Category: book Nook
Do you have a favorite book from your childhood, school, or whereever that you would/have read over and over, even if its a kids book? If so, what are they and why?
I love the Peter Rabbit tales from Beautrix Potter. I remember checking out ever one my school library had for my mom to read to me when I was in kindergarten and, yes, I do still read them cause they bring back some good memories.
The first three Ann McCaffrey pern books, Dragonflight, Dragonquest, and the White Dragon. I don't really know why except that I like reading them again as well as the Lord of the Rings series, though for the Tolkien series I prefer reading those in braille.
Jack London's Call of the Wild and White Fang are a couple that I read again and again as well as The Dragonlance books by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman.
Before I learnt braille or had a NLS cassette player or even the old record player, my mom used to read to me almost everything we could find. The local library in the town where we lived new us on sight and we used to leave there with the max number of books you were allowed to check out at one time, probably have most read within a week, and go back for more. And, no, these weren't just kids books, my mom read the Tolkien books to me when I was 4 or 5 and some of Walter Farley Black Stallion Books as well as poetry, books we'd see on the show Reading Rainbow from PBS, Black Beauty, anything we could find, but we never got into the Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys or the Sweet Valley high books.
I think I read certain books over because of the memories they bring back from when I was little and, yes, I'm in my 30's now, so its nice to have the memories. I think I also read things over because of the fact that some of the books were some of the first I ever read in braille, so annoying that braille is becoming so hard to find now! Also, a lot of the books kept me company and took my mind off things when I was in the hospital, which happened and still happens quite offten for surgeries, unknown diseases and things. When you're in the hospital for a month or two at a time, it gets really boring and you need something to do!
peter rabbit tales for sure. they are great.
railway children, it's a classic story
the secret garden- same reason
the wizard of oz- same reason
the elves and the shoemaker- just a really enchanting story.
the house that sneezed- cos it's funny
anything by enid blyton- she's a great author and i love the magic faraway tree
matilda- because some of it makes me laugh and miss honey's really cute..
bridge to terabithia- because it's very clevher how the boy builds the bridge at the end
will probably come back to this topic
Oo, this is a marvelous topic.
A Patch of Blue: A friend recommended this to me when I was 14, I read it and fell in love with both main characters, and with a stark, unfinished quality the novel has. I own a copy of the 1965 film as well, even though the ending was altered and its power removed. Sidney Poitier is a wonderful actor, and Elizabeth Heartman's life story is very, very poignant. I reread the book every few years, and the relationship between the protagonists never fails to touch me deeply, and make me feel so happy that by the end, I am heartsick, and very close to tears. I can think of no other book which has this effect on me, even after 4 or 5 readings, and nearly 13 years in which to process it.
Gone With The Wind. It's an epoch book and I can remember being in school and wanting to read it because it was so large. At that time 13 braille volumes. I kept asking my librarian if I could read it and year after year she said no, but finally in my junior year of high school she said yes and I wasn't disappointed. There are a couple of others but that one is my favorite.
Mine would be The Phantom Tollbooth. I had read a play version of it in the 6th grade, and I thought it was so cool how the author would change concepts into concrete and/or literal characters/situations. I later read the actual book when I subscribed to Bookshare several years ago, and I still like it. *smile*
Cool! I had to read A Patch of Blue for some lit class in high school and later on I caught the movie on the american movie classics channel and the book is way better. Though, for some reason, when you have to read a book for school, it never seems to be as good as when you just pick it up and read it on your own, which I've done since then and got way more enjoyment out of it.
I also reread the Narnia series, though the Last Battle book 7 was never my favorite.
And, there was a series about the Bobbsey Twins that was kind of popular in the 80's that I still read once in a while.
I know that I will reread The Circle trilogy by Norah Roberts since I just finished it this summer and really liked it.
I really like the Circle Trilogy too.
My favorite book is the last Harry Potter. I can read it, over and over again...I just can't stop. I started reading the Twilight stuff, but I just can't make myself read the rest of that nonsense...then I might read New Moon, but still I don't care what anybody else have to say...Harry Potter is the best and will always be.
