Kindle Genre Watch (30 Apr 09)

Genre fiction - as opposed to nonfiction, graphic novels and picture books - lends itself to enjoyable Kindle reading because when you pick up a book of fiction you don't necessarily expect it to be illustrated. Authors of mysteries, science fiction, fantasy, romance novels and westerns paint word pictures and their readers use their own imagination to picture the scene of the crime or the stare of a vampire or the track of an alien space craft hurtling towards earth.

Now you can spend less time searching for new genre fiction and more time reading it as I watch for newly-released genre fiction in the Kindle Storeso you don't have to. New releases this week include:

MYSTERIES/THRILLERS

Smoke and Whispersby Mick Herron. Soho Constable. Kindle edition $9.99.
"In this assured mystery from British author Herron (Reconstruction), Sarah Tucker, a freelance publisher who also raises ostriches, identifies a body dredged from the River Tyne in Newcastle as her friend Zoë Boehm, an apparent suicide. Tucker, however, doubts Boehm, who worked as a private investigator, took her own life, as the police believe. Instead, Tucker suspects that Boehm's demise was connected with her probes into Alan Talmadge, a creep who targeted middle-aged women and killed them in a way that looked like accident or suicide. Relying on her wits, Tucker takes over the search for Talmadge." - Publishers Weekly.

Tea Time for the Traditionally Built: The New No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Novel by Alexander Mccall Smith. Pantheon. Kindle edition $9.99.
"...Mma Makutsi discovers that her old rival Violet Sephotho, who could not have gotten more than fifty percent on her typing final at the Botswana Secretarial College, has set her sights on none other than Mma Makutsi’s fiancé, Phuti Radiphuti. Can Mma Ramotswe’s intuition save the day?... the proprietor of a local football team has enlisted the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency to help explain its dreadful losing streak. The owner of the team is convinced he as a traitor in his midst. But how is Mma Ramotswe, who has never seen a football match in her life, going to discern who is throwing the game? Help, it turns out, may come from an unexpected quarter. There are few mysteries that can’t be solved and fewer problems that can’t be fixed when the irrepressible Precious Ramotswe puts her mind to them..." - Amazon.

The Language of Bees by Laurie R. King. Bantam. Kindle edition $9.99.
"For Mary Russell and her husband, Sherlock Holmes, returning to the Sussex coast after seven months abroad was especially sweet. There was even a mystery to solve - the unexplained disappearance of an entire colony of bees from one of Holmes’s beloved hives. But the anticipated sweetness of their homecoming is quickly tempered by a galling memory from her husband’s past. Mary had met Damian Adler only once before, when the promising surrealist painter had been charged with - and exonerated from - murder. Now the talented and troubled young man was enlisting their help again, this time in a desperate search for his missing wife and child. When it comes to communal behavior, Russell has often observed that there are many kinds of madness. And before this case yields its shattering solution, she’ll come into dangerous contact with a fair number of them. " - Amazon.

FANTASY

Second Skinby Caitlin Kittredge. (Nocturne City, Book 3). Macmillan. Kindle edition $5.59.
"When werewolves from Nocturne City’s oldest packs start showing up shot through the head execution-style, police officer Luna Wilder must find out what’s killing them and why…before she becomes the next victim. Luna traces the killings to a band of shapeshifters made of smoke and shadow who drink the blood of their victims for strength. Believed to exist only in legend, their race is all too real - and now their leader, Lucas Kennuka, is out to wrest Luna’s heart from her beloved Dmitri. To make matters worse, Dmitri is suffering from a mysterious illness brought on by a demon bite, and his condition grows more grave with each passing day. Now Luna must rely on Lucas to defeat an invisible enemy—a serial were-killer bringing death and destruction to all who stand in its path." - Amazon.

The Trouble with Demonsby Lisa Shearin. Ace. Kindle edition $6.39.
"My name is Raine Benares. I'm a seeker. People hire me when they need something found. I'm not usually the one being sought. But that all changed when I found the Saghred, a soul-stealing stone of unlimited power... Now mages and madmen have me in their sights, not to mention demons..." - lisashearin.com

ROMANCE

At Last Comes Love by Mary Balogh. Dell. Kindle edition $5.59.
"Only desperation could bring Duncan Pennethorne, the infamous Earl of Sheringford, back home after the spectacular scandal that had shocked even the jaded ton. Forced to wed in fifteen days or be cut off without a penny, Duncan chooses the one woman in London in frantic need of a husband. A lie to an old flame forces Margaret Huxtable to accept the irresistible stranger’s offer. But once she discovers who he really is, it’s too late - she’s already betrothed to the wickedly sensual rakehell. Quickly she issues an ultimatum: If Duncan wants her, he must woo her. And as passion slowly ignites, two people marrying for all the wrong reasons are discovering the joys of seduction - and awaiting the exquisite pleasure of what comes after..." - randomhouse.com.

