Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
Weight of Ink
Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
WINNER OF A NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD A USA TODAY BESTSELLER "A gifted writer, astonishingly adept at nuance, narration, and the politics of passion."--Toni Morrison Set in London of the 1660s and of the early twenty-first century, The Weight of Ink is the interwoven tale of two women of remarkable intellect: Ester Velasquez, an emigrant from Amsterdam who is permitted to scribe for a blind rabbi, just before the plague hits the city; and Helen Watt, an ailing historian with a love of Jewish history. When Helen is summoned by a former student to view a cache of newly discovered seventeenth-century Jewish documents, she enlists the help of Aaron Levy, an American graduate student as impatient as he is charming, and embarks on one last project: to determine the identity of the documents' scribe, the elusive "Aleph." Electrifying and ambitious, The Weight of Ink is about women separated by centuries--and the choices and sacrifices they must make in order to reconcile the life of the heart and mind.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
Pick icon
100%
review
ItsAnotherJen
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image
Pickpick

You have to be in the right frame of mind to delve into this chunky book. It was one of those that requires dedication and perseverance. It was rewarding, but not something I would recommend to just anyone. Ultimately I decided to give it 4 stars. The characters, their growth, the relationships..so good, but a lot of philosophy, religion, and history. *It did win the National Jewish Book Award.
I'm glad I read this, I learned so much.

mcctrish My MIL gave me this ( I‘m not sure she was a fan ) 2mo
ItsAnotherJen @mcctrish do you know if she read the whole book? It really took me a while to get into it 2mo
mcctrish I think it was for a book club so I think she did, she‘s not great at big stories with a big time investment and a lot of characters. She reads for a certain amount of time each day ( which is great) but she doesn‘t deviate so that‘s problematic with books that take time - she‘s loses the thread, wastes time with notes and spins her wheels 2mo
64 likes2 stack adds3 comments
review
Jas16
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image
Pickpick

This book sat on my shelves for too long because I was daunted by the size of it. I shouldn‘t have been concerned because I was easily drawn into the story and the pages flew by. It was an overly long parts but I didn‘t much mind. Two timelines, one modern with scholars rushing to discover the secrets held in a trove of newly discovered documents, and one set in the 1660s about a female scribe. I found it all fascinating. #24in2024

Reggie Hey Jennifer, just wanted to say thanks for the 2 packages. I read the Sebastian and loved it so much. You should have something early next week from me. Thanks again and I hope you feel ok. 4mo
Jas16 @Reggie So glad you loved it too! You very much did not have to send me anything. Please never feel obligated when I send random packages. Still on the mend here but getting better every day. Hope all is well with you. 4mo
Suet624 I was excited to see someone had read this. I thought it was quite good. 4mo
45 likes1 stack add3 comments
blurb
perfectsinner
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image

I've seen a lot about this book in some of my fb book groups 👀

jlhammar Read it with my book club a few years back. Really enjoyed it! 6mo
perfectsinner Nice! It's kinda slow but not bad so far. I'm 200 pages in 6mo
6 likes2 comments
review
Anna40
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image
Pickpick

Two timelines:London at the beginning of the 21st & London in the 17th century. Characters and story are imagined but historical events (Sabbatean movement, the pest) & philosophers are real and very well researched.I went back&forth btw loved,liked &disliked the book.But overall, I think combining history, Jewish thought&philosophy with an entertaining plot is an amazing achievement and the author rightly received the National Jewish Book Award.

lazydaizee Sounds like an interesting book. 8mo
Anna40 @lazydaizee yes, it is :) 8mo
30 likes2 comments
blurb
bookishbitch
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image

I picked this one up today too. It has deckled edges which I love, but others might want a warning about.

Lindy Deckle edge fan here 🙋‍♀️ 2y
19 likes1 comment
review
WorldsOkayestStepMom
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image
Pickpick

A beautiful story of a female Jewish scribe in the 1600s who grapples with philosophical questions and stops at nothing to find answers. This is a dual timeline book, so it also follows Helen Watt and Aaron Levy, historians, as they uncover letters and documents written by the scribe.

