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Read-a-Thon #3 - If I Could Turn Back Time
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Emm I'm blonde so this question is confusing me. *blush*Is this books we wished we could read for the first time again (as in re-reads) or books we wished we could read that we haven't yet read?
A Man Called Ove - I've already read it twice, but this book was such a lovely surprise the first time I read it, and I would love to experience that again.To Kill a Mockingbird - another wonderful book. I think I could have paid it a little more attention, which would be possible if I could read it for the first time again.
A Game of Thrones - I'm unsure if I should re-read the books or start watching the series again. If I hadn't read the books already I would know what to do!
The Shadow of the Wind - because it's one of my absolute favorite books!
The Nightingale - I've read many books set during WWII but this one was different and I really enjoyed the woman perspective.
Melanie, it is books you've already read that made you feel so amazing the first time you read them that you wish you could experience that feeling of reading them for the first time again.
- Harry Potter! Definitely! Does it count as 1 or 7? Because I would really enjoy to live again the magic of each of the 7 books like I experienced the first time :) , but if just count as 1, then ...- The Hunger Games, I remember staying very late reading and suffering with Peeta :)
- The Count of Monte Cristo, it was really awesome and I was surprised at how different is from all the movies I had seen.
- The Supernaturalist, the first book I read in English and the satisfaction that I felt reading was great.
- Cinder, I read it just two years ago, but my surprise to really love a book that I didn't want to read at the beginning was great.
I know, I am already done with five, but I would also like to revive my sensations when I read Corazón: Diario de un niño and Little Women, but with a child heart, because I didn't really enjoy them as adult :D
Thank you Emm.I am an avid re-reader however haven't re-read these ones yet.
1. The Bronze Horseman is one of my all-time favourite books. Whilst the love triangle in it frustrated me at times, I just loved Alexander.
2. Tears of the Moon- I'm a saga fan and just loved this book. It explores the pearl farming history in Broome and I really want to see Broome now as it is describes so well in the book.
3. Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas- such a tear jerker. I would have to say its the best James Patterson books Ive read so far.
4. To Kill a Mockingbird- I read it when I was younger and probably didn't appreciate it as much as I could have.
5. Before I Go to Sleep- I really enjoyed this book and did not see the twist coming. I wished I could go back and read it but forget the ending. lol
This is hard because I don't mind rereading books (I just have so many new books left to read)1. The Empire Trilogy by Raymond E. Feist
Raymond E. Feist is one of the first fantasy authors I read and this is my favorite series. Would love to read it again for the first time, but the same goes for most of the other books he wrote.
2. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
Would like to read it again not knowing what is going to happen.
3. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Same reason as for number 2
4. Mio, mijn Mio by Astrid Lindgren
I would like to read this for the first time again, but I would like to be a kid again for that. This is one of my favorite books from my childhood.
5. Koning van Katoren by Jan Terlouw
Another favorite from my childhood, but I think for this one I don't need to be a kid again.
Honestly I didn't read much when I was younger, I got back into reading about two years ago. But the entire Hunger games trilogy are my absolute favourite books of all time. And I also love The fault in our stars. Other than that, I sadly don't have any more. Hopefully I will read some all time favourites next year, I just haven't really found a ton of books that I've absolutely loved. 1. The Hunger Games
2. Catching Fire
3. Mockingjay.
4. The Fault in Our Stars
I re-read when the mood strikes me, so this is difficult to narrow down for me!1.
Q-In-Law by Peter David- Funniest Star Trek: Next Gen book
ever
! I'd love to be able to read it again with unknowing eyes, just for Worf's epic "Sell tickets..." line!2.
Wishes by Jude Deveraux- Quite possibly my favorite romance novel, the one that got me started into fairy tale retellings. Just want to experience that soft unfolding of love again!3.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling- Quite possibly my favorite of the Harry Potter books, in part due to all the sights Harry sees of Magical London.4.
The Bride by Julie Garwood- One of the first books my mother ever recommended to me. I remember having hours long discussions with her about this book. I'd love to be able to do that one more time before my mother passes away.5.
The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton- This book took my concepts of extra-terrestrial and microscopic life and what humans could do about/with it and turned it all on it's ear. I'd love to experience that all over again!
