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Post by maggiethecat on Nov 13, 2005 9:54:52 GMT -5
For inveterate readers, there are books we are compelled to re-read every few years, coming back to them like old friends. I'm always amazed when I run into someone who doesn't re-read favorite books. After all, we watch movies more than once, right? Not to mention repeated viewings of a certain tragically cancelled television show.
Off the top of my head?
Gone with the Wind (of course)
Time and Again by Jack Finney
On Writing by Stephen King
Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers
The Great War and Modern Memory by Paul Fussell
September by Rosamund Pilcher
The Narnia Chronicles by C. S. Lewis
Just about anything by Tony Hillerman
Just about anything by P. D. James
And that's just for starters . . .
. . . anyone else have favorites, those battered books that must always be on the shelves and accessible?
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Post by housemouse on Nov 13, 2005 10:53:56 GMT -5
A couple of books I have read over and over? Hmm, there are not too many, only three as a matter of fact:
Lonesome Dove - Larry Mc Murtry (I know I mentioned that)
Ordinary People - Judith Guest
Writing Down the Bones - Natalie Goldberg (or pretty much anything by Natalie Goldberg)
And of course I have read most of the Harry Potter books more than once. On Maggie's recommendation I picked up On Writing and I am loving it, it will most likely be on this list soon.
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Post by anna on Nov 13, 2005 12:02:48 GMT -5
I second P. D. James. Her new book coming out later this month is already on my Christmas list. Speaking of Christmas, I always read Miss Read's No Holly for Miss Quinn, Village Christmas, and The Christmas Mouse every year between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Corny, I know, but what better time of the year for corny? I love all of those books. Pretty much anything by - Jon Hassler
- Anita Brookner
- Barbara Pym
- Chaim Potok
- Helene Hanff
and The Land Remembers by Ben Logan |
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Post by Eyphur on Nov 13, 2005 12:47:29 GMT -5
I love A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. It is the most beautiful story.
I also love Homer Hickam's Coalwood books. Expecially Rocket Boys.
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is another favorite of mine. A great story of friendship and growing up.
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Post by maggiethecat on Nov 13, 2005 17:35:57 GMT -5
I second P. D. James. Her new book coming out later this month is already on my Christmas list. Speaking of Christmas, I always read Miss Read's No Holly for Miss Quinn, Village Christmas, and The Christmas Mouse every year between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Corny, I know, but what better time of the year for corny? I love all of those books. Oh, Anna, talk about being on the "same page." Miss Read? I hadn't thought of Miss Read in years, and I loved her books, likewise Helene Hanff -- it's her fault that I corresponded with a bookstore in England for years, playing out my own version of 84 Charing Cross Road. I just found out about the new P. D. James (The Lighthouse) and am thrilled. I really did think The Murder Room was going to be her last. If it's a Dalgliesh I'll die happy. Thanks again for the Miss Read reminder! |
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Post by shmeep on Nov 14, 2005 10:15:42 GMT -5
It seems that most of the books I read are books I've read before. Many of then are children's books I never got over and that I turn to for comfort. Many others are just books I enjoyed so much I never wanted the experience to end.
In thinking about this list, I've come to the realization that I desperately need to get in touch with more modern writers.
These are the books I read every few years:
The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis
The Anne books by LM Montgomery
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma by Jane Austen
The Little House Books by Laura Ingalls Wilder
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
The Harry Potter books by JK Rowling
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
The Light that Failed by Rudyard Kipling
Great Expectations by Charles Dickins
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by JRR Tolkein
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books by Douglas Adams
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
Those are the main ones I turn to whenever I feel my rut coming upon me. I really am trying to step out and read something written in my lifetime (other than the Hitchhiker books), but so far I can't think of many modern books I go to repeatedly. I could be wrong about that, but none are coming to mind.
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Post by maggiethecat on Nov 14, 2005 11:13:36 GMT -5
In thinking about this list, I've come to the realization that I desperately need to get in touch with more modern writers. How could I have forgotten The Light That Failed (not a bad old Ronald Colman movie, either) or To KIll a Mockingbird? Or Brideshead Revisited? Modern writers? Once upon a time, in a wonderful independant bookstore here that has long since closed, customers were invited to put up a list of their ten all-time favorite books. I posted my list, a friend looked at it, and said, "I got it -- you're English and you died in 1930." |
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Post by carl1951 on Nov 14, 2005 23:53:37 GMT -5
Anything written by Tom Clancey.
Dean Koontz, his best one: "Tears of a Dragon"
James Bond (of course
Anything about spys and/or politics.
I used to read 2-3 books a week.
Not fond of tapes.
Braille worse.
Have to say. I miss reading.
