The Return of the King

 

The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien | 432 pages | 1955

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

The Dark Lord has risen, and as he unleashes hordes of Orcs to conquer all Middle-earth, Frodo and Sam struggle deep into his realm in Mordor.

To defeat Sauron, the One Ring must be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom. But the way is impossibly hard, and Frodo is weakening. The Ring corrupts all who bear it and Frodo’s time is running out.

Will Sam and Frodo succeed, or will the Dark Lord rule Middle-earth once more?

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

The Two Towers

The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien | 448 pages | 1954

Frodo and his 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 a battle in the Mines of Moria. And 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 was attacked by Orcs. Now they continue the journey alone down the great River Anduin—alone, that is, save for the mysterious creeping figure that follows wherever they go.

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

The Fellowship of the Ring

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien | 432 pages | 1954

In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell into the hands of Bilbo Baggins, as told in The Hobbit.

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.

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

Ready Player Two (Ready Player One, #2) by Ernest Cline

Ready Player Two (Ready Player One, #2) by Ernest Cline-370 pages

 I really enjoyed reading Ready Player One a few years ago, so I preordered this as soon as it was available. I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the first, but I didn't hate it either. Pop culture references still abound in this sequel, such as Tolkien, Prince, John Hughes, and many others. I am a moderate fan of John Hughes and have seen many of his films and I have read The Hobbit and seen all of the movies based on Tolkien's works (The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit trilogy). I am not  as familiar with Prince, however. Anyway, many of the references hit home and this is still a good read. I am not sure how I feel about the ending, but each reader can decide for himself or herself. 

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien - 398 pages

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkeness bind them

In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, The Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell into the hands of Bilbo Baggins, as told in The Hobbit.

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.