NaNoWriMo Success

Affliction by Laurell K. Hamilton

A Look Back at The Boy Who Lived

Greetings from the land of the written word.

I'm Creative Karma and when I was thinking about doing another book review I came across the very same problem I've encountered in past reviews: Which book do I review?

Well, while I was looking up at the books that surround me, my eyes kept going back to a book that spawned one of the most famous and love movie series for a world of book lovers and magic lovers.

Yes, I speak the the Harry Potter book series. Now, while the book series is long enough to cause death by books should they all fall on you from a great height, I think I will pick for this little review the very first book in the series: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

Any good book worm of mettle will know that the term "Sorcerer's Stone" is actually a revision of the European title. Over seas this book is known as Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. This change in title is common for even well known authors and is usually done because publishers are unsure if the target audience in an area will be knowledgeable enough about a term to make the proper connection.

Even the way the cover art for the books are done in two completely different fashions as seen here below:

  The European book cover                                            The American book cover

Not that it matters to me, either way you title it, this story opened up the imaginations of millions of children and even adults. Heck they even have their own section of the Disney Land park in Florida  Take that Twilight. *ahem*

By now everyone in the free world knows about these books. They know about Harry Potter the wizard boy forced to live with his Muggle and rather evil aunt, uncle, and cousin. They know about his famous lighting scar on his forehead that got in a run in against the Dark Magic of an evil wizard who calls himself Lord Voldemort.

I could do on for ages in this way so let's jump ahead in the script a bit.

This book truly started a revolution in writing that gave me hope for humanity the way others made me not want to live on this planet anymore. Oh the Pintrest memes will never die.

Anyway, this is the book that starts it all and lets you see into the life of a boy that everyone says will do all these amazing things because of his Pureblood wizard parents. And while this book is full of the amazing things he can do, it becomes very obvious that he isn't good at everything.

He's not a straight A student. He still causes trouble. He still acts like a typical boy and while he's not at the bottom of the "social spectrum" at his school he is still antagonized by students and even Professor Snape because of things Harry doesn't know or understand yet.

This leads Harry Potter to be a character that all people can relate to in some way or another. Some people may see themselves as Harry Potter, a boy living with relatives trying to learn about a world he has just become made aware of.

Others may see themselves as Ron Weasley, a young boy that is comfortable in his large family despite not being wealthy like other wizard families that tends to get in a little more trouble but is still extremely loyal.

And can't forget those who see themselves as Hermione Granger, the bright student wizard who can do any spell she sets her mind to and always sticks to her guns despite being a wizard born of two Muggle parents.

This book as something for everyone and lays the story out in a way that all audiences can grasp easily and become hooked into. I promise, I nearly forgot about this blog when I glanced into the book to check the spelling of a name.

Now, normally, this is the place I would tell everyone to drop what they are doing and go read this book. But this book and it's movie series have been done to completion for some time now. But I do say, if you are ever feeling nostalgic. This is one of those books you can turn back to and find a little bit of enjoyment from beginning to end.

That's all from this book worm.

I'm Creative Karma and I still want to be a wizard.

It's Elementary My Dear Viewer

It's been a couple of months since my last book review. Honestly enough, I was at a loss of which book to review. I have so many books I had all ready read I could turn to for a review. My years working on an English degree have seen to that.

Yet, I none of them really served to inspire me into reviewing them. So, I went into a slump for a while only perked up by the fact I would soon visit with The Cinema Chick as a much needed vacation from current pressures.

It was after this nice vacation that I finally managed to get my hands on a book that sparked that flame in me again. Long story short, after a long walk through her local Half Price books I came across this book:

I had before this point read some of Conan Doyle's Sherlock through free ebooks on my Kindle. But I had yet been able to get my hands on a copy of The Hound of the Baskervilles. Seeing this book being sold for only 8 dollars got me very excited and I set to reading it as soon as I had a chance.

To my great surprise and happiness, this book actually contains two stories. The first was actually called A Study in Scarlet while the second was The Hound of the Baskervilles.

So in this review you guys get a double dose.

A Study in Scarlet is a quite crucial piece of literature considering it details the story of how Dr. John Watson and Sherlock Holmes first meet. I was very intrigued by this. Most stories I've read seem to set things up as if everyone all ready has some connection or are just easily settled with the person they come to meet.

