I will read pretty much anything. I admit to having a few genres that I will bury myself within for long periods, but ultimately I just love reading itself and the escape it provides. The ability of a good book to paint a world that slowly but surely teleports you inside of it is something I both crave and find necessary for my survival.
I often choose what book I pick up based on the mood I am in at the time. “How far away do I seek to be from reality? What am I hoping to feel?” I have noticed this as my depression has worsened, I tend to gravitate more towards scifi adventures that take me to other galaxies. I seek to feel powerful, like a hero. This can be very therapeutic, but I have a cycle in which it eventually leads to a reading rut and the only way to get out of it is to go on a blind date with a book that doesn't seem like something I would typically like.
I prepare ahead of time for these moments. I regularly go on downloading sprees that fill up my kindle with free books. I don't think much about what the book is about (I usually don't even read the summary.). That is why I have a massive amount of books on my kindle that I will probably never get around to reading. But, when the book rut happens, a lottery occurs and the first one to grab my attention wins the right to me actually reading it. That is how I came to read About the Night by Anat Talshir.
What caught my eye was the cover. I’m not sure why. I simply scrolled past it multiple times and just kept coming back to it. So it won the book lottery and I promptly downloaded it to my devices. It turns out this book is a historical romance. What is my absolute least favorite genre? Yeah...romance. Keep that in mind as you read how amazing I think this book is.
The book tells the story of Elias Riani and his true love, Lila, as they struggle to survive amidst the tragedies of war. Separated due to the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, their paths take vastly different directions before they are able to find each other again. It is a tale that is similar to the one told in The Notebook, but far more realistic and heart-wrenching.
Anat Talshir's writing perfectly paints the struggles of all the characters in this book. They are all so very real and I felt myself wanting to reach out and hold their hands or hug them. I cried quite a bit while reading this one and had trouble restraining myself from reading it in one sitting.
It is one of those books that has several characters. I know some people have trouble with those types, which is why I'm mentioning it. I had no trouble keeping up with everyone though, as each character is thoroughly brought to life. About the Night is easily one of the most beautiful books I have read in years. I am so happy I picked it. (it won my book lottery this time)
Rating: ★★★★★ 5/5
Is it worth reading?
👍 Absolutely. Extra perfect for anyone who regularly reads historical romance or loved The Notebook by Nicolas Sparks.
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