The Tolkien Tag 2016

It's that time of year when Hamlette hosts her annual Tolkien blog party.  Here's my answers to her questions in...

The Tolkien Tag 2016

1.  How many books by J.R.R. Tolkien have you read?
Five: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The Hobbit, and The Silmarillion

2.  Have you seen any movies based on them?
The six Peter Jackson movies.

3.  Are there any scenes/moments that make you cry?
In the books, not so much.  In the movies... the eagles.

4.  Are there any scenes/moments that make you laugh?
Many.  Merry and Pippin in Fellowship, and so many parts of Five Armies.

5.  Have you ever chosen a Middle Earth name for yourself?  If so, what is it?
Well, my nephew called me Aragorn for the better part of a year, does that count?  I did look up what my real name would be once, on one of those webpages, and I quite liked it:  Nieriel.  I could handle that.

6.  Who would you want to party with/marry/fight to the death? (pick three characters)
Well, I've never seen the Dunedain party, but based off watching Aragorn at parties, I suspect they're quiet about it, so they're definitely my choice.

To marry?  Celeborn, because Marton Csokas.  Also, Celeborn is a serious badass, and quiet, and faithful, and he seems perfectly fine with Galadriel going off and doing her own thing, so that's the guy for me.  Also, did I mention... Marton Csokas?

Fight to the death?  Azog, of course.  He's the only one who made me want to jump into the movie and take him on myself.  I just want to shove Thorin out of the way, tell him, dude, you're going to get yourself killed.  Let me do this.  Why, yes, I have a death wish, why do you ask?  But, if I'm marrying Celeborn, I'm most likely an elf, so I like to think it will be a darned good fight.

Bring it on!

7.  When was the last time you visited Middle Earth, via books or movies?
A couple weeks ago, Desolation of Smaug was on television, and we watched the first half until it got too late.  Been dying to watch the second half ever since.

8.  Do you consider Gollum to be a villain?  Why or why not?
No.  I feel too sorry for him to think of him as a villain.  A victim of the ring's power, yes, under which he schemes and manipulates and causes trouble, but not a true villain. 

9.  How would you sum up what Tolkien's stories mean to you in one word?
Fierceness.

10. List up to ten of your favorite lines/quotes from the books or movies.
"It comes in pints?"
"You've had a whole half already!"
"Potatoes! Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew."
"They're taking the Hobbits to Isengard."
"Have we not?"
"Men are weak."
"Thorin!  Thorin.  Thorin..."  (this is a bit of an injoke that only my sister gets, but why quote it all the time.)
"It's moving fast, against the wind."  (which is usually followed by somebody in the family shouting "Crebain from Dunland!")
"A little late to be trimming the verge."

Check out Hamlette's Edge of the Precipice page for more links, games, posts, and fun, including a worldwide giveaway.