As fantasy series go, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings saga has a relatively low barrier to entry. There are only four books in the main series, and none of them are too terribly long.

Of course, with many of these books being prequels to Frodo's story, it can sometimes be confusing to pinpoint a reading order. Those looking to get into Tolkien's Middle-earth works can choose ...