Tag: #BookSeries

Posted in #Classics

The Hobbit: Or There and Back Again

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

This beautiful gift edition of The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic prelude to his Lord of the Rings trilogy, features cover art, illustrations, and watercolor paintings by the artist Alan Lee.

Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely traveling any farther than his pantry or cellar. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an adventure. They have launched a plot to raid the treasure hoard guarded by Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. Bilbo reluctantly joins their quest, unaware that on his journey to the Lonely Mountain he will encounter both a magic ring and a frightening creature known as Gollum.

Written for J.R.R. Tolkien’s own children, The Hobbit has sold many millions of copies worldwide and established itself as a modern classic.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.”

The hobbit-hole in question belongs to one Bilbo Baggins, an upstanding member of a “little people, about half our height, and smaller than the bearded dwarves.” He is, like most of his kind, well off, well fed, and best pleased when sitting by his own fire with a pipe, a glass of good beer, and a meal to look forward to. Certainly this particular hobbit is the last person one would expect to see set off on a hazardous journey; indeed, when Gandalf the Grey stops by one morning, “looking for someone to share in an adventure,” Baggins fervently wishes the wizard elsewhere. No such luck, however; soon 13 fortune-seeking dwarves have arrived on the hobbit’s doorstep in search of a burglar, and before he can even grab his hat or an umbrella, Bilbo Baggins is swept out his door and into a dangerous adventure.

The dwarves’ goal is to return to their ancestral home in the Lonely Mountains and reclaim a stolen fortune from the dragon Smaug. Along the way, they and their reluctant companion meet giant spiders, hostile elves, ravening wolves–and, most perilous of all, a subterranean creature named Gollum from whom Bilbo wins a magical ring in a riddling contest. It is from this life-or-death game in the dark that J.R.R. Tolkien’s masterwork, The Lord of the Rings, would eventually spring. Though The Hobbit is lighter in tone than the trilogy that follows, it has, like Bilbo Baggins himself, unexpected iron at its core. Don’t be fooled by its fairy-tale demeanor; this is very much a story for adults, though older children will enjoy it, too. By the time Bilbo returns to his comfortable hobbit-hole, he is a different person altogether, well primed for the bigger adventures to come–and so is the reader. –Alix Wilber

From the Publisher

Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit, is a peaceful sort of cozy hole in the Shire, a place where adventures are uncommon and rather unwanted. So when the wizard Gandalf whisks him away on a treasure hunting expedition with a troop of rowdy dwarves, he’s not entirely thrilled. Encountering ruthless trolls, beastly orcs, gigantic spiders, and hungry wolves, Bilbo discovers within himself astonishing strength and courage. And at the ultimate confrontation with the fearsome dragon Smaug, the hobbit will brave the dangers of dark and dragon fire alone and unaided. Brilliantly conceived to evoke Tolkien’s richly imagined Middle Earth, this production features an original score written for Renaissance era instruments outstanding ensemble acting by the best performers available to the BBC and innovative sound techniques designed to present a hobbit’s eye view of Bilbo’s adventures. A fitting tribute to the centenary of J.R Tolkien’s birth. The Hobbit will captivate longtime fans and the newly initiated alike.

From the Inside Flap

THE GREATEST FANTASY EPIC OF OUR TIME
Bilbo Baggins was a hobbit who wanted to be left alone in quiet comfort. But the wizard Gandalf came along with a band of homeless dwarves. Soon Bilbo was drawn into their quest, facing evil orcs, savage wolves, giant spiders, and worse unknown dangers. Finally, it was Bilbo-alone and unaided-who had to confront the great dragon Smaug, the terror of an entire countryside . . .
This stirring adventure fantasy begins the tale of the hobbits that was continued by J.R.R. Tolkien in his bestselling epic “The Lord of the Rings.

From the Back Cover

THE LORD OF THE RINGS IS SOON TO BE AN EPIC MOTION PICTURE TRILOGY FROM NEW LINE CINEMA

Bilbo Baggins was a hobbit who wanted to be left alone in quiet comfort. But the wizard Gandalf came along with a band of homeless dwarves. Soon Bilbo was drawn into their quest, facing evil orcs, savage wolves, giant spiders, and worse, unknown dangers. Finally, it was Bilbo — alone and unaided — who had to confront the great dragon Smaug, the terror of an entire countryside…

THIS STIRRING ADVENTURE FANTASY BEGINS THE TALE OF THE HOBBITS THAT WAS CONTINUED BY J.R.R. TOLKIEN IN HIS BESTSELLING EPIC THE LORD OF THE RINGS.

Posted in Cozy Mysteries

Always the Killer Never the Bride

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

She’s got a sweet tooth, a sharp tongue, and a license to kill—kind of.

It’s Criminally Cozy!
“I would have given it ten stars if I could have!”
“One of the best cozy mysteries I’ve ever read!”
You will LOVE this small town cozy mystery! It’s so cozy it’s criminal!


