Tolkien Blog Party Tag

Thanks to the lovely Hamlette, each year we geeks have a chance to kick back, pour a cup of tea, and remember that The Lord of the Rings still exists and it is awesome. Even if we publish the tag late because we forgot about it until now.

1. How long have you been a Tolkien fan?

Ever since I read The Hobbit at the age of eight or so. 

2. Has your love of Middle-earth affected your life?

*goes to type, then pauses and frowns* 

Well, it's definitely influenced my reading life. As soon as I read The Hobbit I developed an appetite for sci-fi/fantasy, and books in this genre have greatly influenced the way I think about the world. These include Carl Sagan's Contact, Antoine St. Expert's The Little Prince, Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn, and many others. Also, if I hadn't been introduced to this genre I would never have gotten into Brandon Sanderson's online writing lessons and I would have never met my friend Meredith, who got me into blogging, and I would be quite a different person than I was before and I wouldn't be here answering these questions. 

So yes.

3. If you had to take the One Ring to Mordor, which character would you choose for your sole companion?

Sam. Because he is adorable and he would carry me the whole way.

4. Which is scarier, Shelob or the Balrog?

Definitely Shelob, at least in the way they are presented in the books/movies. I've never thought big monsters were that scary; it's the little, petty, crawly, claustrophobic ones like Shelob that give me the creeps.

5. Which two towers do you think Tolkien was referring to in the title The Two Towers?  (i.e. Orthanc, Barad-dûr, Cirith Ungol, Minas Morgul, or Minas Tirith)

No idea. My head hurts.


6. Whose wardrobe would you like to have?

Eowyn. Her gowns are so soft and flowy, especially this one:

I also want whatever this warm, fuzzy thing is:

I love that she is a fierce, driven warrior who is also not above cuddling with a blanket on a duvet.

7. What do you think an Ent Draught would taste like?

Strong, leafy tea with a beer-like aftertaste.

8. Where in Middle-earth would you like to live?

The Shire, because anywhere else would be way too stressful. I am Sam at heart. xD

9. Do you have any Tolkien-related opinions that surprise other people?

I can't stand The Silmarillion and I enjoy the movies more than the books because the books are just so dang hard to read. Also I think the songs from the books are really annoying and unnecessary. And Tolkien needs to work on his pacing. 

*whispers* Sorry, everyone.


10. List up to ten of your favorite lines/quotations from the books or movies.

I've got way more than ten, but for the sake of time I'll just refer you to my reply from last year. This is my idea of time management. 

*pauses to reconsider my life decisions*

Let's go deep in this comments section, comrade: Has your love for Middle-Earth affected your life?

The Four Fictional Characters Tag

I have been tagged by the lovely Olivia to fill out the Four Fictional Characters Tag! (Thank you so much, by the way--this totally made my day.  :D)

Rules

1. Link back to the person who tagged you
2. List four fictional characters (use pictures if you want! They can be from movies or books) and, if you like, describe what they're like and why you believe they relate to you
3. Tag a few other blog people! Three, or four, or even twenty. :) Share the fun!
Be sure to let them know you've tagged them! 

Characters

1. Eowyn (The Lord of the Rings)

Wow, I didn't realize how close I felt to this character until I started looking up quotes and pictures. 

Eowyn isn't the character I look up to the most from LotR (that would be Sam of course <3), but she's the one I relate to most closely. Her quote about a cage is exactly the way I feel after watching The Return of the King or any other deeply inspirational movie. As an INFP (the "idealist" type) I want to do something epic, like shield-surfing down stairs while shooting orcs and/or saving the galaxy. I have trouble seeing the mundanity of life as beautiful, and I can't stand schedules, so Eowyn's anger at being kept on the sidelines is very relatable for me.

She can also be cheerful and adorable when she feels like it, and I relate to her love for the hobbits. If I was around Merry and Pippin I would be constantly sobbing and/or laughing.  xD

2. Jim Hawkins (Treasure Planet)

Seriously, who doesn't like a rebellious teenage kid who rides a hoverboard through explosions? 

Also he cares a lot about Silver's adorable shapeshifter named Morph, and I am a huge dog person and to me Morph is like a tiny labrador retriever, so that is basically the fulfillment of all my cuteness dreams.

And finally, father figure stories tear me apart every time. The part that always gets me is the montage of Silver training Jim mixed with Jim's memories of his father abandoning him, all with John Rzeznik's ballad "I'm Still Here" playing in the background. It perfectly explains Jim's bitterness against authority, combined with his emerging hope that Silver won't leave him like his dad did. 

me while watching that part, every time

3. Marvin (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy)

Marvin the Paranoid Android walks through this story poking holes in arguments and depressing everyone around him with his despondent attitude. He's a humorous depiction of me on a bad day, who believes that everyone hates me and life is pointless and the only sensible thing left to do is lie down and cry. 

