That being said, I do have one fiction book that I reread from time to time. But before I tell you about it, I’d like to know about you.
What book or books do you return to read again and again and why?
You can leave your answer or a link to your short post in the comments. This is a 2-hour challenge, so you have until 6pm CST, which I believe is hour 12. One winner will be chosen at random, but you must answer the question to be eligible.
And now for my answer. I just love The Temple of My Familiar by Alice Walker. It is so rich in plot, that I’m able to get lost in it every time. Admittedly, I space my reading out about once every 18 months or so. That’s about long enough for me to only have a vague recollection of all of the interrelatedness of the characters. They are like old friends whom I haven’t seen since that last class reunion. I’m always excited to hear about what they’ve been up to. Maybe I’m a little weird, but I love me!
Posts
What book or books do you return to read again and again and why?
ReplyDeleteI read the bible over and over, my daughter has a story bible, and its fun to read it from cover to cover, and hear the stories again and again. The book just seems to have everything, from violence, love, action, and songs!
x_d0nn4_x@yahoo.com, http://adkshep.blogspot.com
I'm boring and my answer will probably be repeated over and over again - my favorite rereads at the moment are the Harry Potter books. When I was younger, I reread a lot more, and I often found myself going to Anne of Green Gables for comfort. I have also read Jane Eyre more times than I can count - huge comfort read there. I just adore that book. I just like the worlds and there is a huge amount of solace in returning to them.
ReplyDeleteMeghan @ Medieval Bookworm
I could re-read the Twilight series over and over. That, and the Harry Potter series!:) The Twilight series just pull me into them, and it's like a break from normal daily life. Harry Potter is a great re-read as well, since the author has created such an amazing world, that who wouldn't want to get lost in it for a few hours?
ReplyDeleteI don't re-read as much as I used to. it's a shame- you really do see more and more each time.
ReplyDeleteAll of Jane Austen's novels, because they grow with me and give me wonderful new insights into life every time I revisit them.
ReplyDeleteI have never re-read an adult fiction book. I did re-read From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankwiler and The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.
ReplyDeleteI have three books I love to reread: Baby Proof by Emily Giffin because it's a rich story with realistic characters and reminds me to be true to yourself but to constantly ask yourself what you really want; How Stella Got Her Groove Back because it inspires me to always remember to do what I love and take chances; and American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld because it changed the way I look at the world and showed me you never know people as well as you think you might.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit, I'm the same as some answers above - I've read the first 6 of the Harry Potter books 25+ times, and the last one (which I started reading later) about 10 times. I still read them 1-2 times per year. Not much else of mine gets reread like that.
ReplyDeleteI love to reread The Diary Of Anne Frank and Christy. I can read those two books over and over again!
ReplyDeleteI read several books over and over. Especially if they are in a series. When the latest book comes out, I'll re-read the entire series. Harry Potter was an example of that.
ReplyDeleteBut my favorite books to re-read are The Fire Rose by Mercedes Lackey, Sweet Liar by Jude Deveraux and The Stand by Stephen King.
I love getting lost in fantastic worlds. In the Fire Rose, there is magic, a rich hero and a book buying spree. In Sweet Liar, there is a rich hero and a book buying spree... er. Anyway, The Stand is just rich with characterizations and details of a world in the midst of destruction.
The books I find myself reading over and over again are the older books by V.C. Andrews. I cant count the number of times I have read Flowers in the Attic and the rest of the series! The books are very dramatic and easy to read, so they're perfect for a day where you just want to take a book outside and read. They also remind me of being 12 again and reading the books for the first time!
ReplyDeleteI'm not a big rereader. I can only think of two books that I've ever reread just for myself: Charlotte's Web & 1984. And it's a good thing I did because both of them I didn't like the first time but loved the second go around.
