2019 Reading Challenge

[Michael]

Here we go for the 2019 Tolkien Reading Challenge 😊📚

[Michael]

For this year's challenge, I've decided to read some of the several Tolkien biographies I have sitting unread on my shelves.

What are your plans, if any, for this year's challenge?

[Max]

Thank you for putting it up, I'm very excited. This year I'm hoping to finish the last three books in the History of Middle Earth series. Also I'm rereading the Hobbit and LoTR books (like every year).

[Michael]

Max wrote: "Thank you for putting it up, I'm very excited. This year I'm hoping to finish the last three books in the History of Middle Earth series. Also I'm rereading the Hobbit and LoTR books (like every ye..."

You're welcome, Max :-)

Sounds like a year full of Tolkien for you! :-D

[Max]

Michael wrote: "Max wrote: "Thank you for putting it up, I'm very excited. This year I'm hoping to finish the last three books in the History of Middle Earth series. Also I'm rereading the Hobbit and LoTR books (l..."

Yes indeed! :-D Can't wait to see what you think of the different biographies of Tolkien. I'd like to read one or two as well.

[Thijs]

I am, (going to attempt), to read the Complete History of Middle Earth this year!

I just finished rereading LoTR and the Hobbit to refresh the max memories and I'm ready to bounce.

[Max]

Thijs wrote: "I am, (going to attempt), to read the Complete History of Middle Earth this year!

I just finished rereading LoTR and the Hobbit to refresh the max memories and I'm ready to bounce."

Good luck!! I love them so far, I'm at part 10 I think.

[Max]

Finished part 10 and 11, on to 12!

[Connor]

This year I don't have much Tolkien I'm planning on reading. I just got done with The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Later down the road I may read Humphrey Carpenter's biography on Tolkien. I do plan on reading The Fall of Gondolin as well, which is on it's way from Amazon, and I may or may not get around to Unfinished Tales, which I've never read before.

[Max]

Connor wrote: "This year I don't have much Tolkien I'm planning on reading. I just got done with The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Later down the road I may read Humphrey Carpenter's biography on Tolkien. I d..."

Good luck with reading! Hope you find lots of time to read. I loved Unfinished Tales, it was actually the first non-LotR (and Hobbit) book I read by Tolkien!

[Connor]

Max wrote: "Connor wrote: "This year I don't have much Tolkien I'm planning on reading. I just got done with The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Later down the road I may read Humphrey Carpenter's biography ..."

I'm really looking forward to that one. I'm hoping it covers a lot of stuff I'm not quite as familiar with like Second Age and early Third Age events. Most of what I know is in the Appendices of The Lord of the Rings.

[Russell]

I've already read The Hobbit half a dozen times, LOTR 2-3 times, and Silmarillion once in my life.

My goal for this year, which I've already started, is to read Tolkien's other works. I already read in 2019 Roverandom, Mr. Bliss, Farmer Giles of Ham, and almost done with Smith of Wootton Major.

I have these on my shelf to read next (in no particular order).
- Adventures of Tom Bombadil
- Tree and Leaf
- Bilbo's Last Song
- Book of Lost Tales 1
- Book of Lost Tales 2
- Beren and Luthien
- The Children of Hurin
- The Fall of Gondolin
- Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
- Pearl
- Sir Orfeo
- Beowulf
- The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun

May re-read Silmarillion later in the year as it's been 15-20 years.

Also want to read a book called "A Hobbit, A Wardrobe, and the Great War" by Joseph Loconte.

I have other reading goals this year, but those are my Tolkien related ones!

(plan to try to read all of the chronicles of Narnia this year, as well as 5-6 books by George MacDonald)

Much fun reading ahead!

[Adam]

I read the LOTR again, reading Shippey’s Author of the Century now. Fall of Gondolin is on the list, also Carpenter’s bio and John Garth’s Great War bio.

[Beverly]

I am now about 1/3 of the way through The Fall of Gondolin. I don't know if I will get to any other Tolkien books before the end of the year.

[Tara]

Reading Sauron Defeated: The History of The Lord of the Rings, Part Four about the drafts/narrative history of the last chapters in LoTR, as well as The Notion Club Papers, Tolkien's attempt at a time travel story which was never published before.

[Max]

Tara wrote: "Reading Sauron Defeated: The History of The Lord of the Rings, Part Four about the drafts/narrative history of the last chapters in LoTR, as well as The Notion Club Papers, Tolkien's a..."

Hope you liked it!

[Tara]

Max wrote: "Tara wrote: "Reading Sauron Defeated: The History of The Lord of the Rings, Part Four about the drafts/narrative history of the last chapters in LoTR, as well as The Notion Club Papers..."

I've somewhat stalled in the middle. The Notion Club Papers are a bit dense and rich, and require close reading to really follow. But I would like to finish the book by year's end.

[Max]

Tara wrote: "Max wrote: "Tara wrote: "Reading Sauron Defeated: The History of The Lord of the Rings, Part Four about the drafts/narrative history of the last chapters in LoTR, as well as The Notion..."

Totally agreed on the Notion Club Papers part.. did you get to finish it?

I'm aiming for 5 books in 2020 again, including a reread of LOTR. I did four out of five in 2019.