Collecting Tolkien - Tolkien Related Books

This is the second Tolkien Books blog entry detailing my collection of books about Tolkien or relating to his works.

This does not include any wargamming books.

Total Items: 114

Tolkien (8 books)

Books about JRR Tolkien.

Hardback - The Tolkien Family Album, Houghton 1992

Hardback - JRR Tolkien Architect of Middle-Earth by Daniel Grotta, Courage 1992

Hardback - Return of the Hero by Christopher Wrigley, Book Guild 2005

Hardback - 3 minute Tolkien by Gary Raymond, Ivy Press 2012

Paperback - JRR Tolkien by Robley Evans, Warner 1972

Paperback - JRR Tolkien Architect of Middle-Earth by Daniel Grotta, Running Press 1978

Paperback - JRR Tolkien: A Biography By Humphrey Carpentar, Unwin 1978

Paperback - Myth Maker: JRR Tolkien by Anne Neimark 1998

Middle-Earth (26 books)

Books about Tolkien's books.

Hardback - Finding God in Lord of the Rings by Bruner and Ware, Tyndale 2001

Hardback - A Tolkien Treasury, Courage 1978

Hardback - A Tolkien Bestiary by David Day, Beazley 1986

Hardback - The JRR Tolkien Companion and Guide (Chronology, Readers Guide) Scull and Hammond, Houghton 2006 (x2)

Paperback - Tolkien: A Look behind The Lord of the Rings by Lin Carter, Balentine 1973

Paperback - Master of Middle-Earth by Paul Kocher, Penguin 1974

Paperback - Tolkiens World by Randal Helms, Panther 1976

Paperback - The Tolkien Companion by JEA Tyler, Avon 1977

Paperback - Tolkien's Art by Jane Nitzsche, Macmillan 1980

Paperback - The Complete Guide to Middle-Earth by Robert Foster, Unwin 1985

Paperback - The Complete Guide to Middle-Earth by Robert Foster, Unwin 1988

Paperback - The Complete Guide to Middle-Earth by Robert Foster, Harper 1993

Paperback - The Tolkien Companion by David Day, Mandarin 1994

Paperback - The Hobbit Companion by David Day, Pavilion 1997

Paperback - The Guide to Middle Earth by Lowon, Mackenzie and Marshall, Reynolds 2001

Paperback - The Magical Worlds of Lord of the Rings by David Colbert, Puffin 2002

Paperback - Frodo's Quest by Robert Ellwood, Quest 2002

Paperback - The Lord of the Rings A Readers Companion by Hammond & Scull, Harper 2002

Paperback - The Origins of Tolkien's Middle-Earth for Dummies by Greg Harvey, Wiley 2003

Paperback - The Peoples Guide to JRR Tolkien, Gold Spring 2003

Paperback - Walking with Frodo by Sarah Arthur, Tyndale 2003

Paperback - Walking with Bilbo by Sarah Arthur, Tyndale 2005
Paperback - Talking of Dragons by William Chad Newsom, Christian Focus 2005
Paperback - Mere Humanity by Donald Williams, Broadman 2006
Paperback - Guide to Tolkiens World A Bestiary by David Day, Beazley 2012

Art (13 books)

Art books about Tolkien's worlds.

Hardback - Tolkiens World, BCA 1992

Hardback - Realms of Tolkien, Harper 1996

Hardback - The Hobbit Three Dimensional Book by John Howe, Harper 1999

Hardback - The Lord of the Rings Sketchbook by Alan Lee, Harper 2005

Hardback - A Tolkien Tapestry by Cor Blok, Harper 2011

Paperback - Middle Earth The World of Tolikien illustrated by David Wenzel, Centaur 1977

Paperback - A Middle-Earth Album by Joan Wyatt, Thames 1979

Paperback - Tolkiens Ring by David Day illustrated by Alan Lee, Harper 1995

Paperback - Hildebrant the Tolkien Years, Watson 2001

Paperback - Tolkien's World A Colouring Book, Cassell 2015

Paperback - Movie Trilogy Colouring Book, Harper 2016

Paperback - Dot-to-Dot of Tolkien, 2016

Paperback - Beasts of Tolkien Colouring Book, 2016

Movie (34)

Books about the movies.