This was not really the case here. Dr. Watson finds himself in a dire situation of lack of money with his departure from the military due to injury. He meets a close friend who had heard of a man looking to split the rent of a place with someone having not been able to find anyone suitable to his needs. Thus the meeting of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson is arranged.

Despite the oddity of the pair and the odd hours and keeping of the household that would drive nearly everyone else batty, the pair finds that the other is not only a decent house mate but that their lives will become tangled together in a way they could not have anticipated. This is Dr. Waston's first viewing of the mind possessed by Sherlock Holmes.A mind that far exceeds anything he could have imagined but finds more than intriguing rather than infuriating as Holmes' past house mates have seen.

Being able to read this for the first time gave me a better appreciation of the history this now legendary pair have together. This story being a great jumping off point to showcase the case The Hound of the Baskervilles where the pair now works together on a new case.

I won't spoil the story for everyone but many people all ready know about the glowing demonic dog and the deaths within the family of the Baskervilles.

The story was a treat to read. You have everything from Waston's perspective as with all the Conan Doyle stories about Sherlock Holmes. Waston is thrust into a position of responsibly in the early stages and has to find his way in a world of crime fighting previously unknown to him.

The style in which it's written gives the reader just enough to hang onto while the drama of the situations are dragged out for their viewing. By the end you are ready to discover how Holmes will uncover the mystery and trap whomever is behind the happenings.

All in all this book is a great read. For those who are Sherlock Holmes fans, this is a crucial piece to read and own for yourself. If you are curious about the realm of Sherlock Holmes then you couldn't do better than this book.

The Return of the King

Welcome to Ink Stained Fingers, the one true home for book lovers everywhere.

As most anyone knows that's even arrived at my blog by chance or accident, the last time I reviewed a book was a while back and I hadn't even finished the series yet like I promised. Well, it's time to make good on my geeky promise to move to the last book in The Lord of the Rings series known as The Return of the King. For those of you looking forward to a review of The Hobbit, fear not. I will come back and review that book just before the movie appears in local theaters to prepare for what should be an epic movie.

However, before I get started on my geeky quest I have finally called my friend, long lost sister, and geek in arms to help me review our first book together. I've spent a few reviews on her blog reviewing old and bad movies. But today she's here to be my geek in arms for this review. Welcome my dear friend The Cinema Chick.

Yes, you caught me on one of the days I'm not drugged up and I'm ready to discuss my (personal) least favorite in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.  I have my reasons for this, but I'm not at all denying that it's a fantastic ending to an epic trilogy.  So, since I'm a guest on this lovely blog, I'll do what I'm told.  Let's get started, shall we?

Truth be told I had to re-read this book before I jumped into a new review. I knew the basic layout of the story but I didn't want to base my review on the movie version since it is so much different than the book itself.  While things are shifted around in the timeline or edited for the sake of the movie there really wasn't that much actual change done from the book to the movie that harmed the telling of the story in any way.

That being said the book itself does give a lot of information missing from the movie's story line that just fills in some gaps. So if you're a big enough geek like us then reading the book for these extra bits might be worth the effort.

Plus, the book is always better.  Those of you who have only seen the film, bet you don't know why Eowyn and Faramir are standing together at Aragorn's coronation  Or why Sam picks up that little girl after Frodo leaves Middle Earth.  And how many of you know what REALLY happened to Saruman and Grima?  See, these things were left out of the film, but I found them to incredibly important and interesting.  There is just one thing I'd like to get off my chest about the films.

Well, you ARE a movie reviewer at heart my friend so go right ahead.

Arwen is made out to be this romantic heroine but if you've read the book, she's barely present.  She's not that important to the overall plot.  For some reason, Peter Jackson decided we all needed more Arwen, but really, Eowyn is the show stopper.  She took care of her uncle when he was cursed, she secretly fought at the Battle of Pelennor and she killed the Witchking of Angmar.  What did Arwen do?  Not a damn thing.  I know some people out there are going to hate me for not liking her, but I cannot stand Arwen.

These are great points and you are completely right. You see the movie and Arwen has this big role with all of her scenes despite the fact she does little to contribute to the overall ending of the movie. Eowyn is the ultimate female hero in this last book. Unlike Bella of Twilight, when Aragorn doesn't return her affections, when he doesn't heed her advice, and when he ditches her; she does have a time of sadness. But once it's time for the ultimate battle and Merry is told to stand back with her, she takes a stand, hides in the armor of a man and takes the young hobbit Merry into battle with her. 