ReplyDeleteHarry Potter :) The imagination and depth of the characters and story never stops amazing me
ReplyDeleteTara SG
contact@tarasg.com
25hourbooks.com
I rarely reread. I have reread Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton simply because I love the series and wanted to remember how everything first started.
ReplyDeleteMy post about this is here: http://bookwormsandtea.blogspot.com/2009/10/re-reading-mini-challenge.html
ReplyDeleteI re-read The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon again and again because the books are so wonderful, and they have so much to them that they never get old. I love the combo of romance, time travel, adventure, drama and historical fiction.
ReplyDeleteI also re-read the Harry Potter series which never ceases to be entertaining.
I just posted about re-reads in my blog the other day; that entry is here: http://foliofiles.femmeflavor.com/2009/10/22/re-reads/
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, my comfort re-reads tend to be series - Mercedes Lackey's Arrows of the Queen and Magic's Pawn trilogies, the Harry Potter books, and the Twilight series (I know, I know) are repeat offenders. Most of them have a character or a relationship that resonates for me, and the familiarity is soothing.
Well, since I teach high school English (9th and 12th grades) I "have to" re-read several books each year. However, there are three books that I would re-read no matter what: To Kill a Mockingbird - because we all need to be reminded that all kinds of prejudice exists --- everywhere; Pride and Prejudice, because I need to constantly be reminded of the theme (and the author's first working title -- First Impressions are not always right); and A Tale of Two Cities because of the amazing theme of redemption, resurrection, and sacrifice.
ReplyDeleteThis year I keep rereading Clockwork Heart by Dru Pagliassotti, because there's a really sweet HEA in it and I like to reread the happy bits. :)
ReplyDeleteThe Perks of Being a Wallflower. Definitely.
ReplyDeleteThe only adult fiction I've read more than once is Barbara Kingsolver's Animal Dreams. I read it once on my own and then, over the years, my book has chosen to read it twice. But, it's been a REALLY long time since I've re-read it. I'm not sure what it is about that book, it just spoke to me.
ReplyDeleteI love to re-read soothing books, in which not all that much happens, or which I know so well that I am comforted by the familiarity. Favorites include D.E. Stevenson, and a rather obscure writer of English children's books, Gwendoline Courtney.
ReplyDeleteI re-read the twilight series alot
ReplyDeleteI re-read Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen because Elizabeth is proud and strong as a female character, and Darcy also is full of pride and a strong character. Austen does a great job showing how two strong characters can coexist by compromise and understanding, not to mention love and empathy. I can't help but reread this "great" romance over and over.
ReplyDeleteThe Stand by Stephen King is the book I have read over and over since I first read it as a teen. I've lost track of the amount of times I've read it, but I generally read it once every year or two. I absolutely get lost in the characters and their situations. It's like coming home to old friends. Other old friends I love to revisit include Harry Potter, Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews, A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux and the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich.
ReplyDeleteI used to read and re-read "Forever Amber". IT's been sucn a long time, I may need to pick upt up again! I still have that ancient paperback copy I purchased back in undergrad, one of the few books I've held onto!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for this fun mini-challenge!
ReplyDeleteHere's my answer :-)
Hey..
ReplyDeleteMy post related to this mini-challenge is here http://resurfacer.wordpress.com/2009/10/25/mini-challenge-again/
Please scroll down for the same.
Every few years I read "And Ladies of the Club" by Helen Hooven Santemeyer. I love huge sagas with many generations that have a sense of history.
ReplyDeleteluluettester at gmail dot com
I never get tired of The Joy Luck Club. No matter how many times I read it, I cry. Amy Tan brilliantly captures the complexity of mother-daughter relationships.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter likes to re-read the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. Though she's read them several times already, they always get her laughing.
--Anna and The Girl
Diary of an Eccentric
diaryofaneccentric at hotmail dot com
What Book Do I Read Again And Again and Why?
ReplyDeleteOh... there are several but to give you one - The Summerhouse by Jude Deveroux.