1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - the whole series but this one in particular for obvious reasons! On the other hand, I really like reading these books when I know what's coming because I pick up on all the things I missed the first time around.2. A Game of Thrones - also without having seen the series so that I could approach it completely fresh and as a blank slate because I knew what was going to happen and therefore a lot of the shock was taken out.
3. The Color Purple - the most beautiful book I've ever read!
4. Carrie - kick started my love of Stephen King and all horror. Would love to be able to re-experience it for the first time.
5. A Monster Calls - I only recently read it for the first time but it was so amazing! I can't wait for the movie in January!
Let me just say I love this game because I am reminded of some books that are excellent, and I am finding books that are loved by others to experience for myself.1. On the Beach - This is my favorite book. Hands down. It started my love of apocalyptic fiction- and it all started because I switched English classes one year in high school and this was one of the reads the new class was reading. Funny how things work out.
2. Harry Potter Series- I fell in love with my husband over this one. He was talking to my trainer at my job at the time about this Potter person, coming to find out it was a book, and he read. My trainer bought me the series and fixed me up with the boy. So I fell in love with both and the rest is history. (#4 is my favorite.)
3. Hunger Games Trilogy- Husband suggested these, and I devoured them in a few days. They became one big book to me. I was like a addict. I was working and had my kindle on my shelf in front of me. What a reading high.
4. Left Behind - The whole series is a gem, but the first book is one that grabs a spirit in me like no other book can. I can remember waiting for the next one in the series to come out.
5. I can't decide...Now that I am almost done I see I am a much bigger fan of a series than a standalone. I know it would be from the Eve Duncan series by Iris Johansen. My youngest daughter's middle name is Eve after her. She is my favorite all time character, but I don't have a favorite book- I like them all and her story isn't done yet!
1. And Then There Were None This by far my favorite Agatha Christie book. It is also the very first one of hers that I read. I love rereading it but there is nothing like reading it for the first time and trying to figure out the ending!2. To Kill a Mockingbird I love this book! If I could reread this book without knowing anything about it I am sure I would fall in love with it all over again.
3. Little House in the Big Woods This whole series was one of my favorites to read as a child. In fact I own 2 copies of each one because I loved reading them over and over again.
4. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone I would love to be able to reread this book and discover the magic all over again for the first time.
5. Murder on the Orient Express This is the book that really got me into the Hercule Poirot series. This one is probably my second favorite Agatha Christie book.
1.
- This book is wonderful, and I remember staying up way too late as a kid to finish reading. I felt devastated by Beth's situation, so much so that I tried to convince my mom I couldn't go to school the next day. She sympathized but sent me anyway. :)2.
- Harry is such a magical and integral part of my childhood, but I started reading it rather cynically due to the uproar about banning in the midwest US. I wish I had gone into it with more innocent eyes. Sidenote: I am loving reading this with my daughter now and discovering it "for the first time" again through her eyes.3.
- I first read this the summer after 7th grade. I liked it and have since re-read it many times. However, I think it was too heavy for my seventh grade self and wish I had been older and more able to appreciate the wonderful nuances on my first read through.4.
- I read this for a IRL book club, and dreaded it and put it off forever. Now I wish that I could do it again and read it sooner, because I loved it so much!5.
- I read these the first time as a 6 year old. I know that I read them at that age, because I got the doll for the Christmas after I turned 7 and I had read the books first (my birthday is 2 weeks before Christmas). However, I don't remember how I felt the first time I read these, but I loved them so much as a young girl!
- Do I need an explanation? This book was my childhood
- I really wish I had taken the time to read all of these. My mom gave them away, but I guess that's what libraries are for.
- Sailor Moon was also a huge part of my childhood. I've re-read this manga countless times.
- This is the book that saved my soul and got me excited about reading again. I know people have mixed feelings about Veronica Roth, but I would not be the reader I am today without this book.
- What I'd give to read this book again for the first time. I adore this series so much, I wish I could start over without knowing the ending!
