3 Things Books You Love Say About You
How often do you re-read your favorite books? And what do they say about you?
Book 1
Recently, I’ve been caught up in Rome during the first century. I first read A Voice in the Wind (Mark of the Lion)
I finished the first two books just last week, and I remember why I loved them so!
As I read about ancient Rome and Ephesus, I couldn’t help but think of the United States and our vain pursuits of pleasure. Because it’s been so long I’d forgotten much of the story, so they were new and exciting to me.
After all this time, these are still some of my favorite books. And I’ll continue to recommend them.
Re-reading these favorites also got me thinking about why I love what I love.
Book 2
3 Things The Books We Love Tell Us About Ourselves
1. We find comfort in familiar stories. We have that sense that “I’ve been here before.” As humans we love our comfort zones, and we even can discover these zones in books filled with strife and conflict!
2. Even when the stories are familiar they become new, because we change over the years. I read these novels different as a mother of six children, three of them grown. I related more to the “older” characters in the story.
My heart ached for the characters who followed sinful paths. Through the years we change, and even familiar stories take on new meaning.
Re-reading books, and noting how we relate to them, tells us about our personal changes.
3. We learn about ourselves. Next time you re-read a favorite book, ask yourself a few questions.
- Why do I relate to this character?
- Why does this story appeal to me?
- What truth strikes me as I’m reading/re-reading the pages?
- How does my story relate?
You’ll discover truths about yourself that you may not have realized before.
Here are a few more books that I love to re-read:
Looking over these books, things I learn about myself are:
1. I love to see God at work in the midst of hardship.
2. I love dramatic books with wonderful characters
and
3. I understand the current world better by delving into the past.
How about you? What books do you find yourself re-reading again and again?
What do you think they tell you about yourself?
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I reread most of Lori Wick’s books on a regular basis. Those just bring me to a happy place. Harry Potter’s another that is reread regularly.
I also will just reread my favorite parts of a particular book too.
I’ve never reread just parts of a book, but I can see why you’d do that!
I find myself reading true crime stories more than once. Not sure what that says about me, not sure I want to know. I was especially fascinated with Fatal Vision about Jeffrey McDonald and any book on Ted Bundy. I think the criminal mind is interesting. I enjoy watching Dateline murder mysteries too.
Gail, I bet you’re a people watcher, too!
I am Tricia! I work a job in a hospital as a receptionist where I get to do a lot of people watching. Fascinating.
I seldom read books a second time, actually what struck me reading the post is why you only mention the first two books in this particular series? Curious, did the third not strike you like the first two?
MaryAnn, I read it 20 years ago. I’m going to pick that one up, too. I remember I didn’t like it as much as I did the first two, but I’ll have to test that theory again. 🙂
I have one book that I re-read every year. It is A Christmas Carol. I love this classic. It reminds me of the power of salvation and what God can do in the lives of His people, if they are willing to embrace His gift of grace.
I also love to revisit many of the “friends” I’ve made through Lori Wick’s work, especially The Princess, The Knight and the Dove and The Rescue. I think these books, as most of them are arranged marriages, show what God can do, if we just step out in faith and follow His Will.
However, I am not sure what they say about me, other than I really like a good story and sometimes need to reconnect with old friends from time to time, just to be sure they are still as I remember them.
Tricia, we must have similar tastes in books. I reread Vienna Prelude (usually around Christmas) and A Voice in the Wind. My other rereaders are Siri Mitchell’s Chateau of Echoes and Francine Rivers’ The Scarlet Thread and The Last Sin Eater.
I love to reread any and all of Jane Austen’s novels! The language challenges my mind and keeps me sharp. As much as I love the works of contemporary authors, there’s nothing like the classics! Also, I used to teach literature, so I’m not sure if that counts for rereading things, because it was my job to do so. I enjoyed pulling something out of a piece of literature that I had not seen before, even though I had already taught it. It seems like the written word keeps on giving. That’s how I feel about it, anyway.
I never used to reread a book but now I do it pretty regularly. Sometimes because I am waiting for sequel, sometimes to refresh my mind because now I have the sequel but often because it’s like spending time with a good friend. I have read read Dorothy Clark’s “Beauty for Ashes” fourteen times. I’d say that’s a very good friend.
THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND is my all-time favorite re-read. I love to read it especially in the fall. I first read it in junior high and still love the relationships, redemption, and description. Just thinking of it now has me ready to dig it out again!
