I wasn’t big on re-reading books until a few years ago. But lately I’ve noticed that I end up reading some books again and again because they either bring me comfort or because I end up finding new perspective or details every time I read them. Do you have a list of books you read maybe every few years or more frequently than that?
Mine are:
1. A Secret History by Donna Tartt (for the mood and mythology)
2. Rules of Civility by Amor Towels (a comfort read)
3. The Hair-Carpet Weavers by Andreas Eschbach (the scale of the story)
4. The Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson (because it makes me feel things)
5. A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry (for when I just want a book that makes me feel sad)
by -greeky-
4 Comments
I reread for the same two reasons— comfort reads and always-find-something-new.
Favorite comfort reads include A Night in the Lonesome October (with Gahan Wilson illustrations), Lolly Willowes (like Jane Austen, but with Satan), and Watership Down.
For something-new I love the Edwardian writers whose luscious prose and dry, clever observations make reading a new experience every time: Forster (esp Howards End, A Room With a View, Passage to India) and Galsworthy (Forsyte trilogy).
Anything by Brandon Sanderson or Bernard Cornwell! I have their entire library and when I can’t find anything new to read I always reach for these books! It’s like a comfort blanket! 😅
For me it tends to be non-fiction books, usually because I didn’t fully understand something the first time and want to give it another go. Usually stuff by Brian Cox on black holes and quantum physics 😄
Comfort reads for me are Jane Austen and Harry Potter.