The Fellowship of the Ring

Boromir. BOROMIR. I was not prepared for how much his death would wreck me. He falls to the Ring's temptation and spends his last breath trying to make it right. Aragorn holding him, the three arrows, the horn cloven in two. I had to put my phone down and just sit there. And then Frodo goes alone. This book is not what I expected. It's so much more.

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After the absolute devastation of Moria, Lothlórien feels like stepping into a cathedral made of light. I understand now why people say Tolkien writes landscapes like no one else. The grief is still raw -- everyone mourning Gandalf -- but there's this sense that beauty endures alongside loss. I cried a little. Not ashamed.

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WEATHERTOP. I was reading this at midnight and literally pulled my blanket tighter. The Black Riders finally showing up in full force, Frodo putting on the Ring and seeing them -- genuinely terrifying. This is supposed to be a kids' book?? Also Strider has fully won me over. His competence is so reassuring.

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