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    Rooms: A Novel
    Rooms: A Novel
    Rooms: A Novel
    Audiobook10 hours

    Rooms: A Novel

    Written by James L. Rubart

    Narrated by James L. Rubart

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    On a rainy spring day in Seattle, young software tycoon Micah Taylor receives a cryptic, twenty-five-year-old letter from a great uncle he never knew. It claims a home awaits him on the Oregon coast that will turn his world inside out. Suspecting a prank, Micah arrives at Cannon Beach to discover a stunning brand new nine-thousand square foot house. And after meeting Sarah Sabin at a nearby ice cream shop, he has two reasons to visit the beach every weekend.

    When bizarre things start happening in the rooms of the home, Micah suspects they have some connection to his enigmatic new friend, Rick, the town mechanic. But Rick will only say the house is spiritual. This unnerves Micah because his faith slipped away like the tide years ago, and he wants to keep it that way. But as he slowly discovers, the home isn't just spiritual, it's a physical manifestation of his soul, which God uses to heal Micah's darkest wounds and lead him into an astonishing new destiny.

    "An extraordinary read. Part The ScrewtapeLetters, part The Shack."

    —Robert Liparulo, best-selling author of Comes a Horseman

    "A profound spiritual tale spun with imaginative flair. I'm looking forward to more from Jim Rubart."

    —James Scott Bell, best-selling author of Try Fear

    "Unforgettable. The kind of book that is talked about long after the last page has been turned. The universe of readers is richer because of this debut novel."

    —Alton Gansky, author of Enoch and Certain Jeopardy

    "Two words about Rooms:blown away. It's been a long time since I read anything this unique and truly creative, and even longer since a book held me in such rapt attention during the moments I was reading it—and long after."

    —Deborah Raney, author of the Clayburn novels

    "A wonderful book . . . Since I began reading it, I've been captivated. It isn't often that a book pulls me so deeply into the fictive dream that I dream about it at night."

    —Terri Blackstock, author of Predator and Intervention

    Winner, Best Inspirational Novel of 2010

    —RTBOOKREVIEWS Reviewers' Choice Awards

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateSep 21, 2010
    ISBN9781441888181
    Rooms: A Novel
    Author

    James L. Rubart

    James L. Rubart is a professional marketer, speaker, and writer. He serves on the board of the Northwest Christian Writers Association and lives with his wife and sons in the Pacific Northwest.