49 likes1 stack add
review
Kangaj1
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image
Mehso-so

Just finished my last fall book for #booked2021 @Cinfhen @4thhouseontheleft @BarbaraTheBibliophage

Jewish author - tagged book
Characters are frenemies - Local Woman Missing
Book of poetry - You Can Not Burn the Sun
#HiddenGem - Admissions: A Memoir of Surviving Boarding School
New in 2021 - Cloud Cuckoo Land
Heart in title - The Heart's Invisible Furies

BarbaraTheBibliophage Wonderful!! Congrats! 👊🏻 3y
Cinfhen I was meh about this book too!! My bookclub loved it, I thought it was too long. Anyway, Woohoo 🙌🏻 Congrats on completing your final quarter of #Booked2021
♥️🎊♥️ here‘s the link for the drawing 😁Good luck 🍀

https://forms.gle/dsgdzAv3TxV79wbMA
3y
24 likes1 stack add2 comments
blurb
Conservio
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image

I just meant to see if there was a book on hold… #haul #library #toomanybooks #notenoughtime

14 likes1 stack add
blurb
Caterina
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image

My #20in4 #Readathon went well! I finished 2 audiobooks, started listening to The Weight of Ink in addition to reading it in print, and read a few pages of A Psalm for the Wild-Built with #Pippin at my side on my one day off. I haven't had much energy or time for reading in print, but my commute gives me 3 hours of reading time a day! I got 10 hours in this readathon. 😊 #20in4Readathon @Andrew65 #DogsOfLitsy #BostonTerriersOfLitsy

Andrew65 Brilliant, thanks for playing along 👏👏👏🙌🥳😍 3y
30 likes1 comment
quote
Pinta
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image

546 He‘d always pitied those ensnared in the time periods he studied—people captured in resin, their fates sealed by their inability to see what was coming. The greatest curse, he‘d thought, was to be stuck in one‘s own time—and the greatest power was to see beyond its horizons. Studying history had given him the illusion of observing safely from outside the trap. Only that‘s what the world was: a trap […] And what you did within it was your life.

review
Pinta
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image
Pickpick

Who knew an academic rivalry could = such suspense? Masterfully interwoven stories of historian Helen Watt & her lost but charming grad student as they research a trove of 17th century Jewish documents. Long? Yes. But so many threads & voices resonating across eras.Tough history: Inquisition, plague, Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Historical fic at its best: sophisticated structure, perfect sentences, memorable characters, impeccable research. 2017

megnews I‘ve had this in my tbr so long. I‘m so intimidated by the length. 3y
Pinta I hear you! My copy was a Christmas present. It‘s an investment for sure! But the writing is so fluid and the characters so engaging it goes by quicker than you think. Something for the head, something for the heart. A pretty remarkable book. 3y
16 likes4 stack adds2 comments
blurb
Caterina
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image

When you can't pick just one book for a video call reading date 😍 (I ended up reading from the tagged for this particular date!) @CounterfeitNickel

Have any of y'all read The Weight of Ink? It's my church's book club pick for August, which will be the only meeting I've been able to make since 2019 and will be the only one I can make for the foreseeable future. I'm reading it mostly to connect with them!

Butterfinger I loved it. I never heard of Spinoza till I read this book. Or Masada. I can't wait to hear your thoughts. 3y
39 likes2 comments
quote
CindiB
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish

... in the biting hush of ink on paper ....

Oh my, that is gorgeous

review
bookandbedandtea
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image
Mehso-so

This was full of interesting history but unlikable people. In places it felt too long but I don't know what I would cut.

