Enjoying my Christmas present...

I was so busy in December finishing the book that I didn't even put together a proper loot list for Christmas - but I did remember to request one thing: The Annotated Hobbit. I love "the Annotated" anything, but this is a special treat. Come on, haven't you always had a secret yearning to know the etymology behind Gollum and Bilbo's riddles? Be honest.

Okay, maybe it's just me. But as long as we're on the subject of Tolkien, here's a YouTube video of the man himself. Rather interesting. (Sorry, I can't embed it). I like especially this line from the narrator describing The Children of Hurin: "It is a dark tale of incest and betrayal, and one in which most of the protagonists kill themselves or each other."
To which my first reaction was: "Far out!" What does that say about me?
Well, maybe not much. After all, it's not as bad as most of Shakespeare. Ever read Titus Andronicus? How about Ovid? (Both of which, of course, were best sellers in their day).