Heck, even Pippin does more in the book than he actually does in the movie as well. He shows a level of bravery and facing the unknown with an ease that would be hard for others to comprehend despite being separated from his dear friend.

I freaking love Pippin.  He doesn't get enough credit.  True, he starts off insecure and immature, but look at what he does.  He inspires the Ents to go to war.  He fights with the Men in Gondor.  I will admit, one of my favorite scenes from the movie is where Pippin sings to Denethor and scenes from the battle are spliced in.

Everyone has some great changes in their characters throughout the series. They live, learn and grow in ways they wouldn't have if this all had never happened. To this end, I could agree with you Cinema Chick. I don't like Arwen either. She never changes. Never grows. And never becomes something more than a pretty face and a queen to Aragorn's king. Love makes one do crazy things sometimes.

Speaking of Aragorn, in this final book you can really see his transformation sooner than one might think it happens because they only saw the movie. There is a scene in the book where Aragorn is traveling back with the King of Rohan and his army when they are met by a group from Dunedain. It is this point where, in his talks with his kin as he calls them, that he begins to see that his path lies in another way and he has a great duty set upon him to become King. This only happens in the movie when Elrond shows up at the camp the night before they ride to battle to bring the reforged sword and send him on The Paths of the Dead. That moment with Elrond NEVER happens in the book.

Come to think of it, Elrond isn't a huge presence in the book either.  He's huge in the first book when they get to Rivendell and again when the war is over, but he is all over the place here.  By the way, did you know he has twin sons, Elladan and Elrohir?  Yeah, Arwen isn't his only child.  He's got a wife to, Celebrian, the sister of Celeborn.  I know some changes have to be made from page to screen, but I think the sons could have been worked in since they were more important to the plot than Arwen.  So may characters were left out, which bothers me.

And here's a kicker, if the meeting with the group from Dunedain had been added to the movie we would have actually seen Elladan and Elrohir. It was they who joined with Aragorn's kinsman and were carrying the reforged sword from Rivendell to him so that he could depart and head for The Paths of the Dead. Personally, I think it would have been better that way myself.

Well, the only thing that got to me was how confused and muddled the story became.  I'm all for telling 2 stories, but they would change every chapter and I just got sick of having to sort everything out.  One minute we'll be with Merry and Eowyn, then we're with Pippin and Gandalf, then over to Frodo and Sam.  I just hated that.  They wanted to tell everyone's story, I get it, but did it have to be told like that?

Yes, the book did have that one downside. It wasn't fluid. It wasn't easy to follow unless you really paid close attention and were able to recall things you've all ready read. I had a hard time trying to keep everything sorted out. That's the place the movie got it right in being able to make it easier to understand which is why I don't mind so much in the changes that were made.

Needless to say, the book was the basis for all the great scenes, speeches, and characters that the movie was able to bring to life. The writing for the book really gave you the picture in your mind to hold onto while you were being carried through the story. Despite being jerked from one story to the other, the stories themselves were detailed, thought out, and they all had a serious purpose to the story itself.

Then it just got repetitive.  We get it, the journey's getting too hard, it seems like a great time to give up, blah blah blah  Frodo's whining, Aragorn's questioning himself, Merry and Pippin want to go home.  Yes, everyone gets scared, but this goes on and on. Think about it, Aragorn spends the entire book refusing to take the throne then finally, at the end he decides he'll be king.  Frodo does nothing but whine the entire time, so when he gets in the fight with Gollum, I'll admit, I was hoping Gollum would win.

Sam carried some serious weight in the book. Again, I see Sam as another character that was seriously underrated. He stuck by Frodo though EVERYTHING they encountered. Even when he thought his friend had died he knew that the ring still had to be carried on and took the ring. But the second he knew Frodo wasn't dead he pulled on his big boy pants and went in there ready to get Frodo back even if it meant fighting of orcs by himself.

And at least you can take solace in the fact that Gollum at least gives Frodo a reason to complain when he bites his finger off. I personally got a laugh at the end when they make a song about Frodo of the four fingers.

Ok, here's the one huge thing that pissed me off in the adaptation.  The story does not end when the Hobbits return home.  In the book, Saruman has taken over Hobbiton and they have to defeat him in order to get their lives back.  That was one of the best parts of the whoe story because it showed the bravery of the Hobbits.

