Do you read books more than once?

[Mumwhensdinnerready]

With maybe one or two exceptions I never re-read books.Not sure why though as I have many in the bookcases that have survived my regular weeding sessions to make space. Some have been there 30 years ( I am VERY old).
So, this year as well as keeping my list,
I am going to read some old favourites again.

A random selection
The Magus by John Fowles .. read this on a Greek Island hloiday in the 1980s.

The Mosquito Coast by Paul Theroux.... manic American in fear of armagedon takes his family to live in jungle.

Empire of the Sun by JG Ballard.

George Orwell... read all his books in my teens.

The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCulloch. An Australian saga I read in the 1970s and wept buckets. Probably a load of tosh but I hear they're just making a film of it

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Cold Comfort Farm (funny that so many people re-read that....)

The Little Bookroom by Eleanor Farjeon

Yes, the decent ones I re read - Eucylptus by Murray Bail, Pride and Prejudice, 1984, Brave New World, have recently re read some John Wyndham (and found them really dated now)

And I have to confess to having re-read Jilly Cooper far too frequently..

I never re-read, although I've revisited a few for my book group selections. There are so many new books I want to read, although I have recently bought The Grapes of Wrath to read again. I think I was 12 when I last read it.

Not habitually as am too anxious to read all the stuff I haven't already read... but sometimes if I really need to escape. Dorothy Sayers, Hitchhikers Guide, Good Omens are all reliable 'comfort books' for me; or all the childhood ones - Green Gables, Green Knowe, Sadlers Wells. And Ex Libris - Anne Fadiman.

Speaking of which, there's a book by the marvellous Fadiman on re-reading that I've been meaning to hunt down for ages: Rereadings: Seventeen Writers Revisit Books They Love. Sounds really interesting.

Oh I always re-read something if I really like it.(Have just re-read The night Watch-Sarah Waters). often read things several times over the years.

well have re-read 1984,grass is singing,after you'd gone lots.good book can be revisited like a familiar friend

I reread my books all the time. I have thousands. But I'm another one who goes a bit nuts if I have nothing to read.
Mind you I also get books out of the library repeatedly (is a useful hint to myself, if I have got something out more than twice it is time to buy my own copy of it).

I read and reread my books all the time.
I love it when I pick up a book I haven't read in years, I only need to read three lines, and I can remember the whole plot. Which is OK if the book is any good.

I always go back to Pride & Prejudice in the winter, and To Kill A Mockingbird in the summer.

Most of these have already been mentioned but my favourite re-reads include:

Jilly Cooper
Jane Austen
Margaret Atwood (mostly The Robber Bride or Cat's Eye)
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Secret History
The Bone People

And if I really want to regress (which I regularly do) I've still got all my old Famous Five books!

It's comfort reading.

Comfort reads for me are: Agatha Christie, Jilly Cooper, Diaries of 70s/80s politicos - Alan Clarke, Lord Hailsham, Woodrow Wyatt

Still love famous five and mallory towers etc and like to sneak read my dds!

Yes, all the time! Other people think I'm odd, but I see from this thread I'm in good company!
I reread:
John Irving's books, especially Owen Meany;
Cold Comfort Farm;
Stephen King's books;
The Alchemist;
To Kill a Mockingbird;
Emotionally Weird by Kate Atkinson;
and Sense and Sensibility.

If you haven't raed them, go and do so now!
Oh, and Terry Pratchett whenever I'm feeling tired or down. They're like my comfort books.

To Kill a mockingbird
The Bone People
Girlfriend in a Coma
American Gods
Tale of 2 Cities
The moomin books
Lord of the Rings
Angela Carter (esp Nights at the Circus)
Margaret Atwood (esp The Edible Woman)

I re-read nearly all my books. particular favourites are:

Jane Eyre
Pride & Prejudice
Anne of Green Gables
A Little Princess
Narnia Chronicles
The Outsiders (SE Hinton)

But seriously, I have hundreds of books and have read most of them more than once (or even more than 10 times)

flossiet - Sadlers wells! I read some of those years ago, and I've been on the lookout for copies over the last few years. Haven't found any though (partly becauseI can't remember who wrote them)

I reread lots of books. It's like meeting an old friend again.

I never (well, almost never) re-read my books and have just admitted to myself that I need to get rid of those that nobody else in the house is likely to read. Otherwise, the joists are going to crack!

I don't, I want to use what little reading time I can scrabble together to read new books - I've got so many, I get piles out the library and am constantly buying interesting-looking books secondhand etc.

@AnnVan - Sadlers Wells books are Lorna Hill. I still have my old ones at my mum's house; book 1 had mysteriously gone missing, but I picked up a second copy off Abe Books, so it is still possible to get hold of them if you need a ballet fix!

Not usually, there are too many books I still haven't read.

But I do currently rather enjoy re-reading some of the children's classics my dds are growing into. I wallowed in Antonia Forrest last week. And Stig of the Dump.

But adult books, no, I have a huge list of old and modern classics from various countries to read before I start re-reading.

I get through 2-3 books a week so I have to re-read some. I just don't have enough money to buy that many, even if I get them from charity shops. I have tried to use the library but I like books to be MINE. I hate having to give them back.

TsarChasm you hit the nail on the head. I think I have avoided re-reading my favourites in case I'm disappointed, particularly with The Magus. I was very young when I read them and they do hold associated memories.
Someone mentioned Jilly Cooper ..now that would be a safe bet, OTT but fun.