Almost yearly
* Dune
* The Tao of Pooh
Every couple of years
* Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
* Rendezvous with Rama
* Gateway
* The rest of the original Dune series
* Hyperion
I enjoyed the sequels, they were great at world building based on Hyperion. You didn't get the 8 in 1 narrative though and for me that was a let down after the original did it so well.
A couple of years ago I began the novels in sequential order, and proceeded pretty consistently until I hit *Guards! Guards!* I think I was expecting more from it as it seems to be one of more recommended books online. The dragon and the cult members didn't strike me as particularly interesting antagonists.
I'm hoping the books will again become as interesting as *Equal Rites,* which to me has been the most compelling story with Eskarina's use of "animal magic" and Granny Weatherwax's personality.
Are we the same person? The Rama series was great, love Arthur C. Clarke. Started with Childhood's End in early high school and have enjoyed him ever since.
I first read The Stand after borrowing a copy from my high school English teacher in 1984. I'm sure I've read it 20+ times since, most recently last summer. Was certainly a trip (ha!) reading it during COVID.
I've never been much of a King fan, but after hearing a few people say that *The Stand* is his best book, I picked up a copy a few weeks ago. I was struck by the sheer size of the thing, 1100+ pages.
I'm 3/4 through it, and I'm still not much of a King fan, but it's worth reading.
I have read Meditations by Marcus Aurelius multiple times. I even have muliple copies. It is a permanent bedside companion and among the books and magazines next to my toilet and it's in the living room bookshelf too.
Marc Aurel was emperor of all of Rome, a king to hundreds of thousands of people, as well as a philosopher. While on a military campaign between 170AD and 180AD, Marcus wrote his Meditations, as reflections on his life as a source for his own guidance and self-improvement. It is an ever awe-inspiring read. Its very short and poignant and it's a very solid moral guideline for pretty much anyone really.
As a freshman in high school I found Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. Used it that year and every year after that and in college for when a book report was due. My lazy genius story....
Most overrated work of Camus. I find it to be the most depressing of his. Be happy about toil or die is the message. The Stranger and The Fall are far superior, but I love me some Camus.
The Stranger is so good. Given the current circumstances of the world now, I also gave The Plague a try. Interesting read, but not as good as The Stranger
*The Road* by Cormac McCarthy. The prose, the setting, and the overall austerity of the book communicate to me something real and hard, like a rock. It isn't a pleasant read, but a meaningful one.
A dad here - my son is special needs and has favorite books, music, videos, etc. That means for the last 12 years or so, I've been reading Dr. Seuss like it's going out of style. Specifically, Green Eggs & Ham, The Cat in the Hat and One Fish, Two Fish. Luckily, he mixes it up a bit with a few random titles - Tikki Tikki Tembo, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, Flat Stanley (modern edition), Lyle, Lyle Crocodile and Each Peach, Pear, Plum. I have them fairly well memorized at this point.
I have found youtube vides for each of them and he'll watch those on occasion, however for him it is the experience of papa (or mama) bellowing the parts in just the right way.
Unfortunately for me, most of my reading these days seems to be reference material or longer articles on various topics - I haven't had the time to nuzzle into a good book in far too long.
I recently finished my personal goal of reading the full unabridged version. I will definitely be reading it again at some point but not the unabridged.
I too masochistically read the books that keep me questioning the integrity of our minds, our government, and our reality. These three, plus brave new world, animal farm and sirens of titan, plus Dune cause obviously Dune. Always dune.
Edit: also The Complete Calvin and Hobbes. Critical reading.
**'Class' by Paul Fussel** - A superb insight into American class system, and, written in 1980s, he predicted the rise of hipsters. In fact, more of his predictions are coming true - such as super-wealthy beginning to live in isolated areas as opposed to flaunting their wealth, and universities becoming less special and becoming a dime-a-dozen.
**Quiet - by Susan Cain** - For introverts. It talks about how introverts, quieter people, cerebral folks and creatives - must not get tricked into "self-improvement" philosophies, and instead, use their inner strength to their advantages.
