The Children of Húrin

This book is so good because it's an entire Greek Tragedy but set in Middle Earth! It's really wonderfully put together; you can tell JRR Tolkien & his son spent a lot of time making it hold together. It had an immediacy that something like The Silmarillion lacks and gives you so many details about the minor characters and more day-to-day life and politics that were taking place during the Silmarillion. For worldbuilding it's just amazing and hugely intriguing. Plus poor Túrin is absolutely a tragic hero, really fun to both rail against and root for at the same time...

The man that needs no introduction, the mastermind behind what all of us love most; the middle earth. Although his stories are not likely to have a happy ending, and are quite dark, this book is no exception. Well written and illustrated, by his most famous sketch artist, Alan Lee, the novel has every element that I love; mystery, a strong and solid fictional world, and dragons.