Ruthiella I would have cut the male grad student‘s emails to his girlfriend. They were just there for info-dumps IMO and their relationship unnecessary. Overall I liked this book, but agree it‘s a little over-stuffed. 😀 4y
bookandbedandtea @Ruthiella I agree with you that the "girlfriend" storyline was completely unnecessary and that the info could have been imparted differently. Maybe the Easton's could have exhibited some understandable curiosity about the documents found in their house! I feel that some of Ester's story could have been streamlined also. 4y
Suet624 I remember thinking this book felt unnecessarily long. 3y
34 likes1 stack add3 comments
review
Suet624
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image
Pickpick

This novel covered a lot of ground. Life and societal requirements of the 1660‘s, the plague, and a young woman‘s drive to converse with philosophers (Spinoza in particular) about God. This story progresses alongside the story of the historians who try to discover the scribe of the rabbi who has been writing the documents they‘ve found. At almost 600 pages it feels a bit too long, but it‘s immersive and very well written.

BarbaraBB It does sound challenging! 4y
Suet624 @BarbaraBB I‘m happy I read it and I‘m happy to have finished it. I think it‘s going to cook in my brain a bit and passages will come back to me unexpectedly over the months and years to come. 4y
63 likes2 comments
blurb
Suet624
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image

This book has been waving to me from my stack of books for at least 2 years. Despite really wanting to read it, I kept postponing. Today is the day!!! I‘m going in.

Crazeedi Oh this was a really good book, enjoy. Cant wait to hear your opinion 4y
Suet624 @Crazeedi I‘m so glad you enjoyed it. It‘s pulling me in already. 4y
Redwritinghood Same here, although I probably won‘t get to start it today. I hope you enjoy it! 4y
Suet624 @Redwritinghood Thank you. What is it about postponing delight? 🙂 4y
Redwritinghood @Suet624 Too many books, not enough time! 4y
69 likes1 stack add5 comments
review
amyf0x
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image
Pickpick

Historian Heather and her grad student Aaron find the papers of a rabbi in 17th-century in London, unearthing the extraordinary story of Ester, the Portuguese Jew who was the rabbi‘s scribe and who developed a philosophy of her own.

Read February 14-23
Rated 4.5/5 ⭐️
Book 12/60

blurb
MargaretPinardAuthor
Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image

Not even halfway through and the multiple storylines are kicking my ass. Language so beautiful, pathos so tight—UGHHHH.

BusyBookmark Loved this book!! 5y
MargaretPinardAuthor @BusyBookmark me too! I tried to make it last but read the last chunk without being able to stop. So beautifully balanced 💗I would LOVE to write so@etching at this level #justkeepwriting 🤗 5y
BusyBookmark A true work of art, @MargaretPinardAuthor !! 5y
19 likes1 stack add3 comments
review
LapReader
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image
Pickpick

No. 1 step daughter came in with a cup of Earl Grey and gave me some time to read in peace while they made pancakes. Happy Mother‘s Day to all you Mother ducks out there. Especially to @Freespirit who chose this book that I adore.

Freespirit A wonderful Mother‘s Day to you Allissa 😘😘💐so pleased you are enjoying The Weight of Ink.. I worried that it was too heavy going 📚 5y
LiteraryinPA Sounds wonderful! 5y
Sarz Happy Mother's Day! I haven't received the next book yet. When did you send it? I know there are some delays with the post at the moment, but should I be worried? 5y
BusyBookmark This book was soooo good! 5y
59 likes5 comments
blurb
MargaretPinardAuthor
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image

Oh, my.
I don‘t think I‘ve ever come across a better description of what it feels like to be a lover of history, to feel it in your bones, that excitable frisson of discovery, of listening. Gorgeous! And only on page 16!
#dualnarrative #17thc #histfic #jewish #femaleprotagonist

megnews As a lover of history and historical fiction with dual timelines myself, I‘ve had this on my tbr for awhile. Love to hear it get such high praise at only page 16. Moving up my tbr! 5y
MargaretPinardAuthor Yes!! Ammon p174 and still good!! 🥰 5y
17 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
Freespirit
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image
Pickpick

Finally finished my Litsy postal markup pick! Sorry @LapReader @thegreensofa @Sarz for the delay. I will pop it in the post tomorrow after work.
I did very much enjoy this story of a young Jewish girl in 1600 plague ridden London and Helen and Aaron who discover her secrets. It‘s a long story, but worth persevering!
Now onto The Book of Days to try to catch up !!