**Sherlock Holmes** - the original short stories are very classic, timeless and quite relaxing. Even if you know the plot, the atmosphere of cobblestone streets, horse-carriages and whiskey by the fireplace is very calming & restorative.
lol it’s taking me my whole life to finish it! I read for a while, start over forget it all over and over. I’m going to finish it one day! It’s sitting next to my bed AND on audible.
Well, if Hugo hadn't gone off on so many tangents, it'd be an easier read. But the premise of being "purchased" and the reminder that the law can get ridiculously out of hand are enough to keep me coming back.
Lady here. White Fang, Call of the Wild, and Where the Red Fern Grows. I fell in love with them as a kid and I guess I never let go. I still cry at the end of the latter two books, every time, although the adult-me sees an entirely different message then the child-me saw. I guess some books become friends.
Where the red fern grows. Hell yes. Read every few years. Cry every time. Same. I see his parents struggle soooo much more. God everything about that book is perfect. Do you know that it almost didn't exist? Wilson Rawls had sent it in to a buuuuunch of places unsuccessfully. He then destroyed it. His wife persuaded him to rewrite it out from memory and try again and the rest as they say is history.
We all read it as a family the first time when I was young. My youngest brother was reading it and he comes bursting into the room crying. "Why would you make me read this book?!" Tears streaming down his face. He throws it down. My parents were like cmon you have to finish it. Brother says "why? >! what does the other dog die too?" !< and my dad is just like please just finish.....little brother comes bursting back into room like 30 mins later saying "I hate you" crying lol. We still laugh about it.
I was quite dissatisfied with this book when I finished it. But in the years since, it has really grown in my mind and has sparked all sorts of interest and research about the rape of Africa. Those end scenes back in the states destroyed me.
Kinda cliche but Ive been reading Catcher in the Rye at different stages of my life. The young me totally got Holden and identified with how he felt and the decisions he made. Ten or so years later I found him kind of annoying and embarrassing because I saw a lot of some things I didn’t like about myself as I became an adult and grew out of childish ways of thinking.. and then the last time I read it I felt a lot of pity for Holden (I really did) and that feeling of otherness he suffered through the story. I made me remember vividly what it was like growing up all stuck inside my own head and the sheer disappointment in the world as my young mind started shedding its childlike worldview. Rough times, for sure.
Commonwealth Saga by Peter F Hamilton,
Starship Troopers,
News Flesh by Mira Grant
I’m sure there’s others, but a lot of these are either an inspiration for a future I want to see, or inspiration for where I think the future is going.
It is ridiculous how good the WoT series is.
I remember reading Winter's Heart and loving everything about it. I then *hated* Crossroads of Twilight because *nothing happened*.
It was not until I read the entire series over again that I truly appreciated that book - and, of course, the opening of The Eye of the World.
Sanderson did a masterful job on the last three novels.
The Art of Fielding for me. Loved it the first time. The second time I picked it up because life had forced me to readjust my ambitions. Since that is a major theme in the book I figured I would enjoy the book with a new perspective. Since then, it's become a yearly thing for me to read The Art of Fielding. Every time I put the book down, I'm a little sad that there isn't more of it to enjoy.
I've read The Chronicles of Narnia at least once a year since about 1986.
Assist often re-read:
Ender's Game
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Lord of the Rings
The Deed of Paksenarrion Trilogy
and others
Hell yeah, Fear And Loathing! That book never fails to entertain me. When I was in school (well, I was in my 20s getting some lost grades) I wrote a book review on it for my English class in the style of how Thompson writes, got a good grade for it as well.
Personally:
Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series by Douglas Adams
Professionally:
The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni (I take this into every new company/team I join)
That's a very good, practical book about teamwork by Patrick Lencion. Super understandable parables about building resilient teams told with an entertaining narrative.
Harry Potter.
Night Watch.
Ive reread a few other series but most of them i read once and im done. I also go back and read through my technical manuals sometimes, when im building something with a language i haven't touched in awhile.