Also he is voiced by Alan Rickman, who is fantabulous.

4. Sebastian (La La Land)

Sebastian is awkward and quiet until Mia touches on the topic that he is really enthusiastic about--jazz music. Then he gets almost frighteningly worked up. I can relate to that because I'm relatively quiet until someone mentions something that I care about, like music or books or movies or writing or religion. Then I often scare people with my enthusiasm.

Also Sebastian feels limited by having to worry about money. 

...which of course brings us to a twenty one pilots lyric.

Instead of playing real jazz piano he's forced to play boring Christmas music to an equally bored audience, something I've done a couple times for Christmas parties. It's lucrative, but not fulfilling at all. So as a fellow pianist I related to him instantly.

And finally, his past failures have left him with misgivings about the future, expressed beautifully in "City of Stars":

And as an incoming college freshman I could not be more concerned about the future.  xD

***

That was a lot of fun! Hopefully it didn't get to depressing there, hehe. 

Thanks again to Olivia for tagging me, and I would now like to tag Meredith, Jenny/Nimrodel, Fawnabelle Baggins, M.J. Watson, and Mary Horton. If y'all happen to be reading this, of course.  :)

Underrated Books: A Splendiferous Guest Post by Meredith

My lovely friend Meredith graciously agreed to write a guest post. I made some very excited squee-ing noises and hand gestures over this and then I somehow forgot about it until a few months later when I realized I still hadn't posted it. *cough*

My sincere apologies, Meredith. I am sure your writing has only matured with age. 

AND NOW, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO...

***

Hello to Art3mis's readers! :) 

Art3mis has graciously invited me to write a post here, so I decided to talk about my favorite underrated books and series. Here goes. :) 

The Mysterious Benedict Society 

     Trenton Lee Stewart

Despite being targeted at a slightly younger audience, I love these books. They're fun and well-paced and I was rather obsessed as a tween. ^.^

The Wingfeather Saga

   Andrew Peterson

Read it. I can't say I love this series quite as much as some of my friends, but it's good on so many levels that it's hard to not at least like it. It balances the right level of humor with darkness and traditional fantasy elements with obscurity. Plus the characters are lovable and the plot twists kept me on my toes. Wow, I forgot how good these books were. ^.^

Chronicles of Prydain

   Lloyd Alexander

This is like a simpler, more compact Lord of the Rings. It has the epic characters, plots, and settings, but in a smaller package. 

The Witch of Blackbird Pond

   Elizabeth George Speare 

This one isn't as fantastic or dazzling as the others on my list, but the characters are good, and the romance is pretty adorable. It's set in colonial New England, which seems to be a rather neglected spot for historical fiction, so that's interesting. 

Mara Daughter of the Nile

   Eloise Jarvis McGraw

Here is one of the perfect-est books I've ever read. It's good on almost every level- and educational too, set in Ancient Egypt and all. But it's one of those historical fiction novels you don't read because it's educational, but because it's just a really good story. 

So there are some of my favorites, what would you add? 

***

ALL THE PRETTY COVERS

Thank you so much, Meredith! You have excellent literary taste.  ;) 

Now I've got to go read a book, or maybe two or three...

Or four, because I need to read the Wingfeather Saga now.   ;)

What I've Been Up To (Basically Books and More Books)

I think it says something about myself that I tried to save the background picture for my header and got this:

So anyway, my internet hiatus gave me a lot more time to read, and made me rediscover how much I love reading. One of the best feelings in the world is reading the last sentence of a book and finding it so beautiful that you just sort of stroke the page and then hug the book to your chest and read the last line over and over again.

Plus I lucked out on thought-provoking, strongly written books in the past two months or so. Here are some brief reviews--think of them as book popcorn. Being thrown at you. Through a computer screen. I've always had trouble with analogies.

***

The Unwind Dystology

Neal Shusterman

Neal Shusterman is now one of my favorite authors, thanks to Aimee at To the Barricade, whose rave reviews got me hooked.

His character development is impeccable, his plotting is twisty but makes sense, and his prose is slick without trying too hard to be YA-ish. He's especially good at describing things in a way that reminds me of those "relatable posts" on Pinterest--he comes up with the best little details. For example:

Roland glares at Connor and Connor glares back. Then he says what he always says at moments like this.
"Nice socks."
Although Roland doesn't look down right away, it derails him just enough for him to back off. He doesn't check to see if his socks match until he thinks Connor isn't looking. And the moment he does, Connor snickers. Small victories are bet­ter than none.