Hardback - Bakshi Filmbook of The Lord of the Rings Fantasy 1979

Hardback - Animated Hobbit illustrated, Galahad 1989

Hardback - Fellowship Jigsaw Book, Five Mile 2001

Hardback - The Lord of the Rings Official Movie Guide by Brian Sibley signed by Billy Boyd, Harper 2001

Hardback -The Fellowship of the Ring Visual Companion by Jude Fisher, Harper 2001

Hardback - The Lord of the Rings The Making of the Movie Trilogy by Brian Sibley, Harper 2002

Hardback -The Two Towers Visual Companion by Jude Fisher, Harper 2002

Hardback -The Art of The Fellowship of the Ring by Garry Russell, Harper 2002

Hardback -The Return of the King Visual Companion by Jude Fisher, Harper 2003

Hardback - The Lord of the Rings Weapons and Warfare by Chris Smith, Harper 2003

Hardback -The Art of The Two Towers by Garry Russell, Harper 2003

Hardback -The Art of The Return of King by Garry Russell, Harper 2004

Hardback -The Art of Lord of the Rings by Garry Russell, Harper 2004

Hardback - Hobbit An Unexpected Journey by Jude Fisher, Harper 2012

Hardback - Hobbit The Desolation of Smaug by Jude Fisher, Harper 2013

Hardback - Hobbit An Unexpected Journey Annual 2013

Hardback - Hobbit An Unexpected Journey Chronicles Creatures & Characters, Harper 2013

Hardback - Hobbit The Desolation of Smaug Annual 2014

Hardback - Hobbit The Battle of the Five Armies by Jude Fisher, Harper 2014

Hardback - Hobbit The Battle of Five Armies Official Movie Guide by Brian Sibley Signed Limited, Harper 2014

Hardback - Hobbit The Battle of Five Armies Annual 2015

Paperback - Bakshi Lord of the Rings Fotonovel 1979

Paperback - The Lord of the Rings Official Movie Guide by Brian Sibley, Harper 2001

Paperback - Fellowship Insiders Guide by Brian Sibley, Collins 2001

Paperback - Fellowship Photo Guide, Collins 2001

Paperback - Two Towers Creatures, Collins 2002

Paperback - The Lord of the Rings The Making of the Movie Trilogy by Brian Sibley, Harper 2002

Paperback - The Lord of the Rings Location Guidebook by Ian Brodie, Harper 2003

Paperback - The Lord of the Rings Location Guidebook extended edition by Ian Brodie, Harper 2004

Paperback -The Lord of the Rings Complete Visual Companion by Jude Fisher, Harper 2004

Paperback - Hobbit Unexpected Journey The Movie Storybook, Harper 2012

Paperback - Hobbit Unexpected Journey The World of Hobbits, Harper 2012

Paperback - Hobbit An A-Z of JRR Tolkiens The Hobbit by Sarah Oliver, John Blake 2012

Paperback - Hobbit The Desolation of Smaug Official Movie Guide by Brian Sibley, Harper 2013

Parody (5)

Hardback - Lord Gnome of the Rings (Private Eye) 1976

Hardback - The Sellamillian by ARRR Roberts, Gollancz 2004

Paperback - Bored of the Rings by Harvard Lampoon, Signet 1969

Paperback - Muddle Earth by Stewart and Riddell, Macmillan 2004

Paperback - The Mobbit, Herobrine Books 2015

Maps (13)

Books and maps about Tolkien's worlds.

