The Silmarillion

Tolkien is certainly one of the greatest writers of the 20th century. He has captured countless people with his vivid universe of elves, hobbits, magic, and daring. Few realize that he not only wrote the standard for fantasy in Lord of the Rings, but also had a self-contained universe with it's own Creation Story, God, gods, and languages. I remember reading onetime that his writings started as an exercise in linguistics (he was a professor at Oxford), and I believe it. His attention to detail was astonishing. All of that being said, this book delves into the First Age of his world (part of which is referred to as Middle Earth). It starts with a Creation Story, and continues on through the rise and fall of two great civilizations (the Elves and Numenoreans). This book is a must for any fantasy buff, and a good read for those looking for some interesting tales.