Beat the summer heat with these 10 captivating books

If it weren’t for the unbearable heat waves that hit us one after the other, we in Israel might have forgotten that it is now summer, supposedly the most beautiful time of the year. But with the war still raging, the hostages still not home and so many dead and injured around us, there is no summer feeling in sight.

The political situation in other parts of the world is no less depressing, so we want to give you a little distraction by recommending Israeli books. You can immerse yourself in reading this summer and forget, if only for a short time, the huge mess we all find ourselves in.

I wish for all of us that better times will come soon.

David Grossman is Israel’s leading contemporary author and his latest novel, More than I love myselfmore than lives up to its title. The book explores the incredible lives of three generations of women at different times in history and in different places, and the difficult relationships that result between them. It’s not exactly uplifting, but it’s a truly wonderful story.

The wolf hunt takes readers to Silicon Valley, where an Israeli family falls apart as racial tensions and secrets come to light. There’s nothing like a good thriller to take your mind off things, and this seemingly small story tackles poignant universal themes.

Unstoppable Us may seem like Yuval Noah Harari for kids, but it’s certainly not. While the illustrated book is great for kids who are curious and want to learn more about the people of the world – from making fire and using the stars for guidance to cooking meals in the microwave and landing on the moon – it’s also a nice option for adults looking for a fun read with a difference.

Look for Harari’s latest work in September, Nexus: A brief history of information networks from the Stone Age to AI.

Eshkol Nevo’s latest novel is a gripping exploration of love and turbulent relationships of all kinds. His talent for skillfully presenting complex, unusual characters and weaving them into a great story makes this novel the perfect page-turner for the summer.

There’s a good chance you already love Sarit Yishai-Levi’s previous book, The Beauty Queen of Jerusalemand an equally good chance that you will love her latest novel, The woman beyond the sea. The story revolves around a mother and her daughter whose current difficulties lead them to delve into their past and explore their relationships.

Yaniv Iczkovitz’s award-winning book tells the story of two Jewish sisters in late 19th-century Russia.^th Century in search of justice. The family drama shifts to geopolitical issues under the most unusual circumstances and makes for an entertaining, fabulous and unusual read.

Etgar Keret is one of Israel’s most popular contemporary writers, known for his seemingly abstract short stories that manage to be wild and touching at the same time. Fly away is no different, it brings together the stories of people and their bad relationships, with all the stories strung together around the thesis of communication. It’s a great book to go to sleep with, on plane rides, or if you’re lucky, even at the beach.

Speaking of the beach, Iddo Gefen’s Jerusalem Beach is being hailed as a throwback to the works of Etgar Keret, in the best way possible. The short story collection explores love, loss, the impossible and the everyday, all in a very Israeli setting.

Hila Blum’s award-winning novel is about a woman’s search for the reason why her relationship with her daughter went so wrong. She goes back and forth in time, exploring memories and long-buried feelings in a story full of surprises and suspense.

In his latest book, author Sayed Kashua blends the personal with the literary, telling the story of an unnamed memoirist living with his family in Illinois who is called back to Israel to attend the bedside of his dying father. After returning to Jerusalem and the Arab-Israeli town of Tira, the memoirist is confronted with past events and trauma, leading him to reflect poignantly on love, belonging, and alienation.