The BBC Book List

1. The Lord Of The Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien (January - February 2005)

    Also on the Observer list - For a book that took ten years to write, you can tell. The story is so in depth and the languages that were created so complete that you can almost feel like this is an actual world. Word of advice, read The Hobbit first then expand into this book because The Hobbit flows into this book. Also watching the movies after reading these books gives you so much insight that upon first viewing I missed. The characterization in some of the best I have ever read. Unfortunately the movies did not portray my favorite character in the book which was Tom Bombodil and anyone who has read this would probably agree with me. Again the book is fantastic, you just need to read it to appreciate it. Definitely on my must read list.

2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (July 2004)

    Also on the Norwegian and the Sybervision lists - A book on my must read list and definitely my favorite of the Austen works. The story follows the lives of several people of different social standings all wooing each other. This results in people of completely different attitudes and mannerisms actually finding love with each other. Humorous at times and the easiest of Austen's works to read.

3. His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman (June - July 2006)

    The first book is also on the Observer list - This is a trilogy if books where the first book (under the UK title) is on the Observer list. The story is a cross between The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings, less in depth than Rings and less preachy than Narnia. The cross between the two stories that takes the best of both. Very quick and easy to read. The plot is about parallel universes and how a couple kids are destined to save us all. It is well written and a very fast read (about 1000 pages in about 2 weeks). In the end all the plot lines get wrapped up neatly, although I disagree with how it ended although there was no other way it could have gone. The story is very enthralling not letting me put it down the further I went into the story.

4. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams (March 2005)

    I thought this book was absolutely hilarious, although it might be because I like obscure British humor. The plot follows one man who gets transported off Earth just as it is about to be destroyed, then following him as he is shuffled around the galaxy. The following books also continue the plotline and are enjoyable to read as well although the last couple are a little bizarre and kind of destroy all the previous plotline. On my list of books to read, and if you have time, read the entire series.

5. Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire by JK Rowling

6. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

    Also on the Observer and Sybervision lists -

7. Winnie-the-Pooh by AA Milne (July 2006)

     This is on the list mostly because of the movies I'm sure, but it is really good none-the-less. The way the book is set up, is each chapter contains a different adventure with Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends in the Hundred Acre Woods. The unique language that AA Milne uses would be considered poor in most cases but he does it in such a comedic way that it works. The best stories in the book were the first few which were shorter than the rest. The longer the stories got the more the language didn't seem to work but overall I would recommend this book.

8. 1984 by George Orwell (February-March 2007)

    Also on the Observer and the Norwegian lists - I can understand why this is one 3 out of the 4 lists. It is a very powerful novel dealing with a totalitarian society and how one might survive in that society. The problem I had with this book was the utter hopelessness of it. Through every page, every paragraph of the book you had a hope that this may end all right and that everything will be right in the world again. But after all is said and done, you knew that it wouldn't. A very depressing book but a definite must read, if only to show and warn people just might be possible. Because you never know.

9. The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe by CS Lewis (May 2005)

    A very easy to read book and highly enjoyable. I read The Chronicles of Narnia in the order they were meant to be read, so this book was not the first one I read. I enjoyed it that way because it gave more of a background. Although it is a kid's book this is a good book, and will be enjoyed by kids of all ages. The chapters of the Narnia series written later became a lot more preachy then the first few, but it is not bad enough to drive people away. That would have to be my only pet peeve about the stories. The storyline follows a bunch of kids who find themselves in another world by going through a magical wardrobe and find themselves drawn into an all out war of good versus evil. Definitely on the must read list.

10. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (December 2003)

    Also on the the Observer and Sybervision lists - Another on my must read list. It follows the life of the title character as she starts in an orphanage and eventually goes on to live with Mr. Rochester. A fun romantic novel with an air of mystery.

11.  Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

    Also on the Observer list -

12. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (May 2006)

   One of the 2 on the 4 main lists - A very weird book, not at all what I thought it would be. I considered this to be what is termed "chic lit" (as seen on Jeopardy). I couldn't have been more off. This is one of the most depressing books I have read yet. It is more of how Satan himself can corrupt people in retched beings but in the end sometimes they pull through. Most of the story takes place as a flashback of one of the former housekeepers. It is a little confusing and un-enjoyable at first because of the erudite language she used, but after a few chapters I got used to it. After the flashback it shows an orphaned child, Heathcliff, brought back to the house who is shunned by all, who eventually takes over everything. Since most of this is known at the start of the story, it is interesting to see how everything comes about and to see how two separate families who differ in everything (intelligence, strength, and health intermingle). On my must read and it should be on yours.

13. Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks

14. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

15. Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (1996ish?)

    Also on the Observer list - I never really understood why this book became a cult classic and was a favorite for killers and sociopaths. The book is a rather depressing novel about a 16 year-old adolescent, just kicked out of prep school and learning to deal with the adult world of "phonies." Its a very well written book and really enjoyable to read, I just could never understand what made it a cult novel. A must reread book, to hopefully solve this mystery and so I can place it on my must read list.

16. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

    Also on the Observer list -

17. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (2004)

    Also on the Norwegian and Sybervision lists - My favorite of the Dickens' novels and on my must read list. It follows the life of Pip, as he is saved by a convict and eventually grows up and finds love. At times the plot moves a little slowly and through a variety of ups and downs in the character's life. All in all the balance is well written and easy to follow.

18. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

    Also on the Observer and the Sybervision lists -

19. Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres

20. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

    On the Norwegian, Zane, and the Sybervision lists -

21. Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell

22. Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone by JK Rowling

23. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets by JK Rowling

24. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban by JK Rowling

25. The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien (January 2005)

    Fantastic book but definitely not as good as The Lord of the Rings, although it does set up the novel very well and has a good plot itself. The storyline follows a hobbit names Bilbo Baggins while he goes off on some adventures with the wizard Gandolf. It is a fun story, especially when you know The Lord of the Rings plot, because you find out where he got the ring and you can see a map of the world which is eventually expanded into the global Lord of the Rings map. It would have been a must read but the other book already beat it on the list.

26. Tess of the D'Ubervilles by Thomas Hardy

    Also on the Sybervision list -

27. Middlemarch by George Eliot (January - March 2008)

    Also on the Norwegian, Zane, and the Sybervision lists - I rather enjoyed this book, it started off slow but as the book went on it picked up its pace rather well. Although the book was the longest I have yet read, about 900 pages, the plot was simple enough that it was easy to follow through the whole book. Middlemarch is a town in England where the book follows the lives of the families there, mainly two different families and their daughters. The book also shows a lot of conflicts including doctors versus faith, modern medicine versus traditional medicine, and similar subjects. There was an initial period that took me to get used to the language but afterwards I easily understood and followed the story. I can easily recommend this book as a great story with good lessons, if you are willing to take the time to read it.

28. A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving

29. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

    Also on the Sybervision list -

30. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (August 2010)

    Also on the Observer list - In one word, bizarre. This is the first time I have read the book, but I have seen both the Disney version and the Tim Burton version and both of them made more sense than this book. As my friend put it, that must have been some good opium he was on when he wrote this. The story jumps around randomly and it goes from one situation seemingly into an entirely different situation with no rhyme or reason to why. But when you think about it, it makes sense. This is a story about a dream. But it is also a story as described by a child. So you have a dream where things have a habit of just happening in the words of a child who often will jump around and make up things that don't really make any sense, all woven into this magical land where nothing makes sense and things just happen. Although I was greatly dumbstruck at first, the story began to grow on me. Nothing really happened in the story by the end but aren't most dreams are like that. At one point, you just wake up. The book is very well written. It just flowed as I read it, with each sentence and each section flowing into the next. Although you knew the situations didn't fit together the narrative was never jarring between different point. The sentences weren't choppy and it made for a rather enjoyable read to see what would happen next. So I will place this on my to read list, mostly due to the fun that reading the book could instill on a child or an adult who wonders what it is like to think like a child.

31. The Story Of Tracy Beaker by Jacqueline Wilson

32. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez 

    Also on the Observer and Norwegian lists -

33. The Pillars Of The Earth by Ken Follett

34. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

    Also on the Observer and the Sybervision lists -

35. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl (June 2010)

    So far my favorite of Dahl's works. Unlike his other works which seemed rather jumpy and more like many mini stories with a common theme, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was a cohesive story with great characterization and a fun read. It was also interesting to compare the two movie versions on the book with the book since both of them had their parts where they followed the story very closely then they both diverged from the story rather a lot, but usually in different places. A definite must read on my list.

36. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (November 2003)

    Also on the Sybervision list - Actually a very quick read and its really fun. It was written as chapters to his kids bedtime story so each part moves the story along fairly quickly. I also read this after seeing Treasure Planet so that was all I could envision in my head. All in all, I recommend for a quick, fun book.

37. A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute

38. Persuasion by Jane Austen (August 2004)

    Not the best Austen work I read because the plotline was a little hard to follow and slow reading at first, but about halfway through I had no troubles at all. The storyline is similar to other Austen novels in that it is primarily a love story. It follows a young girl who was persuaded to let her one true love get away (hence the title). The book then starts seven years later while she is still alone, when her true love comes back. Although it is different from her other book in that the main character is not looking for marriage but trying to avoid it, because she feels herself too old. If you like Austen then I suggest you read the novel, but it just was not to my liking.

39. Dune by Frank Herbert (December 2006)

     This is advertised as the first book of the bestselling science fiction series of all time, and I feel that is a deserved title. Although written back in the 60's this novel has themes that still ring true today. The story takes place during the distant future (at least 12,000 years) and the only concrete evidence that it even takes place in our universe is a quick mention of Earth in the appendix. It is about a 15 year old boy who turns out to be the prophet that a culture of desert dwellers has been anticipating. He then must not only to learn to live in the harsh environment but to use his gifts properly. I recommend this book because not only is it the precursor to all modern day sci-fi stories but it is riveting and extremely well written. The only problem is now I have to read the rest of the series.

40. Emma by Jane Austen (October - November 2006)

    Also on the Observer list - This book was actually better than I was expecting. Once I got passed Austen's round-about way of speaking the book actually intrigued me. The story is about a female in her early twenties among the upper class social scene of rural England. She has vowed to never marry in order to not stress her father, so then she tries to hook up her friend Harriet. The problem comes when Emma realizes that she is really bad at doing this and eventually causes more problems then if she had just left everything alone. The story wraps up very nicely in a happily-ever-after ending. Although I enjoyed it I do not recommend it mainly because of the language is difficult to follow at times. Also she could have used "by the bye" far less.

41. Anne Of Green Gables by LM Montgomery

42. Watership Down by Richard Adams

43. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1996?)

    Also on the Observer, Zane, and Sybervision lists - Like almost every kid, I had to read this, but it was so long ago I do not really remember the gist of it. The book follows the life of a man in the 1920's who created his fortune while living around people who inherited their fortunes. Two separate worlds clashing over what is proper. Reading reviews on this book leads me to believe that this is either a book about religion, poverty to wealth, love or something else entirely. A must reread in my mind, now that I am older.

44. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

    Also on the Observer list -

45. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh

46. Animal Farm by George Orwell (1996ish, February 2007)

   Pretty much my original comments stand on this novel. I find it fantastic and insightful, especially knowing what I know now about communist Russia and society as a whole. The book is very fast paced (I read it in about 2 hours) and its fun to read. It is like read a children's book which has undergone a harsh and realistic viewpoint. In essence the story is about a group of farm animals that find their Master has gone over the line one to many times and they take over the farm. They run the farm well as equals at first but then dissension starts to appear when the two "leaders" start to fight and one ousts the other out of the farm. Orwell's portrayal of communistic society is chilling and he makes it understandable both to the point of how this can happen and why people let it happen. The concept of the book can be illustrated in these famous lines near the end: All animals are equal. But some animals are more equal than others. Definitely on the must read list.

47. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (December 2004)

    Everyone knows the story, I felt I should read it myself though. Most versions of the book actually follow it fairly well, each one leaving out one thing or another for the sake of flowiness and brevity. But overall this is an enjoyable book where the movies and TV shows do not vary all that much from the novel.

48. Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

    Also on the Sybervision list -

49. Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian

50. The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher

51. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

52. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (1994?)