I can't think of any book I would read over and over. I love reading and have so many more books I want to get to that I feel as if rereading a book would be a waste of time. However, there are a few books from my childhood I wouldn't mind rereading some day. Tom Sawyer comes to mind as well as all the books in the Little House on the Prairie series. But in general, I don't reread books I've read as an adult.
I never feel that rereading a book is a waste of my time. Sometimes, if I just can't get into something new or can't decide on a new book, I turn to one that I know is an old friend and sometimes I discover something I might have missed before about the plot, charactors, and even some questions that might send me on a search for answers, or even a good writing style that can help in my own writing.
I rarely read books over because I too, feel there are always new books to read but there are a few exceptions. Besides Gone With The Wind, I love Penmarric by Susan Howatch and have read it acouple of times. Would like to reread The Caine Mutiny which was required school reading and I loved the book. I recently reread The Lord of the Flies with hubby. We also like The TimeTraveler's Wife and have read it a couple of times. Also the book Replay.
I like to re read stuff every now and then. I know there's lots of new good stuff for me to find and read but sometimes I just feel like going back to an old favorite. The Harry Potter series is always a good re-read. In fact, I liked that one better the second time through because I noticed a bunch of little things that seemed insignificant the first time through. I like to go back to Jane Eyre and Pride and Predjidice every now and then as well. Right now I've got a hankerin' to re-read Atlas Shrugged because I've only read it once and there is a lot to digest there. I want to go see what I missed the first time through. I'll probably go do that as soon as I'm done with the Wheel of Time series.
I totally agree with the above poster. Though there's lots of new books and I read a lot, there are certain ones that just seem better or more interesting the second time for finding stuff you might of missed. I really need to read Gathering Storm in the Wheel of Time. I hope its still good since the other guy took over the writing and there's a couple more books that are supposed to come after it.
Yes I have reread the HP books many times. I would probably reread any of the books over again that are listed in my profile. It would take a long time to read the Wheel of time books though. I haven't even finished reading all of them for the first time yet.
OK, I'm writing back to these posts as I see them. Chinchillac, I never got into Sweet Valley High or Nancy Drew, either. Tried one of each, but they just never caught my interest. I've never read the Circle Trilogy by Nora Roberts, but perhaps I should. Have read her Three Sisters Island trilogy a couple times.
Dan, the Secret Garden is one of mine, too. It's great. God, I've not reread Bridge to Terabithia, but I really should. Great book, even if it made me cry. BTW, forgive the ignorance, but what are the Railway Children books? they sound familiar, but I can't place them.
Julia, what is a Patch of Blue about?
Jaguar, I tried Gone with the Wind, but found it way, way too tedious. I know a lot of people love it, but I just couldn't care about the characters.
Becky, I'm always up for finding and reading new books. this is going to sound really sappy and cliche, but here it is. New books are like meeting and discovering new friends. Always a very cool experience. But rereading books you love is like reconnecting with an old friend, and often you learn something new about them when you do. That especially goes for books I first read as a child, and then reread as an adult. I find things in there that I was too young to pick up on or understand the first time around.
OK, here are some of my favorites that I have reread. Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott. The other two in that trilogy, Little Men and Jo's Boys, are good books, but the first is my favorite. The Roll of Thunder series, by Mildred D. Taylor. This is also going to sound sappy, but Heidi, by Johanna Spyri. I know there are others, but those are the ones that come to mind immediately.
Yah, Rose, the Wheel of Time series is long and I've only read each once, not sure if I could read them again, but I am going to finish the series. Try the Song of Ice and Fire books by George R R Martin, can't reread those, but good books, really long though.
As for Gone With The Wind, couldn't get into the book and didn't like the movie.
A Patch of Blue is about a blind girl who lives with her drunk father and abusive mother/prostitute and goes to the park every day and strings beads for this old guy to make a bit of money/something to do. Then this guy shows up when she's in trouble and starts teaching her that being blind doesn't mean she's helpless and she gets a crush on him and doesn't realize he's black until the end of the story, but he helps her find a place at a blind school to learn stuff. Not a bad book, but way better than the movie.
s for railway children, I think the series is Boxcar Children, but can't remember the author on that.
