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Last week I finished up the book I was reading faster than I expected and looked around for the next one. Problem is I was at work, giving me a limited selection, but fortunately I had planned for this type of emergency and stashed several there just in case (yes, I do that). I grabbed "Steel Beach," by John Varley, because it's one of those few I can always pick up and read again, even if I've read it recently.
There are others.
"Guns of the South," by Harry Turtledove. "Creator," by Jeremy Levin. "Stardance," by Spider and Jeanne Robinson. "Enchantment," by our host. "Gossamer Axe," by Gael Baudino. "Good Omens," by Neil Gaiman. "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress," by R.A. Heinlein. "Bug Jack Barron," by Norman Spinrad. "Rewind," by Jon Grimwood. "The Time Traveler's Wife," by Audrey Niffeneggar.
There are plenty of other favorites, and I generally reread my favorite series whenever a new book comes out (although in the case of the Discworld and Spenser series this is starting to take some time), but these are the ones I read at least once a year.
What do you guys reread?
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The NeverEnding Story Watership Down Chanur's Legacy The Last Unicorn Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Rose Daughter The Jane Austen Book Club Don Quixote Pride & Prejudice The Wind in the Willows The Emerald City of Oz A Murder is AnnouncedPosts: 6689 | Registered: Jan 2005
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Ender's Game (duh) Another Fine Myth (and all the Asprin Myth books)
Beyond those, I have so many books lying around that I haven't gotten around to reading, that I don't much reread things.
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I reread series I especially like when a new book comes out. I don't consider Discworld a series in that sense, though, since there isn't really one plot thread through them. It's more of a universe, but I don't feel that I need to reread it to get what's going on in a new book. I reread the Ender books when a new Ender book comes out, and the Shadow books when a new Shadow book comes out, but I differentiate the two series in my mind; I don't reread, say, Speaker for the Dead when a new Shadow book comes out. I reread pretty much any OSC series when a new book comes out.
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The Ender series. The Shadow series. Feist's Riftwar and Serpentwar sagas. Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land, Starship Troopers, Time Enough for Love, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and The Door Into Summer. Pahlaniuk's Lullaby and Survivor. Hornby's High Fidelity and How to be Good. Calasso's Ka and The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony. Eggers' A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. Asimov's Foundation series and Robot novels. Kerouac's Dharma Bums. Rowling's Harry Potter series.
Those are the ones that come to mind first; I'm sure there are others!
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The Guns of the South Pastwatch: The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus Enchantment Homebody Lucifer’s Hammer The Integral Trees The Smoke Ring The Legacy of Heorot the Pip and Flinx books by Foster the Stainless Steel Rat books by Harrison most of Heinlein’s books Nero Wolfe mysteries by Rex Stout Alistair MacLean’s books Red Storm Rising Startide Rising The Uplift War The Practice Effect Big Trouble
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quote:Another Fine Myth (and all the Asprin Myth books)
Yes!! I also could re-read the Myth books over and over again. I also often redo the Foundation series.
My most re-read book series is the Earthsea series. I usually re-read the Wizard of Earthsea the most.
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I do the same thing Joe does with regard to rereading series as new books come out. In addition, I have a few books that I reread on a regular basis:
Maureen McHugh's China Mountain Zhang Maureen McHugh's Mission Child Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising Tolkien's Lord of the Rings
I used to reread Herbert's Dune series once a year, but it's been some time since I've done that. When I was younger I also reread Philip Jose Farmer's Riverworld series, but it's been ages since I've picked up any of those books.
I suspect that Dan Simmons' Ilium and Olympus are going to be regular rereads for me, but it's too soon to know for sure.
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I re-read too many books to list. Mainly I re-read books when I'm feeling stressed out...it soothes me to know that everything's going to be OK eventually.
I re-read The Lord of the Rings and Pride and Prejudice most years. I recently re-read The Stand. I'm currently re-reading the Harry Potter series to figure out if Snape is good or evil (I just finished #4 and all the evidence is pointing toward good, btw.) I just re-read the entire Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, which wasn't as good the second time around, but which I still enjoyed.
