Open Books Challenge 2026: By a Jewish Author

The Open Books Reading Challenge is a year-long reading challenge for people interested in pushing the boundaries of their reading. For full details of the program, please check-out our page at: https://www.rplmn.org/books-more/discover-more/open-books-reading-challenge

These are some ideas that fit the 2026 category "By a Jewish author."

Happy Reading!

Updated December 31, 2025
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The liars' gospel : a novel
Alderman, Naomi.
Paper Book
An award-winning writer reimagines the life of Jesus, from the points of view of four people closest to him before his death. This is the story of Yehoshuah, who wandered Roman-occupied Judea giving sermons and healing the sick. Now, a year after his death, four people tell...
My last innocent year : a novel
Alpert Florin, Daisy
Paper Book
An incisive, deeply resonant debut novel about a nonconsensual sexual encounter that propels one woman's final semester at an elite New England college into controversy and chaos--and into an ill-advised affair with a married professor. It's 1998 and Isabel Rosen, the only...
I came all this way to meet you : writing myself home
Attenberg, Jami
Paper Book
Named a Best Book of the Year by: Time * New Yorker * Sunday Times (UK) From New York Times bestselling author Jami Attenberg comes a dazzling memoir about unlocking and embracing her creativity--and how it saved her life. In this brilliant, fierce, and funny memoir of...
Ninth house
Bardugo, Leigh
Paper Book
"The best fantasy novel I've read in years, because it's about real people... Impossible to put down." --Stephen King Enter a mesmerizing world of power, privilege, and dark magic among the Ivy League elite in the first book in the Alex Stern series. ...
Lucky broken girl
Behar, Ruth
Paper Book
An unforgettable coming-of-age novel following a young Cuban-Jewish immigrant girl in 1960s New York City who must overcome the sudden derailment of her American Dream. WINNER OF THE PURA BELPRE AWARD * A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST MIDDLE GRADE BOOK OF THE CENTURY "A...
The postcard
Berest, Anne
Paper Book
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR TIME Magazine・NPR・Library Journal・The Globe and Mail・Lilith・Forward Magazine・Toronto Star・The New Yorker Winner of the Choix Goncourt Prize, Anne Berest...
Those who save us
Blum, Jenna.
Paper Book
New York Times Bestseller * Winner of the Ribalow Prize, awarded by Hadassah Magazine An estranged mother and daughter reunite to confront their family's role in World War II in this harrowing, unforgettable novel about lost love and inherited shame from New York Times bestselling author...
Superfudge
Blume, Judy.
Paper Book
Part of the classic Fudge series from Judy Blume, bestselling author of Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing! Farley Drexel Hatcher--otherwise known as Fudge--thinks he's a superhero, but his older brother, Peter, knows Fudge is nothing but a big pain! Dealing with Fudge...
The echo chamber
Boyne, John
Paper Book
'The funniest book I've read in ages. Savage but compelling' Ian Rankin 'Funny, rumbustious, unstinting and wonderfully Hogarthian' The Observer 'His relish is infectious' Times _____________________________ What a thing...
Milk fed : a novel
Broder, Melissa
Paper Book
Named a Best Book of the Year by Entertainment Weekly, Vogue, Time, Esquire, BookPage, and more This darkly hilarious and "delicious new novel that ravishes with sex and food" (The Boston Globe) from the acclaimed...
Fleishman is in trouble
Brodesser-Akner, Taffy
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * NATIONAL BOOK AWARD LONGLIST * "A masterpiece" (NPR) about marriage, divorce, and the bewildering dynamics of ambition Now an Emmy Award-nominated FX limited series on Hulu, starring Claire Danes, Jesse Eisenberg, Lizzy Caplan, and...
Caleb's crossing
Brooks, Geraldine.
Paper Book
A richly imagined new novel from the author of the New York Times bestseller, People of the Book. Once again, Geraldine Brooks takes a remarkable shard of history and brings it to vivid life. In 1665, a young man from Martha's Vineyard became the first Native...
Hereville : how Mirka got her sword
Deutsch, Barry.
Paper Book
Spunky, strong-willed eleven-year-old Mirka Herschberg isn't interested in knitting lessons from her stepmother, or how-to-find-a-husband advice from her sister, or you-better-not warnings from her brother. There's only one thing she does want: to fight dragons! Granted, no dragons...
