u/Crapahedron

I first read the Hobbit when I was very early teens (13-14ish) and really enjoyed it. I've read it twice since in my 20's. However, when I tried LotR I remember it being a total SLOG. I was a strong reader in my teens and 20's, I devoured everything reading a couple books a week for years.

I tried LOTR a couple times and eventually got my way through it around age 24-25 but I did ALOT of skimming so a) my comprehension of it is low and b) I barely remember it. All I mostly remember is it was over 100 pages straight, uninterrupted of them leaving the shire and just hiking in the woods. It drove me frigging nuts :D (now I run ultras so 100 pages of two dudes hiking is probably awesome lit). I also remember the Aragorn guy was just as or more badass than in the movies.

Not long after my reading habit fizzled out as I got into other things and I'm only now just kick starting it back in my mid 40's.

I've been going through lots of fun "popcorn" books or "page burner" books like the Robert Langdon series (ridiculous but fun), Jurassic Park, some 80's fantasy cheese I found at a second hand store (Jhereg! So good, what a surprise) and some Jack Reacher early work.

Now that my reading habit is slowly coming back, I'm getting the itch for something slower, longer and everlasting and my first thought of course was Lord of the Rings. I have read other fantasy novels, namely the Song of Ice and Fire books and it is something I want to dive much deeper in and this seems like probably the best place to start before I work on finding all the other crazy series I've missed over the years.

For those who initially found LOTR to be a total snoozefest or dryer than a sandpaper martini on first go, did you eventually get into it? Did you have to 'learn to like it' like your first scotch? Or did the maturity of going back to it over X amount of time suddenly just make it click for you in your older age?

I really enjoy very competitive games, whether it's 1v1, team based or something with a competitive ladder, the pursuit of getting better is the game loop that really drives me.

I'm currently playing Wild Rift, and even though it's a great game, the game lengths are just way too long sometimes. However, I do deeply appreciate it's free to play / cosmetics only model.

Previous to that I used to play Clash Royal at a high level (top 1000) then Brawl Stars but both really degenerated in it's design and overall philosophy (let alone it's blatant disregard for respecting it's playerbase and predatory monetization practices)

I am looking for something that is:

• 1. competitive (whether that's leader boards, rankings, MMR, whatever. I need to climb something!)
• 2. doesn't have a massive financial barrier to entry. (Where something like Wild Rift excelled. Literally install and go)
• 3. I am very open minded to the actual game TYPE. FPS, Auto battler, Moba, gatcha RPG thing, card game, whatever. I don't care, I just want to compete.
• 4. Social aspect would be nice but not a need. I love games that have strong guild/social integration.

My competitive history went something like: Dragons and Puzzles, Clash Royale, Brawl Stars, Hearthstone, Super Mecha Champions (rip), Wild Rift (with some dabbling in Pokemon Unite)

Games that are free with a cosmetic only monetization are definitely the preference but if the monetization strategy is simply pay-to-progress rather than pay-to-win outright, than I can probably stomach a grind to get ladder competitive. I also have never seriously played a battle royale type game (outside of Super Mecha Champions) so I'm battleroyal-curious :D

Any ideas? I have a leaning bias towards something newer so I don't have too big of a FOMO or "feeling behind" but it isn't a huge deal.

Thanks so much!