1. The Selection: This was a book that I definitely wasn't expecting to like as much as I did. I plan to read the series again but wish i could do it for the first time!2. Watchers: My mom recommended this book to me and I absolutely loved it! It would be great to have the suspense like I did the first time reading it.
3. 11/22/63: Same reason as for #2, great book with great suspense. It is a REALLY long book and I feel like I wouldnt be able to get through it again now that I know what happens.
4. The Twilight Saga: I know most people don't like this series but I thought they were great! I liked it better before the movies came out and ruined my image for the characters.
5. Marley and Me: Life and Love With the World's Worst Dog: I usually don't read books about animals like this because I know they will make me cry but this one was just SOOOOO good! I would love to be able to read it again for the first time and have all the feels again!
1. Where the Red Fern Grows I loved this book because of the connection to animals2. Forever this book because of the content about love and the connections two people can share.
3. Island of the Blue Dolphins this was a fun book
4. Is He Dead? this book had me all up in a rage because of the content.
5. The Outsiders Ive read this a number of times and seen the movie also and still love this book
1. The Count of Monte Cristo- I'd like to analyze as an adult why I loved this book about revenge so much as a teen.2. The Sot-Weed Factor- so funny
3. David Copperfield - which I will re-read soon
4. Tales of the City...and the whole series..I want more
5. My Name Is Asher Lev- remember loving the book...but can't remember much about it
Hmmm, had to do some heavy thinking on this one and this is what I came up with.Mutation-I read this in 6th grade and just found it fascinating about the science aspect of it.
The Wolfling: A Documentary Novel of the Eighteen-Seventies-Another childhood favorite. I also loved how the boy and this wolf connected and shared a bond.
My ultimate favorite books in grade school were The Babysitter's Club and The Boxcar Children. I never did read all of them, so I may need to reread/read them now.
The last book I can come up with is My Sister's Keeper- This book did a very good job of describing what's it like for a child in a situation like this. I just wish the movie version would have been the same as the book for what happened at the end.
1. Hollow World, because when you read it the 1st time, you scream at the end of one chapter (it was very fun when my friends read it, I knew exactly when they reached this point :D).2. More Than This because it wasn't possible to understand fully what was happening during the read. And in fact, I'm still not sure about this point, but well it was a fun ride.
3. Uprooted because the mystery around the wood was really compelling and drove my interest for the story.
4. Discworld cycle. I enjoyed a lot reading them but failed to re-read them so I can't enjoy them another time for the moment.
5. Divergent, because when I read it the 1st time, I hadn't read Allegiant. And now, I know how much it's disappointing and it'll probably decrease my pleasure when I'll re-read the 1st book.
1.
by Agatha Christie I'd like to read this again without knowing what happens. 2. I'm re-reading
by Kate Morton and loving it. I'd forgotten so many details from the first time I read this.3.
by Barbara Pym This is my favorite of Pym's. I laugh out loud at her books.4.
by Sherman Alexie So funny and sad at the same time5.
by Dr. Seuss Just to be a child again
Mod
1. Where the Heart Is because it was a touching story that has really stuck with me over the years. I read it a young age so I'm curious what I would think if I were to read it for the first time now.
2. White Oleander, for pretty much the same reasons. I still consider it my favorite book but I can't seem to get myself to re-read any books.
3. Horns, I could have chosen just about any Joe Hill book the relationships in this one were the most impactful and I really enjoyed Hill's prose.
4. Gone with the Wind was one of the only books I actually sat down and read in high school which was quite the accomplishment given its size. I would love to revisit it but, like I said, no re-reads for me, especially such a door stop.
5. The Time Traveler's Wife. I knew the ending from the movie but the author managed to get me so connected to the characters that I was genuinely hoping for a change in the story.
Runner-up: Me Before You, because, well, tear-jerker and all the feels.
Debra wrote: "1. Where the Red Fern Grows"
I just watched the movie on Netflix with my kids not knowing the ending. Oh how I had a sobbing child. :-(
Zaz wrote: "5. Divergent, because when I read it the 1st time, I hadn't read Allegiant. And now, I know how much it's disappointing and it'll probably decrease my pleasure when I'll re-read the 1st book."
I have Allegiant here to read. Should I not?
I have read the first two as well as Four's novellas.
