Old favourites

Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice or anything by Lesley Pearse. I used to love Martina Cole but gone off her,I fiind all the bad language in it boring and all the books seem the same. Also I have seen her in an interview and did not like her at all. DD has just discovered Nicholas Sparks.

Dickens, Austen, Proust, Arthur Ransome, in no particular order.

Jane Austin, Miss Read, Bill Bryson, Christmas Carol (every Xmas), The Cazelets - although sort of gone of the author since hearing her biography - identical to the novels! Also re-read Betjaman essays about England. Used to like , but don't re-read any more Dickens and Hardy.
Really I have a favourite until the next one!!!!

Diary of a Nobody by the Grossmiths. It's truly hilarious however many times I read it. I've also just re-read On Chesil Beach but I can't remember who wrote it. It's excellent and very sad - very evocative of the 1950s.

Iain M Banks - sci fi which needs to be re-read to be understood as it's so involved. Also his alter ego, Iain Banks. Prefer JA's Persuasion to her other novels, though they all bear re-reading.

Jane Austin, Miss Pettigrew Lives for Day by Winifred Watson, Anything by Margaret Forster, - or if want real escapism Regency Romances by Georgette Heyer.

And Jane Eyre

Lord of the Rings for me, too. Also Elizabeth Goudge, HE Bates (although not the Darling Buds of May books, I like his books about his garden) Laurie Lee, Philip Pullman, Saki's short stories, a few others but not many. I am not good at re-reading, I only hang on to books I really love.

Oh yes, definitely Diary Of A Nobody, wonderful! think I have read it about ten times at least.
others, hmmmn, Dickens,Austen, and Alan Coren's short stories.

I've also re-read Sue Townsend's Adrian Mole books a few times. They always make me laugh. I'd love to have met Sue T.

I love a funny book, like Diary of a Nobody, Three Men in a Boat, Cold Comfort Farm and Evelyn Waugh. These are all old, does anybody write books equally funny now?

Apricot - the first 2 are my favourites too. And the sequel to 3 men in a boat, 3 men on the Bummel.
And Pickwick Papers.
I also like Damon Runyon's short stories, I've re-read many times.

NotTooOld Sue Townsend is sadly under rated. The Adrian Mole books are hilarious and and her articles in Sainsbury's magazine which have been published in book form are very witty.She sadly died too young.

Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series - read and re-read each book about 3 times now and still love it.

Robin Hood and his merrie men/Boldness be my friend/Richard B Pape

I read lots of the classics when doing A Levels many years ago, and occasionally re-read some of my favourites.

As a teen I enjoyed all Georgette Heyer's Regency romances, and for pure escapism, find them great to read again.

T.H.White; The Once and Future King - starts off as a childrens' story (in fact Disney made a film of it) and descends into a gloomy tragedy - brilliant!

Yes Sarum and Cashelmara, also Georgette Heyer, Robert Goddard and Diary of a Provincial Lady (no relation to my life but makes me smile) and Agatha Christie about once a decade.

Peter Pan had a huge unfluence on me when I was a child. I lived it, believed I could fly, and broke my heart over Peter.
Then Little Women when I was a teenager. I loved that family.
I can read those two over and over again.
Then, anything by Thomas Hardy, particularly The Mayor of Casterbridge which I studied for A levels and have gone back to many times.
Also, Daphne Du Maurier, I love all her books, especially My Cousin Rachel.

How long have you got?
Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Pride & Prejudice, Any Kate Atkinson, Most Joanne Harris, Far From the Madding Crowd (well most of Hardy really)
Barchester Chronicles, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

To be honest I re-read loads of books- it is like an old friend coming round for a chat. I can't give a book I love away but I have moved a lot of them on to Kindle now.
Oh! and of course Winnie the Pooh!!

I'll think of dozens more as soon as I've sent this.

Any Margaret Forster, she is brilliant. My very favourite book which I have read and laughed over since I was 11or 12 (I'm now over 70) is The egg and I by Betty McDonald about her life as the wife of a chicken farmer in North America

Any of the novels or short stories by Elizabeth Taylor. Virago have reissued many if not all her books. Or Dorothy Whipple, her most popular titles have been reissued by the wonderful Persephone books.

RF Delderfield, Nevil Shute, Penny Vincenzi

@Apricot - Sir Terry Pratchett's forty-some novels are frequently very funny, as are those of Robert Rankin (he calls them 'far-fetched fiction').