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My grad school essay has been absolutely eating me alive this week and I‘ve just finished three full days at the library in a row 🥺 but I did fit one more Christmas book in for #wintergames and this was maybe my favourite I‘ve ever read! I love Tolkien so much and this was gorgeous! #snowangels

#FellowshipOfTolkien #TolkienChristmas

I'm always so sad to finish the Letters from Father Christmas because it's a melancholy ending. During the war, with Tolkien finally giving up on a tradition he kept for over 20 years.

But this is a wonderful book, full of joy (for the most part) and the obvious love of a dad for his children.
It always warms my heart.

So great. The illustrations are beautiful. I imagine this will become a tradition with Wes. Not going to lie the first paragraph of the last letter had me teary and trying not to cry while I read aloud. #fellowshipoftolkien #wintergames

3✨This is a really sweet quick read of letters Tolkien wrote to his children from Father Christmas and the North Polar Bear. It is a little sad because as you read the children stop writing to Santa so you know they are getting older. There are sweet adventures that they have each year which make it more than just responding to the letters Father Christmas would have received. Just a really sweet read. #WinterGames #GingerbreadGems

How did I miss this book as a holiday read? Heartfelt and heart-wrenching, Tolkien writes letters to his children as Father Christmas. His stories and illustrations are glorious and gloriously fun. The antics of Polar Bear are ingeniously drawn and told. If a lover of the TOY STORY movies, you will experience the wonderment and inevitable sadness as the children grow up. This will now be an annual read. Thanks, @Daisy & @JazzFeathers. 💔❤️❤️‍🩹

What a wonderful daily read at Christmas! Thank you @Daisey and @JazzFeathers for picking this for #TolkienChristmas for the #FellowshipofTolkien. It was a delight to check in each day for the further adventures of Father Christmas and North Polar Bear, in their letters to the Tolkien children. The drawings, and the cheeky side comments from NPB were so much fun. ❤️💚🎅🏼🎄🐻‍❄️💚❤️

Such a delightful read to get in the spirit of Christmas! Tolkien wrote letters to his children from Father Christmas & friends for 20 years. You‘ll find some laugh out loud shenanigans happening in the North Pole with polar bears, snowboys, elves, and goblins as well as stunning illustrations! Tolkien‘s daughter-in-law/secretary edited this beautiful book to share with the world. #TolkienChristmas @Daisey Thank you. ❤️

This is one of my favorites to read every December ❤️

#FellowshipofTolkien #TolkienChristmas @Daisey @JazzFeathers

I finished the last couple letters and enjoyed this reread as much as ever, especially the illustrations. I always appreciate Tolkien‘s way of bringing wartime difficulties into these letters for his children, but combined with them growing up, it makes for some very bittersweet last letters.

I hope everyone else is enjoying reading these as well!

#TolkienChristmas #FellowshipOfTolkien #Christmas

I don't know if I will read this again like I reread A Christmas Carol every year, but this is an excellent Christmas book that I'm happy to have finally read. It might have sat on the shelf for another year had it not been for #SnowedIn and #FellowshipofTolkien #TolkienChristmas. It also earned me a couple thousand points for #WinterGames #CandyCaneCrushers!

I kept on top of the #TolkienChristmas buddy read (despite not posting or being super active!)

This was really sweet, but also sad. You could feel how disappointed he was when the kids started growing up and no longer wrote to Father Christmas. The drawings were lovely.
Thanks for putting this on my radar so I could move this up my list @Daisey 🥰

#WinterGames #RestingGrinchFace #DashingDecember
(268 wordsearch words in this one)

1. A Christmas Story
2. All I want for Christmas is a new birthday gift. (My birthday is in July.)🤷🏻‍♀️
3. Tagged! I finished ahead of the #TolkienChristmas schedule. 😀
#wondrouswednesday

I listened to this audiobook for #TolkienChristmas #FellowshipOfTolkien. I enjoyed hearing the voices of the three different letter writers, but I missed out on seeing the artwork in the print version. If there‘s a #BuddyRead of the same book next year I‘ll probably get a print copy.

