I’m making my Xmas wish list and I’m stumped what books to ask for. I read a lot of books from the library and try to limit my buys to books that come so highly recommended I may conceivably want to re-read it. That’s my criteria for owning a book: if I don’t plan to re-read it, I trade it to one of my local bookstores for store credit. Can you recommend me a book you’ve read in the past two years that you’ve either already read a second time or plan to re-read? I’m asking it like this to thin out *some* of the all-time classic recommendations in favor of freshness. Some books from the past two years I want to re-read (I’m looking at my stack): Dogwalker, by Arthur Bradford, Whale by Cheon Myeong-Kwan, Sadness by Donald Barthelme, Couplets by Maggie Millner, Harold by Steven Wright. I could name more but I don’t want to bore you. I’ll make an exception if a book affected you so profoundly you need to own it even if you may not re-read it. I’ll take those recommendations too. Also, weird is good. We like weird.
by Key-Sundae-3450
7 Comments
Piranesi and This Is How You Lose the Time War! I’ve read each multiple times this year and will definitely continue to.
moby dick- i still find myself quoting it and am looking to read it again soon but i want to read some other nautical books first.
I do the same – library first and if it left a mark or I just know I’m going to want to read it again then I’ll buy it. Occasionally, I buy first if I really want to support the author (a lot of smaller print, newer authors, usually queer stories, etc).
Two off the top of my head from the last 2 years:
Murderbot Diaries. I finished the series from the library and about a week later I went out and bought them and read them all again.
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers is another one I got from the library and went out and bought after a month or so because I wanted to reread it already.
A Gentleman in Moscow
Lonesome Dove
Hail Mary – Andy Weir
I just enjoyed it so much, I had to reread it again with my husband. (Audiobook)
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
If weird is good, try The Trees by Percival Everett. “The funniest book about lynching ever written” is a tough sell, but he pulls it off.
My favorite book of the past two years — and I’ve reread it and bought a copy — is Light Perpetual, by Francis Spufford.