I avoid buying books from Amazon unless I absolutely must (which is too frequent). A high percentage of Amazon books that arrive on my doorstep have been smudged, bumped, scratched, and otherwise wounded. I once received a dirtied book that almost certainly fell face down on a warehouse floor. The pages in the middle of the book were all smudged with dirt and bent like it was paper that had been origami in a previous life.

As much as possible I buy my books from online stores that take great care to ensure that books are properly coddled, Westminster Books being one of the very best (along with Monergism and Banner of Truth). So I am a bit jazzed to see that Westminster Books now carries J. R. R. Tolkien’s works, including:

• The Lord of the Rings, hardcover box set, $47.00
• The Hobbit, anniversary edition hardcover, $16.25
• The Simarillion, hardcover, $26.00

Thanks Westminster Books!

And in related news, John Piper’s great book, Don’t Waste Your Life, is now available in Elvish.*

* Okay, that last sentence is a spoof. Follow the link to my choice for the funniest Tweet of the year. Touché.