The Perfect Poisonby Amanda Quick. Putnam. Kindle edition $9.99.
"Plagued by rumors that she poisoned her fiancé, Lucinda Bromley manages to live on the fringes of polite society, tending her beloved plants and occasionally consulting on a murder investigation. For the notorious botanist possesses a unique talent: she can detect almost any type of poison, especially ones that have their origins in the botanical kingdom. But the death of a lord has shaken Lucinda to her core. At the murder scene, she picks up traces of a poison containing a very rare species of fern. So rare, in fact, that only one specimen exists in all of England - and it was stolen from her conservatory just last month. To keep her name out of the investigation and to find the murderer, Lucinda hires a fellow Arcane Society member. Caleb Jones runs a psychical investigation agency. A descendant of the founder of the Society, he is very good at protecting its secrets - and frighteningly good getting at the truth. Immediately, Lucinda senses both a raw power and undeniable intensity in the imposing man. But as a nearly overwhelming desire blooms between Caleb and Lucinda, they are drawn into the dark heart of a deadly conspiracy..l." - Amazon.

Burning Wildby Christine Feehan. Jove. Kindle edition $6.39.
"The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the "Dark Carpathian" novels now returns to the exotic, sensual and dangerous world of her bestseller Wild Rain.This time, what goes on between male and female is wilder than animal instinct—and twice as hot." - penguingroup.com.

Summer on Blossom Streetby Debbie Macomber. Mira. Kindle edition $9.99.
"Upbeat cancer survivor Lydia and her pragmatic sister, Margaret, start a Knit to Quit group in their Blossom Street yarn store, hoping to bring in customers for weekly self-help sessions. Casey, the 12-year-old girl Lydia takes in while waiting for an infant of her own to adopt, helps out in the shop when she's not sulking in her room or causing trouble for Lydia's family. Local baker Alix wants a baby as much as Lydia does, but she and her husband agree she needs to quit smoking first. Then there's super-stressed chocolate magnate, Hutch, who takes the knitting class after his doctor suggests it. Hutch hits it off with Phoebe, who is trying to quit obsessing about a broken engagement. Rounding out the crowd, bookstore owner Ann Marie must deal with her adopted daughter Ellen's biological father, a recovering addict, re-entering their lives. Macomber deftly handles the multiple story lines and emotional terrain of families, while the predictably happy ending is very genuine." - Publishers Weekly.

Lover Avengedby J. R. Ward. NAL. Kindle edition $9.99.
"J. R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood novels have introduced readers to a - different, creative, dark, violent, and flat-out amazing- (All About Romance) world. Now, as the vampire warriors defend their race against their slayers, one male's loyalty to the Brotherhood will be tested - and his dangerous mixed blood revealed. Rehvenge has always kept his distance from the Brotherhood-even though his sister is married to a member, for he harbors a deadly secret that could make him a huge liability in their war against the lessers. As plots within and outside of the Brotherhood threaten to reveal the truth about Rehvenge, he turns to the only source of light in his darkening world, Ehlena, a vampire..." - Amazon.

SCIENCE FICTION

Resistance: The Gathering Storm byWilliam C. Dietz. Ballantine Books. Kindle edition $6.39.
"Great Britain. July 1951. Three years ago, Russia went dark. Nothing got in. Nothing got out. The world assumed it was political strife. But it was the Chimera: voracious extraterrestrial invaders. And in December 1949, they burst across the Russian border and poured into Europe. The luckiest humans died. The less fortunate succumbed to an alien virus - and changed. Within a year, most of Europe had fallen. Only Great Britain, after struggling desperately, had kept the conquerors at bay. But as the Chimera were repelled, they were evolving. Building. Planning. America. November 1952. The Chimera have crossed the Atlantic. Their lightning strikes on American borders are devastating. Cities are lost. Small towns overrun. Citizens transformed into monstrosities. Enter Lieutenant Nathan Hale, U.S. Ranger." - Amazon.

