2023 in Review: A kaleidoscope of memories
The final chapter of 2023 is coming to a close, leaving the last Acknowledgements and hopes for an Epilogue filled with brachah and yeshuah.
Reflecting on a year of reading, it’s more than just titles, characters, and plots. With one, I remember a late Friday night; with another, the backdrop of beautiful spring weather. There’s the memory of heated debate ignited by a hashkafa title, the third-day-of-Yom Tov stickiness that accompanied a new release, and the discomfort of the first novel after October 7. Before I know it, my book list becomes a kaleidoscope of memories, encapsulating place, time, and emotion.
A Year of The Frum Books Newsletter
New Releases: Pesach, Shavuos, August, Sukkos, Chanukah
Interviews with: Riva Pomerantz, Rachael Lavon, Yehudis Kormornick, Esty Heller, Nachman Seltzer, Adina Edelman, Rochel Burstyn, Rochel Istrin, Rivkah Lewis & Shanie Cooper, Esther Kurtz, Libby Lazewnik
Review Collections: Something is Happening: Mystery & Thriller, Relevance & Resonance: Teens, A Story of Friendship, A Shared Thought: Essays, Once Upon an Adventure: Middle-Grades, Patterns: Galus, A Storied Land, Tefillah, Ancient History
A Year of New Releases: Best of 2023
Thanks to all who shared their favorites! Few respondents read all books released this year, so the results below are not a judgment of “best release”, but a combination of “most read” and “most enjoyed”.
Biography and Memoir
#1: 90 Seconds, Nachman Seltzer
An everyday man set out to accomplish a goal: save 6 million lives. Failing at school, teenage Eli Beer threw himself into EMT work. But missed opportunities haunted him, culminating in the first grassroots emergency response organization in Israel. His passion and ambition for his people led him into astonishing encounters and relationships in the quest to secure funding, feasibility, or unity.
A tragic, inspiring, and timely sequel to 90 Seconds will be published later this winter, titled Angels in Orange. See Rabbi Seltzer’s reflections below.
Fiction
#1: Follow Me, by Esty Heller
A vibrant and easy story of travel, food, and connection that balances light reading with meaningful character development, thoughtful themes, and sophisticated plot. Deena’s family and friends are treating her with kid gloves since her husband’s death, but she hates being labeled and just wants to get lost in the exotic facade she’s crafted. Pessi’s ordinary, scheduled lifestyle is thrown off balance, and no beaches or jungles can keep her resentment from spilling over. Two women uncover the loneliness they’ve been avoiding and find new possibilities.
Esty Heller’s next book, Power Tools, will be out next Sukkos. See Esty’s reflections below.
#2: Return from Captivity, Rochel Istrin
Sequel to The Captives, Return from Captivity is a suspenseful and vivid adventure of a family scattered across pre-Civil War America. Dynamic and intriguing characters bring life and playfulness to the rugged Western setting. Following their dramatic escape from the clutches of the Cherokee tribe, three young braves struggle to move forward in a foreign world. As they toe the line between the past and future, only the nuances of connection can tear down the walls that threaten to hold them back.
The trilogy's final installment is nearing completion, and will hopefully be out for Pesach.
#3: The Trepid Trilogy: Homeward Bound and Forward March, A. Yarden
In the intriguing world of Pridge, a modern-day Jewish island stuck in the Middle Ages, an exiled prince returns home to save his kingdom and its mysterious weapon. A mediocre stable boy in the Pridgean army finds himself caught in politics and conspiracy. An American street kid is in the dark about his own origins. Great writing moves quickly between explosive (slightly violent) battle scenes, heart-stopping escapes, and pivotal decisions that will change the history of a nation.
In the second of the enthralling trilogy, Yechiel Trepid’s unit comes together and battles relentless evil. Multiple enemies are desperate for the mysterious Fangalas buried in Yechiel’s body, while its enigmatic power spreads. A deadly fire tears the group apart and they search for a way to move on after losing their closest friend. Beneath the snappy banter and dramatic battlefield, character development deepens as the boys push past fears and trauma and find their identities.
The third and final book in the trilogy is expected by Pesach.
Watch your inbox: Interview with A. Yarden coming soon!
Nonfiction
#1: Lifelines 4, C. Saphir
Beloved for the deep dive and real look that each story provides into the complex dynamics that real people face. Amended postscripts add a layer of nuance to intriguing topics that leave food for thought.
