Book cover of The Gallery of Beauties

Book description

Venice, 1612. Two very different women, a notorious courtesan and a Talmudic scholar, are brought together by an artist when they pose for a "Gallery of Beauties," forming a relationship neither of them anticipated.


Conflicted about her past, Belladonna finds herself drawn to Diana, the rabbi's widowed daughter, and has…

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Gallery of Beauties as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Why stick to the present if you’re going to armchair travel in search of the perfect vacation spot to hide a dead body?

Nothing says intrigue like Renaissance Venice! It was far easier to hide a dead body back in 1610, which is when this delightful mystery takes place. Full of powerful men, intelligent women, and secrets, Nina Wachsman leads us through the gated Jewish ghetto to the salons of the rich and famous with style and subterfuge in The Gallery of Beauties.

Makes me think of a 17th-century Miss Congeniality.

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Book cover of December on 5C4

December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

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