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Category Archive: Book News

How to Pronounce the Dragon’s Name

Most English speakers want to pronounce it to rhyme with ‘fog’, but in this article in Arrant Pedantry we are given the proper pronunciation of ‘Smaug’ and an explanation of the reasons for so many people having difficulty with the pronunciation.

New Class on ‘Unfinished Tales’ starts today

For anyone interested, the Mythgard Institute is offering online a free ten-week study of Tolkien’s ‘Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth’ Details of the class, which has its first session tonight at 9:30 PM EST, can be found here.

News Update; Dwarves before and after, New book, a Chance to win a strategy game, Hobbit motel for sale, Details of the new Dennys promotion, The Simpsons do a Middle-earth couch gag.

Imgur has recently posted side by side shots of the Dwarves in person and in their makeup. The pictures can be found here.

The Tolkien Library has just announced the release of the new book; ‘MIDDLE-EARTH Envisioned: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings: On Screen, On Stage and Beyond’. Details can be found here.

Click here to learn how to enter Flickering Myths new contest for a chance to win ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – Journey to the Lonely Mountain Strategy Game.’

Ever want to own a Hobbit themed motel? Waikato’s Hobbit motel is now for sale. Details can be found here.

Details of the new Dennys ‘The Hobbit; The Desolation of Smaug’ promotion can be found here.

Click here for a look at the Simpsons new Middle-earth themed opening scene.

News Update for Oct. 20th 2013.

For the full synopsis of THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG click here.

The new banner ad and poster for THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG can be found here.

For information about the World Fantasy Convention to be held in Brighton England between Oct 31st and Nov 3rd click here.

Recent interviews with Orlando Bloom can be found here and here.

An article about an astronmer’s attempt to recreate the LOTR solar system and stars can be found here and the original paper on which the article was based can be found here.

Information on the total costs, to date, for filming The Hobbit movie trilogy can be found here.

Martin Freeman discusses a new ‘tougher’ Bilbo here.

(note that many of these articles were submitted by BerethEdhellen)

Young Dorchester illustrator works on The Hobbit

Jemima Catlin, from Dorchester, U.K. was commissioned by Harper Collins to illustrate a new hardback edition and deluxe slipcase edition of The Hobbit that hits the shelves on today.

To read about how she came to be chosen for click here.

End of August News Update;

Click here to read why PJ is unlikely to direct a ‘Dr. Who’ episode at any time in the near future.

Details on the ‘Festival In the Shire’ exhibition can be found here.

To view Brotherhood Workshop’s detailed re-creation of the ‘Desolation of Smaug’ trailer using Lego(R) blocks and characters just click here.

Click here for details on the upcoming re-release of five of the books that influenced Tolkien. A better look at the new covers can be found here, thanks to ‘Caustic Cover Critic’.

Thirteen newly released ‘Desolation of Smaug’ stills, including three of Tauriel, can be found here.

Click here for an estimate of what insurers might pay out for the damages seen in ‘The Hobbit; an Unexpected Journey.’

For moviepilot.com’s look at how Gollum might critique the trailer click here.

A new still, reported to be of Beorn in bear form, has been posted on the internet and, thanks to Yahoo Movies, can be found here

How to read ‘The Silmarillion’ (and Why)

Io9’s contributor Gibbelins has written a very interesting essay explaining how, and why, to read “the Silmarillion. The essay can be found here.

Review of ‘The Fall of Arthur’

Click here for an interesting review of the newly released book ‘The Fall of Arthur’.

Weekend News ; Actor Updates, Movie news, Smaug, Tolkien in Ireland, a new massive Lego Construction and other Fan Creations

Click here to read about Sean Bean’s next series.

Click here to read about what new role Benedict Cumberbatch is about to play.

You can Click here to learn where Hugo Weaving will be this June.

Click here to learn more about Azog the Defiler and the actor that plays him.

For information about James Nesbitt’s next visit to New Zealand and the TV Travel show he is to host, click here.

In June Peter Jackson is planning on shooting more footage for the ‘Hobbit’ films. For more information click here, and for casting call info click here.

For a first look at what may be a statue of Smaug you just have to click here.

Click here for another view on whether Tolkien’s writing was influenced by his many visits to Ireland.

Emil Johansson of lotrproject.com has now added a ‘Periodic Table of Middle-earth’ to the site. Information on this new feature can be found here and you can click here to go to lotrproject.com and see all of their Middle-earth genealogical work.

This year we will once again see a huge Middle-earth scene constructed for the Lego Brickworld convention. Details on the scene can be found here.

The Popularity of J.R.R.Tolkien’s books and the film adaptations of them have lead many fans to find ways to create their own tributes. Click here for a brief look at some of these tributes.

More News; Willie Nelson`s `Hobbit audition`; Author, Mark Atherton, Interviewed; Hobbit lifts Time-Warner First Quarter Income; Martin Freeman on new Sherlock season, and gets Ready to Wed; Hobbit Star `Sexiest Man of the Year’; Richard Armitage Interview; Cornell Re-releases Tollkien Tribute Book.

Click here for Willie Nelson`s humorous Gandalf audition.

Click here for The Tolkien Library`s interview with Mark Atherton, author of `There and back Again, J.R.R. Tolkien and the Origins of The Hobbit

For the reported results for Time-Warner`s first Quarter, significantly helped by box office earnings from ‘The Hobbit; An Unexpected Journey’, click here.

Martin Freeman was recently interviewed concerning season two of ‘Sherlock’. The interview can be found here. Information on Freeman’s upcoming nuptial can be found here.

Click here to find out who was selected by The Sun as the sexiest man of the year.

Click here for c/net’s interview with Richard Armitage.

Cornell University Press has just released ‘J. R. R. Tolkien, Scholar and Storyteller’ Details can be found here. (CoE members can use the Promo Code CAU6 to get a 20% discount when purchasing the book)