Weekly Lists #35: Books to Rediscover
Every Wednesday, I post a list of 5 random things. This week: books I’d like to rediscover!
A couple of weeks back, I posted on my Instagram about how, sometimes, I have these books that I really wish I could re-read for the first time – as in: I reread them anyways, but I would love to actually relive the way it made me feel to read them for the first time – as it turned out, I wasn’t the only one to feel this way, so I figured: let’s write about it!
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1. Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling
If you’re tired of me bringing this one up just about every other post: I’m sorry.
However, this is definitely one of those series where I can say “it made me into who I am today” and not even be overreacting, so I figured it was only fair to start off with this one!
I loved reading every single book of this series, I loved discovering how all these elements fit into each other, I loved going along with this amazing journey all the characters went on…
And, although I often say that I still tend to discover something new in these books each time I read them again (which is, basically, at least twice a year) I do miss that feeling of discovering everything for the first time – especially for the first book, where you literally discovered the magic for the first time – I wish I could erase this book from my memory and just enjoy it for the first time all over again!
2. Shatter Me, Tahereh Mafi
Considering that this is the book that sparked the idea for this post, it’s only fair that I should mention it, no?
I have to admit, though, that my reasons for wanting to “re-read for the first time” are completely different than those for Harry Potter – last year, for one of my masters’ courses, I wrote a paper about this series and how the elements of adult sci-fi are (or aren’t) reflected in it.
Suffice it to say, after having to go through these books meticulously looking for all sorts of textual elements and literary clues, my love for them diminished quite a bit – it’s basically what happens when you put your favourite song as your alarm to wake up in the morning: no matter how much you loved the song to begin with, after a while you’ll start turning the station when it comes on the radio throughout the day!
3. Heartland, Lauren Brooke
I haven’t actually talked all that much about how much I used to love these books when I was younger, but let me tell you – I did!
I think just about every single girl I know went through a horse-period of some sort, and these books definitely signified the beginning of mine!
However, because this series is so long (I think there’s at least 20 books?) I never got to actually finish it, and I grew out of these books along with my obsession with horses.
I did really like this series though, and I especially liked the way the author managed to realistically portray the relationship between the main character and her sister – I could actually recognize certain elements of me and my sisters in there (the stuborness, for one 🙂 ) and I really did love that!
4. Fangirl, Rainbow Rowell
I mean, I only read this one 5 times in a single year – so of course I love it! However, no single reading has come close to the way I felt when I read this book for the first time – that feeling of “OMG she’s just like me!” was something I’d been waiting for for such a long time, and it actually was partly that realisation that really made this book so special for me.
Of course, even so, I’m still re-reading it on the regular, although by now that is actually more because it’s such an easy read, and it helps me get out of the mini-slumps all my set reading tends to send me into!
5. The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis
Yes, we’re concluding with another series.
Why? Because this series and Harry Potter, I read almost at the same time, and they’re the two series that opened me up to all sorts of amazing fantasy series – before that, I’d only really read realistic stories, because that’s what we got to read at school, and I’d never really realised how much I was missing out on until I read these two series.
Although I don’t actually own this series in a physical copy yet (I’m working on that, though, don’t worry!) I also read it at least once a year, and I always remember, while reading, how I felt the first time I read any particular scene, and sometimes I just really wish I could feel that again, you know? 🙂
So, there you have it – 5 of the books I wish I could “re-read for the first time”! Do you have that with any books? Do you also love the books I mentioned here? Be sure to let me know below!
-Saar
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