Probably most people have at least heard of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. I’m pretty sure some or all of these books were required reading in some high schools. I know a majority of people are familiar with the movies based off these books and how they captured the essence of the books (the Lord of the Rings was close and The Hobbit? Not so much).

Spoiler alert: the books are better.

But I imagine not nearly as many know about the Silmarillion. It’s basically the Bible to the Lord of the Rings Middle Earth universe. It has a creation story and a history of the first race of elves and men and other assorted critters.

It’s a bit more of a challenge because there aren’t any cute little hobbits. There isn’t one main character and one quest. There are lots of folks weaving in and out of the stories. Most of them have tragic elements, but they’re setting up the story for Bilbo Baggins and then later his nephew Frodo.

The language feels a bit more archaic and poetic here. I’m listening to the audio versions and I sometimes get lost in all the beauty of the words. Here and there I will spot a familiar name — so far, I’ve spotted Sauron and Galadriel.

I recommend this one if you already are a fan of Middle Earth and want to delve deeper into that world. It will help deepen your understanding of all things Middle Earth and all the characters therein. Plus, it helps make the commute more bearable in the mornings and afternoons.