[Keeper of Dol Guldur]

It's been a few months since I've read ... so I may be off a bit. And I have to say, I love EVERY chapter.

But;

1. Strider.
Strider gave us the coolest introduction a character has ever gotten. Who is that shady looking fellow in the corner? What, he wants to talk to me?

2. The Council of Elrond.
Council gave us SO MUCH (some would say too much) insight onto what is happening in Middle Earth ... and really gives a lot of backstory to the goings on in Gondor which if you reread you really see adds some great foreshadowing.

3. A Journey in the Dark.
Journey has several things I love. The wolf attack. The Watcher. And Gollum's introduction ... flip flap, flip flap. OH MY GOD EYES! It's great that Legolas knew all along, Aragorn, Gandalf, and Boromir probably knew for nearly as long ... even Gimli probably knew, but none of them told Frodo.

4. The Breaking of the Fellowship.
Breaking is amazing. The Ring in action! Boromir's change is so rapid ... he goes from being fine to being unsure, then in this chapter goes quickly from trying to convince Frodo into trying to steal the Ring, in one paragraph he snaps. Good storytelling. And the banter between Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas and the Hobbits is really good too, talking about which way to go, and why.

5. The Riders of Rohan.
Riders offers some GREAT stuff. First of all, the Hunters get some allies. Second, they get horses, and third, Eomer's relationship with them is PERFECT. Spot on stuff, the questioning of Lothlorien and Galadriel, not getting along with Gimli and Legolas, then being amazed at Aragorn. It also reveals just what is up, in Rohan.

6. The White Rider.
THE RETURN OF GANDALF! I had NO idea what I was in for when I read that ...

7. Helm's Deep.
This chapter isn't that long, doesn't go into great detail about the brutality, and graphic violence of battle ... but it didn't matter. An entire chapter about a siege, and battle, and Aragorn telling off an entire army.

8. Flotsam and Jetsam.
I love the chapters which feature flashbacks ... Merry and Pippin, Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas, smoking and drinking, eating good food, just relaxing, being the Fellowship again, and telling their respective tales. Probably my favorite chapter. It's the big hint that Legolas likes his wine ...

9. The Palantir.
Sauron, Nazgul, and flight to Minas Tirith! But we get a lot of history from Gandalf ... and learn a great deal more ...

10. The Window on the West.
Faramir eats a meal and says grace with the Hobbits, in the middle of the wilds of Ithilien ... then sits them down and they chat. What a nice fellow.

11. Shelob's Lair.
Let's just say if PJ had followed this a little more strictly ... that part of the movie would cause massive hysteria.

12. Minas Tirith.
Pippin, Beregond ... but more importantly, Denethor ... things are starting to pick up. But where is Faramir?

13. The Passing of the Grey Company.
This entire chapter is grey. The imagery ... the mood ... the Dunedain ... it's like a happy meeting that leads to a funeral march. And Aragorn wrests the Palantir from Sauron while Theoden, Legolas, Gimli and Merry worry about him ... good stuff.

14. The Siege of Gondor.
The Witch-King verbally abuses Gandalf ... Grond and a little black Nazgul magic destroy the black gates ... Pelennor burns, heads of the decapitated Osgiliath soldiers are tossed over the walls ... and Faramir is critically wounded. You can't go wrong in a chapter like this.

15. The Houses of Healing.
Hilarity in the middle of the darkest moments ... and Gandalf pretty much announces that he's in charge now. He has Aragorn enter the city, even though Aragorn vowed not to. Eomer and Imrahil have no idea what is up, Theoden is lain before the seat of the King ... and the Healers are clueless compared to Aragorn. The Merry stuff is the best ...

16. The Black Gate Opens.
The Mouth of Sauron ... if only I could kill him, I'd be even with old Merry. Did I just hear something about Eagles?

17. The Field of Cormallen.
The battle is won ... now let's all sit down, sing songs, and listen to the story of Frodo the Nine-Fingered and the Ring of Doom.

18. The Steward and the King.
Eowyn and Faramir got an ENTIRE chapter in the books ... which ended in Aragorn's coronation. Happy times!