A Book in Order

Series · 40 books

Tolkien Books in Order

The complete Tolkien reading order — 40 books from 1703–1993.

  1. 01 The Hobbit 1703 Amazon — buy The Hobbit Bookshop — buy The Hobbit ThriftBooks — buy The Hobbit eBooks.com — buy The Hobbit
  2. 02 Farmer Giles of Ham 1949 Amazon — buy Farmer Giles of Ham Bookshop — buy Farmer Giles of Ham ThriftBooks — buy Farmer Giles of Ham eBooks.com — buy Farmer Giles of Ham
  3. 03 The Return of the King 1950 Amazon — buy The Return of the King Bookshop — buy The Return of the King ThriftBooks — buy The Return of the King eBooks.com — buy The Return of the King
  4. 04 The Lord of the Rings 1954 Amazon — buy The Lord of the Rings Bookshop — buy The Lord of the Rings ThriftBooks — buy The Lord of the Rings eBooks.com — buy The Lord of the Rings
  5. 05 The Two Towers 1954 Amazon — buy The Two Towers Bookshop — buy The Two Towers ThriftBooks — buy The Two Towers eBooks.com — buy The Two Towers
  6. 06 The Fellowship of the Ring 1954 Amazon — buy The Fellowship of the Ring Bookshop — buy The Fellowship of the Ring ThriftBooks — buy The Fellowship of the Ring eBooks.com — buy The Fellowship of the Ring
  7. 07 The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and Other Verses from the Red Book 1962 Amazon — buy The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and Other Verses from the Red Book Bookshop — buy The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and Other Verses from the Red Book ThriftBooks — buy The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and Other Verses from the Red Book eBooks.com — buy The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and Other Verses from the Red Book
  8. 08 Tree and Leaf 1964 Amazon — buy Tree and Leaf Bookshop — buy Tree and Leaf ThriftBooks — buy Tree and Leaf eBooks.com — buy Tree and Leaf
  9. 09 The Tolkien Reader 1966 Amazon — buy The Tolkien Reader Bookshop — buy The Tolkien Reader ThriftBooks — buy The Tolkien Reader eBooks.com — buy The Tolkien Reader
  10. 10 Smith of Wootton Major 1967 Amazon — buy Smith of Wootton Major Bookshop — buy Smith of Wootton Major ThriftBooks — buy Smith of Wootton Major eBooks.com — buy Smith of Wootton Major
  11. 11 J.R.R. Tolkien's The hobbit 1968 Amazon — buy J.R.R. Tolkien's The hobbit Bookshop — buy J.R.R. Tolkien's The hobbit ThriftBooks — buy J.R.R. Tolkien's The hobbit eBooks.com — buy J.R.R. Tolkien's The hobbit
  12. 12 Bored of the Rings 1969 Amazon — buy Bored of the Rings Bookshop — buy Bored of the Rings ThriftBooks — buy Bored of the Rings eBooks.com — buy Bored of the Rings
  13. 13 Tolkien 1969 Amazon — buy Tolkien Bookshop — buy Tolkien ThriftBooks — buy Tolkien eBooks.com — buy Tolkien
  14. 14 Master of Middle-earth 1972 Amazon — buy Master of Middle-earth Bookshop — buy Master of Middle-earth ThriftBooks — buy Master of Middle-earth eBooks.com — buy Master of Middle-earth
  15. 15 Bilbo's Last Song (At the Grey Havens) 1974 Amazon — buy Bilbo's Last Song (At the Grey Havens) Bookshop — buy Bilbo's Last Song (At the Grey Havens) ThriftBooks — buy Bilbo's Last Song (At the Grey Havens) eBooks.com — buy Bilbo's Last Song (At the Grey Havens)
  16. 16 Tolkien's world 1974 Amazon — buy Tolkien's world Bookshop — buy Tolkien's world ThriftBooks — buy Tolkien's world eBooks.com — buy Tolkien's world
  17. 17 The Father Christmas letters 1976 Amazon — buy The Father Christmas letters Bookshop — buy The Father Christmas letters ThriftBooks — buy The Father Christmas letters eBooks.com — buy The Father Christmas letters
  18. 18 The Tolkien Companion 1976 Amazon — buy The Tolkien Companion Bookshop — buy The Tolkien Companion ThriftBooks — buy The Tolkien Companion eBooks.com — buy The Tolkien Companion
  19. 19 J.R.R. Tolkien 1976 Amazon — buy J.R.R. Tolkien Bookshop — buy J.R.R. Tolkien ThriftBooks — buy J.R.R. Tolkien eBooks.com — buy J.R.R. Tolkien
  20. 20 The complete Tolkien companion 1976 Amazon — buy The complete Tolkien companion Bookshop — buy The complete Tolkien companion ThriftBooks — buy The complete Tolkien companion eBooks.com — buy The complete Tolkien companion
  21. 21 The Silmarillion 1977 Amazon — buy The Silmarillion Bookshop — buy The Silmarillion ThriftBooks — buy The Silmarillion eBooks.com — buy The Silmarillion
