In honor of this weekend’s opening of “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” (see my colleague Tom Long’s review, which seems to confirm my fear of turning the single book into a trilogy, but I won’t know for sure until I see it myself), I’m giving away to “Hobbit”-related books this week.
“The Unofficial Hobbit Trivia Challenge” by Nick Hurwitch (from Adams Media) contains more than 800 questions about Bilbo, other characters good and evil, settings, previous adaptations and more. A few samples: When is tea time in the Shire? How old was Tolkien when “The Hobbit” was published? Virtually all of the living creatures in Middle-earth are created by a god or spirit of Valinor. What god creates the eagles?
I didn’t know any of those answers, but I did get a couple as I carefully thumbed through it. I was pleased, since I haven’t read the book since junior high.
“The Unofficial Hobbit Handbook” by Peter Archer, Scott Francis and Jeff Gerke (from Writer’s Digest Books) distills information about the hobbits in J.R.R. Tolkien’s classics into a guide to living “an enjoyable and virtuous life” the hobbit way. Written somewhat like a published journal, it contains all sorts of tidbits about hobbit life and the way they see the rest of Middle-earth. There’s even a recipe for a Waybread Blueberry Tart. (OK, I’ll bite. What’s our equivalent of a lemba?)
For your chance to win the pair, send your name and address to ehenrickson@detnews.com. Use “Hobbit” as your subject line, and enter only once by Dec. 21. U.S. entries only.
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