I picked up a couple of books from the library today.
One is the next book in the Vonnegut Marathon, Galapagos. I struggled with the temptation to buy this book because it was cheap and readily available. However, one should always be wary of what many have had but no one wants to keep.
The other is the new Tolkien book, The Children of Hurin. I managed to ignore the hype when this book came out. Like many Tolkien fans, I own an unread copy of The Silmarillion. It taught me a lesson. Tolkien published in his lifetime what he felt was ready to be published, and he gave us two masterpieces. We should be thankful for what we have and skeptical when promised more. If The Children of Hurin turns out to be junk, I’ll be able to say, “At least I didn’t pay for it!”