Sara Bozich

Harrisburg nightlife makes news

2008-08-20T11:22:45-04:00

Anyone who's been around just longer than eight years can tell you, Harrisburg isn't what it used to be. In fact, these days it's much better. In the 80s and 90s there was no "Restaurant Row," and the idea of nightlife was a joke. There will always be critics, but it's safe to say that what we have now is far improved from what once was.

While we have been enjoying dining al fresco and drinking cocktails in downtown for several years now, the rest of the world wasn't aware that Harrisburg had experienced a renaissance - until now.

In today's Washington Post, James F. Lee writes about his trip to our mini 'Burg and says Harrisburg's nightlife scene has brightened up the City. Out city gets a positive plug for travelers and transplants, who may not have known that there is something to do after 5 p.m. Full text after the jump.

Photo by Jeff Wiles Of Harrisburg, as seen in the Washington Post.

Harrisburg Turns On The Lights
Lively Night Scene Helps Pa. Capital Brighten Up

By James F. Lee
Special to The Washington Post
Wednesday, August 20, 2008; C02

It's a young crowd we see, but not completely young, as we wend our way down North Second Street. It feels like Mardi Gras mixed with a beach-town boardwalk, bodies pressed together, weaving around sidewalk tables. Live music blares from a half-dozen bars. By 11 o'clock, lines are forming at dance clubs as black-garbed bouncers check IDs.

Can this be Harrisburg?

The Harrisburg I remember was worked over pretty badly by Hurricane Agnes in 1972, leaving the downtown barren, a place to avoid. In 1979, the accident at the nearby Three Mile Island nuclear power plant accelerated its decline. By the 1980s, distress was its middle name. Even as far back as 1842, Charles Dickens didn't like the Pennsylvania capital, describing it in "American Notes" as a place "whose feeble lights, reflected dismally from the wet ground, did not shine upon a very cheerful city."

Jeff Murison, executive director of the Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District, knows how far Harrisburg has come.

"When I first got to Harrisburg in the 1990s, there were maybe three eating/drinking establishments anyone went to," he says. "[It was] not safe and clean . . . not a vibrant, exciting urban environment. It wasn't like 'Sex and the City.' "

Jennifer Fritz, 27, typifies how Harrisburg has changed. She arrived in spring 2003 as a college intern working in the legislature. Unlike earlier generations of young people, she didn't commute from outside town but lived in a downtown apartment building with a stunning view of the capitol dome. She fell in love with the city and stayed.

"While Harrisburg is not Philly or Pittsburgh," she says, "a lot of exciting things happen in the city."

That's the thing. Not only does this city of 50,000 on the Susquehanna River offer a slew of daytime activities for visitors (two art museums, the kid-friendly State Museum of Pennsylvania, the capitol, the National Civil War Museum and the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts), but it also has become a nighttime destination. That's why my wife and I are here.

Our evening starts at Zia's at Red Door, a trattoria on North Second, where we eat at a sidewalk table on a very hot June night. By 6:30 the streets begin to fill with the Saturday afternoon crowd coming out of the bars and early diners looking for a place to eat. After dinner, we make our way to the Sunoco Performance Theater at the Whitaker Center to see "The Mikado" by Theatre Harrisburg, one of the oldest community theater groups in the country.

The Whitaker, a combination science center, Imax theater and performance venue, opened in 1999 and is called the city's "crown jewel" by Harrisburg's mayor. The Sunoco theater brings in top-notch music, theater and comedy year-round.

There's lots to do in town this night. If we hadn't already purchased our "Mikado" tickets, we might have gone up to Reservoir Park, about two miles north of downtown, to see "Love's Labour's Lost," this year's selection for the annual Free Shakespeare Festival.

Or we could have walked to City Island to see the Harrisburg Senators play baseball. Yes, walked. The Walnut Street Bridge, a pedestrian crossing, connects Harrisburg to City Island, site of Commerce Bank Park.

After the operetta, we people-watch on Second Street's "Restaurant Row," which is even more alive than earlier in the evening, as lines of young people snake their way into the dance clubs, including Dragonfly, and the Hardware Bar. A band entertains at Ceoltas, a faithful re-creation of an Irish bar. The largest crowd gathers in the outdoor bar area at the Tom Sawyer Diner; strung with lights, it looks like a luau breaking out in downtown Harrisburg.

