A lovely companion to The Hobbit that fleshes out the world a bit more. ( )

I had high expectations for this book. I usually like history and learning where words and things come from. Flipping through at the library, the artistry is cute, and close to what I had in mind as Hobbits before watching LOTR.

But for some reason, again something I can't pinpoint, I struggled through the book. I started it several times, and finally managed to skim through to the end. ( )

I am amazed at the way Tolkien researched the names for so many characters in his whole TLOR writings. David Day has done a good job in giving his analysis of Tolkien's scholarly knowledge in what many people would have a very dry subject. This book is definitely a "companion" for anyone who has more than a passing interest in the Ring series. I would certainly recommend it all Hobbiters out there. ( )