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    Reviews for Rooms

    3.5/5

    262 ratings95 reviews

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    • 4/5
      This book was great. I typically love when an author reads their book, but he wasn’t favorite. The story was really good though! I recommend it!
    • 3/5
      What would happen if you could take, or could take a loved one on, a trip through your very soul? Everything about you is literally, not just figuratively on display. What if you could live two parallel lives simultaneously? What if you could choose two different paths, knowing that one has fame, fortune, and worldly success, and the other has love, peace, and freedom, if a bit less “success” as the world calls it? What would you do? This is the question at the heart of the novel *Rooms* by James L. Rubart. The protagonist, Micah Taylor, is a successful software manufacturer, a multi-millionaire in his late twenties. He is estranged from his father, due to a tragedy that occurred when he was a little boy. He receives a letter from his uncle Archie who died many years ago. In the letter, he is told that he has inherited a house on Cannon Beach, the very place of the tragedy of his youth; because it is time to face the personal demons of his and his family’s past. He arrives in Cannon Beach with the intention of selling the property, and starts to lay down roots against his own wishes. Suddenly, he begins to find love, peace, and a close, real relationship with God. As he gravitates back and forth between his “successful” Seattle life, and his happy Cannon Beach life, both lives fluctuate. He is suddenly given a choice that few ever face so starkly. Which life does he want? This seems like somewhat a mix of Ted Dekker and *Donnie Darko*, and it is, but it works. Not as something ripped off, but as something natural and organic. The author seems to tell the story out of a desire to tell a story, and the religious elements, though prominent, are not always in your face, they are more incidental to explaining how the author sees the world. Until the end, that is, when the religious theme takes center stage. It’s somewhere in between predictable “Christian fiction” and an author tract. That said, there were some rather cringe-worthy elements in the book. First of all, the *constant* references to real-life pop-culture, and current trends can sort of pop you out of the imaginary world. Some mentions, such as *The Lord of the Rings* or the works of CS Lewis, are pretty timeless. Others, such as the mentions of 1980’s films, are pretty jarring, because though I knew most of them, they sort of do not retain the same flavor of timelessness as the others. They pull you out of the action. The theology is another problem. Though the theology is mostly right, some of it is quite strangely presented. Moreover, the theological problems, though few, are doozies. Not only does the author push the whole idea that the heart is often more important than what God’s Word tells us, but he has God Himself make this case. We do not need to go to the Word, just our hearts. Do not misunderstand me. On some issues, this is a good and proper choice to make. We will not find in the Bible what to do about what occupation to choose, or whether we should marry a particular person. As long as the choices do not conflict with the Word, then it is something to pray about and seek God’s will about. The problem is when the “feelings” that we might have take precedence.For that matter, that is another problem with the philosophy presented in the story. *Feelings* are presented as all-important, and facts as relatively unimportant. Moreover, we are told that if it “feels wrong”, it must be wrong. People are different, not a monolith, and, much as Charismatics and others would like to think otherwise, each person has a different relationship with God, and way of speaking to Him, based on how He has created each one uniquely. Not everyone is spoken to by the Lord in a heady, “on-fire” way. The author’s point of view would almost have one believe that if they do not have this emotional rush, that they are not good Christians. This could be very dangerous to some Christians, especially new ones. The images of the Lord Jesus are ones that make sense scripturally, to an extent, but fail in the end. Jesus is mighty, with a sword, and gentle, with kind arms and a comforting presence. Amen, and Amen. This is all true, but then it careens off of a cliff. The Lord just so desperately wants us to accept him. He almost *needs us*. This is absolute soporific puff. It is *Touched by an Angel* on steroids. The message is almost destroyed when the *neediness* of God is put forth. The Lord, Biblically-speaking, is a conqueror, and a comforter. He is our Lord, Savior, Brother, and God. He is not a needy lost Divine Puppy-Dog. This made my stomach almost turn. Despite the above criticisms, the story was fascinating, and a wonderful read. I managed to wade through the theological brambles, and find the nuggets of truth. And I must say that they were powerful. In the midst of all of this, is the fact that Micah is basically fore-ordained