Yah, when I was in school all the girls were reading that sweet valley high series, Ick, couldn't get into it though and Nancy Drew was just, I don't know...couldn't get into that either.
I like Harry Potter books and have read some of the first ones over, but I don't like that last one. It almost feels like she wrote it too fast, trying to be done with the series.
I'm weird in that once I find books I really like I see no reason starting to read something else.
I read LOTR every year for 10 years, everything Terry Pratchett is a favorite and I've read most of those mutliple times.
I've read the Wheelof Time about 5 or 6 times now and waiting for book 13, the Towers of Midnight (incidentally if you go to www.brandonsanderson.com you can read one of the chapters from it). There is also a good reread of the series going on at www.tor.com.
The books are complex enough to keep me interested and since they are not finished there are hundreds of unanswered questions that are fun to mull over. One of the Aes Se Dis with Mat is Black .. but I can't figure out who, why does Alivia help Rand die and how does he die and live again.
I have also read some of Brandon Sanderson's other works. I cant get into them to the same extent as WOT, but Mistborn is good, especially the third book and Ellantris is brilliant writing.
Alicia, if you liked Nora Roberts' Three Sisters trilogy I think you'd like the Circle trilogy as well. Actually, she's got lots of trilogies that have some supernatural aspects, and I like them all.
I had forgotten about Little Women. I wouldn't mind reading that again. But as with the Little House series and Tom Sawyer, I'm not sure I'll actually get around to it. Too many books, too little time.
As for Gone with the Wind, I've never read the book but have seen the movie a bunch of times. I might actually read the book some day as books are generally more detailed and better than the movies.
The next is the Wheel Time series is all ready got a chapter posted? Cool! Well, that means that he will finish the series as Jordan intended. I've real all except Gathering storm, will have to get to that one finally. Thanks for the websites too.
There aren't many books I read over and over again. Mainly the Lord of the Rings (I'm working on them as I type this), and yes, Harry Potter occasionally and Terry Brooks' Magic Kingdom of Landover series. And most of the Dean Koontz books I've read and Stephen King's The Green Mile.
I've read lord of the Rings twice. The first time was years ago, when I was probably too young for it. I didn't get a lot of the themes running through it, or the complexity of the story line. However, I reread it last year, and am glad I did. I love those books. I even went so far as to read the Silmarillion. Now that one I won't read again, but I don't regret having done so. The history and depth of those books are amazing.
I actually ried to read the Sillmarillion once about eight or nine years ago, but I got the Library of Congress version. Now normally Bob Askey is one of my all-time favorite narrators but I just couldn't get into his reading of The Sillmarillion. So then about five years ago I managed to find a commercial audiobook version of it at my local public library, read by a guy named Martin Shaw. This one was much better and now I own it.
Good topic, I read Enid Blytone books again and again. The secret seven, the famous 5, molory towers, the adventures 4, Rolad Dal books, Charlie and the chocolate factory, the BFG, James and the Giant peach. Litle Woman, The Secrt Garden and some others that I cant remember.
Hi all, books I'd read again? well, there is afew. one is a book called songbird by Josaphine cox, I find it extremely empowering, the main charrictre, maddaline, is a true inspiration. I must admit to still, after all these years love to read black beauty, it's a clasic horse story. Other favourites include, Flowers in the attic and all the other books in that series. I also have the unabridged book of jane eyre, I love catherine cookson's writing, and one book I've read within hours, is by sydney sheldon, called tell me your dreams, I'd love to get a hold of the unabridged version of it. And that's only to name afew, sometimes I feel so far as audio books go, a reader can either make or break a book for me by how much, or little life they put in to the naration of it.
The Ginger Tree by Oswald Wynd
Obasan by Joy Kogawa
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Anne of Green Gables
Anne of Avonlea
Anne of the Island
Anne of Windy Poplars
Annes House of Dreams
Anne of Ingleside
Rainbow Valley
Rilla of Ingleside by L. M. Montgomery
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
to name but a few.
The Railway Children is a book by 19th century children's author, E. Nesbit. There are a few like this: The Railway Children, The Wouldbegoods, The Story of the Treasure Seekers, The Enchanted Castle. I'm not sure on that last title, and there might even be two Treasure Seekers' books, the story of, and the new Treasure Seekers.