Jennifer wrote: "The last book I can come up with is My Sister's Keeper- This book did a very good job of describing what's it like for a child in a situation like this. I just wish the movie version would have been the same as the book for what happened at the end. "
Ive read this book before and after having kids and the emotions change with the situation. Before having kids I thought no way would you bring a children into the world in that situation but after having kids I now understand why she would.
Kids totally change your view on the world.
Laura wrote: "5. The Time Traveler's Wife. I knew the ending from the movie but the author managed to get me so connected to the characters that I was genuinely hoping for a change in the story."
I agree with everything you've said here. I had seen the movie first but still hoped it would end differently.
(view spoiler)
The Hand of Oberon - That twist tho. Oh that wonderful twist. It's not often that a book #4 completely changes everything that happened in the previous three books - for the better.Cat's Cradle - If I ever had a disorder where long term memory was lost. This would be the book on my nightstand, so as to ensure that, each day, I would understand the world.
Use of Weapons - After I finished this. I spent the next hour walking and shouting/mumbling "holy shit" over and over.
I Am Legend - Another great twist ending. If you've seen any of the films, you don't know what the twist is because no version of it has ever had the cajones.
Berserk, Vol. 14 - Holy shit, holy shit holy shit...
J wrote: "The Hand of Oberon - That twist tho. Oh that wonderful twist. It's not often that a book #4 completely changes everything that happened in the previous three books - for the better...."
I forgot this one, I need to reread the Amber series :)
1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - I avoided this for so long because I thought it was too overhyped and couldn't possibly live up to it. A former librarian came to my school to do a "book chat" and read the first couple of pages, and I was immediately hooked.2. A Monster Calls - I absolutely devoured this book! Part of the reason I want to re-live the experience (although better) is because midbook, I got thrown off by a centipede crawling across my floor. It completely disrupted my reading momentum, but if not for that, I would have read the entire book straight through in one sitting.
3. Defending Jacob - I wasn't expecting to like this very much for some reason, even though it's a genre I generally enjoy. I was absolutely blown away by this book and how much of a shock the ending was.
4. My Sister's Keeper - Another book with a great twist ending, and one that I definitely didn't expect. Jodi Picoult quickly became my all-time favourite author and I've read almost all of her books (except for the first two, and I'm saving the latest one for next year's challenge).
5. Jane Eyre - I read this book between classes at university, as part of a personal goal of reading more of the classics that I'd been meaning to read for a while. This is another book that quickly became one of my all-time favourites. I would love to re-read this at some point.
The Secret Garden One of my favorites growing up. The only regret is that I saw the movie first. Bibbi Bokken's Magic Library One of the first books that really blew me away. It was the first book about books that I read and I read long into the night to finish it.
The Three Musketeers I read it in university and it was a great experience. I had to search for a long time to find an unabridged version of the book. Why do publishers insist on abridging books for childen?
The Chronicles of Narnia I grew up with those books. So many fond memories!
The Golden Compass So different than the other books I had read at the time.
Runner up:The Lord of the Rings Wish I had read it before the movie. I loved the trilogy, but the pace was so different from the movie.
Books I love:1. The Famished Road by Ben Okri - read it just after I returned from spending 4 months in Ghana. Really enjoyed the magical realism of the book.
2. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien - one of my favourite books of all time. Loved the journey it takes you on. Enjoyed rereading it with my daughter and seeing her experiences the magic of it for the first time.
3. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis - like other, I also grew up with series and just loved it!
4. Magister Ludi: The Glass Bead Game by Hermann Hesse - also read while travelling - Maybe it's the travelling I'd like to re-experience :)
5. Harry Potter - to finish the magic theme. It would be amazing to be young again and read this series for the first time.
Rachel wrote: "3. Defending Jacob "
Thanks for mentioned this book. Ive added it to my TBR list.
Jennifer wrote: "The last book I can come up with is My Sister's Keeper- This book did a very good job of describing what's it like for a child in a situation like this. I just wish the movie version would have been the same as the book for what happened at the end. "I find it so amusing and interesting how different people's tastes are/can be because I had the exact opposite feelings towards the ending. I absolutely hated the end of the book, it made me so angry, and I was so glad they changed it for the movie because I loved the movie's ending (despite how much it makes me ugly cry, every single time). I know it's sacrilege to say you like a movie more than the book but this is one of the instances when I did.
