Also never read the books, but recently picked them up on Kindle with audible narration to read/listen to at the gym. The newer audiobook is narrated/performed by Andy Serkis, and it is amazing! I'm almost finished with Fellowship, and I can't put it down. If you've ever been curious about picking up the books, I highly recommend the audiobooks. Make sure you get the Andy Serkis version and not the previous narrator.