Feb 2021: I enjoyed this more this reread than my previous two rereads, so that's nice. I was worried I was getting sick of the book, which was disappointing to think, since I really enjoyed it the first time I read it in eighth grade.

When I first started reading The Hobbit, it was right after the first Lord of the Rings movie was released. I had already heard of the the series because of the old The Hobbit animated movie, (I used to love that movie!) but it took the release of the live-action movies to spur me into reading it and I could not put it down.
It's a wonderful story that takes place it an amazing world full of fantastic creatures and characters. J.R.R. Tolkien did an marvelous job imagining this world of Middle-Earth, and did just as fabulous a job at describing it in this book.
The Hobbit has less world building in it that Lord of the Rings, due to the fact that it's written for a younger audience, but beneath this seemingly simple story, you can sense the depth of the overarching story.
If you've never read Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit, I highly recommend them both. I definitely suggest starting with The Hobbit though, not only because it's my favorite of the Middle-Earth-based books, but it is the prequel to Lord of the Rings.
One of the reasons I love The Hobbit more than Lord of the Rings is because it has a certain charm to it that Lord of the Rings seems to be lacking. (Not that Lord of the Rings isn't wonderful as well!) The Hobbit has a sort of fairy tale feel to it, in my opinion, and I love that.
Also, Bilbo is an amazing character. I love the unwilling and unlikely hero, and that title fits Bilbo perfectly.

All in all, The Hobbit is a fantastic book that I would recommend to anyone who is interested in fantasy or anyone who wants to check out J.R.R. Tolkien's work.