First are these Visual Companions to the Lord of the Rings. Not really much in these that you can't find elsewhere, but some very good full page photographs that show some detail you might not see elsewhere. For less than $3 a book, not a huge investment.
These next ones are the Hobbit Chronicles books. They retail for like $35, but you can get them for about $7 with clever shopping. They are the Hobbit's version of Weapons and Warfare: detailed illustrations on every little thing. They show concept art for each piece of every main character's attire, from Thorin's mess kit to Dori's scissors. TONS of inspiration in these books, especially for crafting. The Battle of the Five Armies book has a lot of armor pieces and buckles bearing their raven motif that I might steal for something.
The last two aren't helpful in the same way as the others, but they are beautiful books and great things to have in the Tolkien collection. The Bestiary is sort of an encyclopedia of Middle-Earth. Not incredibly detailed, but nice. The other is an art book where each page has a classic Middle-Earth painting by some of the better known artists (Alan Lee, John Howe, Ted Nasmith). Always inspiring in their own way.
If you don't feel like claiming the books for yourself but you're looking for a photo or sketch of a specific item from one of the Hobbit films, let me know and I can see if it's in these books. I know I saw some of the dwarves' belt pouches floating around Pinterest and wanted some more concept art.
Cheers, all.