Map - The Map of Tolkien's Middle-Earth by Sibley and Howe, Harper 1994

Map - There and Back: The Map of the Hobbit by Sibley and Howe, Harper 1995

Map - The Map of Tolkien's Beleriand by Sibley and Howe, Harper 1999

Hardback - The Atlas of Middle-Earth by Karen Fonstad, Grafton 1992

Hardback - Journeys of Frodo by Barbara Strachey, Harper 1998

Hardback - The Maps of Tolkien's Middle-Earth by Sibley and Howe, Harper 2003

Hardback - The Road Goes Ever On And On - The Map of Tolkien's Middle-Earth by Sibley and Howe, Harper 2009

Hardback - There and Back Again - The Map of Tolkien's The Hobbit by Sibley and Howe, Harper 2009

Hardback - West of the Mountains, East of the Sea by Sibley and Howe, Harper 2009

Paperback - Atlas of Fantasy by J B Post, Balantine 1979

Paperback - The Atlas of Middle-Earth by Karen Fonstad, Grafton 1992

Paperback - The Atlas of Middle-Earth by Karen Fonstad, Harper 1994

Paperback - Journeys of Frodo by Barbara Strachey, Harper 1987

Quiz (4)

Paperback - The Tolkien Quiz Book by Andrews and Zuber, Sphere 1979

Paperback - The Tolkien Quiz Book by Robinson and Wilson, Star 1981

Paperback - The Tolkien Quiz Book by Andrew Murray, Harper 1996

Paperback - Pocket Posh JRR Tolkien Puzzles & Quizzes

Game (5)

Middle-Earth Quest - Treason at Helms Deep

Middle-Earth Quest - A Spy in Isengard

Middle-Earth Quest - Mines of Moria

Tolkiens Quest - Night of the Nazgul

Tolkiens Quest - The Legend of Weathertop

Other (6)

Hardback - Lord of the Rings The Official Stage Companion by Garry Russell, Harper 2007

Paperback - The Hobbit play by Patricia Gray, Dramatic Publishing Company 1968

Paperback - Halflings, Hobbits, Warrows & Weefolk collection of Tales by various, Warner 1991

paperback - Literature Unit The Hobbit by Carratello, TCM 1992

Paperback - Treasures from the Misty Mountains by James Gillam, Collectors Guide Publishing 2001

Paperback - The Middle Earth Lego Minifigure Catalogue by Christopher Bartneck

Collecting Tolkien - Tolkien Books

Books is obviously THE main area of Tolkien collecting.

It is a very big area and I've split it into 2 sections a; this entry about books written by Tolkien, including those edited and published after his death, b; books published about Tolkien and his books.

I don't specifically collect the books but I do have a few.

Please see the Tolkien Guides for links to Tolkien book collecting resources.

These are the books in my collection.

Total Items: 304

Lord of the Rings

Series (40 sets, 152 books)

Hardback - Unwin white eye cover First Edition, boxed set (F 10th, T 7th, R 6th) (x3)

Hardback - Unwin grey eye cover Second Edition (F 1st, T 1st, R 1st) (x3)

Hardback - Unwin grey eye cover Second Edition (F 3rd, T 4th, R 4th) (x3)

Hardback - Unwin colour eye cover Second Edition (F, T, R) (x3)

Hardback - Unwin pastel tolkien cover Second Edition (F 18th, T 17th, R 17th) (x3)

Hardback - US Mifflin abstract covers Second Edition, boxed set (x3)

Hardback - Harper black cover boxed millennium 1999 (x7)

Hardback - Harper movie cover centenary 2002 (x3)

Hardback - Harper black eye cover 2002 (x3)

Paperback - US Ace colour cover 1965 (x3)

Paperback - US Ballantine colour baynes cover 1965 (x3)

Paperback - US Ballantine colour tolkien cover 1973 (x3)

Paperback - Unwin pastel tolkien cover boxed 1974 (x3)

Paperback - Unwin colour eye cover 1976 (x3)
Paperback - Unwin The Tolkien Collection boxed 1976 (x3 +H +2others)

Paperback - US Ballantine white eye cover boxed 1978 (x3)

Paperback - Unwin colour small eye cover 1979 (x3)

Paperback - Unwin colour baynes cover boxed 1981 (x3)

Paperback - Unwin colour baynes cover 1981 (x3)

