Books often cross the multi-media aisle into the flash and glam of the movie world. Converting typeset alphabetical structures inked onto munched trees into light and shadow dancing upon an oversized bedsheet stapled to a wall in a room with carpet on the walls and soda pop on the floors.

Vast commercial ventures are profitably arguing the philosophical implications of converting a literary masterpiece into an abridged visual experience. With popcorn.

Like Jurassic Park.

A thriller page turner, that also explored responsibility in developing science, and how it could impact the world, society, etc. Asking the question: Should we only because we can?

The movie?

Big freaking dinosaurs!

Jeff Goldblum was sexy and snarky bringing up the responsibility question on occasion…

But never mind that—DINOSAURS!!

OK, I digressed a little, because, well, dinosaurs.

But here I come back to it…

There are other media outlets where books can caterpillar to butterfly their way into fan’s hearts.

And one of those is board games.

I have mentioned once or twice, maybe thrice (I just wanted to say thrice. We really don’t use that word enough. It feels good on the tongue, even in your brain) that I love board games.

*insert hearts circling a hard-to-identify board game box emoji here*

And one of those games I am in love with the idea of playing is War of the Ring — a Lord of the Rings board game. The most popular and loved Lord of the Rings board game.

It launched itself into being long before the movies had us fighting over our swoon-worthy preferences — Legolas or Aragorn.

Do you like them pretty or rugged? Chose. But chose wisely.

So the art is gorgeous and creative, not people we know from the last handful of blockbusters dressed up in Lord of the Rings style, but deeply fantastic renderings of Tolkien’s imaginings. Art. True and imagination inspiring.

I have yet to play it.

It is on my dining room table awaiting the completion of my “how-to” study – the +40 page booklet of directions that I have already read to completion once and am halfway through my second.

It has an over 30-minute estimated set-up time (for non-board game geeks that is a phenomenal amount of time) with a 2-3 hour play time. But the consensus is that it is ridiculously worth it. The game is incredible. And I am so excited to play.

Yet it sits there.

And has for over a week as I dripped minutes here and there into the vat of total understanding of the game play. But why have I taken so much time to learn it? Why not just sit down and learn it all? Take a day and just “get’er done!”?

Move.

That dastardly word again.

Move.

A move is like a major surgery.

Once you are out to the hospital and back home to recover, the outside world closes the book on your experience. The hot event has concluded. The U-HAUL was returned. Everything you own (hopefully) has been transported to the new housing location and, slap-slap-slap, all done!

Right?!?

But there are the weeks of unloading boxes, finding and losing and then finding again (hopefully) your daily life items. Time wasted remembering, forging new patterns and habits. Which light switch turns on which light. Nope, that’s the fan. Again.

*sigh*

And then, if you are a reader, a book collector, your library of paged treasures is unloaded out of boxes. And if you do not have your bookshelves up and ready to receive in whatever order and placement, on new wall configurations, then those books are stacked where?

On the floor.

Towers and towers of books you had painstakingly packed to fill every box just so without damage to the books within. Which means they are out of any order you originally had them in.

GASP!

Yes, dear readers. You have an organizational puzzle that had all its pieces separated from each other, shook with vigor and redistributed amongst a vast flock of cardboard cubes. (A murder of book boxes?)

So even if you have your bookshelves — again, insert the towers. Some wavering with threats of toppling with damage and possible page-folding destruction.

Your books are vulnerable outside of the safety of the shelf. Safe in little exacting rows next to your decided organizational brethren.

So be wary when you open those boxes if you have yet to establish a safe resting place for each and every precious tome.

Have bookshelves ready (if you can).

Have a plan (if you can).

And, if you can, set up a board game you love to look forward to once every title is safe.