You can find them at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CJKv6pAUQ57vU0u-IW1GyZ60vmx0QEO7/view?usp=sharing ; feel free to tweak them as you wish...
Here's a tiny sample of a way you can scrapbook and make them even more fun to use:
For anyone who ever wanted to experience Tolkien's Middle Earth in chronological order.
You can find them at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CJKv6pAUQ57vU0u-IW1GyZ60vmx0QEO7/view?usp=sharing ; feel free to tweak them as you wish...
Here's a tiny sample of a way you can scrapbook and make them even more fun to use:
At last I've gone through all of the old reading plans and made corrections. I made the updates directly in the below plans. I'd be more surprised than anyone if there were not still good tweaks to be made, but I don't plan to trouble you with them.
Wishing you the very happiest of reading!
-- as in lots and lots of fun foods, and also includes celebrating Tolkien holidays I celebrate, such as his birthday in the first installment, on January 3. Of course I'm not stealing a thing from Dr. Tolkien and his family! but simply use his hobbitian meal schedule on such holidays -- per the books, not the movies! Here's a glimpse of what's coming in March so you can see what I mean:
http://favoritefoodthisweek.blogspot.com/2021/12/the-1st-of-12-installments-of-wonderful.html
And here is February!
http://favoritefoodthisweek.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-2nd-of-12-installments-of-wonderful.html
...and March:
http://favoritefoodthisweek.blogspot.com/2022/02/the-3rd-of-12-installments-of-wonderful.html
...April:
http://favoritefoodthisweek.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-4th-of-12-installments.html
...May:
http://favoritefoodthisweek.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-5th-of-12-installments-of-wonderful.html
...June:
http://favoritefoodthisweek.blogspot.com/2022/05/the-6th-of-12-installments-of-wonderful.html
...July:
http://favoritefoodthisweek.blogspot.com/2022/06/the-7th-of-12-installments-of-wonderful.html
...August:
http://favoritefoodthisweek.blogspot.com/2022/07/the-8th-of-12-installments-of-wonderful.html
...September:
http://favoritefoodthisweek.blogspot.com/2022/08/the-9th-of-12-installments-of-wonderful.html
...October:
http://favoritefoodthisweek.blogspot.com/2022/09/the-10th-of-12-installments-of.html
...November:
http://favoritefoodthisweek.blogspot.com/2022/10/the-11th-of-12-installments-of.html
...and December -- now it's complete! Enjoy!!
http://favoritefoodthisweek.blogspot.com/2022/10/the-last-of-12-installments-of.html
The First Set of Stories
THE BEGINNING
(length unknown)
and then
THE YEARS OF THE STARS AND TREES
(lasting 3,000 of their years, possibly 30,000 of our years)
The first 10,000 years of those 30,000 or so were only The Years of the Stars; Valinor was built about 5,000 years into that; after the Years of the Stars 11,000 were The Years of the Trees; then 9,000 were The Years of Darkness towards the end of which the moon and then the sun were made. "It is said that the Valar came into the world 30,000 Sun-years ere the first rising of the Moon.…A Year of Valar is in length well nigh as are 10 of the years that now are." (Note that many of the years are as of The Grey Annals; but the Annals of Valinor give the years as about twice each date if I understand correctly.)
Chapter One: How Much Began
THE STORY: Morgoth's Ring The History of Middle Earth Vol. 10 Part One
Silmarillion 2 chapters:
its Quenta Silmarillion Chapter 1: Beginning of Days
+ unnumbered chapter Valaquenta
OTHER FASCINATING FACTS:
Don't miss (in Ainulindalë, I prefer the version in Morgoth's Ring) how Melkor worked in different parts of the universe – yet another place where many more stories could be told! Also there:
Also there: pp 41-42 about Morgoth and why the moon is uninhabited!
(If you really want information now on the shape of the universe, you may want to consult The History of Middle Earth Vol. 4: The Shaping of Middle-Earth: Chapter V, though that also covers much later material so I've listed it here to read later.)
