An Unexpected Party

About Hobbits
"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit."
This line starts the beginning of the book. I believe this line and the description thereafter hooks your interest. The description tells you of The Shire and a particular hobbit that resides there. This hobbit's name is Bilbo Baggins. The book goes on to tell you that the Bagginses are considered very respectable and have lived in the neighborhood of The Hill for some time and never had any adventures or did anything unexpected (for that was considered odd among hobbits).
"What is a hobbit? I suppose hobbits need some description nowadays, since they have become rare and shy of the Big People, as they call us. They are (or were) a little people, about half our height, and smaller than the bearded Dwarves. Hobbits have no beards. There is little or no magic about them, except the ordinary everyday sort which helps them disappear quietly and quickly when large stupid folk like you and me come blundering along, making a noise like elephants which they can hear a mile off. They are inclined to be fat in the stomach; they dress in bright colours (chiefly green and yellow); wear no shoes, because their feet grow natural leathery soles and thick warm brown hair like the stuff on their heads (which is curly); have long clever brown fingers, good-natured faces, and laugh deep fruity laughs (especially after dinner, which they have twice a day when they can get it). Now you know enough to go on with."
Well, now that you know the nature of hobbits, you should also know of a peculiar family within the Shire. Said family is the Tooks. The Tooks were always counted as a strange sort, "something not entirely hobbitlike about them, and once in a while members of the Took-clan would go and have adventures." And thus it was with the marriage of Belladonna Took and Bungo Baggins that the most luxurious hobbit-hole was built under The Hill. (For the Tooks, though not as respectable as Bagginses, are far more wealthy.)

The Beginning
Bilbo grew up in comfort until he was about fifty years old (hobbits can be as old as 130, and their twenties are considered the Tweens) when an unexpected, but not unwelcome, visitor showed up. It was Gandalf the Grey. "If you had heard only a quarter of what I have heard about him, and I have only heard very little of all there is to hear, you would be prepared for any sort of remarkable tale." Gandalf had not been to The Hill since Old Took died and many of the hobbits forgot what he even looked like, even Bilbo, until Galdalf told him of who he was after Bilbo tried to shoo him off. As compensation, Bilbo offered to have tea with him on wednesday in declining the offer of adventure.
"The next day he had almost forgotten about Gandalf. He did not remember things very well, unless he put them down on his Engagement Tablet: like this: Gandalf Tea Wednesday. Yesterday he had been too flustered to do anything of the kind." It was soon that the bell at his front door rang and he remembered and went to the door not to find Gandalf, but a Dwarf, Dwalin by name. Soon after another Dwarf arrived, Balin. Then two more, Fili and Kili. Then five, Dori, Nori, Ori, Oin, and Gloin. Five more, Bifur, Bombur, Bofur, Thorin, then last but not least, Gandalf the Grey (who set this mess of dwarves upon Bilbo). They continued to eat and drink and sing.

Finally they got down to business and discussed the matter of adventure. They spoke of The Lonely Mountain and the great red dragon Smaug that had taken up residence there. Gandalf also gave Thorin Thror's Map and key, which showed the Lonely Mountain and the surrounding area. (and for some reason Bilbo was being referred to as the burglar) Bilbo wanted no part in it, as he had told Gandalf. Gandalf and Thorin managed to convince him though and he was to be ready to go in the morning right after breakfast (the first one).