Don't try to read it in book order/chronological order. Instead, start with "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age" (which has a brilliant short retelling of LOTR), then "Akallabêth", then "Quenta Silmarillion" and only then "Ainulindalë".
They are all largely self contained, and it's much easier to go through in quasi-reverse order. Just use the Wikipedia synopsis to get up to speed on the chronologically preceding section first. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Silmarillion#Synopsis)
They are all largely self contained, and it's much easier to go through in quasi-reverse order. Just use the Wikipedia synopsis to get up to speed on the chronologically preceding section first. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Silmarillion#Synopsis)