Hanukkah Erotica Book Club

Raizel and Malya are back with the last episode of the summer to discuss "Summer Husband," a campy romance novel by Amy Lorowitz.

Raizel and Malya follow maternal advice and discuss "The End of Romance" by Lily Meyer

Raizel and Malya welcome Nora Kogan to discuss her first romance novella "The Story of E." They've never metafiction they didn't like!

"Seltzer Emergency" by Daniella Gruenspecht

Raizel and Malya are back from Shavuot to discuss "Soon by You" by Dahlia Adler.

Raizel and Malya are back from spring break to talk Pesach, seltzer and "Rosenfeld" by Maya Kessler.

"Seltzer Emergency" song by Daniella Gruenspecht

Raizel and Malya give us the whole Megillah about "The Gilded Chamber" by Rebecca Kohn.

"Shushan Town" music and lyrics by William Levin

"Seltzer Emergency" music and lyrics by Daniella Gruenspecht

Raizel and Malya have a goal to review gay Jewish romance novel "Delay of Game" by Ari Baran.

Raizel and Malya ring in the new year with their Season 4 premiere episode and wintery review of "Falling for the Rabbi" by Jennifer Wilck.

Raizel and Malya pull a double-header with "Whisked Away by the Alien: A Curvy Girl Hannukah Sci Fi Alien Romance" by Julie K. Cohen

Raizel and Malya had a latke fun reading "The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah" by Jean Meltzer.

Raizel and Malya go Dutch with their review of "The Safekeep" by Yael van der Wouden.

After a prolonged post-chag hiatus, Raizel and Malya are ready to work the polls with "Girls Girls Girls" by Shoshana von Blanckensee.

"Seltzer Emergency" written and performed by Daniella Gruenspecht

Raizel and Malya overcome chronic sleep deprivation to review "Their Troublesome Crush" by Xan West.

"Seltzer Emergency" written and performed by Daniella Gruenspecht

Raizel and Malya get nostalgic upstate with "Last Summer at the Golden Hotel" by Elyssa Friedland

"Seltzer Emergency" written and performed by Daniella Gruenspecht

Sisters of Podcast Raizel and Malya discuss "Sisters of Fortune" by Esther Chehebar.

"Seltzer Emergency" written and performed by Daniella Gruenspecht

Raizel and Malya drink a lot of seltzer but they're thinking about baseball with "Unwritten Rules" a Steamy Second Chance Baseball Gay Romance by KD Casey.

"Seltzer Emergency" written and performed by Daniella Gruenspecht

Raizel and Malya effervesce with delight discussing "When the Angels Left the Old Country" by Sacha Lamb.

"Seltzer Emergency" written and performed by Daniella Gruenspecht

Raizel and Malya celebrate the long anticipated arrival of their Jewish Joy Box from Jean Meltzer with an on-air unboxing, and reveal "All That Happens in Amsterdam" by Rachel Lynn Solomon. "Seltzer Emergency" written and performed by Daniella Gruenshpecht. Coffee by Iron Dome Coffee

Raizel and Malya have pun reading "Thong of Thongs: 69 Sexy Jewish Stories" by Kitty Knish

"Seltzer Emergency" written & performed by Daniella Gruenspecht

Raizel and Malya give S.M. Levine's "Trial Run" a trial run.

Raizel and Malya are back after a long spring break to schmooze about their Passover seders and discuss As Seen on TV by Meredith Schorr.

You say "Coff-man," I say "Cowf-man." Raizel and Malya discuss The Marrying of Chani Kaufman by Eve Harris.

Raizel and Malya may be sans Jewish Joy Box but that didn't stop them from doing the math and reviewing Crunching Her Numbers, a "Reverse Age Gap Steamy Romance" by Mia Sivan.

Raizel and Malya have a fun time hop reviewing "The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern" by Lynda Cohen Loigman.

Raizel and Malya go back in time to a bygone era, the 1960s, to review "Don't Forget to Write" by Sara Goodman Confino.

"Seltzer Emergency" by Daniella Gruenspecht

After a long winter holiday break, Raizel and Malya are back! Proudly kicking off their Season 3 discussing "Pride and Preference" by Barbara Bensoussan.

Raizel and Malya conclude their second season with a recap of their live podcast event and an interview with guest author Jean Meltzer.

Promo for the Season 2 finale interview with Jean Meltzer

December 12, 2024 at 7pm, Raizel and Malya recorded and live-streamed their podcast for a live audience celebrating the 10th anniversary of "Lighting the Flames" by Sarah Wendell.