Two books I loved in my childhood/ adolescence and which were actually better when I re-read them fairly recently were The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley and A Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L' Engle.
I've also re-read Ender's Game, Ender's Shadow, and Pastwatch multiple times. There are other Card books, but those are my favorites to revisit.
Oh, and I've read most of Elizabeth George's mysteries at least twice.
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Oh, I reread books all the time. In my response I was talking specifically about books that I systematically reread.
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This is a really tough question. I think I'll just do my most popular. Many just happen to be by our host author, and I promise that's not on purpose.
The Lord of the Rings - Tolkien The Hero and the Crown - McKinley Enchantment - OSC Lovelock - OSC and Kathy Kidd Anne of Green Gables (all seven in the series) - Montgomery Gone With the Wind - Mitchell The Screwtape Letters - Lewis The Space Trilogy - Lewis Mansfield Park - Austen The Moon is a Harsh Mistress - Heinlein Speaker for the Dead (and the whole series)- OSC Little Women - Alcott The Princess Bride - Mogenstern Posts: 6415 | Registered: Jul 2000
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I was interested that you mentioned Dan Simmons. I've mentioned this in another thread, but I was SO MAD at the end of Hyperion that I actually, literally, with malice aforethought threw the book across the room.
My question is: Is he going to make me that mad again? I want to know what happens but I hate the thought of spending $$ on the next book.
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Liz, did you read Fall of Hyperion? Or just Hyperion?
I enjoyed Hyperion, but was pretty lukewarm on it to be honest. I liked it well enough to give the second book a shot, at least. I *loved* Fall of Hyperion. It was just terrific.
I have not read Endymion or Rise of Endymion, however, though I have been tempted. Fall of Hyperion ended well enough for me not to crave the next book, I guess.
I do have Ilium on my shelf, though, and will definitely get around to reading it... someday.
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While it's not really fiction, I've re-read Mike Nelson's Mind Over Matters at least ten times. It's just a collection of essays about everyday life and occasionally his own experiences (which are likely exaggerated). I just find it hilarious.
(For those who don't know, Mike Nelson was head writer and the 2nd host for Mystery Science Theater 3000).
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I totally forgot Gaiman. I re-read Neverwhere a lot, and American Gods less often, and Stardust even less often.
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First of all, I love this thread. Great fodder for finding my next book.
Second of all, I LOVE to reread books. I always get something different out of it the second or third or tenth time.
These are some of the books that I reread frequently: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle One Child by Torey Hayden The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver Cider House Rules and A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving The Door Into Summer by Robert Heinlein Little Women by Louisa May Alcott and, not to sound like a totally obsessed fan, just about anything by OSC, especially Ender's Game (which I once finished reading and immediately began reading again because the story holds so much power for me)
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I do a lot of re-reading as well; this is partly because I have a terrible memory. One that I break out every 5-10 years is The Once and Future King.
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I wouldn't say I do a lot of rereading. More than my wife, but less than some of you. I used to reread more, but these days I just don't have the time. I have such a big backlog of things I want to read for the first time!
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During spring finals week since I was a freshman in high school I have always reread Betsy and the Great World by Maude Hart Lovelace, it gives me so much to look forward to and refreshes me out of the real world (though it is still a childrens or young adult book and doesn't take too much energy from my school work).
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My most reread books are probably the following(all double digits):
The Neverending Story Watership Down Ender's Game
Though I have many others that I've reread multiple times. Books series are hard to reread often, so some of my favorite series; Foundation, Ender, Hitchhiker's Guide, Saberhagen's Swords series, Prydain Chronicles, I've reread multiple times, but not enough to get any individual book up there(except for Ender's Game of course).
Like Icarus mentioned, I've been rereading much less in the last few years as I'm continually behind in reading new books.
