James L Rubart's Book of Days ~ Reviewed

Book of Days
By James L. Rubart
Published by B&H Publishing Group
ISBN 978-14336-7151-7

Description: "You will lose your mind. When it starts happening...you must find the Book of Days."

When Cameron's dying father delivers this message, he brushes it off. Lose his memory? He's only twenty-five. Find a book that doesn't' even exist. Foolishness. Nothing more than the product of his father's dementia.

But now, eight years after his father's death, it's happening.. Chunks of Cameron's life are just—gone. Even memories of his wife, killed two years ago, have slipped away. Could it be...? Is his father's eerie prediction coming true?

Desperate, Cameron determines to fulfill his father's last wish. But when a lead takes him to the small town of Three Peaks, Oregon, Cameron realizes dark secrets are at work. The townspeople, warm as apple pie at first, turn cold as liquid nitrogen when Cameron mentions the Book. As his mind works against him, Cameron discovers that friends may be enemies. And the one person Cameron can't stand? She might be his strongest ally.

But there are others seeking the Book. Others who will stop at nothing to get it. And they're closer than Cameron ever imagined...

Review

Wow! Fast paced and well-crafted, I couldn't put this thriller down. I love it when I find an allegorical thread woven beneath the surface of an exciting book. Like Rooms, Book of Days robbed me of a night's sleep. James Rubart is a Master Storyteller. Novel Journey and I highly recommend Book of Days—it's a 5 star read!

Reviewed by: Ane Mulligan, editor
Novel Journey




Bonus Review:

I was thankful for receive a review copy of such an intriguing and thought provoking book. James L. Rubart brings up an interesting topic I hadn’t really thought about before. I hadn’t thought about the idea of recording life in a book for all to see. What kind of life am I recording? What happens to our memories? And what would someone give to be the owner of the book of days which held a person’s past, present and future? James brings up great questions.

This book reminded me of an Indiana Jones movie where he’s in search of the Holy Grail. There were so many clues and so many set backs in his quest. Cameron reminds me of Harrison Ford and his passion of hunting for archeological relicts. I liked the suspense, drama, intrigue and how this book made me think about things deeper than just a fun fiction story. After reading this novel, I truly think it’s a blessing none of us know when our last day on earth will be. I hadn’t thought of the blessing it is that we don’t know when our last hour on earth is. I should face every day as if it were my last. James reminds me I should take the time to stop and smell the flowers; love to the fullest and not waste the precious time I’ve been given. Cameron’s near death experience changed him forever and increased his desire to find the Book of Days.

Jason Judah’s followers believe and worship the Book of Days, even though no one’s seen it. Cameron, a film production man, is in search of this book and questions Jason Judah and Tricia Stone. He tells them both that his father and wife have seen the book and read it as children. They both urged him to find it for their sake and his. Cameron wanted to fulfill their wishes but has a personal reason of his own for wanting the book. Why wouldn’t anyone tell him what they knew about the book and where it was?

Tricia responds to Cameron’s question about the book being real? “A lot of nice people believe in Bigfoot, and they can show you a great deal more evidence than anyone can show for a book with the past, present and future recorded between its cover….It also doesn’t make Big foot real or a book that exists only in the spiritual realm real either.”

“So, the Book of Days is a hoax?”

“Not a hoax, a fable. A made-up story Jason and his followers have tried to turn into a religion.

Millions of people buy books and believe the message. They are spiritually starving, so when a book like that arrives, promising to fill their empty souls, the unsuspecting lap it up like a starving cat in front of a bowl of micro waved milk….be careful in your search. That book will bring you nothing but death, Cameron.”

Cameron scratched his head, “How can a book that doesn’t exist bring death?”

Good question. On one hand, Cameron runs into people that think the book isn’t real, but a fable. On the other hand, people think the book is real and his search for it will bring him death. Who should he believe?

I enjoyed the topics this book made me think about. I cared for these characters, especially Cameron and Annie. In between the suspense and drama there’s a little bit of romantic tension between Cameron and Annie, who both have big careers and live on opposite sides of the world but are both in search for the same book, The Book of Days, for many different reasons. This is the first book I’ve read by this author it won’t be the last. I can’t wait to read his first book Rooms; you’ll want to read this book and look for the next book he writes. I know that I will.

Reviewed by: Nora St. Laurent
The Book Club Network