Sue’s Bookshelf

Charlotte Jewish News September 2021

Sue Littauer

Are you looking to join a book club in the new year? Look no further than the Center for Jewish Education (CJE) Book Club, which meets the second Wednesday of the month at 10:30 a.m. The only requirements for membership are a love of reading, a desire to share ideas, and the ability to enjoy a lively discussion!

With the new year upon us, it’s a great time to share some news about changes to our book club schedule, alert you to new books coming out in the fall, and let you know what’s ahead for the spring.

Our first meeting in the new year will be Wednesday, October 13. Peter Zheutlin, author of “Spin” will be joining us in person. We’ll meet in the Weinberg Center at 1 p.m. Peter Zheutlin is a freelance journalist and author whose work has appeared regularly in The Boston Globe and The Christian Science Monitor. His first book, “Around the World on Two Wheels: Annie Londonderry’s Extraordinary Ride,” is the story of the author’s great-granddaughter who, in 1894, left her three young children with her husband in Boston to circle the world on a bicycle. In doing so, she became the world’s first female international sports star. Zheutlin’s ninth and latest

book “Spin: A Novel Based on a (Mostly) True Story,” reimagines the Annie Londonderry story in this work of historical fiction. All are welcome to join us for this special event.

We’ll resume our usual Center for Jewish Education Book Club schedule in November. On Wednesday, November 10 at 10:30 a.m., we’ll discuss “The Nesting Dolls” by Alina Adams, who will be joining us virtually. That day, the book club will meet in the Levine-Sklut Judaic Library. On Wednesday, December 8, we’ll meet in room A110 on Main Street at Shalom Park to share our ideas about “The Book of Lost Names” by Kristin Harmel. I expect both books to be winners among our members!

Some of our favorite authors have books coming out between now and November, and I’m sure many will be future selections for our book club.

“Defending Britta Stein” by Ron Balson — September

“The Observant Wife” by Naomi Ragen (This is a sequel to “An Unorthodox Match”) — September

“Woodrow on the Bench: Life Lessons from a Wise Old Dog” by Jenna Blum — October

“Three Sisters” by Heather Morris (Heather Morris is the author of “The “Tattooist of Auschwitz” and “Cilka’s Journey”) — October

“Wish You Were Here” by Jodi Picoult (let’s hope it’s better than her most recent book “The Book of Two Ways.”) — November

I’m currently working on our book selections for the spring, and I’m overwhelmed by the many excellent choices available. I can safely say we will be reading the following books:

“Marjorie Morningstar” by Herman Wouk

“The Lost Shtetl” by Max Gross (Watch for more information, as Max Gross will be joining us in Charlotte on March 27, 2022.)

“Morningside Heights” by Joshua Henkin

“Eternal” by Lisa Scottoline (The author will be joining us via Zoom on June 2, 2022.)

Interested in joining us? For more information, contact sueb. littauer@jewishcharlotte.org.

Peter Zheutlin, author of “Spin,” joins CJE Book Club October 13

Alina Adams, author of “The Nesting Dolls,” joins CJE Book Club virtually on October 10