Raizel and Malya talk "The Ex Talk" by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Raizel and Malya review "The Perfect Match" by Jennifer Wilck.

Raizel and Malya are back into romance with "Girl Meets Goy" by Aviva Gat.

Raizel and Malya get all "extra virgin" discussing "Olive Days" by Jessica Elisheva Emerson.

Raizel and Malya prepare for Rosh Hashanah with "The Marriage Box: A Novel" by Corie Adjmi.

Raizel and Malya look up kilt and other Scottish words as they get lost together in "Cave of Secrets" by Lynne Golodner.

Raizel and Malya conjure a vivid discussion about "Magical Meet Cute" by Jean Meltzer

"Seltzer Emergency" written and performed by Daniella Gruenspecht @ellellai

Prepare for turbulence! Raizel and Malya soar to new heights with their review of "Craving Flight" by Tazmen Parker.

Raizel and Malya have "smooch" to discuss after reading "Kissing Kosher" by Jean Meltzer

Raizel and Malya cackle over "Wake Me Most Wickely" by Felicia Grossman.

Raizel and Malya get campy with "Summertime Jews," a novel by Mark Swartz

Raizel and Malya schmooze with special guest Shira Dicker, author of "Lolita at Leonard's of Great Neck and Other Stories from the Before Times."

Raizel and Malya discuss "Nice Jewish Boys," a YA novel by Sarah L. Young.

Raizel and Malya discuss "Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl," the YA romance novel by Sara Waxelbaum and Brianna R. Shrum.

Live from New York—and New Jersey—it's Raizel and Malya, back on track to discuss "Late Night Love" by Chayla Wolfberg.

Raizel and Malya return to their roots and review frum romance novel "An Unlikely Match" by Chaya T. Hirsch

Raizel and Malya catch up now that Passover's over, and discuss the romance novel "Texas Cowboy Sweetheart" by Rebecca Crowley.

Raizel and Malya discuss "A Masc for Purim" by favorite author Roz Alexander.

"A Masc for Purim is an angsty, steamy, second chance romance novella between a bisexual butch and her tomboy lesbian. It's a standalone part of the "Hot for the Holidays" series."

Raizel and Malya review "Hot Lumberjack," the sequel to "Hot Rabbi" by Aviva Blakeman.

"Abi thought she had a charmed life. She’s got her dream job, family and friends who love her, and she just bought a great old house! Everything would be perfect, if not for the logging company that’s just set up shop next door."

Raizel and Malya discuss "Sadie on a Plate" by Amanda Elliot.

"A chef’s journey to success leads to discovering the perfect recipe for love in this delicious romantic comedy."

Malya and Raizel are back, kicking off their second season of Hanukkah Erotica Book Club with "Unorthodox Love: A Novel" by Heidi Shertok.

"Twenty-nine-year-old Penina longs for true love and marriage, but being infertile in the Orthodox Jewish community means she’s rarely matched with the cream of the crop—or even skim milk two weeks past its expiration date. Matchmakers either set her up with men twice her age or those with serious mommy issues. At this point, she might as well wear a sign around her neck that says “professional virgin.”
As if things weren’t bad enough, her sister Libby then shares a terrible secret: her husband’s failed businesses have already put strain on their marriage, and now they might also lose their family home. Penina is desperate to help, so when a secretly gay Orthodox Jew offers a payout in exchange for a fake marriage, it feels like kismet. Who needs true love anyway?
Enter Sam Kleinfeld. Rude, secular, undeniably sexy, and also…Penina’s new boss. The last thing he wants is a relationship, especially not with a beautiful, smart-mouthed employee. But soon an attraction builds that they both can’t ignore. Will Penina follow her heart and find true love, or will she stick to the traditions she knows best?"

Raizel and Malya celebrate the first anniversary and conclusion of Season 1 of their Hanukkah Erotica Book Club podcast with a live event at The Ripped Bodice in Park Slope, Brooklyn, reviewing "Eight Kinky Nights" by Xan West.

Raizel and Malya review Marcella Bell's "Snowbound in Her Boss's Bed" in their final episode of Hanukkah Erotica Book Club Season 1.

Raizel and Malya review "Marry Me by Midnight," their first historical Jewish romance by Felicia Grossman.

Raizel and Malya are back with special guest Sherrie Schneider, co-author of bestsellers The Rules: Time-Tested Secrets for Capturing the Heart of Mr. Right and The New Rules: The dating dos and don'ts for the digital generation.

This episode was recorded before the events of October 7 and released after our 30-day period of mourning. Am Yisroel Chai

Shana Tova! Raizel and Malya review "Home for the Challah Days" by Jennifer Wilk.

