What books do you re-read?

[DizBelle]

I'm wondering what books you guys think are so good they're worth re-reading multiple times.

I've read Timeline by Michael Crichton multiple times.

I've also read the Harry Potter series multiple times.

 

[CarolAnn856]

The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon is one I've read multiple times.

 

[pryncess527]

I've read The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan many times. Usually everytime a new book in the series came out, i'd re-read the entire thing. There are 15 total books (counting the prologue), so that amounted to quite a few re-reads!

I've also read The Fountainhead & Atlas Shrugged many, many times. The Fountainhead is my favorite book of all time. I like to re-read them both from time to time to see how age has shaped my view of the philosophy.

The other books I've re-read in the last few years were all books I first read at a young age and I wanted to re-examine. To Kill A Mockingbird was one, and I found it only gained more depth and meaning for me as I've aged. Another was The Pearl by John Steinbeck -- I first read that in 8th grade and HATED it. I was reflecting a few months ago and realized it is the only Steinbeck novel I've ever hated, and thought perhaps I was just too young or willful at the time to appreciate it so I gave it a re-read, and sure enough, I have a fresh appreciation for the book. Which made me want to re-read some more Steinbeck.

 

[scrhsa]

I'm wondering what books you guys think are so good they're worth re-reading multiple times.

I've read Timeline by Michael Crichton multiple times.

I've also read the Harry Potter series multiple times.

These! As well as the Jurassic Parks. Any Dean Koontz I have, especially the Odd Thomas series. Any Jane Austen I have. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman and the Dreamhouse Kings series by Robert Liparulo. I haven't done it in a while but I used to re-read the Sword of Shannara stuff all the time.
My Mom could never understand why I would re-read a book. I told her it was like visiting with old friends

 

[CaitlinMarie13]

I reread Harry Potter pretty often. Ive read the Song Of Ice And Fire series twice, but other than those I cant think of any. I have too many new books on my shelves that I want to read!

 

[L&Lfan]

The only books I have reread are Gone with the Wind. The Thorn Birds and the Little House books.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Good Omens, Harry Potter, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Dirk Gently, A Christmas Carol (read that every Christmas), Frankenstein (just re-read that this month).

 

[HannaBelle]

The Outlander series, Harry Potter, several Dean Koontz, several Stephen King, Memoirs of a Geisha and Time Traveler's Wife.

I swear I cried like a baby when I got to the end of Memoirs of a Geisha and found out it was not a true story. I was so mad for so long...stupid Arthur Golden.

Edited to add the Earth's Children series too!

 

[piglet too]

Read the Little House on the Prarie series a lot when I was young. Now, I read the Harry Potter series every year, or so. I also will reread the first books of a series when a new one comes out. There are others, just can't think of them of the top of my head.

 

[morgan98]

I was going to mention the Thorn Birds! As a matter of fact, I am going to read it again. I like the book storyline better than the mini-series but I love them both. That book has many life lessons in it (at least to me) and every time I read it I have a slightly different interpretation of things.

ETA: In terms of movies, I love and re-watch Officer and A Gentleman for the same reasons as I find it to also mean different things to me every time I watch it.

 

[cornflkgrl]

I've read Gone with the Wind, The Bell Jar, Jane Eyre, and Catcher in the Rye too many times to count.

Also re-read all Garrison Keilor books and anything David Sedaris because it always makes me laugh. I've read Me Talk Pretty... I don't know how many. And the audio books are so funny I can't listen while driving.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Definitely the Harry Potter series. I love them!

For some reason, I read Jane Eyre for several different classes in high school and college, and there were quite a few familiar books when I was a kid/teen that I would read again when I needed to clear my head to sleep.

Now I tend to re-read/skim books when DS has to read them for school, so I'll be up for conversations about them. Right now, it's The Help.

 

[HM]

Harry Potter books, LOTRs books, Pillars of the Earth, Little House on the Praire books (the first four)
Jane Eyre, To Kill A Mockingbird, some Clive Cussler books (Treasure and Inca come to mind)

 

[L&Lfan]

Should I be embarassed to say I've read Valley of the Dolls more than once?

 

[King Schultz]

Let's see. . .

The Sun Also Rises and The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway.

Multiple books by Stephen King especially It, The Stand, and The Gunslinger series.

Multiple Hunter S. Thompson books especially The Great Shark Hunt and Fear and Loathing On The Campaign Trail '72.

The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy

On The Road by Jack Kerouac

The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe

1984 by Orwell

 

[L&Lfan]

The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith. The movie is wonderful but the book is FABULOUS! Quite different from the 1961 Disney animated classic.

 

[DizBelle]

The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith. The movie is wonderful but the book is FABULOUS! Quite different from the 1961 Disney animated classic.

Can you elaborate on why the book is "FABULOUS"?

 

[L&Lfan]

Sure, for the simple reason that because it's a book, the plot is more complicated. There are more characters some of which were combined in the Disney film. Perdita is a different character than Missus (Perdita in the film) with her own sad backstory. There's actually a Mr de Vil (Cruella's husband). I just really loved the book which I first read as a child in the '70s and enjoy rereading from time to time 40 years later! Don't get me wrong, the 1961 Disney film is a favorite, but there's just so much more to the book.

 

[HM]

The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith. The movie is wonderful but the book is FABULOUS! Quite different from the 1961 Disney animated classic.

Our library does not have a copy of this book. I requested that they buy one. It's so good.

 

[minnie mum]

The Harry Potter books, the Hobbit and the LOTR trilogy, Jane Austen's novels, To Kill a Mockingbird, some of James Michener's books, James Clavell's books, especially Shogun.