Books Set in Asia; Israel

The Future is Peace, by Aziz Abu Sarah and Moaz Inon (2026)

The Future is Peace, by Aziz Abu Sarah and Moaz Inon traces the journeys of an Israeli-Arab and an Israeli-Jew who became friends.  Both are in the hospitality/tourism industry and both lead dual tours throughout Israel and the West Bank.

This book traces a week's trip the two took together across the country following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.  Both authors suffered tragedy in their lives.  Inon's parents were killed in the October attack; Sarah's older brother was killed by IDF soldiers while in prison.   Thus, both men knew suffering of loved ones at the hands of the "enemy."  Together, they work towards bring peace throughout their country and try to explain their "truth" to the other.

Although both grew up in Israel, neither knew of each other's history.  Inon was not familiar with background of the Nakba, which refers to the days following the creation of the State of Israel, and Abu Sarah did not know the history of the Holocaust.

The the­sis of the book is that though the authors expe­ri­enced tragedy due to the ongo­ing con­flict, they still believe that there is a place for learn­ing, dia­logue, growth, and, one day, peace. When Abu Sarah was younger, his broth­er was killed by Israeli forces after being beat­en in prison for throw­ing rocks. Moaz’s par­ents were killed on Octo­ber 7th by Hamas. For some, these loss­es might engen­der fear or hatred of the oth­er. Yet, for Abu Sarah and Inon, they do the oppo­site. The book explains how it was their shared pain that brought them togeth­er, first in friend­ship and then in activism. 

Years before October 7, Abu Sarah founded Mejdi tours and Inon founded the Abraham Hostel in Jerusalem.  Both projects were designed to bring people together to learn about the country and ideals that unite people.  Neither men are historians, and some of the language in the book is decidedly skewed.  The narrative does acknowledge that after Israel Independence, surrounding Arab countries did not look after or take in the displaced Palestinians living in area acquired by Israel.  The book also notes that those Arab countries were more concerned with a "land grab."

Some of the language used is inflammatory.  The Israeli's are said to "occupy" land, and are "settlers."  Both refer to the conflict in Gaza as a "genocide", while the October 7 massacre is just a tragic event.  The premise also seems to place all the blame of the "Palestinian problem" on Israel, without acknowledging that there are shared responsibilities in this conflict.  The book points out that many Palestinians displaced after 1948 are still living in crowded condition that is now supported by UNRWA (the United Nations Relief and Works Agency).  That program was intended to be temporary, but nearly 80 years later is still in effect.

The book does describe the difficulty that life for Palestinians living in the West Bank is not without its struggles, and the constant checkpoints, and violence.  These are very real concerns and does need a better understanding by Israeli Jews.

This book will make you angry.  But, it will also make you think.  It will make you reconsider some of your ideas about both sides.  At the end, you will also feel a spark of hope.  Peace begins with people coming together and meeting one-on-one, considering the needs of each other.  This is the world that Abu Sarah and Inon, along with many other peace activist in Israel, are creating.  It will take time, but is not without possibility.

Read: August 30, 2026

4 Stars

Books Set in Europe, Poland

The Counterfeit Countess, by Elizabeth B White and Joanna Sliwa (2024)

In the early 1930, Josephine Janina Mehlberg was a Jewish mathematician from Lwów, Poland.  She had earned her doctorate in mathematics and was teaching in her profession.  In 1933, she married Henry Mehlberg and the couple lived a quiet life in Lwów until the Nazi invasion of the city.  In 1939, they fled to Lublin.

Mehlberg was the daughter of a wealthy landowner and her family had connections with aristocrats.  Once in Lublin, she assumed the papers and persona of a Christian Polish aristocrat and transformed into Countess Janina Suchodolska.  As a countess, she joined the Polish resistance and talked her way into providing food and medicines to the Polish prisoners at the Majdanek Concentration camp.  She also smuggled messages and weapons to imprisoned resistance fighters.  It is believed that she was persuaded the Nazis to release about 10,000 prisoners.

She and her husband survived the war and ultimately moved to the United States.  She never talked about her life during the war, but settled in to teaching mathematics at a mid-western university.  Late in her life, she wrote down her memories of her experience during the War.  The authors, one of whom is an expert own the Holocaust in Poland, received a copy of Mehlberg's manuscript, research the matter and wrote this book.  It reads like a novel and provides information about the Holocaust in Poland that is not universally known.

4 Stars

Read: August 2026

Books Set in North America (New York, New York) and England

By Any Other Name, by Jodi Picoult (2024)

By Any Other Name is a dual-timeline historical novel.  It follows the historical poet, Emilia Bassano, who may have secretly written plays that were published under William Shakespeare's name, and the fictional Melina Green, who lives in the present.  Chapters alternate between Emilia and Melina.  The novel focuses on sexism, racism, and authorship, but it seems a bit heavy-handed.  In the 16th-century, playwrights often collaborated and shared ideas.  Most of the playwrights were male, but it was an established community of writers.  Scholars have long argued that plays published under Shakespeare's name were not actually written by him.  Emilia may have written or contributed to much of Shakespeare's better known plays.  Emilia's story is the more interesting story than that of the fictional Melina.