to go this path and accept in the end. It is right there in the set-up of the book. There are some parts to contradict this, but it is the message in the end. Another major theme is the notion that if we trust God, He will give us a better life than we could ever have dreamed of having. It might not be the world’s definition of “success”, but it is better for us. This book was a powerful read. Though I can not give a high score to it for its major, MAJOR theological issues, it is edifying in the end, and has good theological points to it. In other words, I can do something for it that I could not do for the garbage known as *The Shack*, I can recommend it. For those willing to read the book with a discerning heart, I do recommend it. -----------I received this novel from B & H Publishing Group for the purposes of writing a review for them. I must emphasize that they do not ask for a particular type of review, whether positive or negative. I truly appreciate the chance to review this book, and the above opinions are my honest viewpoint. I also want to give my sincere thanks to B & H Publishers for the opportunity to review this book, and thank you all for reading this review.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this book and had trouble putting it down! I found it to be modern and the story flowed smoothly. Main characters were well developed. I didn't find this to be preachy as other reviewers did. There were a lot of lessons to be learned about relationships and the choices we make throughout our lifetime. I will definitely recommend this book to my friends.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this book. It was a unique perspective on how we live our lives and got me thinking and evaluating my life, and relationships with God and others. I gave it a rather fast read, but am planning on rereading it again to help some of the lessons sink in. :-)
    • 5/5
      Best novel I had ever experienced. Ready to enjoy more from James Rubart.
    • 4/5
      Rooms Micah, a very prosperous software mogul finds out that he inherited a house from his uncle Archie who Micah's father says is crazy. Micah received a letter from someone after Micah was well established in his career that told him of his inheritance. The house location is in Cannon Beach, Oregon which had very bad memories for Micah from his past. Now Micah is spending a lot of time at the house, and he is finding a lot of strange things happening. A lot of strange things like losing track of time, thinking something happened that didn't. Julie is Micah's business partner and girlfriend. She is not happy with the house because it takes a lot of his time and she wants to stay on top of business and she wants Micah to have a lifelong future with him. Micah decided to work from the house in Cannon Beach. He discovers rooms that were not previously there and finally spoke of what all of his bad memories were. His mother was playing ball on the beach with him and the ball went into the ocean. She went after the ball and drowned, that was his bad memory. My thoughts: Uncle Archie was trying to help Micah get over the pain of his mother?s death and bring him back to God. Micah meets Sarah at the ice cream shop and then meets Sarah again for a bike ride and then scheduling a dinner at Micah's house for a tour of the house. Micah found letters in the closet when putting Sarah's coat away. When Sarah left Micah started reading the letters. He was instructed to read only one letter per week but he could not resist and read several others. It told him that he was not to read it because it had not been a week. Micah had another outing with Sarah and she mentioned that she had been praying for him for years. Micah also read another of Uncle Archie's letters; it was about doing something he hadn't done in a long time, the first thing that comes to his mind, that was playing the guitar, as he thought that another door appeared. He opened the door and there were many different guitars. He sat and played for awhile. Micah continues to read the letters for his Uncle Archie over the weeks and is led on many different adventures of his past and some of the future and Micah thinks that somehow he could incorporate biblical passages or godly directives into his software company. His friend Rick doesn't think it's a good idea because then you're not thinking or feeling from the heart. (Interesting concept may inflect more control, electronically, over people.)In the end Micah finally found his heart and Sarah finally took him back and remembered their time together before Micah went back to Seattle. He's happy now knowing he's truly with god.I enjoyed this book very much, it kept my interest all the way to the end and it was interesting how Uncle Archie had Micah look back at his past and future and allowed him to sort out his fears and answer his questions. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, religious or not. Great Read!!
    • 5/5
