The Wonders of Tolkien

Sansa had to resort to sleeping because I couldn't put these books down!

Currently Reading: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

As part of my 50 reads for 2014 I read the Lord of the Rings series and The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. As you can see by my photos of the books and my dog Sansa, I read the books released when the movies came out. I purchased these for $1 or $2 at my used book store. I hope to get nicer versions one day for my collection, but these are the ones I read. First, why did it take me so many years to read these books? I recently got into the fantasy genre. Up until a few years ago the books I read were always fiction, chick lit, classics, etc. I read Stephen King in high school, but I steered clear of the fantasy section. I didn't have anyone pushing these books into my hands. I knew they existed and had something to do with dwarves and hobbits but I wasn't interested. Then I read Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin and became hooked and read the rest of the A Song of Ice and Fire series. So I became more open to different genres and decided that I wanted to read Tolkien's books.

Now, what can be said about these beloved books that hasn't been said already? Not much, I'm sure. I loved these books and couldn't put them down. I laughed and cried along with them. The landscapes were so vividly painted that you feel like you are walking, fighting, riding along with the characters.

The relationships and interactions between the characters are given such attention as well. You could very well be sitting at the table along side them in conversation. The friendships are given so much care and attention. You end the book yearning for someone who would follow you to Mordor and back to help you with your impossible task. Oh, how I love these books. These will be books I will reread throughout my life. This has to be the greatest adventure ever told and I am so, so thankful that I read it.

Goal: Read 50 Books in a Year.

Currently Reading: Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Reading is a big part of my life. It always has been. My Mom began reading to me when I was very young, even though people teased her for it saying I wouldn't get anything from it yet. Now, with the advances in early childhood education we can see that she was correct. I've always been a reader and I owe that to my Mom. 

I use goodreads.com to keep track of the books I've read and want to read. This site has introduced me to so many books! goodreads.com has a reading challenge. You can decide how many books you'd like to read in a year and set it as your goal. goodreads will track your progress and tell you how many books behind or ahead of schedule you are.

For 2014 I decided to set a goal of 50 books. I reasoned it would be about a book a week give or take. Some books will take longer and some I will finish in a day or two. The picture of the stack of books above are some books that will be included in my 50 reads. I have a mix of genres and lengths. 

I was fortunate for Christmas and my birthday this year that my loved ones gave me books as gifts. When I finish a book I can easily pick up another. I am currently one book ahead of schedule. As of today I have read 9 books towards my goal of 50. In future blog posts I will give a short review of those 9 books to catch you up with me. 

My plan was to take each book's number of pages and divide it by 7 to assign myself a certain number of pages a day. This worked quite well when I was struggling through Rules of Engagement by Anita Brookner. But once I got into the Lord of the Rings trilogy I was reading more than my assigned amount on most days. So for now I've put the assignment aside, but if I get behind schedule I'll pick it up again.

goodreads.com is a good motivator. I'm quite competitive with myself and I like to stay ahead of schedule. It helps to motivate me to read. I'm a reader and I love books. But sometimes after a long day of work or chores it is more appealing to veg out watching House of Cards on Netflix than to venture off into Middle Earth.

The 9 books I've read so far: The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom, Allegiant by Veronica Roth, The Rules of Engagement by Anita Brookner, The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd, Her Kind by Robin Throne, Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling. Reviews and tidbits on those coming soon!

Happy Reading!