Paperback - US Ballantine colour scenes cover boxed 1981 (x3 +H)

Paperback - Unwin colour garland cover boxed 1986 (x3)

Paperback - US Hougton white/grey cover boxed 1987 (x3)

Paperback - US Ballantine colour scenes cover boxed 1988 (x3 +H)

Paperback - Harper colour howe cover 1991 (x3)

Paperback - Harper colour howe cover boxed 1991 (x3)

Paperback - Harper colour eye cover 1991 (x3)

Paperback - French Presses silver pink cover "le seigneur des anneaux" 1991 (x3)

Paperback - French Presses castles cover "le seigneur des anneaux" 1993 (x3)

Paperback - Harper colour eye cover boxed 1997 (x3 +H)

Paperback - Harper colour eye cover 1997 (x3)

Paperback - Harper colour taylor cover boxed 1999 (x3)

Paperback - Harper black cover 1999 (x3 +S +U)

Paperback - Harper voyager classic blue cover 2001 (x3)

Paperback - Harper black movie cover boxed 2001 (x7)

Paperback - Harper movie fellowship cover 2001 (x3) signed Billy Boyd

Paperback - Collins colour howe cover boxed 2001 (x3 +H)

Paperback - US Ballantine movie characters cover boxed 2001 (x3 +H)

Paperback - German Klett Cotta green covers 2002 (x3)

Paperback - Harper white cover 50th 2005 (x3)

Paperback - Harper black cover boxed 2012 (x7)

Incomplete

Hardback - Unwin white eye cover First Edition (F 5th, no dusk jacket) (x1)

Hardback - Unwin white eye cover First Edition (R 2nd, no dusk jacket) (x1)

Hardback - Unwin grey eye cover Second Edition (F 6th) (x1)

Hardback - Swedish AWG purple square 1989 (T, R) (x2 +S +U)

Paperback - Unwin colour nasmith cover 1990 (R) (x1)

Paperback - US Book Club beards cover 1995 (F) (x1)

Paperback - Harper movie cover 2002 (F) (x1)

Single volumes (30 books)

Hardback - BCA baynes cover 1971

Hardback - BCA baynes cover 1976

Hardback - BCA baynes cover 1988

Hardback - Unwin garland cover 1988

Hardback - Harper lee cover illustrated 1991

Hardback - Harper Howe with edging cover 1991

Hardback - US Houghton SFBC romance cover 1994

Hardback - Harper black cover slipcase limited 1997

Hardback - Harper grey movie argonath cover 2002

Hardback - Harper red cover slipcase limited 50th 2004

Hardback - US Houghton suede grey cover 2004

Hardback - Harper blue lee cover plastic slipcase 2005

Paperback - Unwin baynes small letters cover 1968 1st

Paperback - Unwin baynes small letters cover 1968 3rd

Paperback - Unwin baynes small letters cover 1971

Paperback - Unwin baynes very large letters cover 1972

Paperback - Unwin baynes large letters cover 1975

Paperback - Unwin bakshi cover 1979

Paperback - Unwin baynes large letters Unwin logo cover 1979

Paperback - Unicorn garland unicorn logo cover 1986

Paperback - Unwin garland white border cover 1987

Paperback - Grafton garland full page cover 1991

Paperback - Harper howe cover big title 1993

Paperback - Harper howe with edging cover 1995

Paperback - Harper howe cover 1995

Paperback - Harper green black riders cover 2001

Paperback - Harper blue movie cover 2002

Paperback - Harper movie black rider cover 2002

Paperback - US Houghton movie black ring cover 2003

Paperback - Harper 50th red cover 2007

Hobbit (48 books +6 in sets)

