Book you've re-read the most

Ann22

Have you ever read a book so many times it fell apart at the seams? The one I've read the most is 'The Stranger Beside Me' by Ann Rule. It's about Ted Bundy, she knew him quite well. He was her friend, at the same time she was involved as a true crime writer with the cops in the investigation into the missing girls. Her growing horror as it eventually dawns on her that he isn't the dashing, kind young man she'd been close to is fascinating.
When I was younger I read 'Fenwick Houses' by Catherine Cookson about five times. Also 'Katie Mullholland' and 'The Dwelling Place' a few times each. Huge difference in book choice I know, my tastes have changed somewhat over the years.

Bearhunter

Brendan Behan's Borstal Boy. I read it at least once a year.

The Mad Hatter

I read Lord of the Rings every year for about eight years, but haven't read it for a few years now.

Since I bought Alan Moore's Watchmen about a year ago I must have reread it seven or eight times at least. Ditto the same author's V for Vendetta.

Yavvy

Lord of the rings ..once a year at least
also have read red storm rising many many times

Dades

I used to read "On the Road" every time I went traveling.

Including a trip to San Francisco to see the "Beat" sights!

Delirium

I'd say it would be book 1 of the wheel of time series. Mainly because every time a new book comes out, I re-read the series.
Generally, don't re-read a lot of my books due to being a slow reader and always having a large pile of new books to get through.:)

Malari

Harry Potter...will that get me kicked out of the literature forum?

When I was a kid I read The Outsiders by SE Hinton dozens of times. Since then, I've only re-read books twice because there is so much out there to read, I sometimes think it's a waste of time! But the Time-Traveller's Wife was brilliant....thinking about giving that a third go. And I've read the Selfish Gene a few times too.

c - 13

I'd say its probably the hobbit.

I think when I first read that, years ago, that I went straight back to the start and started again !

Lizzykins

Jane Eyre
Little Women.

I've read these two about 10 times each.

theboytaylor

One day in the life of Ivan Denisovich

I think it's the only book I've ever re-read.

HalloweenJack

I think it's Catcher In The Rye.

I read it alot when I was a teen but haven't read it in awhile.

Gaspode

Hitch-hikers guide to the galaxy - did actually have a copy that fell apart from use!

Red Hand

Oryx and Crake, have read it many times since I first read it in 2006.

AJG

I've read Dubliners 2 or 3 times at least.

Honey-ec

The Stand. I'd say I'm on my nineth or tenth go-round at this stage. However, I don't think I've ever not re-read a book I enjoyed. If I like a book, I'll read it again and again, simple as that.

madziuda

"Eureka Street" by Robert McLiam Wilson. Read it a total of 12 times, including 5 times in translation (bloody good work by a Polish translator)
Ended up writing my MA thesis on it

Oh, and the geek that I am I've read Lord of the Rings about 6 times First book I've ever read in English (unabridged) so it has a certain sentimental value as well

Shacklebolt

Lord of the Rings.

Ann22

Honey-ec wrote: »

The Stand. I'd say I'm on my nineth or tenth go-round at this stage. However, I don't think I've ever not re-read a book I enjoyed. If I like a book, I'll read it again and again, simple as that.

So would i actually. Sometimes I lend books to people and don't get them back. I hate that. I lent 'Salem's Lot' to a chap who took it on hols and left it on the plane. At the time it didn't bother me as i was so nervous after reading it I thought I wouldn't put myself through it again, I wouldn't go down the stairs for a drink of water at night for ages after it but I think now I feel ready to give it another go. Smashing horror story.

RuthyB

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

What a book! must have read it about 20 times. My all time favourite:D

mrsdewinter

It's not high-brow or life-affirming but I keep a copy of Memoirs Of A Geisha beside my bed. I know it so well at this stage that if I can't sleep, I just roll over, open it at a random page and start reading about makeup, or tea ceremonies, or plotting apprentices, or whatever... Try it - you might enjoy it...

gogo

Honey-ec wrote: »

The Stand. I'd say I'm on my nineth or tenth go-round at this stage. However, I don't think I've ever not re-read a book I enjoyed. If I like a book, I'll read it again and again, simple as that.

Ditto, The Stand, read it about five or six times, don't usually return to books, there's so much new stuff out there to get through. But The Stand is like confort reading, i know it will take me a while to get through and love that as i tend to get through books in a day or two.

Acacia

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and Junk by Melvin Burgess. The latter will find myself just picking up randomly and reading certain sections, the former I will sit down for the weekend and read the whole thing non-stop.

Phsyche

Imajica by Clive Barker. It's torn to bits over the years.

todolist

Healing the shame that binds you by John Bradshaw.A real eye opener that needs to be read and re-read.

SeekUp

One of my favorite rereads is "What Dreams May Come" -- No, I've never seen the move, and no, I don't want to!