It is a story of 3 friends who get together ontheir 40th birthday and find a chance to go back in time and take the road not chosen.... you know - the decision you made when you were young, the path you decided on....
This book covers the big what if... what if you would have said yes to that great looking guy who asked you to the dance? What if you would have said no to something else?
LOVE this read. Talking about it makes me want to read it again. :)
My favorite reread is by far Jane Eyre. I've read it three times and can never stop, it always changes over time. I look forward to reading it at least once every ten years. It never gets old for me, I find that some things that make me angry at one point I enjoy at another and vice versa. My most recent read of it was just a few weeks ago, I'm almost twenty now and the first time I read it I was seventeen. The first time I read it I was completely caught up in the romance, and this past time I found that I was more interested in Jane's search for a career and a life.
ReplyDeleteAsh @ http://englishmajorjunkfood.blogspot.com/
I have read My Girl by Patricia Hermes many times. Why do I re-read it? Because I think that's one book that evokes very strong emotions from me every time I read it. I cry and laugh at the same lines and situations every time, no matter how many times I've read it.
ReplyDeleteOne more reason? Well, it's short :)
My fav re-reads are here.
ReplyDeleteThere are many books I return over and over again. I have read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen probably 8 times during this year, maybe about 30 times during my life. :D I also love 'Teach Me' by R.A.Nelson, I always take it with me when I travel somewhere, I think I've read it at least 4 times during flights to somewhere. Also Jane Eyre is one of those books I have read many times.
ReplyDeletemilkavainamo(at)lyseo(dot)edu(dot)ouka(dot)fi
I love re-reading books! I've read a bunch of Sarah Dessen's books over and over. This Lullaby, Dreamland, Keeping the Moon, The Truth About Forever... I've read all of those at least twice. I think it's because they're just really cute books (for the most part) and make me happy. Plus, I always forget things, so it's nice to read them again and remember what I liked about them in the first place.
ReplyDeleteThe Stand by Stephen King changed my world view and my way of thinking when I first read it. I reread it every once in awhile just to make sure that my outlook on things has not changed.
ReplyDeleteThe only books I have ever reread or could reread would be the Bible and Any Austen novel and Jane Eyre. Other than that I collect books but haven't really reread any of them..lol
ReplyDeleteI do not normally re-read books because there are so many new books that I want to read!! It seems I never make the time for re-reads. Having said that, during this read-a-thon I have re-read Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. I read this one a long time ago but I totally forgot how it ended, so I've been wanting to re-read it and took the opportunity today :)
ReplyDeleteI don't have a specific book, but I really enjoy reading the classics over and over again.
ReplyDeletei rarely re-read books as there are so many books to me, but i have re-read the harry potter books several times as so many other posters have. i love the world rowling has created and can get lost in it over and over again. i always find new things when i re-read them.
ReplyDeleteMy re-reading is exclusive to my manga collection (there are hundreds of them). I don't re-read novels, mainly because they take so much time to read.
ReplyDeleteI re-read books all the time. I love to revisit old favorites - or often, reread those books that I have little memory of. My favorite book to re-read is Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and I tend to read it about every other year.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a re-reader (or a re-watcher). My TBR pile is too big!
ReplyDeleteYes, there a number of books that I will read repeatedly and are "staples" in my library. One is Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews. I'm not sure why. I guess maybe it's the idea of children being locked upstairs for years, playing like rats in an attic. And the fact that it was one of the first "adult" books that I read as a kid.
ReplyDeleteAlso I have read Stephen King's The Stand and Robert McCammon's Swan Song numerous times. Both are stories about civilization being nearly wiped out, pulled back from the brink of extinction, with an underlying good vs. evil plot. With both stories there is man's chance at redemption. A sort of "cleansing of the earth", like after Noah's Ark and the flood. I find something about this concept fascinating.
These are three of the books that I always keep on my shelves, and every couple of years I will pull one of them down to read again.