      Rooms is a mesmerizing trip into the soul. This book left me breathless and all I can say is WOW. Rubart writes a thrill ride into the relationship between man and God with amazing characters, beautiful scenery and intriguing dialogue. Rooms will take you on an adventure through your own soul as you accompany Micah on his exploration of his life with and with out God. A read for anyone who thinks God can’t control their destiny while they make life choices and for everyone else, Christian, religious or not! I highly recommend Rooms and anxiously await Rubart’s next book.
    • 3/5
      I received this book from Member Giveaways.Based on the cover and the book description, I expected a lot more of this book than I actually received.Unlike other reviewers, I have not read The Shack, so I cannot say whether Rooms is comparable to the book or not. However, having read Ted Dekker, I found Mr. Rubart's book lacking.One of the main differences for me is that while Mr. Dekker delivers a Christian message subtly, Mr. Rubart does so with the subtlety of a Sherman tank.Another reviewer here mentioned something to the effect of Rooms showing the story in black and white. I do have to agree with that. If there were more shades of grey, I think I would have less of a problem with the book.It has also been mentioned that the characters come of as bland or even - to heavily paraphrase - stick figures. I can see how that feeling may come across as that by, again, comparing to Ted Dekker - specifically Saint. I have read that book a couple of years ago and it still remains in my thoughts. The character's journey into finding not only who he is, what his place is, and how God works in everyones lives is, to me, a bit more believable than Micah's story in Rooms.I thought that the premise of the book had a lot of potential, but that potential fell by the wayside.
    • 2/5
      Rooms just didn't do it for me. The character were caricatures. They were either flat or wholly predictable.
    • 4/5
      What would you find if you could go to the different “rooms” of your soul? This book will give you the chance of doing just that and evaluate your choices. This book does have a strong Christian message but even if you’re not a Christian I don’t believe you would be put off by its message. It may even be a real eye-opener for you.
    • 3/5
      Rooms, a paranormal Christian thriller, revolves around a famed software CEO with the reputation of a second Steve Jobs. Only when his crazy uncle dies and leaves him a mysterious house on Cannon Beach built especially for him does he slow his busy life down for a moment in God's peculiar house.Okay, I'm going to be blunt. Not a fan of this one. Because I read it several months ago, I'm not going to remember everything I liked or disliked about it, but I'll try my best. First off, the protagonist's character contradicted himself. One minute he had his thoughts, convictions, and opinions focused on Idea A, then the next chapter he'd be striving to do the exact opposite. He suffered from mood swings and personality disorders that weren't part of the book's plot or character development. It was like two people with different visions for the book were writing every other chapter.Second, the book was way too paranormal weird for me. Now, I like paranormal. I like spiritual warfare and angels and demons and the supernatural--but it has to be done correctly. Plus, I'm a good, stereotypical Baptist, right? I'm not a Pentecostal. I don't believe in these odd spiritual visions the character has, I don't believe God would walk through the room in an odd spiritual and metaphorical encounter and destroy your sins physically before your eyes. I don't get the whole "white light and great pleasure" some of these authors like to spend pages and pages on. Kay, I'm filled with the Holy Ghost. I am, I get it to a degree. But it's a feeling you can't justly write in a novel and expect to keep your audience's attention. Maybe some people like these kinds of novels, but they're not my thing.I will say, however, that the character Rick intrigued me. He was a likable guy--except his excessive movie knowledge seems to be a little...anti...his character, you know? [SPOILER AHEAD] I mean, I don't think an angel would waste his angelic, spiritual knowledge on quoting Yoda to befriend you, then list a whole bunch of other movies he claimed to enjoy that would certainly *not* end up in the church's video library. [END SPOILER] I enjoyed the twists at the end, the little cater to us Perrettites who like a good encounter of victorious spiritual warfare.I also enjoyed--although sometimes found myself irritated--that Rubart based his novel off a real place. I gathered this while reading, but after finishing the book, I was shocked to find myself walking behind a schoolmate with a big red CANNON BEACH button on her backpack. I thought, "IT EXISTS!" At the same time, it annoyed me because I could tell by reading that all the description and locations were just being dictated down into a book; the author wasn't creating his own world at all, and somehow it managed to show. Still, I found it interesting that much of this book *was* real, and maybe that was the feel the author was going for, making the supernatural feel a little more...subnatural.The character confliction was a little too much for me, though. Plus, with