I haven't read any of them all the way to the end.
A Patch of Blue is set in the very late 1950's or early 60's, pre-Civil Rights Movement, the blind girl's name is Selina, she lives with her drunk, kind-hearted but ill-tempered grandfather and her oppurtunistic prostitute mother in a one room apartment in an unnamed city for 18 years, and never leaves that room until she's taken to the park by her Polish employer one summer day; this is the man who gives her boxes of beads to string. There, she meets Gordon, who is Black, and the premise is a bit shaky here, but suffice it to say they strike up a friendship and eventually fall in love, of a kind, and he does begin teaching her about the world outside her one room. He does not send her to a school in the book, though, and that's a small part of the reason the ending is so shocking and unexpectedly powerful.
I found a used bookstore in the mall I"m totally crazy about. In the spiritual section there is a translation of the BHAGAVAD GITA, of the dialogue between Crown Prince Arjuna with his god Krishna about the possibility of going to war with a rival tribe. Even though I've already read it, I'm tempted when we're in there tomorrow to buy this copy & read it again.
That sounds really cool. Do you follow the Hindu faith at all or is this just pleasure reading. It's interesting learning about other cultures and stuff.
I have a tremendous amount of respect for Indian culture & got curious about some of the literature I had heard about from various sources. I knew one Krishna devotee who had read BHAGAVAD GITA. Kama Sutra of Vatsayana, which most associate strictly with sex, has wisdom that goes beyond the sexual relation for both men & women. I don't practice a religion, but American actress Julia Roberts accepted Hinduism, & I am open at least seeing what faith has to offer.
Hmmm. This is an interesting topic. Until recently, I too thought rereading books was a waste of time. I discovered that not to be true. I have reread The Given Day, by Dennis Lehane. It's a book set in the early 20th century, that takes place around the Boston Police strike of 1919. I've also reread Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah. This book is about two life long friends. These are both awesome books, and the second time around, I noticed things I hadn't the first time.
I usually never reread any books. Even books I really love I usually never read again. However I can think of 2 that I have read more than once and would probably read again.
the stand just because there's a lot going on in that book and you really can't get everything the first time around and probably not the second.
The other is the grapes of wrath. had to read it in school and just really loved the book.
I'm generally with those who say rereading books is a waste of time...but I love the Harry Potter series enough to read it over and over again.
The Stand? No kidding you'd have to read that one again to get everything. It's huge and I've never made it through completely the first time, but seen the mini series a couple times along with the Rose Red series.
Hey, I heard that rose red was supposed to be based on someone's diary. Is that right or not.
Grapes of Wrath, had to read for school and it was kind of long.
Now that a few Stephen King books were mentioned, if I were on medical leave or something, I could probably reread BAG OF BONES. I loved that book!! I would have to be on leave because it is long, but it is a bit like Peter Straub's GHOST STORY in plot. It is one of few books I have given five stars, most I give four and a half or less. I didn't want to eat or even have Cheez It's until I knew the mystery.
I hated ROSE RED, couldn't even finish it. Maybe it had to do with my first job out of college being at a counseling center for battered women, but all I could think was "Yeah, right, the part of a cop being the abuser was perfectly plausible, as law enforcement/paramilitary types often fit this description at home, but just running away on a bus & not only finding work but the perfect guy the first try"...'em, yeah. I suppose some women have better luck the second time around, but more often out of habit they pick the same type of partner. It is more of a struggle than the book portrayed; don't know if it is or isn't based on a diary.
Well speaking of Stephen King I just reread The Green Mile for the umteenth time. One of my absolute favorites.
the Hp series most definitely! I must admit I still have a great passion for the series. the sherlock holmes as well, though I've never reread it yet, and ayn Rand's stuff, tried but never got past rereading more then the first 2 chapters. Not that it bores me, just never have the time and by the time I get back to it it's been a while so I read the first two chapters again.
I've never thought about it this way but it does now and I was talking about this series with a friend of my sisters and I was thinking about it then but the babysitter's club series is cute! I love the series, it never gets old! I stopped because I couldn't find any other books and oh! the fudge books by judy blume! great hilarious series. I love when he asks if he can buy new york!