Immuneby Richard Phillips. (The Rho Agenda : Book Two). Kindle edition $6.99. Book one, The Second Ship,is available for $0.99.
"A world free of disease, where even the common cold has been eradicated. A new blood serum of tiny nano-machines promises all this and more. But Rho Project director, Dr. Donald Stephenson, envisions a future where even genetic imperfections are 'corrected'. So with the population clamoring for the release of this technology, why are top government officials opposed to the project being assassinated? NSA director, Admiral Jonathan Riles is dead, his elite team of covert operatives killed or on the run. Now, three people find themselves alone with their horrible secret, desperate to find someone to help them stop the Rho Project before humanity is irrevocably altered." - Amazon.

Star Trek: The Original Seriesby Alan Dean Foster. Star Trek Movie Tie-In. Pocket Books. Kindle edition $9.99.
"...One grew up in the cornfields of Iowa, fighting for his independence, for a way out of a life that promised only indifference, aimlessness and obscurity...The other grew up on the jagged cliffs of the harsh Vulcan desert, fighting for acceptance, for a way to reconcile the logic he was taught with the emotions he felt. In the far reaches of the galaxy, a machine of war bursts into existence in a place and time it was never meant to be. On a mission of retribution for the destruction of his planet, its half-mad captain seeks the death of every intelligent being, and the annihilation of every civilized world. Kirk and Spock, two completely different and unyielding personalities must find a way to lead the only crew, aboard the only ship, that can stop him." - Amazon.

WESTERNS

The Lawman: Massacre Trailby Lyle Brandt. Berkley. Kindle edition $4.79.
"U.S. Deputy Marshal Jack Slade must stop cross-country carnage. The homestead killers have been cutting a bloody swath across Oklahoma Territory, leaving behind a trail of corpses, slaughtering whole families on isolated farms and stealing their livestock. Slade follows the trail of bloodshed to the town of Paradise, where he aims to stop the butchers before Paradise becomes a hell on earth." - Amazon.

Slocum and the British Bullyby Jake Logan. (Slocum 363). Jove. Kindle edition $4.79.
"When a cheater runs off with his poker money and gets killed, Slocum's jailed for murder, then rescued by a British beauty. But when he realizes what her bullying brother wants from him, Slocum wants out." - Amazon.

Six Ways From Sundayby William W. Johnstone. Pinnacle. Kindle edition $4.00.
"Cotton Pickens' parents had a cussed sense of humor, but there's nothing funny about the way the man can draw a gun. Now he's in the middle of a mining camp district slowly being crushed under the iron fist of another misnamed, hardheaded fellow, Carter Scruples. With Cotton facing off against Scruples, a beautiful young woman caught in-between, and a band of outlaws living high and mighty in a dry-docked Pullman Palace Car, the town of Swamp Creek is surely going to get blown sky high." - Amazon.


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A Week of Entertainment: Books Reviewed in Entertainment Weekly Apr 24/May1

Each week Entertainment Weekly reviews a small selection of popular new books. Titles available for the Kindle reviewed in the April 24/May 1 double issue include:

If I Stayby Gayle Forman. Dutton. YOUNG ADULT NOVEL. EW's slant: "...a sweet little piece of fluff, beautifully written, but lacking the compulsively readable story line and brewing sexual tension of Stephenie Meyer's blockbuster..." Amazon customer rating: 5 stars (8 reviews). Kindle edition $9.99.
"...a compelling and highly textured account of the brutal 24 hours that may be 17-year-old Mia’s last. Her day starts with a drive, with her loving and moderately punk parents and her effervescent little brother, to a bookstore. A collision with another vehicle leaves Mia’s parents dead. The narrative is told in a robust first-person voice, with flashbacks, flash-forwards, and out-of-body reports on her immediate surroundings as Mia is transported, in grave condition, to the hospital... Mia’s recounting of this critical day is laced with insight, good humor, and wonder, allowing the reader to enter the scene as fully as Mia herself seems to have, at least for now, left her broken body." - Booklist.

Spicedby Dalia Jurgensen. Putnam. NONFICTION. EW's slant: Undercooked prose not nearly as interesting as the raw ingredients. Amazon customer rating: 4 stars (22 reviews). Kindle edition $9.99.
"Jurgensen's book takes readers on a culinary adventure through her rise as a pastry chef at New York's best restaurants. A quick read, this book will appeal to those interested in chef stories and what happens behind the scenes in the kitchen." - Library Journal.

