# Books to re-read



## Nexel (Feb 10, 2012)

I'm currently reading the final three books of the Ender's game quartet. Ender's game was instantly one of my all-time favorites the first time I read it, but the remaining titles in the series, Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide and Children of the Mind really left me feeling that the series wasn't done justice. Until now. Some books you have to read again before you really are able to appreciate them. For anyone who's read Ender's game and wasn't too enthusiastic about the subsequent titles, read them again. I just finished Speaker for the Dead last night and have moved onto Xenocide and I find them absolutely fascinating, just as engaging and intense as the original Ender's game, just in a different way. 

I guess what I'm saying is that if you've ever read a book that you didn't feel like you enjoyed all that much, give it another shot. It's amazing the effect time can have one's perspective, and I know that over the few years that I've been able to observe things around me and develop as a person, I was able to come back to these three books and get so much more out of them. I'm even thinking of giving Twilight another shot, having originally been turned off by the fact that it was more of a high school love story than supernatural story.


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## Hawke (Feb 10, 2012)

I slogged through Twilight once. Believe me, once was enough. 

As for the rest of my books. I keep them and reread them... unless they are so bad that they hit the bottom of my garbage can, that is. I'm a bit picky.


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## philistine (Feb 11, 2012)

I don't so much have that experience with books, as I do films. A few titles that immediately come to mind are Fellini's _Eight and a Half_, Fritz Lang's _M_ and _Blade Runner_. 

I have, however, read books as a young teenager, then read them again several years later, only to find that I learned more than I did the first time. I think that's natural though.


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## FrameOfDust (Feb 12, 2012)

That's some good advice. I bet I have a few books lying around that are just waiting for my tastes to change, or maturity to develop. Also, I just finished Ender's Game for the first time and am looking forward to digging into the next books in the series.


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## chewie49 (Feb 19, 2012)

I have read like 3 times and now going through my 4th "Illusions" by Richard Bach. A very short and inspiring read.


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## thedriver (Feb 24, 2012)

i rarely re-read books. I tend to get bored once I already know how the story works. Same with movies. There are 2 exceptions though. Blindness by Saramago I have read more than 10 times, and Jane Eyre...I can't even count how many times, I have read that one


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## chewie49 (Feb 24, 2012)

thedriver said:


> i rarely re-read books. I tend to get bored once I already know how the story works. Same with movies. There are 2 exceptions though. Blindness by Saramago I have read more than 10 times, and Jane Eyre...I can't even count how many times, I have read that one



I haven`t read Blindness by Saramago. Is that good?

Why have you read it so much?


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## felix (Feb 24, 2012)

I used to re-read Michael Crichton books a lot when I was in my early teens, but I haven't re-read anything lately. Too busy with new titles.


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## RedSuinit (Mar 9, 2012)

Anything written by Ted Dekker gets read at least twice. I don't know why, but I am just drawn to his work.


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## LaughinJim (Mar 9, 2012)

I am currently on my third time with David Copperfield. The sign on Davey's back is one I wear like a badge. Arrrrg!


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## michaelschaap (Apr 1, 2012)

Hawke said:


> I slogged through Twilight once. Believe me, once was enough.



Slogged.... SLOGGED!   Well as you could probably guess I love the Twilight series.  I keep reading them again and again actually.  Another series I can read over and over again is the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by Ward.

Michael Schaap


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## Mutimir (Apr 1, 2012)

I just went back and read _The Great Gatsby _again. One of the greatest books. I've been on a Fitzgerald kick recently, his prose is addicting.


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## lcg (Apr 4, 2012)

My favourite is Zahir by Paulo Coelho and Its in his kiss by Julia Quinn! I have read them many many times! Apart from them, Harry Potter series, Vampire Academy series and Perfect by Judith Mcnaught are my favourites.


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## Iggy (Apr 7, 2012)

nikevious said:


> For me, pretty much every book I've ever read has been read more than once. Each time a new book in a series comes out, I re-read the entire thing. Does anyone else do that? Never have I seen or heard of anyone doing the same, and I'm hoping I'm not insane. But whatever!
> 
> As for other books, especially if they bored me to death, I'll generally go back a few years later once I feel I'm able to appreciate them more.



Ive done this with a few series so you're only as crazy as i am...lol.

One book that I've read over and over is Bram Stoker's Dracula.  I just can't get enough.


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## Silvers (Apr 23, 2012)

Tastes do change as one grows older. Especially from adolescence into adulthood. Things such as music and food preferences can change why not books?

Back in high school my preference from books went from hating to read to loving it. Angels and Demons, Firestarter, Eye of the world... were among the first few. I was addicted and read during class even. Who gets yelled at for reading during class? Some teachers looked at me reading instead of whatever else it was I was supposed to be doing, complained about it a little, but did not make me stop. It was funny. 