blurb
Freespirit
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image

Thank you @julesG for tagging me😘
1. Dark Emu- important read
2. The Count of Monte Christo - one of many
3. Abbeys bookstore Sydney, Aus
4. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins❤️
5. Rebecca by Daphne de Maurier
6. The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd
7. Prince Edward Is - with Anne of Green Gables
8. Lanny- loved it💕
9. 60 books on Goodreads🙏🏼
10. My verandah looking over my garden🌺
11. The Magic Faraway Tree 🌲
12. @KendallHershey @Nute 😘😘

CarolynM I love Abbey's too🙂 5y
Freespirit I spend at least an hour there whenever I am in Sydney @CarolynM - hubby heads next door to Red Eye Records💕 5y
Centique OMG I can‘t believe I didn‘t answer Prince Edward Island when I did this quiz! Perfect answer 🙌🙌 5y
Freespirit One of my all time favourite book sets @Centique I must of read it 20 times. 5y
38 likes4 comments
review
CaitlinR
Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image
Pickpick

What a lovely, thoughtful book. Set alternately in the 17th and the 21st Centuries, we are told the story of Ester Velasquez, a remarkable intellectual in an era when her gifts remarkable and dangerous. We see her through the eyes of historian Helen Watt who, working with a student Aaron Levy, discover her papers. Both are profoundly changed by what they learn.

Highly recommended. I‘m so glad to have found it on Libby;and so glad to have Libby!

blurb
Freespirit
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image

Hello to my lovely Litsy friends. My apologies for being absent these past few weeks and possibly over the next few weeks. I am thinking of you and sending hugs and positive thoughts to everyone as we deal with Covid 19.
This pic is my special area in our loft where I sew, paint, read and think❤️ As an ICU nurse working full time and often overtime I won‘t be tucked away in it as much as I would like. Stay safe everyone. Wash your hands✌🏼🤗

Tanisha_A That looks lovely. You take care. ❤️ 5y
CarolynM How wonderful! I hope you get a bit of time for self care💕 5y
JennyM Sending you much love. Look after yourself Hugs 🤗 5y
See All 26 Comments
LeeRHarry Take care, ICU nurses are gold! 💕 5y
erzascarletbookgasm ❤️ to you, and may you find time to de-stress yourself. Take care! 5y
Freespirit Thanks @Tanisha_A you take care too😘 5y
Freespirit I always feel better after a few hours of crafting @CarolynM ❤️ 5y
Freespirit Hi @JennyM I hope you are ok up north. Sending hugs back to you😘❤️ 5y
TrishB Thanks for all you do Sally ❤️ take care. You‘re all heroes. 5y
Freespirit Thanks @LeeRHarry 😘😘 5y
Freespirit You take care too @erzascarletbookgasm 😘Hope you are ok 5y
Freespirit Hi @TrishB how are things in the UK? I am thinking of you 😘😘 5y
batsy Your work is so important! Thank you. Take care ❤️ 5y
Freespirit Hi @batsy hope all is well with you. Thank you😘 5y
Lindy 🤗🤗🤗 5y
Scochrane26 Love the painting. Take care & thank you! 5y
BookwormM Thank you for all you do for everyone else xxx 5y
Freespirit Thanks @Lindy @Scochrane26 @BookwormM hope all is well with you😘 5y
TrishB Hope you‘re keeping safe on the front line ❤️ 5y
Freespirit Thanks @TrishB all good...still in early stages here. At work lots of preparation and education happening😘 5y
CarolynM Hi Sally👋 Just wanted to check in with you. I expect you're busy and preoccupied with work. Hope all is well otherwise. I was thinking of you so tagged you for a game but please don't feel obliged. Sending love and hugs😘🤗 5y
Freespirit Thanks @CarolynM for checking. I am preoccupied with work, planning and educating re COVID. My reading has been terrible this year😢 very slow...I miss my Litsy friends. How are you going? Can you work from home? 5y
CarolynM I can't really complain, we are all well and still getting along with each other. My daughter is having a few issues adjusting to on-line study but she will get there. What work I do is for my husband's business and I can do it from home, but the current situation means a significant slowdown for him, at least in these first few weeks. Fingers crossed there will be opportunities for work once things settle. Stay well and stay in touch 😘 5y
Freespirit I will @CarolynM stay well too😘😘 5y
Buechersuechtling I didn‘t look closely at your profile before sending this comment, but I would guess that we live on different continents, but anyway (or maybe better: because), thank you, that you go out there every day and try and do your best to cope with the current situation. I hope that you are supplied sufficiently by your employer, and that you keep staying safe, healthy and in an as good mood as possible. 🤗 5y
Freespirit Thank you so much @Buechersuechtling 😘I am in Australia where we have had the benefit of learning lessons from other countries. We do have a very robust public health system here which will be tested but we have had some time to prepare. I work in a 16 bed ICU and we have the capacity to go to 30 beds. Where are you? I hope you are staying well🙏🏼 5y
45 likes26 comments
blurb
Freespirit
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image

