BookTalk.org

To get the ball rolling with this resource thread here is The Lord of the Rings Wiki

Please add any sites, videos, or information you like. Anything that can help your fellow readers learn more about The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings or the author, J. R. R. Tolkien, is welcome here.

This may be a bit premature, but maybe it will get everyone in the mood. In 1977, Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass, i.e. Rankin/Bass Productions, produced an animated version of "The Hobbit." (I acutally saw the movie before I read the book). In the film, Glenn Yarbrough sings "The Greatest Adventure," music by Maury Lars, lyrics by Jules Bass. While not 'canon' (not found in the book), the song nicely sets the mood for the story. It may be viewed on You Tube; simply enter The Greatest Adventure in the search box.

I got the deluxe ebook edition of "The Hobbit" and it includes illustrations and all the poetry is read by Tolkien himself. It's pretty cool to hear Tolkien's voice.

The other day I checked out a copy of "The Silmarillion" at my local library. While I don't intend to try to read it (all those elvish names give me a headache), I find it a useful reference work for background, etc.