Tuesday 4 November 2014

Top Ten Books I Want to Reread

I love the prompt for this week's Top Ten Tuesday! I love rereading and I don't do it anywhere near enough because of all the awesome new stuff I have to read, but there's something so comforting about revisiting a story and characters you already know. I tend to do it when things in life are a little bit unpredictable or I'm having a crappy time. Books which are way overdue for a reread make up most of my 'keeper shelf' (actually five shelves) so there's definitely a few more than ten. For the purposes of this exercise I'm going to stick with books I've only read once but would love to reread in the not too distant future!

1. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen - Food, magic, and a great love story, what's not to love? Also the sequel to it, First Frost is out in January so I should reread before I start on this one!

2. American Gods by Neil Gaiman - I first read this when I was in a book group during university and haven't read it since. I remember enjoying it but since then I've come across a lot of people who didn't and so I'd like to reread it just to give myself a clearer idea of it really.

3. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfeld - I remember reading it and absolutely loving it but don't really remember what it was about except that it was book related I think? Anyway, it's been sat firmly on my bookshelf for a year or two so it's due a reread I think!

4. The Secret History by Donna Tartt - Read for the first time aged 16 and really really enjoyed it but haven't read it since then. I have The Goldfinch sitting on my shelf looking at me, and I sort of feel like I might like to reread The Secret History first...

5. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood - Ah this book. This book was what got me hooked on Margaret Atwood. I remember the vague plot but no detail and it's one of those reading experiences where I can remember exactly how the book made me feel after I finished it, therefore I want to read it again.

6. Wild by Cheryl Strayed - I only read this last year (I think) but enjoyed it so much. Strayed's writing is beautiful and empowering and made me think about doing crazy things I wouldn't ever practically be able to do. I might reread this again this winter actually.

7. All the things by Rainbow Rowell - Because how could I possibly pick one? I could maybe do without a Landline reread because I only read it a couple of months ago and it's my fourth favourite of her four books, but Eleanor and Park, Attachments and Fangirl definitely need to be reread, just as soon as I get them back off my various sisters...

8. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz - I read this a while back because my sister told me it was fantastic and I seriously owe her for introducing me to Junot Diaz. Earlier this year I read This Is How You Lose Her and haven't been that impressed with a collection of short stories in a while, so I used my birthday gift cards to buy his first novel, Drown and I'm going to get to that soon. After I do I think I'll immediately read Oscar Wao because I really don't remember details and I don't think I paid as much attention as I should have!

9, Maine by Courtney J. Sullivan - I read Commencement and The Engagements by the same author and they were ok, but Maine was incredible. I'm not sure if it was the setting, the characters or the writing but I feel like probably a combination of all of them and it's one of my favourite books of the past couple of years. Overdue for a reread.

10. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro - I love Ishiguro's writing, it's just beautiful, and The Remains of the Day was the first of his books that I read way back in uni. I haven't read anything by him for a while now and I really feel like I need to revisit this one to remind me how great he is.


4 comments:

  1. I haven't read any of these books - I need to get reading, never mind rereading haha! I have The Remains of the Day and The Thirteenth Tale, I just need to get round to reading them. Alias Grace, American Gods, and The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao also sound wonderful. I wasn't amazed by Eleanor and Park, but I definitely want to try Rainbow Rowell's other books - especially Fangirl.

    Sarah @ Bookish Retreat

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  2. I would reread Sarah Addison Allen and Rainbow Rowell too! I also enjoyed The Thirteenth Tale, but I haven't read any of your other picks. Thanks for sharing! ~Megan
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  3. I just finished The Secret History. It was so good! I was a little unsure at first. But I loved it as the story progressed. It didn't end the way I thought it would, which is always refreshing! :)

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  4. I tend to reread when I'm having a crappy time too. I think it's because you KNOW you're going to like it, instead of running the risk of having an even crappier time because your book is rubbish :p

    I haven't read The Remains of the Day yet, although I do want to. Never Let Me Go was on MY reread list though!

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