^^I tried it (as a joke). It works.

Anyway, the plot of the Unwind Dystology is that there was a full-out war between the pro-life and pro-choice groups, and the terrible compromise they made was to only permit "retroactive abortions," which meant basically killing teenagers to solve the problems of teen crime and population growth. The main characters are teenagers living in the aftermath of this legislation and trying to stay alive, and maybe change the world while they're at it.

Yes, it's a disturbing plot. But this series made me think more than any other series I've read, and Mom and I still find ourselves discussing the moral issues and character development a month later. Plus it's pro-life in the long run.

Content: PG-13. (Detailed violence, language, suggestive content, and adult themes, all handled with teens in mind.)

The Schwa Was Here
Neal Shusterman

You knew I wasn't done with Shusterman, didn't you?

This one's in first-person, narrated by an easily distracted teenage boy in New York. It cracked me up and, unexpectedly, made me cry. The symbolism is great, and it kind of reminded me of The Great Gatsby.

It's too weird to explain properly. Just read it.

Content: PG (mild language and a few crude comments)

Bruiser

Neal Shusterman

Yep, still not done with this guy. Let's just say this is by Neal Shusterman so it's good, although it's basically a darker version of The Schwa Was Here.

Content: PG-13 (Intense domestic violence, some language, and the occasional crude comment)

The Name of the Wind

Patrick Rothfuss

Also entitled, "A Huge Disappointment but Not Quite a Waste of Time...?"

I LOVED this book. I'm not sure whether I should have, but I did.

It had all the necessities: complex characters, a very sweet friendzone, a dark and brooding protagonist, dragons, a scientifically described magic system, and humor. And a GORGEOUS writing style. Probably the prettiest writing style I have ever read (besides Tolkien's, of course).

Check this out:

“Go out in the early days of winter, after the first cold snap of the season. Find a pool of water with a sheet of ice across the top, still fresh and new and clear as glass. Near the shore the ice will hold you. Slide out farther. Farther. Eventually you'll find the place where the surface just barely bears your weight. There you will feel what I felt. The ice splinters under your feet. Look down and you can see the white cracks darting through the ice like mad, elaborate spiderwebs. It is perfectly silent, but you can feel the sudden sharp vibrations through the bottoms of your feet.
That is what happened when Denna smiled at me.” 


So, you ask, why did I just call this gorgeous book a huge disappointment?

Because of its STUPID SEQUEL. See, the thing about this series (which I believe is projected to be a trilogy) is that it starts out with the main character as a disillusioned middle-aged innkeeper who is "waiting to die." Then it has a massive fast-backward to the MC as a kid, and goes from there to describe how he massively messed up his life.

It sounds depressing. And it is. And it sounds like the suspense would be ruined because you already know what happens to him, but it's not. It's just that instead of wondering what will happen, you wonder how it will happen. Also the writing style is so gorgeous that it's hard to stop reading anyway.

Anyway, the problem with the second book, which I'm not even putting on this list because I stopped reading it, is that it takes the main character's flaws too far, and in an explicit direction that was demeaning to women. That put me off the story enough to put it down even though it was so, so good.

In conclusion, it hurts to say this, but DON'T READ THIS BOOK. You will just be disappointed because the second one is so immoral and lame. But The Name of the Wind will nevertheless go down as one of my favorite fantasy books of all time.

Content: PG-13...? (Violence, the occasional bit of explicit language, and a lot of suggestive stuff that would probably push the PG-13 rating. Mostly because the main characters are immature teenage boys.)

***

Ta-da! Lots of intensity. I think I literally cried over every one of those books, so yeah, you should read them too.  ;P

I will leave you with a highly satisfying gif:

Have you read a particularly awesome or affecting book in the last month or two? And if you've read any of the ones I've just reviewed, what's your opinion?

The Fault in Our Stars Review (Spoiler-Free)

This book is depressing.

Not the vague sort of depressing that makes you shrug and forget about it later, but the kind of depressing that makes you cry so often that towards the end of the book you stop noticing the tears rolling down your face.

Then again, I'm a teenage girl who read it straight through from 10 pm to 1:30 am, so I suppose crying is to be expected.

This book is just so...ugh, I can't figure out how to describe it. The first thing that comes to mind is it's really, really good. The second thing that comes to mind is it's really, really depressing.

I'll start with the really, really good aspect. Let's use headings for this bit. Headings are cool.

