The Hobbit is missing.

Pretty long books with a lot of detail. He did a great job of creating an entire world, but not good if you just want to pick up a book for a little while. ( )

great

I almost hesitate to review this book series because it has become so iconic in our culture - especially since the release of the excellent movie adaptatations released in the early 2000s.
If you have never read these books, you should be warned that they are not always easy reading. Tolkien was an academic, steeped in old languages and mythology. His use of English can be a little ponderous in places - especially to people who are used to reading light "page turners" written to eigth grade reading level. (8th grade reading level is the publishing industry standard for all but scholarly treatise and high literary fiction.)
However, for those who persevere to the end, these books greatly reward the effort. Tolkien used his knowledge of mythology to create a richly imagined world with vivid characters and levels of symbolism that run deep. I have found elements of Norse mythology (notably the Ring of the Niebling - Fall of the Gods) , Saxon mythology (the Elves, ents, Balrog...) , Greek Mythology (the Atlantean legends, and descriptions of the Elven aristocracy - this is more evident in the Ring pre-quel, The Silmarillion), Celtic Mythology (the sacred elven homelands in the west, and European mystery schools (The hierachies and initiation levels of the wizards - Gandolf's transformation from "Gray' wizard to 'White' wizard after his battle with his ancient subterrean foe.)

Of course, you don't have to see of understand these influences to enjoy the books. For for those who are interested in such things, recognizing some of the influences behind the stories adds a level of appreciation. ( )