Melina strives to write a play, but has suffered from numerous obstacles and rejections.  Her latest play was about Emilia.  Knowing that there are virtually no females playwrights whose work is performed, Andre, Melina's male friend, submitted her play in a contest under the name Mel Green.  When her play is submitted, Melina tries to hid behind Andre.  Will her play be accepted if the world thinks it was written by a man?  Is it more important that Melina's play is performed than she get credit for it?

This book was not a page-turner for me, but it was interested.  I did find the modern-day portion of the story to be a bit far-fetched.

3 Stars

Read:  August 14, 2026

Books Set in North America (Boston, Massachusetts) and Europe (Venice, Italy)

Playing with Fire, by Tess Gerritsen (2015)

Read: August 2, 2026

3 Stars

Books Set in North America, United States, Massachusetts

This Is Not About Us, by Allegra Goodman (2026)

The novel opens as sev­en­ty-four-year-old Jean­nie Rubin­stein, the youngest of three sis­ters, is dying.  She is surrounded by her family ~ her two sisters, her sons and her nieces and nephews.  After Jeannie dies, the family gathers with food to mourn her passing.  Sadly, however, Helen, the oldest sister (and apparently a terrible cook), becomes angry when the middle sister, Sylvia, brings an apple cake to the gathering.  Everyone devours Sylvia's cake, thus beginning a feud between Helen and Sylvia.  Although they used to be close, Helen refused to speak with Sylvia.  This is the underlying thread of the novel.

As the novel unfolds, we learn of the lives of the other family members.  Helen and her husband, Charlie, had two daughters ~ Pam and Wendy.  Pam is single, much to the dismay of her parents, and Wendy is happily married to a non-Jewish woman.  Thus, Helen has no grandchildren.  A matter which greatly disturbs Sylvia.  Pam and Wendy have their own tensions and hurt feelings to deal with.

Meanwhile, Sylvia's son, Richard, is navigating a divorce and shared parenting with his ex-wife.  Their two young daughters have their own battles with their parents as they, too, must live with the consequences of the divorce.

Although the novel is "not about us", the reader, probably every family can relate to one or more of the circumstances of this family's trials and tribulations.

Read:  July 31, 2026

4 Stars

Books Set in Asia and Europe, Turkey and London, England

Honor, by Elif Shafak (2011)

The novel opens as Esma, British-Turkish woman, goes to pick up her older brother, Iskender, from prison after serving a term for murdering his mother Pembe.  He was just 16-years-old when he stabbed his mother to death after hearing rumors that his mother was having an affair.  Adem, Pembe's husband, had abandoned the family for another woman, and Iskender felt it was his responsibility to protect the families reputation.

The novel bounces around from the 1940s to 1991, so the family history  slowly peeled back as the events come into focus.  In the 1940s, Pembe and her identical twin sister, Jamila, were born to a poor family in Kurdish Turkey.  Pembe married and ultimately moved to London with her husband and children, hoping for a better life.  Jamila remained in their village.  As a child, she had been abducted, so her virginity was question and she never married.

Life in London, wasn't the golden life as expected.  Does the family adhere to its old traditions, or try to fit into English life?  When Adem moved out, the stage was set for a clash of cultures.  The novel described, in part, the immigrant experience, as well as age-old tradition.  There are a number of twists and turns in this book which make the ending a gift.

Read: July 25, 2026

4 Stars

Books Set in North America, California, USA

Porcupines, by Fran Fabriczki (2026)

Porcupines is a very funny novel about Sonia, young illegal immigrant from Hungary living in California, and her young daughter, Mila.  Sonia left Hungary as an 18-year-old to visit her sister and overstayed her visa.  In Hungary, her family led a very secular life, but her sister has become very Orthodox in the United States.  After she becomes pregnant, Sonia cuts herself off from her family.

New to America and new to motherhood, Sonia navigates live in California, while concealing her past.

This was a quick and funny novel.

Read: June 24, 2026

4 Stars

Books Set in North America, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

My Sunshine Away, by M.O. Walsh (2015)

My Sunshine Away is a coming-of-age novel that is set in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  The title is a reference to the song You Are My Sunshine, the state song of Louisiana that was written by Jimmie Davis, the 47th Governor of Louisiana.  

As a resident of Baton Rouge, I can attest to the fact that the author perfectly captures the heat and flavor of the city.  He also captures the difference between Baton Rouge and its better known Louisiana city of New Orleans.

