfolds in such a charming, intimate, heartbreaking & powerful way. It absolutely got me to think in a deeper, more intentional way about my own experience with therapy, my passion for mental health advocacy and the humbling, human experiences we endure. A must, must read.