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OT: Books you have read twice..no phonebooks

Littlemin said:
Different strokes for different folks I guess. To me, it is like visiting an old friend and hearing the same stories over; I may know the ending but the real pleasure is in the telling.
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I like your comparison to an old friend or family member who tells a story over and over. I'd add that the friend will occasionally surprise you.

Some books have layers and layers to peel away. When I was a teenager, I never saw anything besides the main parts of the plot. I was never concerned with why some characters behaved the way they did. I didn't have as firm a grasp of the subtleties of language as I do now. I'm fascinated by the English language, and someone like Jane Austen, John Steinbeck, Sinclair Lewis, or especially HP Lovecraft always has something to teach me about language. (Did you know that nefandous and infandous don't mean the same thing?)

I still read mostly new-to-me stuff, but enjoy the living daylights out of my annual foray back into Jane Austen and Sinclair Lewis.
 
I enjoy watching the movies based upon author's novels. For example, Jack Reacher novels by Lee Child. Also, Michael Connolly's detective novels about Harry Bosch. Please see Amazon Prime for Bosch, I think six seasons. One of my favorite John Grisham novels is "A Time to Kill" , with the movie version's paralegal played by Sandra Bullock. Of course you can go back to "Kill a Mockingbird" or "Moby Dick" or "The Old Man and the Sea" or "The Grapes of Wrath" and find the Hollywood version. Please note my list is not all inclusive. I just enjoy reading.
 
I read a lot of books, though not as many as I used to as "free" time seems to be an ever decreasing commodity. However, I don't read them twice. Once I have read a book and I know the outcome, I don't have any desire to read it again.

Same reason why I don't watch repeats of sporting events.
 
I'm not big into reading the same book twice.
If you folks say you read all these books twice, I believe you.
Although I am skeptical of Ivanhoe and some Dickens. Despite the story, Ivanhoe is a dreadful read. Dickens has some tedious passages as he was writing to fill the required pages of his monthly installments. I did read "She's Come Undone" twice, mainly to see if I could find any parts where Lamb gave away that he is male. I could not. I thought that was masterful in itself.
There are a number of books I have reread though, including The Cat in the Hat, The Cat in the Hat Comes Back (a rare sequel as good - some say better - than the original) One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish Blue Fish, Goodnight Moon, and about 25 other titles. I could read some of them without even opening the book – especially Go, Dog. Go!
 
FairView said:
I'm not big into reading the same book twice.
If you folks say you read all these books twice, I believe you.
Although I am skeptical of Ivanhoe and some Dickens. Despite the story, Ivanhoe is a dreadful read. Dickens has some tedious passages as he was writing to fill the required pages of his monthly installments. I did read "She's Come Undone" twice, mainly to see if I could find any parts where Lamb gave away that he is male. I could not. I thought that was masterful in itself.
There are a number of books I have reread though, including The Cat in the Hat, The Cat in the Hat Comes Back (a rare sequel as good - some say better - than the original) One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish Blue Fish, Goodnight Moon, and about 25 other titles. I could read some of them without even opening the book – especially Go, Dog. Go!
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Re: She's Come Undone, What an unusual reason to read a book twice, especially if you don't make it a practice to reread books. I'm with you on Ivanhoe. having struggled to read it once.
 
All of Vonnegut, all of Hornblower, all of Steinbeck, all of Russo (especially Straight Man), all of Tuchman (Esp. March of Folly), all of, of course, Holmes and Wimsey, all of Cadfael, all of Tarzan and the Mars books (when I was younger), Quijote, most of Dickens, all of Will Cuppy, most of Twain (I especially love Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offenses, His Grandfather's Old Ram and the great Bluejay story, plus, of course, Tom and Huck), Catch 22, Maltese Falcon, Shogun and Taipan, most of Bruce Catton, Catcher in the Rye, Mockingbird, Stranger in a Strange Land, Lord of the Flies, Lucky Jim, Green Man, Wicker Man, Incident at Owl Creek Bridge and Horseman in the Sky, King Solomon's Mines and She, Robinson Crusoe, all of Richard Dawkins, Origin of Species, Wealth of Nations, Pinker's Language Instinct and Stuff of Thought, Candide, Sotweed Factor and Giles Goatboy, the Thunderhead trilogy; sheesh, typing one title brings several more. As soon as I post this, a couple dozen more will pop into my head.

There were a number of books mentioned by other posters of which I had never heard, but will certainly try to obtain. Not so easy down here; no libraries, but I will try, and thanks to everyone for the wealth of suggestions.
 
