2025 Reading Challenge discussion

Tell us what you thought of the book! You can leave your review here. Even if you read the book outside of the group, please feel free to let us know what you thought of it.

Please make sure to mark your spoilers by typing [spoiler] at the start and [/spoiler] at the end but replacing the [] with <>.

Ok so I’m a middle earth fan. I first read the hobbit aged 14 (I’m now in my 60’s) and I have read all of the series some twice some more than twice. I’m well aware that Tolkien can be a bit Marmite. But I am really happy to have an excuse to read The Fellowship of the Ring once again.

I read the Fellowship of the ring when I was in year seven, it took me several attempts to finish the book and I didn't go back to it until several years later when I read the Hobbit. I enjoyed this book and am going to reread it later this year.

I think the level of understanding between an eleven year old and, almost, 24 year old differ greatly. I am looking forward to joining the read.

Jules wrote: "I’m well aware that Tolkien can be a bit Marmite..."

Like, it's better with butter?

I read this growing up, but could not remember much about it now. Thought it might be fun to reread it, it was not. Only got through the first 100 pages before stopping to end the pain. Obviously, I had suppressed the memory of my hatred of hobbits.

I love this book and the "Tolkienverse." I painted a map of Middle Earth on my wall last year. I can see why people don't like it though. I think I read the trilogy once before the movies came out and thought they were fine, but I loved the movies so much and it helped put faces to (very similar) names that now I re-read the series every few years.

I loved the movies growing up and was really happy to finally get to read the books (I listened to The Hobbit audiobook a few years back and quite enjoyed it).
I just love the feeling of The Shire in the movies so I was quite happy that in the book we spend some time there - although at some point I was really waiting for something to happen in this book. This got better at the end and I really enjoyed it.

Looking forward to the next two books!

For anyone interested - we´re also reading The Two Towers and The Return of the King in the next months buddy reads :)