The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

I have never read LOTR (I have already started!). But I have a soft spot for The Hobbit. For me, the Bilbo story is the ultimate Middle-earth feeling. I love the Riddles in the Dark chapter, and I love how the ring is just a toy but there are already some hints. And reading it aloud to my son will be one of my favourite memories, something that will burn the hobbit into my heart.