***

Why The Fault in Our Stars is Really, Really Good

1. Writing style

There was something on almost every page that gave me chills. John Green puts ordinary things in such delicious ways. For example: 

"I cut a glance to him, and his eyes were still on me. It occurred to me why they call it eye contact."

"His every syllable flirted." 

"I enjoy looking at beautiful people, and I decided a while ago not to deny myself the simpler pleasures of existence."

"Kaitlyn never wore open-toed shoes on account of how she hated her feet because she felt her second toes were too long, as if the second toe was a window into the soul or something."

"You could hear the wind in the leaves, and on that wind traveled the screams of the kids on the playground in the distance, the little kids figuring out how to be alive, how to navigate a world that was not built for them by navigating a playground that was."

"I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once."

2. Point of View

I suppose this could fall under writing style, but it deserves a section to itself. Green chose a first person POV, and as an aspiring writer I was amazed (and a little jealous) at how well he included Hazel's thoughts and opinions so I forgot I was reading a book and became immersed in Hazel's experiences. (All of the above quotes are from Hazel's narration, except for the "beautiful people" one, which is a piece of dialogue.)

Also, Hazel's sarcastic narration made me laugh out loud. A lot. *ignores the fact that I was sleep-deprived while reading it*

3. Questions

Yes, this book is technically a romance, but it seems that the main point of it is to examine the "problem of pain," as C.S. Lewis put it. It's basically a bunch of existential crises strung together, as the main characters deal with the excruciating pain, humiliation, and death that arise from terminal illness. 

It examines questions such as "Why are we here?", "Is life worth it?", and "What happens after death?". But what's cool about it is it examines these questions from the point of view of modern teenagers. This made it relatable and it revealed to my sheltered self what a lot of modern non-religious youth are struggling with.

If that doesn't sound fun to read, then this book is not for you. 

***

Why The Fault in Our Stars Is Really, Really Depressing

1. Answers

In this story there are a lot of questions, but there are no answers. Hazel shoots down all the usual explanations of pain, questioning God's existence and denying typical expressions about pain having some sort of point such as showing us the joy of life. 

That's the main reason that I'm still feeling down after finishing this book: a lot of people probably think like Hazel. And it makes me sad that people live with such a nihilistic view of life: that we're just random conglomerations of atoms and the best thing we can do is "notice the universe." 

It's like a Douglas Adams book, but without the humor. 

2. Cancer

I've never been close to anyone suffering from cancer, so before I read this book I didn't realize how much suffering cancer patients go through. Green goes into excruciating detail with the treatments and the humiliation that the main characters have to deal with. It would be okay if it was a fantasy story but it's just really sad to read about this stuff knowing that all of it is real and that people have to endure that kind of suffering now. 

It puts my own little struggles into perspective.

3. I can't think of a third one. So there you go. 

***

Content Warning

There's a sex scene in the middle that I had heard about from other people and I could see it coming so I just skipped it. It's immoral and completely unnecessary to the plot. I'm disappointed that Green included that. The romance would have been much better without that stuff.

Also, there's pervasive language. Only one instance of "strong" language, which is sort of understandable because it's at a really heart wrenching moment. But still, that is also unnecessary and limits the accessibility of the book to those who are willing to wade through the crude language. There are a couple suggestive comments too.

***

In conclusion, would I recommend this book? With the content warning and the depressing factor in mind, probably not. It's a hard decision to make though because it's so well-written and there are so many beautiful moments in it and a genuinely stunning passage about true love. 

Am I glad I read it? I learned a lot from it, some of which I listed in my review and some of which I didn't. So yes, I think I am glad.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'll go read some C.S. Lewis to cheer myself up.

Have you read The Fault in Our Stars? If so, what did you think? Do you have a favorite Young Adult book (if you dare to wade into the genre at all)?

A Tolkien Blog Partaaaaay

Happy Bilbo and Frodo's birthday, everyone! I should be doing schoolwork right now but it is very important to get this post out on the actual date, right? Riiiiight.

Anyway, thanks to Hamlette at The Edge of the Precipice, I'm participating in my second-ever blog tag...and it's Tolkien-themed and features a little green hobbit door, which is fantastic.

1.  How many books by J.R.R. Tolkien have you read?

Well, if you count The Lord of the Rings as one book, as it was originally intended, I've read three. The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Children of Hurin. I'm obviously not the greatest Tolkien fan because I started The Silmarillion and could not for the life of me forge my way through it. What got me through LotR were the vivid descriptions and amazing character moments, which aren't in  The Silmarillion, although I'm sure some argue otherwise.