"When big-city advocate Sarah Abrams returns home for the High Holy Days, she’s got a lot on her mind—especially whether to marry her perfect-on-paper boyfriend. The last person she wants to encounter is Aaron Isaacson, her first love and the one who broke her heart. But after Aaron and Sarah join forces to fight an act of hate, it’s clear that their deep connection never abated. If only they could forgive one another for the past…in time for a sweet new start!"

Raizel and Malya are joined by Too Stupid to Live podcast host Becky Feldman to discuss "Higher: A Butch for Butch Romance" by Roz Alexander

Raizel and Malya welcome author Stacey Agdern to discuss her romance novel "B'Nai Mitzvah Mistake."

Raizel and Malya review "The Intimacy Experiment" by Rosie Danan along with special guest Sarah Tuttle-Singer, writer and New Media Editor atTimes of Israel.

Raizel and Malya discuss Hannah Reynolds' "The Summer of Lost Letters."

"Perfect for fans of Morgan Matson and Ruta Sepetys, this sweet, summery romance set in Nantucket follows seventeen-year-old Abby Schoenberg as she uncovers a secret about her grandmother's life during WWII."

Raizel and Malya review "Jewish Summer Camp Mafia" a YA novel by Malina Saval.

Raizel and Malya continue to celebrate Pride Month with their review of Dahlia Adler's "Going Bicoastal."

"A queer Sliding Doors rom-com in which a girl must choose between summer in NYC with her dad (and the girl she's always wanted) or LA with her estranged mom (and the guy she never saw coming)."

It's Pride Month! Raizel and Malya are back to review Shira Glassman's "Knit One, Girl Two."

"Small-batch independent yarn dyer Clara Ziegler is eager to brainstorm new color combinations--if only she could come up with ideas she likes as much as last time! When she sees Danielle Solomon's paintings of Florida wildlife by chance at a neighborhood gallery, she finds her source of inspiration. Outspoken, passionate, and complicated, Danielle herself soon proves even more captivating than her artwork..."

Raizel and Malya discuss "The Matchmaker's Gift," a Jewish romance novel by Linda Cohen Loigman.

Raizel and Malya are back with a double header episode to interview matchmaker Aleeza Ben Shalom from the new Netflix reality series "Jewish Matchmaking."

Raizel and Malya interview cast member Dani Bergman from their new favorite Netflix reality series "Jewish Matchmaking."

Raizel and Malya discuss the first two episodes of the new Netflix reality series "Jewish Matchmaking."

Passover's over and Raizel and Malya are back to discuss Shira's Secret, a Jewish romance novel by Chaya T. Hirsch.

Raizel and Malya review "Dating The Other Daniel Cohen (The Girls In Apartment 5G Book 2)," a novel by KK Hendin.

Raizel and Malya review "The Purim Fling: A Novelette (Yom Tov Romance Book 1)" by Sara Marks.

"It’s not easy to find time for even a fun fling when you work three jobs and sleep in your childhood bedroom. Jenna is stuck. It’s been nine months since she graduated college and moved in with her parents. She hasn’t had a hint of romance for even longer. That changes when she meets Asher, who’s in town for a business meeting, at the Temple’s annual Singles Purim Party."

Raizel and Malya discuss "An Unorthodox Match" by Naomi Ragen. An Unorthodox Match is a powerful and moving novel of faith, love, and acceptance, from author Naomi Ragen, the international bestselling author of The Devil in Jerusalem.

Raizel and Malya discuss "Weather Girl" by Rachel Lynn Solomon, "A TV meteorologist and a sports reporter scheme to reunite their divorced bosses with unforecasted results in this charming romantic comedy from the author of The Ex Talk."

Raizel and Malya discuss "HOT Rabbi," a novel by Aviva Blakeman

Raizel and Malya interview special guest Felicia Berliner, author of "Shmutz: A Novel." In this witty, provocative, and “compulsively readable coming-of-age story” (Cosmopolitan), a young Hasidic woman on a quest to get married fears she will never find a groom because of her secret addiction to porn.

Raizel and Malya reminisce about their epic interview with Jonah Platt before discussing "Eight Nights of Flirting," a Young Adult book by Hannah Reynolds.

Raizel and Malya discuss romcom "Menorah in the Middle" with special guest and star of the movie Jonah Platt!

Raizel and Malya discuss the Hanukkah romance anthology "Burning Bright" with a novella by K.K. Hendin.

Raizel and Malya reunite on Zoom to discuss their newfound favorite book genre, the Hanukkah Romance Novel.