I agree with you Francesca, I didn't like the ending of the book so did the movie.Such an awful situation for them all.
The only books I can really say this for are the Harry Potter books. I would love to experience the whole experience of reading them again, and waiting for the 5th, 6th & 7th books to be released (then spending a day in bed reading them).Any other books that I have read & re-read, I really enjoy discovering more about them, slight nuances that I've missed etc., so I wouldn't want to discover them anew.
1. Little Women. Like a lot of people, I'm sure, I learned how magical reading could be by discovering the March sisters when I was a child. I'd love to recapture that moment.2. Persuasion. Of all Austen's works, this is the one that moves me the most. That sense of loss that permeates the book is one that I think resonates for a lot of us who think back to that relationship that didn't work out.
3. A Storm of Swords. I spent much of this book turning back the pages and rereading because I *must* have read that incorrectly. An author would never do *that* to that character, would he?
4.
A Crown For Elizabeth. This book started my love affair with Tudor England and history in general.
5. A Room of One's Own. I discovered this in a class I took in grad school. I found Woolf's ideas on women and writing illuminating, and I go back to it every few years.
Lois wrote: "A Crown For Elizabeth. This book started my love affair with Tudor England and history in general."
Thanks for the recommendation. I have added it to my TBR list.
1. Jane Eyre by Charlotte BronteI got so sucked into the story. I was about 15 years old and very impressionable, and loved it a lot.
2. Barn nátturunnar by Halldór Laxness
A short book, written when the Nobel prize winner was just 17 years old, and it touched me a lot the first time I read it (around 13 years old). I read it again some years ago and was disappointed... but I still try to hold on to the feeling I got when I first read it.
3. Karítas án titils by Kristín Marja Baldursdóttir
This one, and the following book on the same artist and her whole life span, I read it a few years ago. Exquisitely written and researched.
4. The End of Mr. Y by Scarlett Thomas
I loved the philosophy and the fantasy, and just thought it was so much fun to read.
5. The Brothers Lionheart by Astrid Lindgren
Just wow. I read it so many times when I was little (and watched the movie) and never got tired of it. Haven't read it for a long time now, maybe I should read it soon. I'm just a little afraid that it won't have the same impact on me now as it did then...
There are a lot of books I read as a teenager that I just loved so intensely. Unfortunately I think that is a lot more rare for me today, perhaps I'm not as impressionable as I was as a teenager (when one could sit listening to the same song over and over even though it made you feel like the heart was getting ripped out of your body... everything just touched you so deeply!)
Melanie wrote: "Lois wrote: "A Crown For Elizabeth. This book started my love affair with Tudor England and history in general."
Thanks for the recommendation. I have added it to my TBR list."
Let me know what you think about it, Melanie!
SamZ wrote: "1. - This book is wonderful, and I remember staying up way too late as a kid to finish reading. I felt devastated by Beth's situation, so much so that I tried to con..."I know! Beth's story still makes me weep. I reread this book every few years, and the older I get, the more things I find about it that still resonate for me.
Lois wrote: "Let me know what you think about it, Melanie!"
Will do Lois.
For me this category is about books that might be fun to re-read but when you already know what happens, it takes a lot out of it.Harry Potter Series . Just so much fun, anticipating!
A Game of Thrones series. Just so riveting, so full of surprises. Knowing what comes spoils it quite a bit.
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. What a perfect twist!
The Hunger Games series. Very thrilling.
Ready Player One. Another great thrill-ride.
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Around the Year in 52 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
The Hunger Games (other topics)Ready Player One (other topics)
Harry Potter Series Box Set (other topics)
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (other topics)
A Game of Thrones (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Ben Okri (other topics)J.R.R. Tolkien (other topics)
C.S. Lewis (other topics)
Hermann Hesse (other topics)
If I Could Turn Back Time
- List 5 books that you wish you could experience reading for the first time. Feel free to tell us a little about why. No spoilers, please.