INTERESTING RETELLING(S): Note you will see some in the next chapter that also includes later material. (You also would have seen overlapping above; this will happen in this plan…)
Chapter Two: How the Dwarves, Ents, and Eagles Began
FOR REFERENCE AS YOU READ THIS: Within the below Book of Lost Tales, Part I, in its chapter Coming of the Valar and the Building of Valinor, maps pp 83, 87 and some of their explanation
THE STORY: Silmarillion's Quenta Silmarillion Chapter 2: Aule and Yavanna
OTHER FASCINATING FACTS:"The light of Valinor…is the light of art undivorced from reason." (The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, p148)
Don't miss these bits when you read the below Book of Lost Tales, Part I:
I enjoyed its poems within the notes which I mostly otherwise skipped.
in its chapter III Coming of the Valar and the Building of Valinor:
explanation of the origins of peoples such as brownies, pixies, leprachauns! on pp 65-66
descriptions of the houses of the gods, pp 74-80
the mention of "monsters, giants, ogres" pp 75-76
INTERESTING RETELLING(S): The Book of
Lost Tales, Part I, The Tales of
Valinor (AKA The History of Middle Earth Vol. 1), re this and above (note that next time I would prefer to read
all of the 2 volumes of The Book of Lost Tales much later, when it "happened," when the mariner happened
upon the magical place, and list it below with Chapter Twenty, but I am also keeping
the lists within the retellings in case you prefer to read them now):
I Cottage of Lost
Play for background (next time I would read the latest-version Kortirion poem
within its notes) (note that though I skip most of the notes in the Lost Tales
volumes, I always check out their poems)
+ II The Music of the Ainur
+ III The Coming
of the Valar and the Building of Valinor
Note there will be more about dwarves in a later chapter.
Chapter Three: Early Years of the Elves, and the Beginning of the Silmaril Jewels
THE STORY: Silmarillion's Quenta Silmarillion Chapters 3 through 11:
3 Coming of Elves and Captivity of Melkor (elves awoke in First Age Year 1050, Melkor was captured in 1090)
+ 4 Thingol and Melian (who met in 1130)
+ 5 Eldamar and Princes of Eldalie (the summons was in 1132, but this chapter covers many years)
+ 6 Feanor and Unchaining of Melkor (includes year 1490)
+ 7 Silmarils and Unrest of the Noldor (silmaril stones were made in year x)
+ 8 Darkening of Valinor (includes year 1495)
+ 9 Flight of Noldor (includes year 1497)
+ 10 Sindar (includes c1200 through 1497)
+ 11 Sun and Moon and Hiding of Valinor (to end of the First Age)
OTHER FASCINATING FACTS: Don't miss these bits when you read the below Book of Lost Tales, Part I:
in its chapter IV The Chaining of Melko: the description of an elven queen's home, pp 101-102
in its chapter V Coming of Elves and Making of Kor:
description of elves' homes and lifestyles including making gems including the silmarils, pp 132 and 136-138
the lovely poem on pp 152-153 (written in an army camp during his soldier days)
in its chapter VI Theft of Melko and Darkening of Valinor:
the description of how the elves recorded their lore, pp 155, 157
re important Valar and elvish holidays, pp 157-158
in its chapter VII Flight of Noldoli:
what happened to the elvish records of their lore, p. 181
an explanation of elvish health and nutrition, p. 183
in its chapter IX Hiding of Valinor:
rainbow story, from p.239
the way to beyond Earth, p 243
the strange visitors to do with time, pp 245-247
And don't miss these from the below Morgoth's Ring:
why we no longer see elves, p 212's 1st full b
cool words: lámatyávë (individual pleasure in the forms and sounds of words); inwisti (mind-mood) (pp 215, 216)
about the future, new Arda, pp 251b-252t
Also see on types of elves: The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, pp176 4th through 177 t.
If you wish re star names: note at beginning of Index to The History of Middle Earth Vol. 10: Morgoth's Ring: Part Three: The Later Quenta Silmarillion.
