making progress

On occasion I try to make a dent in the pile of books that I own but have not yet read. This week there were two. Some may call them lighter fare, but one can’t always read scholarly treatises on Book Making or lives of university women in Eastern Europe in the early twentieth century.

I’m still struggling with this whole adult onset allergies thing and spend many an afternoon asleep (and the nights trying to fall asleep). Anyway, hopefully this week I’ll figure out a better balance and write proper reviews. I am nearing the end of some more items so who knows what will be finished by then.

Hominids
by Robert J. Sawyer

Rashi’s Daughters, Book III: Rachel: A Novel of Love and the Talmud in Medieval France
by Maggie Anton

I’ve waited a long time for this book and it did not disappoint. In this book I see the growth of Anton as an author and scholar of Jewish history. Her learning of Judaism (halachah and minhag) has grown throughout the three books and she does not diminish an observant viewpoint. I feel the entire “trilogy” of Rashi’s Daughters, is important for Jewish women today whether they are observant, modern, or whatever (I hate labels). I thank the author for not diminishing or marginalizing taharat hamishpacha. I look forward to her future writings and hope that her writings indeed spark others to question, to learn, and to grow.

• Category: books