Video: The J.R.R. Tolkien Deluxe Editions Collection

Hey everyone!

Today I take a more in-depth look at the J.R.R. Tolkien Deluxe Editions Collection box set.

Collecting Tolkien’s four major works in stunning deluxe editions: The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, The Children of Húrin.

VIDEO: Massive Tolkien Book Collection

Hey everyone! We’ve hit the 1k subscribers mark on YouTube and, to celebrate that, here’s a video with an overview of my Tolkien book collection. Enjoy!

Tolkien’s Unfinished Tales | DELUXE & HARDBACK Editions

Here it is … the unboxing of the latest Tolkien publication.

I’m still here … re-reading Tolkien

It’s been over 3 months since my last post on this blog …

I feel as ashamed as an orc that has nothing evil to do, or an elf that has no singing to be done.

A “very” sketchy analysis of the Lord of the Rings Amazon series interactive map

So Amazon just released an interactive map in what appears to be the beginning of a long and tantalising marketing campaign leading to the release of the secretively-termed “Lord of the Rings series”.

The interactivity of this map lies in the user’s ability to zoom in or out of the familiar layout of Middle-earth and scroll across the landscape features. Suffice to say, the map is quite bare – lacking any sort of geographical names or other details.

So what clues can we gather from this rather uncommunicative map. I decided to undertake a quick exercise to analyse the map, and avoid the hundreds of other fan theories most likely spawning out there on the internet.

What follows is my own, unbiased (most probably totally erroneous, but fun-making) analysis of what this map could mean …

Books I’ve Read in 2018 [Christmas wrap-up]

It has become an annual tradition of sorts on this blog to post a list of books I have read in the last twelve months. This might perhaps provide some inspirational reading ideas for you, dear readers.

Besides, I think it’s the perfect opportunity for me to take a moment, stand back, and admire the books I have consumed (not literally).

Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth … looking back in wonder

No photography was allowed inside the actual exhibition space due to light-sensitive documents

As you walk up the steps of the Weston Library in the heart of Oxford, anticipation sets in at the sight of a large sign with the word Tolkien printed on it, and wrapped around one of the columns adorning the building’s facade. Heading inside, you find yourself in a large foyer, reminiscent of the British Library, and greeted by that same thought when visiting such places: “There is knowledge here that surpasses all earthly gold and treasure”.

5 Great Places in Middle-earth You Can Actually Visit

The following is a guest post written by Kayla Robbins.

Many filming locations featured in the movies are open to tourists!

Are you looking for a unique vacation destination for your next trip? Why not stop by Middle-earth? It may sound too good to be true, but there are actually several places throughout New Zealand that were featured prominently in the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films that are now open to tourists.

“The Shadows Where the Mewlips [really] dwell” – Mapping the road to Mordor?

I’m chuffed by the eager response asking me to post the paper I presented at this year’s Oxonmoot. Well, here it is in full (with a few additional notes) for your enjoyment, if such be its fate.

Oxonmoot 2018: My Experience

You may have noticed my recent inactivity on this blog and my silence during two of the most important periods of the year: Tolkien Week and Hobbit Day. Yet, as you may have also noted, I found myself engaged by a rather unique event.

The following post is an attempt to provide a brief account of my first experience attending this year’s Oxonmoot, organised by the Tolkien Society.