Later, Carl
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Post by shmeep on Nov 15, 2005 7:06:35 GMT -5
Modern writers? Once upon a time, in a wonderful independant bookstore here that has long since closed, customers were invited to put up a list of their ten all-time favorite books. I posted my list, a friend looked at it, and said, "I got it -- you're English and you died in 1930." Heh. I like that. Hey, I forgot one! Shame on me! Not exactly a comfort book, but I do reread it every few years--although after the first time through, I know which parts to skim without missing anything relevant to the story. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo Okay, Victor Hugo does meander a bit here and there. He describes the sewer system of Paris, its history, and the history of sewers in general for a hundred pages or so before getting to the part of the story that takes place in the sewer...and all the nun talk! Sheesh. The history of nuns in general, a philosophical debate about whether or not God ever intended for women to live as nuns, and then a hundred pages or so on the particular sect of nuns Cosette lives with before she actually arrives at the convent. If ever abridging text was justified...but I still prefer the unabridged version because the abridged version skips too much (it's about 25% of the original version) so I prefer to do my own skipping as I go. Good book, though, whenever you can find the parts that are relevent to the plot. Such a writing style would never be tolerated today, with our short-attention-span society. That's probably a good thing. |
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Post by housemouse on Nov 15, 2005 17:14:17 GMT -5
If there was a book section entitled "Guilty Pleasures" this post would be there. But since there is not, I will post here.
Andrew Greeley. I love Andrew Greeley. It has always been my opinion that every Catholic girl secretly dreams of dating a priest. Andrew Greeley writes for those Catholic girls. His priests are always, gorgeous, torchered souls who solve crimes or agonize about everything. I read Andrew Greeley over and over and over again.
Father Greeley is also a dedicated parish priest and an well known sociologist.
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Post by inuvik on Nov 16, 2005 12:54:12 GMT -5
For inveterate readers, there are books we are compelled to re-read every few years, coming back to them like old friends. I'm always amazed when I run into someone who doesn't re-read favorite books. After all, we watch movies more than once, right? Not to mention repeated viewings of a certain tragically cancelled television show. I actually rarely reread books, go to movies twice, or even watch TV shows more than once! (Even BJ I have only seen 4 episodes twice, the rest once). I limit myself to one hour a day of TV, and there's just so much I want to watch! (I'll return to BJ in summer rerun season I'm sure). Same with movies and books--so much to see, so much to read! That said, there are exceptions. I have seen The Neverending story 3 times (fave movie as a kid and still love), Simpsons episodes several times, and read a few books more than once. Anything by Carson McCullers, my fave author, read many times. My fave book as a kid, The Phantom Tollbooth by Norman Juster. Adults would enjoy too, I still do, full of tricky wordplay (for example, to get to the Island of Conclusions you must jump there). From the 60's and still in print! And, the Bruce Alexander series also in this forum in another thread. I'm sure there's more, those just come to mind immediately. |
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Post by shmeep on Nov 16, 2005 13:22:31 GMT -5
My fave book as a kid, The Phantom Tollbooth by Norman Juster. Adults would enjoy too, I still do, full of tricky wordplay (for example, to get to the Island of Conclusions you must jump there). From the 60's and still in print! ! I love that book. Haven't read it in a while, but I own it. I'll have to dust it off and take it for a spin. Thanks for the reminder! |
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Post by hoosier on Nov 16, 2005 16:28:09 GMT -5
I must say I don't understand people who never reread a book or watch a movie more than once--though there are some movies I wished I didn't watch the first time  Books I have read and reread and reread include-- Gone with the Wind Dune series by Frank Herbert Anything by Charles de Lint, C.J. Cherryh,Jean Plaidy Deryni series by Katherine Kurtz House Divided by Ben Ames Williams Tam Lin by Pamela Dean Bewitched Parsonage--a biography of the Bronte sisters that includes their childhood writings Elwyth Thanes saga of the Day and Sprague families Death Knell by Baynard Kendrick--my introduction to Duncan Mcclain |
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Post by maggiethecat on Nov 16, 2005 19:17:21 GMT -5
Diana Gabaldon, anyone? Time travel to 18th century Scotland. Although I did admittedly become a tad bored by the last one, the first three or four are not to be resisted!
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Post by shmeep on Nov 17, 2005 7:51:28 GMT -5
Elwyth Thanes saga of the Day and Sprague families You mean someone other than my mother and myself has read the "Dawn's Early Light" series by Elswyth Thane? Whoa! That blows my mind. We got them from the library when I was in junior high and both read them all and then over the years, we picked up the entire series at used book stores. I found, as an adult, that I much preferred the first two books to the rest of the series, but those two were very very good. Hoosier, you're my people! |
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