Back to the point on hand. I could not begin to read some books because the author's writing style differed from the ones I've read before. I began to read the first page or even first few pages over and over again until I got used to the writing style. If I was not used to it I could not comprehend as easily the events taking place in the book. 

I kind of forced my tastes to develop every time I picked up a new book that was recommended to me. At least my taste for writing styles. I wonder if it is our age that changes our tastes in things or simply our experience and exposure to such things. 

One may hate tea, but if you move to England you may find yourself developing a taste for it.


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## JimJanuary (May 5, 2012)

I found that I enjoyed Naked Lunch a lot more when I read it again. I guess I knew what to expect from it the second time so it didn't seem so confusing


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## Pirisinian (May 6, 2012)

I've been rereading A Game of Thrones, and I'm surprised at all the stuff I've missed (I read it when I was twelve).


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## SR Steed (Jun 26, 2012)

I think of great prose style as like great music, and why wouldn't you want to relisten to great music? So I'll constantly reread Nabokov and Wodehouse. Then there's those who try to articulate something intangible to you, like Kafka, and a reread will always give you something different. And then there's those who can do that and articulate it with great prose, like David Foster Wallace, who I'm rereading right now.

But if I just like something because of its plot, then I probably wouldn't give it another try. I've gotten everything I can get out of it.


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## rebekahmichel (Jul 19, 2012)

I rarely re-read a book, it has to be quite exceptional and a few years would have to pass so I would forget exactly what happened throughout the story for me to re-read it. 

I loved the twilight movies but didn't even get through half the book before returning it to the library, I already knew word for word what was going to happen so.... Wish I would have read the books first, I guess the movie spoiled it for me.

One book that I have re-read quite a few times is by Bari Wood called Amy Girl. It's about a little girl who watches her father kill her mother with a hammer while she's hiding in a closet. She has supernatural powers but I don't want to ruin it for anyone who might want to read it (of course its a very old book so you might have a hard time tracking it down anyway).


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## Primrose (Jul 19, 2012)

I think the only books I've read more than once were Harry Potter and A Series of Unfortunate Events. I really enjoyed the latter more than I did as a child because I discovered so much more. Harry on the other hand just holds a ton of childhood nostalgia for me and they're on my list to re-read around Christmas.

I've read a bunch this year though that I'm definitely going to have to read again. I think The Hunger Games was the first book I ever read that I got to the last page and thought "Yes, I'd read that again. Right this minute." And then started it over. The writing style was pretty elementary, but it had a good pace to it and I liked Katniss' voice. I'm pretty sure I'll re-read The Secret Garden once a year for the rest of my life. Such a magical book. The same goes for Jane Eyre and The Book Thief. I also want to re-read The Giver, which is something my sixth grade teacher read to us as a class. Gah! There are just so many...


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## patrickjamieson (Jul 20, 2012)

It's rare that I re-read a novel, unlike say re-watching a movie. While both art forms are just as valid (though film isn't used as such nearly enough) literature is undoubtedly more of an investment if only in time. For such reasons I tend not to go back to a previously read title if there is another I'm itching to read that I haven't looked at before. A few novels I have re-read on countless occasions though are Knut Hamsun's Hunger, Bukowski's Ham on Rye and Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita.


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## Eternal Poet (Jul 23, 2012)

I've read Magic Cottage twice by James Herbert, a very good read indeed, and I'm thinking of rereading Cold Fire by Dean Koontz and also Needful Things by Stephen King, but I am a big fan of the late David Gemmell.


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## LadyofRohan (Aug 9, 2012)

"To Kill A Mockingbird" is one of my favorites and I have it read it three times. I read the Great Gatsby twice.


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## Jeko (Aug 9, 2012)

Neil Gaiman's 'Coraline'. It's a short read, and it's worth reading once a fortnight. The glimpse of a world you get is enough to make any writer's imagination buzz. And of course, it's Gaiman, and Gaiman is amazing stuff to read. He treats readers like his own children.


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## Terry D (Aug 9, 2012)

I don't read too many books more than once.  Stephen King's _'Salem's Lot_ is an exception.  Not only is it a great story (it pretty much resurrected the vampire story back in the 1970s), it is very well written.  Another book I re-read occasionally is _Summer of Night_ by Dan Simmons.


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## Jessi (Aug 10, 2012)

nikevious said:


> For me, pretty much every book I've ever read has been read more than once. Each time a new book in a series comes out, I re-read the entire thing. Does anyone else do that? Never have I seen or heard of anyone doing the same, and I'm hoping I'm not insane. But whatever!
> 
> As for other books, especially if they bored me to death, I'll generally go back a few years later once I feel I'm able to appreciate them more.



You're not alone. I basically have a library at my house (300+ books and more added to it). And I have read them all over and over and over. Each time I read the again, I find something new I didn't notice before.


