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.