i bought some new books and i got a list of australia's 100 favourite books of all time as voted by the public. there are some really good books there, some that i have read, some that i havent but have heard how good they are. but their presence on this list is...i dunno, theres something about it that disturbs me.
number 1 is the lord of the rings, which i have read and enjoyed quite a lot, but i wonder if it would be number 1 if the movies hadnt come out in the recent past. same as numbers 2, 3, 4 and 5. harry potter, harry potter, harry potter and harry potter. i havent read any harry potters, but i'd like to. i've heard they're really quite good, but i dont know if i believe that they make up 4/5 of the top 5 books of all time.
i guess these lists will always be a bit biased towards the popular books at the time. and i suppose i should be glad that there are so many younger readers books near the top of the list. get reading, kids! dont play outside in the sunshine! lock yourselves in your rooms and disappear between the pages. become pale and ghostly with wide eyes. its the best way to be.

1 The Lord of the Rings Tolkien J R R
2 Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets Rowling J K
3 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Rowling J K
4 Harry Potter and The Philosophers Stone Rowling J K
5 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Rowling J K
6 The Power of One Courtenay Bryce
7 The Hobbit Tolkien J R R
8 Pride & Prejudice Austen Jane
9 The Bible
10 Gone With The Wind Mitchell Margaret
11 A Fortunate Life Facey A B
12 To Kill A Mockingbird Lee Harper
13 Angela's Ashes McCourt Frank
14 The Thorn Birds McCullough Colleen
15 Dirt Music Winton Tim
16 Memoirs Of A Geisha Golden Arthur
17 Potato Factory Courtenay Bryce
18 Magician Feist Raymond
19 April Fool's Day Courtenay Bryce
20 Cloudstreet Winton Tim
21 Anne Of Green Gables Montgomery L M
22 Looking for Alibrandi Marchetta Melina
23 Jessica Courtenay Bryce
24 Tomorrow, When The War Began Marsden John
25 Chocolat Harris Joanne
26 True History Of the Kelly Gang Carey Peter
27 From Strength To Strength Henderson Sara
28 Narnia Chronicles Lewis C S
29 Matthew Flinders' Cat Courtenay Bryce
30 Clan of the Cave Bear Auel Jean
31 River God Smith Wilbur
32 Rich Dad, Poor Dad Kiyosaki Robert
33 Wuthering Heights Bronte Emily
34 Four Fires Courtenay Bryce
35 Wild Swans Chang Jung
36 Cross Stitch Gabaldon Diana
37 Bridget Jones Diary Fielding Helen
38 Jane Eyre Bronte Charlotte
39 Shipping News Proulx Annie
40 Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy Adams Douglas
41 Little Women Alcott Louisa May
42 The Stand King Stephen
43 Gallipoli Carlyon Les
44 Stupid White Men Moore Michael
45 Tully Simons Paullina
46 The Shell Seekers Pilcher Rosamund
47 Pillars of the Earth Follett Ken
48 Ice Station Reilly Matthew
49 The Alchemist Coelho Paulo
50 You Can Heal Your Life Hay Louise
51 Kane & Abel Archer Jeffrey
52 Dune Herbert Frank
53 The Horse Whisperer Evans Nicholas
54 Wind In The Willows Grahame Kenneth
55 Forbidden Love Khouri Norma
56 Flowers in The Attic Andrews V C
57 Crossing Over Edward John
58 Poisonwood Bible Kingsolver Barbara
59 Bourne Identity Ludlum Robert
60 Catch 22 Heller Joseph
61 IT King Stephen
62 Monsoon Smith Wilbur
63 Almost French Turnbull Sarah
64 Lovely Bones Sebold Alice
65 Life Strategies McGraw Phil
66 Mists Of Avalon Bradley Marion
67 Winnie The Pooh Milne A A
68 Deltora Quest Bk 1 Rodda Emily
69 Rebecca Du Maurier Daphne
70 Great Expectations Dickens Charles
71 Celestine Prophecy Redfield James
72 Saddle Club (assorted titles available in this series) Bryant Bonnie
73 The Firm Grisham John
74 The Catcher in the Rye Salinger J D
75 Life of PI Martel Yann
76 The God Of Small Things Roy Arundhati
77 The Bone Collector Deaver Jeffery
78 War and Peace Tolstoy Leo
79 Kiss The Girls Patterson James
80 Tara Road Binchy Maeve
81 A Suitable Boy Seth Vikram
82 The Seventh Scroll Smith Wilbur
83 Men Are From Mars,Women Are From Venus Gray John
84 Artemis Fowl Colfer Eoin
85 The Eye of the World Jordan Robert
86 For The Term Of His Natural Life Clarke Marcus
87 The Green Mile King Stephen
88 Captain Corelli's Mandolin de Bernieres Louis
89 Magic Faraway Tree Blyton Enid
90 Just Disgusting Griffiths Andy
91 Conversations with God & Meditations From Conversations With God Walsch Niel Diamond
92 Circle of Friends Binchy Maeve
93 Emma Austen Jane
94 Tandia Courtenay Bryce
95 The Summons Grisham John
96 A Child called it Pelzer Dave
97 Along Came A Spider Patterson James
98 Perfume Suskind Patrick
99 My Place Morgan Sally
100 The Hours Cunningham Michael

bold - what i have read
italic - what i'd like to read