Thank you so much to everyone who has been participating in our Silmarillion Summer Read-Along! As we are moving on to Part Two this week, I wanted to share a recap of what we’ve read and discussed in Part One. I’ve really enjoyed keeping up with the text chat, and our voice chats have been an absolute delight!
I was checking in on a few things on Amazon and I noticed that several of Tolkien’s books and other Tolkien-related items were on sale this week due to Amazon’s ‘Prime Day’, so I wanted to share a few of the best deals. If you’ve been waiting to purchase a deluxe or collector’s edition of one of Tolkien’s works, this might be a good time to do so. With the premiere of The Rings of Power in September, Amazon seems to be placing an emphasis on all things Tolkien and their Prime Day deals are certainly reflecting this…
Today I’m sharing three baby shower gift ideas for the parent who loves Tolkien. Each item featured is something I own and highly recommend. I hope you love them as much as I do!
Finwë was wed to Míriel, and their son Fëanor was born. However, after the birth of Fëanor, Míriel languished and was unable to continue living. She went to Lórien to rest, and her spirit departed from her body and went to the Halls of Mandos. Finwë was grieved at the loss of his wife. Fëanor grew swiftly and was the most subtle in mind and skilled in hand of the Noldor. Fëanor devised letters that bear his name (Fëanorian letters), and was the first who discovered how to make gems. Fëanor was married to Nerdanel.
After it came up during our last discord chat, I wanted to share some recommended Silmarillion Reading Resources as well as favorite editions of The Silmarillion for those who were interested.
The Silmarillion is one of Tolkien’s most challenging works and yet also the most beautiful and important in my opinion. Many Tolkien fans new and old often feel intimidated by its depth and bewildered by its vocabulary, but it’s become my goal to encourage, equip, and inspire Tolkien fans to not only pick up The Silmarillion — but to finish it as well!
Scene: a company of characters from The Lord of the Rings are meeting at a local coffee shop for their monthly book club. Here’s what they order.
I’m thrilled to share the details for our Summer 2022 Book Club: a ‘crash course’ in The Silmarillion. This Book Club was created for those who are interested in learning about the beginnings of Arda and all of the Great Tales that led up to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, but don’t have the time to devote to exploring every single detail of this story quite yet. I’m of the belief that once you make it through The Silmarillion once, you’ll find yourself wanting to re-read it over and over again - so this is meant to be a gateway into Tolkien’s greatest work.
My husband and I are so thankful to be able to share that we are expecting another little hobbit to join our family this October. Please join us in praying that the rest of this pregnancy will continue to be a healthy one. 🌱
The Silmarillion is one of Tolkien’s most challenging works and yet also the most beautiful and important in my opinion. Many Tolkien fans new and old often feel intimidated by its depth and bewildered by its vocabulary, but it’s become my goal to encourage, equip, and inspire Tolkien fans to not only pick up The Silmarillion — but to finish it as well!
When I taught New Testament at a Catholic high school, I unconsciously created a memory regarding the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10. I united my love of literature with love of scripture by referring to Zacchaeus as “the hobbit of the New Testament”. Students chuckled at this provisional quip. The former tax collector was described as a short man who needed to climb a tree to view Jesus’ arrival in his town. J.R.R. Tolkien once described his creations as,
This Bible feels very meditative, like a slow walk through the Scriptures. I once read an anecdote about Tolkien in which his friends mentioned that Tolkien couldn’t simply go on a quick walk because he would so frequently stop to point out a particular plant or insect, often stopping altogether when something interested him. This Bible feels a bit like this, in the most delightful way. You can’t just rush through the Scriptures, it’s best to work through them slowly. It feels almost like a long walk through the Sistine Chapel or a forest perhaps.
