Conversion Advice

Some recommended books and other resources

I have read all of the following, and nearly every one has made a significant contribution to my knowledge and appreciation of different aspects of Judaism. Nonetheless, some of the below books are either controversial among centrist Orthodox rabbis because of the books' author or content. Thus, while you may want to read the books, don't put them at the top of your book list that you hand to the beit din, e.g.

There are many books here, and many books which I intend to add when I get a chance. Most of these are not worth owning, as you'll get the necessary information out of them in one reading. Use your local library, borrow from friends, read them in your synagogue library, etc. The one noteable exception is R Kitov's book.

The books I most recommend are in bold.
The books which may be controversial are starred.

General

Blech, Benjamin, Judaism: The Basics of Deed and Creed
Carmell, Aryeh, Masterplan: Judaism: Its program, meaning, goals
Donin, Hayim, To Be a Jew
Ganzfried, Shlomo, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (Metsudah)
Greenberg, Blu, How to Run a Traditional Jewish Household *
Prager, Dennis and Telushkin, Joseph, Nine Questions People Ask About Judaism
Telushkin, Joseph, Jewish Literacy
Wouk, Herman, This is my god

Theology

Berkovits, Eliezer, Crisis and Faith*
Yehuda HaLevy, The Kuzari
Soloveitchik, Joseph, Lonely Man of Faith

Shabbat, Holidays

Cohen, Simcha, Radiance of Shabbat, Shabbos Home, Shabbos Kitchen
Grunfeld, Isador, The Sabbath
Heschel, Abraham J., The Sabbath: Its meaning for modern man*
Kitov, Eliyahu, The Book of Our Heritage: The Jewish Year and Its Days of Significance

Kashrus

Eidlitz, Eliezer, Is it kosher? encyclopedia of kosher foods, facts, and fallacies
Grunfeld, Isidor, Jewish Dietary Laws, vol. 1
Wolff, Eliezer, Keeping Kosher in a Nonkosher World
Forst, Binyomin, Laws of Kashrus (on knives)

Marriage

Abramov, Tehilla, The Secret of Jewish Femininity Insights into the practice of Taharat HaMishpachah
Boteach, Shmuel, Kosher Sex*
Boyarin, Daniel, Carnal Israel: Reading Sex in Talmudic Culture*
Kaplan, Aryeh, Waters of Eden
Lamm, Norman, Hedge of Roses

Middos

Guard Your Tongue (the Chofetz Chaim adapted by Zelig Pliskin)

Prayer, Brachos

Donin, Hayim, To Pray as a Jew
Forst, Binyomin, The Laws of B'rachos: A comprehensive exposition of the background and laws of blessings

Tsnius

Friedman, Manis, Doesn't Anyone Blush Anymore? Reclaiming Intimacy, Modesty, and Sexuality
Ellinson, Getsel, Women and the Mitzvos, vol II: The Modest Way
Manolson, Gila, Outside Inside: A fresh look at tzniut; The Magic Touch

Women, General Issues

Aiken, Lisa, To be a Jewish Woman
Berkovits, Eliezer, Jewish Women in Time and Torah*
Goodman, Marina, Why should I stand behind the mechitza if I could be a prayer leader?
Greenberg, Blu, On Women and Judaism: A View from Tradition*
Meiselman, Moshe, Jewish Woman in Jewish Law
Weiss, Avraham, Women at Prayer: A Halakhic Analysis of Women's Prayer Groups*
Wolowelsky, Joel, Women, Jewish law and modernity : new opportunities in a post-feminist age

History

Sharansky, Natan, Fear No Evil
Wiesel, Elie, Night

Origins of Halacha

Berkovits, Eliezer, Not in Heaven: the Nature and Function of Halakha *
Cardozo, Lopes, Written and Oral Torah
Neusner, Jacob, Mishna: Introduction and Reader*; Invitation to the Talmud*
Steinsaltz, Adin, Essential Talmud

Practical questions and sociology of being a Baal Tshuva/ Ger

Becher, Mordechai and Newman, Moshe, After the Return
Danzger, Murray, Returning to tradition : the contemporary revival of Orthodox Judaism
Davidman, Lynn, Tradition in a Rootless World: Women Turn to Orthodox Judaism
Greenberg, Richard, Pathways: Jews Who Return
Kaufman, Debra, Rachel's Daughters: Newly Orthodox Jewish Women
Lamm, Maurice, Becoming a Jew
Steinsaltz, Adin, Teshuvah: A Guide for the Newly Observant

Anthropology of the Frum world

Eisenberg, Robert, Boychiks in the Hood
El-Or, Tamar, Educated but Ignorant*
Sered, Susan, Women as Ritual Experts: The religious lives of Elderly Jewish women in Jerusalem*