All Posts Tagged With: "JRR Tolkien"

What’s Up with the Christian Book Club

August 6th, 2009 • stephenlawes • 0 comments • Related • Filed Under

I was recently asked about how the Christian Book Club online was going. It is a good question. In April we began reading the Hobbit and then in each following month we read through the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. I love these books and so I read through them in the first few weeks and I have been reading other books and waiting for August to start the newest series which is C.S. Lewis Space Trilogy.

While I was waiting I was working on the site as it relates to the search engines. For this site to eventually become what I am hoping it will be, it is going to have to get some consistent ranking on Google. From my experience with my other blogs, this site should have made its way up to the first page of Google by now. It has been there from time to time, but it keeps slipping back to page six or eight. From a search engine traffic perspective this is very frustrating. To try and figure out the problem, I have withheld posting any articles to see if I could get the site just to stabilize somewhere. That hasn’t seemed to work all that well, as the site still moves from page to page wildly. The lack of posting has also affected the traffic that we had been getting from Yahoo.

So, I am going to start posting regularly again to this site to see if we can win the search engine battle. I will go back and write about the Lord of the Ring Series and then stay current with the Space Trilogy. I love to read these books and the idea of a Christian Book Club online where we can discuss and comment on a wide range of Christian literature still appeals to me. I am hoping over the next season to find a couple of hundred people around the world who feel the same way. I would also like to encourage any of you who read this site to submit your articles to the site. I look forward to reading and sharing with you in the future!

The Hobbit

April 6th, 2009 • stephenlawes • 1 comment • Related • Filed Under

The April Christian Book Club selection is J.R.R. Tolkien’s, “The Hobbit”. This will kick off a four month marathon of Tolkien’s wonderful books about hobbits, wizards, goblins, orcs, dragons, elves and gollum. I first these book when I was in college. They almost caused me to flunk out. I got so wrapped up in the Lord of the Ring trilogy that I just didn’t go to class for a week while I read all of the books. I have read them since when I introduced them to my children. This time, I think I am reading them for the sense of nostalgia. Reading the books makes me feel good.

I am already immensely enjoying the Hobbit once again. It is one of those books that it is easy to make time for. With nineteen chapters, it will be easy to complete the book this month if you read five chapters a week. I look forward to reading your comments about the book. I am especially interested in to any conversations that we might have about Christian themes in the book. I will include the link to purchase the book in case you don’t have a copy. Happy reading!

002219: The Hobbit The Hobbit
By J.R.R. Tolkien / Houghton-mifflin

If you care for journeys there and back, out of the comfortable Western world, over the edge of the Wild, and home again, and can take interest in a humble hero (blessed with a little wisdom and a little courage), here is a record of such a journey and such a traveler. The period is the ancient time between the age of Faerie and the dominion of men, when the famous forest of Mirkwood was still standing, and the mountains were full of danger. In following the path of the humble adventurer, you will learn by the way (as he did) – if you do not already know all about these things – much about trolls, goblins, dwarves, and elves, and get some glimpses into the history and politics of a neglected but important period.
For Mr. Bilbo Baggins visited various notable persons; conversed with the dragon, Smaug the Magnificent; and was present, rather unwillingly, at the Battle of the Five Armies. This is all the more remarkable, since he was a hobbit. Hobbits have hitherto been passed over in history and legend, perhaps because they as a rule preferred peace and quiet to excitement. But his account, based on his personal memoirs, of the one exciting year in the otherwise quiet life of Mr. Bilbo Baggins will give you a fair idea of the estimable people now (it is said) becoming rather rare.

The Screwtape Letters – Part 1

March 2nd, 2009 • stephenlawes • 3 comments • Related • Filed Under

This month on the Christian Book Club we are going to read “The Screwtape Letters” by C.S. Lewis. If you have never read this book before you are in for a real treat. It is one of my favorite books. “The Screwtape Letters” is going to kick off a season of books by C.s. Lewis and J.R.R Tolkien here on the Christian Book Club. It is a fitting start as this book is dedicated to Tolkien. There are 31 letters so if you read one a day you will finish the book easily over the month. I don’t think it will take you that long to read it. It is one of those books that you just keep wanting to read (at least it is for me).

I am including a video that you might enjoy about The Srewtape Letters.

If you haven’t ordered the book yet I am putting a link below so that you can get your copy.

52934: Screwtape Letters Screwtape Letters
By HarperOne

Wormwood, a demon apprentice, has been given his first earthly assignment—secure the damnation of a young man who’s just become a Christian. He seeks the advice of an experienced devil—his uncle Screwtape. Their correspondence discloses the psychology of temptation from the other side. Invaluable insights on temptation, pride, the power of prayer, and the ultimate victory of faith over the forces evil. 160 pages, softcover from Zondervan.