All the activity reminds me of what Stephen Weinstock had told me earlier. He is the owner of Stock's on 2nd, an upper-end restaurant and one of the pioneers in reclaiming downtown. He and his wife took a big chance in 1998, he says, hoping that proximity to the capitol, the Hilton and the soon-to-open Whitaker Center would allow them to make a go of it.

In those days, Weinstock says, they never got walk-ins and "once 5 o'clock came, the sidewalks rolled up." But on this Saturday night, Stock's is full of diners and the sidewalk is still unrolled at midnight.

Restaurant Row's success makes us appreciate how far from the brink this city has come.

I bet Dickens would agree.

Troegs updates tour hours

2008-08-19T16:29:32-04:00

The tale of two brothers continues ... Troegs is making some sweeping changes to its Tasting Room to accommodate the growing fans who tour the brewery each week - and to sell 6-packs. The changes are in progress, and I'll write in more detail about them closer to completion. However, as of this past Saturday, there are some new things to know about taking the free tour at Troegs.

FREE Full-Guided Tours every Saturday at 1:30, 2 and 2:30 p.m.
Tours are limited to 30 people. Reservations are highly recommended.
To reserve your space, call the Giftshop at (717) 232-1297 or send an e-mail to giftshop@troegs.com. Troegs will accept reservations beginning four weeks before a tour date.
Tours start and end in the Giftshop/Tasting Room. Arrive at least 10 minutes before your assigned tour time and enjoy a few tasty samples.
Children are welcome with adult supervision.
Tours usually take about 30-40 minutes—unless you ask a lot of questions.

Due to the construction, however, if you are traveling to the brewery during August and September, be sure to contact the brewery first to make sure they will be open.

Save the Date: Slow Food Dinner Oct. 3

2008-08-16T07:52:15-04:00

If you like food - real, fresh, local food - this dinner is a must. The "Meet the Producers" Slow Food dinner, wherein you meet and eat from local farmers, is a creation of Slow Food Harrisburg, and this is the third dinner of its kind so far. Each one has been a hit.

Fall Meet the Producer Slow Supper
Friday, Oct. 3 @ 6:30 p.m.
Wildwood Conference Center, HACC
Tickets: TBA

The dinner features heirloom apples and pork, all ingredients raised locally and using natural or organic production methods. Chef Jim Switzenburg, HACC Culinary Arts Instructor, will create the dinner.

Click here to join Slow Food Harrisburg, or visit the local blog here. You don't need to be a member to attend the dinner.

PD's now open for lunch

2008-08-15T17:02:26-04:00

This is huge. My favorite late night snack is now available for lunch. PD's Pretzel Dogs (now with a website, too!) have opened a location at 402 N. Second St. That's the old Caribbean Mermaid and next to Mars.

PD's serves 100 percent Hebrew National hot dogs (apparently veggie dogs are also available, if you're into that) wrapped in delicious pretzel.

Stop by Friday and Saturday nights from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. or now during lunch from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. (heck, that's dinner, too). Full menu after the jump.

PD's PRETZEL DOGS

Grand Opening Specials
Grand Slam - 2 PD's, small salad and drink - $8
Home Run - 2 PD's, chips and drink - $6
Triple - 1 PD's, small salad and drink - $6
Double - 1 PD's, chips and drink - $4.50
Single - Large salad and drink - $6.75
Bunt - Small salad and drink - $4.25

A La Carte
PD's Soft Pretzels (plain, salted, cinammon/sugar) - $2.50
PD's Pretzel Dog - 1 for $3; 2 for $5
PD's Veggie Dog - 1 for $3; 2 for $5
PD's House Salad - small $3.50; large $6
Chips - 75 cents
Drinks (water, Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Mountain Dew) - $1

Ask Dave about his Go-Fer Eats Free program. Pick up an order for your office ($20 or more) and your meal is free - choose from any Grand Opening Specials.

Midtown Cinema news

2008-08-15T07:16:38-04:00

From Business Updates with The Patriot-News:

Developers acquire Midtown Cinema

Posted by DAN MILLER, Of The Patriot-News August 14, 2008 17:54PM

Harrisburg-based developers Powers & Associates have purchased Midtown Cinema at 215 Reily St. for $375,000.

John Tierney, president of Powers & Associates, said the theater will continue operating as normal until Powers can move Midtown Cinema into the Campus Square Building now being built at Third and Reily streets. The current cinema building will eventually be torn down for use as temporary parking until a garage is built.

Powers has said it will maintain the current three-theater format of the cinema. Two theaters will be 40 to 50 seats each while the third could have up to 150 seats. All three theaters could be showing at the same time.

