Rachel Kovaciny's Blog, page 63

"Tolkien's World" Coloring Book

Do you enjoy adult coloring books?  I'm kind of addicted to them.  Especially the ones related to some fandom or other that I love.  So it's no surprise that I own several Tolkien-inspired coloring books.  Today, I'm going to take you on a tour of Tolkien's World.  The coloring book version, anyway.
You can actually color the slipcover if you want.  There's a different picture underneath.

The first picture I colored in this was the one I totally bought it for, a po...

Minor Characters of Tolkien Quiz

Second game for this year's party!  Match the name of a minor character from The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings with what Middle-earth race they belong to.  Obviously, there will be more than one character for some races.  Your answers should be in the form of the number that corresponds with the name, then the letter that corresponds with their race.  So, like "21. A" -- make sense?

1. Bill Ferny
2. Dain
3. Elladin
4. Elrohir
5. Eothain6. Fatty Bolger7. Ghan-buri-ghan8....

Creatures of Middle-earth Quiz

Good morning!  Here's our first game for this year's Tolkien Blog Party, and it's all about... I was going to say non-human beings, but the elves and dwarves and hobbits aren't human either.  Um.  It's about non-speaking... no, that doesn't work either.  Whatever.  You know what I mean by "creatures," right?

How this game works: read the description of a Middle-earth creature and tell me what creature I'm describing.  As in kind of creature, like "horse," not a sp...

A Tolkien Blog Party 2019 -- Kickoff Post

Here I am again!  Back for the seventh year in a row to celebrate all things Tolkien with you for a full week.  Huzzah!



I've already posted this year's giveaway, so don't forget to check that out here!  There are lots and lots of ways to enter, and nine prizes!



This year, we're doing things a little differently.  As always, there's a tag below that you can copy to your own blog and answer there, then put the link to your post in the linky widget at the bottom of this post.&n...

Giveaway for A Tolkien Blog Party 2019

Huzzah!  The partying can now commence!  I hereby present to you the nine prizes for this year's Tolkien Blog Party Giveaway!



ONE winner will receive all four of these Tolkien-themed bookmarks which I bought as printable files from the Etsy shop


ONE winner will receive this "vegan leather" bookmark that I purchased from the Etsy shop


TWO winners will EACH...

"The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

I'd never read this book before.  In fact, I never even heard of it until a few years ago.  Then people kept being shocked that I hadn't read it, and it popped up on a few book-themed puzzles that my kids and I did this summer, so I decided it was high time to read it.

I'm not entirely sure what to make of this book, to be honest.  It's sweet and cute and melancholy and quirky.  The little prince himself is a bit mysterious, a blend of innocent and wise, curious and reserve...

"Fangirl" by Rainbow Rowell

After finishing War and Peace, I devoured this fluffy little ice cream sandwich in two days.  Brain needed a snack after all the kale of W&P, it seems.

I liked it a lot.  It was fun.  Fluffy.  Light.  Easy to inhale.  But I also disliked a lot of things about it.  So let's get into that, huh?

I liked that it was a book about people who write fanfiction, and that it showed how people often look down on fanfic, but that fanfic can actually be a very creative...

"War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy

How does one even begin to review a book like War and Peace?  A book that's sooooo famous, sooooo long, sooooo... scattered?
Yes.  Scattered.  There, I said it.  This is not a perfect novel, in my opinion, be it humble or otherwise.  I'm not even sure it's a great one.  I haven't really made up my mind about it one way or the other yet.
In Tolstoy's own words, from his 1868 essay "Some Words About War and Peace" (included in my copy as an appendix), this book "is n...

"The Baronet's Song" by George MacDonald,

Mute little Gibbie Galbraith leaves the city's slums when his father dies, seeking safety in the Scottish Highlands his family once inhabited.  Pure-hearted and intelligent, Gibbie finds a new family, but also makes enemies among those who think he is half-witted, insolent, or a thief.  He grows into a fine young man and eventually inherits a home of his own.

I was kind of irritated by this book when I'd first finished reading it because Gibbie doesn't really have a character arc.&nb...

Announcing the 7th Annual Tolkien Blog Party!

Oh, yes!   My Tolkien Blog Party is happening again!  Seven years in a row -- how fun is that?



I've made some buttons, as you can see.  Share 'em wherever you share such things so other people can find out about the party and join us!



The party will run all of Tolkien Week, Sept. 22-28.  I'll provide a tag, some party games, a book review or two, and, yes, of course, a giveaway.



What would y'all think of adding a sort of blogathon-style thing to the party this year?&nbsp...