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The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (Mariner, $20).Read about another book on Grossman's list.
I was never a Tolkien fanatic, but he is indisputably the first and greatest of the great modern fantasy-world builders. The mines of Moria alone would put him on this list: “The Dwarves delved too greedily and too deep ...”
The Lord of the Rings also appears on John Mullan's list of ten of the best volcanoes in literature. It is a book that Todd Gitlin hopes parents will read to their children and Geraldine Brooks wanted to share with her child.
Also see Jonathan Stroud's top 10 list of fantasy books.
--Marshal Zeringue