school and work, the book just about took me all semester. My floor mates insist other books by this author are very good, and this *is* his first novel, so maybe I'll have to look up his more recent novels.Things to Watch Out For:Romance: A guy crushes on a girl while he's in a serious relationship with another girl. The situation is quickly resolved, however. Couple kiss, I think, if I remember right.Language: Nothing that I can remember, and there really shouldn't be, considering it's a Christian novel. Possibly a "crap" somewhere.Violence: Character loses his temper; things are thrown; an odd injury causes a character pain; supernatural violenceDrugs: NANudity: NAOther: Lots of movie references, not all being rated G, if you get my drift, often being referenced by characters who shouldn't be referencing them; character suffers from mood swings; character acts out against God
    • 4/5
      Disclaimer: I am easily entertained. I am NOT an english professor, or a professional reviewer. Just a normal person who finds reading and sometimes commenting on books enjoyable. Read what follows with that in mind. Thanks. Micah Taylor has it all: wealth, career, girlfriend, and goals. That is about to change with the arrival of a letter that sets his life into a tailspin. A home left to him on the Oregon coast by an great uncle he doesn't know, but it is more than a house. Rooms keep appearing that weren't there the day before. The one word that comes to mind when I think of this book: Choices. I enjoyed this book and will definitely read it again. I will also look for more books by this author. I recommend this book to anyone who likes Christian fiction. This was a good book
    • 3/5
      I wanted to keep an open mind when reading this book as Christian novels aren't usually my thing. I was hoping to broaden my reading experience, but unfortunately could not muster much enthusiasm for this book at all. The characters were uninteresting, the plot uninspiring and the writing slightly preachy and patronisng. I didn't hate this book, but I didn't enjoy it either. I left with a sense of dissatisfaction, which I'm sure wasn't Rubart's intention.
    • 4/5
      When I open a book and the first thing I see is three or four pages of gushing quotes praising the work in question, my hackles rise: if the book is really as good as all those reviews claim, then quoting all those reviews is surely superfluous. Three-and-a-bit pages of gushing before I got to the title page predisposed me to dislike this book. In fact, by the time I got to the final quote—which described it as ‘a modern day Pilgrim’s Progress but so much more’—I was sharpening my red pencil and getting ready to savage it. Those three pages do the book a disservice: they make it out be something it’s not. I don’t think that Rooms will be considered a beloved spiritual classic in seventy years’ time like The Screwtape Letters (to which it is also compared), and I certainly don’t think that in 300 years’ time it will be considered one of the most significant works in the canon of English literature like The Pilgrim’s Progress. (And if it is, well, you can track me down in the hereafter and I'll admit I was wrong.) Simply covering similar themes to Screwtape and Pilgrim’s Progress doesn’t make it like them. Rooms is popular fiction, and to pretend it is something else is to do it a great disservice. This is the story of Micah Taylor: twenty-nine, a software tycoon with a penthouse apartment and a BMW, who has a new and promising personal relationship with his business partner Julie and an appalling relationship with his father. When he inherits a mansion on the beach from his great-uncle, he intends to sell it for a decent chunk of cash and carry on as before. The house comes with an intriguing letter from his benefactor, and when he goes to visit it things get even odder. Things in Micah’s life start changing, strange things happen in the house, and Micah’s enigmatic new friend and neighbour Rick only adds to the puzzle. It’s an entertaining story, and a Christian allegory with some interesting, possibly valuable, comment on the need to allow God into every part of you and to allow Him to change you, and on the insidious dangers of thinking it’s possible to have a strong relationship with God and at the same time to keep everything else as it would be were He not there. The theology underpinning the allegory is orthodox but with a strong emphasis on experiential aspects of faith, and the book certainly has the capacity to be spiritually helpful and encouraging. Rubart’s plotting shows a lot of imagination, and is highly creative. The pace is generally good, although a bit slow at the start, and the characters and geographical setting are well drawn. The writing is satisfactory: the prose is utilitarian rather than lyrical or graceful, and the author’s habit of dropping brand names into his descriptions is occasionally irritating and intrusive, but there's nothing objectionable about it. This is not a spiritual classic or a literary work of great beauty, but it is an intriguing piece of Christian fiction for the popular market that, if you’re a Christian or seriously (and I do mean seriously) exploring Christianity, might just have something to say to you about your relationship with God.