The Boston girl : a novel
Diamant, Anita.
Paper Book
New York Times bestseller An unforgettable novel about a young Jewish woman growing up in Boston in the early twentieth century, told "with humor and optimism...through the eyes of an irresistible heroine" (People)--from the acclaimed author of The Red Tent<...
Unorthodox : the scandalous rejection of my Hasidic roots
Feldman, Deborah
Paper Book
Now a Netflix original series! Unorthodox is the bestselling memoir of a young Jewish woman's escape from a religious sect, in the tradition of Ayaan Hirsi Ali's Infidel and Carolyn Jessop's Escape, featuring a new epilogue by the author. ...
Everything is illuminated a novel
Foer, Jonathan Safran
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER. Jonathan Safran Foer's debut--"a funny, moving...deeply felt novel about the dangers of confronting the past and the redemption that comes with laughing at it, even when that seems all but impossible." (Time) With only a yellowing photograph in...
The diary of a young girl
Frank, Anne
Paper Book
The diary as Anne Frank wrote it: "The single most compelling personal account of the Holocaust ... remains astonishing and excruciating" (The New York Times Book Review). In a modern translation, this definitive edition contains entries about Anne's burgeoning...
Man's search for meaning
Frankl, Viktor E.
Paper Book
"It's an absolute must-read for every human being. Period." -Anna Chlumsky A book for finding purpose and strength in times of great despair, the international best-seller is still just as relevant today as when it was first published. "This is a book...
The marriage of opposites
Hoffman, Alice.
Paper Book
"[A] luminous, Marquez-esque tale." -O, The Oprah Magazine From the New York Times bestselling author of The Dovekeepers and The Museum of Extraordinary Things: a forbidden love story set on the tropical island of St. Thomas about the extraordinary woman who...
We were the lucky ones
Hunter, Georgia
Paper Book
The New York Times bestseller with more than 1 million copies sold worldwide Inspired by the incredible true story of one Jewish family separated at the start of World War II, determined to survive--and to reunite--We Were the Lucky Ones is a tribute to the triumph...
The snowy day
Keats, Ezra Jack.
Paper Book
CALDECOTT MEDAL WINNER * #1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER * The magic and wonder of winter's first snowfall is perfectly captured in this classic seasonal board book celebrated by generations of readers--a beautiful gift for the holiday season! New York Public Library's #1 book on the...
The latecomer
Korelitz, Jean Hanff
Paper Book
*A New York Times Notable Book of 2022* *A Washington Post Notable Work of Fiction* *An NPR Best Book of the Year* *A New Yorker Best Book of 2022* From the New York Times bestselling author of The...
The history of love
Krauss, Nicole.
Paper Book
Leo Gursky taps his radiator each evening to let his upstairs neighbor know he's still alive. But it wasn't always like this: in the Polish village of his youth, he fell in love and wrote a book...Sixty years later and half a world away, fourteen-year-old Alma, who was named after a character in...
Becoming Brianna
Libenson, Terri.
Paper Book
New York Times bestseller! Terri Libenson returns with another endearing, relatable story of friendship and finding confidence. Perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Jennifer L. Holm. Middle school is full of challenges. Everyone knows how...
The giver
Lowry, Lois.
Paper Book
Lois Lowry's The Giver is the quintessential dystopian novel, followed by its remarkable companions, Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son. Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear of pain. There are no choices. Every person...
Kissing kosher : a novel
Meltzer, Jean.
Paper Book
"An unflinchingly honest romance." --Kirkus, starred review From the author of THE MATZAH BALL and MR. PERFECT ON PAPER comes this hilarious and emotional rivals-to-lovers romance. Step 1: Get the secret recipe. Step 2: Don't fall in love......
Cilka's journey
Morris, Heather (Screenwriter)
Paper Book
From the author of the multi-million copy bestseller The Tattooist of Auschwitz comes a new novel based on a riveting true story of love and resilience. Her beauty saved her -- and condemned her. Cilka is just sixteen years old when she is taken to...
A deadly education : a novel
Novik, Naomi.
