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"Deep inside every man there is a private sanctum where dwells the mysterious essence of his being. This far-in reality is that in the man which is what it is of itself without reference to any other part of the man's complex nature. It is the man's "I Am," a gift from the I AM who created him." So begins the book, where Tozer explores man, the way God had created him and intended him to be. There are other selected topics such as "Does God Always Answer Prayer" and "Religious Boredom." All in all, along with C.S. Lewis, Tozer is one of those writers that is able to articulate faith in terms that will capture the minds and hearts of his readers.

What a lovely story!! I think Charlotte Vale Allen has become another of my favourite authors. From back cover: "For twenty-seven years, since the death of her movie star mother, Lucinda Hunter has been a virtual recluse. It sometimes takes her days to summon the courage to venture past her front door. Then, one July morning, a motion in the garden catches her eye. Looking out, she sees a little girl admiring the overgrown flower beds. She can't be real, Lucinda thinks. But the girl beckons to her and, bemused, curious, Lucinda goes outdoors to make the acquaintance of nine year old Katanya Taylor who, courtesty of the 'Fresh Air Fund', has come to spend two weeks in Connecticut. Taken with the girl's sweet nature, intelligence and generosity, Lucinda finds herself gradually, painfully drawn back into the world."

Having read On Writing, I decided to read one of Mr. King's other novels. I picked this one, because I have an interest in reading vampires as they should be--soulless monsters. Everyone told me how scary Mr. King's books were, "don't read them at night," etc. Well-written? Yes. Couldn't put it down? Absolutely. Scary? We-ell...no. The setting? A small town in, surprise surprise, Maine, which Dracula invades. That about sums it up. The writing was good, the characters were all pretty distinct--I did have to check back once to remind myself who someone was, but only once--and the ending was both unexpected and fitting. I see the elements that scare people, but I was not frightened. It wasn't because I didn't care about the cast--I did--or that I never thought they were actually in danger--I did--but it just wasn't scary. Catholicism. This is a book about slaying vampires, the only aspect of the Church involved was the one with celibate priests, and now I understand why. Roman Catholicism still has an ancient dignity, which explains Hollywood's love-hate relationship with it. It can be both The Man and a Force-To-Be-Reckoned-With. Far too much of Protestantism has become trite and silly, not threatening to monsters or heroes, and we need to fix that. C.S. Lewis is as good a place to start as any.