I recently finished reading the first book of the Lord of the Rings, the popular fantasy series that's a sequel to The Hobbit. Have you read it?
No, I have not. But I am anxious to read it. How many books are there in Lord of the Rings?
There are three books in the series, written between 1937 and 1949.  They are The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and Return of the King.
In what time period do these stories take place?
The stories take place in a high fantasy medieval setting, similar to old English stories and lands, only with fantasy characters.
WHo is the author of these books?
The author is John Roland Reuel Tolkien, more normally known as J.R.R. Tolkien.  He lived between 1892 and 1973, and was English.
Are these fantasies violent?
They can be, as they are about a Dark Lord named Sauron who created a ring to conquer the world through warfare, so there are a number of battle scenes.