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * From the author of Uprooted and Spinning Silver comes the first book of the Scholomance trilogy, the story of an unwilling dark sorceress who is destined to rewrite the rules of magic. FINALIST FOR THE LODESTAR AWARD * "The dark...
The altruists
Ridker, Andrew
Paper Book
A New York Times Editors' Choice "[An] intelligent, funny, and remarkably assured first novel. . . . [Andrew Ridker establishes] himself as a big, promising talent. . . . Hilarious. . . . Astute and highly entertaining. . . . Outstanding." --The New York Times Book Review ...
We're going on a bear hunt
Rosen, Michael
Paper Book
Beloved for more than 30 years, this award-winning classic from Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury celebrates the joys of an afternoon outdoors with family. We're going on a bear hunt. We're going to catch a big one. Will you come too? Join a father and his four...
The rain watcher
Rosnay, Tatiana de
Paper Book
New York Times Bestselling AuthorEditor's Choice #5 TitleIn this profound and intense novel of love and redemption, Linden Malegarde returns to Paris from the United States as the whole Malegarde family gathers for their father's 70th birthday. Each is on edge, afraid one wrong move will shatter the...
American pastoral
Roth, Philip
Paper Book
PULITZER PRIZE WINNER * NATIONAL BESTSELLER * From one of the most acclaimed writers of the twentieth century--a compulsively readable elegy for America's promises of prosperity, civic order, and domestic bliss, and "one of Roth's most powerful novels ever" (The New York Times)....
Where the wild things are
Sendak, Maurice.
Paper Book
Maurice Sendak's Caldecott Medal-winning picture book has become one of the most highly acclaimed and best-loved children's books of all time. A must for every child's bookshelf. This iconic story has inspired a movie, an opera, and the imagination of generations. When Max dresses in his...
Poison for breakfast
Snicket, Lemony.
Paper Book
A new stand-alone adventure--appropriate for all ages--by Lemony Snicket, one of the twenty-first century's most beloved authors. For more than twenty years, Lemony Snicket has led millions of young readers through a mysterious world of bewildering questions and unfortunate...
This is a love story : a novel
Soffer, Jessica
Paper Book
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER | READ WITH JENNA BOOK CLUB PICK AS FEATURED ON TODAY "This may be the most epic love story I've ever, ever read."--Jenna Bush Hager on TODAY An intimate and lyrical celebration of great love, great art, and the...
See you yesterday
Solomon, Rachel Lynn
Paper Book
A New York Times bestseller! From the author of Today Tonight Tomorrow comes a magical, "emotionally savvy[,] and genuinely romantic" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) story in the vein of Groundhog Day about a girl forced to relive her disastrous...
This is where i leave you
Tropper, Jonathan.
Ebook
A riotously funny, emotionally raw New York Times bestselling novel about love, marriage, divorce, family, and the ties that bind--whether we like it or not. The death of Judd Foxman's father marks the first time that the entire Foxman clan has congregated in years. There...
The golem and the jinni : a novel
Wecker, Helene.
Paper Book
?In The Golem and the Jinni, a chance meeting between mythical beings takes readers on a dazzling journey through cultures in turn-of-the-century New York. Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life to by a disgraced rabbi who dabbles in dark Kabbalistic magic and dies at...
Night
Wiesel, Elie
Paper Book
A new translation from the French by Marion Wiesel. Night is Elie Wiesel's masterpiece, a candid, horrific, and deeply poignant autobiographical account of his survival as a teenager in the Nazi death camps. This new translation by Marion Wiesel, Elie's wife and frequent...
The devil's arithmetic
Yolen, Jane.
Ebook
"A triumphantly moving book."  --Kirkus Reviews, starred review Hannah dreads going to her family's Passover Seder--she's tired of hearing her relatives talk about the past. But when she opens the front door to symbolically welcome the prophet Elijah, she's...
The book thief
Zusak, Markus.
Paper Book
This anniversary edition of the extraordinary #1 New York Times bestseller features pages of bonus content, including marked-up manuscript pages, original sketches, and pages from the author's writing notebook. "Life-changing." --The New York Times  

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