Last week I accidentally walked into a book store and discovered this beauty.

It was standing, hopefully still is, on a bookshelf surrounded by its sisters.

Tolkien, Le Guin, Moorcock, what a great company this is. These books are my best friends from young adulthood when I discovered science fiction and fantasy genre.

I admit I didn't read all these books. A couple of Earthsea and Elric books remain unread.

But, I digress. This article is about

The Books of Earthsea

Yes, the complete collection of all Earthsea stories written by my favorite author Ursula K. Le Guin in one thick book. Amazing! Beautifully illustrated, in color. A pure treasure indeed.

The book was published by Gollancz London and illustrated by Charles Vess, a well know and famous illustrator of fantasy books, apparently.

This collection contains all six Earthsea novels, short stories, and additional material. Thousand pages of monumental reading and a must for all fans of Ursula and top quality fantasy literature.

In this bookstore, the book is being sold for 45 Euros.

Not expensive in my opinion when you actually buy six books and more, and gain an unforgettable experience.

Did I buy it? No, not yet. This would be too easy. Instead, I promised to myself that I will earn it, that I need to earn the right to buy it.

So, how can I earn this right, a right to buy myself a present of beautiful, magical stories?

With work, with charity work, with good deeds that help other people, that make other people happy? Yes, that would be a right way to strive for, don't you think?

I can join two passions, book reading, and Hive presence to accomplish this goal. Actually three focuses when I add charity into the mix.

Write some quality stuff, publish it on Hive, help people feel good. Donate awards from posts to some local charity. Better yet, double it with half of it coming from awards, and the other half coming from my pocket directly.

When It thing of it, this way I need to "invest" my time and one and a half value of the book to be allowed to buy it. Interesting math. Am I overcomplicating my life? I probably am. But it doesn't matter. Life, your deeds in life, need to have a meaning. They need to be beneficial. They need to help people on their journey.

OK, with the goal and the way set, I can say a bit about why I love these books?

Why I love these books

Ursula is such a gentle word weaver. Her stories flow like water, Earthsea pun intended. The flow is mostly gentle but there are heavy storms, there is thunder, there is fire. Yet, in the end, love and gentleness always prevail. The ends not need to be happy and sunny. Gentle, pleasant is more than enough. After all, life is a long journey and pleasantly is a way to travel it.

better and better
:ervin :lemark