The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Despite the relative shortness of the book, it is filled with history and great detail of how Middle-Earth came to be. Downside that makes reviewing it a challenge without revealing a lot of the details. However given the amount of history, it is an essential for anyone who loved the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. A large chunk of the book is about the creation of Middle Earth, and how the world was shaped. The last part ties in to some extent with The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, as it tells how Sauraman, Gandalf and a few other wizards arrived in the world.