books you read twice or more

I'm reading the Dresden Files books through for the second time, and really enjoying them. Again. Glancing at my shelf I see quite few books that I've read through three times or more and a whole bunch more that I've read only (!) twice.

How does your list crossover with mine?

3x or more:
Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffery
Apprentice Adept series by Piers Anthony
Merlin series by Mary Stewart
Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis
Sherlock Holmes (all of them!) by Arthur Conan Doyle
Dream Park by Larry Niven and Stephen Barnes

And those are just the ones at the front of my bookshelf. If I dig I can triple that list. The list of doubles is much longer, and there're many more patiently waiting for me.

What about you?

Personally I really liked the Pip and Flinx series from Alan Dean Foster (though I haven't yet started on the second round through). Good stuff and I look forward to doing them again!

Just now reading The Sword Of Truth series for the second time (Terry Goodkind) Otherwise the Shannara books 1-4 and 9-11 (Terry Brooks)

The Trigun Disunity series by Michael P. Kube-McDowll
Firebird series by Kathy Tyers
Chronicles of Narnia
The Mitch Rapp novels (RIP Vince Flynn)
Foundation Trilogy (audio books)

Right now I'm in a period of branching out rather than re-reading things, when I have the time to read at least, it's a bit of a pain right now though with school. Soon though, hopefully around Christmas time I'll be able to just read for fun.

Paeter wrote:.... Otherwise the Shannara books 1-4 and 9-11 (Terry Brooks)

Still working through the Shannara books myself! Enjoying them as well. Currently on "The Gypsy Morph" right now!

Have you guys who read the Shannara books enjoyed the "Word And Void" series? I enjoyed them more than the straight Shannara books...but I only read any of them once...so far.

I don't so much read books as listen to them, so from here on out, just think "listen to" when I say "read".
I have read Mere Christianity maybe ten times, that book would have to be my top pick.
The Aubrey/Maturin series, ("Master and Commander") by Patrick O'Brian, gets read about once every year and a half. I don't always go through the whole twenty-odd books, but I make a dent in it. (I've been through the complete series at least twice, and some books up to five times or so)
Recently, I came across the Destroyermen series by Taylor Anderson, and am working my way through what there is of it again.
Another series I have read multiple times, this one actual paper-book reading, is the Alien Chronicles, by Deborah Chester. Has a pretty familiar basis.

I've only ever read the Sword of Shannara, and that only once. Love the Foundation trilogy. Asimov was brilliant early in his career, but like Heinlein in his twilight became obsessed with sex and demonstrating his own intelligence.

Michael Crichton's Andromeda Strain is another one that terrified me but I read over and over. Everything Douglas Hill wrote that I could get my hands on. The Last Legionary and the Colsec Trilogy are phenomenal works.

Has anyone read John Christopher's Tripod books? I first read them in the pages of Boy's Life magazine, and many many times since then. Incredible stories that have been a great influence on me.

mikel.withers wrote:Have you guys who read the Shannara books enjoyed the "Word And Void" series?

Yeah, and also the books that bridge that series to Shannara. Regretted it. The mysterious "world before Shannara" was a lot more interesting as a mystery.

Paeter wrote:

mikel.withers wrote:Have you guys who read the Shannara books enjoyed the "Word And Void" series?

Yeah, and also the books that bridge that series to Shannara. Regretted it. The mysterious "world before Shannara" was a lot more interesting as a mystery.

i read the first book in the series of the "Word and Void" series.

I lied to my parents and told them Dr. James Dobson had recommended it, so they'd let me read it.

I liked it (although all I can remember at this point in the Grandma/mother drinking tons of Vodka and Orange Juice and a climax that was resolved a little too quickly).

I felt so guilty for lying to them that I didn't read the next one when it came out.

Maybe I need to repent to them so I can read the rest of the series!

The Adventures of Samurai Cat
The MYTH Adventures (up to M.Y.T.H. Inc. In Action)
Have Space Suit Will Travel
and that's all I can think of at the moment. I'll try to update the list later.

Nathan James Norman wrote:

I lied to my parents and told them Dr. James Dobson had recommended it, so they'd let me read it.

Holly and I both got a good laugh out of this. Even at an early age you knew the scary amount of power the Dobson name has over Christians!

The MYTH series and the Phule's Company are both hilarious and awesome. So is Thieve's World. Come to think of it, everything Robert Asprin touched turned to gold.

I read Magic Kingdom for Sale - Sold! by Terry Brooks and was really impressed. I recently bought all six of the Landover books. Maybe one day I'll get to read them!

Heinlein was a big influence on me. Have Space Suit is a favorite. "Dad, I'm going to the moon." "Okay, son." "Dad, I said I was going to the moon!" "Yes. I said it was okay."

