Book Review 01
Unholy Night
by Seth Graham-Smith
One of my goals for the next few months is to work my way through the ginormous stack of books that I own. I have a tendency to accept offers of free books/borrow books that others really enjoyed/buy books that sound soooo good and/or are on sale... But I also have a tendency to "save" said books while I read book club selections or library books that are on the last 7 days or whatever catches my eye at the moment.
So, starting this past week and going forward until the pile is gone, I intend to read at least one of my current books to every two "other" books.
Or something like that. We'll see how it goes.
Earlier this year, I breezed through "Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter" by the same author. I enjoyed the mix of history with fantastical, and was excited when I picked up a copy of his latest release around the same time.
So, about a week or so ago, I decided that the first book I would actually read from my collection would be "Unholy Night". The first book of my new plan, the very week of Christmas - it seemed like perfect timing to me. :)
The author has taken the story of the night of Jesus' birth, and expanded it to imagine the night as something beyond the known biblical tale. He dares to explore what life might really have been like at that time in history, and he captures the reader's attention by setting up the Wise Men, and Balthazar in particular, as criminals.
I was barely able to put the book down.
The action moves quickly and easily between the night in question and the past, building up the back story of Balthazar and how he came to be with Joseph and Mary that night.
I found the historical and political aspects to be interesting and eye-opening, and I was definitely drawn to the main characters.
After I finished the book, I mentioned it to my youngest brother who was visiting from Tallahassee. I know he likes to read, and I thought the historical side would appeal to him. I loaned it to him, and he almost finished it in the following two days. I can't wait to chat with him to see what he thought!
My recommendation?
This is a great book!! Try it - you might really enjoy it!!
