I never made it through the Silmarillion. I would try with the creation myths, get lost, and skip ahead to Beren and Luthien.

I totally called dibs on Luthien when I was part of a masquerade entry enacting filkertom's song "Return of the King, Uh-Huh" -- Aragorn in an Elvis jumpsuit, Eowyn and Arwen in prom dresses made from a vintage fifties pattern, and a crowd of fangirls in poodle skirts, representing all the races of Middle-Earth. With our poodle emblems referencing our characters. Our Entwife had a tree on a leash! Of course I had Luthien's emblem, and I also had LED blinky stars in my hair. It was AWESOME.