House of Leaves and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance take the cake for most reread books of the last few years.
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Down here in Florida, i don't have ANY of my usual rereads, so for the first time in my life i'm spending a RIDICULOUS amount of money on new books...but normally i re-read:
The Ender Saga, especially Speaker and Xenocide Practical Magic -- Alice Hoffman Einstein's Dreams -- Alan Lightman Five Quarters of the Orange - Joanne Harris House of Leaves -- Mark Danielewski
when i was a wee one, i re-read Where the Red Fern Grows again and again and again. I think it was the last time i voluntarily subjected myself to repeat readings of a very sad book Posts: 3516 | Registered: Sep 2002
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What a good thread topic. I'm going to start a thread about movies you can re-watch.
Number on re-read: Chronicles of Narnia. Since I was seven years old, I've read them all about 30 times each, maybe more. More by Lewis; The Screwtape Letters, Surprised by Joy, Mere Christianity
Lonesome Dove by Larry MacMurty The Journeyer and Aztec by Gary Jennings Psion and Catspaw by Joan D. Vinge The Gom series by Grace Chetwin The Amber Series by Roger Zelazny Slouching Towards Gomorrah by Robert Bork Slander, Treason, and Godless by Ann Coulter Shogun, by James Clavell Mind over Matters by Michael J. Nelson The Ender's Game series (not the Shadow series), and Maps in a Mirror
I also read Where the Red Fer Grows several times when I was young, but I don't know if I'll ever read it again, so it doesn't really belong on the list.
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Ender's Game and The Worthing Saga A Song of Ice and Fire series Ilium - Dan Simmons (Not so much Olympos) The Iliad - Homer (preferably not in translation; yes, I'm a snob ) Mort - Terry Pratchett The Dark is Rising - Susan Cooper
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I feel a certain black humor in telling people that I interrupted reading Jordan's Crossroads of Twilight to read Stroud's Amulet of Samarkand, and then interrupted CoTagain to re-read it aloud to my wife.
Amulet is that good, and Crossroads is that bad.
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I reread Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy about once a year (entire series). It takes about a week of my reading time during the summer, but I always feel better afterwards.
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Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody series. About once a year I get an itch and just start reading from the beginning and go straight through to the end (except I don't read the one where Ramses slept with a hooker. I pretend that one doesn't exist.)
Watership Down James Herriot's books I Capture the Castle The Blue Castle Tamsin
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quote:Originally posted by Carrie: Ilium - Dan Simmons (Not so much Olympos) The Iliad - Homer (preferably not in translation; yes, I'm a snob )
I reread the Iliad fairly frequently too (although I do it in translation; my Greek was never good enough to make the story flow, and it's practically nonexistent now. It's usually the Lattimore that I reread.
So was Olympos a disappointment for you? I didn't care for it nearly as much as I did Ilium, though I did like it.
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I've re-read The Chronicles of Narnia more than any other book or series.
I also re-read fairly often the Alvin Maker series, the Ender series, The Worthing Chronicles, and Enchantment. That last one probably most of all.
Lord of the Rings Harry Potter, usually all 6 Anne of Green Gables and (actually more often) the sequels, mostly Anne of the Island And thanks for the reminder of Hitchiker's Guide! I love to re-read that.
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I suspect that my re-reading habits are odd. I re-read...everything. Almost any book that's mine in my house has probably been read a minimum of two times, usually much more than that (unless it's something I've read for the first time just recently). This probably comes from the habit of grabbing whatever book's near at hand to read while doing other activities (eating, taking the dogs out, etc.) I read fiction really quickly; new books, unless they're very long or I have other pressing business, last me a day or two at the most. Then, I go back and read other books by the same author, hopefully in the same series, and then I read the new book again. The exception to this is books I get from the library; I mostly only read those once and then return them, unless they're absolutely amazing.