I have re-read Persuasion by Jane Austen every year for the past few - since the first time I read it.
ReplyDeleteI have "re-read" a lot of books on audio - The Mitford series by Jan Karon, The Outlander seris by Diana Gabaldon, the Harry Potter series. I love to re-read via audiobooks.
Thanks for hosting a mini-challenge - hope you're having a great read-a-thon!
nnjmom at yahoo dot com
One book that I have re read three times is Love That Dog a Novel By Sharon Creech. A story that I read when i was eight and now here I am five years later still loving it.
ReplyDeletewww.coasttocoastreader.blogspot.com
At first I thought this was an easy question, but then nothing came to mind...Then several things came to mind all at once...I've reread the LOTR trilogy at least 4 times, because there's nothing like immersing yourself a long beautiful tale. Anne from Anne of Green Gables and I are definitely kindred spirits. I've recently reread (for the first time in years both the Beggars in Spain trilogy by Nancy Kress, and Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson. Beggars and Spain didn't hold up so well. Diamond Age most definitely did. I read for the first time recently Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. I started it originally, so that I could read the zombified version without guilt. I wound up buying it because I liked it so much. I think it will be a reread at some point in the future, but first I'd like to read her other books....So that's a rather long winded answer to your question.
ReplyDeleteI re-read a LOT: generally the Nora Roberts books that I consider my comfort reads. It's nice to know those families are always there, especially when mine is driving me crazy.
ReplyDeleteI go back to The Hobbit over and over again!! I just absolutely love that book! I love all of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings books really, but especially that one. I also really enjoy C.S. Lewis's Narnia books....but aside from those, I'm really not a big rereader! Great question!!
ReplyDeleteMy answer is here! Thanks for the lovely mini-challenge
ReplyDeleteThere are actually a few books I read from time to time:
ReplyDeleteDoomsday Book by Connie Willis - Just such a great, involving book (tearjerker!)
Beauty by Sherri Tepper - When I need some good fantasy, this is where I go.
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad - Never get tired of this one.
I reread Jennifer Echols books over and over! I love her writing. I also reread The Gemma Doyle Trilogy.
ReplyDeleteThis is my post related to your mini-challenge:
ReplyDeletehttp://misskindle.blogspot.com/2009/10/hours-8-and-9.html
It's near the end of the entry.
Thank you for creating this challenge!
Here's my choice: http://classicvasilly.wordpress.com/2009/10/24/readathon-2nd-update/
ReplyDeleteI did and will continue to re read james dashner's Maze Runner To me, it is like a 21st century lord of the flies. both times i re read it, i understood more!
ReplyDeleteDave
mrlatts@gmail.com
I re-read books all the time. Some books, when I open them up, are friends- waiting patiently for my return. I re-read books from my teen years (Christopher Pike is my favorite to remind me of the days before bills and real worries). I've read The India Fan by Victoria Holt enough times to act it out for you word by word. Certain Stephen King books: It, The Stand, Needful Things, Eyes of the Dragon. King does more than create characters- he creates whole worlds. I love re-reading Maeve Binchy books, she has a way of bringing her characters to life with just a few words. A simple phrase or habit entirely explains the character to you. Of course I re-read the Harry Potter books! I'm always reading several books, but I keep my go to re-reads handy at all time. New books may let me down, but an old favorite never does.
ReplyDeleteI think the only books I have ever read more than once are those written by Jane Austen. They are the kind of stories that I feel compelled to revisit over and over again, like old friends.
ReplyDeleteoregonkimm(at)gmail(dot)com
Here's my answer ♥
ReplyDeletehttp://dangerouslycoldtea.blogspot.com/2009/10/readathon-re-read-mini-challenge.html
Where the Wild Things Are
ReplyDeleteThe Little Old Lady Who Wasn't Afraid of Anything
A Busy Year
Swimmy
Rainbow Fish
Amazing Grace
My Brother Martin
Jamberry
The Harry Potter books! Not only can I physically read them but I can listen to them to over and over! It never gets old and I swear I find new things everytime
ReplyDeleteOne author I always return to, time and again, is Georgette Heyer. I love the fun sense of mischief in her books. The ones I generally reread by her are Cotillion and The Talisman Ring. I plan to host a re-read challenge next year, though, so hopefully I'll find some others I have forgotten over the years!