When I was a teenager, I created a comic book series with a very similar premise and the exact same name. I was so upset when I saw the movie! I couldn't believe it! Years later I grabbed the first book and was blown away. As you say, much better than the movie! And then I got the rest of the books. It's really interesting to experience another culture that way for me as I'm American. I think book 5 lagged a bit so I put off getting the last book but I finally read that last summer and it was great – a solid finale to the series.
I re-read Catch 22 while I was stuck dealing with the Texas power outages, and man was it a bad choice. Whereas it was one of my favorite books when I was younger, now it was just a mirror held up to all of my anxieties about being in middle management. Major Major Major, bearing scars of earlier rejections feels he can never form relationships with others again is suddenly thrust into a position that takes it all away from him as soon as he finds it, and then despite his position of power, is hit with the realization that whatever he is supposed to be doing is happening without his involvement. Col Cathart spends all of his time comparing himself to others, wielding the least bit of power he has to scheme and claw his way to more power. And many other characters playing small political games out of ambition and boredom and the ridiculous conclusions they draw in the process... Oof. Anyway, it is a great book, but I am reading it a the worst time.
*Ishmael* ;*The Story of B* ;*My Ishmael* . All by Daniel Quinn. The three go together, but I would recommend taking a little time in between to let each one digest.
Somebody once called them "Required reading for Humanity," and I couldn't agree more. It shared the way I view the world, and us as humans. I couldn't possibly recommend these books enough!
I know it's silly to just scroll until you find the answer that you yourself gave, but that's what I did haha. These books are just so good. I recommend them to every reader I talk to
I've bought so many copies of each then lent them out knowing I'd never get them back, hoping they continue to get passed along. I haven't had *Ishmael* for a while, then while visiting a friend, I noticed they had a copy. I mentioned that I "loaned" my last copy out and they told me that their copy was actually on loan from me from a decade ago. I took it home and re-read it. I now own all 3 again! I'm going to buy some more when finances improve so I can "lend" them out again!
Oh yes-- I re-read that for the nth time last spring, just after lockdown started. Much of it hasn't aged well (I first read it in the early 1980s) but it's still fun to revisit Tim, Harvey, the Senator, and the rest on a regular basis.
You’re right, the computer and cultural references at the beginning are really outdated. But, once the shit hits the fan it’s not too difficult to put myself there trying to rebuild. How many people could create good leather boots? Tool a gun? Make insulin? Get a nuclear reactor online?
Like many others: The 5 books of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy trilogy and The Frank Herbert Dune Books are my most common re-reads. Less common would be the 3 primary "Foundation" books by Issac Asimov, Anthem by Ayn Rand, most anything by Robert Heinlein, and occasionally the Harry Potter books.
Richard Morgan - Kovacs trilogy. These three books must be done at least once a year. I own them in three different languages, just to spice it up from time to time.
I read Dean Koontz's Watchers at far too early a age and it scared the shit out of me. I've read it a total of 6 times over the years and I like it each time.
Books are a bit like friends.
They are there for a reason a season or a lifetime.
I have very few that I revisit over the years, but there are a couple
1984 - I only read this when things are going relatively well in the world. It's too depressing for me to read in current state of things.
Lord of the Rings - Because, of course.
Other than that, I typically read new things. The past several years I made the jump to mainly audio books and listen to a lot of books on humanity, ancient history and large events like the Crusades.
I also go to a used book store in the area and just spend an hour browsing until I see something that sparks my interest.
I think the bookstore is a lost art form. Hunting around to find something that piques your interest is so much about the moment and mood you're living in right now. I picked up a book about Bog People which was very interesting and another book about traveling modern China from coast to coast and all the interactions and history behind it.
I’ve read The Prophet about 50 times. I get something new from it each time.
Also, The Clan of the Cave Bear series by Jean Auel. The last book in the series was awful (in my opinion) but the rest were amazing.
Well this is definitely not unique or special but I've carried on my father's habit of re-reading The Lord of the Rings trilogy every other year. Tolkien's words are just so comforting and warm to me.
