Book # 50 Harry Potter (Book 1 of 7) - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling

I'm guessing that of all the books on this list Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is the one that most people will have read. This is the third time I've read it and I don't really have any new insights into it this time. I loved it before and it is still enjoyable on yet another readings. In only three hundred pages this book sets up all of the elements that play out through the entire series. This book introduces Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Dumbledore, Snape, Voldemort, Quidditch, Hagrid, Hogwarts, Malfoy, Platform 9 3/4, the Sorting Hat, and the Houses of Gryfinndor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. Like all good fantasy stories it also has goblins, a dragon, trolls, a unicorn and even centaurs. The only quibble about the novel is that Rowling's writing style can be just a bit plain. Maybe I've only noticed that because I've also been reading C.S. Lewis lately and Rowling isn't quite at that level in this book. Volume one gets an A.