ReplyDeleteaarti.nagaraju [at] gmail [dot] com
I have to say the Harry Potter books as well!
ReplyDeleteI too have a few favorites. I usually reread them because I really like the characters.
ReplyDeleteI've only re-read two books in my life but I think of the two my comfort book would be To Kill a Mockingbird (the other is Stephen King's It - definitely not comforting). I could see P&P becoming a comfort read too.
ReplyDeleteGreat mini-challenge.
crystalfulcher(at)ec.rr.com
The fourth Harry Potter book. It's my favourite book in the series, where the innocence is fading and eveeeel things start to happen.
ReplyDeleteI love re-reading. :)
ReplyDeleteI re-read many things, including:
Harry Potter
Betsy-Tacy series
Kurt Vonnegut
Bill Bryson
I tend to forget a lot of details, so I love to re-read my favorites.
I love, love, love Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. I've reread it ten times.
ReplyDeleteI have read and reread Wrinkle in Time many times.
Adore Where the Sidewalk Ends, too. Many times read.
And all the Anne Lamott books. She always makes me laugh and cry.
I love reading The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle over and over again. It was my favourite movie when I was little, and didn't get the book until I was in high school. The first time I read it I was pulled right into the world of the unicorn, and I continue to be pulled in every time I read it.
ReplyDeletealitareads[at]gmail[dot]com
I don't reread a lot, but have read both Julie Garwood's The Secret and Antoine de st Exupery's The little Prince a LOT.
ReplyDeleteI reread books *all the time*, which isn't the greatest thing in the world, because it means I have them piled all over my room. ;)
ReplyDeleteMy favorite reread is "The Fire's Stone" by Tanya Huff. I read it when I was in middle school and it has consistently been the book I turn to when I'm stressed or grumpy or just need something to do.
It's not that well-known a book, but the characters are written so brilliantly that by the end of the novel I felt like I knew them. So obviously, I have to go back and visit on a fairly frequent basis!
I have several books for this challenge. The list always starts with the Sherlock Holmes canon...I can read those stories every day and still never tire of them. Next would be Alice in Wonderland and The Wind in the Willows. I discover something new from them both each time that I read them. Dr. Ebnenezer's Book and Liquor store is also a frequent reread along with Parnassus on Wheels, both centered around bookselling but so much more. I used to read Kafka's Metamorphosis every year but haven't in some time so I might just add it to the readathon bookpile. Great challeneg
ReplyDeleteIts the 11th hour of the Read-a-Thon. How are you holding up? I'm cheering for you. You can do it!!!
ReplyDeleteI don't like to "waste" time re-reading books, but I have found it's not wasteful if I listen to them on tape/CD. Right now, I've got Little Women, something that I've read/heard already 4 times!
ReplyDeleteMy answer is in my Hour 11 update post. I need to re-read more!
ReplyDeleteGreat question. Here is my answer.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite re-read material has always been To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. It's one of the best, most moving books I've ever read, and probably the only required book in school I didn't mind tackling. It made me cry, it opened my eyes to the realities of life from way back then, and it's easy to read. I read over and over again a lot of books (Nancy Drew, some YA, especially Stargirl and Stepping on the Cracks), but To Kill a Mockingbird one of those books that has always stayed with me, as both a reader and student.
ReplyDeleteHere's my answer:
ReplyDeletehttp://brizmusblogsbooks.blogspot.com/2009/10/read-thon-update-7.html
Yay! I'm so excited, thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteI just emailed my choices. :D