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With The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies capping off The Hobbit trilogy - and finishing out what Jackson thinks of as a six-part set of films, that includes Lord of the Rings - it would seem that his time in Middle-earth is at an end. However, some fans wonder if there isn't one more work of Tolkien that Jackson could adapt to film. The Silmarillion, something of a history of Middle-earth that precedes both The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, remains unfilmed.

Although Tolkien vehemently denied the First World War had any direct influence on his fantasy masterpieces The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, fans and critics alike state otherwise. And albeit coincidentally, on the week commemorating the outbreak of the First World War, today marks the 60th anniversary of the publication of JRR Tolkien's fantasy masterpiece The Fellowship of the Ring, the first instalment in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

A letter written to the brother of the poet's first love reveals that not even her marriage to another man could stop him from loving her. A new emotional letter written by a heartbroken Hans Christian Andersen indicates that the master of fairytales never got over his first love. Fyns Stifsidende reported on Tuesday that a letter written by Denmark’s most famous son to the brother of Riborg Voigt revealed that he remained in love with her long after she married another man. Ejnar Stig Askgaard from Odense City Museums estimates that the letter was written around Christmas 1832, when...

His paintings made news worldwide, but it turns out that former President George W. Bush has been working on another, highly personal project since leaving the White House: He has quietly completed a biography of his father, former President George H.W. Bush. Crown Publishers told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the book, currently untitled, will be released November 11. In 2010, Crown published the younger Bush’s million-selling memoir, “Decision Points.” […] According to Crown, the book will cover the elder Bush’s whole life and his influence on his son, from George W.’s “childhood in West Texas to his early...

Follow up to book sales Dinesh D'Souza AMERICA discussion of earlier this month.

Patrons had to buy the potential presidential candidate's new book, "Hard Choices," from the store in advance. A total of 1,000 people did. Clinton was to dash off her signature only, so no personal requests would be allowed and no other memorabilia signed, according to the bookstore's website. Children over age 6 were required to have their own book and ticket, and patrons were not allowed to bring bags or personal items into the store.

A jury awarded former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura $1.8 million on Tuesday in his lawsuit against the estate of “American Sniper” author Chris Kyle. On the sixth day of deliberations, the federal jury decided that the author of the 2012 best-selling book defamed Ventura in its description of a bar fight in California in 2006. Kyle, regarded as the deadliest military sniper in U.S. history, wrote that he decked a man whom he later identified as Ventura after the man allegedly said the Navy SEALs “deserve to lose a few.” Ventura testified that Kyle fabricated the passage about punching him....

Very interesting and informative talk and video presentation on how to learn basic Chinese characters.................

Sixty years ago today, “The Fellowship of the Ring,” part one of J.R.R. Tolkien’s masterwork, “The Lord of the Rings,” was published in the United Kingdom. Tolkien conceived of the novel as one book, not three. He would have preferred for its approximately 1,200 to 1,500 pages (depending on the edition) to appear between just one set of covers. But his publisher, George Allen & Unwin, decided to mete out the fantasy narrative and release it as a trilogy over 15 months. “The Two Towers” came out in November, 1954, and “The Return of the King” hit bookstore shelves the...

Narnia meets The Lord of the Rings in a new movie project slated for release next spring. Tolkien & Lewis will delve into the historical relationship between two of the greatest epic fantasy writers of all time: J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. ADVERTISEMENT Hard-core fantasy fans know that Lewis and Tolkien were friends and colleagues, but the average movie-goer may not even realize that the two authors were connected at all, though their best-known works have become blockbuster Hollywood movies. Indeed, there is much exciting history between the two legendary British authors, and each heavily influenced the other. According to...

As tea was being dumped in Boston Harbor, momentous changes were taking place across the continent, defining America's future. The year 1776 stands as the most celebrated date on the American calendar, and for good reason. Embraced by those scant 12 months is not only the signing of the Declaration of Independence but also the Redcoats' retreat from Boston, the Continentals' narrow escape from New York, and George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River to snatch a desperately needed victory at Trenton. Those storied episodes unfolded within 50 miles of the Atlantic Coast. In his perceptive and original "West of...

Wally Collins of Phoenix triumphed over 130 other entrants, including his son Matt Collins, late Saturday night at Sloppy Joe's Bar. The bar was a favorite of Ernest Hemingway during the 1930s.A white-bearded Arizona restaurateur has won Key West's annual "Papa" Hemingway Look-Alike Contest on his sixth attempt. Wally Collins of Phoenix triumphed over 130 other entrants, including his son Matt Collins, late Saturday night at Sloppy Joe's Bar. The bar was a favorite of Ernest Hemingway during the 1930s. Related: Hemingway Look-Alikes "Run With the Bulls" in Key West Competitors in sportsman's attire paraded before a judging panel of...

Review: Divorcing a Real Witch: For Pagans and the People That Used to Love Them by Diane Rajchel This is a book I asked to review not because I have been through the pain and process of divorce myself, but because it offers another perspective in the raft of pagan lifestyle books that are currently appearing. I have to admit though that as the child of divorced parents, and as an author interested in the lives of children, I didn’t come to this title without investment and interest. It is sad that within the wider Pagan community, divorce and separation...

JULY 19, 2014 A Thor Subject The comics industry grapples with attracting women readers. By Jim Geraghty The surprises came in a trio: First, Marvel Comics announced that the character of Thor, based upon the Norse God of Thunder, would become a woman. The second surprise was the venue in which the switch was announced — ABC’s feminine-minded daytime talk show The View — but perhaps that was predictable, considering that Marvel and ABC Television are both owned by Disney. But the third, and biggest, surprise is that anyone thought this was a good idea. “This is not She-Thor,” senior...

In the first paragraph of the prologue to his new book, The Baby Boom: How It Got That Way... And It Wasn't My Fault... And I'll Never Do It Again, political humor writer P.J. O'Rourke declares in no uncertain terms that he is "full of crap." Similarly, in the introduction to his upcoming book You Can Date Boys When You're Forty, humor columnist Dave Barry explains that his book, despite its subtitle "Parenting and Other Topics He Knows Very Little About," is not about parenting. It's easy to imagine that when these two bestselling authors and longtime pals get together,...

Stephen Leeds, AKA “Legion,” is a man whose unique mental condition allows him to generate a multitude of personae: hallucinatory entities with a wide variety of personal characteristics and a vast array of highly specialized skills. As the story begins, Leeds and his “aspects” are drawn into the search for the missing Balubal Razon, inventor of a camera whose astonishing properties could alter our understanding of human history and change the very structure of society. I thought you Freepers might like this book, I found the storyline good and the characters interesting, and I found the "aspect" J.C. fun. The...

30 Writers Other Writers Loved To Hate

In honor of the 60th Anniversary of 'Lord of the Rings' book by J.R.R. Tolkien (first published July 29, 1954), Air New Zealand is introducing a special, 11-night, all-inclusive, self-guided package with Air New Zealand highlighting the movie's filming locations and best of New Zealand. The 60th anniversary 'Lord of the Rings' package by Air New Zealand includes major New Zealand attractions and breathtaking landscapes, which inspired Peter Jackson to film the 'Lord of the Rings' film trilogy in New Zealand.

Contrary to what those who defend the right to own high-powered assault rifles believe, not all guns are created equal. Due to a combination of availability, portability and criminal usage the following five types of guns are the country's most dangerous. Using firearm trace data from the ATF, as well as FBI homicide records, we determined the types of guns most often recovered from crime scenes and/or used in murders. The numbers are stark: According to the FBI's 2012 Crime in the US data, nearly 70 percent of homicides for which the FBI received weapons data involved the use of...