In the meantime, Tierney said Powers is expanding activity at the current Midtown Cinema by offering morning coffee and light breakfast fare to midtown workers, students and visitors. The cinema's normal operating schedule will remain in effect for moviegoers.

Besides Midtown Cinema, the 70,000-square-foot Campus Square is also to include retail on the first floor and office space in the upper floors.

Weekend roundup 8/14

2008-08-14T15:38:04-04:00

Hi folks! What's shaking? I'm finally in town this weekend, planning to visit the new Cocoa Beanery, see Tropic Thunder - and maybe The Wackness - and go to dad's for Sunday sauce. Looking for something a little more exciting? Try these:

Tonight through Sunday is Girls Night Out at Whitaker Center.
Pirates of the Susquehanna! Sail the river in pirate style Saturday or Sunday night.
Sunday, the Art Association of Harrisburg hosts their One Night Stand event at Black Thorn Gallery in Mechanicsburg. Highlights include $5 cover, Troegs brews, snacks and music by The Greatest Funeral Ever.
To kick off CHIP Week, Gov. Rendell's Chef, Barry Crumlich, will host a FREE kid's cooking class from 9-11 a.m. on Monday at The Cooking School at Giant.

Harrisburg Dining Out Meetup

2008-08-12T15:06:50-04:00

	Meetup Announcement The Harrisburg Dining Out Meetup
Your group has a Meetup Tuesday, August 26, 2008 7:00 PM!

What

Dinner at Kasbah Deli

When
Tuesday, August 26, 2008 7:00 PM

Who

At least 19 People Interested in Dining Out.

Where

RSVP Now

YES

MAYBE

19 People Interested in Dining Out are attending, including…




see all

Meetup Description

Website and menu at http://kasbahdeli.com/

La Kasbah is a Moroccan restaurant located in Harrisburg, PA. Great food: couscous, moroccan tagines, and kababs. Small intimate dining area.

Review:

Kasbah is a reasonable price restaurant with great service and tasty food! I enjoy the intimate atmosphere. Kasbah provides adequate food portions that leave you feeling full afterwards. I recommend this restaurant and will be returning very soon!

Vote for your favorite local restaurants

2008-08-12T07:37:43-04:00

A message from Central PA Magazine (forwarded to me via e-mail):

Do you like eating out, but are feeling the economic pinch? :(

We can help! :)

Just go to www.centralpamagazine.com and click on the Vote Now 2009 Readers' Choice Restaurant Survey tile on or before August 15, the new extended deadline.

Vote for at least five of your favorite restaurants and your ballot will be entered into a drawing to win a $25 restaurant gift certificate.

Good Luck!

From the Editors of Central PA Magazine

Slow Food Farmers Market tour

2008-08-07T14:54:17-04:00

Slow Food Harrisburg is hosting a farmers market tour and lunch in Carlisle this Saturday, Aug. 9.

Carlisle Area Farm Tour & Lunch
Saturday, August 9

9 a.m. - Meet at Piatto for coffee and artisan pastries
9:30 a.m. - Tour of the two Carlisle Farmers Markets
11 a.m. - Tour of local producers
2 p.m. - Lunch at Piatto
4 p.m. - Jazz in the park

More information after the jump.

From the Slow Food e-newsletter:
The Carlisle & Newville areas have exploded with local producers selling fresh organic vegetables, free-range chickens and eggs, artisan cheese and handmade crafts. The area also boasts two vibrant farmers markets. Food writer and Slow Food Harrisburg member Kay Graham has put together a great program.

At 9am assemble at Piatto, 22 West Pomfret Street, for coffee and pastries. The group will tour the two Carlisle Farms Markets, then carpool to explore the local farm stands, including Otterbein Farms. Kay will distribute a map to help with navigation.

The group will return to Piatto's garden for lunch. Either bring a dish to share made with local ingredients or sample some dishes made specially for us by Piatto and California Cafe. Then around 4pm, the garden hosts a free concert, the Gabjo Playboys specializing in Parisian-style jazz.

Please contact Kay Graham (717-386-9825 or timeagain@comcast.net) for more information.

New menus at Nonna's, Blue Bistro

2008-08-07T14:44:15-04:00

Midtown's favorite deli and more, Nonna's has a new menu (and don't forget they now deliver). Download it here: Download NonnasNewMenu6.08.pdf

Blue Bistro also announced a new menu, which will debut tomorrow, Aug. 8. You can view it online, here.

