Best Book I've Read In A While

I recently received the book Soul's Gate by James L Rubart from BookSneeze and finished it quickly. One comment on the book suggests it for fans of Ted Dekker, but it reminded me more of a spiritual warfare book like the ones by Frank Peretti or Shaunti Feldhahn, which, by the way, are some of my favorite books.
The book is about a man who has delved deeply into the spiritual realm and tapped into the power of the Holy Spirit. He was in a sort of spiritual retirement caused by a tragic occurrence years earlier. Recently, though, he has begun to re-engage due to a prophecy being fulfilled in his life. He begins a journey with a group of others, training them in what he once practiced on a regular basis. This life-altering journey involves spiritual teleportation, encounters with demons, entering one's soul, and ultimately experiencing freedom and helping others experience it as well.
While it is a piece of fiction, it did stretch my mind to think of what the Holy Spirit can do in and through us. There is power that I often don't tap into, or at least not to a very great extent. So, to a certain extent, it is difficult to discern what is meant to be purely fictional and what is based on actual possibilities.
One comment about the author: he seems to be a nerd (not necessarily in a bad way). He makes several references to Star Wars, Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, and The Matrix. I might be a nerd, too, because I enjoy those stories.
I enjoyed this book not only because of the nerdy references and not only for the exciting story but also as a tool for spiritual growth. This book has encouraged me in my faith, and excited me to delve into the spiritual realm. I would like to discuss the ideas from this book with a small group, to extract the Biblical truth and encourage each other in the spiritual battles that we face.

The Searchers by Joseph Loconte

It took me a long time to read this book. As I was explaining to my wife, it wasn't bad enough to not finish, but it also wasn't interesting enough to keep reading. When I was reading it, I was interested but not compelled to continue reading.

This book is based on the journey of disciples and their encounter with Jesus on the road to Emmaus from Luke's gospel account. I am not really the sure of the purpose of this book. It contains many references that were interesting to me. It contains some thought-provoking ideas. Overall, however, I missed the plot. I will admit that reading it over a shorter period of time may have made it seem more purposeful.

I would not recommend this book but also wouldn't particularly recommend against it. Read it if you want, especially if you like a wide variety of historical and cultural references and information.

This book was provided for review by BookSneeze.