The novel opens up in the care-free summer of 1989 before there were cell phones.  We also know in the first chapter that fifteen-year-old Lindy Simpson was brutally raped.  Twenty-plus years later, the narrator looks back at this summer when he was just a thirteen-year-old boy.  He was just a naive child, who didn't fully understand the meaning of rape.  He had an enormous crush on Lindy.  At the time, there were four suspects to the crime, including the narrator because he had pictures and drawings of Lindy.

The narrator describes his neighborhood and its neighbors.  He perfectly describes his impressions of the events and the people around him.  In the years following the summer, he is awakening to his own sexuality and continuing his obsession with Lindy.

This book as beautifully written.

4 Stars

Read:  June 22, 2026

Books Set in North America: Kentucky

Horse, by Geraldine Brooks (2022)

Read:  June 14, 2026

3.5 stars

Books Set in North America, Washington State

Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt (2022)

Read: June 12, 2026

4 Stars

Books Set in North America, Golden Georgia

Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi (2025)

Read: June 11, 2026

5 Stars

Books Set in Australia

In a Sunburned Country, by Bill Bryson (2000)

Although a bit dated, (it was published in 2000), In a Sunburned Country is a humorous travelogue about Australia.   In addition to hearing about Bryson's travels throughout the country, he also provides a general history of the country,

Read: June 5, 2026

5 Stars

Books Set in North America; Georgia, United States

Pretty Girls, by Karin Slaughter (2025)

This novel was billed as a psychological thriller.  It's a horrible story.  The premise revolves around snuff porn and a disfunctional family.  Twenty-plus years earlier, Julia Carroll went missing and was never found.  Fast forward to present day, and Julia's younger sister, Claire, who seemingly has a perfect marriage, watches her husband murdered before her eyes.  When Paul dies, Claire reaches out to her estranged sister, Lydia, who is a former drug addict.  They are suddenly found in the midst of a snuff-porn scheme.  Is there a connection to their dead sister?

None of the characters were likeable and the premise was horrific.

I will not be reading other books by this author.

Read: May 20, 2025

2 Stars

Books Set in Europe and Asia; London, England, Turkey, and Iraq

There are Rivers in the Sky, by Elif Shafak (2024)

This is by far the best book I have read in a long time.

Read:  May 13, 2026 while in the South China Sea

5 Stars

Books Set in North America, Virginia, USA

The Perfect Marriage, by Jeneva Rose (2020)

Sarah Morgan is a high-level and successful defense lawyer.  She seems to have the perfect life with her husband, Adam.  Sarah, however, works long hours and Adam is a would-be writer with too much time on his hands.  He tries to write in their lake house, which is about an hour away from their home.  He spends most of his time there.  He runs into Kelly Summers, with whom he has an affair.  When she is found dead in his bed at the lake house, he is accused of her murder.  Sarah takes on the case to defend him.

There are lots of twists and turns in the book, but specific trial matter doesn't make sense.  That aside, it was a fun and quick read.

Read:  April 29, 2026

3 Stars

 

The Most Fun We Ever Had, by Claire Lombardo (2019)

This novel is a family saga about  David and Marilyn Sorenson and their four daughters.  The novel goes back and forth in time as we learn about the lives and struggles of this dysfunctional family.  In the "present", which is 2016 in the novel, each of the four adult daughters are struggling with live.  The eldest daughter, Wendy, seemingly has a perfect life, she dropped out of college to marry the love of her life, a wealthy man 15 years her senior.  When she is widowed young, she sought solace with a parade of men.  In her early 20's, Liza had a child whom she put up for adoption.  She later married and was a promising young attorney until she became a stay-at-home mother.  She began doubting herself and her life choices.  Liza lived with a very needy man who was more child than functioning adult.  When she became pregnant, he left her.  Finally, there was Gracie, the "epilogue" who was far younger than her sisters.  She failed to get into law school but was unable to tell her parents for fear of disappointing them.  When Liza son who had been given up 15 years earlier suddenly enters their lives, the family members must face the family secrets.

The book kept my attention, but wasn't great.

Read: April 26, 2026

3 Stars

Books Set in North America, New Orleans, Louisiana and New York

Returning: A Search for Home Across Three Centuries, by Nicholas Lemann (2026)

Read:  April 24, 2026

4 Stars

Books Set in North America, Washington State and New York City

Heart of a Stranger, by Angela Buchdahl (2025)

Heart of a Stranger is a memoir of Rabbi Angela Buchdahl.  She was born in Korea to a  Korean Buddhist mother and an American Jewish father.  When she was five-years-old, her family moved to a small town in Washington State, where she met her father's family and embraced Judaism.  Although she her mother was not Jewish, she was raised in the Jewish religion.  It wasn't until she was a teenager, that she learned that many because her mother was not Jewish, she would not be considered Jewish by all denominations.  This book follows her path to become an ordained Reform rabbi to leading one of the largest Reform synagogues in the United States.  At the end of each chapter, Rabbi Bachdahl provided a brief d'var Torah, a spiritual reflection on the preceding chapter.

