Quote Originally Posted by GoktimusPrime View Post
I also enjoy LOTR more (although Fellowship can be a laborious read*),
Yes, the part before they got to Bree and stuck with the barrow wights was a hard slog.

Quote Originally Posted by GoktimusPrime View Post
I've never read Silmarillion.
It's a bit dry, like reading a textbook. If you want something in that vein but more 'enjoyable', you could try The Children of Húrin by Tolkien's son Christopher (who based the work off his father's original manuscripts without any 'inventive editorial input' ).