The Fireside

🎅🎄❄️🎁⛄ It's that time of year! I'm going to detail some Christmas Gift Ideas (not for me, for you - the reader) to spotlight certain items of fantasy anyone  would enjoy getting under their tree this year!  ` 2024 William Morrow Tolkien Collector's Editions First up, are these splendid editions of The Tolkien Trinity ( The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings  and The Silmarillion ) by William Morrow.  The ISBNs for each are as follows: The Hobbit:  9780063396203 The Fellowship of the Ring:  9780063412613 The Two Towers:  9780063412620 The Return of the King :  9780063412637 The Lord of the Rings  Boxed Set (includes a Map of Middle-earth in the set. the books do, but this is separate, detached map is only found (in terms of these titles) in the boxed set):  9780063421240   The Silmarillion :  9780063396197 These are attractive 'everyday' editions. They are dustjacket-less hardcovers, not super expensive, have foil stamped covers, ...

It's that time of year for me to suggest and feature some particular editions of Tolkien's works. I think this typically happens, because the films were released right around Christmas time. So, I've come to associate that time of the year with Tolkien (and fantasy overall, when there hasn't been much happening, Tolkien-wise). So let's get into it! First we have what I like to call the 'landscape' paperback covers. These are pretty basic, though are the 'footprint' for pretty much all editions and settings of the text. Also, the covers are different then what we typically see for a Tolkien book. Some think in a bad way, others in a good way. I believe it's due to many stating that they resemble general or average fantasy books, self-help books etc, as opposed to what we typically see for a Tolkien cover.  Boxed set ISBN:  9780008387754 The Hobbit  ISBN:  9780008376055 The Fellowship of the Ring  ISBN:  9780008376062 The Two Towers ISBN:  97800083...

Hey all, Another long-awaited update! Things have been busy - went away for most of the holidays (so there was packing, travelling, merry-making and then travelling back home and more merry-making), finishing up some work, etc. I had intended to post this before going away, but now it seems that it needs to be posted at the end of the holidays, as opposed to before. I hope Santa was good to you, and you got lots of goodies plus had some great time with friends and family etc. Once again, the holidays have come and gone so crazy-fast, I could hardly believe it. I vividly recall typing up my previous blog post - and then the first 2-3 weeks of December just disappeared. So, some highlights of my haul include: - PJ Pants - Mario Kart 7  for 3DS - assorted booze and beer - chocolates and sweets - some books - much more.... So now that I've finished reminiscing about the holidays, it's time to look forward to this year - 2018 - for what I'm looking forward to in terms of geeky...

"What do you want for Christmas?" is something I get asked, or think about, as early as October. When I was younger, I was more accustomed to making 'wish lists' so that my family had an idea on what to get me. Also because my liking for a particular book format, special edition DVD, etc... Then, I got a job (either part time pay-the-tuition or full time, depending on where I was at in life) and bought my own stuff throughout the year.  Since I have a few readers on here, I will share the answer to that question on here so you have an idea of what Old Man Hawboldt wants this year. And you know, in case Santa reads this blog. 

Believe it or not, it's Christmas Eve! That means there's only one more sleep 'til Christmas. The only thing on my to-do list is to wrap the gifts, which I do every year on Christmas Eve. The rest is eating and drinking!  But I must say, the past few weeks have been hectic. Or have felt so in my head, anyway. I will be moving in Jan, so I'm 'living' at two places at once at the moment until the big move day. Therefore, my brain has been thinking of two different locations when placing / finding stuff. Not that big a move - about moving a bedroom, sans-furniture.  I'm usually able to finish my shopping by December. But this year the shift from Nov. to Dec. happened quickly. And I had more gifts to buy. I've made a vow that will keep me from gettin' flustered, grumpy, and short-tempered (as I may have been. It's due to the crowds, mostly. Not to sound like a Scrooge, but sometimes that people are slow, or can't decide where to walk.). ...

Yesterday evening I arrived in Moonbeam, ON, where my girlfriend is from, and her family lives. I will be here from the 28 of June, until the 3rd of July (back in Ottawa on the 4th). So my blog will taking a hiatus from my blog of books, movies, TV, sports etc... and the next few days will be Canada Day, eating, and four-wheeling. Enjoy the Canada Day, and for the Americans, your ID4, and I'll do a post as late as next weekend...as Bluesfest will be starting up then.

2012 was a great year for me. I got renewed at work, went on my own vacation and flew for the first time. My novel, A Climb of Chaos , has gotten some significant development. Fleshing out, writing and crafting the book, as well as the series, will take time, energy and effort. My blog here has been an outlook to share some of my life, as well as provide an outlet of creativity to keep me writing and thinking when I'm not in Kalvel.  Also, I am no longer single. Well, I haven't been as of recently; yet that's still an accomplishment this year of sorts. I found love (or rather it found me) and things are just going so well.  On the reading side of things, I believe I read about 11 books, not including comics / graphic novels, which has included a few series:  A Song of Ice and Fire , The Hunger Games , Millennium (official title of Stieg Larrson's trilogy) and now The Wheel of Time .This year, 2013, I'll meet my goal! Santa Claus was also generous...

'tis the season!  For the next two weeks, I'll be off of work. I'm all caught up on my TV shows: the Dexter season finale was this past Sunday. Boardwalk Empire is finished for now. Walking Dead returns in Feb. Game of Thrones comes back in March. Mad Men will be 2013 sometime. I have a couple movies to see (Argo , Les Miserables and Django Unchained ). I'm at the tail end of The Eye of the World (less than 200 pages left to read, will most likely finish on or by Saturday.) So what am I to do over the holidays? When I'm not with family and friends for gatherings, out to movies, or the like, I will be writing. And I don't mean blog posts, I mean immersing myself in, and creating more of, Kalvel.  First up is 'The Gameplan'. Well, I have mentioned before that my series will be five Volumes. With possibly a sixth, if I need it. Well, I'm going to form an outline of what I want to happen in which book, and to who. Example: "I wan...

Are you ready??? Get shopping, or prepared for shopping! Start baking! Get them winter tires on! Begin decorating!  If you have not started getting ready for Christmas or winter, now  is the time!!