Hi Aussie group @LapReader @Sarz @thegreensofa I have received my latest book purchases and just wanted to check that my choice for #LMPBC The Weight of Ink is ok with you. It‘s 560 pages. I‘m conscious we all have busy lives and this may not be do-able. My other alternatives are Night ( Nobel peace prize winner) and Ghost Wall... all sound excellent and the last 2 are less than 150pages each.
Let me know what you think😘😘😘

LapReader Love the sound of all of them. 5y
Sarz More than happy with The Weight of Ink if that's your pick! Not concerned about the length at all. In relation to the others, Night has been on my TBR forever!! And I read Ghost Wall at the start of the year. 5y
thegreensofa I‘m happy too, looking forward to it! 😊👍🏻📚 5y
46 likes1 stack add4 comments
blurb
kspenmoll
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image

#LitsyLove #LitsyBirthdayLove

When I arrived home today, a box greeted me on my doorstep. Thank you Diane for you thoughtful birthday gift! It was completely unexpected! ❤️❤️

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks ❤️❤️❤️ 5y
Crazeedi Don't you love surprises?? Happy birthday on Sunday Katherine! 5y
Crazeedi I hope you haven't read the book, I saw it on your Litsy tbr 5y
kspenmoll @Crazeedi I have not read it- am so excited! Thank you!!! 5y
Suet624 I have that book waiting for me to read as well. 5y
54 likes5 comments
review
KimM
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image
Pickpick

Historical fiction with a subtle mystery. It was good but a bit metaphor-heavy and tedious at times. I'll make it a pick since I learned a lot about the 17th century Jewish community in England. 3.5 ⭐s

review
Lorinew1
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
Pickpick

I enjoyed the book a lot, even though it was a pretty slow read. Mostly because I had to stop and look up so many things about history that I wasn‘t familiar with. That‘s a good thing, but it slow down the reading and this was a pretty long book to start with. Overall the plot was good and most of the characters were well developed.

quote
LiterRohde
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image

“People go through life trying to please some audience. But once you realize there‘s no audience, life is simple. It‘s just doing what you know in your gut is right.”

#QuotsyJan20 | 06: #Weight

📷: Made with Typorama

TheBookAddict So true. 5y
Crazeedi This book was soooo good 5y
65 likes2 comments
blurb
PatriciaU
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image

Absolutely love my #LGPOG #secretsanta package from @cupofjo! Jodi, you are amazing and generous. Love this group! Thanks to @bookworm83 for organizing again this year! Merry Holidays to everyone!

umbrellagirl Merry Christmas 🎄🎄 5y
Bookworm83 Weight of Ink is on my TBR 🥰 You‘re welcome!! Say hi to Chester for me and happy holidays! 5y
PatriciaU Chester ate well yesterday and pretty much behaved himself, although there was a brief incident with the trash can after dinner. 5y
47 likes3 comments
review
Nitpickyabouttrains
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image
Pickpick

Extremely interesting historical fiction. Documents are discovered in a house in England. The book jumps back and forth between the people doing research and learning about what happened and the past when the letters and documents were written.

