I thought this was a very interesting book. The author is open to new interpretations of ancient (and more modern) customs. Unlike a lot of books about the various practices within Judaism, this book didn't feel as restrictive. I enjoyed the ideas that were introduced here and found some of the stories the author told fascinating.

One thing that made me like this book, was the way the author gave her own history and talked about people she knew directly. It made the book feel more personal. If you have ever struggled to figure out where you fit into the spectrum of Jewish life, this is a book that might really help you. The author does not tell anyone that they are "doing it wrong," like so many other books on these topics tend to imply. There was not a lot of personal bias here and that made it far easier and more enjoyable to read.

A non-judgmental. creative approach to doing you, the Jewish way. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a different approach whilst still retaining their love for tradition. Excellent book.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

This book is a good look at Jewish tradition in an increasingly secular setting. I found that it helped me have guidance to add more Jewish tradition into my daily life. I was not raised up Jewish. My mother is Jewish and my father is Catholic and I went to Temple some with my grandparents and we celebrated both Hanukkah and Christmas, but I didn't really get into my Jewish background and traditions until I was in College. The other strong point of the book that I found very relevant and enjoyed was its review of applicable Jewish law and biblical quotes. I found the book well-written and not overly academic but I felt could use some work on it's flow. It was a good look into the life of the author and their friends, but I felt like there could be a bit more depth and history involved. I recommend this book for anyone looking to incorporate more tradition in their daily lives.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

Good look at Jewish tradition in an increasingly secular setting

I enjoyed this book. What the book did extremely well is provide gentle guidance on how to add more Jewish tradition to daily life. There were no instances of bashing of the less observant. The other strong point of the book was its review of applicable Jewish law and relevant biblical quotes. I found the book well-written and not overly academic but I would not call the writing conversational. There was some survey data but most of the book was made up of anecdotes. I thought at times that there were too many anecdotes; too many parts of the book that discussed the author’s friends and what they do. I recommend this book for anyone looking to incorporate more tradition in their daily lives.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley for review purposes.