not conventional in this thread but this one by thenewgreen last week actually resonated a lot with me :) "I miss it all... but everything I miss pales in comparison with everything I'm excited for."

as much as I've missed the smell of a new book and the satisfying feeling of physically holding a book and turning its pages manually, I prefer Kindles now on almost every level. They're lighter, more portable and its easier to buy books now, instead to walking to a bookstore I can just buy (*cough*pirate*cough*) it online. And they save you money in the long run too. Hands down, my favourite gadget!

a really insightful and thought-provoking read, thanks for sharing this!

To live every day as if it had been stolen from death, that is how I would like to live. To feel the joy of life, as Eve felt the joy of life. To separate oneself from the burden, the angst, the anguish that we all encounter every day. To say I am alive, I am wonderful, I am. I am. That is something to aspire to. When I am a person, that is how I will live my life.

- The Art of Racing in the Rain, Garth Stein.

This book has really made me re-think my outlook on life...and reinforced my long-held belief that dogs are better people than people.

thank you! this is almost exactly what I meant. just quickly though, can I read The Silmarillion just by itself or do I need to have read other Tolkien works beforehand?