Apririn is (was?) quite witty, and the Landover series is quite good. (although, Princess of Landover seemed a little ... less inspired)

I was reminded of another book that I have read multiple times, by Theology Gaming, and that is Romance of the Three Kingdoms by ...some medieval Chinese dude that I can't be bothered to google. Heroics, drama, prophecies, romance, tragedy... this has it all, right along with potentially confusing names. I've heard it called the equivalent of the Arthurian tales for China.
Plus, it has some awesome games associated with it that can help you understand what is going on.

As to the Dr. Dobson line... I was allowed to listen to Weird Al because he made fun of rock and roll songs, so he wasn't REALLY rock and roll.

The list of children's books I've read multiple times is too long to list. I've probably read everything by Dr. Seuss about 80x, Goodnight, Moon 50x, and various others 20x.

I've read The Hobbit at least 3x.
The entire Lord of the Rings trilogy 2x.
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe 4x.
Prince Caspian 3x
The Horse and His Boy 3x
A Wrinkle in Time 2x
Various Choose Your Own Adventure books 10x
Redwall 2x
Frankenstein 2x

There are probably more. Some I've read to my kids and others we've listened to in the van.

I want to read the Xanth novels to some of my kids but now that I understand many of the double entendre's in them I wonder how on earth they made it into my middle school's library.

There are probably more as I still read to my middle and high school kids (not as often as I should, however).

Oh...The Bible 5x. Some books of The Bible I've read many more times (like Proverbs--one year I read it every month) but I can't honestly say I've read every book in The Bible more than 5x.

mikel.withers wrote:
As to the Dr. Dobson line... I was allowed to listen to Weird Al because he made fun of rock and roll songs, so he wasn't REALLY rock and roll.

That is hilarious!

Paeter wrote:



Holly and I both got a good laugh out of this. Even at an early age you knew the scary amount of power the Dobson name has over Christians!

In retrospect... yeah tons of influence. I don't think I consciously knew how much until one of my professors in seminary referred to him as "St. Dobson" . (Not that I'm trying to dogpile on the guy... but yeah... way too much influence. How in the world does that even happen?!)

Nathan James Norman wrote:
Not that I'm trying to dogpile on the guy... but yeah... way too much influence. How in the world does that even happen?!

I think it's easy to put people (or rather icons) up on pedestals and then magnify their positive traits while being unintentionally blind to the wrongs.

Case in point, Mark Driscoll.

Here's my list - there's probably others, but this is what stands out.

Nature's End by Whitley Strieber and James Kunetka
Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn
Lord of the Rings J.R.R. Tolkien
Isaac Asimov's Robot City (six books, various authors)
Dune by Frank Herbert
Dark Mirror (ST:TNG) by Diane Duane
Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop

Oooh, Thrawn trilogy...I'm going through that for the third time.
I have the paperback of that, so as it isn't a "listen" prospect, I take a lot longer. Plus, I am reading a trilogy by a local author that my wife knows.
(Rhapsody trilogy by Elizabeth Hayden)

Heinlein is a repeat offender, I've read through Starship troopers a couple of times. And then OSC, especially "Ender's Game".

I really love when you guys do this, now I've got several things to take a look at considering the refined tastes of the group. I've been wanting to get around to the Thrawn Trilogy...maybe now is the time. I've also had Terry Goodkind recommended to me several times, but I usually don't go for Fantasy (I prefer Sci-fi), maybe he will make a better entrance into the genre than Tolkien or RA Salvatore.

Ender's Game really impressed me, and I've read it several times. Didn't care for any of the follow-up books, though, or OSC's fantasy.

If you want a good, soft introduction to fantasy, I'd go with Terry Brooks "Magic Kingdom For Sale: Sold!" It's got a good modern feel to the fantasy setting. Loved it! Also, Maragaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. Anything they've worked on together might as well be solid gold. Dragonlance Chronicles is showing its age a bit, but Dragonlance Legends is phenomenal. Also, the Deathgate Cycle is seven kinds of astounding.

With the SW extended universe being relegated to red-headed-step-child status, I am not sure if Thrawn Trilogy is worth it.
It is pretty good, but it is first and foremost a SW story. As it is now glorified fan-fiction, I think it loses a lot of its appeal.
Look at it this way: up until a year ago, if you wanted to know what happened next, it was where you went. As a stand-alone "legend", though?
I think a lot will depend on how far the new movies and stories diverge from the extended universe.

mindspike wrote:

If you want a good, soft introduction to fantasy, I'd go with Terry Brooks "Magic Kingdom For Sale: Sold!"

Oh man, YESSS! Is that still in development as a movie? LOOOOVED that book!