    • 2/5
      The premise of the book is intriguing: a successful owner of a giant software company inherits a mansion with a supernatural agenda of its own from a supposedly insane relative who died years ago. However, the constant cramming of religious lessons down the reader's throat left me feeling empty and bitter. With so few characters in the book, there should have been ample time and space to give them some depth, but I was unable to find that 'spark' to connect with in any of them. A tedious, repetitive rehashing of inner and outer struggle with Micah, lacking any subtlety. I was happy to get this book over with.
    • 5/5
      Here is a most unusual book that is a little confusing when one starts reading it. After a bit, the reader will begin to fathom that there are a couple of parallel stories running at once about the same guy's life. The guy is Micah Taylor, and when we meet him, he is the founder of a wildly successful software company in Seattle, RimSoft. Too bad that he basically gave up his soul when he made his millions. One day, he receives word that he has inherited a 9000 sq. ft. house on the Oregon coast in Cannon Beach. His long-deceased great uncle Archie had the house built for him. Never mind the fact that to his knowledge he never even met Great Uncle Archie, and his father has always maintained that he was nuts. The house is real enough, but it features rooms that suddenly appear and disappear. That's where the fun begins. Discussion questions are included. It would be a great book for a church book club, if such a thing exists somewhere. If you enjoyed reading The Shack, you will like this one, too. Highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      Praised as an alternative to the New Age Jesus presented in The Shack by W.P. Young, Rooms gives us another perspective of the relationship with the Divine.Our main character, Micah Taylor, has inherited a mysterious house build just for him on the Oregon coast. The announcement comes posthumously in the form of a letter from his long deceased great uncle Archie, that he barely remembers.Micah is presented as a self-made man with personal assets in the multi-millions, in the limelight, admired, respected, and sought after for his elite cutting edge software. After a begrudged conversation with his father, Micah decides to visit his new asset and quickly sell it. Upon his first visit, he finds a 9000 sq/ft ocean view mansion that takes his breath away, and puts off turning the property over to a Realtor for dissolution.Immediately, strange events begin to happen in the house that at first glance would be considered an extreme haunting. So strange that Micah seeks out local help for answers, and by chance meets Rick, a man with uncommon wisdom and a friendly disposition.Other characters assemble and join with the house in attacking Micah's sanity and life choices.Rooms then begins to present an image of God, Jesus, and His Spirit based on relationship instead of religion.The next view of this relationship displays the Creator as one that allows us to suffer the consequences of our bad decisions. One theme religiously driven home was the parable of "The Pearl of Great Price" admonishing Micah to give up all to purchase a better life, or face rejection from the relationship with God he so desperately seeks. This theme seemed to ignore the fact that no worldly possession, no matter how vast can purchase the free gift of that relationship. The intention of the parable was to show how a Savior gave up his heavenly estate to purchase us, His pearl of great price.Finally, Rooms will make the reader think and is highly recommended as well written, heart felt, Christian fiction.
    • 3/5
      I thought Rooms was a good book, but its message could have been shared in 100 less pages.
    • 5/5
      Amazing book about a man who has been out of touch with God for way too many years. This book is about him going on a spiritual change in his life and making choices and changes to give all of himself to God. An absolutely amazing read.
    • 5/5
      Micah Taylor is a successful software entrepreneur with a perfect business partner/girlfriend, a twenty-first floor penthouse in Seattle, and millions in the bank. But a letter from his Great-Uncle Archie unnerves him: his uncle has built a house for him in Cannon Beach, a place he once loved, a place he has no desire to ever visit again. But the letter intrigues him and he heads off to see the house . . . if it does indeed exist. He’s determined to sell it and return to his perfect Seattle life.Micah is stunned by what he finds. Nine thousand square feet, designed and furnished exactly as Micah might have done if he’d built it himself. Weird, Micah thinks, but his resolve to sell the house remains . . . until mysterious rooms start appearing and disappearing, throwing his life into turmoil.Micah thinks he’s going crazy but his new friend, Rick, tells him the house is spiritual and encourages him to talk about his experiences. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that Micah is being given a rare opportunity to explore the direction his life will take if he stays in Seattle or if he stays in Cannon Beach. With either choice, he is given the ability to see what he will gain . . . and what he will lose.Firmly based in Christian faith, this spiritual tale focuses on Micah’s journey to discover how the choices he makes will affect his life. As he wrestles with the difficulties of discovering what truly lies within his heart, he comes to understand what is essential and important in his life . . . and what he needs to do to obtain it. Highly recommended.