I‘ve been reading the eBook version of Letters from Father Christmas because that‘s what was first available at my library—but I really wanted to read it in print. Several weeks ago, I put the print version on hold at both local county library systems for which I have a card, hoping one would arrive before Christmas and then I could cancel the hold on whichever was slower. Well. They both arrived today. 😂 #FellowshipofTolkien #TolkienChristmas

The illustrations in this are beautiful! Every night at the end of books wes checks to make sure we‘re reading a “Santa letter.” #fellowshipoftolkien #wintergames

Sunday morning breakfast and reading this weekend‘s letters from Father Christmas. We‘re getting more into the longer story letters, and I love it. These letters introduce the trouble making goblins for the first time, and there are all kinds of illustrations.

#TolkienChristmas #FellowshipOfTolkien #BreakfastWithTolkien #BookAndBreakfast

#FellowshipOfTolkien #TolkienChristmas @JazzFeathers

Tolkien's 3rd house from 1930-?.

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#FelloeshipOfTolkien #TolkienChristmast

I'm behind with everything, but I'm keeping up with this.
And I'm loving it 💚
How is everyone faring?

@Daisey @wordslinger42 @BookwormAHN @Riveted_Reader_Melissa @BethM @TheAromaOfBooks @Susanita @Roary47 @TheBookDream @dabbe @Vansa @Chrys @majkia @Fortifiedbybooks @Lizpixie @BarbaraJean @Born.A.Reader @Larkken @Clare-Dragonfly @mabell @Liatrek @tdrosebud @curiouserandcurioser @Desha @slategreyskies

Reading and enjoying a few more of Tolkien‘s Christmas letters tonight! I love the humor that the Polar Bear adds and can‘t help but share some more illustrations.

#TolkienChristmas #FellowshipOfTolkien #Christmas

Karhu is, of course, Finnish for “bear”! 🐻❤️

#FellowshipofTolkien #TolkienChristmas

Here‘s Wes putting his stocking on in prep for St Nick tonight 😂 But what I came here to say is we I forgot to read tonight‘s Santa letter and he made sure we didn‘t go to bed without it being read 😂 #raisingreaders #lotrchapteraday #fellowshipoftolkien

A lovely weekends reading for #20in4 readathon gained a few points for #Wintergames I'm delighted with my physical copy of Tolkien's letters to his children.
Thanks for hosting @Andrew65 @Daisey #FellowshipofTolkein @Catsandbooks for team #Candycanecrushers

#FellowshipOfTolkien #TolkienChristmas
@JazzFeathers

I don' know if anyone who's reading this is interested, but here are some pics of the Tolkiens' houses (from the addresses written on the letters). I was curious, so I looked them up and thought I'd share. 💙❄️💙

#FellowshipOfTolkien #TolkienChristmast

Keeping up at the moment 😁

I love the simplicity of these stories. They are so endearing.
And sometime l fancy that some of Tolkien's own life transpires. He must have been busy with his job if he couldn't write two letters.

#FellowshipOfTolkien #TolkienChristmas

Thanks so much to @Daisey for this beautifully Chstmast-sy schedule 😘

#FellowshipOfTolkien #TolkienChristmas

I haven't finished Return of the King yet, but I'm going to start this and see whether l can keep up with this, at least 🤦

#WinterGames Photo Challenge Day 1 - Red Cover. I'm reading this for the #SnowedIn challenge, the #FellowoshipOfTolkien read-along, and the #20in4 readathon. #CandyCaneCrushers

Happy December! Revisiting this book each year has become a holiday season tradition for me, although how I read it varies. Some years I read it quickly and sometimes, like this year, I look forward a few pages per day through the month. The illustrations are wonderful!

#FellowshipOfTolkien #TolkienChristmas

I love the sweet illustrations and letters in this-I‘ve read it every year for the last several. ❤️ 🎅

#TolkienChristmas #FellowshipofTolkien @Daisey @JazzFeathers

Starting this for the #TolkienChristmas readalong

It sounds very sweet and I am excited to see the progression of the letters. Today‘s letter (and intro) were over very fast! 🤭

#RestingGrinchFace #WinterGames

I'm going to kick off #WinterGames #CandyCaneCrushers by participating in #20in4 and reading for 20 hours. I'll be starting with the tagged book for the #FellowshipOfTolkien readalong and it's also one of my books for #SnowedIn.

Repost for @Daisey

For just over 20 years, Tolkien wrote and illustrated letters to his children about life at the North Pole from Father Christmas. Through December, we will be reading these letters and invite anyone that‘s interested to join us. We have a schedule, but it‘s a very relaxed readalong. Feel free to join, share your thoughts, and use the tag #TolkienChristmas.