Crazeedi This was a great book! I really enjoyed! 5y
28 likes2 stack adds1 comment
blurb
Cinfhen
Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image

Can‘t believe it‘s the final day of #wanderingJune 😱I enjoyed traveling the globe with all of you awesome Littens & special thanks to my amazing cohost @barbarabb for such a great playlist 🎶♥️Don‘t forget tomorrow is #LilithJuly with the delightful @KarenUK ☮️💟☯️ I read the tagged book for IRL bookclub which takes place in 1600‘s #Amsterdam & in contemporary UK - a story of buried manuscripts & the secrets they hold. Philosophical & detailed!

BarbaraBB Thank you Cindy, for having me as your co-host. It has been so much fun again! 💜 5y
Velvetfur That book sounds so good - stacked! 5y
Cinfhen Always a pleasure @BarbaraBB 😘😘😘😘 5y
Crazeedi This was a great book! 5y
Cinfhen My bookclub ladies LOVED this book @Velvetfur @Crazeedi I thought it was a bit too long!!!!! But the amount of research & detail was pretty amazing 5y
106 likes5 stack adds5 comments
review
NEgardener
Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
Pickpick

The author must have spent a decade researching this book. It was so interesting & dense that I was grateful I read it on my kindle so I could look up words as I read it. Had I known what a challenge it would be I might not have picked it up when I did. It was a fascinating glimpse into 15th century Europe & the Jewish experience. An incredible story. Definitely read it, but make sure you have the brain power available because it‘s rich & complex!

Lynnsoprano This has been one of my favorite books ever. 5y
10 likes2 stack adds1 comment
review
Bevita
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image
Pickpick

I loved this book, hated for it to end. Two parallel stories about a girl who is the scribe for a blind rabbi in London in the 1600s and the researchers who find the writings. So many things I didn‘t know about Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews, the plague, etc. Just terrific.

4 likes1 stack add
review
JulAnna
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image
Mehso-so

I wish I loved this, but it felt too long. I enjoyed the back and forth between the 17th century and present; I liked the storyline of historical writings; I loved the strong female characters. However, the book felt too long and there was just too much philosophical detail.

Cinfhen Yes, Yes and Yes!!!! Most of my bookclub loved this book but it was a little overdone IMO. Not sure I‘d recommend it, would you??? 6y
Crazeedi I truly enjoyed this book! 6y
JulAnna @Cinfhen As always, it would depend on the person asking, but overall I would NOT recommend without a (strong) warning about the philosophical sections. ☺️ 6y
30 likes3 comments
blurb
megnews
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image

This has been on my #tbr since prior to its publication but at 560 pages it may be awhile before I get to it.

#theweight #timbittunes

Crazeedi This book is awesome 6y
Cinfhen Just read this for IRL bookclub! Majority loved it, I just felt #TheWeight of the pages 😜But it‘s really beautifully done 6y
LiterRohde I loved Possession by A. S. Byatt. I think I might give this one a try. Stacked. 6y
28 likes2 stack adds3 comments
blurb
arlenefinnigan
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image
Cinfhen I just read this for IRL bookclub. The ladies LOVED it but I thought it was a bit too much. There was a lot of attention to detail and the story had multiple threads. Credit to Rachel Kadish for bringing them all together and creating a real tapestry. Very interesting, especially if you like historical fiction 6y
LiterRohde “Detail. I don‘t like detail,” says the man who just spent an hour crafting his post for this prompt. 🙄 But it‘s so much fun, even if no one gets it, or parts of it. 😁 6y
38 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
tricours
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image
Mehso-so

This book was just a bit too much. The Ester story would have sufficed; the modern day academia rivalry, the young scholar and his love life and relationship to Helen was just too much, too many stories to finish. I didn‘t care much for any of the characters except for Ester, so I would have struggled to finish this if it hadn‘t been an audiobook.

review
Cinfhen
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image
Mehso-so

This book was a bit of a chore. I appreciate the vast research & amount of time Rachel Kadish poured into writing this book. The time period was fascinating, but it was a bit too slow of a buildup for me. I think some editing would have made a difference. Had this not been for bookclub I‘m pretty sure this book would have ended up in #hibernation 🐻 It‘s a so-so do to length, the writing skills and attention to detail are well crafted.

