[DECEMBER] 2022 : Book Review

It’s time to look at the books I read in December!

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

★★★★.5

Bookshop.org describes it best:

“In 1922, Count Alexander Rostov is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, and is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin. Rostov, an indomitable man of erudition and wit, has never worked a day in his life, and must now live in an attic room while some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history are unfolding outside the hotel’s doors. Unexpectedly, his reduced circumstances provide him entry into a much larger world of emotional discovery. Brimming with humor, a glittering cast of characters, and one beautifully rendered scene after another, this singular novel casts a spell as it relates the count’s endeavor to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be a man of purpose.”

It did take me a little bit to get into this book but that was just me. I saw this recommended by other readers and I was intrigued. Although it did take me a little bit to get into the book (again, just me, not the book), I did thoroughly enjoy reading it. Even though the book is fiction, the historical places are real places, and I’ve started noticing them more in TV shows.

Why I Believe in Santa Claus by Maury Davis

★★★★★

From Maury Davis’s website:

“I believe in Santa Claus. He was a compassionate soul, generous, loving, and unwavering in his belief. He was a man with a message only seeking to serve the Master. He changed the world.

The Man. The story of a man, born to plenty, but orphaned to an incredible life of service. Nicholas learned the secrets to giving by leaving treasures in the stillness of the night. Known as the kind bishop, the Christ Kind, SinterKlass, and eventually Santa Claus, he is a manifestation of the spirit of giving that inspires us each holiday season to bless those in need.

The Message.  The key to blessing, abundance, and joy is found in the Word and modeled in Nicholas’s life. He found the key and shared it with the world. God wants us to give cheerfully, to give secretly, to give in worship, to give correctly, and ultimately to give fearlessly in absolute faith that He will meet all of our needs.

The Master. The ultimate gift, sent to a dying world, paid the price for our sins. Jesus lived a life of compassion, consistently showing His followers that blessings lie in what you are willing to give. More than the reason for the season, His generosity and instruction are the heart of a life well-lived.

Do you believe?”

I knew Santa Claus was based on someone in the past but I did not know the whole story. After reading this book, I see where he came from: Nicholas, a kind, caring, generous man, who served God. While Santa Claus has become more secular, he was based on a man who served God, and was a loving and giving person. So, after reading this, I definitely do believe in Santa Claus:)

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