Groundhog Day…Again? (Re-reads to Celebrate!)

February 2, 2016 Idiosyncratic Lit List 13

Okay Bookworms, rise and shine and don’t forget your booties because it’s coooooold out there!

It’s Groundhog Day, you guys can’t honestly expect me NOT to run around quoting Bill Murray movies. In the spirit of the immortal 1993 cinematic classic Groundhog Day, I’m going to list some books that I could read again and again and again and again… This really means something coming from me, because there are precious few books I’ve visited more than once. (I have no idea if the groundhog saw his or her shadow or not, but if we have another 6 weeks of hard winter? That rodent better watch it’s back!) Let’s get idiosyncratic up in this piece!

idiosyncraticlitlist
  1. Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling. As if you didn’t already know this, given my dozen #PotterBinge posts. In all seriousness, though, I think I’ve gone through the series maybe 5 times now, and for a dedicated Potterhead, that’s definitely on the low end. I like to leave a couple of years between re-reads so they feel fresh again, and I never fail to notice something new. They are truly magical.
  2. The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon. Okay, full disclosure, I’ve only made it through the entire series twice, but these books are huuuuge. I went through my first full re-read last year (actually it was a re-listen. That Davina Porter, whew. She is something special) and I picked up on so many additional details. I used Audible credits to purchase the audio books so I have no doubt I’ll be re-visiting them again. I’ll probably space re-reads the same way I do with HP, so they stay fresh. Although, the sheer volume of pages is such that you could go through all 8 books and start right over having forgot stuff. They’re so deliciously detailed.
  3. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I was about 10 when I read this book the first time, and even though I probably didn’t understand it as well as I did later in life, it wriggled its way into my soul. Then again, the fact that my BFF and I watched the Winona Ryder movie version approximately 8 zillion times throughout middle school probably assisted in my abiding love for it. It’s hard not to love something you’ll always associate with your BFF, you know? Also, interestingly, we had THE SAME copy of Little Women which was nuts because it was a huge hardcover version and there must be dozens upon dozens of editions of that book in print. Coincidence? 20 plus years of friendship thinks not.
  4. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. It’s easy to want to re-read a feel good holiday story year after year, and I don’t think I’ll ever tire of Ebenezer Scrooge’s adventures and redemption. It’s not just the whole holiday nostalgia thing that makes me love this book. I don’t really have a Pollyanna-esque view of human nature, but I do tend to believe that nobody is born rotten, you know? Delving into Scrooge’s past and seeing how and why he became the surly miser he was makes me more sympathetic to the guy. Shoot, meeting with those three spirits is like a whole lot of cognitive behavioral therapy squashed into a single night. (review)

Talk to me, Bookworms! What are some of your favorite books to re-read?

*If you make a purchase through a link on this site, I will receive a small commission.*

13 Responses to “Groundhog Day…Again? (Re-reads to Celebrate!)”

  2. Megan M.

    I’ll just ignore the urge to start shouting “A Plague of Sorcerers by Mary Frances Zambreno!!!!!!!!!!!!” and instead say that I’ve re-read “Practical Magic” a whole bunch. Also, I read “Little Women” in third grade and mos def didn’t understand it all, but my sister took me to see the Winona Ryder movie for my 11th birthday and it was glorious. That meme that re-titles it as a clickbaity article “You’ll never believe which sister the neighbor kid ends up with!” is hilarious.

    Reply

  4. ThatAshGirl

    I’ve read Wuthering Heights 3 times. I was right along with you for the Outlander re-read. It’s my second full trip through the series but I’ve read the first book 3 times because I had to read it when I went to Scotland a few years ago.

    Reply

    • Words For Worms

      Man I don’t know HOW you made it through Wuthering Heights three times. Once was enough for me. I wanted to punch Catherine and Heathcliff. Just… ALL THE PUNCHING.

      Reply

  5. Jenny @ Reading the End

    Robin McKinley’s Sunshine! I reread that so often that I sometimes have to stop myself and be like “okay, you’ve read it enough for now probably”. For a book as gross and bloody as it is, it is one of my absolute top comfort reads.

    I was actually just talking to my brother-in-law and sister about the movies that I always watch if they happen to come on cable. (Alas my free cable that I magically have had for the past two years was finally turned off. The cable company must have noticed the error. Alas.) The biggest one for me is Almost Famous. I can catch that movie at any point in its duration and I will still every time watch it to the end.

    Reply

  6. Michelle

    Oh, Dracula tops my re-read list. I read it every year in some form or another. Gone With the Wind is another favorite. I actually wore through one version and had to get a sturdier copy. Rebecca makes my list, as does Wuthering Heights. As for more modern stuff, THG trilogy, the HP series. Oh, and The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery. All among my favorites that require reading over and over again.

    Reply

Talk to me, Bookworms!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.