10 Favorite Re-Readers

I have a hard time balancing re-reading old favorites and checking out new {to me} books. There just isn't enough time for all the reading! So if I'm going to re-read it, it has to be good!

A lot of these are probably typical re-readers, but that doesn't stop me from loving them.

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
The first book I remember reading...reading...and reading. I know it's drawn a lot of criticism, and my perspectives have definitely changed since the first time I read it when I was 11. But I still get all swept up in Scarlett's trials and the poignant descriptions of the Civil War.

The Awakening by Kate Chopin
I was introduced to Kate Chopin in high school, and this was my first "girl power" kind of book. Her other work is brilliant and lovely as well, but this one is still my favorite.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Another high school favorite {amazing how those stick with you}. For a long, long time, I read this one every fall. Even though a lot of it is set in the summer, it feels like a fall book to me. There just aren't enough words to talk about how much this book and its author mean to my state. Harper Lee was brave to write it, and if you get the chance, add the biography Mockingbird to your list, too.


Light in August by William Faulkner
Speaking of how books feel, I love to read Faulkner in the summer. His vivid descriptions, spot-on Mississippi drawls, and loooong sentences work really well when you hit triple digits. Light in August is my favorite of his so far, but The Reivers was great, too, and a bit more fun. 


The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
OK, I know this one is a short story, but it's another one I want to read every fall. It's the perfect mix of scary and funny, and, being a short story, it is just the right length for a quick read, too.


Persuasion by Jane Austen
Like Sarah Bessey, I love this slightly lesser-known Austen. Of course, all of her works are divine, but something about this one just sticks with me. And I'm partial to the name Anne Eliot because it's on our girl-name list for future Norris bebes.


The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
OK, I know there are seven books here, but it's hard not to come back--again and again--to Harry. Next time, I want to listen to the audiobooks!


The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
I'm cheating a bit with this one, too, but I have them all in one big book, so can they count as one? :) I read these for the first time in fourth grade and just kept on reading them again and again. The audiobook versions would be fun for these, too! I get something new out of them every time I read.


A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
Yep, another young adult series--it's hard to beat children's literature! Jason has been listening to these lately, and it's made me want to relive the trials of the Baudelaire children {and give what they cook a try in the kitchen}. I can't believe I didn't like The Bad Beginning the first time I read it. Hooray for second chances!


Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
The first "real" book I read, and just writing about it makes me want to go pull it off the bookshelf and read it right now. What's not to love about the story of the brave, quirky, courageous March family? 


Honorable mentions...
In this category, it was just too hard to pick only 10. I had to also give shout-outs to The Joy Luck Club {really, just about anything by Amy Tan}, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith {so sad, but hopeful!}, and C.S. Lewis's Space Trilogy {I had no idea I would love those as much as I did}.


What do you like to read again and again? And how do you balance between the old and the new?