The Gospel According to Harry Potter, by Connie Neal

(bad pun alert) This was a charming book - no really. This is a good antidote to the Harry bashing that some Christians indulge in - a faithful believer showing how much good spiritual insight can be derived from these enjoyable fantasies.

I hadn't read her earlier book about Harry, but this one did a good job at showing how a believer can find wonderful "glimmers of the Gospel" throughout the Potter stories. Really a rich book - it was a devotional, more than anything. Each section/chapter was a short examination of a theme or event in one of the first four books, followed by excellent reflections on how this topic or them was a reflection of a deeper truth in Scripture. She very explicitly does NOT claim that she is somehow revealing Rowling's intent - rather she shows that the books offer a good source of ideas that reflect Biblical truth.

The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien

Well, of COURSE I've read it before... this is more a log of what I read and when. I'm slogging through and saturating myself with Tolkien and fantasy (trying to get in to Jordan's series). All in aid of the Two Towers coming soon.

Great book - good glimmers of the massive edifice looming on the horizion. And Bilbo is such a good little fellow. I'm holding off now on re-reading The Lord of the Rings till we go off on our trip. I have watched my the FOTR twice recently, as well as listened to the soundtrack. I may watch it one more time before 12/18.. if you know what I mean.