Also note that Legolas has Maian ancestry! (per Silmarillion ch 4) as a Sindar elf.
Also enjoy The History of Middle Earth Vol. 10: Morgoth's Ring: Part Three: The Later Quenta Silmarillion's pp 209-252 on elves' childhoods and lives and customs (including Tolkien's footnotes but the notes only as wish).
INTERESTING RETELLING(S):
The History of Middle Earth Vol. 3: The Lays of Beleriand: Part II unnumbered section 1: The Flight of the Noldoli from Valinor (includes year 1497)
The
Book of Lost Tales, Part I, The Tales
of Valinor (AKA The History of Middle Earth Vol. 1):
+ IV The Chaining
of Melko
+ V Coming of Elves and Making of Kor
+ VI Theft of Melko and Darkening of Valinor
+ VII Flight of Noldoli
+ VIII Sun and Moon
+ IX Hiding of Valinor
IF you want summaries, see:
The History of Middle Earth Vol. 5: The Lost Road and Other Writings: Part 2, part of Chapter II: The Later Annals of Valinor up to Valar Year 2995 (up to p129)
The History of Middle Earth Vol. 11: The War of the Jewels: Part 1: The Grey Annals up to Section 41 Of the Coming of the Noldor (part of the year 1497) (up to p16)
The Second Set of Stories
THE FIRST AGE OF THE SUN
(lasting 601 years)
(Some conjecture that this began on March 25, 10160 BCE in our reckoning)
Chapter Four: Early Men, Elves in Middle Earth, and The War of the Silmaril Jewels
FOR REFERENCE AS YOU READ THIS: Be aware of the maps in:
The History of Middle Earth
Vol. 11: The War of the Jewels: Part
2 The Later Quenta Silmarillion, under II. Beleriand and Its Realms (pp. 182-185).
The History of Middle Earth Vol. 5: The Lost Road and Other Writings: Appendix III The Second Silmarillion Map
The History of Middle Earth Vol. 4: The Shaping of Middle-Earth: Chapter IV and the First Silmarillion Maps on the inside covers.
THE STORY: Silmarillion's Quenta Silmarillion Chapters 12 through 20 re years
1 through 473:
12 Men
+ 13 Return of Noldor (First
Age years 1-260)
+ 14 Beleriand
+ 15 Noldor in Beleriand
(52-70)
+ 16 Maeglin (304-330)
+ 17 Coming of Men into the
West (310-425)
+ 18 Ruin of Beleriand and
Fall of Fingolfin (455-462)
+ 19 Beren and Luthien
(462-468)
+ 20 Fifth Battle Nirnaeth
Arnoediad (473)
OTHER FASCINATING FACTS:
About the dwarves: The History of Middle Earth Vol. 11: The War of the Jewels: Part 2 The Later Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter 13 (Concerning the Dwarves)'s section Of the Naugrim and the Edain (pp. 203-215 in my edition, especially the earlier info)
Genealogies of men: The History of Middle Earth Vol. 11: The War of the Jewels: Part 2 The Later Quenta Silmarillion, about the latter half of Chapter 14 (Of the Coming of Men into the West), under The House of Beor then The House of Hador then The Haladin (pp. 230-238, especially the actual charts)
Don't miss these bits when you read the below Book of Lost Tales, Part I:
in its chapter X Travail of Noldoli and Coming of Mankind another wizard! pp 262ff and also there our oldest human relatives
The History of Middle Earth Vol. 11: The War of the Jewels: Part 4 Quendi and Eldar (unless you're into languages, I'd just do section C The Clan Names including how very few elves the world started with pp380-385; Appendix B Elvish Names for the Dwarves including an explanation of the Petty Dwarves p388; Appendix D Words for Language its last couple pages on writing systems and on the gathering of elven lore pp396-397; Note on the Language of the Valar re how it sounded p398 and comparing it with human language p402 and just before author's notes re telepathy and elven lore pp406-407; and its Appendix The Legend of the Awakening of the Quendi which is another story! pp420-424)
IF you're interested in various languages, see: The History of Middle Earth Vol. 12: The Peoples of Middle Earth, Part Two, XI: The Shibboleth of Feanor (though it has info all the way into the 4th Age I think it is of interest right now).