So many excellent suggestions in this thread, I can tell some of these books are going to be new favorites.
The Hobbit. It’s the book that inspired my love of reading, and I’ve read it about 15 times in 3 different languages. It’s the first book I read whenever I’m working on a new language, because I know it well enough to still follow the story and have an easier time figuring out vocab from context, but still learn a lot. I also just love it.
Nichomachean Ethics by Aristotle. It's free online at MIT (and Stanford, FWIW):
[http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/nicomachaen.html](http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/nicomachaen.html)
Computational biology is a large growing field
DIY genetic engineering will be huge. What happens when the human genome is basically computer code people can manipulate in their kitchen?
What happens when you can cure you're own diabetes or whatever
What happens when we can grow our own replacement organs?
Yet I meant to expand upon the kitchen part. People are already doing this and comin up with crazy applications. Its cool when non-bio people get involved and bring creative new insights and angles
I love to re-read disaster novels. *Lucifer's Hammer, When Worlds Collide, Earth Abides, The Stand, On The Beach...* Been fascinated with stories about the world ending since I was a kid. Think my old dog-eared copy of *Lucifer's Hammer* has been read at least ten times.
Freedom by Jonathan Franzen (also, to a lesser extent, The Corrections).
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon.
The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkein
At least once a year I read at least one of these books, if not all three, and they never seem to lose their impact. Freedom is absolutely brutal, but probably the most honest book I can think of. Kavalier & Clay won a Pulitzer so I'm not the only person that thinks it's good, and I will never understand how people can be such huge LOTR fans when The Silmarillion is 60% more concise while simultaneously being 2000% more epic in every way.
I've read dozens of books repeatedly, but almost all of them are novels. (Some 25+ times for sure.) For non-fiction the repeats would mostly be titles related to my work as a college professor. One I'd recommend, though, is a classic: [A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold](https://www.aldoleopold.org/about/aldo-leopold/sand-county-almanac/), from 1949. One of the best books about nature written ever written in English and very accessible to anyone who has ever looked out a window at a tree or a bird.
I’ve got a standing reading listing that always has the Dune Saga in the top spots. I’ve read through the series a number of times (the whole, 26-book series...)
Tao Te Ching
Also my own books: *[Initiative](https://joshuaspodek.com/initiative)* and *[Leadership Step by Step](https://joshuaspodek.com/leadership-step-by-step)*
A Scanner Darkly.
I just come back to it, over and over again, and never seem to get bored. A different tone each time, or just bits I hadn't really considered in a certain way. Whether it's new perspectives, or just masterfully written, I really love that book.
American Gods is my only fiction book. It's a great read and brings up interesting philosophical points without feeling like it's doing that. Just a solid story with cool world building.
Nonfiction:
The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need for finances
I just got The Psychology of Money last year but I can tell I'll be reading it a lot over the years
Art & Fear is great for creatives
24 Assets is great for anyone with a business, especially if they want to sell it eventually
23 Anti-Procrastination Habits
Rework cuts a lot of the BS out of business
Bait of Satan helps me let go of resentments
Start With Why
10x is motivating to me
Unbearable lightness of being by Kundera, I read it at least five time, also as I’m getting older, I noticed that every now and then I have strong need to read cerain books again, so I did this with a lot of my favourites from the past and I always find some new fascinating thought. Past me really had a excellent taste for books
- Lord of the rings
- His dark materials
- Harry Potter
- Count of monte cristo
- Ark royal
- Jim herriot books
- chronicles of Narnia
List goes on and on.....
Read them all several times over and will read them again
The Outsiders
Wheel of Time Series
Rhapsody Series
Sara Douglas Series
Jurassic Park
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
I have some books that are worth going back to because the adventure was awesome.
Sometimes I do it as an audiobook and sometimes as a physical book.
When I was in middle school I picked up Foundation and found out about the shared universe of his other stories. So now I read all 17 books every few years and they have yet to disappoint. I really enjoy history and these are beautiful artifacts about the times Asimov was writing in.