I've read loads of excellent books, but I totally agree about the Harry Potter series. I'm rereading it right now and finding it as exciting as it was the first time around.
ok here goes my list. all the little house books by laura engles wilder. as a kid i loved those books and have revisited them. little women by louisa may alcot. a childhood favorite and as an adult enjoyed it on a whole new level. any of the henry ribsy ramona boks. loved them as a kid and when my kids were little enjoyed reading them again. when i was a kid two books called karen and with love from karen. when i grew up i reread them and was notably unimpressed. magic hour by christin hanna.
I recently reread To Kill a Mocking Bird,a book I first had to read in high school. I'm glad I reread it.
If I ever get time and somewhat caught up with my reading, I'd like to reread the entire Little House Series and perhaps Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn.
I almost never reread books. I don't find it a waste of time, but there are so many books I'd like to read so I just move on from one to the next.
There are a couple books I've read several times. I've read The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton two or three times, and I've read Ella Enchanted many times over. I gave away a plethora of braille books, but I kept that one. I love fantasy novels and I just love the range of creatures and languages used in that book.
I have yet to reread these books, but I know I will reread the Georgia Nicolson series by Louise Rennison. One, because the main character is absolutely hilarious! Her naive thoughts about boys, sex, and friendship are ridicularious! Second, it's read by my favorite narrator, Erin Jones.
I love rereading books, especially when I don't have my eye on anything specific I want to read next, and it's amazing how much information you can pick up the second, third, fourth time around.
The one book I have reread more than any other is "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. I don't know why, but reading this little book in any season gives me immense joy, and i take something new away from it every time.
also looking through that list I sort of wish I can have time to read how to win friends and influence people again and also maybe the ramona books as someone said up above I also like dear mr. henshaw by her and hmmmmmm...... dr. suse is timeless and magic tree house was fun, wasn't it little annie and jack or jake or something like that and oh jony b. hahahahahaha! I love reading about little abnoxious naughty kids well not so much real life ones but it's fun to read about them!
Every few years I seem to want to reread "The Talisman" by Stephen King and Peter Straub. It's such a good story. Same might even go for the books in King's Dark Tower series.
I've read The Giver by Lois Lowry at least four times, and I feel like I've taken something new from each it each time.
There are a lot of books that I'd read over and over again. I'll name just a few of them.
Harry Potter (obviously), Star wars (none of the clone wars novels), Left behind, The battle for the castle, the castle in the attic, The twin in the tavern, His Dark Materials trilogy, Abhorsen trilogy, Hatchet, Huckleberry Finn (though not tom Sawyer) and the Odd Thomas series.
The A song of ice and fire series are all good books and I'd reread them again. However, they're way too long. If I ever reread them again, it would be after the whole series was over. Same goes for Wheel of Time and several other really long books I've read in my experiences such as The Passage.
I love the kid's book called, "The exiles," it's just so cute and awesome..it's about 4 girls in England and there summer with there grandmother. That book just never got old for me..it's been years since I've read it though.
The aughter that I would love to read again is jonnie b jones and steven the book called carrie is my favorite.
when i saw the question i didn't even have to think for a moment. gli invisibili series by giovanni delponte. unfortunately i don't think they've been translated in english.
it's a series for teens or so, i read all the 5 books (hopefully more to come i can't wait) i think 4 times and find them more beautiful each time.
When I first read a Childern's Book called Spot at the age of 6 I judy vsn'y dyop trsfinhit. I don't think you guys know it but it's about a Dog called Spot, it's an adventure book for Childrens.
The Outsiders is a good novel I'd read over and over again, can't go past Harry Potter novels and also A Series of Unfortunate events.
Also Tomorrow when the war began, Boy in the striped tjamas is a good novel too.
Some Comics too, The Simpsons, Futurama, Tin Tin as well.
The only series I read over and over is The Dark Tower by Stephen King. Too me, that was that story that had so many emotions behind it, including loss, hope, determination, bonding, love, and yes hate as well.
books i'd read over and over,
dark jewls trilogy by ann bishop, it's dark, sentual, and magical,
harry potter, well some of the books, gobblet of fire at least best out of the 7.
all 24 and counting of the warriors books by erin hunter, cats, cats and more ass kicking cats,
mists of avalon by marian bradly, it's king arther, but from the point of view of the females.