INTERESTING RETELLING(S): NOTE there will be more about Beren & Luthien and also the silmarils in later chapters.
The Book of Lost Tales, Part I, The Tales of Valinor (AKA The History of Middle Earth Vol. 1),
X Travail of Noldoli and Coming of Mankind
IF you want even more summary, see: The History of Middle Earth Vol. 11: The War of the Jewels: Part 1 The Grey Annals continue especially history of elves, from Section 41 Of the Coming of the Noldor part of the year 1497 of the Valar Years up to where begins history of especially men in year 370 of the 1st Age of the Sun (pp16-48) (skipping the notes at the end unless have a question).
APOCRYPHAL STORIES YOU MAY LIKE OR NOT:
Re the relation of hobbits to humans: The History of Middle Earth Vol. 6: The Return of the Shadow: Chapter XIX, p. 310 bottom through p.314 1st.
HAPPY OR OTHERWISE INTERESTING FUTURE STUFF NOT COVERED ABOVE: Actually within my last chapert’s Book of Lost Tales, Part I: in its chapter IX Hiding of Valinor: how the Valar could have been greater and how important humans might be, p 248.
Chapter Five: The Stories of Hurin and His Children in Late Years of the First Age of the Sun
THE STORY: The Children of Hurin all except its appendix 1
+ The History of Middle Earth Vol. 11: The War of the Jewels: Part 3 Chapter I: The Wanderings of Hurin (re First Age year 501) (has much more than I know of elsewhere on this; a welcome look at more of Hurin's personality)
OTHER FASCINATING FACTS:
On the history of Dragon Helm: Unfinished Tales the last couple pages of Part One The First Age, Chapter II's The Departure of Túrin, pp 75-76
On Saeros: Unfinished Tales Part One The First Age, Chapter II's Túrin in Doriath's 3rd paragraph, p77
On Turin's grey hair and also the lifestyles of some elves: The Book of Lost Tales, Part II, Other Tales of Elfinesse (AKA The History of Middle Earth Vol. 2): II Turambar and Foaloke (of Turin) p81.
On elvish lanterns: The Book of Lost Tales, Part II, Other Tales of Elfinesse (AKA The History of Middle Earth Vol. 2): II Turambar and Foaloke (of Turin) p78.
Re dragons: The Book of Lost Tales, Part II, Other Tales of Elfinesse (AKA The History of Middle Earth Vol. 2): II Turambar and Foaloke (of Turin), pp142-143.
On how the Valar sometimes "interfere," summarized on pp141-142 of The Book of Lost Tales, Part II, Other Tales of Elfinesse (AKA The History of Middle Earth Vol. 2): II Turambar and Foaloke (of Turin).
At least at one point Tolkien was fine with not writing all the stories down, as is true of any myth. (The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, pp144b-145t).
INTERESTING RETELLING(S):
The History of Middle Earth Vol. 3: The Lays of Beleriand: Part I The Lay of the Children of Hurin UP TO Second Version of the Lay read a bit later (though the main story is covered elsewhere, this is a verse version with the usual extra details of poetry)
ONLY if you're really interested in reading more (I would skip it next time except as noted above and below re some interesting facts): The Book of Lost Tales, Part II, Other Tales of Elfinesse (AKA The History of Middle Earth Vol. 2): II Turambar and Foaloke (of Turin).
HAPPY OR OTHERWISE INTERESTING FUTURE STUFF NOT COVERED ABOVE: The History of Middle Earth Vol. 12: The Peoples of Middle Earth: Part Two, XII. The Problem of Ros just the more complete description of Turin's future in the long note 17.
