The Da Vinci Code Adventure

We are very pleased to announce the release of The Da Vinci Code Adventure by Mars Hill Church co-founder Mike Gunn. We were lucky enough to edit and contribute to Mike's stunning and enjoyable tour through the text of Dan Brown's thriller.

In contrast to the host of "debunking" books on the market, Adventure is written by and for people who actually enjoy The Da Vinci Code! And, in the spirit of Dan Brown's book, The Da Vinci Code Adventure peers under every philosophical, religious, historical, and literary rock mentioned in the Code. It picks up where Brown's characters leave off—much as Dan Brown intends for his readers to do.

Yes, the book is written from a distinctly Christian perspective—but not defensively so. Mike Gunn writes with a confidence, humor, and keen intelligence that easily matches Leigh Teabing and Robert Langdon. Jenn balances the machismo that Mike and I bring to the project, offering great insights into human nature and the character development of Brown's heroine, Sophie Neveu.

Besides a relentlessly positive and informed approach, the Adventure also offers links and references to external sources of study, inviting readers to draw their own conclusions; it also discusses more than twenty movies similar in theme and content to The Da Vinci Code, including The Omega Code, The Last Temptation of Christ, Jesus of Montreal, Left Behind, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

And one last bonus—all references to Brown's book include page number citations from both hardback and mass-market paperback editions! No other book on the market has offered that.

Says Steve Kellmeyer, author of Fact and Fiction in The Da Vinci Code and Sex in the Sacred City, "The Da Vinci Code Adventure is easily the most innovative, positive, constructive response to The Da Vinci Code on the market. If you enjoyed Dan Brown's novel, this book will be a delight!"

The first printing of The Da Vinci Code Adventure arrives this week, just in time for the movie's premiere. The book would make a great study guide for small groups who actually want to read Dan Brown's book.

Publisher information can be found at Hollywood Jesus Books.

Copies of the book can be preordered through Hollywood Jesus. They'll ship this week.

On Friday, May 12, we'll be co-hosting a Da Vinci Code seminar with Mike Gunn at Harambee Church from 6 to 8 PM.

The G-Tube Plus 2 Months

Two months ago today, Jenn had a "G-Tube" implanted, in addition to her J-Tube. The Reader's Digest summary (no pun intended) is that Jenn now has a stomach pacemaker, a tube for getting food directly into her intestines (the J-Tube) and another tube that allows her to vent the backup that inevitably (and reliably) occurs in her stomach (the G-Tube). For those who want to see what Greg's spouts (that's a pun on "spouse") now looks like, Jenn has a captioned photo over on her blog. She's also posted a summary of the differences between the tubes and how they work.

Since the J-Tube was placed in February, Jenn remains on 24/7 feeding, but is feeling much much better. She's back on full-time status at work, and has been able to get back on her fibromyalgia medications. This has all done wonders for her energy and enthusiasm. 10-hour work days don't wipe her out, and she's able to do more than sleep evenings and weekends. And as you can see from the post above and the post following, we've been very very busy on top of everything else!

Live is still an adventure, and we don't expect any radical changes in the medical regimen any time soon—but at least we're getting a better picture of what "normal" looks like. And it can, occasionally, include visits to restaurants and the homes of (very tolerant and unsqueamish) family and friends.

Reviews for March and April

Akeelah and the Bee
Greg Reviews: "Keke Plamer is stunningly captivating as a nearly invisible inner-city middle-schooler named Akeelah who catches the attention of a former spelling-bee whiz who’s looking for a competitor to coach. Mom’s not so thrilled. But the course is set, and it’s no surprise that Akeelah makes it all the way to the finals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee..."

C. S. Lewis: Beyond Narnia (DVD)
Jenn Reviews: "I was significantly moved by the original showing of the docudrama, talking heads and all; but having seen a more cohesive version with even more of Anton Rodgers, I must say that the DVD brings to full fruition Stone’s vision for a living portrait of C. S. Lewis."

The Notorious Bettie Page
Greg Reviews: "If you’ve got a real problem with pornography—either philosophically, morally, or personally—The Notorious Bettie Page is probably not for you. You’ll see enough of Gretchen Mol in the title role (and often enough) that you might easily forget what this movie is about."

Ice Age II: The Meltdown
Jenn Reviews: "The valley herd is saved from the flood, and the characters are saved from themselves, but not without some well-earned laughs and (thankfully) a complete absence of politically-charged comments about global warming."

Take the Lead
Greg Reviews: "I found Take the Lead quite appealing. To start, I was hooked by the opening credit sequence, a montage of contrasting musical styles—and a comparison of preparations for dance: dressing, primping, agonizing, mirror-gazing... This sequence demonstrates that people are still people, regardless of music preferences, place of residence, or upbringing."

American Dreamz
Jenn Reviews: "It would be nice to be able to say that, in the midst of the broad satire, Weitz offers some glimmer of hope, or some solution to the idolatrous craze that has become the American dream. Unfortunately, there is a distinct lack of anything—or anyone—acting as a positive influence."

The Chronicles of Narnia, Special Edition (DVD)
Greg Reviews: "If you’re tempted to skip the extra five bucks and go for the single-disc edition, don’t. ... This release contains very little hint of what may have been filmed but not included in the theatrical version. But the new featurettes produced for Disc 2 are indeed genuinely new. Even those who have been thoroughly saturated in Narnia’s media hype will find things to enjoy and discover."