Back in the summer I was at a yard sale, and the lady was selling a thick volume of all three LOTR books for a dollar. I got it and didn't start reading it til late October and I just finished Return of the King this morning.
I really enjoyed it and I feel that even though the movie took some things out (like the battle for the Shire) they did a good job following the spirit of the story. It also reminded me the importance of a story being timeless vs being topical with a lot of messages specific to the time we are living in now.
I remember reading where Peter Jackson said that his goal was to present Tolkien's vision and not his own. I really wish the moronic showrunner for Wheel of Time had the same philosophy but he seems obsessed with lgbt representation amongst other things. I have reached a point now where whenever I hear that a new show is adapting a book series, I just buy the books. As a life long comic book reader, I am more than happy to stick with the comic books from decades past. I plan on buying the Witcher series sometime next year as well.
The Simarillion is where Tolkein's Christian theology really shines through, but at the same time you won't notice it if you're not already familiar with some of the more esoteric understandings of scripture.
Cool! I look forward to it.
Just be aware that The Silmarillion reads like a creation myth, Bible, and heavily laden history book all in one. It can be pretty dry, but if you're interested in the lore and world Tolkien created you'll enjoy it. It gives amazing context to lots of things in Lord of the Rings, which is fun to reread after The Silmarillion.