I started on a shidduch reading list many years ago:
And now I’m going to add another two books to the list.
This past Shabbos I finished Seven Blessings by Ruchama King. This one is an astonisher. Written by a frum woman about frum women, the characters are actually real people you could potentially meet on the street. This may be why it was not published by Artscroll or Feldheim. Pick it up at your local library. Or support a good religious writer and buy it instead.
The second book I literally couldn’t put down. I read it in one straight sitting, finishing in the wee hours and tottering off to bed. Data: A Love Story presents a paradigm shift for the serial dater. Sick of bad dates with lousy guys, Amy Webb sits down to crunch the numbers and find her husband the 21st-century way: via algorithm.
She then proceeds to prove that you don’t have to date everyone every suggested to you “just in case.” Oh, and that wisdom about how you shouldn’t make a list? Throw it out. You need a list.
Naturally, her parents freak out. She’s being too picky. She’s being too hard. She may be letting someone great pass her by. But she perseveres and, wouldn’t you believe: finds a guy who matches her list! Who likes her! Who proposes!
So you see, it can be done if you do it the right way. So excuse me now. I’m off to compile my List.
Bad for Shidduchim 
I read Seven Blessings a few years ago and loved it too. The characters are really well-written and no one is a perfect Mary Sue/knight on a white horse.
My kingdom for a good book!
I attribute my marital satisfaction to the fact that my husband matched 9.5/10 on my list.
A friend sent a link to your wonderful blog. Thanks for the great post re my novel, Seven Blessings. A new novel is coming out, if you’re interested. Quite different, but there is a courtship tale, as well.
Oh I’m not picky. I read good books that aren’t about dating too. 😀
Ms. King- do allow me to express my utter admiration for your book! 🙂 Like bad4 above, I never met a frum novel I really liked, but yours was one I stayed up late to read and read in two sittings! Then I ordered it and read it again in two sittings! It’s the only frum novel that I want to read again and again because it gives me pleasure.
I won’t go into an in-depth analysis on why I like it here, but I do! Thank you for producing this!
Thank you, Mindy! That’s a high compliment. No need to go into specifics. Reading it twice says it all. Hope you’ll check out my new novel, “In the Courtyard of the Kabbalist” when it comes out this fall. Take care, Ruchama
I will!
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