At least they gave the reasoning for the book quests being tied to a purchase this time. For this scenario let's say that the books were free. A player goes through them up to the point where the big battles happen and is then re-directed to the lotro store to purchase them. Wouldn't those people be flooding the forums complaining that they're being forced to pay just to continue what they're already playing? It's far simpler to state from the beginning that it's going to cost something for the entire package.

Requiring a purchase to receive the book quests also adds a bit more value to the package people are paying $40-$60 for. Would it really be realistic to charge those prices if all they would be getting would be the battles and quests?