"Book of Days" by James L. Rubart

This is the second novel from author James Rubart. In my opinion, it is not quite as good as "Rooms", which is one of my all-time favorite novels. However, "Book of Days" has several great things going for it.
First, it is a very unique story. The book centers around Cameron Vaux, who seems to be losing his mind - literally. Memories come and go as they please. Two years after his wife dies, Cameron begins to remember conversations he had with both his father (who died with the same mind-loss sickness that Cameron has contracted) and his wife regarding a Book written by God that contains the past, present, and future of every person who ever lived. According to the novel, the idea is also found in Scripture: Psalm 139:16 (although in the King James Version, the verse is translated with the word "members" instead of "days"). So, Cameron sets out to find this Book, hoping to cure his mind and preserve the memories of his dad and wife that he cherishes.
Second, Rubart has a talent for conveying strong emotion - I empathized with both Cameron and the character Taylor Stone, even though I've never suffered a loss as great as theirs. This empathy is what made "Rooms" so powerful, and "Book of Days" makes great use of it as well. To create characters so real that we feel their pain - that is GREAT writing.
Third, there were just enough twists to keep things interesting. It is not so much a mystery book, although Cameron is trying to unravel the "mystery" of the Book. So instead of being filled with nail-biting suspense and thrills (although there are a few thrilling scenes) it is a very easy and well-paced read. It never got boring, even though it might have been a little slow in some places.
Fourth, I LOVE it when a character in a Christian novel gets saved! I know they aren't real people - that's not the point. Talented writers like Rubart have a way of expressing and describing the intangible and invisible in some incredible ways. At the very least, these scenes in Christian books remind me of how wonderful it is that I have a Savior and God named Jesus Who loved me enough to die for me and pursue me with His great love and mercy.
There weren't any negative issues worth mentioning, so I will give this book 5 out of 5 stars. But, if you only read one James Rubart book, I'd still pick "Rooms" over this one.