Under the Table: Saucy Tales from Culinary Schoolby Katherine Darling. Atria. NONFICTION. EW's slant: Undercooked prose not nearly as interesting as the raw ingredients. Amazon customer rating: 4 stars (4 reviews). Kindle edition $9.99.
"A deliciously entertaining memoir about one woman's adventures in the student kitchens of the legendary French Culinary Institute - flavored with celebrity chefs, eccentric characters, and mouthwatering recipes. To anyone who has ever dreamed of life in a French kitchen, imagining days filled with puff pastry and sips of vintage wine, Katherine Darling serves up a savory dose of reality in this funny, fascinating, and altogether delightful account of her time spent slaving over a hot stove, wrestling with veal calves, and cleaning fish heads at the French Culinary Institute in downtown New York City...From the basics to the final exam, Darling reveals everything that goes into the making of a chef..." - Amazon.

Kindle 2 Covers: Which One's For You?

If you are buying a new Kindle or migrating from Kindle 1 to Kindle 2, you may be asking "Do I need to purchase a cover for it and, if so, which is the best choice for my money?"

Although you do not need a cover for the Kindle 2, a cover does provide extra protection, makes it easy to transport, and may provide storage for additional stuff you might wish to carry around with your Kindle (like a business card, a small notebook or a pencil), as well providing a place to attach a light for reading in bed.

Which one should you buy? Depends on your circumstances.

I WANT A PRACTICAL, RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE LEATHER COVER FOR MY KINDLE 2.

Consider Amazon's own Amazon Kindle 2 Leather Cover. Designed especially for the Kindle 2, it's an inexpensive, pebbled black leather cover with custom hinges to lock the device securely in place. The interior is a soft grey suede.


I WANT A COVER THAT CAN HOLD MY KINDLE IN A HANDS-FREE READING POSITION.

I have a flip top cover for my iPod Touch and was looking for something similar for the Kindle 2. I found it in the M-Edge Platform Jacketfor Kindle 2. It is available in leather or in synthetic leather in a variety of colors and is compatible with the e-Luminator booklight. The front flips over to serve as a bookstand or your can bend the cover back for in-hand reading.




I WANT A TRADITIONAL COVER THAT HOLDS MORE THAN THE KINDLE.

You can't do better than the M-Edge Prodigy Jacketfor the Kindle 2. It's available in a variety of colors and in either leather or synthetic leather. In addition to holding the Kindle securely, it has room for a Moleskine pocket journaland a mechanical pencilfor taking notes. It folds back into position for easy reading and has a place for a clip-on lightfor reading in low light conditions.



I DON'T NEED TO CARRY ANYTHING BUT THE KINDLE SO I LIKE THE SIMPLICITY OF THE AMAZON KINDLE 2 COVER, BUT PLEASE NOT IN BLACK.
The new M-edge GO! Jacket for Kindle 2 comes in purple, fuschia, mocha, red and yes, black. It provides full access to all buttons and ports, securing the Kindle with a hinge on the left and bands on the right side corners.



I JUST WON THE LOTTERY. BUDGET? WHAT BUDGET?

Oberon Design has smashing hand-tooled leather covers with hand cast lead-free Britannia pewter. The cover features a wool felt pad to protect the Kindle and pockets for I.D. cards. And, hey, if you have really won the lottery, be sure to order me the Raven design!

Cole Haanalso has a line of temptingly-beautiful Kindle 2 cases, including a light bronze woven leather beauty with a goatskin interior.



NO LEATHER FOR ME!

Consider the M-edge Executive Jacket for Kindle 2made with synthetic leather in several colors. Or, if you are a knitter, it's easy to make yourself a simple knitted slipcase.

I PREFER TO TAKE THE KINDLE OUT OF ITS CASE TO READ. WHAT ABOUT SOMETHING THAT IT SLIPS IN AND OUT OF EASILY?

In this category I really like the simple and elegant OCTO Kindle 2 Sleeve which comes in an expensive faux leather model or more costly but gorgeous navy, black, white or wine leather.



If you're looking for a padded, zippered case check out the Patagonia Book Casefor Kindle 2, a padded zipper case with a water-resistant polyester shell.

