Books: Tolkien Illustrated Editions

The holiday season has brought the usual onslaught of deals, sales, and discounts, most of them for disposable tchotchkes that will be forgotten by next year. There are some interesting gifts to be given, however, like the "Tolkien Illustrated Editions" of The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings featuring color illustrations from the author himself:

I was previously familiar with J.R.R. Tolkien's cartographic skill (it's almost impossible to imagine The Hobbit without its famous map of Mirkwood), but I didn't know that he was also a fair painter.  These nice hardcover editions collect the often-dreamy landscapes and sketches Tolkien created to accompany his works, and I imagine they'd be well-received by any fantasy fan.