Although one might be tempted to stay in Middle-earth, there’s more to read on Tolkien Reading Day than just the Hobbit, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King, and The Silmarillion. J.R.R. Tolkien wrote a number of books over the course of his life, some of which were published posthumously. That’s why everyone, not just fans of Tolkien, should take the time to celebrate this holiday on March 25th. There is a lot of great reading material waiting for anyone who is willing to take a bit of time to read them.

The History of Tolkien Reading Day

Tolkien Reading Day was created on March 25, 2003, by The Tolkien Society to encourage people to read the books and other writings of J.R.R. Tolkien. Why did they choose March 25th for the celebration of this holiday? They chose it because it’s the date when the Dark Lord Sauron was defeated and Barad-dûr fell. In 2002, a Post-Standard columnist based out of Syracuse, New York, named Sean Kirst posed an inquiry. He wondered if there was a day devoted to the reading of the Lord of the Rings trilogy since so many people loved it. The Tolkien Society board loved the idea, so the following year they enacted the holiday.

A Small List of J.R.R. Tolkien Books

Although it’s impossible for us to list all of the books that were written by J.R.R. Tolkien during the course of his life, we would like to list some of our favorites. Although the original Lord of the Rings trilogy is at the top of our list, we didn’t list them below because most people are already familiar with the series. We decided to instead list some of the books that people might not realize even existed. Let’s take a look at them so we can choose our reading material for Tolkien Reading Day. We sincerely hope that you’ll take the time to read this amazing author and at least some of his work.

• A Middle English Vocabulary (1922)
• Sir Gawain & The Green Knight (1925)
• The Hobbit: Or There and Back Again (1937)
• The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and Other Verses from the Red Book (1962)
• Tree and Leaf (1964)
• Smith of Wootton Major (1967)
• The Silmarillion (1977)

Observing Tolkien Reading Day

The purpose of this holiday is to take the time to read some of the titles that J.R.R. Tolkien wrote over the years. And we’re not just talking about the Lord of the Rings either. Tolkien wrote a variety of different books over the years—only a fraction of which we’ve listed above. Take the time to read them, and you’ll be transported to worlds beyond your imagination.

We would like to add that people can also watch the Lord of the Rings movies, too. However, we think that these should be a supplement to actually reading the books and not a substitute for reading them. While you’re embracing your love of Tolkien literature, be sure to use the hashtag #TolkienReadingDay to spread the word about this holiday.