Book of Days by James L. Rubart

This fascinating book is all about redemption, the best kind of redemption. There is vengeance as well, especially the consequences of vengeance and the power of forgiveness to heal. It’s a Christian novel that’s hard to categorize. There’s a deep mystery all throughout. There’s romance. There’s a quest for a supernatural entity. And there’s suspense. It has it all.

Cameron Vaux is a videographer who lives in Seattle. He witnesses his father’s memory decline and early death. But in a moment of lucidity, his father tells him that Cameron must find the Book of Days and it will answer all his questions and make everything okay. Several years later, when Cameron starts to suffer a similar memory loss, one that his dad told him he’d suffer, he begins his quest for the Book of Days, a book that God wrote. I don’t want to give any more plot away. Read it.

This book has several themes running through it. The misuse of a gift from God. Religious fanaticism with the focus on the wrong thing. Living with secrets and not letting go of the past. Shutting out those most important in one’s life because of unresolved guilt. Dealing with the loss of loved ones. And one man’s spiritual journey.

Mr. Rubart’s writing is superb. The story captivated me from the beginning and kept me reading to the end. The prologue is odd and really can’t be understood until near the end of the book. To be honest, I got so caught up in Cameron’s story, I forgot about the prologue. When you read this, go back and read the prologue again. It will make more sense.

Because this is a Christian book, it’s clean. No profanity, no on page sex (or off for that matter) and no gratuitous violence. I recommend this book to everyone, regardless of your current state of faith, or no faith at all. No matter what genre you normally read, I think you’ll enjoy this book. It hits several genres and hits them well. I’ll rank this one number three so far this year. There isn’t much that separates the top seven books I’ve read this year, so it was tough placing it.

1. Love’s True Calling by Lori DeJong
2. Through Thorny Ways by Jennifer Q. Hunt
3. Book of Days by James L. Rubart
4. The Seven Day Resurrection by Chevron Ross
5. With Mercy’s Eyes by D.T. Powell
6. Justice by Jeff Hill
7. Already in the Kudzu by Hannah Hood Lucero
8. The Last Wife by Matt McGregor
9. The Misadventures of Itchy Izzy by N.Y. Dunlap
10. Ranch Showdown by Tina Wheeler
11. The Unhired Hand by R.O. Lane
12. The Shocking Truth by Steve Rush
13. Daughter of Darkness by Ed Gorman
14. Burning Angel by James Lee Burke
15. Death in the Kremlin by E.J. Simon
16. Irresistible Impulse by Robert K. Tanenbaum
17. Line of Fire by Taylor S. Newport
18. The Longest Day by Terry Toler
19. Left to Die by Lisa Jackson

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