Videogames, golf, shooting, Seattle Seahawks/NFL football, reading, home theater, music, bass guitar, recording my own music in my studio.
First Lord of the Rings reading experience:
Watching the first two films got me to reading the books, before ROTK came out. Honestly, I felt the first half of FOTR to be long and plodding, but after Bree things improved. Two Towers was great and ROTK I could not put down. I also believe the Scouring of the Shire should have been left out and that the Extended Edition of ROTK resolved Saruman and Grima better.
Favorite Tolkien character:
Books, Sam for his character, bravery, and heart. Films, Aragorn for his quiet nobility.