Weekend roundup 8/7/08

2008-08-07T14:39:00-04:00

It's that time again. I'm finally in town this weekend, but my only plans involve laying by a pool and going to a bridal shower. For you more adventurous, here's what's going down.

Tonight! Sam Buca's Pizza Pub opens next to the Hilton.
Tomorrow afternoon stop by the Art House Lounge on your way to HH for their festival-style solo exhibits.
Jersey Mike's 8-8-8 show is tomorrow at none other than ABC. Great beer, great deal.
Progressive Galleries has Friday Night Jazz at the Maennerchor's Cathedral Room, featuring Jonathan Ragonese. Feel it, get there.
Also Friday is the Steelers v. Eagles party at The Coliseum. You know who I'm rooting for.
The US Navy Band Cruisers perform at Fort Hunter Park on Sunday evening, as part of the Sunset Performing Artists Series. Free!

Spotobe e-newsletter

2008-08-07T08:29:34-04:00

Sign up! Spread the word about Spotobe's e-newsletter, by clicking here and sending the newsletter (copied after the jump) to your friends.

August 2008 Volume 01 Issue 03

A Real Dog & Pony Show

Event Details | Add To My Spots

Twenty dollars will get a whole carload into the MS Polo Event. A very egalitarian way of pricing a traditionally non-egalitarian sport.

Polo is not a sport that gets that much love these days. For the majority of us, the most exposure we get to the world’s oldest team sport comes in the form of the little man that gallops across Ralph Lauren clothing. But on August 9, Central Pennsylvania gets a chance to taste a little bit of old world fun at the 2008 Multiple Sclerosis Polo Event.

The event takes place at the Hempt Polo grounds on the Carlisle Pike, and $20 will get a whole carload inside. All proceeds benefit the Central Pennsylvania Chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society, and spectators even get a chance to participate in the stomping of the divots. For those of you who, like us, are not versed in the traditions of this rough, fast and dangerous sport, during halftime of a polo match the spectators help repair the playing field by replacing grass in torn up divots and socializing on the field. Charming, right?

In addition to all the excitement of the match, the afternoon includes terrier races, tailgating and children’s activities. There’s also a raffle in which you could win a one-year lease of a BMW-3 Series or Mercedes-Benz ML. Eastern sports, German cars and American tailgating, and it’s all for charity. What could be better?

B-17 Bomber Exhibit The B-17 helped turn the tide of World War II in favor of the Allies. Get up close and personal with the plane and imagine what these machines were really like to fly. View event details		Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band It’s the Boss, what more has to be said? The man has rocked every major venue in the Country and now he’s making his first trip to Hersheypark Stadium. View event details
August 8-10 Capital City Airport New Cumberland, PA		Tuesday, August 19 8:00PM Hersheypark Stadium Hershey, PA
Destination Downtown Sample food, wine and cocktails from a variety of different restaurants in downtown Harrisburg. All of the fun benefits Big Brothers Big Sisters, so you’re eating for a good cause. View event details		Kipona Festival Arguably the best of Harrisburg’s three major festivals, Kipona is the exclamation point that signals the waning of summer in Central Pennsylvania. Sigh. View event details
Thursday, August 21 5:30PM Downtown Harrisburg Harrisburg, PA		August 30 – September 1 Riverfront Park Harrisburg, PA

Beijing Blues

Let’s face it, not all of us are cut out for Olympic glory, but everyone follows the Olympics at least a little bit. That’s going to be tough this time around with the Games taking place on the other side of the world but, luckily, you have plenty of alternatives right here at home. If your bid to make the United States rhythmic gymnastics team fell just short, don’t worry, there are plenty of events coming up that give you a chance to show off your athletic prowess. If you’d rather watch from the stands, you can do that, too.

Test your endurance. Think you’re tough? Enter the Harrisburg Triathalon/Duathalon.
Tee it up. Put together a scramble team and take on the field at the Dauphin County Golf Outing.
Catch the stretch run. The Eastern League playoff race is heating up. Watch the Senators take on the Portland Sea Dogs.
Watch a juggernaut. The Central Penn Piranha Do. Not. Lose. Are you ready for some football? Catch their game against York.

Last month we rapped about American MusicFest, talked about the benefits of moving back to Central Pennsylvania and discussed the untimely demise of Carmella’s Trattoria. Here are some recent highlights:

July 7 Simply Turkey on Sabbatical

Finally, we found one little 8.5” x 11” sign that simply said something like, “Closed until late July. Reopening upstairs.” Okay, well, how about updating the website so those of us online-savvy customers have a way of knowing what’s going on? I’m sure the owners are thinking, “Hey, shut up and be happy we are going to be open upstairs. We’re the ones losing money here, since it was not our idea to move this joint.” Right. I’ll be happy when it’s open again and I can get my soup fix.

