What is Your Favorite Book, and How Many Times Have You Read It?

[Rosemary]

Well Terry, I don't reread books as a rule but the only one I've read probably 4 times is LOTR. Not my fav book ever BUT I read this a number of times when I was younger. These days I don't reread really, even Erikson's books.....

*Gasps of horror - NOT Erikson books?*

 

[rune]

I've not re-read many of my favourite fantasy books, not had time yet as i keep getting more. Only ones I've read more than once are some Terry Pratchett, that I like to read for a laught


However, my favourite horror is Fevre's Dream and read that 3 times.

 

[nixie]

Feist's Magican,don't know how many times I've read it,use to be at least once a year but last read was about three years ago

 

[Brys]

Well Terry, I don't reread books as a rule but the only one I've read probably 4 times is LOTR. Not my fav book ever BUT I read this a number of times when I was younger. These days I don't reread really, even Erikson's books.....

Gollum, I suggest at the very least to re-read Gardens of the Moon (if you haven't already). I don't re-read much at all either, but for Gardens it made such a huge difference to how you view the book, it was really worth it. I really want to get a chance to re-read Memories of Ice, but I keep looking at my bookshelf and realising that I should read some of the other books I have first.

 

[GOLLUM]

Gollum, I suggest at the very least to re-read Gardens of the Moon (if you haven't already). I don't re-read much at all either, but for Gardens it made such a huge difference to how you view the book, it was really worth it. I really want to get a chance to re-read Memories of Ice, but I keep looking at my bookshelf and realising that I should read some of the other books I have first.

Well Brys I know exactly what you're talking about here. As Erikson's work has so much else going on under the surface that is often only very subtly hinted at you know that rereading any of the books in the series so far will help elucidate further details. Having said that, I still do not intend to re-read the books in a hurry until the series is almost complete (Book 9 of 10 published). Then I'll probably reread the entire series with the advantage of hindsight so that I can fully enjoy the multiple nuances he has weaved into this fabulously imagined world. I tend to be very patient when it comes to quality books provided that quality is sustained throughout a series.

Quite often I will buy the first 2 books let's say in a trilogy and read very little of the first book until the final book is close to release as I prefer to enjoy the expeireince in one hit as it were. Obviously in a number of cases this is not all that practical like with Erikson's lengthy Malazan series...

 

[kaneda]

fantasy, knights of dark renown. I reread that a lot not sure how often, sometimes not from start to finish, but skipping to my favourite bits.

General its between perfume by patrick suskind and the secret history by donna tartt. Once again im not sure how often I've read either.

 

[Arkangel]

My favourite books are the foundation series, hyperion series, and the Rama series. Only a few a books from these series i have read twice. I would not touch a book until it is out of my short term memory. It just spoils it for me to know what comes next. And more over i take nearly 2 weeks time to finish one book of 400 pages. I am a slow reader

I took nearly a month to finish Pandora's Star. I dont think i will go through that again in the near future.

 

[GOLLUM]

And more over i take nearly 2 weeks time to finish one book of 400 pages. I am a slow reader.

NAH! sometimes I can take 6 months to finish a 300 page book, although that's normally done on purpose....

 

[Rane Longfox]

swan song 3 times I do hope everyone has read it

Couldn't say I had, no. Whats it like?

 

[bendoran]

best book for me would be a hrad one to choose. theres something special about altered carbon, but i really love memories of ice and the hyperion cantos. also i will always love the twins trilogy by weis and hickman as they were my first real dive into fantasy. special mention also goes to legend, for the first gemmell novel i ever read.

 

[BookStop]

Bumping this nice old thread -

my 1 favorite book is The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffennegger
I've only read it, maybe, 4 times but it is brilliant and just mentioning it here makes me want to read it again.

 

[AE35Unit]

Fave SF book for me is the one that gives rise to my username. 2001 A Space Odyssey. Nowt comes close for a depiction of space for me and I've read it about half a dozen times.
Not read that much fantasy so can't give a fave there tho it would probably be a Piers Anthony book I read with sentient moles in it,can't remember the title but would like a re read!

 

[AE35Unit]

Oh yea and if we count non fiction that has to be Life of Earth by David Attenborough. I've lost count of how many times I've read that classic!

 

[Grimward]

As noted elsewhere, the wind may blow and find me with a different answer amongst my faves tomorrow.....

For today, if I have to separate one from amongst the Triology, which I've read many more times than the next single closest book, Zelazny's Call Me Conrad/This Immortal, it would be Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring. There's something about that small company secret quest feel that gives it a closer, more intimate continuum than can be found amongst the pitched battles, Frodo/Sam/Gollum travels, or separated sub-plots in the next two books (grand and well-enjoyed on their own merits, of course).

Catch me 10 years from now, if I'm so blessed, and my penchant for Janny Wurts' stuff may give rise to a different answer!

 

[mookie]

I'm not sure I could pick a favourite book but ones I've reread many times:
Lord of the Rings, Dune, the Narnia books, the earlier Discworld books, the Red dwarf books - all more times that I could count!

Most of my books I've read more than once - I like books that when I reread them I find something I missed the first time because they're so complex (though I appreciate not all those I just listed are exactly the most complex books ever!)

 

[kythe]

It is really difficult to choose a favorite book, but there are some I find myself gravitating toward over and over.

I have read "The Mists of Avalon" by Marion Zimmer Bradley 3 times over the years, and expect I will come back to it again. I think I consider that my favorite single book.

I love "The Silmarillion" by Tolkien, and have read it more times than I've read Lord of the Rings. Sometimes I think Middle-Earth is my second home.

I have read the Chronicles of Narnia more times than I can count as well. Those stories never get old.

 

[Tillane]

As things stand, Iain Banks' Use of Weapons is my runaway favourite. Love that book. As to how many times I've read it...um...well, it's more than 10...

 

[Nikitta]

I might go for Douglas Adams' Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy as my favourite book. Must have read it at least ten times now.

The same here. I envy people who are discovering those books for the first time.

 

[K. Riehl]

For a single book, it would be The Pride of Chanur by C.J. Cherryh.15 times at least.

For series I have reread the Chanur, Web Shifter's by Julie Czerneda, Amber by Zelazny, Dresden by Jim Butcher, Vorkosigan by Lois Bujold. All at least 5-10 times.

I usually re-read them when I run out of current new books and need something until I find a new author.

 

[gully_foyle]

Great thread to rediscover.

Probably:

1. The Hobbit, about 10 times
2. The Odyssey, about 6 or 7 times
3. On the Road, about 5 or 6 times

All books about epic journeys, I've just noticed.