Mysteria: A Private Sherlock Holmes for your Kindle

Tell me, is everything you want to read available for the Kindle? I thought not. Maybe some of your favorite author's recent books have been Kindlized, but not his earlier works or maybe book two of that fascinating trilogy you want to read is conspicuously absent from the Kindle bookstore.

On Amazon when you find a book you want to read in a dead tree edition, you click on the "I want to read this book on my Kindle" button and then nothing. Just a polite message saying that your request will be passed on to the publisher. I know that Amazon cannot force publishers to adopt the Kindle format, but it would be helpful if they could find a way to follow up on these requests, e-mailing customers when the books they have requested appear in the Amazon Kindle bookstore.

Until that happens, there is another solution. Let Mysteria be your own private Sherlock Holmes, continually searching for books on your Kindle wish list and letting you know via e-mail when they become available for your favorite reading device.

All you have to do is go to the Mysteria website and search for a book you'd like to read on your Kindle. If the book is available in a Kindle edition, Mysteria will tell you and will link to the book in the Kindle bookstore. If it is not available, you click on a link under the title that says "Get Mysteria looking now!". That sets Mysteria into motion. You can either ask the service to let you know when one or several specific books are available or - if your Amazon wish list is public - you can give Mysteria the e-mail address you use to sign on to Amazon and they will continually monitor your entire Amazon wish list. Mysteria is a free service. I have used it only a short time and would be interested in knowing how it works out for you.

Weird & Esoteric Books for the Amazon Kindle E-book Reader

Of an estimated more than six million English language titles in print, only 270,599 are available in Kindle editions.

You might assume that these are the books most in demand by the greatest number Kindle readers. Actually Amazon's Kindle library has grown in a mysterious and haphazard fashion, as evidenced by this brief list of weird and esoteric books you may never wish to purchase for your Kindle.

Alphabetical Vocabularies of the Clallam and Lummi
This book is sure to be in high demand among the four remaining native speakers of the Clallam language.

Glossary of Provincial Words and Phrases in use in Somersetshire
Published in 1873, this glossary may not appeal to today's tourist to Great Britain, although the linguist might find appealing this paean to a dialect that the author says is fast disappearing "due to the efforts of those great innovators, the printing press, the railroad, and the schoolmaster".

Handling Storms at Sea
This actually might be a useful book for Kindle-owning sailors. I would advise reading it before undertaking a voyage, however, as the prospect of whipping out a plastic-wrapped Kindle in the middle of a storm is somewhat daunting.

Modern Blacksmithing
Should be popular with Kindle owners who take up blacksmithing as a hobby.

Our Nervous Friends: Illustrating the Mastery of Nervousness
The Amazon Kindle bookstore offers seven different editions of this obscure early 20th century novel, ranging in price from $0.00 to $4.76. Chapter titles make it sound more like a self-help book than a novel. Chapter six is "The Mess of Pottage: Illustrating Nervous Inferiority Due to Eating-Errors and chapter seven is "The Crime of Inactivity: Illustrating the Wreckage of the Pampered Body".

Selected Nuclear Materials and Engineering Systems (Part 4)
At $6431.20 (including wireless delivery via Amazon Whispernet) this book is a real steal - except that you'll have to look elsewhere for parts 1, 2, and 3.

World's Best Recipe for Slime
Enough said.

J.R.R. Tolkien and the LOTR: A Resource Guide for the Kindle Reader

Kindledom is talking about the recent and long-awaited appearance in the Kindle Bookstore of J.R.R. Tolkien. His Lord of the Rings is arguably one of the most influential works of fantasy ever written, spawning a host of related products - audiobooks, commentaries, films, video games - even a LOTR Trivial Pursuit.

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (pronounced TOLE-keen) was born on January 3, 1892 in South Africa where his father was working temporarily as a bank manager. Orphaned at the age of 14, he grew up in England and served in World War I. It has been said that The Lord of the Rings started as a linguistic exercise when - as a philology major at Oxford - Tolkien invented the Elvish language and later created Middle-Earth and a whole mythology built around this tongue. He taught at Oxford University for many years, pursuing his creative writing as well as academic research. He died in 1973.

BY TOLKIEN

The Lord of the Rings (Trilogy).HarperCollins. Includes The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King - less expensive than purchasing each separately. Kindle edition $15.94.