Hardback - Unwin classic cover 3rd/5th 1970

Hardback - Unwin classic cover 4th/2nd 1979

Hardback - Folio red cover slipcase 2nd impression 1980

Hardback - Harper classic with gold edging 1991

Hardback - Harper lee cover illustrated 1997

Hardback - houghton green slipcase collectors edition 1997

Hardback - Czech Mlada "hobit aneb cesta tam a zase zpátky" 1997

Hardback - Collins cascades smaug hoard cover 1999

Hardback - Harper limited edition black boxed (with cd, map, postcards) 2000

Hardback - Harper green smaug cover 2001

Hardback - Spanish Minotauro "El Hobbit" ilustrado Alan Lee 2002

Hardback - Harper green smaug cover annotated Anderson 2003

Hardback - Harper classic cover slipcase 2007

Hardback - Harper collectors grey forest 2012

Hardback - Harper green bilbo cover illustrated Jemima Catlin 2013

Paperback - Longman's schools 1969
Paperback - Puffin 1969
Paperback - Dutch Pisma "De hobbit" 1970

Paperback - US Balantine white baynes cover 1972

Paperback - Unwin back smaug hoard 1974

Paperback - Unwin pastel tolkien cover 1975

Paperback - Unwin white lake town cover 1975?

Paperback - Unwin smaug hoard cover 1977

Paperback - Unwin brown smaug hoard cover 1979

Paperback - French lp7 "Bilbo le hobbit" 1980

Paperback - Unwin smaug hoard cover 1984

Paperback - Unwin hague cover 50th 1987

Paperback - Unwin hague cover 50th illustrated 1987

Paperback - Unwin hague cover 1988

Paperback - Unwin nasmith cover 1989

Paperback - Harper colour howe cover 1991

Paperback - Harper Graphic Novel (Wenzel) 1991

Paperback - Harper Graphic Novel (Wenzel) individual books 1991 (x3)

Paperback - German dtv "Der Kleenex Hobbit" 1995

Paperback - Harper black cover 1999

Paperback - US Houghton block cover 2001

Paperback - Harper classic cover slipcase 2006

Paperback - Harper bagend door 2012

Paperback - Harper 2 volume splicase 2012 (x2)

Paperback - US Balantine Graphic Novel (Wenzel) 2012

Paperback - Harper movie cover bagend door 2012

Paperback - Harper movie cover mountain gates 2013

Paperback - Harper movie cover smaug gold 2013

Paperback - Harper movie cover frodo kneeling 2014

Leather - US Houghton 2007

Silmarillion (13 books +2 in sets)

Hardback - Unwin classic cover 1977

Hardback - BCA classic cover 1978

Hardback - US Houghton mountains cover 1977

Hardback - BCA howe cover 1994

Hardback - Harper nasmith cover illustrated 1998

Paperback - Unwin classic cover 1979

Paperback - Unwin black boat cover 1984

Paperback - Unwin white boat cover 1988

Paperback - Unwin white boat cover 1989

Paperback - Harper colour howe cover 1991

Paperback - US Balantine silmarils cover 2002

Paperback - German Klett "Das Silmarillion" 2002

Paperback - US Houghton nasmith cover illustrated 2004

History of Middle-Earth (45 books)

Hardback - The Book of Lost Tales I, Unwin 1984

Hardback - The Book of Lost Tales II, Unwin 1984

Hardback - The Lays of Beleriand, Unwin 1991

Hardback - The Shaping of Middle-Earth, Unwin 1991

Hardback - The Lost Road, Unwin 1987

Hardback - The Battle of the Shadow, Unwin 1988

Hardback - Treason of Isengard, Unwin 1989

Hardback - War of the Ring, Unwin 1991

Hardback - Sauron Defeated, Harper 1992

Hardback - Morgoths Ring, Harper 1993

Hardback - The War of the Jewels, Harper 1994

Hardback - The Peoples of Middle-Earth, Harper 1996

Hardback - The History of the Hobbit Part 1 Mr Baggins, Harper 2007

Hardback - The History of the Hobbit Part 2 Return to Bag End, Harper 2007

Hardback - Index, Harper 2016

Paperback - The Book of Lost Tales 1, Unwin 1981

Paperback - Unfinished Tales Unwin 1989

Paperback - The Book of Lost Tales 2, Unwin 1989

Paperback - Unfinished Tales, Harper 1991

Paperback - History of Lord of the Rings Boxed Set, Harper 1998 (x4)

