Book Bucket List | The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit

There are three things that means Christmas is coming at my house. The first is when everyone starts baking cookies for no reason, so that there are dozens and dozens of them around the house.  The second is when the cats knock over the tree because climbing up that giant plastic thing every year is the best thing ever.  And the third, and my favorite, is the annual Lord of the Rings Extended Edition movie marathon!  Every year since the movies have come out, we start on a Friday night and watch The Fellowship of the Ring, and over the next two days we will watch The Two Towers and Return of the King.  I don't know why this has become a semi-holiday tradition, but it is one of the things I look forward to most.

I genuinely love these movies, (though if you do watch them in succession, especially the extended versions, it could be quite the long haul) but these wonderful, wonderful films were based on some wonderful, wonderful books.  J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings series is one of the most beloved book series of all time.  Of course, we have them all here at the library.

• The Fellowship of the Ring 
• The Two Towers
• The Return of the King

The main message for me, though there are many in the story, is that even someone who believes that their life is small and insignificant can make a large impact on the world.  If you haven't read this series, you should definetly add it to your bucket list.

This year, the first installment of The Hobbit, the prequel to The Lord of the Rings, is coming out TOMORROW!!! December 14!!  This movie is also based on one of Tolkien's books, and follows the reluctant adventurer Bilbo Baggins and his quest to steal from the dragon, Smaug.  The last time a LotR movie came out in theaters, I was in high school.  I CANNOT wait to see The Hobbit on the big screen.

4 Kids | My Holiday Wish List

Hello readers! With the holiday season officially upon us, I thought I better get to writing my holiday wish list. Have you made yours yet?

1. Tollbooth

A tollbooth you ask? What in the world for? I want a tollbooth just like Milo's in The Phantom Tollbooth through which I can embark on a really cool adventure. (If you haven't read this book yet, you really must. It's very cool!) It's the story of the always bored Milo who comes home one day to find a large toy tollbooth sitting in his room. Along with a watchdog named Tock, Milo drives through the tollbooth into a world of adventure. I don't want to give anything away, because I think you'll really enjoy this! 

2. One Ring

You know where I'm going with this, don't you? That's right. I want the One Ring just like in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit! Here's a little history for you: The One Ring was created by the Dark Lord Sauron during the Second Age in order to gain dominion over the free peoples of Middle-earth. The Ring seemed simply to be made of gold, but was impervious to damage. A person wearing the Ring was mostly invisible to ordinary beings. How cool would it be to be invisible?  Don't forget that the movie comes out on December 14! 

3. Key

A key? Yes, a key. Actually, a certain key. I'd like a key just like the one in The Sixty-Eight Rooms by Marianne Malone, because this key allows you to shrink so small that you can enter the Thorne Rooms, 68 exquisite miniature rooms that were built in the 1930's and are housed in the Children's Galleries of the Chicago Art Institute. It's like a really big dollhouse, or doll neighborhood. Of course the key isn't real, but the Thorne Rooms are! This is a great book; if you haven't read it, read it now!

As always, look for these great books at any SSJCPL branch library near you. And if you don't find what you're looking for, ask a staff person to help you place a request! 

So what's on your holiday wish list? But more importantly, what are you reading? Leave a comment below about what you are currently reading. I want to hear from you!!!