The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (1955) by J.R.R. Tolkien. Best. Book. Ever. Tolkien's fantasy masterpiece follows the adventures of Frodo and Sam in Mordor as they quest to destroy the evil One Ring in the cracks of doom, while also following the battles of Men against the evil forces of Sauron in the battle for Gondor. The struggle is long and difficult, but the happy endings cascade over one another in a most satisfying way. The main body of the book is followed by extensive appendixes which trace the history of all the races of Middle Earth; provide extensive timelines of the events before, during and after the book; and explicate the languages and alphabets  used by the different races in the book. Overall, it's a real tour-de-force of creation of an alternate world in which the reader can get lost and enjoy the fruits of a story in which all comes right in the end. Simply gorgeous. Grade: A