Repeated Rereadings

The question for this week's Book List (hosted by Rebecca at Lost In Books) is, What are some books you're read over and over?

I'm actually a fan of rereading, which is one of the reasons a huge TBR pile stresses me out--then I feel like I can't reread the books I want to!  Here are some books I've worn thin with rereads:




Night Train to Memphis by Barbara Michaels--This isn't the best book in the Vicky Bliss series, but it took me a loooong time to realize that.  It is the first book in the series I read, though, and continues to be my favorite.  Vicky is an art historian who has an awesome job in a Munich art museum, where she's the curator of the medieval art collection.  However, her job is so plush, she spends most of her time writing trashy romance novels and traveling about chasing after her art thief boyfriend, the dashing Sir John Smythe.  In Night Train, she signs up for a cruise up the Nile, expecting to meet John, but not in the condition she finds him.  I was hooked on this book as soon as Vicky meets John boarding the ship, and in a complete swoon over Sir John for the rest of the book!  I think I read it five times within the first year it was published, and multiple times after that.

And in case you're wondering, yes, this book might have had something to do with me becoming an art historian.

The Vampire Diaries & The Secret Circle--I've reread these books so many times I actually can't read them read them anymore.  The Vampire Diaries about two vampire brothers from Renaissance Italy (so romantic!) who fall in love with the same girl, Elena--but I'm sure you're familiar with that from the TV show.  The Secret Circle takes place near Salem, Mass., and is about a colony of witches that dates back to colonial times.  Cassie, the new girl in town, is inducted into the coven and falls in love with Adam, the do-gooder boyfriend of the even more goody-goody coven leader, Diana.  They're both by LJ Smith and were published when I was between 13 and 14, a very impressionable age for me.  I was absolutely obsessed with them.  I'm not sure exactly how many times I've read these, but it's a lot.

The Ivy Tree by Mary Stewart--Back when I was a kid, I would run out of books quickly in the summer, so I started on my mom's stack.  The Ivy Tree is one that I've read literally on a yearly basis ever since I can remember.  It was the first Mary Stewart book I read, has a great mystery, and a hidden romance.

Twilight--I've only read this three times, to be honest.  It's very romantic and good at sweeping me away from my problems.  I was thankful to have this book with me when I went to my grandfather's funeral a few years ago.

Charmed and Dangerous by Jane Ashford--This is a historical romance that takes place in the Napoleonic era and has settings in Italy, England, and Vienna.  The first time I read it, I thought it was awesome--the second time was even better!  It's one of those novels you don't expect to work, but it keeps surprising you.  The historical detail and characters are fabulous, too.

Here Comes the Sun! by Emilie Loring--Yes, the exclamation mark is part of the title.  I have a really odd obsession liking for this book.  It's honestly not very good.  Anyway, this is one of those books my mom owned that I glommed onto during summers, and I read it every year.  A 19-year-old ingenue chases a dachshund off a train and is pursued by a handsome, older (like 35, which is reeeeally super-old by 19 standards) stranger who gives her a lame excuse that he thought he could help her or something.  The dog doesn't belong to either of them, in case you were wondering.  Meanwhile, they get caught in a rain storm and have to hole up in an empty cabin for the night.  BUT THEN, the stranger's political rival happens by (also in the rain???) and discovers them en dishabille together.  Naturally, the political rival is going to use this knowledge to tell everyone that the stranger/politician is having a torrid affair!  Soooo, long story short (too late), they decide to pretend they're married, only to live in different houses and not have sex.  WTF?  There's more, but I think I'll leave the recitation of the plot there.



What are some of your favorite rereads?

Powered by ScribeFire.