Also, if you haven't read it, do yourself a favor and scratch The Children of Hurin off your list. It's super depressing.  :P

2.  Have you seen any movies based on them?

Yep. Peter Jackson rules. The original LotR film trilogy is ridiculously amazing, and The Return of the King is my favorite movie of all time. I am convinced that George Lucas secretly made the Hobbit prequels and advertised them as Peter Jackson's films as a twisted act of vengeance for his rise to popularity. 

Haha, just kidding! You prequel fans can put those axes down now. The Hobbit movies were ok, just not as good as LotR. In fact, I am not going to tell you how many times I went and saw An Unexpected Journey. (Hint: approximately as often as my age at the time.  xP ) 

3.  Are there any scenes/moments that make you cry?

Every. Blasted. Moment.

4.  Are there any scenes/moments that make you laugh?

Yes! Mostly involving Mary and Pippin.

...Pippin: "It comes in pints?"
And Merry's face.  xD

"I don't think he knows about Second Breakfast..."

When Gandalf goes in to talk to Denethor and tells Pippin it would be better if he didn't speak at all.

"Wait, where are we going?"

The Ent-draught scene.

Merry and Pippin running into Frodo and Sam when they're being chased by Farmer Maggot.

"That still only counts as one!" 

"We dwarves are natural sprinters, very dangerous over short distances!"

...And many more.  :)

5.  Have you ever chosen a Middle Earth name for yourself?  If so, what is it?

"Glorfindel the Awesome" was my screenname for a lot of things at one point. If you've read the trilogy, you'll know Glorfindel is the elf who gave Frodo his horse in TFotR. But I also found a part in The Silmarillion about an elf also named Glorfindel who killed a Balrog BY HIMSELF. He died with the Balrog like Gandalf did, but he still did it without magic which is ridiculously cool. My theory is that this Glorfindel is the same one in TFotR, and he was reincarnated in the halls of Mandos, lord of the dead. And he is awesome.

6.  Who would you want to party with/marry/fight to the death? (pick three characters)

Party with: Pippin
Marry: Sam Gamgee
Fight to the death: the Witch-king

7.  When was the last time you visited Middle Earth, via books or movies?

Wow, it's been a long time. At least a year, mostly because I have trouble getting into the books and because I'm taking a break from the movies so they don't become too familiar. (Also the emotional ups and downs while watching them are too much.  xP  )

8.  Do you consider Gollum to be a villain?  Why or why not?

No. Gollum was originally good as Smeagol, but then the Ring turned him bad. Sure, Gollum probably made some sort of decision to obey the Ring's influence, but he was definitely under the Ring's duress for every one of his evil actions. 

I think Gollum is basically who Frodo would have become if he had kept the Ring for an extended period of time; you can see traces of evil in Frodo coming out the longer he keeps the Ring. Frodo managed to resist its influence at the beginning, whereas Gollum jumped right in and murdered his friend for the Ring at the beginning, but I think there still is a parallel. 
 9.  How would you sum up what Tolkien's stories mean to you in one word?

numinous

(If you don't know what that means, please look it up. I just discovered it recently too, and it's a beautiful word.)

10. List up to ten of your favorite lines/quotes from the books or movies.

“Many that die deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.”

“You cannot pass,” he said. The orcs stood still, and a dead silence fell. “I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. You cannot pass. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udûn. Go back to the Shadow! You cannot pass.”

“What do you fear, lady?” he asked. 

“A cage,” she said. “To stay behind bars, until use and old age accept them, and all chance of doing great deeds is gone beyond recall or desire.”

“And yet you counselled me not to adventure on the road that I had chosen, because it is perilous?”

“So may one counsel another,” she said. “Yet I do not bid you flee from peril, but to ride to battle where your sword may win renown and victory. I would not see a thing that is high and excellent cast away needlessly.”

“Nor would I,” he said. “Therefore I say to you, lady: Stay! For you have no errand to the South.”

“Neither have those others who go with thee. They go only because they would not be parted from thee-because they love thee.” Then she turned and vanished into the night.

"Frodo wouldn't have got far without Sam."

Pippin: I didn't think it would end this way. 
Gandalf: End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path... One that we all must take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass... And then you see it. 
Pippin: What? Gandalf?... See what? 
Gandalf: White shores... and beyond, a far green country under a swift sunrise. 
Pippin: Well, that isn't so bad. 
Gandalf: [softly] No... No it isn't. 

SO BEAUTIFUL!!! 

Thanks, Hamlette, for the fangirling opportunity, and y'all have a wonderful last few hours of Bilbo's and Frodo's birthday/the first day of fall!