The Hobbit

An unforgettable story and a tale that never gets old. It's not as broad in scope as Lord of the Rings which is not really a standalone, nor does it have the depth that The Silmarillion has (which is really just a travelogue) but it's a wonderful story in its own right and an absolute must read. If you've never read Lord of the Rings before, the Hobbit is the perfect segue into Tolkien's Middle Earth.

Booklists having this book

Best Stand Alone Fantasy Books

Most of the books listed on this website's top fantasy lists have been part of a series, either because of the financial incentive behind publishing multiple books in the same... Read more

Other books by Tolkien, J.r.r.

The Hobbit

An unforgettable story and a tale that never gets old. It's not as broad in scope as Lord of the Rings which is not really a standalone, nor does it... Read more

Lord Of The Rings

Possibly the most, well-recognized world of fiction in history. The Lord of the Rings is the third best-selling novel ever written, with over 150 million copies sold. This high fantasy... Read more

Lord Of The Rings

Yep, had to include it. Most people have probably read this series and even more authors have written hackneyed copies of it, but this series is the original father epic... Read more

Lord Of The Rings

I read this when I was 9 – four times that is. Maybe I was just a kid, but I had never seen or imagined anything like this series. You... Read more

The Two Towers

The King Returns

Lord Of The Rings

Do I even need to discuss it? The father of modern fantasy, the recreation of the English myth, an apex of English literature; Lord of the Rings is more than... Read more

The Hobbit

The Hobbit is one of the most well-loved fantasy novels of all time. Written by J.R.R Tolkien as a bedtime story for his children, The Hobbit is a light-hearted tale,... Read more

Children Of Hurin

The Samarillion

The Silmarillion

The author J.R.R. Tolkien is certainly not underrated but his majestic work, The Silmarillion gets very little attention compared to his other great works, The Hobbit and The Lord of... Read more

The Silmarillion

The Silmarillion is to The Lord of the Rings as the Old Testament is to Westboro Baptist Church. Minus the offensive stupidity. If you're a fervent Tolkien fan, you'll love... Read more

Smith Of Wootton Major

In the little town of Wootton Major, they have a wonderful tradition where a special cake is baked every twenty-four years, and eaten by twenty-four good children. But, when a... Read more

The Return Of The King

The Lord Of The Rings

Before J.R.R. Tolkein, there really was no "fantasy" genre of literature at all. All dragons, dwarves, and wizards belonged to folklore and fairy tales of former centuries. We can't really... Read more

The Fall of Gondolin

"The Fall of Gondolin" is a posthumously published work by J.R.R. Tolkien, edited by his son Christopher Tolkien and released in August 2018. The book tells the story of the... Read more