Ok, it seems pretty unanimous that The Hobbit would be a better choice so I'll start with that. If The Silmarillion is like a history book then it should be fine with me since I read history text books for fun any way. *KellyC is a history geek*
I'll also ask the librarian for some suggestion on the publishers/editions but I'll most likely buy the book from the stores to avoid the hassles of going to and from the library to borrow and return and due dates and overdue fees and other crap. It's just better to own than to "rent."
By the way, has any one read The Histories of Middle-Earth? The reviews on Amazon say that it's pretty tough to tackle. Any thoughts? I know I'm getting ahead of myself on this but I thought I'd ask any way.
Oh, and are there any comments on his other, lesser known works?