The Fellowship of the RingHarperCollins. Kindle edition $9.99.
"Sauron, the Dark Lord, has gathered to him all the Rings of Power - the means by which he intends to rule Middle-earth. All he lacks in his plans for dominion is the One Ring - the ring that rules them all - which has fallen into the hands of the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins. In a sleepy village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task, as his elderly cousin Bilbo entrusts the Ring to his care. Frodo must leave his home and make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ring and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose. J.R.R. Tolkien's great work of imaginative fiction has been labelled both a heroic romance and a classic fantasy fiction. By turns comic and homely, epic and diabolic, the narrative moves through countless changes of scene and character in an imaginary world which is totally convincing in its detail." - Amazon.

The Two Towers.HarperCollins. Kindle edition $9.99.
"Frodo and the Companions of the Ring have been beset by danger during their quest to prevent the Ruling Ring from falling into the hands of the Dark Lord by destroying it in the Cracks of Doom. They have lost the wizard, Gandalf, in the battle with an evil spirit in the Mines of Moria; and at the Falls of Rauros, Boromir, seduced by the power of the Ring, tried to seize it by force. While Frodo and Sam made their escape the rest of the company were attacked by Orcs. Now they continue their journey alone down the great River Anduin - alone, that is, save for the mysterious creeping figure that follows wherever they go." - Amazon.

The Return of the King.HarperCollins. Kindle edition $9.99.
"The Companions of the Ring have become involved in separate adventures as the quest continues. Aragorn, revealed as the hidden heir of the ancient Kings of the West, joined with the Riders of Rohan against the forces of Isengard, and took part in the desperate victory of the Hornburg. Merry and Pippin, captured by Orcs, escaped into Fangorn Forest and there encountered the Ents. Gandalf returned, miraculously, and defeated the evil wizard, Saruman. Meanwhile, Sam and Frodo progressed towards Mordor to destroy the Ring, accompanied by Smeagol - Gollum, still obsessed by his 'preciouss'. After a battle with the giant spider, Shelob, Sam left his master for dead; but Frodo is still alive - in the hands of the Orcs. And all the time the armies of the Dark Lord are massing." - Amazon.

The Hobbitby J.R.R. Tolkien. HarperCollins. Kindle edition $7.99.
"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort. The hobbit-hole in question belongs to one Bilbo Baggins, an upstanding member of a 'little people, about half our height, and smaller than the bearded dwarves.' He is, like most of his kind, well off, well fed, and best pleased when sitting by his own fire with a pipe, a glass of good beer, and a meal to look forward to. Certainly this particular hobbit is the last person one would expect to see set off on a hazardous journey; indeed, when Gandalf the Grey stops by one morning, "looking for someone to share in an adventure," Baggins fervently wishes the wizard elsewhere. No such luck, however; soon 13 fortune-seeking dwarves have arrived on the hobbit's doorstep in search of a burglar, and before he can even grab his hat or an umbrella, Bilbo Baggins is swept out his door and into a dangerous adventure." - Amazon.

The Children of Hurinby J.R.R. Tolkien and Christopher Tolkien. HarperCollins. Kindle edition $9.99.
"...the epic tale of The Children of Hurin will reunite fans of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings with Elves and Men, dragons and Dwarves, eagles and Orcs, and the rich landscape and characters unique to Tolkien. There are tales of Middle-earth from times long before The Lord of the Rings, and the story told in this book is set in the great country that lay beyond the Grey Havens in the West: lands where Treebeard once walked, but which were drowned in the great cataclysm that ended the First Age of the World. In that remote time Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, dwelt in the vast fortress of Angband, the Hells of Iron, in the North; and the tragedy of Turin and his sister Nienor unfolded within the shadow of the fear of Angband and the war waged by Morgoth against the lands and secret cities of the Elves..." - Amazon.

ABOUT TOLKIEN

The Atlas of Middle-Earthby Karen Wynn Fonstad. Mariner Books. Paperback edition $16.50.
"The publishing world is full of Tolkien spinoff products, some trivial and ephemeral--but some, like this thoroughly researched atlas, are genuinely classy. Karen Wynn Fonstad is a qualified geographer and cartographer who first mapped Middle-Earth in 1981 and has since added much new detail based on those endless volumes of drafts, abandoned passages, alternative versions, and laundry lists published since Tolkien's death." - Amazon.

