We call ourselves “People of the Book” because of the commandment that every Jew study Torah. Over generations, this moniker has also come to signify a more general esteem for books and learning. The metaphor of the book so permeates our identity that during this High Holiday season, we greet each other with the words, “May you be inscribed in the Book of Life for a good year.”
Whether we read for study, pleasure or self-improvement, to imagine or to remember, what we read matters. Books inspire, inform — and launch readers in new directions. This year, when we wish “L’shana tova!” to our family and friends, perhaps we should add, “What magnificent book would you suggest I read this year?”
