My (virtual) friend Leigh got a brilliant idea from her friend Anne to choose some of her favourite books to re-read in 2014. This got my mind whirring as I have a handful of books I absolutely come back to time and time again, and even more I'd like to give another go. Last year - and with Leigh's great What I'm Into monthly link-ups - I devoted more time to reading (and reviewing) and I'd love to continue this trend indefinitely.
With that in mind, I'm stealing Leigh's borrowing of Anne's idea and offering five books I regularly re-read and five more I hope to re-read this year.
Till We Have Faces :: I've already outed myself as a perpetual re-reader of CS Lewis' final novel. Each reading brings fresh perspective and hidden insights of this strange and dark retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche.
The End of the Affair :: I first read this book in college and was equal parts enchanted and tormented by the love affair between Bendrix and Sarah (often thought to have been based on Graham Greene's own love affair). Their story is tragic and her faith is a mystery, but still I come back to it.
The Red Tent :: Almost outpacing Till We Have Faces as the book I've re-read most, Anita Diamant's fictionalized account of the biblical story of Dinah (Jacob's only daughter) brings a rich, ancient narrative to the plight of women in the early days of Israel and an intense depiction of brother- and sisterhood among this nomadic tribe. Dinah is an unforgettable heroine.
Pride & Prejudice :: Yes, of course, isn't it obvious? Such a cliche to be a modern woman admiring Lizzy and in love with Darcy who re-reads this book every chance she gets. I literally can't bypass any copy of P&P I see in a storefront. I buy them all. And read.
Jane Eyre :: I've only read this twice, but this year may see its reprisal! Jane is honest, pure and strong. And her verbal sparrings with Mr Rochester a pleasure to read.
And this year? This year I want to re-read...
Mansfield Park or Persuasion :: I read these two Austen books long ago, but would love to give one another go!
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe :: Another long ago read and my first foray (like so many others) into the work of Lewis. I'd love to read the story of Aslan again through the eyes of my own children.
To Kill a Mockingbird :: I read this book in high school, loving it then, but never touching it again. Matt shocked me to no end when he revealed he had never read it, so I'll bring it back around and force-feed it to him.
The Great Gatsby :: However, I did manage to convince Matt to read Gatsby (his first time) and then we finally watched the Leo-starring remake. It's a short book, but packs a punch.
The Waste Land and other poems :: My mentor in college gave me T. S. Eliot's collection of poems as a graduation gift and I've already starting diving back into it.
So those are some of my lofty aspirations for reading in 2014, not to mention so many other books on my to-read list. Will I actually read them all? Probably not. But I may as well try. ;)