Book Club

The March issue of The Shofar had not yet been published and distributed before the shul’s Book Circle group embraced one of the selections as its choice for the Thursday, March 16 meeting, on Zoom at 4 p.m.

Could be that Miriam Gabriel, co-editor of the shul’s monthly newsletter, had found the book so engaging for the ‘Random Reads’ column that she recommended it to the reading group. Reader alert: It would seem that this crossover should be noted as one heck of a good read inasmuch as two columns in this issue of The Shofar have named it.

For those who may have missed the ‘Random Reads’ writeup, here now the information repeated:

In this book, The Women Of Rothschild: Untold Story of the World’s Most Famous Dynasty,

Natalie Livingstone reveals the role of women in shaping the legacy of the famous Rothschild family, synonymous with wealth and power. The writer follows the women from the 19th through the 21st centuries. As Jews in a Christian society and women in a deeply patriarchal family, they were outsiders. Excluded from the family bank, they forged their own distinct dynasty and became influential hostesses and diplomats, choreographing electoral campaigns, advising prime ministers, advocating for social reform, and trading on the stock exchange.

The Book Circle meets monthly to discuss books on Jewish themes and/or by Jewish writers. For more information, email ctigreenport@gmail.com with a message for Suzi Rosenstreich, coordinator of the group

It’s a joyous happening within the Book Circle, which has selected the first novel in Alexander McCall Smith’s widely acclaimed and delightful The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series as its selection for the Thursday, Feb. 23 meeting, on Zoom, at 4 p.m.

Fans around the world adore this best-selling series, set in Botswana, where Precious Ramotswe and her loyal associate, Grace Makutsi, navigate their cases and their personal lives with wisdom, good humor, and frequent cups of Red Bush tea. No sooner has Precious set up shop in a storefront in Gaborone, she encounters opportunities to help people solve problems in their lives.

The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency received two Booker judges’ Special Recommendations, and was voted one of the International Books of the Year and the Millennium by the Times Literary Supplement.

In a crime scene that could have been conjured by Edgar Allen Poe himself, Manhattan Assistant D.A. Alexandra Cooper discovers it was, in fact, real — in this trail of clues conjured by real-life prosecutor Linda Fairstein, whose former life prepared her well as a writer of mystery novels. In Entombed, the writer challenges her readers to solve the gruesome case of the skeleton of a woman standing upright behind a brick wall. It’s a modern day murder of gothic proportions, entrusted to the writing skills of the former New York City prosecutor, who headed the sex crimes unit of the Manhattan D.A.’s office from 1976  to 2002.

The Book Circle meets monthly to discuss works with Jewish content or by Jewish writers. The next meeting will be held on Thursday, Jan. 19, 4 p.m. on Zoom. For more information about the group, email ctigreenport@gmail.com with a message for Susan Rosenstreich, coordinator of the group.