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Lots, but a few I think worth noting:

Huckleberry Finn - I reread it every decade or so. Almost 80, so time for my 6th or 7th reread. Still my favorite book.

Treasure Island - When I was a boy I was told all boys read it, so I read it 2 or 3 times. Reread it a few years ago because I wanted to see what it was like for an adult. Still great!

Mont St. Michel & Chartres - Read it in college for a course on the Middle Ages. During a week-long program at Chartres Cathedral some years ago I reread the Chartres part while sitting in the cathedral or on a bench right in front of the building. The following year on a trip to France wife and I took a day trip to St. Michel and I reread the St. Michel part.

Old Man & the Sea - Santiago might be my favorite character in all literature.

To Kill a Mockingbird - I meant to reread it for the 2nd or 3rd time on its 50th anniversary but didn't get to it. Gotta do it this year. It was such a formative experience for me in the 60's. Read it around the time of the Selma - Montgomery March (which I participated in). Scout might be my 2nd favorite character.
 
I don't remember the title because it was so long ago, but it had a girl, a boy, a dog and a cat in it. I think their names were Dick, Jane, Spot and Puff?
 
I am not a reader. I do crossword puzzles. I have read 2 books since college days(40+ years ago). One was about a professional gambler, a long time friend of mine. The other I finished this morning, The Diary of Anne Frank.
 
As Fairview implied, there are books that might be enjoyable to reread, but it just doesn't go so well. I particularly enjoyed (of older literature) Mark Twain's The Innocents Abroad and Dickens' Pickwick Papers, but - no matter how fondly I remember them - when I went to reread a few years later - no go.

Also someone mentioned Ivanhoe. My great aunt left behind most of an originally "complete" set of Walter Scott, actually printed in 1898 IIRC. As I was a great reader in high school days, I actually read almost the entire set of books. But no, not twice, and no desire to do so.
 
I will sound like a real nerd here, but I did major in English. Here goes: many of Shakespeare's plays, including Hamlet, Macbeth, Antony and Cleopatra, Othello, Henry V, King Lear, and I am sure some others. The English Patient, The Hours, most of Virginia Woolf, most of George Eliot and Dan Hurley Lawrence (Women in Love, The Rainbow, Sons and Lovers). I could probably go on, but I will stop here.
 
Sargassoc said:
I'm an English teacher, so I'll likely not include everything I teach -- except for the ones I would otherwise choose to reread. Here are just a few of them:
  • Beloved by Toni Morrison (you could read this a hundred times and still find something new)
  • The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
  • To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee ("Hey, Boo" gets me every single time)
  • Working by Studs Terkel
  • Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons
  • The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
  • Final Payments by Mary Gordon
  • Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
  • Antigone by Sophocles
  • Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens
  • And the Band Played On by Randy Shilts (I've just started to re-read this because a plague is a plague)
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Don’t think I remember seeing anybody list The Things They Carried. Great, great book.
 
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One a serious note, I used to be an avid reader until some 40 years ago. Although, since then I still have picked up and read a book that interested me but not to the level I used to read. Because of my eyes, I seldom read much at all. I did recently find two books on Amazon that I had read some 40 odd years ago. I used to read a lot of science fiction back then and they were two among many I had read. They were "Sos the Rope" and the Stone God Awakens".

I don't ever really remember ever reading a book twice. There just were too many new ones to read and besides that, I always had a good memory. For many years I lived across the street from a branch of our library where I spent every day in the summer from opening to closing, there I completely read every book at my reading level which was at least about 5 years higher than normal.

My mother used to complain to a friend that she would have to make sure I was sleeping rather than reading at night. In response that friend gave me boxes of books that she had acquired over the years. My mother did not tell me they were for me, but I eventually found them and read all of them as well. There were some really good ones that really expanded my perspective. One was pilgrims progress which was a10-year-olds exposure to metaphor. There were also a few psychology books as well as textbooks and a number of classics. This question really brought back memories of a time when I was a reading fanatic.
 
I have read the Dr. Seuss books several times, most Berenstein Bears books several times, the Magic School Bus books several times and the first fourteen Wizard of Oz books, the ones by the original author, several times.

Did I mention I have three kids (grown adults now)? I also read the Lord of the Rings Trilogy to them out loud.
 
diggerfoot said:
I have read the Dr. Seuss books several times, most Berenstein Bears books several times, the Magic School Bus books several times and the first fourteen Wizard of Oz books, the ones by the original author, several times.

Did I mention I have three kids (grown adults now)? I also read the Lord of the Rings Trilogy to them out loud.
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Having kids is one of the reasons I reread books. I would read the books they were assigned so we could discuss them.
 
