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Many of the enthusiasts on this forum have read widely of Tolkien's own works as well as other people writing about Tolkien and Middle-earth.

Would people be interested in offering up what they would recommend for reading if someone wanted to move on past The Hobbit or The LotR?

Or, what your favorite books on Tolkien or Middle-earth might be?

And, even, if someone wanted to dive into the secondary scholarship being done on Middle-earth, what that might be?

What I'm thinking of here is someone new to Tolkien as well as TOR. There is a wealth of knowledge and insight on this forum that could direct the inquisitive new player down countless rabbit-holes and fox-trails if they wanted to read beyond The Hobbit or The LotR...!

Regards,
E

I recommend The Silmarillion. If it's not my favorite it's close. It's a very different book from the Hobbit and LotR, but it's essential to understanding Arda's history. The beginning speaks a lot of the powers, and I love that, but it moves on to more specific histories.

IMHO I think the genius of it is how organic it makes the powers. You go from the Valar to the people of Middle-Earth quite clearly.

It's heavy on elves, then men, and least on dwarves.

Children of Hurin is a more accessible entry into the First Age, but it only tells a small part of the Silmarillion.

The House of the Wolfings is an excellent follow-on - it was one of the books Tolkien drew on for inspiration.

Right now, I am enjoying Tom Shippey's J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century. I especially enjoyed the chapter "Mapping Out a Plot."

Matthew Dickerson's A Hobbit Journey: Discovering the Enchantment of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth discusses a range of subjects such as Tolkien's ethics of war, true moral victory, true wisdom, free will, moral responsibility, stewardship, etc.

And just for fun, The Unofficial Hobbit Handbook. My favorite part of this book is the stuff about food!

There are some great ideas on here.

I'd recommend Unfinished Tales. It gives you some great characters & events for all of the ages, so you might be comfortable with the Third Age chapters, having just completed The Hobbit & LOTR.

@James, I need to read about the Hobbit meals - you're right, this does sound like a fun read

I'll second reading The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales.

This is the order I like most,

Hobbit
Lotr
Silmarillion
Akallabêth
Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age
and then either the Children of Hurin or the History of ME series.

Never read the History of Middle Earth series (perused a few volumes and found the writing to be quite dry). Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, and Children of Hurin are excellent reads. There is a special place in my collection for the latter (went through it again this past month), even if the writing is a little over-the-top ; the tale itself, however, is fantastic. The Silmarillion is a must-read if you want to delve deeper into Tokien's universe, as it touches on the genesis of the mythos, tales of the first and second ages, the rings of power, etc...

Farmer Giles of Ham, Smith of Wooton Major, and Tree and Leaf aren't set in Middle-earth, but they make nice, light reading. Prof. Tolkien's renditions of Orfeo (Orpheus) and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight are also pretty good, and they're more scholarly works.

While it doesn't really fill in a lot of important lore, The Adventure of Tom Bombadil is worth a read. It's a collection of little stories, poems and such, including the poem about the Mewlips