Nice Jewish Books

🐉 What happens when the monster you're hunting turns out to be someone you could fall for?

In The Maiden and Her Monster, Maddie Martinez reimagines the Jewish myth of the Golem in a sapphic fantasy filled with danger, intrigue, and forbidden feelings. When Malka ventures into a cursed forest to hunt the monster killing the girls in her village, she finds a disgraced golem who agrees to surrender—but only if Malka helps free the rabbi who created her. Soon, a sinister political plot threatens an entire country, and the two women must fight to save more than they ever imagined while they struggle with their feelings towards each other.

Follow along with the transcript.

Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here.

Thanks to:

• The Association of Jewish Libraries
• Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor
• Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home)
• Donate to support the podcast

If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

How many lives can one person live—and still know who he truly is?

Joseph has already lived several lives when he crosses the border from Lebanon into British Mandate Palestine. Once a beloved son in a Jewish home in Lebanon, he was later left to live at a convent, where he became a medical assistant to the convent doctor and the adjacent psychiatric hospital.

But everything changes when Joseph becomes involved in a Haganah operation.

His journey takes him from medical assistant to spy for the Haganah and, later, the Israel Defense Forces. As Joseph moves through one identity after another, he must confront a profound question:

After living so many lives, can Joseph remember who he really is—and finally find peace?

Follow along with the transcript.

Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here.

Thanks to:

• The Association of Jewish Libraries
• Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor
• Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home)
• Donate to support the podcast

If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

What happens when a road trip becomes a journey of self-discovery—and maybe love?

In Shelly Jay Shore's latest novel, Love Me Like a Rock Star, Delilah sets out on the honeymoon trip she planned before her rock-star fiancé broke her heart. Along for the ride is Emmet, a closeted golem honoring his late father's final wishes.

Their cross-country adventure takes them through queer hotspots, stunning national parks, unexpected discoveries—and perhaps even toward love. 💕🏳️‍🌈

Join me for a conversation with Shelly Jay Shore about Love Me Like a Rock Star, creativity, identity, self-determination, and finding your way when life takes an unexpected turn.

Follow along with the transcript.

Support the author and Translate Gender by pre-ordering her book at High Five Books.

Thanks to:

• The Association of Jewish Libraries
• Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor
• Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home)
• Donate to support the podcast

If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

Ten years after teen-aged Sydney vanished on a camping trip in the Azores, counselors, fellow campers, and her family come together to reconnect, remember her, and dedicate a newly renovated synagogue in her honor. But while old resentments resurface, what no one expects is the sudden arrival of a dead body—bringing long-buried secrets to the surface. Can the island finally reveal the truth? Join me for a conversation with Jaclyn Goldis about her latest thriller mystery, The Last Time We Saw Her.

Follow along with the transcript.

Check out Jaclyn's website and support efforts to rebuild the Venezuelan Jewish community after the devastating earthquakes of June 24, 2026.

Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here.

Thanks to:

• The Association of Jewish Libraries
• Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor
• Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home)
• Donate to support the podcast

If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

It is 1918 and Bluma has waited four long years for her husband, Sender, to bring her and their three daughters from Romania to America. When the tickets fail to arrive, she takes their future into her own hands.

Packing up her children, Bluma journeys across the ocean to rural Ohio—only to discover a crumbling farmhouse, a failing farm on the brink of foreclosure, and a husband more interested in studying Talmud than in actual farm work. In a strange new country, can she protect her dreams for her daughters: education, independence, and marriages built on love?

Follow along with the transcript. and check out Miriam's website.

Learn more about the Jewish Farmers Network.

Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here.

Thanks to:

• The Association of Jewish Libraries
• Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor
• Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home)
• Donate to support the podcast

If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

The newly crowned King David was making all kinds of radical reform in his kingdom. High on the list was establishing six cities of refuge where men accused on manslaughter would be safe from people seeking blood vengence. But with a new system in play; how long will it take for someone to figure out a way to pervert it? Join me for a conversation with author Jay Bailey about his book, Blood of Birds.

Follow along with the transcript. and check out the author's website.

Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here.

Thanks to:

• The Association of Jewish Libraries
• Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor
• Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home)
• Donate to support the podcast

If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

What happens when two strangers are brought together by the same heartbreaking loss? Can friendship help heal the soul?

After Rose's husband, Maury, and Nina's fiancé, Jeff, are killed in a tragic car accident, the two women form an unexpected bond. What begins in shared grief grows into something deeper—through memories, regrets, and the search for a way forward. Despite their decades of age difference—Rose at 93 and Nina in her thirties—they connect through their shared love of dance, Nina's passion for yoga, and the complicated emotions that follow loss.

Author Susan Josephs brings a gentle, thoughtful touch to the story, exploring guilt, remembrance, and the quiet power of friendship during life's most difficult transitions.

Join me for a heartfelt conversation with Susan Josephs about her novel Accidental Friends on the Nice Jewish Books Podcast.

Follow along with the transcript.

Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here.

Thanks to:

• The Association of Jewish Libraries
• Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor
• Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home)
• Donate to support the podcast

If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

Every year, the Association of Jewish Libraries Fiction Award committee scours the literary world for books with significant Jewish content. They look for extra-ordinary writing, accurate depictions of Jewish life in all its diversity, and contributions to the field of Jewish literature. This month I am excited to speak with Rena Citrin about the 2026 award winners for the best Jewish fiction published in 2025.

Follow along with the transcript.

Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their books here.

Thanks to:

• The Association of Jewish Libraries
• Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor
• Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home)
• Donate to support the podcast

If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

Six lives. One city. A phone call that will change everything.

In Alive and Beating, Rebecca Wolf brings us to Jerusalem just days before Passover, where six diverse characters balance family, work, and life-threatening illnesses. After a devastating bus bombing, an organ donation sets off a question that drives the novel: who will get the call that saves their life?

Join me on Nice Jewish Books for a conversation with Rebecca Wolf about grief, grit, and the fragility of hope.

Follow along with the transcript.

Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here.

Thanks to:

• The Association of Jewish Libraries
• Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor
• Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home)
• Donate to support the podcast

If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

In this episode of Nice Jewish Books…

Sheryl Stahl sits down with author Katherine Villyard to discuss Immortal Gifts, a historical fantasy starring Abraham, a Jewish vampire trying to balance immortal life, Jewish identity, and his love for his mortal wife, Destiny. But peace is hard to come by—Abraham is relentlessly hunted by Thomas, a radical Christian vampire, and must rely on his loyal friend and patron Ludwig to help him stay one step ahead with new identities and safe passage.

Abraham and Destiny also have to deal with the humorous—and not-so-humorous—complications that arise when Abraham turns one of the terminally ill family cats into a vampire.

✨ A blend of history, fantasy, danger, and heart—don't miss this conversation!

Follow along with the transcript. Check out Katherine's website (which includes her kick-start campaign)

Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here.

Thanks to:

• The Association of Jewish Libraries
• Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor
• Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home)
• Donate to support the podcast

If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.