Welcome to Litsy!

Way out of my price range, but so pretty…. I thought I‘d share #FellowshipOfTolkien.

So sad to hear this 😭 He did a wonderful job of completing and publishing his father's work.
#fellowshipoftolkien

Treated myself to this today as well on #Kindle #Ebook #whatiread #agirlwhoreads #booksoflitsy #mybooks #books #readingisfreedom #readabook #booklover #bibliophile #wordnerd #fullshelves #reader #reading #instafollow #followme #library

WHAT A RIDE, y‘all. What a ride of emotions. Not nearly the level of Despair as the Children Of Hurin, but definitely not a walk through the park. All the same, BEAUTIFUL! And I am going to name my next rescue dog after the loyal hound, Huan 😭😭💙 If you enjoy bittersweet love stories, this is the one for ya! 🎧 Audiobook Listen 👂

An essential element in the evolution of The Silmarillion, a great read to more fully understand the process whereby this legend of Middle-earth has evolved over the many years. A beautiful love story shadowed with fate.

As much as this pains me to do so, I have to bail on this Tolkien piece. It‘s so frustrating constantly having the story interrupted so Christopher Tolkien can compare texts, or give ridiculously long explanations. This isn‘t a standalone story it‘s a bunch of different versions smashed into one book with way to much author narrative speak, which ultimate just left it feeling like a chore to read.

Paragraphs like these are the reason why there are so many people who don‘t enjoy reading Tolkien. I have 3 sisters & out of the 4 of us I am the only one willing to sit through these long winded, & frankly IMO unnecessary explanations. None of my sisters have finished a Tolkien book and I understand why, they aren‘t at times the most enjoyable to trudge through. I am 25 pages into this book & it already seems more of a chore to read.

#fantasy

The greatest shame in the entire Middle Earth legendarium is that Tevildo, Prince of Cats, appears only in one early version of Beren and Luthien.

Sorry for the delay with this post @isy_the_owl - THANK YOU so much! I am stoked about the overlap of books 😉 I cannot wait to read these with my tea and awesome mug!!! And now that I have this Pop I‘m going to have to collect all the others 😂 this swap was awesome! Thanks for hosting @Sorceryandswords !

Oh, @Endowarrior21 I love everything you sent! Thank you so much! #TolkieniteSwap @Sorceryandswords

Ahhhh! I've had my eye on Beren and Luthien for so long that I was ridiculously happy to get a copy...there may also be some overlap in the items we got each other 😉 Everything is beautiful and perfect and I can't wait to light my candle and read . @cewilf you are the best and thank you so much! This community is really amazing. Also, thank you @Sorceryandswords for hosting!
#tolkieniteswap

It's #Tolkieniteswap opening day!! I absolutely love everything you sent @somebooksaround !! Especially Smaug and Pippin! I can't wait to make a spot for everything on Tolkien shelf! The keychain has already made it's way onto my keys 😊😍😍

@somebooksaround I really hope you like everything in your box 💕💕

“Ashes and dust and thirsty dune
withered and dry beneath the moon,
under the cold and shifting air
sifting and sighing, bleak and bare;
of blistered stones and gasping #sand,
of splintered bones was built that land,
o‘er which now slinks with powdered fell
and hanging tongue a shape of hell.”

#QuotsyAug18

With The Fall of Gondolin coming out at the end of the month and my visit to Oxford right before it, l have a feeling that my blog will become 'tolkienised' this August 😆

This are my impressions on the first of the three Great Tales.

#YearOfTolkien

I'm belated in posting, but here is my #thereandbackagain Day 5: My favorite characters are Beren, Luthien, Aragorn & Samwise! I know the quote on the left isn't from Sam, but I think it represents the hobbits well 😉

#yearoftolkien #tolkienite

My other choices for favorite characters are Luthien and the hound Huan. Luthien is an incredibly strong female character with amazing elvish magic. Huan plays an important role in Beren & Luthien‘s quest to retrieve a Silmaril and is just a fascinating character.

#ThereAndBackAgain #YearofTolkien

I have a "couple" of answers for you @JoScho
1. Beren and Luthien or Thanos and Death
2. Heathcliff and Catherine
3. TV - Marshall and Lilly / Movie - Judah Ben-Hur and Mesalla
4. Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman or Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer
Honorable mention: Scrooge McDuck & $$$
#ManicMonday

Adore this. I have quite a few signed books, but Alan Lee is my favourite Tolkien illustrator 💕

So I caved (again) and signed up for another swap...🤗
It just looks too good to miss out on!!! Thanks for organising @Sorceryandswords ❤💙💜

This has always been one of my favourite Middle-earth tales and was particularly close to Tolkien's own heart. Here Christopher Tolkien works his way through the long and varied history of the narrative through decades of drafting from prose to verse. It's beautiful and fascinating and I remain a little heartbroken that no version is really complete but it's the long verse that is my favourite.

Just finished The Story of Kullervo so I have to pick something a little less depressing. 😅

I was supposed to meet a friend in DC for tourist stuff, but she was sick, so instead I did stuff closer to home. The last renovated #library branch reopened recently, and it‘s beautiful. My reading dance card is pretty full at the moment, but I checked out this book to pose against the nifty water sculpture thing. I can keep it for nine weeks if nobody else requests it!

New book & Funko! I'm slowly building my collection of LOTR Funko figures. So far, I have Aragorn & Frodo
#LOTR #tolkienite

I love the story of Beren and Luthien. I love the strength of their love, and I love that Tolkien considered his wife his Luthien. Yet, I think my favorite aspect of the story might be the parts with Luthien and the hound Huan. I‘ve been trying to find an appropriate quote all day, and I‘m going with this scene in the poetic version when Huan talks to Luthien. The portions in verse are beautiful!

