LotR, Star Trek, most sci-fi/fantasy, reading, puzzles and trivia games.
First Lord of the Rings reading experience:
I actually didn't read LotR until after The Two Towers movie came out (and loved it! Read it straight through, twice!) In a way, I'm glad I did it that way, as it made for a more suspenseful viewing experience (didn't know what was coming next!) And there was nothing for me to feel disappointed about. But I envy all those who knew the story well before the movies came out. For many it was an amazing thing, to have the first words spoken to be in Elvish, or to see Gandalf or Hobbiton depicted exactly as they had imagined them. What a thrill! I wish I could go back in time so that I could read the book before the movies, and experience what so many of you did.
Favorite Tolkien character:
Can't pick just one; I like many. Frodo, Gandalf, Faramir, Merry. Strider, more so than Aragorn. Eowyn. Can't really say why, either. There's just something about all these characters that draws me to them. If they were real people and I met them for the first time, I'd like them instantly.