The Sword and Laser discussion

In the latest podcast (#113), Tom mentioned his 25th Anniversary edition of The Hobbit. There are so many different versions and printings; it'd be cool to share pics of what the group is reading. The beat-up paperback I first read way back is long gone, but I lusted after this version and am looking forward to finally reading it again.. http://goo.gl/VBWTl

I have the "pocket" edition from Think Geek: http://instagram.com/p/RbcOwAGqoI/ (Lego Series 7 figures for reference)

It can be procured here.

I've got another mass market type paperback edition upstairs, which is what I originally read it in. And I think I have a copy at my parents' house from the 60's or 70's (it was either at my grandparents' house or aunt's house).

Funny, I'll probably end up listening to the audio from Audible this time.

I own two copies, the The Annotated Hobbit and a green leather-bound, fully-illustrated edition:

Its an old beat up paperback version I've had for over 30 years now. It can in a set with the three LOTR books and each is a different color. Hobbit was yellow and other three were red, green, and blue though I forget which goes to which.

I'm going with the enhanced ebook edition available for Nook.

I honestly have no idea what makes it enhanced. Guess I'll find out in December.

I recently bought the Annotated Hobbit in preparation for the December read.

I do wish I still had the beat-up paperback I read as a kid, it had this cover:
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I vividly remember reading it while staying at my grandmother's house, and visualizing the outline of the Misty Mountains in the water stains of the bedroom ceiling where I was reading.

JLawrence, that's the edition that I was thinking of that's at my parents' house! It's the one that we took from either my grandparents' house or aunt's house when they died.

Also, I have a "box set" of the same art style paperbacks for The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but those are here with me at my house now.

Mine isn't worth even posting a picture of. The original I read in High School belonged to the school.

I got a MMPB LotR+Hobbit boxset in college just before Fellowship of the Rings came out (because somehow I hadn't read the LotR books yet).

Nothing special, though I do like having a set of the 4 books. Thankfully, they don't have movie covers. It might say "soon to be a motion picture" somewhere, but I don't think it does.

This is the one I read as a kid, and even then I didn't think it looked quite right:

The one I'll be reading with the group looks more like this:

The Hobbit is one of my most given away books. I'm now on my third or fourth copy. It's looks just like my last copy only with a yellow banner saying "Now a major motion picture!"

Ayesha wrote: "The Hobbit is one of my most given away books. I'm now on my third or fourth copy. It's looks just like my last copy only with a yellow banner saying "Now a major motion picture!""

Do you keep giving it away because you didn't like it very much?

The copy I have looks like this:

Rob wrote: "Do you keep giving it away because you didn't like it very much?"
Not at all. If I catch anyone looking at my bookshelf, I go into "suggestion" mode and start handing out my favorites.

terpkristin wrote: "JLawrence, that's the edition that I was thinking of that's at my parents' house! It's the one that we took from either my grandparents' house or aunt's house when they died."

That's the version I read in the 7th grade, too!

Next month, I'll be re-reading the enhanced edition of the ebook on the iPad.

I've had three or four editions over the years. The very first one I read was from my high school library and had the same cover that aldenoneil had.
I've also had this one:
and this one:

I'll probably be listening to the audiobook version this time around though.

aldenoneil wrote: "This is the one I read as a kid, and even then I didn't think it looked quite right:

The one I'll be reading with the group looks more like this:
"

I had this version too as a kid! This time around I am reading the annotated version.

http://goo.gl/Qb0HF
I actually bought my first paperback copy of it at the book store in Austin where Tom use to work. I've been through several version a since then. Now I have a hardback version but the words are still the same.

On my bookshelf I have the same green leather bound edition that Sean posted a picture of above. For reading next month I picked up a used paperback copy of this one :

I actually have all the different paperback covers that Del Rey ever published, including the second edition printing, the ones with the lion on the cover. That is probably the edition I will read this time around.

My Dad read to me when I was little from one he and my Mom purchased in England in the 70's, I looked at pictures online and it is the same cover as the first edition though I know it *wasn't* a first edition. Between my husband and I we now have three or four copies, one hardback my parents got me in England more recently, one American hardback, and one or two paperbacks.

I still have to dig my copy of The Hobbit out of my basement, but some Googling helped me find the cover. This was my version, although mine was a Canadian English edition, and this looks Spanish:



I bought mine in the early 90s along with Lord of the Rings with a similar style cover (golden trim with runes).

David(LA,CA) wrote: "I'm going with the enhanced ebook edition available for Nook.

I honestly have no idea what makes it enhanced. Guess I'll find out in December."

I have the enhanced ebook edition of the Hobbit on my Nook Color. Basically you get all kinds of maps and drawings included with it. Its really neat, I am sure you will love it!

Kevin wrote: "I actually have all the different paperback covers that Del Rey ever published, including the second edition printing, the ones with the lion on the cover. That is probably the edition I will read ..."
That's pretty neat! I think the cover Jlawrence posted is also the one I first read. The Hobbit and LOTR are definitely THE books that woke the Sword and Laser fan in me ages ago; it'll be fun to read through the book discussion and then see the film.

I've never read it, so I'm thinking of following Veronica's lead and trying out Whispersync between Kindle and audio.

John wrote: "Kevin wrote: "I actually have all the different paperback covers that Del Rey ever published, including the second edition printing, the ones with the lion on the cover. That is probably the editio..."

I actually was a big collector of Tolkien especially The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings about ten years ago. I have stopped, but I still have all the books.

My "real" copy is the same as Meghan's above -- part of a boxed set with LotR. The Tolkien covers are my favorite.