#TolkienReadingDay #TolkienGiveaway

The leaves were long, the grass was green,
The hemlock-umbels tall and fair,
And in the glade a light was seen
Of stars in shadow shimmering.
Tinúviel was dancing there
To music of a pipe unseen,
And light of stars was in her hair,
And in her raiment glimmering.

1. Beren and Luthien's story is one of my favorites.
2. Way to many choices! Westley and Buttercup, Lily and Marshall, and I loved when Sam finally got Rosie at the end of the Return of the King movie.
3. Local wildflowers. The bluebells are beautiful around here.
4. Krunchie bar, kit kat, Reece's cups
5. Red
#manicmonday @JoScho

Very happy with January‘s reading stats! I read several great books this month and made a good start on some year long goals!

#MonthlyStats

Tolkien has a new book guardian. Been meaning to post something for a while now lol #Tolkien #lordoftherings

The incredible attention in this edition, showcasing the story of Beren and Lúthien as it went through changing variations & edits to reach the version we first hear on Weathertop in Lord of the Rings, is a great story. The peek into the author‘s unfolding writing process is an even better one. I loved the epic poem version filled with the rhyme and cadence of ages past; I found myself wishing even more would have been completed in that format.

I didn‘t quite know what I was getting into when I started this book, so it took a while to adjust to reading the explanation and the changing story. As I went on, I realized the fascinating opportunity this book provides readers to see a tiny glimpse into Tolkien‘s in-depth and long term process of writing his stories, as well as his son‘s dedication to continuing to share them. I also loved reading the sections in verse.

#LotRChapteraDay

And it's done 😞 I have really enjoyed this awesome journey that we set out on with the #Lotrchapteraday group! It's been amazing to finally sit down and really dig deep into Tolkien's work, and explore a realm that I love.

As a note, is anyone planning on continuing forward with more of his books? Unfinished Tales, Lost Tales, Kullervo, etc? If so I'd love to join in! I have a few on my shelves already.

#LotRChapterADay Day 171

And so it ends.
i am so sad to come to the end of this readalong. It was such an experience! I enjoyed every minute of it.

I'm looking for a new opportunity to read Tolkien with all of you again. I know it will come 😊

And so it ends. I'm a little sad to be done. I think this was the most enjoyable outside of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. I'm impressed with the care, time, and scholarship his son put into Tolkien's unfinished books so that we could read them. #lotrchapteraday

I finished a day early for #lotrchapteraday
A unique book, most of it is in verse. It was interesting to see the different versions and revisions Tolkien made to his stories.

When the story and fandom run away from the author.... imagine if he‘d been encouraged to really flesh out the elves drama, or the Beren story as a complete novel or trilogy.

#LOTRChapterADay

😂 I love it! So funny!

Hobbits Smobbits🤨 it‘s all about the Elves! 🧝‍♂️ 🧝‍♀️

#LOTRChapterADay

I‘m playing some serious catch-up today on this one, I fell way behind this week (Christmas, New Years, birthday party, family reunion, and a Gram in the hospital all in the same week will do that🤭), but things have settled down & today is quiet so it‘s time for some quality time with my book... tomorrow is another day😉

**I am loving the extended Huan in this story, from the time he was a pup, it‘s really a great version.

#LOTRChapterADay

I am doing some catch up today for #lotrchapteraday. By some, I mean two weeks worth of reading 😅 In my defense I've been either too buy at or too tired to keep up, but I am forcing myself to make some time today. I did buy the ebook a few days ago so I've been using the text-to-speech option to get through it while I do other things.

The details of the story told in verse are amazing! I have so much more appreciation for the characters of Luthien and Huan after reading these extended versions. I wish Tolkien had decided to finish it in this form, but since he didn‘t, I‘m still glad we have the opportunity to read what he did write.

#LotRChapteraDay

#LotRChapterADay Day 168

Really love this part! Yes, it's my favourite part in the story, but l love this rendition, with dialogue and emotions. Absolutely fantastic!!

#LotRChapterADay Day 167

Really really enjoyed reading about the past in this story. I love Huan's wit. I love Beren and Luthien's bond, Luthien's courage, Beren's determination's.
As always, all of Tolkien's characters are strong-willend and determined

#LotRChapterADay Day 166

I'm loving seeing how the outline takes flesh and substance.

#LotRChapterADay Day 165

Such a strong read today. Loyalty and friendship, betrayal and deceit.
Luthien is a warrior, just like Huan. I like this couple of unlikely heroes

Spending part of my morning reading more of Tolkien‘s poetry. I am enjoying the story told in verse much more than I expected, and it adds so much detail about Luthien‘s role in the story.

However, my library ebook pages don‘t match the schedule, so I‘m not sure of the daily sections. Could one of you let me know the line numbers where we‘re stopping each day?

#LotRChapteraDay

Why is it that their oath that lead to so much grief sounds so much better in a rise and fall cadence?🤨

#LOTRChapterADay

#LOTRChapterADay

Wow, that‘s some pretty great writing in about a month!

** And on a side note, I know understand all those appendixes and notes on pronunciation so much more, he needed to know exactly how everything was pronounced and enunciated to make his lines rhyme and flow correctly.

The deeper we get into his history and process, the more amazing of a writer he becomes.

#LOTRChapterADay