Yes, that's a HUGE missing plot point in the story. Their world has literally been turned upside down and after this huge ordeal of destroying the the one ring, all Sam, Merry, Pippin, and Frodo have to rely on is each other. It is those four who manage to draw out the other courageous hobbits and get them to fight to take control of the Shire and make it a peaceful and beautiful place.

Once that final battle is complete, only then can they return to the simple comfortable life of living in the Shire while trying to deal with the aftermath of emotions that swarms them. This makes it hard for all of them to simply relax. They are now separate from their own kind simply because they have grown in the way the rest of their kin haven't. They've experienced the world. True the other hobbits experienced battle too but not in the same way these four did. It took the knowledge, strength, courage, and yes even age to give them the ability to fight and win back their home.

So let's face it, Return of the King is a great, albeit confusing story about courage, strength and defeating evil.  It's condensed in the film and a good portion of it is missing, but the overall theme is still there.  The film snob in me says it deserved all 17 Oscars it won, but the book nerd in me wishes Peter Jackson hadn't taken such liberal artistic license with the films.  I love that Sam's daughter is named Elanor and that he becomes mayor.  I especially love what happens with Gimli and Legolas, who just vanish in the film.  

You see, the book tells you what happens to these characters.  Yes, Aragorn dies and Arwen dies a year later.  The Hobbits live to be old men, except for Frodo who is allowed to travel to the Grey Havens. My absolute favorite ending is that Legolas and Gimli build a boat together and later in his life, they sail said boat to the Grey Havens TOGETHER.  Those two changed the relationship between Elves and Dwarves but it's so skimmed over, you'd never know it.

Exactly. Relationships that had be estranged for long periods of time before this adventure were now long lasting friendships and alliances. While I'm not a fan of books that have the "happily ever after" ending, The Return of the King isn't just a story in and of itself. It has to be taken in the whole with everything else before it. This "happily ever after" wasn't just a given. It was fought for tooth and nail. Kings and men and women of all races died to ensure the survival of future generations at the expense of their own. It is that effort that made a "happily ever after" that was earned and one of the few, I think, is deserved for the trials and tribulations.

 And this children, is why you should be reading Tolkien and not Stephanie Meyer.

On this point, I will most certainly agree. If you want a love story go read something else. But if you want a story full of adventure, colorful characters, meaningful pursuits, epic battles, and much more, you can't go wrong with reading some Tolkien. He knows what it means to weave a tale worthy of the price and to create a world that makes you miss it and the characters once you've closed the book. A connection. The same can be said of the Harry Potter series but that's a whole different ball game all together.

To end this three part review, I would actually like to say our impressions of the series as a whole. Is the series something that will stand the test of time and be something that anyone could read and still feel the same passion and excitement that everyone felt when it first came out or is this just something that was exciting for now but later something better will come along that will completely eclipse this work.

What do you think Cinema Chick? 

The Lord of the Rings trilogy is a can't miss.  It teaches great lessons, is loosely based on Christianity and so many of today's books have been inspired from Tolkien's work.  Some people won't like it because it is long and sometimes it drags, but once you've read the entire thing, it's almost rewarding.  The movies are great, but for the full impact, read the books.  The book is always better.

I have to agree. This series paved the way for many of the great books and movies that have all ready come out and I'm sure the ones that are still to come. It has set the standard for the epic saga that the likes of series like Harry Potter have now found a foothold in the book lover and movie goer's psyche. (Do NOT say the Twilight Saga to me. That doesn't count). I see this series lasting for years to come and I hope in the future that I could share these books with another child to pass on the stories so no one will forget what Tolkien managed to create.

I think that about does it for The Return of the King book review as well as the Lord of the Rings Saga. What say you Cinema Chick any last words to the people?

I'm TheCinemaChick, I'm minty fresh and always remember, the true meaning of what a Q-tip is used for is a mystery.

And I'm Creative Karma, what karmic lesson will I teach next time? Keep a sharp eye out and tuned in. You never know, the next book I might review might be your favorite read.

Fantasy Geeks Unite!

Hello everyone once again.

Yes, it has been a while since my last review. No one can help when real life decides to crash in on the party.

In any case, the majority of my time is now being taken up by an actual job. Now, while this job isn’t the hourly paying kind I figure it’s better than nothing at all. At the current time, I’m writing articles as a Liberal Examiner on Examiner.com.

My income is based completely upon how many hits I receive on my articles. For those of you that don’t know, it’s basically how many times the articles are read. So, in a manner of speaking, I’m entirely counting on readers like you to go and read the articles I type up.