  22. 22 The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings [collection/set] 1979 Amazon — buy The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings [collection/set] Bookshop — buy The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings [collection/set] ThriftBooks — buy The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings [collection/set] eBooks.com — buy The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings [collection/set]
  23. 23 A Tolkien bestiary 1979 Amazon — buy A Tolkien bestiary Bookshop — buy A Tolkien bestiary ThriftBooks — buy A Tolkien bestiary eBooks.com — buy A Tolkien bestiary
  24. 24 Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth 1980 Amazon — buy Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth Bookshop — buy Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth ThriftBooks — buy Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth eBooks.com — buy Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth
  25. 25 The letters of J.R.R. Tolkien 1981 Amazon — buy The letters of J.R.R. Tolkien Bookshop — buy The letters of J.R.R. Tolkien ThriftBooks — buy The letters of J.R.R. Tolkien eBooks.com — buy The letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
  26. 26 The Book of Lost Tales [1/2] 1983 Amazon — buy The Book of Lost Tales [1/2] Bookshop — buy The Book of Lost Tales [1/2] ThriftBooks — buy The Book of Lost Tales [1/2] eBooks.com — buy The Book of Lost Tales [1/2]
  27. 27 The monsters and the critics, and other essays 1983 Amazon — buy The monsters and the critics, and other essays Bookshop — buy The monsters and the critics, and other essays ThriftBooks — buy The monsters and the critics, and other essays eBooks.com — buy The monsters and the critics, and other essays
  28. 28 The Book of Lost Tales [2/2] 1984 Amazon — buy The Book of Lost Tales [2/2] Bookshop — buy The Book of Lost Tales [2/2] ThriftBooks — buy The Book of Lost Tales [2/2] eBooks.com — buy The Book of Lost Tales [2/2]
  29. 29 Tolkien Bestiary 1984 Amazon — buy Tolkien Bestiary Bookshop — buy Tolkien Bestiary ThriftBooks — buy Tolkien Bestiary eBooks.com — buy Tolkien Bestiary
  30. 30 The Fall of Gondolin 1985 Amazon — buy The Fall of Gondolin Bookshop — buy The Fall of Gondolin ThriftBooks — buy The Fall of Gondolin eBooks.com — buy The Fall of Gondolin
  31. 31 The Lays of Beleriand 1985 Amazon — buy The Lays of Beleriand Bookshop — buy The Lays of Beleriand ThriftBooks — buy The Lays of Beleriand eBooks.com — buy The Lays of Beleriand
  32. 32 The Shaping of Middle-Earth 1986 Amazon — buy The Shaping of Middle-Earth Bookshop — buy The Shaping of Middle-Earth ThriftBooks — buy The Shaping of Middle-Earth eBooks.com — buy The Shaping of Middle-Earth
  33. 33 The Lost Road and Other Writings 1987 Amazon — buy The Lost Road and Other Writings Bookshop — buy The Lost Road and Other Writings ThriftBooks — buy The Lost Road and Other Writings eBooks.com — buy The Lost Road and Other Writings
  34. 34 The Return of the Shadow 1988 Amazon — buy The Return of the Shadow Bookshop — buy The Return of the Shadow ThriftBooks — buy The Return of the Shadow eBooks.com — buy The Return of the Shadow
  35. 35 The Treason of Isengard 1989 Amazon — buy The Treason of Isengard Bookshop — buy The Treason of Isengard ThriftBooks — buy The Treason of Isengard eBooks.com — buy The Treason of Isengard
  36. 36 The War of the Ring 1990 Amazon — buy The War of the Ring Bookshop — buy The War of the Ring ThriftBooks — buy The War of the Ring eBooks.com — buy The War of the Ring
  37. 37 After the King 1991 Amazon — buy After the King Bookshop — buy After the King ThriftBooks — buy After the King eBooks.com — buy After the King
  38. 38 Sauron Defeated 1992 Amazon — buy Sauron Defeated Bookshop — buy Sauron Defeated ThriftBooks — buy Sauron Defeated eBooks.com — buy Sauron Defeated
  39. 39 Tales from the Perilous Realm 1993 Amazon — buy Tales from the Perilous Realm Bookshop — buy Tales from the Perilous Realm ThriftBooks — buy Tales from the Perilous Realm eBooks.com — buy Tales from the Perilous Realm
  40. 40 Morgoth's Ring 1993 Amazon — buy Morgoth's Ring Bookshop — buy Morgoth's Ring ThriftBooks — buy Morgoth's Ring eBooks.com — buy Morgoth's Ring

