What books do you re-read regularly?

[Snorerephron]

I've got some book vouchers that have been lurking in my wallet since Christmas, and I would like to use them to purchase a few books.

I mainly buy books second hand and pass them on, or get library books, as I have far too many books already. So if I am buying books I want to know they will be ones I am likely to read over and over again

So my question is what are your favourite books to re-read regularly?

(I like classics, literary novels, funny novels, good contemporary fiction)

I'd ideally like to get a few books but really beautiful editions of them -decent hardbacks

(The only books I regularly and consistently re-read are Jilly Cooper's Rutshire Chronicles 🤫)

War and Peace and The Magic Mountain are books I reread every few years, despite the significant time commitment.

A Month in the Country (J.L. Carr) is another one I return to often.

Oh well seems I’m weird, I am autistic. I’ve read nearly every one of those books , I shall reread some see if I feel any differently.

The Secret History
The Bell Jar
Menoirs of a Geisha

Pride and prejudice
My brilliant friend
1984
Hunger games
Les Miserables
(Weird combination, I know)

@ElizabethVonArnim where is a good place to start with Dorothy L Sayers ?

I re-read The Summer Book by Tove Jansson, The Great Gatsby, all of Lissa Evans, About a Boy by Nick Hornby.

Georgette Heyer. I have read them throughout my adolescence and adulthood and enjoyed them in different ways every time. I have also read a lot of GH copies, and secretly rejoice when I can say what book their idea has been stolen from.

Pride & Prejudice, I think because the BBC version was a mainstay of my teen years.

Tintin.

where is a good place to start with Dorothy L Sayers ?

At the beginning! Lord Peter's character develops over time, as do his personal relationships (without wanting to get into spoilers) so it's best to read in publication order.

If you just want to try one, a good standalone which isn't really part of the overall development is The Nine Tailors. That's the first one I read, because I was given it for Christmas when I was 14 or 15.

The shell seekers by rosamunde pilcher. It’s my pure comfort in a book ❤️

The Discworld series - some more than others but they probably all get an airing once every 5 years or so.

Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy - also every 5 years or so

High Fidelity by Nick Hornby - This one is probably every couple of years or so

A couple of Bill Brysons earlier books

The first couple of Swallows and Amazons books

One particular Star Trek novel called A Stitch in Time

The Expanse series haven't hit the repeat list yet as I only finished them last year, but I know they'll be getting re-read within the next decade

I don't have a list of favourites to re-read but if I finish a book and think that it's written in an interesting way then I will re-read it to concentrate more on the style rather than on the story. I find that the novelty of a new book drives me to get to the end of the story and I probably miss some interesting moments.

@ShackletonSailingSouth Whose Body? is the first one. Agree with @HelenaWilsonthat you should read in order. I think when I read them for the first time I read Strong Poison first because that was my mum’s favourite, but I would begin at the beginning. Gaudy Night is my favourite, and I think The Nine Tailors is possibly the best written - really atmospheric.

I've read all(most?) of the Agatha Christie books over and over so many times I can virtually dictate the dialogue in some of them.

I've just re-read one of my favourites and I now have a different view about one of the subplots than on the many, many, many times I've read them before. I think you read things through a lens relating to your personal experiences which changes as you re-read them.

Loads. Hilary Mantel, Molly Keane, Suzannah Dunn, Helen Dunmore

And Austen books

Also Rosamond Lehman, Dodie Smith. And most Virago books

Oh and Colm Toibin and William Trevor books

I love Mort.

Myron Bolitar books by Harlan Coben
The Prey books by John Sandford
I'm currently re reading the Inspector Banks books by Peter Robinson then going to re read the Rebus books by Ian Rankin.

Dear Mrs Bird series by Aj Pearce. So good!

I love John Sandford so much and there are so many of them. Bliss.

Belle
The promise- Belle sequel
Remember Me
Charity
Stolen
^^ all by lesley pearce have read them countless times and still enjoy them, i am actually thinking about reading remember me again- 5th time lol 😂 its actually a true story.

I've read all(most?) of the Agatha Christie books over and over so many times I can virtually dictate the dialogue in some of them.
I've just re-read one of my favourites and I now have a different view about one of the subplots than on the many, many, many times I've read them before.

Ooh, which book? (Don't say what you thought about the subplot.)

I agree that one sees books differently as one gets older. I haven't re-read Dorothy Dunnett for a long time because I'm afraid I won't feel the same way about the books as I did when I was twenty. That and it's more of an undertaking than whizzing through a bit of Agatha or Georgette or a childhood favourite.

Dear Mrs Bird series by Aj Pearce. So good!

I agree. Bad things happen because it's wartime, but it's about friendship and working together and the overall mood is uplifting. I keep looking to see if she has anything new out.

Ooh, which book? (Don't say what you thought about the subplot.)

4.50 from Paddington. Not one of the well known ones. We didn't have many books in the house when I was a child, so most of my reading was from the library, but this was one of the few books we did have so I read and re-read it a lot. Hence lots of memories.

4.50 from Paddington.

That's interesting. I re-read it not long ago and I thought something I hadn't thought before too. About Lucy.