There’s a party going on over at The Edge of the Precipice, and it’s all Tolkien, all the time! How could I not participate?! Below are the questions that everyone at the party has been asked to answer.
1. What draws you to Tolkien’s stories? For me, it’s all about the hobbits.
2. What was the first Middle Earth book you read or movie you saw? What did you think of it? My 1st Middle Earth book was a picture book based on the cartoon adaptation of The Hobbit. I was ten or eleven, came across it in the public library, and remembered that when I was five or so, I had seen the cartoon and loved it. Coincidentally, that was my first Middle Earth movie, but no one had told me it was a book! I immediately went to the card catalogue (yeah, I know, I’m OLD) and looked up The Hobbit.
3. Name three of your favorite characters and tell us why you like them. Bilbo Baggins because if he hadn’t decided to go on an adventure and subsequently forget his handkerchief I wouldn’t have been able to read about it, Gandalf because he arrives precisely when he means to, and Samwise Gamgee because without him, Frodo would have never gotten the ring to Mordor.
4. Are there any secondary characters you think deserve more attention? In the movies, yes, but not in the books.
5. What Middle Earth character do you relate to the most? I relate the most to Bilbo Baggins. Like him, I went on an adventure that required me to leave just about everything I took comfort in, and then I quietly “retired” back into my quiet world of books, tea, and cardigans. I do have the occasional crazy party, figuratively speaking, but, for the most part, I still feel world-weary from my time in the Army.
6. If you could ask Professor Tolkien one Middle Earth-related question, what would you like to ask him? I would ask him if he would please write another hobbit story or book of short stories about the hobbits.
7. Are there any pieces of Middle Earth merchandise you would particularly like to own, but don’t? The Hobbit Shop can just take my money. Also, this hardcover edition of The Hobbit and everything listed here and here.
8. What battle would you absolutely not want to be part of? I wouldn’t want to be a part of any of them!
9. Would you rather eat a meal at Rivendell or Bag End? Bag End, of course! Tea is at four 🙂
10. List up to ten of your favorite lines/quotes from the books or movies. I did a whole post about my favorite quotes from The Hobbit.
This month, those of us participating in the #ShelfLove No Book Buying Challenge are discussing the pros and cons of owning a significant number of books. For myself, I’ve only seen having a large personal library as positive, with one exception: moving. I’ve been packing and unpacking my belongings throughout my entire life, and I don’t even know the number of times I’ve moved. I’m uncomfortably familiar with the general workings of Uhaul rentals and storage units across the country and during one move I managed to double the weight of my poor Nissan. I’ve also hurt my back a countless number of times from overfilling boxes with my book collection.
You would think I would have learned by now and tossed the majority of my Smaug worthy hoard. Think again. Despite my efforts to pare down the number of books I own, my library has only expanded in size. Thanks to ebooks, and the No Book Buying Challenge, that’s no longer happening exponentially, but it’s still happening. I have bought with gift cards or received as gifts, more physical books than I’ve read this year. The books I have at my apartment are double stacked on the shelves, I have several more boxes in storage, and the Boyfriend and I are planning to move next year.
The boxes of books are the ones I hope always to own. The ones at home are mostly books I’ve never read; which has led me to think that perhaps there is another con to book hoarding. I’m not getting any younger and tomorrow is never a guarantee. Either I need to make peace with the idea of never reading many of those books, or I need to make a decision. Do I cull my collection (again) or develop the discipline to choose a book I own instead of a library book or one borrowed from the Boyfriend’s shelves? I think I’ll just throw my hands up in the air in frustration when I move again, just like I’ve done every move before *sigh*
