Raven

And it now has a title: AMONGST OUR WEAPONS

It's as much of a Christmas film as It's a Wonderful Life (in so far as they are both films telling a story that is set at Christmas, as apposed to a film about Santa etc).

Going to have to re-watch Die Hard this year; keep meaning too, but keep forgetting!

So how do we do this? Not done one of these before!

Belated congratulations! That must make you at least 27 years old!

I'll take another punt - 60?

128?

Lots of Christmas trees up in people's homes in Portsmouth on Saturday evening. Still seems a bit early for me.

If it were only down to Frodo that might be the case, but he had Gandalf lodging with him for several weeks as well!

Anyone else?

Quick late night post, but would anyone be interested this?

So, after 20 odd years, I've started re-reading The Lord of the Rings, and have surprised myself that I've made it to over a quarter of the way through The Fellowship of the Ring in less than a week. Current Progress: 26% *Warning! The following contains spoilers that I'm not going to tag* Main thoughts so far: - Having the book open with a section on the history of Hobbits might be good for people who have read The Hobbit and want to know more about them, but coming to it cold must put a lot of people off the book (I know it put me off the first time I tried to read it). It also has a number of spoilers for what happens later in the book, although I must admit that I never picked up on them first time through. - Its all a bit twee; similar in tone to the start of The Hobbit. I know it changes as it goes along, and I know the reason why it is like this, but I think the films set the tone far better than the book does (there will probably be on-going comparisons with the films, as I'm quite familiar with them!) - The lack of urgency when it comes to Frodo leaving the shire feels... wrong - especially when you know what is after him! Gandalf knows Sauron has risen in the east; he knows Sauron knows the ring still exists; he knows Sauron knows someone called Baggins has the ring and where he lives. "Should I leave now, Gandalf?" "Nah, I doubt they will be along for a few weeks yet..." "Can I still have a Birthday Party?" "Of course!" *Ruffles Frodo's hair...* - The Black Riders at first appear to be fairly ordinary, but each time they reappear they become more and more sinister (the description of the one at Bucklebury Ferry is darn creepy!) - I hadn't remembered that Pippin is with Sam and Frodo when they leave Bag End, and that Merry doesn't come into it until later.

This is a series I will never read, but I as I have Amazon Prime I will probably watch it (probably after I've finished my re-watch of Babylon 5!)

I read the first book, many years ago, but for some reason never went further. I think most people that have problems with the books have problems with the third one, where I have been tempted to pick them up again, however, having watched the BBC adaptation, which is a superb piece of television (very much looking forward to series 3!)

And just too add a little more excitement... The Waterstone's edition will have a Nightingale short story! It's less than 5 months away, folks!

There are a few books free for Prime members at the moment. One I saw yesterday is the Arthur C. Clarke award winning Dark Eden, by Chris Beckett.

Yes, that usually pops into my head when I see that as well.

Or stories about short people with hairy feet...

I remember hearing someone recite this from memory, many years ago now, and the "The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas" line has always stuck with me. (How can wind be a "torrent of darkness," though?)

Never considered that one as a chat up line... "Have you read..." <tension building pause> "The Hobbit?" *Waggles eyebrows* "You mean that book about short people with hairy feet? Don't they just sit around eating and singing all the time?" "Err, yes, but let's not get too judgemental..."

I hope you enjoy it!

I've never been tempted to read that series, as it's what - 15? - epic sized tomes (and the last one was written after Jordan's death?). Will be interested to watch the series though!

I knew The Hobbit wasn't going to be the same style as LotR when I started it, but I wasn't prepared for all the songs, and especially all the rather twee songs (when the Elves started singing to the Dwarves as they entered Rivendell I nearly threw the book across the room - that was the point at which I quit first time around!) The Battle of the Five Armies, and the stuff with Smaug at the end of the book is pretty good, though.

They certainly are very different books! I made the mistake of trying to read The Hobbit straight after LotR, and failed badly (it felt like I was reading Tolkien Lite, for want of a better term). I tried it again a few years later, however, and once I got past Rivendell the story started to improve and - the odd bit of singing aside - I found the last third of the book had a lot in common with LotR.