Reading tracker

Track your progress through Tolkien

Tick books off as you read them — your progress is saved on this device. Print it for a paper checklist, or save it as a PDF.

Read# TitleYear Date finished
1 The Hobbit 1703
2 Farmer Giles of Ham 1949
3 The Return of the King 1950
4 The Lord of the Rings 1954
5 The Two Towers 1954
6 The Fellowship of the Ring 1954
7 The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and Other Verses from the Red Book 1962
8 Tree and Leaf 1964
9 The Tolkien Reader 1966
10 Smith of Wootton Major 1967
11 J.R.R. Tolkien's The hobbit 1968
12 Bored of the Rings 1969
13 Tolkien 1969
14 Master of Middle-earth 1972
15 Bilbo's Last Song (At the Grey Havens) 1974
16 Tolkien's world 1974
17 The Father Christmas letters 1976
18 The Tolkien Companion 1976
19 J.R.R. Tolkien 1976
20 The complete Tolkien companion 1976
21 The Silmarillion 1977
22 The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings [collection/set] 1979
23 A Tolkien bestiary 1979
24 Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth 1980
25 The letters of J.R.R. Tolkien 1981
26 The Book of Lost Tales [1/2] 1983
27 The monsters and the critics, and other essays 1983
28 The Book of Lost Tales [2/2] 1984
29 Tolkien Bestiary 1984
30 The Fall of Gondolin 1985
31 The Lays of Beleriand 1985
32 The Shaping of Middle-Earth 1986
33 The Lost Road and Other Writings 1987
34 The Return of the Shadow 1988
35 The Treason of Isengard 1989
36 The War of the Ring 1990
37 After the King 1991
38 Sauron Defeated 1992
39 Tales from the Perilous Realm 1993
40 Morgoth's Ring 1993

Tolkien reading order — abookinorder.com

Where to start

Begin with The Hobbit (1703). The list above follows publication order, which is how most readers approach Tolkien — later books assume you know what happened in earlier ones.

Frequently asked

How many Tolkien books are there?

40 to date, spanning 1703–1993.

What is the newest Tolkien book?

Morgoth's Ring, published in 1993.