Paperback - US The Histories of Middle-Earth Volume 1-5, Balantine 2003 (x5)

Paperback - The Book of Lost Tales 1, Harper 2002

Paperback - The Book of Lost Tales 2, Harper 2002

Paperback - End of the Third Age, Harper 2002

Paperback - War of the Ring, Harper 2002

Paperback - Return of the Shadow, Harper 2002

Paperback - Treason of Isengard, Harper 2002

Paperback - Peoples of Middle Earth, Harper 2002

Paperback - Morgoths Ring, Harper 2002

Paperback - War of the Jewels, Harper 2002

Paperback - The Peoples of Middle-Earth, Harper 2002

Paperback - The History of the Hobbit Part 1 Mr Baggins, Harper 2002

Paperback - The History of the Hobbit Part 2 Return to Bag End, Harper 2002

Paperback - Index, Harper 2002

Paperback - History of Lord of the Rings Boxed Set, Harper 2002 (x4)

Art (4 books)

Hardback - Pictures, Unwin 1979

Hardback - JRR Tolkien Artist and Illustrator, Harper 1995

Hardback - The Art of the Hobbit, Harper 2011

Hardback - The Art of The Lord of the Rings, Harper 2015

Others (21 books)

Hardback - Farmer Giles of Ham, Unwin 1976

Hardback - Oliphaunt 1989

Hardback - Poems and Stories, Harper 1992

Hardback - Poems by JRR Tolkien boxed set (small), Harper 1993 (x3)

Hardback - Letters from Father Christmas, Collins 1995

Hardback - Tales from the Perilous Realm, Harper 1997

Hardback - Roverandom, Harper 1998

Hardback - The Children of Hurin, Harper 2007

Paperback - Tree and Leaf, Unwin 1972

Paperback - US Smith of Wooton Major & Farmer Giles of Ham, Balantine 1972

Paperback - US The Tolkien Reader, Balantine 1976

Paperback - Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl, Sir Orfeo, Unwin 1979

Paperback - Tree and Leaf, Smith of Wooton Major, The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth, Unwin 1979

Paperback - Farmer Giles of Ham, The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, Unwin 1979

Paperback - The Letters of JRR Tolkien, Unwin 1981

Paperback - Farmer Giles of Ham, Unwin 1991

Paperback - Bilbo's Last Song illustrated by Pauline Baynes, Arrow 1992

Paperback - US Father Christmas Letters, Harper 1993

Paperback - The Children of Hurin, Harper 2008

Favourite Books

I have already said how much I like reading in my very first blog entry, in which I touched upon some of the books I like, so this entry is all about my favourite books.

There are so many books I have liked, a lot by the same authors, but the ones below are those that are special to me. I have also put in the covers of the versions of each book which I have fondest memories of.

I also make no apology for the number of Fantasy/Sci-Fi on the list.

First on the list is Lord of the Rings by J R R Tolkien, the greatest book ever written. I have read this book many times and still love it. It is the classic genre Fantasy and it set the benchmark which no other Fantasy has reached again. It defined and introduced so much of the mainstay of the Fantasy genre. The depth of the world created is immense, with an incredible back history (a lot if it told in the also brilliant Silmarillion). The scale of the story is epic and the characters are brilliant. This book also spawned my major collecting habit.

Next is my second favourite book, Night Watch by Terry Pratchett. I could have included nearly all 40 of the Discworld series, they are just brilliant, but Night Watch is my favourite. I have read it many times and I enjoy it as much each time. I would say that you should read the preceding 5 guards novels first in order to get the full impact, particularly getting to know the excellent characters. The main character, the reluctant hero Sam Vimes, is one of the best created by Pratchett and is central in many ways to the brilliance of the book. This book has all the usual stuff in Discworld books, the humour, the real world parody, the great characters, the good writing. But what's really great about this book is the emotion, you really feel the characters and what they are going through, and they are very real. The story is excellent and the time travelling actually works, a very hard thing for a story to pull off.

