Heidi ho, readers! It’s been a while. You might remember I started a book club here on the adventures of a nerd the beginning of the year. Unfortunately, January was a terrible month which left me so mentally exhausted I couldn’t find any motivation to pick another book.
But, needless to say, I am back with a new book.
When considering what book to read in April I kept coming back to one of my favorite standalones… The Hobbit.
I have read the hobbit three or four times by now, and it never gets old. As you can tell from the picture above, my copy of the hobbit is in poor condition. It’s clearly well loved. Apart from the cover falling off there are also pages that are loose or taped back in the book, so I don’t know if there are pages missing and I don’t know if it can take another reading. To protect my copy, I am planning on listening to an audio book version until I can buy a new one.
Did you know you can find all sorts of audio books for FREE on YouTube and Spotify? If you would rather listen I recommend trying one of those!
If you wern’t around for January’s edition of the book club, let me explain how this works. Each month I assign a book, a movie adaption (or at least a related film), a Spotify playlist to go with it, and now and then I like to assign an activity.
Like I said, our book this month is The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien.
Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit who enjoys peace and comfort above all else, finds himself pushed out of his comfort zone when the Wizard Gandalf shows up on his doorstep with a company of Dwarves. The Dwarves are about to embark on a journey to reclaim their home and the treasure that was stolen by the dragon Smaug. They need a “burglar” and Gandalf insists Bilbo is perfect for the job. Something takes over Bilbo, and before he can process what’s going on, he finds himself rushing out the door. He soon finds that the adventure is more than he bargained for when they’re attacked by Trolls, Goblins, and other frightening creatures, as well as having to go without a pocket handkerchief for quite some time.
The Hobbit, or there and back again, is a children’s Fantasy novel published in 1937.
J.R.R. Tolkien was born in 1892, Bloemfontein, South Africa. His parents were English, and when he was three years old, they moved back to England. His father died not long after, and when he was 12-years-old his mother also passed away.
From an early age, Tolkien had a considerable interest in languages. Which we can see in his fiction, as he has created a language for his fictional world, Middle Earth.
After getting a degree from Oxford, he went on to fight in the first World War.
Also, quick side note, he and his wife Edith have a really cute love story and if you have the time, you should look it up.
Tolkien is one of my biggest inspirations when it come to my writing, and I owe it to him (ok, and Barbie) for my love of writing high fantasy.
Our Movie
Our Movie this month is “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.” It is the first of a trilogy directed by Peter Jackson. I chose this movie because if you don’t already have it, it’s cheap to buy or rent, and you can probably find it at your local library. If you are feeling ambitious, you can watch the entire trilogy, but if not, the first one will be just fine (just note that I might cover all three movies in the discussion part).
This movie stars Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Aidan Turner, Richard Armitage, and a lot more.
Our Playlist
And as you enjoy this book, don’t forget to listen to this month’s playlist which includes songs from the film score and songs from other artists.
The Playlist isn’t quite finished yet, but as always more songs will be added throughout the month!
Our Activity
Our activity this month is more like a challenge. I challenge you to get in touch with your inner hobbit. Do something creative If! If that means taking a hobbit inspired picture, making a recipe, a blog post, a short story, or a piece of art.
Let me know if you plan on reading with me!
Thanks a bunch!
— Nerd
The Adventures of a Nerd. 