Which books do you read again, and again, and again...

[nikolai]

I've been wondering whether anyone had any books they re-read, and why they re-read them? What is it that had you returning to a book even though you know what will happen?

 

[Crothian]

I do reread some books. Thieves World books I've read a bunch. I just really like the characters and situations. Mercedes Lackey books I reread, and same with Fiest. Both are easy reads and I can fly through the book if I want.

 

[Psychotic Dreamer]

I've read and re-read Robert Asprin's MYTH novels several dozen times. I've also read and re-read Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake books a few times. I've read Timothy Zahn's Star Wars novels a few times.

 

[nikolai]

I re-read Raymond Chandler a lot. He writes detective fiction, and even though I know his books inside out, the style with which they are written has me grinning like an idiot as soon as I pick them up. I also love the way they're so carefully constructed, both in terms of the plot and the scenes that form the chapters.

 

[ConnorSB]

Dune I have to have read at least 30 times. And George RR Martins books, although long, are really quite good the second or third time through.

 

[shilsen]

I reread a fair number of books. My definition of a really good book includes one having enough depth to it that I can return to it more than once. In some cases it's because I always find something new to appreciate when I reread the book, sometimes it's because I just want to recapture the pleasure of the original reading, and sometimes both. Some authors I reread - Pratchett, Shakespeare, Tolkien, Rand.

 

[DaveStebbins]

I go through my Calvin and Hobbes collection at least once a year.

And my Barry Hughart books keep getting rereads.

My job is sort of serious, so the light hearted nature and rollicking good times in both sets of books appeal to me.

 

[d4]

i think the only books i've read more than three times are Watership Down and Ringworld.

Watership Down has a lot of depth to it, and every time i've reread the book, it's become a whole new thing to me. (it's an adventure book about rabbits; it's an allegory of modern human societies; it's an epic retelling of the Aeneid...)

Ringworld (and Ringworld Engineers) doesn't have nearly the depth, but i love the idea of the setting, and so i've read it multiple times scouring it for ideas. (especially back during high school when i was running a Ringworld RPG campaign.)

 

[Richards]

I reread Jack Vance frequently. I've read Dracula several times, and A Clockwork Orange at least twice. I keep planning to reread the entire Gene Wolfe "Book of the New Sun" series back-to-back, start to finish, but I never seem to have the time.

Johnathan

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

The first couple of Dune books, and the first three Chronicles of Amber. Much of LOTR, and I've read the Silmarillion at least 3 times.