#FellowshipOfTolkien #Christmas #Readalong #ReadingSchedule

For just over 20 years, Tolkien wrote and illustrated letters to his children about life at the North Pole from Father Christmas. Through December, we will be reading these letters and invite anyone that‘s interested to join us. We have a schedule, but it‘s a very relaxed readalong. Feel free to join, share your thoughts, and use the tag #TolkienChristmas.

#FellowshipOfTolkien #Christmas #Readalong #ReadingSchedule

Forgot I had a chamber of commerce gift certificate and stumbled upon this in our local store. I‘ve never seen it in print. #fellowshipoftolkien

More Tolkien art in tapestry form

A tapestry copied from Tolkien's own art

4.2⭐️ super cute story that all takes place in letters from Santa and some of his friends. It follows one family and its children until the last child has grown. Two different authors, but reminds me a little of the Screwtape letters by CS Lewis, but you know, without the demons. It‘s short and sweet and worth a read. #ChristmasInJuly.

#FellowshipOfTolkien

Just finished.
The last letter always mists my eyes 🥺
This is such a wonderful book. Not only an imaginative collection of letters full of stories (as you would imagine) but above all, a collection of love letters from a father to his children. It moves me every time thinking about the hours and hours of work Tolkien must have put in to write these letters to his children.
It always warms my heart 💖

I had forgotten how beautiful this letter is.
It's ful of stories, but between the lines, we can feel a dad's love for his children.
I love it.

And while reading, l thought that in 1932 Tolkien must have still been telling Bilbo's stories to his children and l wondered about the cave adventure.

It's always such a pleasure to read this book.
#FellowshipOfTolkien

An early gift from my husband & what a delightful read for my Christmas Eve.

While there are goblins & rogue fireworks & Elvish writings that feel reminiscent of the Tolkien classics I‘ve read (and re-read) previously, this collection of letters he wrote to his own children (under the guise of Father Christmas) is a familial treasury of holiday memories…that just so happens to also showcase a great author‘s genius & wit & imagination.

I was a Tolkien fan for a long time before I learned about and read these letters. Since then, they‘ve become a bit of a holiday tradition. Sometimes I only read random letters and sometimes like this year I plan to reread the book slowly in the days before Christmas. Today I started my morning with breakfast and the first few letters from the early 1920s to his older sons.

#FellowshipOfTolkien #Christmas #BookAndBreakfast #BreakfastWithTolkien

#FellowshipOfTolkien

It's that time of the year!

@Daisey @Riveted_Reader_Melissa @wordslinger42 @BookwormAHN

So close! But can I make myself read a romance in the next few days??? It's the hardest square for me!
#autumnbingo2022
@ann_reads

This was so amazing!!! I didn‘t grow up reading this or celebrating Christmas, but it still reminded me of memories from my own childhood, so I suspect it will for most people. It also provides the most heartwarming and fascinating glimpses into Tolkien as a father and as an artist. The drawings are beautiful, and the idea of a story that continues from year to year really puts today‘s culture of instant gratification into perspective a bit.

#WinterReadathonDailyChallenge

20 pts

Total pts - 260

I‘ve had this book on my shelf for so long - and I‘ve finally started it! Trying out the StoryGraph buddy read function…

Each year Tolkien‘s children received letters from Father Christmas, telling tales from the North Pole: how the reindeer got loose and scattered presents all over the place; how the Polar Bear climbed the North Pole and fell through the roof of Father Christmas‘s house, how he broke the Moon into four pieces and made the Man in it fall into the back garden, and all sorts of magic! A must-read! #WinterReadathonDailyChallenge Day 6

A delightful read ( tagged book)

#wintergames2021 #teamgamesleighers

Week 4 Totals for #WinterGames2021 #TeamGameSleighers @StayCurious

20,251 points 🎉🎄

Total Points: 98,753

Holiday Reads: 525
Impulse Reads: 410
Book to Movie Adaptation: 10
Participation: 6
Holiday Movie/TV: 20
Attempted Festive Recipe: 140
#WGWordSearch: 18,260
Daily Photo Challenge: 20
Bingo Board Lines: 200
Weekly Game: 210
Readathon Hours: 450