(Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme brought to you by The Broke and the Bookish. Want to make your own list? Clicking the image will take you to this week’s post. Happy listing!)
There are several books that I tend to read over and over again; although I enjoy the story each time, inevitably some of the magic is gone because I already know the story and how it ends. This week’s list pays tribute to the books we wish we could read for the first time…again.
1. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen) – Cliche I know, and it seems like it’s always on my lists. But who cares? It’s great and I wish I could read it again for the first time — can you imagine the tension of actually not knowing how it ends?
2. The Lightning Thief (Rick Riordan) – I was completely blown away by this series, and would love to have the experience again.
3. The Eyre Affair (Jasper Fforde) – Hands down my favorite accidental find ever. A fantastic beginning to an even more fantastic series, set in one of the most creative and fully-realized worlds I’ve ever seen.
4. Poison Study (Maria V. Syder) – Great characters, intrigue, and lots and lots of magic.
5. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers (Mary Roach) – Another accidental find. I love Roach’s thorough research, as well as her hysterical asides and footnotes. All of her books are interesting and informative, although my favorite is Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex.
6. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott) – This book is wonderful in so many ways; I wish I could have the chance to read it for the first time again.
7. Much Ado About Nothing (William Shakespeare) – I’ve always loved Shakespeare’s comedies, and this one is my favorite. I love Beatrice and Benedick’s verbal swordplay, and how the others conspire to make them admit their feelings for one another.
8. Graceling (Kristin Cashore) – I’ve never seen such a strong feminist character (especially in a YA novel), and it would be fun to go back and rediscover my love for Katsa.
9. The Masqueraders (Georgette Heyer) – Imagine going about for almost 25 years without having read anything by this amazing author! I’d love to go back and experience the excitement of this novel and author again.
10. The Taming of the Shrew (William Shakespeare) – Another of Shakespeare’s comedies that I’d like to read for the first time again. More verbal swordplay and innuendo than you can shake a stick at.
Your turn! Which books would you love to experience for the first time again?
Haha yes, P&P is almost always on one of my lists somewhere. I wish I had read it as a teenager! I just feel so jaded now.
It’s certainly possible to be a bit jaded when it comes to reading Pride and Prejudice as an adult. There are so many loose ends and unhappy endings in real life that it can be difficult to see Austen’s pretty as a package novels all wrap up so nicely at the end.
I’m a fairly cynical person by nature, but I haven’t found that this cynicism extends to Austen’s novels. Every time I read it I come across some line that didn’t mean much before, but now fits into my life. I’m different every time I read the story, and so the reading is different every time. That’s what I love about Austen.
Great list! I’ve read about half your list and loved all those titles. I don’t know anything about the Fforde book, but several people had it on the list last week, so obviously it needs to go on the TBR pile! Here’s our list if you want to check it out!
Fforde is brilliant! Read all his stuff so I can have someone else to gab about it with! 😀
I loved the Lightning Thief too and thought about adding that here as well.. And The Taming of the Shrew is my favorite Shakespearan play too..(Twelfth Night is a close second!)
Have you read any other of Riordan’s series? Did you know he wrote some kick-butt adult mysteries back in the 90s? They’re amazing! Big Red Tequila is the first one, I wrote a review sometime back.
My first experience with The Taming of the Shrew came from the film “10 Things I Hate About You.” I don’t think I knew it was based on anything until someone (my mom, probably) mentioned that it was based on the Shakespeare play. The play is absolutely ridiculous, and I’ve seen a film adaption with (and extremely young) Elizabeth Taylor as Kate. It’s fabulous.
I haven’t read Twelfth Night, but I saw a stage production of many years ago. I should add it to my TBR list. 🙂 Thank you for stopping by!
Awesome list, thanks for commenting on my blog. =] Graceling is another good book that I wish I could read again for the first time. =]
thebookshelfreview.blogspot.com
I haven’t met many men who have read Graceling, I’m glad to see it’s found fans amongst them. :p (I’m assuming by your name that you’re male, sorry if I mislabeled you)
Happy reading!
Pride and Prejudice all the way!
Isn’t it the best ever? 😀