Finally finished LoTR. I enjoyed it for the most part. But my statement still stands: lot of unnecessary and unrelated detail. I can see why it became so popular, just not sure it deserves its status as one of the greatest.
I also managed to read Starship Troopers. I liked it, but it also had some unnecessary and unrelated detail.
Not sure what to read next. Have lots in my reading list that I tend to randomly add to:
They Called Us Enemy
Star Wars: Bloodline
Star Wars: Queen's Shadow
Star Wars: Thrawn
The Count of Monte Cristo
Circle of Treason
The Decline and Falls of the Roman Empire
SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome
Percy Jackson series
A Tale of Two Cities
Norse Mythology (Gaiman)
The Smartest Guys in the Room
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
And then a few others posted here have piqued my interest.