    • 5/5
      Read from July 25 to 27, 2013I was drawn to this novel by the cover - Yes, I'll freely confess!Not unwillingly, as this book is a stunner.James Rubart's debut took me on a mind bending adventure I desirednothing but to learn "what happens next?" One word description?Riveting!A mind bender that intensely engaged my emotions. Rubart is a masterful storyteller. Believable characters. Believable relationships. Unbelievable scenarios of intrigue and suspense.MC, Micah Taylor, makes life changing decisions without grasping the potential impact on present and future. Challenging to the reader as we follow his progress, alternately cheering or holding our breath. Relational connections we want to see happen -others we're wanting to warn him of. But... are we right?An inheritance that subliminally fulfills his every wish? A dream come true ? or a doorway into deception ?Substantial ethical, relational, and spiritual challengesfor Micah and for us as we reflect on the situations portrayed. Stunning outcomes with ever increasing twists of mental prowess kept me invested to the end. The ripple effect lasted much longer...NOT to be missed!Quotes:“You don't have to own something for it to be you. Haven't you ever gone into a gallery and seen a painting and said 'that's me'. Or had a piece of music capture something deep down you didn't even know was there? You realize it's always been part of youl you've just never heard it before.” ―'Rooms' James L. Rubart “Utterly engulfed,And wanting more.Buried,Drowned,Intoxicated,With the vastness of love.Losing myself as the waves wash over me,Through me,Surrounding me,Caught up in the a hurricane of overwhelming peace,I have let go,And He has found me.” ― James L. Rubart, Rooms*My appreciation to B&H Publishing Group for an ecopy to read and review without compensation or obligation.
    • 3/5
      Aside from a few minor issues this was quite the interesting read. I enjoyed the way the author gradually built up what was occurring without giving it away too quickly. The characters, while not very deep, were believable and had separate personalities. The plot was handled very well. I can see this author putting out better works in the future if he learns from this one. I found several mistakes that should have been caught easily by a decent editor. I didn't like the overdone descriptions of items. They were distracting and took away from the flow. Still, it's not a bad book overall.
    • 3/5
      I really enjoyed this book. I found it to be a quick and easy read because of the style of writing and because the story is engaging. It was terribly predictable, but that does not make it bad.While reading this book, I could not help but notice the similarities to another popular Christian fiction novel The Shack. The use of the metaphor of the house being the spirit is explored in depth.. If you are looking for a quick, entertaining read that also carries a message of hope, this would be a good book for you.
    • 4/5
      Disclaimer: I am easily entertained. I am NOT an english professor, or a professional reviewer. Just a normal person who finds reading and sometimes commenting on books enjoyable. Read what follows with that in mind. Thanks. Micah Taylor has it all: wealth, career, girlfriend, and goals. That is about to change with the arrival of a letter that sets his life into a tailspin. A home left to him on the Oregon coast by an great uncle he doesn't know, but it is more than a house. Rooms keep appearing that weren't there the day before. The one word that comes to mind when I think of this book: Choices. I enjoyed this book and will definitely read it again. I will also look for more books by this author. I recommend this book to anyone who likes Christian fiction. This was a good book
    • 4/5
      I thoroughly enjoyed this novel about a man's path back to God. Joining Micah Taylor on his journey as he struggles to choose between his empty life as a big-shot software designer and a somewhat more humble, yet more fulfilling path to healing and Grace, the reader is captivated from the very first word. Religious fiction is not usually my favourite genre, but Rooms is a fascinating and enjoyable experience I recommend to anyone.
    • 3/5