INTERESTING MANUSCRIPT NOTES: The History of Middle Earth Vol. 11: The War of the Jewels: Part 1 The Grey Annals: just all 3 notes at the end re Children of Hurin, Battle of Unnumbered Tears, and Hurin and Huor to Gondolin; those notes begin at page 161 in my copy. They are especially interesting re an alternate ending to the Children of Hurin.
The Children of Hurin appendix 1, The Evolution of the Great Tales
Chapter Six: The Ruin of Doriath
Note that my chapters 6 and 7 overlap.
THE STORY: Silmarillion's Quenta Silmarillion Chapter 22 (re First Age years 502-505): Ruin of Doriath
And for a non-canonical but only complete account of the Nauglafring: The Book of Lost Tales, Part II, Other Tales of Elfinesse (AKA The History of Middle Earth Vol. 2): IV Nauglafring.
FASCINATING FACTS: About an interesting ability of dwarves to understand "the languages of plant and stone": The History of Middle Earth Vol. 7: The Treason of Isengard: Chapter XII, 221b-222t.
INTERESTING MANUSCRIPT NOTES: just the part at the end of The History of Middle Earth Vol. 11: The War of the Jewels: Part 3 Chapter V: The Tale of Years its last section, re the Silmarillion chapter 22
Chapter Seven: More of the Tale of Beren and Luthien
THE STORY:
Beren and Luthien
FASCINATING FACTS: In the below Hurin lay: I enjoyed the interesting bits about Beleg; is there a rumor he was like a wizard?? pp 25-26, 127 in my ed.
In the below The Book of Lost Tales, Part II, Other Tales of Elfinesse (AKA The History of Middle Earth Vol. 2): I Tinuviel (of Beren and Luthien): why certain elves are so musical, p42; how the Valar sometimes "interfere," summarized on p68.
INTERESTING RETELLING(S):
The History of Middle Earth Vol. 3: The Lays of Beleriand: Parts III + IV: The Lay of Leithian through the end
The History of Middle Earth Vol. 3: The Lays of Beleriand: Part I The Lay of the Children of Hurin, Second Version of the Lay (though the main story is covered elsewhere, this is a verse version with the usual extra details of poetry) (In spite of its title, this has a lot about Beren and Luthien, and also about Aragorn; NOTE if you have not read Fellowship of the Ring you should probably wait and read this after that, and even if you have you might enjoy reading this then instead.)
(keeping in mind this is a different version but still very useful, more than just interesting:) The Book of Lost Tales, Part II, Other Tales of Elfinesse (AKA The History of Middle Earth Vol. 2): I Tinuviel (of Beren and Luthien)
A different version of the poem: The History of Middle Earth Vol. 6: The Return of the Shadow: Chapter X, pp. 180-182.
A different? retelling by Aragorn: The History of Middle Earth Vol. 6: The Return of the Shadow: Chapter X, pp. 182-184.
HAPPY OR OTHERWISE INTERESTING FUTURE STUFF NOT COVERED ABOVE: The History of Middle Earth Vol. 5: The Lost Road and Other Writings: Part 2, Chapter VI: Quenta Silmarillion, just re ends of Beren and Luthien, the end of the notes re 12-15, beginning p. 334.
Don't miss from above about their future in The Book of Lost Tales, Part II, Other Tales of Elfinesse (AKA The History of Middle Earth Vol. 2): I Tinuviel (of Beren and Luthien), pp40-41, 60; IV Nauglafring, p240.
OTHER MEDIA YOU MIGHT WANT TO ENJOY AT THIS POINT:
The tape of Christopher Tolkien reading this story from the Silmarillion (Tape Four)
Chapter Eight: The Story of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin
FOR REFERENCE AS YOU READ THIS: When you are at stories about Celegorm and Curufin, see for a discussion of their motives and a map and a discussion of geography The History of Middle Earth Vol. 11: The War of the Jewels: Part 3 Chapter III Maeglin pp 327-330.
