I feel like everyone has a special memory of how they first learned about Lord of the Rings. For me it was right around when the first movie came out. I watched it non-stop with my sisters friend’s elder sister. Anytime my sister would go over to play I’d be watching. I ultimately got the books but it was a huge undertaking for my age and never actually read it for an embarrassing long time. I did memorize the dwarvish rune alphabet in the appendix of my copy. Drove my teachers nuts writing with it.
My elementary school librarian recommended The Hobbit to me in grade 7. Over the summer camping on the coast I read LOTR and The Silmarillion. Now I’m a lifer.