To Kill A Mocking Bird by Harper Lee was one of the first classics I read when I started to read more than just Fantasy. It is an excellent book, full of atmosphere. I liked the fact that it is told from a child's nieve perspective but manages to tackle some serious race/justice issues. I also think that the film is very good (very few films of books are).

My next selection is 1984 by George Orwell. It may be a bit bleak, but it is iconic and a wonderfully envisioned view of the future. It is superbly written and very atmospheric. This was one of the first books I read in a book club.

Sheri S Tepper was an author I was introduced too when I was only reading Fantasy. Her writing is very good. I like lots of Tepper books and I will do a whole blog entry on her in the future, as i do collect her books, but Beauty is my favourite. It blends lots of classic fairy stories together into the real world (she did it long before the latest fad for this). It is very quirky and a bit weird. It is also more Sci-Fi than Fantasy. Like all of Tepper books it highlights a lot of moral issues (sexism, over population, abuse of natural resources etc) but does so very subtly and well.

I do like a lot of young adult books, although they can have a bit more simplistic style of writing. I find that they often tackle interesting and challenging topics within good story lines. One of the best is Wonder by R J Palacio. The way this book looks at the same story from the viewpoint of various characters is very interesting and very well done. It also looks at some serious issues very well.

Enders Game by Orson Scott Card is pure Sci-Fi and has one of the best endings to a book ever, I did not see it coming (It actually changed the way I read, in that I now think a lot more about where a story is going). I think the ending makes or breaks a book, it can make an ok book a good book or ruin a perfectly good book (I might do a blog entry of books with good endings). Saying this Enders Game is not just about the ending, it is well written and a good story which builds up gradually.

The next book is a book which I loved reading with all of my kids, The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. It is a perfect interactive and fun way to introduce books to kids. I love the story and it is also educational.

I'm not a zombie fan at all, but World War Z by Max Brooks is just brilliant. very well written. The scope of it is huge, it presents the story in a very real, and global, way, with no aspect ignored.

One Day by David Nicholls is a great way to tell a story. I loved the yearly concept, and yes it is a bit romantic but there's nothing wrong with that. What makes this story great is its ending, such an impacting twist and you don't see it coming, very, very emotional.

Another Sci-Fi next, a real classic, Foundation (trilogy) by Isaac Asimov. This is the first real space Sci-Fi I read and was a great introduction to the genre. It really is an epic which just grows and grows with some major twists along the way. It is very cleverly thought out. I love the way it starts off small and just gets bigger and bigger. You do have to read the first 3 in the series. The rest are ok but they are a bit more drawn out and also a bit weirder.

l like unusual and quirky books and Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde has a large dose of both. Again a young adult book with an interesting concept. A dystopia where social standing is determine by a persons ability to see colour, what more could you want, just brilliant. It is very well written, humorous and a great story.

Another emotional story is Me Before You by JoJo Moyes. It looks and starts like a chick lit, but don't be deceived, it actually has great depth. Despite tackling some serious issues it still keeps a level of fun ness. Actually it is the characters which make this such a great book, along with a thought provoking ending.

The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton was a huge influence in my reading as it started my love for Fantasy. I loved this book, along with the others in the series (and also the Adventures of the Wishing Chair), and read them many times. This book may also have induced my love for reading altogether.

The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi is a wonderful dystopian story about genetics, politics and corruption. It is incredibly atmospheric. The story is excellent and so are the characters. I read this book whilst on a business trip to Vietnam which was an amazing experience, enhanced by this book.

A few other books worth a mention are Day of the Triffids, Hunger Games, Wolf Hall, Harry Potter, The Help, American Gods, The Book Thief, Life of Pie and Cloud Atlas.

Terry Pratchett and Discworld

This blog entry is about my 2nd favourite author and another of my collecting obsessions, Terry Pratchett.

Everybody remembers their first Discworld book with fondness and I am the same. My first was Mort and I loved It from the start, the character of Death is one of Pratchett's greatest achievements. From then on I was hooked on Discworld.

