I'm co-host of the Flashback Challenge with Aarti of BOOKLUST. Since we started talking about the challenge, I have been thinking about the books I would like to re-read next year. It turns out that I am having a hard time narrowing it down so I will just make a big list here and probably edit it over the next few weeks and into the new year!First, I really need to re-read Wicked and Son of a Witch (Gregory Maguire). I have A Lion Among Men in my TBR pile but it's been a while since I was in that world and I could use a refresher before starting in on the third novel.
I also want to re-read my Josephine Tey collection. I believe I have all that she ever wrote (eight books) and it's been a few years since I read them. With the Nicola Upson books out (the ones that feature Tey as a character), it would be nice to reacquaint myself with her style and characters.
I really want to participate in the Lord of the Rings Readalong with Eva and Teresa. It's been long enough since I last read them that I think I will get something new out of these fantastic books.
I think the rest of my re-read ideas are just single books so here's the list:
My Antonia - Willa Cather (read a few times when I was younger)
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell - Susanna Clarke (read once before)
A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens (read once in high school)
The Brothers Karamazov - Fyodor Dostoyevsky (read once before)
The Island of the Day Before - Umberto Eco (read once before)
The Chess Garden - Brooks Hansen (read once before)
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man - James Joyce (read at least once)
The Phantom of the Opera - Gaston Leroux (read a few times)
The Lighthouse at the End of the World - Stephen Marlowe (read at least once)
The Poe Shadow - Matthew Pearl (read once before)
The Portrait - Iain Pears (read once before)
Well, that's only twenty five books! But since I'm probably going to end this year at about 150 books read, I should be able to get through most of these next year as long as I don't accept too many review books and postpone some of my ninety book TBR pile here at home. And if I have any spare reading time, I am dying to re-read my Oz books. I only own sixteen of them.
Amused by my own optimism,
K
Wow those are some pretty intense classics choices. I think the year I decide to read P.O.A.A.A.Y.M will be the year I read nothing else haha. Just stumbled across your blog, looking forward to reading more!
ReplyDeleteI am totally going to be re-reading Wicked this year!!! I now have copies of all 3 books and I must read them. I've been a bit hesitant to move on because Wicked is one of my all-time faves! That's a lot to live up to!! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm still trying to come up with my list, but am having the same issue of narrowing it down. I also need to get to my ever-growing TBR pile!! But, re-reads can be so good! I'm just finishing up The Hobbit and I swear it gets better every time!!
That is a hefty list, Kristen! Way to be a leader on the challenge :-) I want to re-read some classics, too, just to see if I "get" them this time around. Number one on that list is A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens. Though I enjoyed Portrait of the Artist when I read it. Oh, Dedalus...
ReplyDeleteI'm not big on rereading ... probably because I only manage 60 some books in a year!
ReplyDeleteP&P - I read Portrait of the Artist when I was in high school and remembered liking it quite a bit so we'll see how I like it many years later!
ReplyDeleteTif - I think I've read Wicked twice and Son of A Witch once so I'm definitely due for a re-read anyway. Son wasn't as good as Wicked but it was interesting for its own reasons.
Aarti - I know! My list is ridiculous but I really am a big fan of re-reading and I need to get back to it. I'm hoping that this time through A Tale of Two Cities won't be ruined by the most heinous Honors English Project ever. Stupid "themes", "settings", "characters" ... grumble ...
Jenners - It's hard to make time but I really see it as the same as re-watching a movie which I do ALL of the time.
I've heard that the last sentence in Son is completely worth the entire book. It's tempting to go read it, but I cannot bring myself to do it!! I need to read the whole book!!
ReplyDeleteTif - I am not a person that can cheat like that either!
ReplyDelete