Advice on books /collection

Hello all! I am new to reading Tolkien ( really fairly new to novel reading in general) and have been enjoying the first 3 books ( hobbit, FOTR and two towers ). Intend on reading more after I finish the main LOTR stories but I’m curious as where to go next! I have read some online and sounds like unfinished tales or silmarillion next,

I am also weird with having sets all the same and I have been buying the versions shown in picture,

However I do not see the complete history of middle earth , the fall of numenor, or the adventures of Tom Bombadil in this style , Does anyone know if they exist? Are they necessary to read?

Any advice would help! Enjoying the journey!

Found these beautiful hand made boxes on Etsy.

What LOTR art compilation book would’ve been at my small US library in the 1990s? It had a lot of awesome pen & ink work in it. I’d love to buy a copy! But I don’t know how to even search for it.

Hello all!

I hope everyone is doing well. I love this version of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight but am having trouble finding it for sale. (I checked Blackwell’s and Ebay and neither had it.)

Does anyone know other websites worth checking?

Thank you so much!

Does anyone know where I can find a nice copy of the 2003 illustrated complete guide to middle earth (cgme) by robert foster?

There are a couple used copies on ebay, one from a known unreliable seller who will send you broken trash. There are also used copies on amazon, with the ones in good condition going for $200+ Is this really my only option?

I would be happy to trade my deluxe illustrated cgme, the fancy green one with the slipcase, if someone out there prefers the newer edition. Otherwise, has anybody seen one?

Thanks

Might need to dedicate another shelf to him soon.

The limited edition "Hobbit" the folio society recently announced will probably be the equivalent to this limited "Lord of the Rings" edition. The Lord of the Rings edition added six new illustrations by Alan Lee (or eight, depending on how you count them), as well as chapter headings.

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The thing is, the "normal" edition of the Hobbit illustrated by Alan Lee already has way more illustrations than LotR, as well as chapter headings and drawings throughout. Do you think there's even any place for more illustrations (not that I would mind)? Do you think they'll replace some of the existing ones? And what will they add that doesn't have to do with the illustrator? I'd love to hear your thoughts

I’m really proud of this, I’ve been working on it for a long time. I’m going to buy the new four box sets of HoME when they come out this year.

What else am I missing?

I already own The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales but I've been waiting for a complete matching set of all the History of Middle Earth in America for ages. Can I buy these standalone or do I have to suck it up and buy the whole box set?

Hi All - I know there is no shortage of QC issues with the Alan Lee Hobbit/LOTR set, but curious on the illustrated pages for Fellowship, TT, and ROTK. The Hobbit is not blank on the backside of the illustrated pages, but they are on the LOTR trilogy, is that normal? I purchased through Awesome Books on a recommendation and just reached out as there is also a flaw on one of the page in the fellowship. Thanks for any help all!

Apologies in advance if this has been discussed already but does anyone know what this symbol on the paperback cover of B+L is depicting?

An odd question perhaps... is the map of Wilderland at the back of the first edition of The Hobbit the same as in subsequent editions?

When I turned 10, my dad gave me his 197(3?) Bantam paperback Hobbit+LOTR box set for Christmas. I loved it. It changed my life. I still have it. But I was 10. I beat the crap out of those paperbacks, taped them back together and beat the heck out of them again.

Now that I have a son of my own, I hope that someday they will add their scribbled 10-yr old signature to the inside cover of The Two Towers underneath mine and my father’s. But the condition I left that set in means they won’t last another generation of actual use. I know it’s silly, but it bothers me. I wish I’d been more careful. I want to gift my son something that will survive his enthusiasm and maybe be passed on to his kid when the time comes.

I’ve seen a bit of poo-pooing of the EP printing. And I get it—they’re expensive, old settings, and not the prettiest. But they’re also a sewn binding on acid free paper with a pigskin cover.

Is there an equally robust (or better) binding of these books that the community prefers? Folio Society binding is not the same. It’s good, but not the same. Or maybe they are as good. I’m not an expert, hence the question. Follow-up question: is that hypothetical preferred setting readily available for a reasonable price?

Very excited to add this to my shelf :)

Hey there, I just have a general inquiry about the differences between two editions of the same book, "Pictures by J.R.R. Tolkien." I recently purchased this book (2021 publication, - ISBN13: 9780008484446), and may I say what a book! Then (unfortunatly), I discovered that there is a new release available for preorder on UK and Europe-based websites "now reissued after almost 30 years" (May 9, 2024 publication, - ISBN13: 9780008484453).

Do any of you know if there is any significant difference between these releases? As far as I can tell, the 2024 release doesn't have a slipcase, but both have the same page count of 112. Any information would be great. Thanks.

Just found this at my local used book store. $10 great condition. Been awhile since I’ve taken Latin but what an interesting find.

ISBN 9780007445219

This is the HarperCollins paperback LOTR one volume edition, isbn 0261103253. Around some time in 2022(?) it got a new front cover, which in this. Do we know in which impression did this occur?

hello :) someone already made a post comparing these a while ago, but since i also happened to have both at the same time, i thought some people might find it helpful to see the differences in a video too, so here it is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFeViE_Lwjo

(hope it's ok to post this here and expect more tolkien content on this channel in the future!)