    Also on the Sybervision list - Another of the school books everyone reads. I enjoyed it at the time and must reread it to enjoy with a more mature mind. The story is about two men, one intellectually stunted, Lennie, and the other that takes care of him and keeps him out of trouble, George. The plot follows the hard times of the great depression with the lone farm workers and how a relationship between two, especially those two, is a rare thing. On the reread list.

53. The Stand by Stephen King

54. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (December 2008 - January 2009)

    The only one on all 5 lists (Norwegian, Observer, Sybervision, and Zane)- Now to state first off I thought this was one of the most well written stories I have ever read. Tolstoy just flows with descriptions that make you feel you understand everything that is going on. The characters are extremely well developed and even though they are Russian (which has a tendency to jump around with names a bit) it is still easy to follow who is who. I enjoyed several of the references to early communist culture (the book takes place about 30 years before the communist revolution) and several of the characters' personality polarities and themes that are emphasized in the book (religious vs non-religious, upper vs lower class, etc.).
Onto my main gripe with the story; it seems like two separate stories going on at the same time. The "main" one should be the one with Anna but I got the feeling that for the most part it was the story line centered around Levin (who supposedly represented Tolstoy himself). The story about Anna I felt was enjoyable and well written. It focused around her leaving her husband for another man which that relationship slowly dissolves over the length of the book as well. While the story with Levin, although in parts were very good, I felt was very political and sometimes unimportant to anything. The whole last section (after the Anna story line was wrapped up) felt out of place and forced and left me wishing the book would just end. All in all I very much enjoyed the first half of the novel but the second half seemed to drag on a bit. I am not going to recommend this on my list and personally would not consider this the greatest book ever. But being that it is on so many book lists it probably should be one that you read.

55. A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth

56. The BFG by Roald Dahl (November 2008)

    Also on the Observer list - The BFG is children's book about a little girl who discovers a Big Friendly Giant (AKA BFG). There is also other giants along with the BFG who are not so friendly, because they eat people. So the little girl convinces the BFG to take the bad giants down. This actually is a rather gruesome story for a child but as I read online it is the perfect children's book, although the making up of words does get a bit tiresome after a while. The story has clear cut morality issues and includes a heroine who is just your everyday kid. It is a good story for kids that parents do not need to be too worried about. Enjoyable, just not my cup of tea.

57. Swallows And Amazons by Arthur Ransome

58. Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

59. Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

60. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor M Dostoyevsky (1999)

    Also on the Norwegian and the Sybervision lists- Another book on my must read list. The story follows a man who feels he can commit the "perfect murder" then his resulting turmoil after the fact. The story was excellently written showing exactly how the main character felt through his entire ordeal. My only problem with the story is the epilogue because it was added afterwards. The only reason it was even in the story was because the publishers felt the story was not complete and they needed closure. It is obvious that the chapter was an afterthought and I feel it should not have been written but that is a little late now.

61. Noughts And Crosses by Malorie Blackman

62. Memoirs Of A Geisha by Arthur Golden

63. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (2004)

    Also on the Sybervision list - An enjoyable book describing London and Paris (the 2 cities) during the time of the French and American Revolutions. The story describes a love story during a time of crisis and how far people are willing to go for the ones they love. A little confusing at times but still fun to read none the less.

64. The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCollough

65. Mort by Terry Pratchett

66. The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton

67. The Magus by John Fowles

68. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

69. Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett

70. Lord of the Flies by William Golding

    Also on the Observer list -

71. Perfume by Patrick Süskind

72. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists by Robert Tressell

73. Night Watch by Terry Pratchett

74. Matilda by Roald Dahl (July 2010)

    I rather enjoyed this book a lot (Annabelle and I did). I found this to the best of the Dahl books that were on my list. The story was nice and linear as opposed to several of his other books which seemed to be more disjointed jumping around. The characters were also some of his best and actually made you care about what happened to some of them. A sign of a good book (where you actually care about the people). I loved how, at the end, the story line tied up very neatly and how aspects of people's personalities came back in a rather surprising (at least to me) way. The story is about an extremely intelligent 4-5 year old girl named Matilda. Although she happens to live in a house where her parents don't think anything is possible out of a girl and her school's headmistress hates children. So life kind of sucks. But she has a teacher who goes to bat for her and in return Matilda not only helps the teacher out of a bad situation but helps herself as well. The morals of the story are great and at many points in the book I actually got rather upset at several of the characters. Another great thing about this book and most of Dahl's works are the use of larger words. Words you wouldn't typically find in children's books. He uses them in such a way that they fit into the context of the story and the person is able to understand the meaning of the words, just by the context. No additional sentence explaining the definition of the word. Another Dahl book on my list, and actually I think it should be ranked higher than Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

75. Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding

76. The Secret History by Donna Tartt

77. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins (July-August 2007)

    Also on the Observer list - The story is about a mysterious woman escaped from an Asylum who crosses the path of the main character (Walter Hartright) and who happened to be intimately intertwined with his events afterwards. The narrative follows several different people who were associated with her story through until the end of it. This is a mystery so I will not give away any of the more interesting points and ruin the story for those who wish to read it but I can say it is a love story and that at the end everything turns out well. I recommended this book to anyone since it is very easy to read, flows naturally and is enthralling from the get go. The climax seems to come a bit early but even though the narrative slows down a bit it never stops. Very entertaining.

78. Ulysses by James Joyce (March-April 2007)

    Also on the Observer and Norwegian lists - This book is often listed as one of the best books of the 20th Century although I have some problems with it. The main problem with this book is it is written in an odd style, where no 2 chapters are similar in vocabulary, style or even concept. Some examples include one chapter written like a play, one with newspaper type headlines and one that illustrates the evolution of the English language over time. Overall the book is based off of the Odyssey set in modern day (early 19th century) Ireland. The author uses his language and format style to illustrate several different portions of the book. Had I read this book in a class where they could explain the information to me this would have been much better, but I didn't. I actually broke down and looked up the book online to help explain what was going on and after that the book became much better, but it is still a very difficult book to read to the point where some of the sections are completely unintelligible. Although the parts I did get I could tell where this book was groundbreaking at its time, I'm just not going to recommend this book to anyone anytime soon.

79. Bleak House by Charles Dickens

80. Double Act by Jacqueline Wilson

81. The Twits by Roald Dahl (May 2010)

    This was a rather interesting book, as I've come expect from Dahl. The story follows a married couple who are the most despicable, ugly people you could ever imagine. The things that they do eventually get them into trouble and they get their just deserts in the end from the trouble they cause. Although Dahl can be a bit gruesome at times he does go out of his way to never fully describe the gruesome act, just imply it. So, I think this could be a nice book for children to read since it starts off with a very good lesson, that if you continually have ugly thoughts you turn into an ugly person but if you continually have good thoughts you turn into a good looking person, no matter what your outward appearance may be. Overall, not a fantastic book, but it is fun and short, and it is the first book on the list that I read to my daughter.

82. I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith

83. Holes by Louis Sachar

84. Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake

85. The God Of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

86. Vicky Angel by Jacqueline Wilson

87. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

    Also on the Observer list -

88. Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons

89. Magician by Raymond E Feist

90. On the Road by Jack Kerouac

    Also on the Observer list -

91. The Godfather by Mario Puzo

92. The Clan Of The Cave Bear by Jean M Auel

93. The Colour Of Magic by Terry Pratchett

94. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

95. Katherine by Anya Seton

96. Kane And Abel by Jeffrey Archer

97. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (October-November 2007)

    Also on the Norwegian list - Contrary to the bizarre title this is a very good book. The title just signifies the time period that takes place and is not a the basis of the story. The book is a love story with a girl whose father tries to get her married above her station and two men who both fall for the girl. The one man is about the same level as the girl and he falls head over heals for her while the other man is a very prominent doctor who is the supreme bachelor in the community. The story starts off with the woman and the doctor as an old married couple then flashes back to the beginning of the story. It then slowly moves through the lives of these three people advancing a little on one character then falling back again with another character's story. Marquez does this phenomenally so that you do not even realize that the story changes from one character's narrative to another. The story is rather riveting and it kept me worried throughout the story about all the characters. There is no clear "good guy" or "bad guy" so I found myself cheering for both of them, worried that something major would go wrong. I would definitely recommend this for anyone in a romantic mood.

98. Girls In Love by Jacqueline Wilson

99. The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

100. Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie 

    Also on the Norwegian list -