Lord of the Rings, Book 2 is the second installment of the six part series Lord of the Rings by JRR. Tolkein, and it truly shows his skill as a writer. It gives back story to Gandalf the wizard (one of my favorite characters by the way), and introduces us to Legolas the elf, another amazing characters. It also introduces us to the rest of the fellowship, Gilmi the dwarf and the human noble, Boromir. It features many beautiful landscapes, such as Rivendel and the misty mountains. It has a whole host of non earthly creatures, including Orks, goblins, demons, and elves.
One of the great things about this story is the plot. It involves the Fellowship going accross middle earth (starting at Rivendel) searching for the fastest route to Sauron, the evil antagonist of the story, and mount doom (so that they may destroy the evil ring, that if given to Sauron would let him rule the world). The characters all evolve with the story as well, some start as wimpy little hobbits, then evolve into strong willed hobbits willing to fight off an army. In summary, amazing book, perhaps one of the best in the series.