2025 Reads and Recs
Friends,
It’s been about six months since I last posted here, and it’s not a coincidence that I started a new job six months ago. I love my job and am focused on it, which explains why I am spending less time here with you all. But I like to end each year by looking back over the books I read and writing about some of my favorites, and I thought I would share those reflections here with you. As ever, I welcome your thoughts and comments — and reading suggestions!
One other note, even more important than book recs and professional updates: Tali and I are expecting our first child in March! I am not sure whether paternity leave will make me more or less likely to write here — only time will tell.
Onto the reading recap…
In 2025, I set a goal of reading 20 books. This was intentionally much lower than my 2024 total of 38 books. In recent years, I have felt pressure in Q4 to choose short books to hit my goal; this year, I wanted to be able to select longer books throughout the year, without worrying that I would make reaching my goal hard on myself. In the end, I read 29 books, comprising 12,000+ pages.
Here are some of my favorites:
Anti-Judaism - David Nirenberg’s essential book isn’t interested with antisemitism. Rather, he is focused on the ways in which, over 2,500 years, the thinkers and rulers whose ideas shaped Christendom, Islam, and Western civilization writ large have cast their opponents and enemies as “Jewish” — even in the absence of any living Jews — as a way of winning arguments and proving the validity of their own cause. Nirenberg prosecutes this thesis relentlessly and extremely persuasively. Though the book came out in 2013, its timelessness is attested to by the battles currently being waged in both American political parties in which politicians (mostly gentile) are using Jews and the Jewish state as cudgels to try to win arguments about what is good, patriotic, and righteous. A huge shoutout to Michael Rochlin for staying on me until I read this.
As A Jew - Having said that, Anti-Judaism is a dense 600 pages. As A Jew, on the other hand, is a brisk 300, and Sarah Hurwitz — best-selling author, former Obama speechwriter, and all-around mensch — makes many of the same points. This is a quick, thought-provoking read built around the compelling story of Sarah’s decision to train as a chaplain during the covid pandemic.
How to Winter - The first time I’ve read a book written by an old friend! Kari Leibowitz, who always hated the cold, moved to Tromso, Norway, after graduating college to try to figure out why the people there don’t all hate their lives. What she found led her on a path to her PhD in psychology, bringing mindset psychology to a new arena. It turns out, to enjoy the winter, you need to change how you think about the winter. With this advice, Tali and I have started lighting more candles, drinking more tea, and finding other ways, large and small, to celebrate winter.
Adam Unrehearsed - A great coming-of-age story about a boy preparing for his bar mitzvah at a time of social change in 1960s Queens. Engaging and fun reading for today’s youngsters, for people who remember the era depicted, and everyone in between. Gratitude to Noah Efron for the recommendation (and Don Futterman!) and to Alex Lass for lending me his copy.
American Pastoral - One of Roth’s masterpieces. Here’s a line that gripped me, spoken by an aging member of the immigrant generation: “I remember when Jewish kids were home doing their homework. What happened? What the hell happened to our smart Jewish kids? If, God forbid, their parents are no longer oppressed for a while, they run where they think they can find oppression. Can’t live without it. Once Jews ran away from oppression; now they run away from no-oppression. Once they ran away from being poor; now they run away from being rich. It’s crazy. They have parents they can’t hate anymore because their parents are so good to them, so they hate America instead.” This is one of four books this year I read for my synagogue book club, led by the incomparable Dani Wexler and Max Schwartz.
Atmosphere - I remain a longstanding Taylor Jenkins Reid fan and an even more longstanding space nerd. This book hit the spot!
Louisa - One of this year’s entries, along with Victoria the Queen, in my ongoing effort to read biographies of historically significant women. Louisa Adams was an essential element of the diplomatic and political success of her husband, John Quincy Adams. The book is most fascinating when it covers her sojourn in Europe alongside JQA — and downright gripping as she traverses territory ravaged by the Napoleonic wars to reunite with him in Paris after he negotiated the Treaty of Ghent — and her deft politicking as she helps him secure the White House.
American Prometheus - The magisterial biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer upon which the eponymous movie was based. This book does not disappoint, but is perhaps made less necessary by the movie, which captures its essence exceedingly well.
The Two Towers/The Return of the King/The Golden Compass/The Subtle Knife - It has been an absolute delight, over the past few years, listening to audiobooks of old fantasy favorites with Tali — a dual treat of revisiting old favorites via new media and now having the best partner with whom to talk about them. Looking forward to The Amber Spyglass in 2026 and then who knows! (maybe The Name of the Wind or Ender’s Game — what do you recommend?)
Honorable mentions: Finally got around to reading Hamilton, which was great, though gripped me less than Chernow’s Grant and Washington; While Israel Slept and Original Sin are both excellent works of journalism; Everything Flows is a special book (which I never would have encountered without Max Schoenfeld), though it’s hard to say I enjoyed reading it, exactly; The Safekeep and Vladimir (thank you Tamar Lindenbaum!) were nice little novels — they didn’t take my breath away but I enjoyed them enough to mention them here; I am so grateful that Expecting Better and Cribsheet exist, and even more grateful to have reason to read them :)
I also learned something like 12 tractates of Mishnah as part of the Yale Jewish community’s Mishnah Yomit cycle (shoutout to Alex Ozar!). Here’s to more Torah learning in 2026!