Reading is life. I understand aliens more than I understand a human being over the age of 20 that cannot read. Post graduate reading level in the 7th grade. Love it!
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Revised and updated since the first edition’s celebrated 2018 release, The Game Console 2.0 is …
While the text is interesting, the photographs here are an absolute joy! Discover consoles you never knew existed, and see the consoles you loved in a new way!
I rarely give 5-star reviews, but for what this is meant to me, it is deserved.
Good in nearly all aspects. Not fantastic, but good. I think Battletech has a large learning curve, but this gives you a good introduction to it while at the same time letting you see a great era of late-ish history.
I'd never read a collection of letters before. It was an interesting journey. Quite apart from the obvious material regarding the Legendarium, it was fascinating both to read the details of Tolkien's Christian faith and how he slowly fell into the "Get off my lawn" mentality. I also found it interesting to read of his distaste for the Tolkien Society of America (American fandom in particular), and, I think, fandom in general.
I though the glimpse into the man was fascinating, in the end, and for anyone at all interested in the Legendarium at any level, "The Letters" must be required reading. I'm unhappy it took me into I was 57.
Dragons of Autumn Twilight is a 1984 fantasy novel by American writers Margaret Weis and …
The first finished book of 2023 CE. "Autumn Twilight" is not a book that will change the world, but it does have some glittering, glittering passages.
As I said, McLean is not a professional writer, but in this case, for the story, it didn't matter. Make no mistake, this is a personal story. The subject in question is the author's father, murdered when he was 11 years old, so I expect bias.
But it was a great introductory story of history that happened just down the street from me!
For the last two decades "The Hobbit" for me has been the "Jackson Hobbit." I knew that Peter took breathtaking liberties, but on the whole I was surprised at how different Tolkien's and Jackson's Hobbit were.
It has been said how our visual perception of the works have been overwhelmed by the Jackson films. Virtually anything drawn of the characters now bears a resemblance, wanted or no, I suspect, of their actors now. I had a similar, though interesting, aspect of this happen during my read-through of "The Annotated Hobbit."
One of the things I strongly remember from my first readings as a teenager is that Bilbo strongly changed as the journey went on. He started as a "silly hobbit" as the tale began, and grew into a much more noble and serious character. While I couldn't think that I was the only person to see that, no one ever …
For the last two decades "The Hobbit" for me has been the "Jackson Hobbit." I knew that Peter took breathtaking liberties, but on the whole I was surprised at how different Tolkien's and Jackson's Hobbit were.
It has been said how our visual perception of the works have been overwhelmed by the Jackson films. Virtually anything drawn of the characters now bears a resemblance, wanted or no, I suspect, of their actors now. I had a similar, though interesting, aspect of this happen during my read-through of "The Annotated Hobbit."
One of the things I strongly remember from my first readings as a teenager is that Bilbo strongly changed as the journey went on. He started as a "silly hobbit" as the tale began, and grew into a much more noble and serious character. While I couldn't think that I was the only person to see that, no one ever mentioned it to me. In fairness, it probably didn't come up in conversation. Imagine my surprise, then, on reading Tolkien's Letter #131 where he says, "...and in fact [...] the tone and style change with the Hobbit's development, passing from fairy-tale to noble and high and relapsing with the return." I never saw any relapsing, but it was nice to know I wasn't imagining things.
How did this effect my current read-through? Well, as I and others have mentioned the Jackson films have largely taken over our mental imagery of the characters. However, interestingly, as my read-through began, it was not Martin Freeman's Bilbo I saw, but rather Orson Bean's Bilbo from the 1977 Rankin and Bass "The Hobbit." I actually tried to make myself see Freeman, but it always went back to Bean. Amazingly about halfway through Ch. X, "A Warm Welcome," and the Company's arrival in Lake-town, I realized that my mental image had shifted on its own to Freeman, and that this shift corresponded to me seeing the change in Bilbo's character.
The read-through worked out well. Now we're off to "The History of the Hobbit."
I have to admit I was largely reading this for material for an article I'm writing. However, at a high level, the subject matter is fascinating, and the ability to actually see, to some extent, Tolkien's editing process was the highlight of the book.
Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth is a collection of stories and essays by J. …
There are some that have said that "Unfinished Tales" while good, holds the position of a band publishing songs that it originally left on the cutting room floor. I disagree with that assessment.
First, let us be clear for new people: "Unfinished Tales" is not a new read. It is not a book you read first. Ever. A good reading of (in order of importance) "The Lord of the Rings," "The Silmarillion," and (optionally) "The Hobbit," is required. Without this background you simply will not be able to make any sense of what you're reading in "Unfinished Tales" despite Christopher's very good notes.
Here you will find details that fans of the Legendarium have long wondered and wanted to know about. What is Gandalf? What was the order he was part of, and who were its members? What's the real story(s) behind Galadreal? How did Gondor and Rohan become such …
There are some that have said that "Unfinished Tales" while good, holds the position of a band publishing songs that it originally left on the cutting room floor. I disagree with that assessment.
First, let us be clear for new people: "Unfinished Tales" is not a new read. It is not a book you read first. Ever. A good reading of (in order of importance) "The Lord of the Rings," "The Silmarillion," and (optionally) "The Hobbit," is required. Without this background you simply will not be able to make any sense of what you're reading in "Unfinished Tales" despite Christopher's very good notes.
Here you will find details that fans of the Legendarium have long wondered and wanted to know about. What is Gandalf? What was the order he was part of, and who were its members? What's the real story(s) behind Galadreal? How did Gondor and Rohan become such good friends? "Aldarion and Erendis" give us an actual story set in the time and place of Numenor. All of that is here.
Rather than "Unfinished Tales" being works that never made the cut, or ended up on the cutting room floor, rather it is a collection of work, literally, that was still in development by their author who was, unfortunately, gifted a lifetime of Men rather than Elves.
Yes, there is a hierarchy of canonicity here. If the "Lord of the Rings" says something and "Unfinished Tales" says something different, "Lord of the Rings" wins. But for the rest, we can revel in the additional thoughts, ideas, and details.
Bilbo's Last Song (at the Grey Havens) is a poem by J. R. R. Tolkien, …
Simple. Direct. Respectful. Well done.
A number-one New York Times bestseller when it was originally published, The Silmarillion is the …
Very good. Ashamed it took me 35 years.
What Did You Eat Yesterday is best described as part comic, part cookbook - it …
What seemingly began as almost a graphical recipe comic is slowly transforming itself into an interesting story. The rebalance is welcoming.
"Shiro turns down an offer to become a celebrity and Kenji's culinary adventures are reprised …
While the "recipies" remain a focus in almost every reasonable way, the backstory between the boys is becoming more interesting and complex.
