Book picks similar to
Good If It Goes by Gary Provost


90s-nostalgia
basketball
for-children
jewish

Hot Rod


Henry Gregor Felsen - 1950
    Written in 1950, this book gives an historical look at the dangers of teens and reckless driving. After WWII, cars became more accessible, and teens were now hitting the roads for excitement. Many horrific accidents occurred all over the country. Felsen was specifically approached to write a book about the dangers of teen drivers. Bud Crayne was the typical tough guy with a chip on his shoulder. Dressed in a black leather jacket, black boots, and blue jeans, he was not the clean cut kid. Adults cursed him, while teens admired him. He drove fast and wild. His idea was to "drive your way out" of any trouble. While it worked for Bud, others weren't as fortunate. A couple of horrific wrecks make him question his need for speed. Stephen King, when interviewed for an article called Reading While Famous, named Felsen as one of four authors who most influenced him when he was young. He actually used Hot Rod and Henry Gregor Felsen as a book Ben Hanscom was reading in the book "It."

The Reluctant Vampire


Eric Morecambe - 1982
    With illustrations by Tony Ross, this re-issue is sure to delight.A tale about an extremely unconventional vampire. This tale of laughter and ghoulish horror for seven and eight year-olds is sure to delight. Here, Eric Morecambe’s customary humour is employed for a young audience.

The Skook


J.P. Miller - 1984
    Fleeing from a motorcycle gang, alienated, middle-aged Spanish Barrman escapes into a hidden cave and finds himself entombed in an underground labyrinth inhabited by the wondrous Skook.

The Last Good Chance


Tom Barbash - 2002
    His friend, Steven Turner is the Brooklyn-born local reporter who will bear witness to the city's successes and failures. Between them come Jack's beautiful fiancee Anne--an artist with secrets of her own - and his undisciplined brother Harris, hired by Jack to remove the suspicious barrels of waste from Lakeland's broken heart.As the town struggles to find a new identity, these four characters must find their way through their own unexpected transformations and along the way attempt to answer the questions that plague us all: what is the price of loyalty, filialty, goodness and love?

How I Came Into My Inheritance: And Other True Stories


Dorothy Gallagher - 2001
    Nothing she invented, however, could rival the facts surrounding her own family.In a singular voice–intimate, fierce, hilarious–Gallagher takes you into the heart of her Russian Jewish heritage with stories as elegant and stylish as fiction. From the wrenching last stages of her parents’ lives, Gallagher moves back through time: to her parents’ beginnings, the adventures of her extended family, and the communist ideology to which they cling. Her aunt Lily sells lingerie to prostitutes; a family friend is found murdered in a bathtub; her cousin Meyer returns to the Ukraine to find his village near death from starvation; and a young Gallagher endures sessions in self-criticism at a Workers’ Children’s camp. Together these episodes tell the larger story of a generation living through tumultuous history, and record the acts of loving defiance of a daughter on her path to independence. From the Trade Paperback edition.

Supercute Futures


Martin Millar - 2018
    They founded the global business Supercute Enterprises as teenagers, armed only with a phone, a collection of their favourite cuddly toys and a love of all things kawaii. Thanks to them, the Supercute aesthetic is now a way of life.In a world dominated by massive conglomerates, Supercute has continued to grow bigger and more powerful, morphing from an entertainment company to a ruthless organisation fighting for their right to the world's water.Now Mox and Mitsu face a choice. In a world that is tearing itself apart, who will win in the battle for ultimate control - and where will Supercute draw the line . . .

Exodus, Revisited: My Unorthodox Journey to Berlin


Deborah Feldman - 2021
    She was determined to find a better life for herself, away from the oppression and isolation of her Satmar upbringing in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. And in Exodus, Revisited she delves into what happened next--taking the reader on a journey that starts with her beginning life anew as a single mother, a religious refugee, and an independent woman in search of a place and a community where she can belong. Originally published in 2014, Deborah has now revisited and significantly expanded her story, and the result is greater insight into her quest to discover herself and the true meaning of home. Travels that start with making her way in New York expand into an exploration of America and eventually lead to trips across Europe to retrace her grandmother's life during the Holocaust, before she finds a landing place in the unlikeliest of cities. Exodus, Revisited is a deeply moving examination of the nature of memory and generational trauma, and of reconciliation with both yourself and the world.

The Heritage: A Jewish Historical Fiction Novel


Jack Michonik - 2015
    Thousands of Jewish families are forced to flee poverty and anti-Semitism in Eastern Europe. Fate takes two families to the magical continent of South America, which opens its generous arms to them. Many surprises await the immigrants in the New World. In this exciting story of their lives from their early teens in the “shtetl” to leisurely musings of middle age, we see the hardships immigrants face in the long journey to America, the complex process of adaptation to an unfamiliar environment and the phenomenal development of their businesses. Parallel to the story of the main characters, another story emerges: that of the birth of a typical Jewish community within a Christian city. Translated from the original Spanish book, La Descendencia, The Heritage is peppered with reflections on religion and historical events of the time regarding the Jews and the state of Israel. Throughout the narrative, the author captivates us with a fascinating story of overcoming, human conflicts and addresses issues of assimilation and identity. Though not an autobiographical novel, it could be the story of the parents or grandparents of any Jew from Central or South America. The author preferred to use a fictional provincial capital of Latin American so that the reader can recognize the history of his or her own Jewish community, as all Jewish communities in Latin America came into being in an almost identical manner.

