J. R. R. Tolkien books in order
English writer and philologist
- Lived
- 1892–1973
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Books
- 52
- Series
- 2
- Also writes as
- Oxymore
J. R. R. Tolkien published 27 novels, 5 novellas, 7 short story collections, 1 non-fiction book, 2 children's books, 7 poetry collections, 1 play and 2 other books, beginning with The Hobbit (1937). The 2 series include The History of Middle-earth (11 books, starting with The Book of Lost Tales) and The Lord of the Rings (4 books, starting with The Fellowship of the Ring).
Updated September 2026
The History of Middle-earth books in order (11)Series page
Reading order: 1 The Book of Lost Tales (1983) · 2 The Book of Lost Tales: Part II (1984) · 3 The Lays of Beleriand (1985) · 4 The Shaping of Middle-earth (1986) · 5 The Lost Road and Other Writings (1987) · 6 The Return of the Shadow (1988) · 7 The Treason of Isengard (1989) · 9 Sauron Defeated (1992) · 10 Morgoth's Ring (1993) · 11 The War of the Jewels (1994) · … all 11 below
- 1.
The Book of Lost Tales (1983)
- 2.
The Book of Lost Tales: Part II (1984)
- 3.
The Lays of Beleriand (1985)
- 4.
The Shaping of Middle-earth (1986)
- 5.
The Lost Road and Other Writings (1987)
- 6.
The Return of the Shadow (1988)
- 7.
The Treason of Isengard (1989)
- 9.
Sauron Defeated (1992)
- 10.
Morgoth's Ring (1993)
- 11.
The War of the Jewels (1994)
- 12.
The Peoples of Middle-earth (1996)
The Lord of the Rings books in order (4)Series page
Reading order: 1 The Fellowship of the Ring (1954) · 2 The Two Towers (1954) · 3 The Return of the King (1955) · Appendices of The Lord of the Rings (1954)
- 1.
The Fellowship of the Ring (Jul 1954)
- 2.
The Two Towers (Nov 1954)
- 3.
The Return of the King (Oct 1955)
Appendices of The Lord of the Rings (Jul 1954)
Where to start with J. R. R. Tolkien
Start here
The Hobbit
J. R. R. Tolkien's most-read book, rated by 500 Open Library readers.
Highest rated
The Return of the King
Rated 4.3 out of 5 by 233 readers.
Shortest way in
Roverandom
One of the most-read, at about 136 pages.
Standalone novels in order
A Middle English Vocabulary (1922)
Ancrene Wisse and Hali Meiðhad (1929)
The Hobbit (Sep 1937)
English and Welsh (1963)
Bilbo's Last Song (At the Grey Havens) (1974)
Quenta Silmarillion (Sep 1977)
The Letters of J.r.r. Tolkien (1990)
The Children of Húrin (2007)
The History of The Hobbit (2007)
A Secret Vice (2016)
Beren and Lúthien (2017)
The Fall of Gondolin (2018)
The Nature of Middle-earth (2021)
The Fall of Númenor (2022)
Novellas in order
Farmer Giles of Ham (1949)
Smith of Wootton Major (1967)
Pictures by J. R. R. Tolkien (1979), with Christopher Tolkien
Mr. Bliss (1982)
Roverandom (1998)
Short story collections in order
On Fairy-Stories (1947)
The Silmarillion (Sep 1977)
Poems and Stories (1980)
Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth (1980)
Tales from the Perilous Realm (1997)
Non-fiction in order
Tree and Leaf (1964)
Children's books in order
Smith of Wootton Major and Farmer Giles of Ham (1967)
The Father Christmas Letters (1976)
Poetry in order
The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (1962)
Poems and Songs of Middle Earth (1967)
Finn and Hengest (1982)
Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics (1983)
Beowulf and the Critics (2002)
Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary (May 2014)
Beowulf
Plays in order
The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm's Son (1953)
Other books in order
The Road Goes Ever on (1967)
O Senhor Dos Anéis - a Sociedade Do Anel
Film and TV adaptations
- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)Film · from The Hobbit
- The Hobbit trilogy (2012)Film · from The Hobbit
- The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)Film · from The Hobbit
- The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)Film · from The Hobbit
- The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024)Film · from Appendices of The Lord of the Rings
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)Film · from The Fellowship of the Ring
- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)Film · from The Two Towers
- The Return of the King (1980)TV · from The Return of the King
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)Film · from The Return of the King
Free to read
All free classics
About J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was an English writer and academic philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works The Hobbit (1937) and The Lord of the Rings (1954–1955).
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
J. R. R. Tolkien FAQ
- How many books has J. R. R. Tolkien written?
- J. R. R. Tolkien published 27 novels, 5 novellas, 7 short story collections, 1 non-fiction book, 2 children's books, 7 poetry collections, 1 play and 2 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read J. R. R. Tolkien's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start The History of Middle-earth with The Book of Lost Tales and The Lord of the Rings with The Fellowship of the Ring. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is J. R. R. Tolkien's last book?
- Bilbo's Last Song (At the Grey Havens) (1974).
- What is J. R. R. Tolkien's most famous book?
- The Hobbit (1937) is J. R. R. Tolkien's most widely read book.
- Are J. R. R. Tolkien's books connected?
- 15 books belong to 2 series (The History of Middle-earth and The Lord of the Rings); the other 37 books stand alone.
- Does J. R. R. Tolkien write under a pen name?
- Yes: J. R. R. Tolkien has also published as Oxymore.
- Which J. R. R. Tolkien books have been adapted?
- 5 books have been adapted for film or TV, including The Hobbit (as The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, film, 2012), Appendices of The Lord of the Rings (as The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, film, 2024), The Fellowship of the Ring (as The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, film, 2001) and The Two Towers (as The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, film, 2002).
- Can I read J. R. R. Tolkien's books for free?
- Yes. 1 book by J. R. R. Tolkien is in the public domain in the US and free to read online or download here.
Authors like J. R. R. Tolkien
Roald Dahl
Also wrote children's books and fantasy
Eleanor Farjeon
Also wrote children's books and poetry
P. L. Travers
Also wrote children's books and fantasy
Walter de la Mare
Also wrote poetry and children's books
Mika Waltari
Also wrote children's books and poetry
Mary Norton
Also wrote children's books and fantasy
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers, free texts from Project Gutenberg. Last updated September 2026.