Scripting Genius

I love reading good books. Now that I have the freed mental space to devote to good reading, I have been taking advantage of it. I have also put some thought into what constitutes a good book. I have had to give up a couple of my childhood prejudices on what a good book is. These are:
*A good book is fictional. While I still read (for pleasure) almost exclusively fictional books, some of my favorites have been non-fiction.
*A good book must be softcover. As a young'in I would never choose a book unless it had a soft cover. I have since realized that my reason for this is that hardcovers are uncomfortable to hold while reading. They are heavy and cumbersome. If I am interested in the story today, however, I will choose a hardcover.

I'm sure I have read hundreds and thousands of books in my lifetime, and it has caused me to value certain traits in books, of which I will share. I like to think also that my opinion is an educated one thanks to the numerous literature and writing classes of which my college career has subjected me to. Here are my criteria for good books:
*Profound descriptions: A good bok must display deep and unique descriptions of things that stir the soul. Bland, surface descriptions are uninteresting and boring.
*Depth: A good book must have deep characters with emotions that may sometimes be conflicted (because human emotions are conflicted). A good character has layers. There are surface features, but there are also deeper issues which are brought out in the character through plot.
*Twisted: A good book has twists in the plot and characters which adds suspense and mystery. If the reader is kept spell-bound, then it is a top rated book! Also twistedness can refer to strange and even horrific which is told in a way that the reader can accept as (at the very least) an alter reality.
*Underlying Purpose: A good book has a purpose (often weaved subtly through the story)through which the author uses the story to convey.

I have discovered (through my sister-in-law) a christian author who meets all of my criteria: Ted Dekker. He has profound descriptions, deep characters, and (very) twisted plots. He also uses his stories to explore profound philosophical questions. His stories are the vehicle to which he conveys his thoughts on those profound eternal questions. He may explore the existence of God (as in his novel Blink), or he may explore good vs. evil in the nature of man (as in Thr3e), or even God's love and salvation (in The Circle Trilogy: Black, Red, White). I have been astounded, and spellbound on more than one occasion while reading his novels. I guess you could call me a fan. It's just a good thing I have a job that I can read on!