The Magical Worlds of Lord of the Ringsby David Colbert. Berkley. Edition edition $9.99.
"Why do Hobbits live in holes? When in the world is Middle-earth? Why are Tolkien's elves tall? Besides Merlin, who and what inspired Gandalf? What character was based on Tolkien's wife? What nightmare was the key to Tolkien's mythology? Can Gandalf really die? What does Tolkien like best about Frodo? Which monster from The Lord of the Rings attacked Tolkien in real life? From the Finnish saga Kalevala and the events in Beowulf to Arthurian mythology, Shakespeare, and even World War II, this indispensible guide provides insights not only into literature's most beloved fantasy but also into the man who brought it to life." - Amazon.

The Essential J. R. R. Tolkien Sourcebook: A Fan's Guide to Middle-Earth and Beyondby George Beahm. New Page Books. Kindle edition $9.99.
"Breaking new ground, this is a must have for any Tolkien fan seeking to learn more about the reclusive professor from Oxford who reluctantly became a celebrity because of his 'hobbit-forming' books. It is a comprehensive reference work long awaited by the millions of Tolkien fans throughout the world..." - Amazon.

The Gospel According to Tolkien: Visions of the Kingdom in Middle-Earthby Ralph Wood. Westminster John Knox Press. Kindle edition $9.99.
"In this accessible and engaging book, Ralph Wood shows us that J.R.R. Tolkien's masterpiece is a deeply Christian work because it does not blink back the horrors of our terrible times but confronts them with startling honesty. Readers keep turning to this work because here they are immersed in significance and meaning - perceiving the Hope than can be found amidst despair; the Charity that overcomes vengeance; and the Faith that springs from the strange power of weakness. The Gospel According to Tolkien will be loved by both longtime Tolkien fans and those recently drawn to his books through the popular feature films." - Amazon.

THE LOTR FILMS

The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring.(Platinum Series Special Extended Edition DVD).
"In every aspect, the extended-edition DVD of Peter Jackson's epic fantasy The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring blows away the theatrical-version DVD. No one who cares at all about the film should ever need to watch the original version again. Well, maybe the impatient and the squeamish will still prefer the theatrical version, because the extended edition makes a long film 30 minutes longer and there's a bit more violence (though both versions are rated PG-13). But the changes--sometimes whole scenes, sometimes merely a few seconds--make for a richer film." - Amazon.

The Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers.(Platinum Series Special Extended Edition DVD).
"The extended edition of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring was perhaps the most comprehensive DVD release to date, and its follow-up proves a similarly colossal achievement, with significant extra footage and a multitude of worthwhile bonus features. The extended version of The Two Towers adds 43 minutes to the theatrical version's 179-minute running time, and there are valuable additions to the film...the four commentary tracks and two discs of supplements on The Two Towers remain informative, fascinating, and funny, far surpassing the recycled materials on the two-disc theatrical version." - Amazon.

The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King(Platinum Series Special Extended Edition DVD).
"The greatest trilogy in film history, presented in the most ambitious sets in DVD history, comes to a grand conclusion with the extended edition of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Not only is the third and final installment of Peter Jackson's adaptation of the works of J.R.R. Tolkien the longest of the three, but a full 50 minutes of new material pushes the running time to a whopping 4 hours and 10 minutes. The new scenes are welcome, and the bonus features maintain the high bar set by the first two films..." - Amazon.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Amazon's J.R.R. Tolkien Store

Maps of Middle Earth
Look here for a map of Tolkien's Middle-Earth to print out and consult while you read the LOTR on your map-deprived Kindle.

Lord of the Rings Unofficial Home Page
Featuring annotated lists of the best currently available editions of Tolkien's works and related books, this site also host the Tolkienpedia, with FAQs, essays and guides, and the Tolkien Forum.

The Encyclopedia of ARDA: An Interactive Guide to the Works of J. R. R. Tolkien.
"This 'completely unofficial site' from a Tolkien enthusiast attempts to be an encyclopedia of the world of "The Hobbit," "The Lord of the Rings," and other works. Includes brief information about races, places, animals and plants, songs, and much more. Also find maps and illustrations, a Chronicle of Arda ('the World and all that is in it'), a dictionary of old and rare words, calendars, and related links." - Librarians' Internet Index.

The Tolkien Timeline.
A chronological list of important events events relating to Tolkien's life, career, and scholarly pursuits.

The Tolkien Society (U.K.).

The American Tolkien Society