LIFE'S A PEARL

Escaping into a favorite book is one of the best things! When the world gets overwhelming or life feels uncertain, I often turn to some of my favorite stories for comfort. Other times rereading is not so serious. It’s just fun to visit some treasured characters. Or when I find myself in a reading slump, a good reread can often get the ball rolling again.

There is a lot of debate in the bookish world about what counts as a book read. In a world that is increasingly result driven, many people are setting reading goals, tracking their books and throwing out rules for the reading life. In my opinion rereads totally count. As do audiobooks while I’m on this topic. Whatever gets you reading and satisfies that need or desire counts!

In past years I have set challenging reading goals for myself. I’ve structured my plans to try for certain percentages in certain genres with certain authors and a non fiction book for every fiction one I read and so on. But that, combined with other life events, took away from the pleasure of reading. I was setting goals in an effort to branch out and try new genres, read more diversely, and get my TBR under control. All valid reasons with good intentions. But sometimes you just need to intuitively read. The right book has a way of falling into your hands at the right time.

Much like my reading taste, my favorite books to reread are also all over the place. I skimmed my reading lists from years past to come up with these. It’s not a complete list. I reserve the right to add to it or change my mind 🙂 They’re listed below in no particular order.

My Favorite Books to Reread

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

I’m sure it’s no surprise that J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series made my list. Like many people when I need an escape there is no better world to visit. These books are magical and fast moving. Although I enjoy the later three books a lot more than the first four. When I was younger, I always got stuck on the fourth book. Something in the Triwizard Tournament events didn’t hold my interest.

A personal note: I always went through a break up when I was rereading these. They likely weren’t the cause. It’s more plausible that I turned to them intuitively for comfort because things were already in a rough patch. It happened enough times though that I haven’t reread them since my husband and I have been together. He has read the series since then but I refrained just in case they’re cursed. His sister thinks we just need to reread them together to break it.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

I’ve enjoyed several of Rainbow Rowell’s books but Fangirl is my favorite. Something about Cath’s path finding her way through her first year of college makes it a story I like to enter again. Maybe because I also found college to be a hard transition. I adore Levi’s character too. I think this is a great one to read in the fall if you want that atmosphere of everyone returning to school as a new semester starts.

The Malory Family Series by Johanna Lindsey

Johanna Lindsey’s Malory Series follows one of my favorite fictional families. These historical romances are set in Regency Era England. The Malory Family captured my heart with their big family, witty banter, rakish men and adventurous women. While they have their dramas and disagreements, they are fiercely protective of one another and always find a way to come together. Many of the characters feel like old friends when I return to them.

There are 12 books in total and she began the series in 1985. A few years ago I reread all of them within a month and they held up for me. The Present, Book 6, is a shorter Christmas edition that I often revisit when I’m enjoying holiday books in December. The last two books were published fairly recently and follow the next generation of Malorys. I’m sad that with Lindsey’s passing early this year, there won’t be anymore.

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

Liane Moriarty is one of my favorite authors. I have reread several of her books but I’m pretty certain What Alice Forgot is my favorite. Even though I’m familiar with the story now, I still get caught up in it’s fast pace as Alice’s two timeline races to come together. I think it’s one of Moriarty’s more lighthearted books. I love her humor and style with the way that she unwinds the domestic mysteries. In college, I studied abroad in Australia and I love being brought back to that environment too.

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

Emily Giffin is another go to author for me. I have read all her books but for me none of them have beat her first two, Something Borrowed and Something Blue. This may be a case of I watched the movie first, I’m having a hard time remembering. The movie is wonderful as well – John Krasinski is the best! I love the characters Rachel and Dex and the complicated friendship between Darcy and Rachel is better explained by the book, of course. Giffin has a interesting way of taking a morally reprehensible action and making not only understandable but something you can root for. Something Blue is Darcy’s story and I’m sad the movie made her character so unlikable we don’t get a sequel.

The Lost Girls by Jennifer Baggett, Holly Corbett, and Amanda Pressner

The Lost Girls: Three Friends. Four Continents. One Unconventional Detour Around the World is a memoir that follows three young women, all friends in their mid to late 20s, who make a pact to spend a year traveling the world. They leave behind relationships and the high pressure career ladder in New York to set out on a backpacking trip. This book should be required reading for high school or something. Just so that kids know there are other options besides college or heading straight into a career. Its a book that inspired me to continue traveling in my 20s and one I reread often when I journeyed to some of the same countries as these three.

The Archers of Avalon by Chelsea Fine

I’m not sure why this young adult trilogy, The Archers of Avalon by Chelsea Fine, didn’t blow up like all the others. I think I came across shortly after I got my kindle and started collecting inexpensive book deals. It has everything that checks my list for a captivating YA series – young love, hot brothers, a love triangle, mysterious amnesia, and magic (I could get more specific but I’d hate to give anything away). It remains just as fast paced and engrossing when I’ve reread it. Last time was on a rainy backpacking trip in New Zealand. It was the perfect way to be occupied when stuck in a cabin in the middle of nowhere.

Books I Wish I Would Reread

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

Update: I reread this series in 2021 and still love it! Check out my post about my reread experience.

This series is at the top of my list for rereads. I found the first book, Cinder, to be a little slow when I read it for a local book club. However Meyer’s fairy tale retelling in an alternative world where cyborgs exist, a species similar to humans live on the moon, and political wars are brewing was enough for me to continue reading them. The second book, Scarlet, had me racing for the third one, Cress.

I read them just before the last book, Winter, came out. I binge read the final book so I could find out what happened to these beloved characters. I’ve been craving a reread to visit that world again. Especially after checking out the Wires and Nerves graphic novel duology, a continuation of the series. I’m sure I missed some details too with how quickly I powered through that last book. I recently acquired all the ebooks during a sale too good to pass up. I was hoping my husband might enjoy them also.

The Seven Principle for Making Marriage Work by John Gottman

I read The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work after my husband and I got engaged. I like to gather my information going into new things and marriage was no exception. It was highly recommended by several bookish source I trust and rightfully so. I read it a couple years ago and I think it’s one that benefits you by rereading it every so often to brush up on key points and practices. Plus you’re probably in a different place or mindset every time you read it so different things may stick out as important or helpful.

Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love and Heartbreak in the Stacks by Annie Spence

I listened to librarian Annie Spence’s collection of letters written to books on audio a couple years ago. While I love audiobooks, I often don’t retain the information or story as well as when I read with my eyes. As a book nerd, I think it would be really fun to experience this book about books again.

Harper Connelly Mysteries by Charlaine Harris

Update: I read the graphic novel series in June of 2020.

I think I’ve read nearly all of Charlaine Harris’s books including the entire Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mysteries and Aurora Teagarden Mysteries. The Harper Connelly quartet is probably my favorite and I’ve been wanting to reread them. The books follow a private investigator, with a troubled past and a paranormal skill set, who has a knack for solving cold cases.  I just looked them up and did not realize that they’ve been turned into a graphic novel series too! I need to check those out!

Any book by Sarah Addison Allen

It was happy but also sad day when I read my last book from Sarah Addison Allen’s backlist. I made myself work through them slowly to savor it! I love her writing style. She weaves magical realism into every aspect of her stories. My favorite books follow the Waverley Family. When it’s time to reread I will probably start with Garden Spells which also happens to be the first one she published.

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Where do you fall on rereading? Do you enjoy it or would you rather read something new? Let me know in the comments below.