Cinfhen See @BarbaraBB cover isn‘t sooo drab...💜 6y
BarbaraBB Oh you‘re right, that other half is better 💜 6y
Reviewsbylola This one‘s pretty long too isn‘t it? It‘s been on my TBR for awhile but something has been putting me off. 6y
See All 14 Comments
Cathythoughts My IRL Bookclub really helps me finish some books & im so grateful, because they are so good. Other times , I‘m not so grateful ( a chore ) 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️ 6y
Cinfhen Almost 600 pages @Reviewsbylola which was 300 too many 😜 6y
Cinfhen I‘m sure we will have a lively discussion @Cathythoughts but lately our IRL bookclub picks haven‘t been real favorites of mine. With all the books I want to read, I sometimes struggle with bookclub books. 6y
Mdargusch I agree @Cinfhen - next month my book club picked Leadership and I‘m absolutely dreading it. Ugh. 😑 6y
Reviewsbylola Lol will you read it?! @Mdargusch 6y
Cinfhen The truth is, I do love my bookclub @Mdargusch I‘m just NOT LOVING the books😂and since we are a small group ( only 5 of us) I feel like I can‘t bail on every book that bores me. I usually find that after the meeting I have a better appreciation for the book. 6y
Mdargusch I bought it, so that‘s my incentive to at least try it @Reviewsbylola 😁 6y
Mdargusch I read about 90% of my book club books and only attend about 30% of the meetings. I‘m usually out of town. But I‘d say I read more of the books than most of the other members @Cinfhen 🤷🏼‍♀️ 6y
Cinfhen In my previous bookclub I‘d say only 3% of us read the book and the others all showed up to be social and it was annoying 😠so now in our smaller bookclub @Mdargusch we each take turns leading the discussions & we all take our reading seriously (which I appreciate) but yea... it‘s annoying to read a book you have zero interest in reading😞🤪the next 3 should be better. I suggested all of them 😜😜Christodora, Kindred & 6y
Mdargusch I hate to suggest books because I‘m crushed when people don‘t like them. 🤣 6y
JulAnna I just finished this and feel much the same way as you did! Too long! 6y
130 likes1 stack add14 comments
blurb
Cinfhen
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image

It took more than 200 pages for this book (for my IRL bookclub) to finally hold my interest and now at page 325 I‘m having a hard time putting it down. Hopefully it continues to captivate me.

tpixie Lovely drink 6y
Mc_cart_ny Sounds very interesting!! 6y
GatheringBooks i love stories like these that blindside the reader. 💕🧚🏼‍♀️📚 6y
See All 19 Comments
Tex2Flo That‘s a long time to get going. Don‘t know that I would have held out without the IRL club to push me. Breathless to see your final review. 6y
BarbaraBB That cover is not really appealing! 6y
JamieArc This is why I have such a hard time and never DNF, because I‘m always waiting for that moment for a story to really grab on to me, and usually it does. There‘s only been a handful of books throughout my life that weren‘t worth holding out for that moment. 6y
AlaMich I enjoyed this one very much. It reminded me of 6y
AlaMich It‘s hard to conceive of how torturous it must have been for women who wanted to have some kind of intellectual life but were so constrained by the circumstances they were born into. 6y
Cinfhen Well, right after I posted this pic I literally took a 4 hour nap @Mc_cart_ny @GatheringBooks @Tex2Flo @tpixie @JamieArc so I guess it wasn‘t THAT captivating 😂😂😂but in honesty it was a very slow buildup although it seems it will be worth the effort. Had it not been for bookclub I probably would have bailed or at least put this book in #hibernation 🐻 6y
Cinfhen Actually the pretty part of the cover got cut off @BarbaraBB it‘s not totally drab!!! 6y
Cinfhen I can‘t imagine @AlaMich what that must have been like, either!! The author really did a tremendous amount of research to bring the 1600s to life. And her knowledge of philosophers, Rabbis and even Shakespeare is super impressive. 6y
Cinfhen Thanks for the recommendation @AlaMich I‘ve seen the title before but never really knew much about it! 6y
Cinfhen Haha, I just noticed the book‘s blurb references The Possession @AlaMich 6y
TrishB I‘m jealous of the 4 hour nap!! I‘ve been familying!! Lunch with sisters.... 6y
Cinfhen I‘m jealous of sister time!!! Enjoy!!!!! But my nap was pretty blissful 😜 @TrishB 6y
tpixie @TrishB ♥️sisters 6y
LeahBergen I still want to read this one! 👍🏻 6y
154 likes9 stack adds19 comments
blurb
Cinfhen
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image

