The Fireside

  Coming this November is a deluxe edition of The Hobbit, illustrated by Alan Lee. This edition will match the 70th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of The Lord of the Rings . It's great that this edition will exist, as it'll mean that the recent edition of LotR  won't be "alone." Perhaps in the near future a Ted Nasmith illustrated deluxe edition of The Silmarillion  - in this style , that is - will exist....?   The ISBN for this (for the HarperCollins edition) is  9780008779900  . Note that it will also be available in the States from William Morrow.  Deluxe slipcased hardback edition of The Hobbit, illustrated throughout by acclaimed Tolkien artist, Alan Lee. Features exclusive new paintings and black & white designs appearing for the very first time, together with a removable art card and two foldout maps. Whisked away from his comfortable, unambitious life in his hobbit-hole in Bag End by Gandalf the wizard and a band of dwarves, Bilbo Ba...

  Well, it's Hobbit Day!  That is the most celebrated day (and the week, as well) across the Tolkien fandom. How one celebrates is entirely up to them. It can range anywhere from going on a nice nature walk, having a cup of tea, having a hobbit-y meal (complete with ale). Some make a day of it, with doing marathons of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings  trilogy, etc. However you celebrate, let's take a look at the book at which the day is named after (note that day isn't named after "THE" Hobbit , the book, but rather the race in Tolkien's worlds). The Hobbit  was responsible for The Lord of the Rings  existing, so, in a way, it was really The Hobbit  that re-defined the fantasy genre. Not to undermine The Lord of the Rings , but if The Hobbit didn't exist first.....  So there are a few ways to celebrate, book-wise.  Of course, one can (re)read the book itself, or examine some titles about it or related to it.  There are a wide variety of edit...