#2: Did This Ever Happen to You?, Rabbi Fischel Schachter
Rabbi Schachter can make a story out of any encounter and find meaning in it. This collection features short essays that are candid and humorous and make for easy reading.
A Year of Writing
We asked some of your favorite people in frum publishing: What was your favorite/most memorable piece that you wrote in 2023?
Libby Lazewnik
The thing that excited me most this past year was creating a series from scratch and writing the first book of that series. The Starlight Sisters went from a nebulous idea at the back of my mind to a wonderful read for my favorite age group, 10 to 14. Plotting a whole series of books is generally more complicated than planning a single one, but it was simplified in this case because these five books are essentially one long story told by five different main characters. It has been, and continues to be, a wild ride. Hope you love it as much as I do!
Esther Kurtz
My last two calligraphy stories are concepts I've been circling in my mind for a long time; it's an idea that I plan to explore more, and really motivates me to actually sit down and do the writing (I've taken to cleaning my broom closet and organizing under my sink to avoid writing...and if you know me, I'm not really the domesticated type...so if I've writing willingly, you know it's good.) If I had to pick between the two stories, I'd go with "Personally Speaking", the characters, the plot, the angle... I had so much satisfaction in writing it. A story like this made me sit down and work through the issue to represent it well, and that mental exercise of really getting someone's (or many someone's) perspective is what compels me to write fiction.
Barbara Bensoussan
I would definitely include the "Achdus Begins at Home" Guestlines piece, because it was deeply felt and a tribute to my daughter a"h. As for articles, I truly enjoyed interviewing Rabbi Haber, and writing up Rabbi Stepen from LA since he was such a larger-than-life, on-fire-for-Torah personality.
And I learned a lot about problems in our community by covering vaping and problem drinking for Family First!
Rochel Samet
What stands out are my calligraphy stories, which are my passion projects, something I do purely because I love. The one I wrote for Sukkos, Off Trail, about a single guy burnt by the shidduch scene, was extra nice because I wrote it alongside teaching short stories to my summer school writing students. I usually write more intuitively, but this time I was very deliberate about seeing how the techniques I was teaching come through and putting deep thought into the character development. It's tempting to write a woman in my stage of life, but this was a different type of character than usual and I put in a lot of time in getting to know him. I hope that came through!
Adina Edelman, Editor
Definitely the first two books of the Trepid Trilogy, since that was so long in coming. So excited that readers finally get to dive in and enjoy that.
Nachman Seltzer
My favorite project from 2023 was 90 Seconds - the epic story of Eli Beer and United Hatzalah, followed by The Ribnitzer.
Both of these books were more than just books in the classic sense. The story of Eli Beer is the story of the underdog becoming king and it is a lesson that can be used by everyone. In addition, the book is incredibly interesting which is why it was so beloved around the world. So both a favorite of mine and a very meaningful book.
The Ribnitzer is, in a way, the opposite of 90 Seconds - in the sense that this is a book about a genuine tzadik who had the ability to perform genuine miracles and did..... At the same time, it is fascinating and meaningful on many levels.
Ariella Schiller
I've loved creating the worlds for Trust Fund and Upper Class, my ongoing serials, but I have to say I really enjoyed my journalistic assignments as well. I think my favorite was when I interviewed Sossy Karako, a retired bus company worker who dedicates his life to helping passengers find items they lost during transit. The interview was fascinating, the research was a breeze, and the piece afterward gave me real satisfaction.
Esty Heller
Over the past year, I’ve been living and breathing Power Tools, my currently running serial. This particular serial has pressed on a lot of my personal pain points. It’s a story of multi-leveled bullying, in school and the workforce. It’s not a new phenomenon. Hurt people hurt people. In Power Tools, the hurt extends and overlaps in so many directions, it’s almost impossible to break the chain.
Now that I’ve completed the writing of this story, it humbles me to admit: I wrote an entire story about bullying, and I still haven’t worked out a solution to this huge problem. No solution, but I hope, at least, that it invites readers to open a conversation. And maybe, collectively, we can stand up against any and all forms of this terrible reality.
Coming soon: Our first-ever “Ask Me Anything” book recs session! Send in your super-specific recommendation requests and I’ll curate a reading list for you/your children/anyone in your life. Email your detailed question to frumbooks@substack.com.
This is fantastic