When Houghton Mifflin did the slightly revised trade paperbacks of Hobbit and LotR around the time the first Peter Jackson movie was coming out, I picked those up because, hey, better text. And the covers (Alan Lee?) are nice. The only covers I'd tend to avoid are either movie tie-in covers or the ones with the black covers and "realistic" paintings like aldenoneil's above.

I also have The History of the Hobbit (the two volume hardcover edition) although I haven't delved into it yet.

Having said that, when I reread Tolkien it'll be on my Kindle this time.

I once owned a Special Edition together with LoTR, but I sold it cause LoTR never really got to me. I think LoTR is my most lemmed book of all time. Now I just own a normal copy of The Hobbit:

I manage to get the illustrated edition . Will try and read that one so i can look at the illustrations, but have a kindle version too that is much easier to take with me and read when I'm not at home.

Couldn't resist joining in. Bought this one in Tahiti in 1974 because the cover was so opposite to my view of everything Tolkien. The french transaltion was pretty faithful though.

^Wow, that's pretty...interesting.

I have a beautiful hardback of this version: and I can't wait to read it again in December. :D

My copy is from a gift box set that I got when Fellowship of the Rings came out in the cinema. Never read it, but like others will probably get the kindle version an possibly the audiobook for whispersync action.

Mine is this edition, which belonged to my mum before me and I think came from a library because it has a plastic cover protector around it:

I don't own a copy :(

However, I will be picking it up from Audible. I just have to decide between the Abridged (for 1 credit), and the Unabridged (for 2 credits) versions.

Lizzy wrote: "Mine is this edition, which belonged to my mum before me and I think came from a library because it has a plastic cover protector around it:"

Ah, I have that one too! It was my dad's. The spine is cracked to bits.

Our little girl turned seven today so we've bought her the new hardback special edition, which also came out today:


We'll be reading it to her along with you - her first time - as soon as it arrives.

Sean wrote: "I own two copies, the The Annotated Hobbit and a green leather-bound, fully-illustrated edition:

"

The green one is what I own! I love this copy. It feels so nice in the hands. Only problem is I don't want to mark it up, which I usually love doing with books I've enjoyed.

Sonic wrote: "I don't own a copy :(

However, I will be picking it up from Audible. I just have to decide between the Abridged (for 1 credit), and the Unabridged (for 2 credits) versions."

Your library should have the unabridged copy for free!

aldenoneil wrote: "This is the one I read as a kid, and even then I didn't think it looked quite right:

The one I'll be reading with the group looks more like this:
"

I had the same version, creases and all, handed down to me from my older brother. When I read it I had no concept of Tolkien's popularity, and I sincerely thought I had discovered a secret gem of a story that no one knew about :P. Also, I became obsessed with the runes underneath the picture, having already figured out they spelled out the title. Once I discovered a copy of LotR that had the alphabet appendixes I was ALL OVER THAT.

Timm wrote: "aldenoneil wrote: "This is the one I read as a kid, and even then I didn't think it looked quite right:

The one I'll be reading with the group looks more like this:
"

I had the same version, cre..."

Yup, got mine in 7th grade I think from my Scholastic order catalog. The cover came off years ago.



Although there was this one version that I used to get when I was a little kid from the library that was illustrated and came with a cassette that read the book and you followed along to it in the book. We checked it out several times and I never knew it was the Hobbit or the same Hobbit until years later when I finally read the book proper.

Meghan wrote: "Your library should have the unabridged copy for free! "

Weirdly, my library doesn't seem to have an audiobook section :/

They do have a copy of the physical version of the book, but it's out... and there's a waiting list o_0

Buying a copy of the book is easy enough though, lol.

Sonic wrote: "I don't own a copy :(

However, I will be picking it up from Audible. I just have to decide between the Abridged (for 1 credit), and the Unabridged (for 2 credits) versions."

Wow, 2 credits for such a short book. Unless it's a full cast production or something that sounds like blatant price gouging.

AndrewP wrote: "Wow, 2 credits for such a short book. Unless it's a full cast production or something that sounds like blatant price gouging. "

This seriously annoyed the crap out of me. WHAT! 2 credits for a 12 hour book! Audible have given $20 worth of free credit this month however so... Its still wrong.

Mine wasn't two credits, and is unabridged.

Jenny wrote: "Mine wasn't two credits, and is unabridged."

Thats what peeves me off even more. Its not split in all countries -

It also depends on when you signed up...I'm a long-time member (since early 2005) and I've never seen anything be 2 credits. But apparently newer accounts have 2 credits vs. 1. No idea what criteria decides 2 credits or 1...

Maybe if I have a melt down they might come to the party. They seem quite flexible - I emailed to query whether I qualified for their $10 promotion. The person who replied said they didn't know but threw me the $10 anyway just in case I wasn't - and I didn't have to wait till the end of the month.

@Jenny On Audible UK, the unabridged audiobook has been split into two parts (which is why it costs 2 credits) :-(

I downloaded the first part today, but now I have to wait till mid December for the rest -_-

I just finished the unabridged from Audible. Was great and got me back into listening to audiobooks again. I actually bought the Kindle version to use WhisperSync, but never read it at all. That's how happy I was with the Audible version.

BTW: When I tried subscribing again, it wouldn't allow me. Emailed customer support and they gave me 2 free credit. Used 1 on The Hobbit hence the double dipping of the Kindle version.

Even worse is that if you go straight to Amazon and buy the Audible book it's $15.95 for the older unabridged version, $23.95 for the new 2012 unabridged version and $17.95 for the abridged version !

All significantly less that the cost of two credits. Go figure.