Love small towns, close-knit friendships, and humor with a side of homicide? You will LOVE the Pain in the Assassin series! Hilarious from start to finish!

An assassin who works for the mob. One hot detective. And a killer. Living in Honey Hollow can be murder.

Cosmopolitan Magazine calls Addison’s books, “…easy, frothy fun!”
Humor with a side of homicide.

A laugh out loud cozy mystery by New York Times, USA TODAY, & Wall Street Journal bestseller Addison Moore

***A MURDER IN THE MIX SPINOFF!*** Includes RECIPE!

My name is Eufrasia Canelli but everybody calls me Effie. I come from a big Italian family with big hearts, big appetites, and an even bigger bankroll that’s cleverly hidden from the IRS.

I’m not married to the mob, I was born into it. Just last year, I was laid off from my career at a tech company and in an effort to keep from moving back home—I went crawling to the biggest crime lord I know—my Uncle Jimmy.

He gave me two options: Dance at his strip club—or hunt down his enemies.

Seeing that I’m no fan of public nudity, I opted for murder.

Let’s just say my mortality rate so far is nil.

Okay, so I’m not a straight shot but my Uncle Jimmy doesn’t seem to mind and I’m still raking in enough money to keep a roof over my head.

I also took a part-time job at a local bakery. Not only do I get to satisfy my sweet tooth for free but I get a decent cover when I’m asked about my employment.

But the darndest thing just happened at one of my gigs, someone dropped dead!
And guess who landed at the top of the suspect list?
Me.

Now I’ve got to find the killer before I end up behind bars for committing a homicide that wasn’t even on my radar.

I guess it’s true what they say—living in Honey Hollow can be murder.

Posted in My Likes and Dislikes

Crystal Singer: A Novel (Crystal Singer Trilogy Book 1)

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

“No dragons, but [Crystal Singer] has all of [Anne] McCaffrey’s gifts for world-building and characterization . . . an excellent book.”—Chicago Sun-Times

Her name was Killashandra Ree; and after ten grueling years of musical training she was young, beautiful—and still without prospects. 

Then she heard of the mysterious Heptite Guild on the planet Ballybran, where the fabled Black Crystal was found.

For those qualified, the Guild was said to provide careers, security, and the chance for wealth beyond imagining. The problem was, few people who landed on Ballybran ever left.

To Killashandra the risks were acceptable . . .

The Reviews

Paige Turner
5.0 out of 5 stars 
Engaging Sci Fi- Sheer Joy
Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2009
Verified Purchase
I absolutely love this book. I'm already a fan of Anne McCaffrey from her Pern series, but I think this trilogy is even better. My favorite of the trilogy is this book, the first of the series. In this book we learn what the Crystal Singers are as Killashandra, the lead (female) character enters the Guild after failing to become a musician. This is sci-fi at it's best - fast-paced, interesting, fanciful, future-looking, and most important, it contemplates real issues. In the midst of an engaging story that is easy to escape in, the author challenges us to think about real dilemmas. For example, a side effect of "singing crystal" is extraordinary longevity and loss of memory. I found myself thinking, "do events still exist if we can't remember them?" and "how will our lives be affected if we have extraordinary longevity but our friends and family do not?"

I read this book as a teenage boy 2 decades ago, and just re-read it last week. I find that good works of fiction affect me in different ways at different stages of my life, and Crystal Singer was no exception.

As an adult, I understand Killashandra's challenges, and understand her relationships more fully than I did as a teenager. As a teenager, I was "along with her," discovering Crystal Singing for the first time. Her entry into the Heptite Guild had many parallels with my entry into West Point. For example, the Guild appears to discourage new recruits from joining, but this is actually a subtle psychological technique to recruit a certain type of individual. (West Point does the same thing) This made the story, despite the futuristic setting, more realistic.

Anne McCaffrey develops the character of Killashandra in a brutally honest way - we love her and also see her making mistakes. This is engaging Science Fiction - I think McCaffrey doesn't get enough critical acclaim - she's considered "pulp" sci fi by many but in my opinion she's right up there with Isacc Asimov and Harlan Ellison. She's not in the same league as Frank Herbert, but no one is.
Cheryl Stout
5.0 out of 5 stars 
Great first book in Crystal Singer trilogy
Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2023
Verified Purchase
I loved this book when I first read it years ago and I loved it just as much this time around. I went through quite a McCaffrey stage when I was younger, reading all her dragon books, and then I happened across Crystal Singer and I was so glad I did.

Killashandra Ree trained for ten years to be a top-ranked concert singer on the planet Fuerte and then wasn't accepted because of a minor burr in her voice. Her perfect pitch and eidetic memory didn't help her there. But then she hears about the Heptite Guild of the planet Ballybran, and despite many warnings, she is intrigued by what she hears about Crystal Singers on that planet.

This first book in the trilogy takes Killashandra to Ballybran, through many adventures and leaves me ready to re-read the second book in the trilogy right away Killashandra.