the Silmaril is a hard read ... and as I remember, not that good - a couple of nice things, but you don't need that background to enjoy the other stories. I enjoyed the DL chronicles when I read them in my teens, started to read them again some 10 years ago but couldn't really get into them again, read to much "dark" fantasy and they seemed a little to "simple" now - but I remember the stories with fondness. I now have them on hold till my kids are ready to hear them - problem is that I have to real-time translate them to danish as the actual danish translation you can buy sucks big time. Never got into the Belgariad cause they seemed a little to much like what I read in the later trilogy. Really liked Sparhawk and had a great time roleplaying in that world (using rolemaster as system).
And on a by note - I was reading the hobbit aloud yesterday and they arrived to Beorns house - I forgot all about him - and the eagles - so it looks like its good that I'm refreshing the story