It doesn’t cost you anything to read the articles. You don’t have to create an account or give them any info to read them. If you feel compelled or maybe just curious, stop on by Examiner.com Liberal Examiner to check my articles as they come out.

All the articles are pretty short, 200 to 400 words typically. Not much of a side track. I will go ahead and thank anyone who decides to stop by just to peek since I won’t know if you do or not.

Now, for the real reason this blog exists.

Book reviews.

For those that have read my last blog, you would know that I was reviewing the Lord of the Rings books and that last time it was The Fellowship of the Rings.

And for those who are just as geeky as me, you know it’s time for the review of The Two Towers. This being the second book in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, if you don’t count The Hobbit.

Now, given this book as the next to review, I have to say that though all of the book are very high on my favorite books list, this book is actually not my favorite of the series if I had to put them in some kind of order.

This by no means means that I hate this book. This book along with its companions broke through barriers and managed to create a new world and something original. Most writers assume that nothing can ever be original again but Tolkien proved many people wrong.

By this point in the series, the Fellowship is way underway in their journey to get the ring to Mount Doom to destroy the ring. Though by this point there’s not much of a Fellowship as Frodo and Sam are alone carrying the ring to Mordor while Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas are working to save Merry and Pippin from a group of orcs.

To me the book itself becomes slow about this time as they go through various tasks which I won’t spoil for anyone who has managed to somehow not read this series.

It is the slow progression that irks me the most about this book simply because, unlike most “girls” who prefer the romantic comedy and the like, I’d very much rather have some action. And NOT the Michael Bay type action. But that’s a rant for another time.

In this book, the humans who have been conspicuously absent finally get their day in the heat of battle to prove themselves to the other races of Middle Earth. Oddly like in the current decade, the humans have to prove their worth after their predecessors caused the current mayhem to come about.

Once this task is completed with the inevitable battle of epic proportions, now all eyes turn back to the task of hoping that Frodo and Sam are still alive and still possess the ring.

While there are details I have skipped over and things that happened that I didn’t mention, I doubt anyone has the time to read a complete and thorough review of the series.

However, the main point I want to touch on would be that this is the book that serves as the turning point for Aragorn as a character. All this time, he has served as a ranger, a guide, a protector but still not accepting of his bloodline that leads him to the throne of Gondor. The trials he faces beings to internally shift his mindset from a mere ranger to that of a warrior and a leader. As the book progresses, he uses less of his skills as a ranger and more the skills of a diplomat, a warrior, and a strategist.

The Two Towers easily balances the shift between the necessary plot lines without jerking the reader around. It flows from the basic quest, to character growth, internal struggle, epic battle, and then to the tension with the knowledge that the battle is far from over.

I still recommend that everyone read this series. While even I occasionally joke about the round about way they are going about completing their goal in this series, it wouldn’t be much of a series if it was all completed in one book. And if it had been completed in one book then it wouldn’t hold the same weight it does now that warranted a movie series and a remake of The Hobbit.

So, read it, see the movies, share it with friends and family. This is one series everyone can watch and read.

Well that’s all for this review. Now, as life permits, I will be doing a review of the third and final book The Return of the King. After that, I’m planning a detailed review of The Hobbit since I fully intend to see the movie when it comes out in theaters. Whether I do a second review giving my take on the book to movie translation remains a question. It’s more likely that I would join my long time friend The Cinema Chick to review it with her.

In that case, I will make a short notice on this blog about the review and add a link to her site for the review. That’s if we work something out since her reviews have turned into vlogs. Whether I do one myself or not I will link to her vlog of the review of The Hobbit when it’s posted.

As for this review, that’s all from me.

This is Creative Karma and I proudly proclaim my geekery.

The One Book to Rule Them All

Hello to everyone again and welcome back to Ink Stained Fingers.

As anyone knows that even remotely looks at this blog, I recently took a hiatus from reviewing books for a short time to take a breather and a mental vacation. Real life decided to weigh heavily on my time for a short while. Most of you know the drill of dealing with the basics of chores and job hunting.

However, most of that is now gone and without a car job hunting is on hold pending its return. But last night I finally felt like my mind had rested enough that I could get back to reviewing without my mind imploding.

Now, as many geeks, nerds and fanatics out there are aware, The Hobbit is going to be made into a new live action film. I am personally very excited about this movie and plan to go out and see it the first chance I get when it comes out in theaters. It makes me even happier to know they will be using the same actors from the other three when characters like Legolas or Gandalf makes their appearance.