Hi Everyone,
I found this thread really interesting, and will certainly come back here and see what some of your current ideas are.
as for me, I think that the book I'd love to read over and over would be probably caves of steel, or maybe I robot by Asimov. I found him a fascinating writer, and even love some of his short stories too.
there was a story I read in braille as a child which I'd love to read again just to see what was so fascinating about it, and it had to do with some castle or some place like that, and I know that it was an APH book, but other than that I really don't know anything about it.
Another braille book I found fascinating was bring the jubilee about the south winning the war between the states. I just love alternate states books and am fascinated at the idea of what might have happened if someone could have kept Kennedy from dying, or maybe some way that the twin towers could have been saved. Ok, I'm crazy and fully admit it, but then maybe some of you are crazy too?
Bill K.
I have a ton. I think (because I just rediscovered them) The Talisman and the Black House by Stephen King and Peter Straub two of my all-time favorites. I really enjoyed the Dark tower too, up until the sixth book (don't even get me started on the slap in the face that was the seventh). The Green Mile (also Stephen King) stands out in my mind. There are many others though. I've read the Harry Potter series a few times, and may yet read it again with my wife.
the invisibles series, all 5 books can't wait for more coming out. read them at least 4 times and going to do it again soon
Let's see.... This is quite a marvelous topic!!! I've read the Harry Potter books over and over and over again, and never seem to tireof reading them. Also, I could read Wuthering Heights, and the Kilgannon series by Kathleen Givens a million times.
my favorite book series. are the john grisham books. and i also like the harry potter series. too. there's a lot of books i enjoy. i'm a book warm. most of the time.
Little Women, oh my god. awesome book, but sad, and awesome memories to go with it, but still sort of sad too...
Harry Potter. Harry Potter was a large part of my childhood.
Lord of theRings for the same reason. I might reread the Silmarillion one day just to pick up what I didn't pick up when I was twelve. heh.
the Dragonriders of Pern any day, particularly the Dolphins of Pern and All the Weyrs of Pern. God those were two amazing books.
I'm not sure what else, because there are so many books I still have to read...
although I am a fairly voracious reader and do like to get through as many books as I can, I do like to reread books from time to time. I don't like to reread thrillers or mysteries or anything in that vane because I already know the plot so I don't feel that I would be giving the book the same kind of commitment. The books that I tend to reread are those that have resonated with me at some point in my life. I wouldn't exactly call it a comfort thing but if I am particularly moved by the prose for example or if there is a particular emotion that I identify withh-that would be the kind of thing that would want to make me read a book over and over. When I was a child I used to reread a couple of books by Nina Bawden, the Witch's Daughter and the Outside child. Her books always seemed to have an emotional realism to them and so much of what went on was in the characters head-another thing I like about a book is the internalized churning in the heads of the characters. I was often quite lonely as a child and would quite often find myself day dreaming about what was going on in the books I was reading, especially if the emotions were intense or poignant in some way. Aside from the Nina Bawden books I also liked to reread Is by Joan Akin-probably for similar reasons. I would reread these books again as an adult but it would probably be out of nostalgia more than anything else. At this particular time in my life the book I like to reread is the Passion by Jeanette Winterson. I first red it when I was 18 and it just seemed to me that this book was expressing all the confusing emotions in my head that I was unable to articulate in to words, this book was doing it on my behalf! I always consider it to be a highly beautiful work of art each time I pick it up. It has just such a sensuous subtle quality to it! oh and by the way I've heard of the exiles the children's book mentioned in a previous post. I've never heard of that book mentioned anywhere else but I do remember enjoying it as a child. As far as I remember the girls had impulsively decided to sponsor a child in Africa and the book was about them devising wild schemes in order to keep up with the payments. Anyway great topic!
i read over and over again the percy jackson series and seem to not get enough of them. i feel like handsare grabbing my throat and won't leave me alone until i read the book. even though i know what happens i always get a thrill to read itagain
ps the greek gods aren't bad either.