July 21 A Potentially Epic Embarrassment

The beautiful/horrible thing about an open tournament is that it all comes down to the draw. I could end up playing you in the first round, and you might totally stink. I could also end up playing your friend in the first round, and he might have played a little bit of tennis in college. Seeing as how I am chronically competitive, I’m quite nervous.

Sam Bucca's Pizza Pub

2008-08-06T13:24:41-04:00

Replacing the now-closed Carmella's, Sam Bucca's Pizza Pub will open this Thursday, Aug. 7.

Come out for the grand opening party. I will have all the details in next week's column.

Mangia Qui to open second location

2008-08-06T13:19:36-04:00

From the Central Penn Business Journal:

Mangia Qui to open second Harrisburg eatery
By Jessica Bair
8/6/2008 11:54:07 AM

After seven years of offering gourmet meals on North Street in Harrisburg, Mangia Qui is ready to take the next step.

Mangia Qui's owners, Staci Basore and Rosemarie "Qui Qui" Musarra, will open their second restaurant in the Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center being developed at 110 N. Third St.

The owners signed the lease last week for Sip, which will offer an outdoor patio space with seating for between 40 and 50 customers and an indoor space with seating for between 60 and 80 guests, Basore said.

While Mangia Qui already has a heavy focus on using locally grown ingredients, Sip will take that a step further, she said. All of the ingredients - including meat, produce and cheese - will be from Pennsylvania, she said.

The prices for dishes should range between $16 and $24, which is slightly less expensive than Mangia Qui, she said.

Sip will be the exclusive caterer for the center, which the developers hope will be open before the end of the year, said John Traynor, a partner in Harrisburg-based Bartlett, Traynor and London - the developer of the arts center.

"I think that could be a really neat area for Harrisburg," Basore said. "We're pretty excited to go there."

Gallery opening @ Mantis

2008-08-01T07:58:05-04:00

Just a reminder - Mantis is back, this time in Midtown.

Stop in tonight between 7-10 p.m. for the opening reception for local artist Garrick Dorsett.

More info from Mantis after the jump.

The Mantis Collective presents:

Things that go bump in the night; A barefoot stroll though the minefield.

Garrick Dorsett: Artist
Mixed media

Opening reception with the artist Friday August 1st 7-10pm
Light refreshment and live sound sculpting by the “Knuckle Bros.”
Exhibit is on view by appointment only Saturday August 2nd through Sunday August 31st 2008

Artist Bio:
Garrick Dorsett received his BFA in 1999 from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. After graduating, Garrick continued to work as an artist with his primary medium being photography. In 2003 he completed a long-term project photographing the bicycle couriers in Philadelphia and other underground subcultures of the city.

A lifelong interest in graffiti art has inspired his more recent work with an emphasis on the medium’s context and impermanent nature. Lately, he has started to collaborate with the multi-media group ColorMake from the Central Pennsylvania area. These young and upcoming artists have also influenced his recent work.

Garrick has exhibited his work in various venues including the Genus Loci Gallery in Cape May, New Jersey, the Philadelphia Art Museum, One Pixel Gallery, and the Sandy Webster Gallery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the Exit Art in New York, New York. His work has been published in magazines and books such as Thrasher Magazine, the International Book of Photography and the Korean publication Photo Monthly.

Garrick Dorsett currently resides in the small town of Dauphin, Pennsylvania, where he continues to photograph and grow as an artist. He holds the position of Photographic Educational Specialist at Harrisburg Area Community College and also teaches photography as an adjunct faculty member. He is an avid fisherman and outdoor enthusiast.

Multicultural Street Festival Aug. 1

2008-07-30T09:28:51-04:00

Dauphin County is hosting a celebration of culture this Friday, Aug. 1 from 4:30-9:30 p.m. on Market St., Downtown.

Weekend roundup 7/24/08

2008-07-24T15:34:33-04:00

On the agenda tonight: Spice's "White Party"

As for the weekend, well - that's up to you. Here's your semi-regular roundup. Don't forget - if you want me to know about your events, e-mail me.

