Fancy a change from Harry Potter? Why not try reading The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien? In fact, many of us, and our kids, have enjoyed Lord of The Rings as a movie, but maybe it would be a 'novel' experience to try reading the book before buying our popcorn and settling down in our seats to see the movie?

Gossip is hot in London about who will star, but rumour has it that the lovely, gravelly Ian McKellen is loth to let anybody else get their hands on the part of Gandalf The Grey.

If readers like the themes of wizardry, magic and mythical beings  - but would like a different 'take' on it, then The Hobbit might provide a challenging slant. The diminutive Bilbo Baggins and his band of brothers in arms set off to burgle the goodies of a dragon, encountering elves, dwarves, trolls and a wealth of mythical earth-beings. Their hazardous adventures make just as riveting reading for modern enthusiasts as they did for JRR Tolkien's four kids.

At least there is plenty of time to read this prequel to Lord of The Rings! Two movies are scheduled for 2010 and 2011. So it's quite safe to read the book - the movie will still feel fresh when we eventually see it!