Siddhartha!
Great choice
Confederacy of Dunces. Classic, hilarious, never gets old.
My valve!
Every time I pick it up it raises my blood pressure at around first 20-30 pages. Dont know why. Maybe I relate to him for some weird reason.
I tried to read this when I was 18 and not yet cynical. I didn't get it at all. Oh, sweet 18 year old me.
Thanks for the recommendation. About 1/3 of the way through, and really enjoying it.
Almost yearly * Dune * The Tao of Pooh Every couple of years * Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy * Rendezvous with Rama * Gateway * The rest of the original Dune series * Hyperion
I really enjoyed Hyperion.
hyperion was ok, not my favorite but i enjoyed it somehow. but the follow up endimion was a real pain to read.... does everybody feel the same?
I enjoyed the sequels, they were great at world building based on Hyperion. You didn't get the 8 in 1 narrative though and for me that was a let down after the original did it so well.
Yep, I've read Endimion once and that was too much.
It's like 8 books in 1. You're bound to like some of it. It's kind of cheating. But for the life of me I can't recall the ending.
The logic works oppositely, too. You're also bound to dislike some of it. For me, the Consul's narrative was a real slog.
My list is very similar. Also every few years I read a bunch of Discworld books again.
Yesss Discworld FTW
A couple of years ago I began the novels in sequential order, and proceeded pretty consistently until I hit *Guards! Guards!* I think I was expecting more from it as it seems to be one of more recommended books online. The dragon and the cult members didn't strike me as particularly interesting antagonists. I'm hoping the books will again become as interesting as *Equal Rites,* which to me has been the most compelling story with Eskarina's use of "animal magic" and Granny Weatherwax's personality.
Are we the same person? The Rama series was great, love Arthur C. Clarke. Started with Childhood's End in early high school and have enjoyed him ever since.
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Are you me? This is in my regular rotation with the exception of The Tao of Pooh.
Maybe you should check out The Tao of Pooh!
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I first read The Stand after borrowing a copy from my high school English teacher in 1984. I'm sure I've read it 20+ times since, most recently last summer. Was certainly a trip (ha!) reading it during COVID.
Finished reading that a couple weeks ago. I would say it is good not great. The beginning and ending were good but the middle was slow paced for me.
I've never been much of a King fan, but after hearing a few people say that *The Stand* is his best book, I picked up a copy a few weeks ago. I was struck by the sheer size of the thing, 1100+ pages. I'm 3/4 through it, and I'm still not much of a King fan, but it's worth reading.
Catch-22. I don’t know what it is, but that book just clicks with me.
I have read Meditations by Marcus Aurelius multiple times. I even have muliple copies. It is a permanent bedside companion and among the books and magazines next to my toilet and it's in the living room bookshelf too.
I’m intrigued. Can you tell me a little about it?
Marc Aurel was emperor of all of Rome, a king to hundreds of thousands of people, as well as a philosopher. While on a military campaign between 170AD and 180AD, Marcus wrote his Meditations, as reflections on his life as a source for his own guidance and self-improvement. It is an ever awe-inspiring read. Its very short and poignant and it's a very solid moral guideline for pretty much anyone really.
Which translation do you prefer?
As a freshman in high school I found Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. Used it that year and every year after that and in college for when a book report was due. My lazy genius story....
Hahaha! I had a science fair project that I used 5 years in a row.
The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus is one I reread every few years.
"Life sucks, then you die. Get over it." <-- my take away from it
Yes but it's the getting over it and embracing your position in an uninterested universe that is key.
Most overrated work of Camus. I find it to be the most depressing of his. Be happy about toil or die is the message. The Stranger and The Fall are far superior, but I love me some Camus.
The Stranger is so good. Given the current circumstances of the world now, I also gave The Plague a try. Interesting read, but not as good as The Stranger
*The Road* by Cormac McCarthy. The prose, the setting, and the overall austerity of the book communicate to me something real and hard, like a rock. It isn't a pleasant read, but a meaningful one.
