There are so very many books I’d like to re-read, but I don’t do it that often because there are even more books I’d like to try reading that I haven’t read yet! I feel like this is the eternal dilemma of the voracious reader. I do re-read occasionally, but they tend to be when I’m feeling down and just need to read a book I know will give me warm and fuzzy feelings. It’s much more rare that I re-read a book that I know will be tough going – either in terms of the content, the prose or the length. But there are so many I know deserve to be read again. Aside from anything else, I read them before I started writing my blog, which means I didn’t write a review of them when I read them and haven’t been able to remember enough to write one without re-reading them. Which seems like a horrible gap in my reading history! They span classics, modern classics, reference books, non-fiction, memoirs and even some controversial topics. Here are some of them:
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Emma by Jane Austen
The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X (as told to Alex Haley)
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
Cunt: A Declaration of Independence by Inga Muscio
Bomb the Suburbs by William Upski Wimsatt
Guide to Getting It On by Paul Joannides
Honourable Mention:
This one I didn’t put in the top because I already had a Márquez book, but this one is non-fiction and one that I do keep meaning to re-read, so it deserves to have a special spot!
That’s it for me this week! Do you guys have any books you read before you started blogging but wish you had a review of on your blog? Or any books that you haven’t re-read because they take more effort, even though you loved them the first time?
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly link-up feature created by The Broke and the Bookish and hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. Every week TTT has a different topic, and everyone who links up has to create a link of ten items that fit that topic. To see past and upcoming topics, go here.
I’m not one for rereading difficult books. I will never reread The Things They Carried, for example, because it broke my heart over and over. It’s on my Must-Reads list but not my Favorites.
You know what, this is exactly it. There are a few that were hard that I do kind of want to re-read, partly because I don’t remember them that clearly, partly so I have them fresh in my mind when/if my kid gets to them. One major example of this is Anne Frank’s diary – I haven’t read it in decades. It’s completely heartbreaking. But also worth it. But most heavy books that were great but super emotionally draining I won’t revisit. I’ve done it, I don’t need to go back there again.
Most of the time when I re-read it’s because I want to continue on in a series, but it’s been too long since I read the last book and I can’t remember who’s who and what’s what in the storyline. There are a few books I re-read fairly often because I just love them so much. I hope you enjoy re-reading all these!
Happy TTT (on a Wednesday)!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
Me too, I don’t re-read that often and when I do it’s because I can’t find a book that fits what I want to read, so I pick up one I know does because I already read it!
I often thought about rereading a book and then writing a review on it, I think I would read with more intent if I knew I was reading to review.
That’s exactly it. When I’m just reading, I kind of let it wash over me and don’t really catalogue details in my mind in the same way. But when I know I’m reviewing it I’m more of a detailed reader.
The Hobbit is special to me – my dad read it to me when I was a little girl 🙂 https://readingismysuperpower.org/2025/07/08/top-ten-tuesday-book-titles-based-on-a-song-summer-reading-challenge-giveaway
Me too! Same. ❤
I could reread The Hobbit every year, I think.
I haven’t read it since I was a kid! Only vague memories remain, but I know I liked it more than LoTR, so I’d re-read that before the whole trilogy that came after!
A Prayer for Owen Meany is one of my favorite books of all time. It is one of those books that just live vividly in my mind, and I am pretty sure I think about some part of it at least once a week.
Great list!
It’s a weird thing – I read it in high school, which was longer ago than I’m prepared to admit! So now it’s not that clear in my mind. I remember random bits like the car and the capital letters, but not the whole story. It’s more the feel of it and the memory of how it hit at the time that sticks with me. Hence why I’d like to re-read it! Did you watch the film based on it? I think it was called Simon Birch. Not exactly the same, but decent.
It’s a rare occurrence for me to reread a book. It’s a combination of too many books to read, and so little time, and the fact that I know what’s going to happen.
Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!
https://readbakecreate.com/the-ns-have-it-ten-titles-starting-with-n/
I usually go by the same reasoning! I’ve been trying to allow myself a little leeway in re-reading over the past couple of years, particularly for books I don’t remember that clearly but know I enjoyed! It’s always a struggle though!