Reading for my IRL bookclub. I‘ve heard nothing but good things about this book but so far after 100 pages, I‘m still just meh. Two of the bookclub ladies have already said it‘s a five star read so I‘m hoping it‘ll turn around for me. I did meet the author with @DivineDiana in NYC last March & she was bright, humble and very personable. She said it took her 10 years to write this novel bc of all the historical accuracy and detail. I see that 😊

Tanisha_A This photograph! 💚 6y
Cinfhen Thanks @Tanisha_A nothing like some fresh flowers to brighten a day 🌸🌷 6y
Cathythoughts Sounds interesting.... look forward to your thoughts 6y
See All 15 Comments
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Wow!! Ten years!! 6y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Oh and beautiful flowers 💜💜💜 6y
Cinfhen Thanks @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 😘😘😘I‘ll let you know @Cathythoughts 6y
TrishB See if it comes good 👍🏻 6y
BarbaraBB I have this feeling you‘ve often a different opinion from your book club friends, or am I wrong? 6y
DivineDiana I am glad you are reading it! I bought the book, and wanted to suggest for my IRL Book Club, so I would have to read it! The author was impressive! She sold me on the story! Can‘t wait for your review! 😘 (edited) 6y
Mdargusch I can‘t wait to see your review. I‘m intrigued. 💗💗💗 your photo! 6y
Cinfhen Yes, it‘s true @BarbaraBB I‘m pretty much the odd one out in my IRL book club. 😂😂😂But even my none book club friends have loved this book. Im hoping it picks up @DivineDiana because I agree the author was so charming. (edited) 6y
Cinfhen I‘ll keep you posted @TrishB @Mdargusch 😘 6y
emilyhaldi Good luck! Just reading the litsy book summary was a lot for me 🤯😆 6y
Cinfhen Haha @emilyhaldi that‘s kind of how I‘m feeling 🙄😬 6y
Suet624 Gorgeous photo! 6y
142 likes3 stack adds15 comments
blurb
BookishMarginalia
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image

Thank you, @Lynnsoprano — this is such a nice #KindLitsy surprise! I know I am going to enjoy this one so much 💜💜💜

Lynnsoprano It was one of my favorites this year. Enjoy! 6y
BookishMarginalia @Lynnsoprano It ticks all by boxes, so I‘m sure I will! 💜 6y
AlaMich I read this in 2018 and really enjoyed it. Even though it‘s set in the 17th century, in some places and in some cultures, things have not changed for women. At all. 6y
118 likes5 stack adds3 comments
blurb
tjwill
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image

I got these two from Audible‘s 2-for-1 sale.

48 likes1 comment
review
MommyWantsToReadHerBook
The Weight of Ink | Rachel Kadish
post image
Pickpick

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I bought this book on the high recommendation of @REPollock and I concur - an amazing book, one of the very best I read in 2018! I love theology and philosophy and am fascinated by the history of the Jews, so this book had it all for me. The imagined writings are just exquisitely done, the historical atmosphere tangible. In my opinion, a masterpiece and an amazing womanist/feminist novel.

76 likes3 stack adds