But why do I love his books? Here are 10 good reasons:

First, there are so many fantastic characters. Death, Granny, Vimes, The Librarian, Nanny, Tiffany, Rincewind, The Luggage, The Patrician, Moist, Carrot, Angua, Dibbler etc, the list goes on and on. And they are brilliant characters, some of the best written in fiction. You really do love them.

Second, the humour. It is subtle, it is very funny and there is a lot of it.

Third, the stories. There are so many great stories.

Fourth, the emotion. A lot of the books have got real emotion to them. You really buy into the stories and situations and they pull on your emotions.

Fifth, the real world issues in a fantasy context. The way real world issues, even big issues, are explored within a fantasy, but real, setting is brilliant.

Sixth, the whole series. Although each book can be read on its own, the whole series, and sub series, links together to give you something even more special. And there are over 40 books to enjoy.

Seventh, they are unique. There is nothing like them, just try to find anything close.

Eighth, the Discworld. A flat world, on the backs of four elephants, on the back of a giant turtle swimming through the universe. What more do you need.

Ninth, there are no chapters. Just readable sized chunks.

Finally the man himself. He was such a great man. British, humble (always grateful to his fans), genuine (he didn't start out to be a writer) and principled (right to the end).

So which are my favourite books?

My top ten are:
1. Night Watch - just brilliant, so very emotional and time travelling.

2. Going Postal - great story, the Moist character is excellent.

3. Small Gods - a god trapped in a tortoise with only one believer, enough said.

4. The Wee Free Men - very atmospheric, Tiffany is a great character and it has Nac Mac Feegles.

5. Moving Pictures - a wonderful parody of the movie industry.

6. Mort - Death is a genius character and he takes on an apprentice, plus it's the first Discworld book I read.

7. Monstrous Regiment - a great story with great characters, exploring war, woman's rights and racism.

8. Guards Guards - the first of the amazing guards series, a fantastic group of characters.

9. I Shall Wear Midnight - the peak of the wonderful Tiffany series.

10. Soul Music - a parody of the music industry, with some great humour.

There are a few weaker books, still good but, in my opinion, not to the same level as the others (although some people like these a lot). I'm not a big fan of Pyramids, Eric, The Last Hero or Hogfather.

Another thing I like about the Discworld books is the original cover artwork by Josh Kirby. It is original, fun and iconic, and I'm sure it added to the books original popularity. It is a shame that he died and couldn't do the whole series.

There has always been a heated argument about what is the best order to read the books. This is mainly based on the fact that the first 2 books (Colour of Magic and Light Fantasitic) are a bit weirder than the rest of the series and people can be put off if they read these first, therefore a lot of people, me included, recommend that you should start with one of the others (I always recommend Guards Guards). The other camp insist that the series should be read in order. I have been involved in a few heated exchanges on Goodreads about this.

There have been a few tv/film adaptations of some of the Discworld books. I'm not a fan of the 2 animated films. The newer tv films are better, very well made and quite good, I liked Going Postal, but I thought David Jason was poor casting as Rincewind in Colour Of Magic and Hogfather.

Collecting Pratchett and Discworld stuff is another of my hoarding obsessions. Unlike Tolkien there is not as much to actually collect. There are the books themselves, and the various versions.

 I have all of the series in paperback (a lot in different versions) and almost all of them in hardback, in fact the highlight of my Pratchett collection is a first edition Eric (which I got from a car boot for £1).

I have a lot of the Clarecraft figures, which are excellent. It was a shame that they stopped producing them. I also have some of the Clarecraft pewter miniatures

I have also collected all the Discworld calendars since they were first published.

I do have quite a lot of odd other bits and pieces. Other books, Pratchett did write some non Discworld novels (probably my favourite is Good Omens, with Niel Gaimen), and there are some books about Discworld. I have DVDs and Videos, t-shirts, puzzles, games etc.

I must admit that I don't collect the stamps, this is a large area in itself and I haven't had the time or money.