THE STORY:
Fall of Gondolin (I would only re-read “The Original Tale”
and “The Last Version”)
OTHER FASCINATING FACTS: Don't miss in the above The Book of Lost Tales, Part II, Other Tales of Elfinesse (AKA The History of Middle Earth Vol. 2): III Fall of Goldolin (note this is repeated in Fall of Gondolin’s “The Original Tale”)
re Ulmo's music, p155
an alternate origin of orcs, pp159-160, 219
a good description of Gondolin, p160
robots, p170
Gondolin festivals, pp171-172
Gondolin soldiers, pp172-174
human cities mentioned by Tolkien, p196
INTERESTING RETELLINGS:
The History of Middle Earth Vol. 3: The Lays of Beleriand: Part II last, unnumbered section 3: Lay of the Fall of Gondolin (I enjoyed the new bits of verse, though the story is often a different version)
IF you wish a summary, especially if you are interested in battle stories, read: The History of Middle Earth Vol. 11: The War of the Jewels: Part 1 The Grey Annals finish (from paragraph 120; re years 370-499 of the 1st Age of the Sun) (from page 48 in my edition).
Chapter Nine: Stories of Eärendil (Tuor's son and Elrond's father)
THE STORY: Silmarillion's Quenta Silmarillion Chapter 24 (re First Age years 543-601): Voyage of Earendil and War of Wrath
OTHER FASCINATING FACTS: The Book of Lost Tales, Part II, Other Tales of Elfinesse (AKA The History of Middle Earth Vol. 2): re world geography, p261.
The History of Middle Earth Vol. 4: The Shaping of Middle-Earth: re what the fading of elves means p. 33m; re Britain/England p. 39 2nd from bottom and p. 199.
INTERESTING RETELLING(S):
The History of Middle Earth Vol. 4: The Shaping of Middle-Earth: Appendix 2 of a song Tuor made for Earendil.
The Book of Lost Tales, Part II, Other Tales of Elfinesse (AKA The History of Middle Earth Vol. 2): V Earendil, just the poems.
The History of Middle Earth Vol. 3: The Lays of Beleriand: Part II unnumbered section 2: Lay of Earendil.
If want date references: The History of Middle Earth Vol. 4: The Shaping of Middle-Earth: Chapter VII.
On Earendil and Bilbo's poem re: The History of Middle Earth Vol. 7: The Treason of Isengard: Chapter V, poems on pp. 91-96m, 99 near b to 102t, 102m-103b for background, NOTE 103b-105m give the actual finalized form of Earendillinwe. (NOTE TO SELF: Would be lovely to memorize 91b-92t.)
Morgoth's Ring Part 4
INTERESTING MANUSCRIPT NOTES: Re various things from the First Age of the Sun:
The History of Middle Earth Vol. 5: The Lost Road and Other Writings:
Part 2, Chapter III: The Later Annals of Beleriand, just the discussion of the Drowning of Beleriand at the end re Annal 350.
+ Part 2, Chapter V: The Lhammas, just skimming the text and skipping the commentary except for its charts; concentrating on how not all languages produced written works, and which ones survived in what type of writings or as spoken tongues of which there's a chart p213
+ Part 2, Chapter VI: Quenta Silmarillion, just these parts:
Aelfwine's note on who originally
wrote the ancient texts – Pengalod the Wise etc, beginning p. 222 in my ed.;
various
ancient names of the elves, commentary beginning p. 236
+ Part 3, The Etymologies ONLY if you're into languages
The History of Middle Earth Vol. 12: The Peoples of Middle Earth:
Part Two, XII. The Problem of Ros just note 13 re the Atani
Part Three, XIV: part of the Teachings of Pengolod: Dangweth Pengolod (an explanation of why elvish languages changed; a real pleasure to read; note the picture of its illuminated manuscript in the frontispiece; I loved "The Eldar being skilled and eager in art will readily make things new, both for delight to look on, or to hear, or to feel, or for daily use: be in vessels or raiment or in speech.")
HAPPY OR OTHERWISE INTERESTING FUTURE STUFF: The History of Middle Earth Vol. 4: The Shaping of Middle-Earth: Chapter II, p. 41 top.