It's French Quarter Night at Confit - authentic Cajun food (don't forget Chef Matt Black was the original chef and owner of Bayou)
Tonight is also the Artist Meet'n Greet at Art House Lounge from 6-9 p.m.
Because it's right up my L&O-obsessed alley, check out Law & Disorder at Whitaker Center all weekend
In the market for a home? Stop out to Camp Hill for Cordier Antiques' Real Estate Auction
On Monday, check out the Cigar Dinner on the Hilton Patio. Three course dinner, wine and cigars for $75.

Eat this now: Pop Rock Shrimp

2008-07-21T08:07:18-04:00

Eat this now: Pop Rock Shrimp, Hershey Grill

Pop Rock Shrimp
Seasoned with Herbs, Lightly Fried,
Tossed in a Sweet & Spicy Curry Sauce
$8.95, Hershey Grill Lunch Menu (also available on Dinner Menu)

Just the right balance of spicy, tang and crunch. Can't get enough. Share with a friend, so you have room for your entree, or pair this with a salad.

Weekend roundup 7/18/08

2008-07-18T15:33:27-04:00

After a month-plus hiatus, the Weekend roundup is back due to popular demand! (Well, the demand of one, but still.) I'm going antiquing this weekend. I know, I haven't been around in ages. But that's why I supply this list of things to do ... even when I'm out of town. Viva Harrisburg!

Kasbah hosts belly dancing every Friday night. Go. Eat. Enjoy. Here's a coupon to get you started, too.
So up my alley - Legends is hosting a Wii Bowling Tournament from 8 p.m. to midnight tonight and tomorrow!
Side Street Cinema hosts Forbidden Planet Saturday night at 9 p.m. Don't forget a chair!
Dude. The Dark Knight is at Whitaker Center's IMAX theater. Worth the cash, I think.
Sunday is the first-ever Downtown Comi-Con. Noon to 6 p.m. at The Cathedral Room at the Maennerchor.
Nonna's started a delivery service. See Jersey Mike's blog for the deets.
Blue Bistro kicked off The 5/20 List: "Every day we will offer at least one red and one white wine for $5 a glass or $20 a bottle."

The Big Read

2008-07-18T07:53:32-04:00

I'm stealing this meme (can you steal a meme, or is it inherent?) from Tara at Feels Like Home. Hi Tara, I recently added you to my blogroll.

She writes: I found this on Mom on the Rise, who got it from Suspension of Disbelief, who explains that it's really from The Big Read. According to The Big Read, the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books on this list. How many have you read?

Look at the list.

Bold those you have read.

Italicize those you intend to read.

Underline the books you LOVE.

1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

2. The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien

3. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte

4. Harry Potter series - JK Rowling

5. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

6. The Bible

7. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

8. 1984 - George Orwell

9. His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman

10. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens

11. Little Women - Louisa M Alcott

12. Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy

13. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller

14. Complete Works of Shakespeare

15. Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier

16. The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien

17. Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks

18. Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger

19. The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger

20. Middlemarch - George Eliot

21. Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchel

22. The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald

23. Bleak House - Charles Dickens

24. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy

25. The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams

26. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh

27. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

28. Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck

29. Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll

30. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame

31. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy

32. David Copperfield - Charles Dickens

33. Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis

34. Emma - Jane Austen

35. Persuasion - Jane Austen

36. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis

37. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

38. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres

39. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden

40. Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne

41. Animal Farm - George Orwell

42. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown

43. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

44. A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving

45. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins

46. Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery

47. Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy

48. The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood

49. Lord of the Flies - William Golding

50. Atonement - Ian McEwan

51. Life of Pi - Yann Martel

52. Dune - Frank Herbert

53. Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons

54. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen

55. A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth

56. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

57. A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens

58. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon

60. Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

61. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck

62. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov

63. The Secret History - Donna Tartt

64. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

65. Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas

66. On The Road - Jack Kerouac

67. Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy

68. Bridget Jones’ Diary - Helen Fielding

69. Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie

70. Moby Dick - Herman Melville

71. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens

72. Dracula - Bram Stoker

73. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett

74. Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson

75. Ulysses - James Joyce

76. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath

77. Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome

78. Germinal - Emile Zola

79. Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray

80. Possession - AS Byatt

81. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens

82. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell

83. The Color Purple - Alice Walker

84. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro

85. Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert

86. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry

87. Charlotte’s Web - EB White

88. The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom

89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

90. The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton

91. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad

92.The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery

93. The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks

94. Watership Down - Richard Adams

95. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole

96. A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute

97. The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas

98. Hamlet - William Shakespeare

99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl

100. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo