aethelwine, the big read is this big televised competition going on in the UK to find the nations favourite book. LOTR made it to teh final 21 (of course) and the panel were very rude about it on the programme, which made me even more resolved to vote as many times as i could. it is currently winning and you can vote here:
www.bbc.co.uk/arts/bigread
vote as many times as you can and vote from every computer you get your hands on to make sure that LOTR wins. i can't wait to see the look on those witless people's faces when it wins [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] . if it doesn't, i just don't trust the poll.
-when you talk to you Tolkien books and tell your mother that the books spoke to you saying you needed another bookcase.
-you spend 1/2 an hour staring at the map of beleriand in the bookshop but decide not to get it 'because you would need 2- one to put on the wall and one to keep for posterity and the nasty little man just stole the other one'
-you are delighted when said nasty little man picks up the map of beleriand, tales from the perilous realm and roverandom in turn and then decide you don't like him (he stole my map [img]smilies/evil.gif[/img] ) but resolve to meet his friend (somehow) who he is buying them for.