(I was also a Harry Potter rereader, Malari . . . I used to reread them all every holiday season. )

okmqaz42

Every time I look at my bookshelf George Orwells 1984 winks at me. I have re-read it once a year every year for the last 10 years. At this stage I think it is a compulsion I may need medical help!

Zaph

Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy. Must be due another read soon.

The Mad Hatter

okmqaz42 wrote: »

Every time I look at my bookshelf George Orwells 1984 winks at me. I have re-read it once a year every year for the last 10 years. At this stage I think it is a compulsion I may need medical help!

Nah - apparently Christopher Lee has done the same with Lord of the Rings.

My own copy of Lord of the Rings was described by a writer I lived with a few years ago as 'a well-loved book.' The cover is no longer attached, and the first 300-odd pages are split from the rest, and other pages are falling out everywhere. I'm actually going to have to buy another copy, as I don't think it can take another read.

dr.bollocko

Dades wrote: »

I used to read "On the Road" every time I went traveling.

Including a trip to San Francisco to see the "Beat" sights!

Me too! On both counts actually. Absolutely adore that book. Nothing else Kerouac or the Beats did could ever touch it.

Do you know of any docus that follow the book route or anything like that?

Also the Rebel and the Outsider(Stranger) by Camus would be a particular favourite as would Catcher.

MementoMori

One day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich

JackKelly

Heart of Darkness. I just love it for some reason.

2001 Space Odyssey was the first book I ever re-read though.

kincsem

How To Talk Dirty And Influence People

Tree

The hitchhikers guide to the galaxy.

Tying for second are probably the silmarillion, 20,000 leagues under the sea and frankenstein

IndigoStarr

The Rules of Attraction, by Bret Easton Ellis

FishFlop21

THE DA VINCI CODE

monkey9

Ann22 wrote: »

So would i actually. Sometimes I lend books to people and don't get them back. I hate that. I lent 'Salem's Lot' to a chap who took it on hols and left it on the plane. At the time it didn't bother me as i was so nervous after reading it I thought I wouldn't put myself through it again, I wouldn't go down the stairs for a drink of water at night for ages after it but I think now I feel ready to give it another go. Smashing horror story.

Is that Stephen King?

Ann22

Yes.

emeraldstar

Pride and Prejudice. Couldn't count how many times I've read it.

BOLT

The Pyrates by George McDonald Fraser (He of Flashman fame)

tHE vAGGABOND

I started reading U2 by U2 this morning. Jasus times are bad

Time to re-read something! Good thread, so many potential ideas!

ShaShaBear

A book called Dragon Prince by Melanie Rawn. I picked it up when I was 10 in a charity shop in London.. Found it in my attic at 19 and have read it at least twice a month since then, and I'm 21 now. It's a collection of six books and I have recently purchased the entire collection
Most people have not heard of it.

jobucks

Allen Carrs - the easy way to stop smoking..... I wish I was joking!

On the other side of things, must have read Little Women at least 15 times, I loved that book as a teenager and still love it.

Fad

I've read JPOD id say 6 times in the last year, I love it so. (Takes around 2 so not too long)

Adrian Mole books are more that i consistently reread, especially the later ones.

monkey9

Ann22 wrote: »

Yes.

I'm gonna look out for Salem's Lot, so. You've sold it to me!

Ann22

Hope you enjoy it.:)

theCzar

Tree wrote: »

The hitchhikers guide to the galaxy.

Tying for second are probably the silmarillion, 20,000 leagues under the sea and frankenstein

Taste is a funny thing. Hitchhikers is certainly in the top 5 books I've reread (maybe 5 times) but I skim read silmarillion just to get through it and ditto 20,000 leagues under the sea, every time verne would start talking about what kind of flora/fauna he was seeing i'd skip 5 pages to the end of the spiel. Another thing that drove me around the bend about Verne (and Journey to the Centre of the Earth was the same) whenever something exciting is happening, a climax is building, the narrator gets knocked unconcious and wakes up when its over. If hell is different for every person, I'm going to spend eternity reading those two books.

I've re-read Catch 22 a lot, LotR a lot, Animal Farm and 1984 a lot.

stovelid

I have the first three installments of the Rabbit tetralogy (by John Updike) in one omnibus, and I have read it many times.

louph

The Lord of the Rings &The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

starn

I reread Adrian Mole a lot as a kid. Looking at some of the books here It just goes to show how subjective taste is. I think Id rather gauge my eyes out then reread the Lord Of The Rings. Let alone reread it every year. Lifes to short. With that said Ive re read Paradice Lost..... A LOT

trellheim

Bible.


Lord of the Rings

the Aubrey-Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian.

Shivers26

Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian. I have read it dozens of times at this stage. Its still my original Junior Cert copy and its in bits but I could never bear to throw it away.

I have read all of the Harry Potters several times and also Adrian Mole.