Some of my favorites are Lori Wick’s Sophie’s Heart, Francine Rivers’ Scarlett Thread, and Jeanette Windle’s Crossfire and Fire Storm.
I don’t re-read a lot because my TBR list is long. If I re-read anything it will usually be the classics such as GWTW and Great Expectations.
I too like the classics such as GWTW (Gone With the Wind), A Woman in White, A Christmas Carol, Pride and Prejudice, The Count of Monte Cristo. I enjoy others such as ALL of Julie Klassen’s books (I am a HUGE Jane Austen fan!), Lord of the Rings, the Chronicles of Narnia (of which my favorite is The Horse and His Boy), Bodie & Brock Thoene’s series The Zion Chronicles and The Zion Covenant, I also really like Andrew Peterson’s The Wingfeather Saga.
Like you, Tricia, I loved Francine River’s The Mark of the Lion series. I just read those for the first time this spring and finished them in the space of 2 weeks 🙂 . I learned a lot from those. I am a fan of history and found them very educational as well as faith building.
And, like Lori P, I have a rather large TBR list.
Sigh… Thanks for reminding me of some of those wonderful books that I like to re-read. Some that haven’t been mentioned that I have re-read are Robin Jones Gunn’s Glenbrooke series, Jan Karon’s Mitford series and well – I won’t go on (but I could). I also eagerly await my favorite authors’ new books and love to meet new friends that you and your fellow authors and readers recommend.
Robin’s Glenbrooke & her Christy books are favorite rereads of mine too!
These all look good. Thanks for the reccomendations.
1. I don’t “stay put” with one genre at all… so I suppose that says I’m not one to settle down and put up with whatever life throws at me.
2. History nut. Guess you could say that sticking my head in history – fact, fiction, historical Christian fiction – reminds me that my life is “easy” compared to what they went through and to learn more about those who lived during those times.
3. “Old-fashioned values” – like teamwork, honesty, hard work, and sharing faith are often what I pull out of characters in books… guess the same thing I try to stress in my own life.
I read this series years ago and is my all time fav. Since I’ve read a significant amount of CBA in recent years thanks to book blogging (woot!), I wondered if they would still be as awesome as I thought they were (or was it because that was the first Christian fiction I read and enjoyed). The answer is they’re still just as amazing!
Two books that I’ve loved since my teen years are “Mrs. Mike” and “Tisha”. Love these two! Also love Jan Karon’s Mitford series and her Mitford Reader. These are the ones I’ll re-read.
I think my books say about me that I like finding the Gospel intertwined in the fiction I read. I like when social injustices are taken care of. I like experiencing the love of God in a tangible way.
I absolutely loved this article. It is something I have never thought about before. I will definitely be thinking about this the next time I am reading a book I love.
I just re-read your The Promise Box because the Lord reminded me about all the promises of God in it. I am going to make different canisters for Christmas and gifts this year and use God’s promises. I am also going to make a trust God “box”-recycled ice cream container. : ) I also re-read some of Lori Wick and Ms. Snelling’s books. I re-read Susan May Warren’s books and just got lots of encouragement . . . I think we are at the same stage in life. As I draw closer to the Lord I find that my favorite author’s nuggets just shine through and I am so grateful. Love Francine River’s work!
I read that series as a teen and loved it! 🙂
My absolute favorite book series that I read again and again is the Firebird series by Katy Tyers. It’s a lovely space opera!
Hamlet, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and Persuasion are a few classics that I’ve read repeatedly.
Jungle Pilot is the best biography ever!
I think this means that:
I like deep characters who are not always what they seem at first blush.
I like books that show how hard life can be sometimes, but still give me hope that things will work out in the end. (Except for in Hamlet!)
I read about many brave characters and hope that maybe someday, I’ll be brave too.
Hi Tricia,
I enjoyed your insights about re-reading books. I wanted to ask about something else, though and I don’t see anywhere else for comments besides on specific posts. I am looking to start a blog and potentially start writing professionally in the future if all goes well. Do you have any advise or tips for someone starting out as you look back on your journey as an author?
Thanks,
Aubree
I just re-read Francine’s series this past year too! And I’ve read Redeeming Love a few times. I agree that when we read a book over, we have a different perspective based on our current place in life. I’ve read Little Women and Anne of Green Gables numerous times. A good story always satisfies and grows us.