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## MisterTribute (Sep 23, 2012)

I'm thinking of re-reading Veronica Ross' _Divergent_ and _Insurgen_. They were great. When I read them, I wasn't entirely hooked to the story--not as hooked as I was with The Hunger Games. But when I read some reviews of how AWESOME they are, I planned in re-reading the two novels.


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## Cairney (Oct 12, 2012)

chewie49 said:


> I have read like 3 times and now going through my 4th "Illusions" by Richard Bach. A very short and inspiring read.



Excellent book. Also worth a read is "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" by him. Another short but great book.


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## Teodorw (Oct 21, 2012)

A common way of mine is to re-read the first few chapters of excellent books so as to better understand the different writing-styles and such. 
Just finished Ender's Game for the first time. Great book


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## Serenade (Nov 2, 2012)

Three books that I can read again and again.

_Martin Eden, _Jack London. #1 favorite book. Any writer that feels like they hit rock-bottom, and that they shouldn't write anymore because no one likes their works. Read this. Seriously. Extremely inspiring and greatly written.

_Jonathon Strance and Mr. Norrell, _Susanna Clarke. Great. All I can say because not only does it deliver an alternate history of magic, but the footnotes make you feel like you're reading a real-life, historical account of the events.

_The Child Thief, _Brom. Best take on the tale of Peter Pan I've read. Really dark (even though the original tale of Peter Pan is quite dark itself), but this is just a different perspective from a child who is recruited by Peter. 

There's a lot more for me, obviously, but those are the first three that come to mind.


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## dolphinlee (Nov 2, 2012)

Early January all of Jane Austin's novels.

Sometime during the yearThe Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings
The Belgariad & The Mallorean -David Eddings
All of the Terry Pratchett novels​
I get something new every time I read the above. 

That leaves lots of time for new stuff.


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## J Anfinson (Nov 3, 2012)

Cadence said:


> Neil Gaiman's 'Coraline'. It's a short read, and it's worth reading once a fortnight. The glimpse of a world you get is enough to make any writer's imagination buzz. And of course, it's Gaiman, and Gaiman is amazing stuff to read. He treats readers like his own children.



American Gods is definetely in my top ten list.  I may very well have to read it again.


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## Jeko (Nov 3, 2012)

Haven't actually read American Gods yet. Have never found it in a library (I don't buy books).

I'm finding that the books in Darren Shan's Demonata series would be great to re-read. They're all so exciting, it's better than watching a film, and then you can watch it again and enjoy it even more.


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## smallmarkbooks (Nov 27, 2012)

Tolkien is always worth a re-read, though my all time favorite has got to be Shogun by James Clavell. I need to finish the Ender series, but I've read Ender's game 2 or 3 times. As for the Great Gatsby? I read it due to 'excellent reviews' and hated it-never could figure what made such a shallow minded man great.


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## mockingbird (Nov 28, 2012)

one book I have read many times is Misery by Stephen King. It never ceases to amaze me how he creates a book within the book and keeps it tense with only two characters.


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## Thedungeon (Nov 28, 2012)

I really love the Hunger Games Trilogy. And Also The Delirium Trilogy. Of course book 3 doesn't come out until the spring. I can't wait.


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## Burlesk (Dec 5, 2012)

I have many novels on my list of regular re-reads. The big one, though, is_ The Quincunx_ by Charles Palliser. Not only is it a gorgeous delight in itself, you actually _need_ to read it at least a couple of times to even begin properly grasping the enormously complex plot. Five families in pursuit of the same, supposedly, stolen, inheritance; all intricately connected with each other and prepared to stop at nothing.

I must have read that book a dozen times, and it never dims. As well as being on my list of re-reads, _The Quincun_ is also a contender for any list of Perfect Novels - novels that are virtually flawless in every possible way.


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## Pluralized (Dec 5, 2012)

Demian by Hermann Hesse is one that I read every eight months or so. 

It's odd and uplifting, and gives me hope.


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## alexandriadeloraine (Dec 10, 2012)

_The Lost Princess _by George MacDonald. It's a great read for children, adolescents, adults and *parents*. Probably my favorite book by MacDonald, and one of my top 10 books for children and young adults. There is just so much wisdom packed into this short story. I've re-read it probably 7 - 8 times since I first got my hands on it as a child. A truly timeless piece.

- Alexandria de Loraine


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## Mellifera (Dec 15, 2012)

I've reread all of my books several times. It's just kind of like visiting old friends I guess. I've reread the harry potter books the most, I will admit. The only books I can't get myself to reread are Stephen King books. Not because they are bad- in fact I'm a SK junkie, but they are so long and complex and SO tense. Its just not the same once you know whats going to happen the second time through. That and I can't handle the emotional trauma sometimes. Particularly in The Stand and It. Loved those books TO DEATH. Never going to read them again haha.


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