28 or so reasons to read the HoME series {and UT}

[lindil]

5 more reasons.

1 -A wee bit longer Tale of aragorn and Arwen in XII [peoples]
2 - The origin[s] of the Narn i hin Hurin in XII

3- Notes on motives in the Silmarillion [X]
vey fascinating writing on how Sauron [ in the 2nd age] was more powerful than Morgoth [at the end of the First Age].
4 - Tal-Elmar - an interesting begining of a tale of the coasts of 'Gondor' in the 2nd age. Shows how men saw the Numenoreans.

5- Shibboleth of Feanor, Elvish history and linguistics in a potent mix.

It seems as I re-read alot of folks posts above that many were reading thr Books of Lost Tales first.
That may work well for some, but keep in mind they are exceedingly primitive in compositional style compared to [ if very fleshed out]the later writings.

Many foks [ myself included] steer folks towards the later volumes first 10-12 which document the Silm in it's final phases [10 and 11] and the lotR appendices and a variety od fascinating late writings [12].

Unfinshed tales is reall a collection of materials that would have all eneded up in 10-12, had it not been put out first, before CRT decided to do a complete history of Middle-Earth. So fortunately [to my mind] he polished up some of UT for us.