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Jane Eyre -- Bronte Sister Carrie -- Dreiser Angle of Repose -- Stegner All of Beatrix Potter None of Harry Potter Any of Asimov's Foundation and Robot series Grimm's Tales Bulfinch's Mythology
(You know, I guess I kind of lean towards old books. Huh.)
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I haven't been doing it as much lately, but a few books I used to reread, when I was rereading more often... (I'm also going to list whether this was more of a childhood book or adult book for me.)
Ender's Game & Speaker for the Dead (both) The Chronicles of Amber (childhood) The Dune Series (adult) It (childhood) Fight Club (adult) The Traveling Vampire Show (adult) Born Again (the Daredevil comic collection) (childhood)
Posts: 2267 | Registered: May 2005
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How often do you have to re-read it? Just once?
Lord of the Rings trilogy (at least once a year, sometimes two or three) The Silmarillion (every couple months, I love it so) The Hobbit (same as the Silmarillion) The Unfinished Tales (maybe once a year or so, most of it's covered in the Silmarillion, so I don't see the point in reading it as often) The Histories of Middle Earth (whenever the mood strikes me, it's like 11 volumes so I don't just casually pick it up that often) The Letters of JRR Tolkien (couple times a year) Ender's Game and the three that follow (every so often) Shadow of the Hegemon (couple times a year) The X-Wing books by Mike Stackpole and Aaron Allston (every so often) Wolf and Raven by Mike Stackpole (once a year or so) I, Jedi by Mike Stackpole (every so often) Harry Potter 3-6 (couple times a year) The Jack Ryan books by Tom Clancy (once a year or so) 1776 and John Adams by David McCullough (every 4th of July, at least) Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (once a year or so) The Chronicles of Narnia, all of them (once a year at least, usually two or three)
I'm sure there are a couple dozen more, those are just the ones that spring to the top of my mind.
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quote:Originally posted by Noemon: I reread the Iliad fairly frequently too (although I do it in translation; my Greek was never good enough to make the story flow, and it's practically nonexistent now. It's usually the Lattimore that I reread.
So was Olympos a disappointment for you? I didn't care for it nearly as much as I did Ilium, though I did like it.
I was thinking about it last night, and I think Olympos was a disappointment for me the way The Odyssey always is. I do like both works, I just like the fighting-heavy stories better. Posts: 3932 | Registered: Sep 1999
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I've gotten to the point (due to lack of storage) that the only books left at home are ones I willingly and often repeatedly re-read, most of which are series. Card, King, McCaffrey, Barker, Herbert, Patterson, Lumley, Asimov, a few others. King has an entire bookcase all his own, McCaffrey several shelves, Card a full shelf. I spend a lot of time at the library.... Posts: 4515 | Registered: Jul 2004
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I agree with Lyrhawn about the Silmarillion. (Reading it NOW in fact.) Every time I read it, I make a new connection that I hadn't figured out before, and I always revel in the mastery of language exemplified by Tolkien. I just keep finding myself wishing that Tolkein would have been alive long enough to fully flesh out more of the stories found in the Silmarillion. It is filled with such incredible stories! Beren and Luthien! Turin Turambar! The fall of Gondolin! The bloody-mindedness of the sons of Feanor!
Good times, good times.
And I haven't even mentioned the stories in the second half of the book. Phew.
...Actually, now that I look at it more closely Lyrhawn, our reading lists are very similar. I would have to add several books by Card to the list (Treason, Enchantment, various Ender/Bean books as the mood strikes me, Pastwatch, Alvin, or the Homecoming series), but the rest is all on my list, too!
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quote:Originally posted by BandoCommando: I agree with Lyrhawn about the Silmarillion. (Reading it NOW in fact.) Every time I read it, I make a new connection that I hadn't figured out before, and I always revel in the mastery of language exemplified by Tolkien. I just keep finding myself wishing that Tolkein would have been alive long enough to fully flesh out more of the stories found in the Silmarillion. It is filled with such incredible stories! Beren and Luthien! Turin Turambar! The fall of Gondolin! The bloody-mindedness of the sons of Feanor!
