Gransnet forums

Books/book club

What books have you read twice?

(266 Posts)
whenim64 Mon 13-May-13 10:06:53

I occasionally read books that I have enjoyed, again - years later. When I go back to them, I find that I have missed lots of enjoyable passages and interesting use of language in the pursuit of frantic page-turning to see what happens next.

I'm enjoying To Kill A Mocking Bird at the moment. I remember reading the story in the 80s, and have seen the film, with Gregory Peck as Atticus. This time, the book is coming alive in a deeper, richer way than when I first read it.

Any books that you would recommend from reading twice?

MontanaGal Wed 10-Feb-16 02:46:05

Rosamund Pilcher's "The Shell Seekers" and Maeve Binchy's books- all of them, numerous times. So sad that both of these ladies have passed away. I actually read most of the books in my library several times because I usually don't remember the endings smile
Best thing about being retired is that I can read as long as I like at night and not have to worry about the alarm clock going off in the morning.

Marmight Wed 10-Feb-16 07:14:57

The Lewis Trilogy by Peter May and just about to start for a third time .....

Greyduster Wed 10-Feb-16 07:35:31

All of Mary Renault's Alexander trilogy, and her Theseus novels 'The Bull from the Sea' and 'The King Must Die'. I've read and re-read them all over the years. I am set to have the same love affair with the books of Manda Scott.

TerriBull Wed 10-Feb-16 08:42:31

I read many of my childhood books twice, probably because I'd run out of books and would be waiting for the next one, but I remember reading many of them over and over, I hated being without a book, I still do. Among those would have been both the Alice books, Wonderland and Looking Glass, "Wind in The Willows", "The Water Babies", "Heidi", "What Katy Did" and umpteen Enid Blytons and as a teenager "Gone with the Wind". Now I'm in the lucky position to have lots of books lined up to read but if I didn't, I would revisit some of my best reads of the last few years, such as "Star of the Sea", "Middlesex", "The Blind Assassin", "The Crimson Petal and The White" and the "Poisonwood Bible" to name but a few.

TerriBull Wed 10-Feb-16 08:54:56

Left off my to read again list "Life After Life" "Behind The Scenes at the Museum", "Atonement" and many of sadly departed Margaret Forster's and Ruth Rendell/Barbara Vine's.

Willow500 Wed 10-Feb-16 19:55:23

I've read Lord of the Rings several times, also Jane Eyre and a book called 5 Smooth Stones.

grandma60 Wed 10-Feb-16 20:43:56

I read Flora Thompson's Lark Rise to Candleford several times, until I lent out my copy and didn't get it back! The TV series a few years ago was a great disappointment though.

leilajay Fri 12-Feb-16 10:12:37

The biography of Whoopi Goolberg absolutely love it and so hilarious. I bought in 1999 and still the funniest book I ever read. The book has no title just the pretty face of Whoopi

HannahLoisLuke Fri 12-Feb-16 11:01:14

All of Anita Shreve and Barbara Trapido
Frost in May by Antonia White
Anything by Vita Sackville West
All of Elizabeth Berg
We need to talk about Kevin Lionel Shriver
Saturday Ian McEwan
A lot if Emile Zola
Most of Bill Bryson some three times
Suite Francais Irene Nemirovsky
Anna Karenina went off her on the second reading.
Handmaids Tale Margaret Atwood. Creepy
A lot of Anita Desai
Never Let Me Go Japanese writer, can't remember
Snobs Julien Fellows
Joe Simpsons Mountaineering books
Jane Austin, everybody loves her
Too, too many more. My brain aches!

Love epic poems too. The charge of the light brigade, The lady of shallot etc
Favourite weepy poem The Highwayman.

BBbevan Fri 12-Feb-16 11:54:01

Behind the Scenes at the Museum, by Kate Atkinson is my very favourite book and has been read many times. Also anything by Margaret Forster, who has sadly died.

jimorourke Tue 16-Feb-16 11:32:27

Heritage by Abba Eban, history of the Jews , fascinating book,

NonnaW Tue 16-Feb-16 12:43:04

Jane Austen. I had a boxed set of. Her books andreadthem over Andover. Sadly I've mislaid them after a few house moves.

Greymary Tue 16-Feb-16 13:04:51

So many lovely books. What a pleasure it is to read them again.

I do enjoy picking up Miss Garnet's Angel by Salley Vickers for another read.
Always seem to find something new in it, another aspect.

allwordsdesign Mon 07-Mar-16 17:59:19

Too many to mention all, but besides the classics (obvoiusly), these are a few I read over and over and always find something new to admire about the language, style, structure, plot, characters or ideolology (of the author and/or characters) .......

The Lacuna -- Barbara Kingsolver
Prodigal Summer -- Barbara Kingsolver
The Bone People -- Keri Hulme
Half of a Yellow Sun -- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Highland River -- Neil M. Gunn
The Silver Darlings -- Neil M. Gunn

annodomini Mon 07-Mar-16 18:24:51

My bookshelves are full of books I mean to read again, but there's always something new to read, a new author to try, and my 'to be read' pile is always growing! But I have read all Jane Austen several times and some of Dickens. Have you ever started reading a book and suddenly realised you've read it before?

BBbevan Mon 07-Mar-16 18:48:23

Jane Eyre ( did it for O level)
Kate Atkinson, Behind the Scenes at the Museum.
All Margaret Forster, Have the Men had Enough, Precious Lives , to name but two.
All the gentle Miss Read books, which require no effort at all

BBbevan Mon 07-Mar-16 18:50:28

Sorry folks, already posted about this. Senior moment blush

Jalima Mon 07-Mar-16 19:49:40

BBbevan one of the advantages of getting older is that you can re-read books and not remember the ending from the first time.

BBbevan Mon 07-Mar-16 20:40:23

Jamila, exactly!!!

mollie Mon 07-Mar-16 21:13:09

Just re-read all five of the Frieda Klein series, written by Nicci French, and enjoyed them even more the second time round...

Cosafina Tue 08-Mar-16 11:08:33

Ditto To Kill A Mockingbird, but also:

The Cider House Rules (John Irving)
Cat's Cradle (Kurt Vonnegut Jr)
The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
The Book On The Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are (Dr Alan Watts)

I'm also going to re-read The Secret Life Of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd) as I found it so powerful.

rjn272 Tue 08-Mar-16 11:27:15

I reread The Colour by Rose Tremaine when I was travelling around New Zealand. I wasn't sure how much I liked it the first time but on second reading and able to relate more to it, I found I enjoyed it a lot.

antheaholloway Tue 08-Mar-16 13:47:05

Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (first with my children and now with my grandchildren)
Rebecca
The Time Traveller's Wife

Dearknees Tue 08-Mar-16 13:49:38

I've read many books more than once but the only book I've ever read twice in succession is 'The Bronze Horseman' by Paullina Simons. I couldn't bear to finish it so I went straight back to the beginning and read it again.

pensionpat Tue 08-Mar-16 17:08:05

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. Like all his books it is a very complicated plot, but everything is explained. Superb