At some point in my life I’ve read The Hobbit, The Lord of The Rings (6 books, sold as three books), the Simarillion, and 5 volumes of additional works culled from Tolkien’s notes and sketches by his oldest son, Christopher. (Btw, Christopher is not on the Movie bandwagon and will probably avoid the premier.) So to say I’m anxiously awaiting the debut of this movie is a slight understatement.

If you’re looking for a great read that will put you in the realm of Middle-Earth before seeing the movie I recommend checking out the Simarillion. It is like Edith Hamilton’s ‘Mythology’ for the backstory of Tolkien’s writings. Attempting to digest LOTR, FOTR in the time remaining before the movie debuts might be too much.