The book is well written and explores her path to becoming the first Asian-American Rabbi.

Read: April 6, 2026

5 Stars

Books Set in North America; Washington, D.C.

Dinners with Ruth: A Memoir on the Power of Friendships, by Nina Totenberg (2022)

The title of this book would lead the reader to think that it is about Ruth Bader Ginsburg.  It is, but it is also about Nina Totenberg.  There was far too much about Nina Totenberg and I would have liked more about Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

The book is about friendships of all kinds.  Nina talks about her friendships with her husbands, other reporters, other judges and justices.  With few exceptions, the friendships she discusses are well-known people, name-dropping.

There are many parallels in the lives of Ruth and Nina.  Both women were children of Jewish immigrant parents.  Both women were leaders in their respective fields, both women used their positions to help shape the political discourse of American society.

They were friends for over 50 years.  They first met in the early 1970s when Nina was reporting on the Supreme Court and Ruth was arguing a case before the High Court.  Slowly, over time, they became fast friends.  We only see snippets of Ruth in this book, however.  For this reason, I could only give this book 3 stars.  I wanted more Ruth and less Nina.

Read:  March 27, 2026

3 Stars

Books Set in North America, the United States, Washington, DC

The Camel Club, by David Baldacci (2005)

The Camel Club is a 2005 political crime thriller novel featuring a group of eccentric Washington, D.C. misfits who uncover a vast government conspiracy after witnessing a murder.  They team up with Alex Ford, a Secret Service agent who is on thin ice with his boss.  Together, they all must work to prevent a national security crisis.  

Read: March 18, 2026

4 Stars

Books Set in Europe, Ireland

In the Woods, by Tana French (2007)

This mystery novel is narrated by Adam Robert Ryan.  He and his Murder Squad partner, Cassie Maddox,  are investigating the murder of a young girl, which took place in the same woods where Ryan was the victim of a crime as a young boy.  

When Ryan was 12-years old, he and two friends were victims of a mysterious crime.  His two friends disappeared, and Ryan was found covered in blood.  His family moved away from the village, and he dropped Adam from his name, and became known as Rob Ryan.  When he is assigned to the murder case years later, he did not recuse himself from the case.  The proximity of the new crime triggered vague memories from his own past.

This novel is well written and kept my attention.  I really liked the interaction between Ryan and Maddox as we follow the current murder as well as Rob's mysterious past.

This was Tana French's first novel.  I will definitely be looking for more of her books.

Read:  March 3, 2026

4 Stars

Books Set in North America; United States, New York and California

The Night We Lost Him, by Laura Dave (2024)

This was a mindless, but fun suspense drama.  Nora and her half-brother Sam investigate their father's death.  He appeared to have fallen from a cliff to his death, but was it an accident?  

Read: February 24, 2026

3 Stars

Books Set in North America (New Hampshire); Europe (Vienna); and Asia (Israel)

Queen Esther, by John Irving (2025)

John Irving is a very quirky author.  While the title seems to refer to Esther, a Jewish orphan, adopted as a young teen to be a nanny to the daughter of the Winslow family, much of the book actually focuses on her son, Jimmy.  Esther was born in Vienna, Austria in 1905.  Soon after her birth, her family immigrated to the United States to escape the growing antisemitism.  Sadly, antisemitism was prevalent in the United States as well, and Esther's mother was murdered antisemites in Maine.  (Her father had died en route to the United States.)

The Winslows of New Hampshire provide Esther with a loving, but non-Jewish, family.  She grew up knowing of her Jewish background and values.  She is determined not to marry, but does agree to be the birth mother to Jimmy, who will be raised by Honor Winslow.  Esther longs to find her Jewish roots and becomes like the biblical Queen Esther and work to protect the Jews post-World War II.  Her life becomes mysterious and her Winslow family believes she has ties to Israel's Mossad.

Esther's son is curious about his birth mother and her ties to Judaism.  He also is determined to become a writer, so travels to Vienna, the place of his mother's birth.  At this point, the novel takes a turn and we meet all the quirky characters that are Irving's signature.

Irving's descriptions of live in New Hampshire are so New England.  His take on the formation of Israel are also so vivid and factual.  As he describes walking down the streets of Jerusalem, I felt as though I, too, were walking with Jimmy.  As Jimmy meets people, he has the opportunity to determine his own life course ~ is he the child of Esther, or of Honor?

I enjoyed the beginning and the ending of this novel, but got bogged down my much of the middle of the book.

3 Stars

Read: January 27, 2026