So in honor of the movie in the making, I will start off with The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Now, a few might question as to why I’m not starting off with The Hobbit which is the beginning of the series. Well, there are a couple of reasons for that. First off, the movie for The Hobbit is a long way in coming as it is. Holding off on reviewing the book would at least put it closer to the time the movie is coming out despite the fact the filming for the movie doesn’t even end till in November and it’s still February. No amount of spacing will get it to even out. But secondly and more importantly, it gives me time to catch up and read the book so I can do the review justice.

When the movie comes out, I will go see the movie and as any good book lover, I will tell you guys if they managed to get close enough to the book to allow anyone who hasn’t read the book to know what is going out without deviating from the book.

So for now, I will delve back into the world of books with one of my personal favorites The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Now, I will not be the first to say that this book is one of the most epic, inspiring, and original books that I have ever read. Sure, there have been other books filled with adventures, saving the world, magical creatures, and a bad guy that wants to destroy and take over the world. Those are a dime a dozen.

However, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring provides the new level that other books have to reach in order to stick in our imaginations for generations. One of the few others to do so is the Harry Potter series and that had to take the avenue of wizards to make its name in the literary world.

 This book is where we get the second mention of a race known as hobbits who haven’t had a controlling stake in the fate of what is known as ‘The one ring’ since in the book The Hobbit. However, now they must take their most active role yet to give a personal stake in the fate of the land of Middle Earth and the destruction of the one ring forged by the evil Lord Sauron.

Through this adventure, those that are familiar with The Hobbit again get to meet Biblo Baggins, Gandalf the Grey, Leoglas Greenleaf, Gollum, and Lord Elrond. Then, the character list is expanded to include: Frodo Baggins and his friends Sam, Pippin, and Merry. Along with Aragorn though known by most as the ranger named Strider, Boromir, Gimli, Arwen, and Galadriel to name the main ones.

The list of characters and creatures within this cast has a life of its own. Each race has a language, a home, and a back story that goes far beyond what most other stories delve into. You see orcs, elves, men, hobbits, wizards and nazgul. Each has different kinds and different looks to separate them from the others giving a more realistic feel to a world that has many races and creeds.

In essence, that is exactly why this book makes the top of many lists. Tolkien created an entirely new world where anything was possible which made the story possible for anyone to see, understand and enjoy. Without setting this story in another realm, I’m not sure if it would have fared as well. There is more freedom when you create your own world for things to happen in and it shows here.

Sure, this book does follow some of the same conventions of men and elves that are found in other books. But when the thought of elves comes into your mind I doubt there would be many that don’t think of Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in the lists of stories that come to mind. For some that may be the first. I know it is for me.

There are characters that you cling to and you become comfortable with. That make you feel for the characters and anything that happens to the characters strikes you. If they are injured, you worry for them. If they are victorious, then you rejoice with them. If the die, you cry for them. Not many books can truly say they have touched as many people in that manner as this book did.

From a literary standpoint, the flow of the book keeps you moving. You don’t ever have to think about the context the events are happening in while you read. The context is there with every line to help you along so you can simply enjoy the story and keep up in their journey without feeling rushed. You have enough information about the world to keep you updated but not so much that you feel like you are reading a history book.

I like history but when I’m reading for pleasure I certainly don’t want to feel like I’m going to be graded over what I’m reading.

All in all, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is just one of those books that will stick with me long after I’ve stopped reading it. To me, one of the biggest praises I can give any book is that I don’t need to go back and re-read the book in order to remember the story because it just comes back to me. The Lord of the Rings is one of those books.

I have favorite characters and times and scenes that I go back to time and time again to think of and be inspired by. As those who read my post about those books that inspired and influenced me know, I only have a few that really inspired me and this book made the list.

True, my hope is to be a writer one day. If anything I write could ever obtain a third of the followers and influence that The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring has then I will certainly be a happy camper.

Haven’t read this series yet? Then apparently you have just been born or got swept way in Justin Beiber fever. I have nothing against the kid but he’s just not from my time of music.

I highly recommend turning off your TV, the radio, and the computer and taking time to read this book and join the rest of the masses in reading this book. If true books are a dying breed then it’s high time to take charge of the time we have left and read books that still hold the imagination of so many.

I’m Creative Karma and it’s time for an adventure of my own.