As much as I love discovering new books to read, there's something about returning to books you love over and over again.
My mom doesn't understand my desire to re-read books. Growing up, she *tried* to put limits on the number of books I could purchase for my collection, and encouraged me to visit the library instead.
Look, I love library books, but I also need to own certain books because I want to read them again and again. I try to only purchase books I know I'll read more than once, although I admittedly fail sometimes. Today I'll be sharing five books I can read over and over again without tiring.
I'm not saying these books are masterpieces. In fact, most of them aren't. All of them are books I discovered early in life and got attached to, and that doesn't lend itself to masterpieces most of the time. But they're books that mean something to me, that are near and dear to my heart, or they're just books that fill a void during certain times of my life.
After you read this post, leave a comment and let me know if you have any books you read on repeat!
1. The Juliet Club
I don't have any idea when I read this book for the first time, but I can definitively say this is probably the book I've read the most in my life. This is the book I come back to in the same way I rewatch old episodes of The Office before bed sometimes. It's a comfort book, a familiar friend, an uncomplicated love story that I thoroughly enjoy every time (in fact, I'm tempted to start reading it again just typing all of this!)
The Juliet Club follows Kate Sanderson who, after a difficult breakup, is cynical and closed off to love. Of course, she happens to win a scholarship for a summer abroad in Verona, Italy, studying, what else, Romeo and Juliet. And of course, the most handsome boy in class is the son of her father's sworn enemy. And of course, their assignment is to spend part of their days replying to letters left behind written to Juliet asking for advice for life and love.
I think you know where this is going. Look, it's a simple, straightforward love story. The central conflict lasts just a few pages, which I love. It's my favorite book to return to when life is complicated or stressful, it's a lovely story with a happy ending.
2. Everlost (Triology)
This is another series I found at a young age and love to reread even now as an adult. I always enjoy books that take me into a completely different world, one with its own rules and creations. This series certainly does that, taking you into a world-between-worlds, in between life and death.
Everlost follows two children killed in a car accident. Only instead of moving on into an afterlife, they find themselves trapped in a sort of in-between - a world of lost children, where young souls sometimes get caught. The world created in this trilogy is surprising and mystical, everything in it is more than it seems. These books are definitely geared towards a young audience, but they're still an enjoyable read for me even today.
3. In the Shadow of Man
I couldn't write a post like this without including at least one Jane Goodall book! This was the book that opened my world to my obsession with Jane Goodall. Reading this book almost felt like finding a part of myself that I didn't know existed before.
I love this book, because it's discussing what might otherwise be boring day-to-day animal behavior in a way that reads like a story. You'll get to know Jane Goodall, but you'll also get to know the family of chimps she's studying. Learn more about how her life unfolds and more about the beautiful animals she's dedicated her life to studying. I love this book, I couldn't recommend it more highly, and it's one that never gets old to me.
4. Shiver (Trilogy)
I'm a big fan of everything written by Maggie Stiefvater, but this was the series that first introduced me to her. Shiver focuses on high school student Grace, who has a semi-obsession with the wolves that lurk around her town every winter. She meets Sam, whose piercing yellow eyes identify him, and who happens to transform into one of the wolves as soon as the cold returns every year.
Grace recognizes his eyes one winter, and the story unfolds from there. It's a love story, it's beautifully tender and sad at times. I like it because it's not just a straightforward love story, but it's also fantastical, following werewolves and other mysterious phenomenon. Grace and Sam feel like a genuine love story, not just a fantasy. It feels like you're reading about two real people falling in real love, but one of them happens to be a werewolf.
There's so much more to this story, and it's definitely one of my all time favorites. These books are perfect to read in the bitter cold weather like we've been having lately...
Those are my four books that I could read any number of times without getting tired. Don't forget to leave a comment and let me know which books you'd select for your re-read files.
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