Cuts


Malcolm Bradbury - 1987
    And in the great glass tower of Eldorado TV they are getting ready to cut and edit a major series that will outshine "Brideshead" and "The Jewel in the Crown".

The Bamboo Cradle


Avraham Schwartzbaum - 1988
    An absorbing, true story to read and re-read.

Do Not Resuscitate


Nicholas Ponticello - 2015
    Gone. Finished. Kaput. But on the eve of his seventy-third birthday, his daughter suggests he have his brain downloaded to a microchip for safekeeping, and Jim is forced to consider what it really means to die—and what it might mean to live forever. Recipient of the 2015 Green Book Festival honorable mention in fiction and semi-finalist in the 2015 Kindle Book Awards, Do Not Resuscitate is the firsthand account of Jim Frost, an aging misanthropist who witnessed the rise and fall of the United States as a world power, the digitalization of the planet, the advent of the water wars, and the near collapse of the global economy. Yet he remains impervious to it all. Concerned more with his plasma TV, high-speed Internet, and continual supply of hash, twentysomething Jim takes an under-the-table job off Craigslist delivering mysterious red coolers to strangers in cafés in an effort to pay the bills. But when Jim’s enigmatic employer asks him to fly to North Korea for a delivery, Jim starts to wonder what he’s gotten himself into.

The Girl on the Train


Rachel Wagstaff - 2018
    Her only escape is the perfect couple she watches through the train window every day, happy and in love. Or so it appears. When Rachel learns that the woman she's been secretly watching has suddenly disappeared, she finds herself as a witness and even a suspect in a thrilling mystery in which she will face bigger revelations than she could ever have anticipated.Adapted from Paula Hawkins' novel - an international phenomenon selling over twenty million copies worldwide - this gripping new play will keep you guessing until the final moment.

Mercy, Alabama


Heather L. Mattern - 2012
    Set predominantly in the sanctuary of a small southern town in the 1960's, Mercy, Alabama spans decades and states to probe a buried but unsettled past plagued with mistrust and tainted by an unresolved murder. It explores the choices that define us, the nature of forgiveness, and the frailty of human connections in the face of disaster.

Lost in the Wilderness


Mair Rubin - 2015
    The men who live through the plane crash must make their way toward the mountains separating NWT from the Yukon Territory while surviving off the land, facing tragedy and the wild, and uncompromising land and animals they come across. This is a story of extreme survival, and a rescue attempt that is beyond belief.

Spotlight Investigations: The Complete Series


Harper Maguire - 2019
    But there he is, sexy as ever, sitting at her table. He’s even got a pretty impressive job; security guard to the stars. Wishing her writing career that she always dreamed of had ever taken off, Rachel concocts a plan. What if she can use some of Jayden’s insider information to write a bestselling book? She’ll only have to use him a little bit to get what she needs, what harm can there be? Except she never expected to begin to fall for him again…when she does can she still go through with her plan? Part 2 Max is the carefree younger brother of broken hearted Reid. He tries to keep his sarcasm in check and his jokes on point. Very little could ever get in the way of his jovial mood. Except the assignment Salvatore just gave him. Max’s new long term job is to work security for a pop-up fashion boutique series, which doesn’t sound all that bad if the pop-ups weren’t being opened by the one person he can’t stand - Reid’s ex-girlfriend Hannah. As he expects the two can’t seem to get along, there’s fireworks as usual when they’re around each other as they fight. But soon those fireworks turn from fighting into passion and something that could ruin his relationship with his brother forever. Part 3 Heartbroken after his breakup with Hannah, and confused by his brother’s new relationship with her, Reid has decided that romance isn’t in the cards. Not unless it's truly real. But does that even exist? He’s challenged by his new job from Spotlight, guarding the infamous and gorgeous Jennifer White from her wreck of an ex-boyfriend, also infamous Ian. How can Reid keep her protected from her ex when she is required to keep up appearances with Ian for publicity of their new movie? And what is he supposed to do when he believes that what he feels for her is real, but she’s too tied up with another man? Part 4 As the only female guard at Spotlight, Ireland has her work cut out for her among the boys, but this girl can hold her own. Her newest job is to help protect child star Kelly while she’s at school as there seems to be a stalker on the loose. Until she’s safe, Ireland will be reporting to elementary school every day to watch this spunky little girl. It seems like an easy task, though reliving the memories of her childhood feels haunting, Ireland tries to stay focused. But it’s hard to stay focused when Kelly’s newly single father is just so irresistible. Part 5 Salvatore has never recovered from the pain of his little sister’s unsolved murder when he was only a kid, and that’s why he began Spotlight to begin with. As new information comes to light for the police, her cold case is reopened, and with it all of Salvatore’s wounds. One misstep has landed him in court ordered counseling where he can’t stop fighting with his perky, perfect blonde counselor Ginny. Salvatore has a past he has to deal with and a future he needs to begin to make. If only he could stop fighting with, or kissing, his counselor, maybe he could find a way to work through his pain and see there’s more to the world.