      Micah Taylor, owner/partner of a successful firm called RimSoft, receives an unexpected bequest from an uncle he barely knew: a huge house in Cannon Beach, OR that appears to be tailored specifically to his personal taste. The problem is that he hasn't been to Cannon Beach since a tragedy in his childhood.As he determines to inspect it, then sell it, he feels drawn to come back to visit it again and again, eventually deciding to work from it's location as much as possible. The problem is that rooms and hallways that weren't there before suddenly appear, with each room holding something different. As he becomes more involved in his life at Cannon Beach, pieces of his old life start to slip away, and he will have to choose between these lives if he is to keep one or the other.The premise here was good, but for me, the execution wasn't. The progression of events was rather confusing, unrealistic, and simplistic. The characters, including Micah, as well as the emotions that should have been imbued, were not fully drawn, and I felt as though I was reading through a rather murky surface sketch. Many others, however, love it; just as many as don't, so I think it must have some appeal for a certain type of reader. If you LOVED LOVED LOVED The Shack, then you will probably like this one (I liked most of The Shack, but I kind of skipped over the parts that made me go ho-hum).QUOTE (from a galley; may be different in final copy): Micah had gotten used to those around him smiling on the outside while the green monster of envy inside them snapped at his money and fame.
    • 3/5
      I got this from the Early Reviewers a while back and finally got around to reading it, especially because I had gotten a new one. Rooms tells the story of Micah, a man who has it all, or so he thinks. A letter from a mysterious uncle begins to shift his world in a way that will both break him down and rebuild a true life.I really struggled to get through about the first two-thirds of this book. I found it a bit hokey and predictable. I'm not sure if the author had previously read The Shack, as much of his stuff seems to come from its influence. I found The Shack to be much more thought-provoking and touching than Rooms. The author did not try to hold back his personal beliefs in any way, and I found myself struggling at times with the commentary the book seemed to be making about my own walk and relationship with the Lord, not in a positive light. I actually found myself agreeing at some points with The Voice, and needless to say that wasn't a happy revelation. Either way, I'll think through some of it, but I don't see this book making the impact that it really tried hard to bring about.
    • 3/5
      I started out enjoying this read tremendously, but within a few chapters I found myself rolling my eyes at some of the cliche phrasing and sadly lacking connection with the characters. Although I finished the story I was disappointed in the promising story that was not able to carry me into it's world.
    • 2/5
      I took some time off after reading this book before writing a review - partly because I wasn't going to post reviews of the INSPYs books until the award was given, and partly I needed to do some soul-searching myself. You see, I have an issue with inspirational "Christian" books. Most of the time I find them corny, cliche and trite. So after reading several books nominated for the award I started to wonder if it was just me and maybe I was a bad Christian?I just don't understand why Christian literature has to be this way (and I know it doesn't have to be, I find Ted Dekker to be absolutely fabulous and let's not get me started on some of the more classic books). Let's take Rooms by James Rubart for example. The premise seemed interesting and I am a lover of speculative fiction - the idea of a house adding rooms one by one was interesting to me. But what I got was a story about a man who, somehow, found what he was needing through massively supernatural powers and I also got an ending that was so predictable that it had me groaning and praying fervently that the author wouldn't go there... but he did.And I'm not even going to take about the romance aspect of this book. (It's not needed, authors! Do you hear me? Don't stick romance in to sell your books - it hurts that story you are trying to tell!!)What I want when I pick up a Christian Speculative novel is a story that challenges me, makes me think and encourages me to study my faith harder. I don't want fluff romance and a happy "everything is going to be okay" story. I don't want holier-than-thou preaching pushed at me, which, although it wasn't as bad in Rooms as it was in some other stories I read, still.. there was enough of it here that it made me grit my teeth.Rooms did not win the INSPYs. I was not surprised by this. I think James Rubart can write well and can tell an interesting enough story, but as a story designed to challenge me spiritually, this one was sadly lacking.
    • 2/5
      I don't mind Christian Fiction at all. I've read plenty. I started this book a few months back and I enjoyed to a point. When it became a chore, I put it down. I've gone back to it a few times every couple of weeks, but it just doesn't seem worth it anymore to push past its "dragginess." Others may love it, and I might love the end if I ever pick it back up. Just so you know, I received this from the Library Thing Early Reviewers giveaway, and I appreciate it... it just wasn't for me.