Someone once said(dont remember who) they would rather read the worst book ever than see the best movie ever..love that line...
 
I spent six weeks in Florence about 10 years ago and had a free pass to the Bargello, Uffitzi, and Pitti Palace past any lines waiting to enter. I went to them each maybe 3 times a week whenever I had a hour or two between other things to do - after the first few times when there was always new art to see and discover, I would just go to one or two particular rooms to see favorite paintings or sculptures. I think of that as similar to going back to reread a book - revisiting scenes of which my memories have dulled. If/when I can get back to Florence I will have forgotten some of what I saw and will certainly revisit both my favorites and those rooms that didn't make such a strong impression - in the meantime I occasionally enjoy flipping through the art books I have and refreshing fading memories with pale imitations.

There are many places in the world I have never seen, and some I have seen but don't care to revisit, but I will always try to return to favorites. What is different between revisiting London and revisiting a place that only exists on the pages of a book. Or for that matter revisiting a favorite music CD? Or recreating a favorite meal?
 
One more that I forgot.
The Brothel Boy by Norvel Morris.
If you like books that make you think, this is one that is used in Philosophy and Philosophy of Law classes.

Google Search

g.co
 
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Some of my favorites already mentioned:

Watership Down
Middlemarch-like everyone who has read it, I couldn't believe she married him.

Not previously mentioned:

The sublime silliness of P. G. Wodehouse and his marvelous Wooster and Jeeves.
 
Entire Master & Commander series by Patrick O'Brian. Have read them all at least twice, some thrice.

Lord of the Rings Trilogy

Dune Trilogy

Several John LeCarre cold war spy novels. The George Smiley ones including Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. (loved the BBC mini series. hated the movie). First Smiley novella, Call for the Dead, at least three times. Lost interest in LeCarre after the Wall fell.

Big Sleep, Raymond Chandler

The Roman Revolution, Sir Ronald Syme. twice fully re-read, and referenced hundred of times. First copy fell apart.

A Tale of Two Cities, Dickens.

Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austin (love the dialogue)

A Confederacy of Dunces. John Kennedy O'Toole

Riki Tiki Tavi and Jungle Book, Kipling. Heck, I think I read them twice before I was 12. My parents probably read them to me three or four times as a child before I could read them myself. Wind & the Willows, Kenneth Grahame, same thing but I haven't re-read it as an adult. Might do it. Man, I loved it as a child.

Illiad and Odyssey, Homer - different translations. One in older English and one in modern American.

OMG. how did I leave off Wodehouse? Thanks Fang.
 
My youngest daughter, who inhales books, gave me "Normal People" by Sally Rooney for X-mas. I reread it again within three months when I found out it was made into a television series by the BCC and Hulu.

Just walking over and scanning over my libary, I've got certain authors that I read a lot of. Here are authors and books that I pull out to reread chapters of and/or in their entirety from time to time:
- John Iriving ("The Cider House Rules," "A Prayer for Owen Meany")
- Ann Patchett ("Run" "Commonwealth")
- Tom Perrotta ("The Wishbones," "The Leftovers")
- Robert Stone ("Outerbridge Reach," "Damascus Gate")
- Walker Percy ("The Second Coming")

Regarding the "Harry Potter" series, I read aloud all but one (the last) of each book to my children, then came back to read them by myself.

And in the world of mysteries, I keep coming back to two authers in particular:
- Dennis Lehane (the Kenzie and Gennaro novels)
- Carol O'Connell (the Mallory books)
 
The Thomas Guide. Anyone who lives in California, or any other state that had them - before the days of GPS on our cell phones (Waze and Google Maps), we had to get manual directions by looking up addresses in the Thomas Guide. I think almost every driver in California had one in their glove box!!

On a serious note, the greatest series of books I ever read (if you are a fantasy buff like I am) was the series by David Eddings - The Belgariad. Set of 10 books. Best fantasy novels ever written IMHO and I've read hundreds. Read them numerous times.

The other series of books that I've loved and read many times over the years is the series by Jean Auel - the first book was Clan of the Cave Bear. Dreadful movie with Darryl Hannah, but fantastic books. Fictional obviously, but with tons of history and archeological facts that make you believe how history unfolded as the neanderthals became extinct and homo sapiens advanced.
 
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Wow, the comment about Middlemarch (I can't believe she married him), made me think of a certain Henry James novel, which I should read twice as it was fantastic. I read Middlemarch and can't remember that part! I did enjoy the book and when I read it, I kept thinking how wonderfully the author can write.
 
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