Good times, good times.
And I haven't even mentioned the stories in the second half of the book. Phew.
...Actually, now that I look at it more closely Lyrhawn, our reading lists are very similar. I would have to add several books by Card to the list (Treason, Enchantment, various Ender/Bean books as the mood strikes me, Pastwatch, Alvin, or the Homecoming series), but the rest is all on my list, too!
I think the Silmarillion has one of the best colletions of stories in all of literature. The Sons of Feanor are grim, and steadfast, but often regretful, as if they really don't want to uphold the oath but they have to. It's tragic and bold at the same time.
And I think Turin Turambar is one of the best characters in all of literature. Tuor is up there too. I too wish he had been around long enough to finish a lot of these stories, no matter how much Tolkien I read, on into the Histories of Middle Earth, it only leaves me wanting more. I'm excited and apprehensive about the Children of Hurin coming out in April, as I can't wait to read it, but at the same time I don't think there's going to be much new information between what I've read in the Histories, Unfinished Tales, and Silmarillion. It's just organized better, most likely.
I've never read anything by Card outside of the Ender series. I'm sure I'll get around to it someday. If we have such similiar reading interests, do you have any general recommendations? (Both OSC and not)
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quote:Originally posted by Lyrhawn: I think the Silmarillion has one of the best colletions of stories in all of literature. The Sons of Feanor are grim, and steadfast, but often regretful, as if they really don't want to uphold the oath but they have to. It's tragic and bold at the same time.
And I think Turin Turambar is one of the best characters in all of literature. Tuor is up there too. I too wish he had been around long enough to finish a lot of these stories, no matter how much Tolkien I read, on into the Histories of Middle Earth, it only leaves me wanting more. I'm excited and apprehensive about the Children of Hurin coming out in April, as I can't wait to read it, but at the same time I don't think there's going to be much new information between what I've read in the Histories, Unfinished Tales, and Silmarillion. It's just organized better, most likely.
I've never read anything by Card outside of the Ender series. I'm sure I'll get around to it someday. If we have such similiar reading interests, do you have any general recommendations? (Both OSC and not)
Agreed. Silmarillion is FANTASTIC, and has more (and richer) stories crammed in one little book than most 10 or 12 volumed fantasy series out there these days.
I have to add: Have you read the appendices to LOTR? There's some pretty good stories in there, too. For instance, Gandalf's motivation for helping the dwarves kill Smaug; smatterings of the reign of Aragorn and Arwen; this and that of Legolas and Gimli; etc. etc.
Suggestions: "The Light of Other Days" Arthur C. Clarke/Baxter "Pastwatch" OSC (interesting to read and compare to the Clarke/Baxter) "The Icarus Hunt" Timothy Zahn (light, adventurous reading) Asimov's "Foundation" books various Heinlein books
Let me know if you have other suggestions Lyr
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The appendices that come after Return of the King? I usually cover those whenever I reread the series. Or do you mean the Histories of Middle Earth? The 11 volume (or 12?) that Chris Tolkien put together over the years after his father died.
I'll have to take a look at Icarus hunt, Tim Zahn is a favorite author if mine. I love his Thrawn series, and even his second Duology. And I'll look at more OSC perhaps.
Let me look through my book shelves for some favorites and get back to you, I have tons of books in my room I've never even read before, which is a shame I know. But I'll take a gander.
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I'm currently re-reading the Ender series (just finished up Speaker for the Dead, about to start Xenocide), and just finished re-reading the Bean series. Other ones I like to re-read are: Harry Potter series, Chronicles of Narnia series, Books by Brian Jaques (Redwall and Castaways of the Flying Dutchmen series) And pretty much every book by OSC.
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quote:I think the Silmarillion has one of the best colletions of stories in all of literature.
>_<
UN-read-able.
-o-
I've read Sister Carrie twice, both times for classes, but why would anybody want to reread that book?! Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002
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