Tag: The Lord of the Rings

Thursday's Things: It's All About the Hobbits

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“Thursday’s Things” is a roundup of book related links I’ve come across while wandering down the rabbit hole that is the internet.
Every September, Tolkien fans return to the Shire.  Even though September is also the start of #RIPXII, I am no exception.  So, this month will be a strange mix of Middle Earth and Gothic content.  However, this “Thursday’s Things” is all about the Hobbits!

Tolkien Reading Day!

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment


How did I not know about #TolkienReadingDay?!  In addition to celebrating the Gondorian New Year and the downfall of Sauron, March 25th is set aside each year to honor the work of J.R.R. Tolkien.
The Tolkien Society started the wonderful Tolkien Reading Day in 2003 to encourage fans to celebrate and promote the life and works of J.R.R. Tolkien by reading favorite passages and attending events.  Unfortunately, it looks like the majority of the events take place across the pond.  Perhaps that’s why I’ve never heard of Tolkien Reading Day before Middle Earth News posted about it a couple days ago.
Tolkien Reading Day is organized around a particular theme each year. This year’s theme is “Poetry and Songs in Tolkien’s Fiction.”  Since I love anything to do with Hobbits, I’ll be reading (and singing) my favorite Hobbit songs and poems:

  • “The Road Goes Ever On” from The Lord of the Rings vol. 1, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book 1, Chapter 1 (“A Long-expected Party”) and Chapter 3 (“Three is Company”).  I’ll also be reading the longer version from The Hobbit, Chapter 19 (“The Last Stage”).
  • “Upon the Hearth the Fire Is Red” from The Lord of the Rings vol. 1, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book 1, Chapter 3 (“Three is Company”).
  • “A Drinking Song” from  The Lord of the Rings vol. 1, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book 1, Chapter 4 (“A Short Cut to Mushrooms”).
  • “The Bath Song” from The Lord of the Rings vol. 1, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book 1, Chapter 5 (“A Conspiracy Unmasked”).
  • “Farewell Song of Merry and Pippin” from The Lord of the Rings vol. 1, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book 1, Chapter 5 (“A Conspiracy Unmasked”).
  • “Song in the Woods” from The Lord of the Rings vol. 1, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book 1, Chapter 6 (“The Old Forest”).
  • “The Man in the Moon Stayed Up Too Late” from The Lord of the Rings vol. 1, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book 1, Chapter 9 (“At the Sign of the Prancing Pony”).
  • “All that is Gold Does Not Glitter” from The Lord of the Rings vol. 1, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book 1, Chapter 10 (“Strider”).
  • “Sam’s Rhyme of the Troll” from The Lord of the Rings vol. 1, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book 1, Chapter 12 (“Flight to the Ford”).
  • “I Sit Beside the Fire” from The Lord of the Rings vol. 1, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book 2, Chapter 3 (“The Ring Goes South”).
  • “Frodo’s Lament for Gandalf” from The Lord of the Rings vol. 1, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book 2, Chapter 7 (“The Mirror of Galadriel”).
  • “Oliphaunt” from The Lord of the Rings vol. 2, The Two Towers, Book 4, Chapter 3 (“The Black Gate is Closed”).
  • “In Western Lands” from The Lord of the Rings vol. 3, The Return of the King, Book 6, Chapter 1 (“The Tower of Cirith Ungol”).


Will you be celebrating Tolkien Reading Day?  What will you be reading?

The Classics Club: The Fellowship of the Ring

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Fellowship

  • Author: J.R.R. Tolkien
  • Pages: 407
  • Genre: Fantasy

 
 
I have the audiobook version of The Lord of the Rings, but since I haven’t read it since I was 12, I decided to borrow the Boyfriend’s copy instead of listening to the audio for #FanspeakTheRing.
Did you know that The Lord of the Rings is not actually a trilogy?  Though it’s usually broken down into three books (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King), it’s actually six books broken down into three parts/volumes.  Did you also know that, as a whole, they’re on the banned and challenged books list?  According to the ALA, it was burned in Alamogordo, New Mexico for being “satanic.”  My guess is that the people behind such a horrible act have never actually read The Lord of the Rings or know anything about its author.
Since I’m following the schedule for #FanspeakTheRing, I’ve only just started the second part.  So, I don’t yet have an opinion about it or the third part.  However, so far, it’s much better than I remember it being.  The Hobbit has always been my favorite book by Tolkien, and even though I love the movies based on The Lord of the Rings, I remember feeling as if the books dragged on a bit and were easily confusing when I read them all those years ago.  I never felt that way during this re-read, and if the rest is as wonderful, I’m fairly certain it will be joining the ranks of The Hobbit on my all-time favorites list.
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#FanspeakTheRing 2016 Read-Along

Published on by Rachelle2 Comments

Hobbit Adventure

Fanspeak Files is hosting a year long read-along of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, starting tomorrow!  I don’t even know how many times I’ve read The Hobbit, but I’ve only read The Lord of the Rings once in my life, and that was when I was twelve or thirteen.

Hobbit Lord of the Rings

The timing couldn’t be better, either.  Why?  I own all the audiobooks but have yet to listen to any of them.  Also, since I started working full-time, I get more time to listen to audiobooks on my drive to and from work every day than I get to read most nights after work and on the weekends.  That is especially true now that the Boyfriend and I are packing up the apartment to move the first week of April.  I can listen to my all-time favorite book while I pack!

Here’s the schedule:

  • March 20th to June 19th – The Hobbit
  • June 20th to September 21st – The Fellowship of the Ring
  • September 22nd to December 20th – The Two Towers
  • December 21st to March 19th, 2017 – The Return of the King

Will you be joining #FanspeakTheRing?