Carradice: Will you mix in the portions of The Silmarillion that are especially relevant to those events? And the Unfinished Tales?
huppumies: Oh no, I'm in no hurry to read The Silmarillion again. It's great for background, but as a book I didn't really enjoy it. Also, I think part of the appeal of LOTR is that there's references to the rich history of Middle-Earth that are never really expounded upon. There's an air of mystery and unanswered questions that make the world feel more alive. I don't think I've ever really fully read the appendices, just the bits about what happened to the fellowship after the books.
That makes sense. The air of mystery and nostalgia are a part of the appeal of the story of the Ring. I think there was somewhere an account of the meeting between Gandalf and Thorin where the mission to the Lonely Mountain was planned, which might be fun to read. Right now I do not remember whether it appeared in the Silmarillion (possibly?) or in the Appendices, but it worked for me. Agreed that the accounts of what happened to the members of the fellowship of the Ring after the main book adds to the overall story. Enjoy!!!! and if you ever find something even remotely like TLOTR, do not forget to share!! ;-)