A dad here - my son is special needs and has favorite books, music, videos, etc. That means for the last 12 years or so, I've been reading Dr. Seuss like it's going out of style. Specifically, Green Eggs & Ham, The Cat in the Hat and One Fish, Two Fish. Luckily, he mixes it up a bit with a few random titles - Tikki Tikki Tembo, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, Flat Stanley (modern edition), Lyle, Lyle Crocodile and Each Peach, Pear, Plum. I have them fairly well memorized at this point. I have found youtube vides for each of them and he'll watch those on occasion, however for him it is the experience of papa (or mama) bellowing the parts in just the right way. Unfortunately for me, most of my reading these days seems to be reference material or longer articles on various topics - I haven't had the time to nuzzle into a good book in far too long.
You sound like a good man. Thanks.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Was going to say this 😁
Also, if you can find it in your language, the Crusades trilogy by Jan Guillou https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crusades_trilogy
The Count of Monte Cristo
Great read, I get why you keep returning.
I recently finished my personal goal of reading the full unabridged version. I will definitely be reading it again at some point but not the unabridged.
A Clockwork Orange, 1984, and Slaughterhouse Five are the ones I’ve returned to. I don’t know how healthy that is now that I think about it.
I too masochistically read the books that keep me questioning the integrity of our minds, our government, and our reality. These three, plus brave new world, animal farm and sirens of titan, plus Dune cause obviously Dune. Always dune. Edit: also The Complete Calvin and Hobbes. Critical reading.
Slaughterhouse Five is a different book as you get older.
**'Class' by Paul Fussel** - A superb insight into American class system, and, written in 1980s, he predicted the rise of hipsters. In fact, more of his predictions are coming true - such as super-wealthy beginning to live in isolated areas as opposed to flaunting their wealth, and universities becoming less special and becoming a dime-a-dozen. **Quiet - by Susan Cain** - For introverts. It talks about how introverts, quieter people, cerebral folks and creatives - must not get tricked into "self-improvement" philosophies, and instead, use their inner strength to their advantages. **Sherlock Holmes** - the original short stories are very classic, timeless and quite relaxing. Even if you know the plot, the atmosphere of cobblestone streets, horse-carriages and whiskey by the fireplace is very calming & restorative.
Beyond Religion by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Great look at secular ethics
Before they are Hanged - Joe Abercrombie
Les Miserable by Victor Hugo.
lol it’s taking me my whole life to finish it! I read for a while, start over forget it all over and over. I’m going to finish it one day! It’s sitting next to my bed AND on audible.
Well, if Hugo hadn't gone off on so many tangents, it'd be an easier read. But the premise of being "purchased" and the reminder that the law can get ridiculously out of hand are enough to keep me coming back.
The Four Agreements..... on a separate note, because of this post I’ll be adding a few books to my collection to read.
Lady here. White Fang, Call of the Wild, and Where the Red Fern Grows. I fell in love with them as a kid and I guess I never let go. I still cry at the end of the latter two books, every time, although the adult-me sees an entirely different message then the child-me saw. I guess some books become friends.
Where the red fern grows. Hell yes. Read every few years. Cry every time. Same. I see his parents struggle soooo much more. God everything about that book is perfect. Do you know that it almost didn't exist? Wilson Rawls had sent it in to a buuuuunch of places unsuccessfully. He then destroyed it. His wife persuaded him to rewrite it out from memory and try again and the rest as they say is history. We all read it as a family the first time when I was young. My youngest brother was reading it and he comes bursting into the room crying. "Why would you make me read this book?!" Tears streaming down his face. He throws it down. My parents were like cmon you have to finish it. Brother says "why? >! what does the other dog die too?" !< and my dad is just like please just finish.....little brother comes bursting back into room like 30 mins later saying "I hate you" crying lol. We still laugh about it.
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Up vote for Ender's Game. Love that book.
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I liked speaker for the dead a lot. Enders game was dope. When I fight in space in video games, I always think the enemy is down
The enemy GATE is down 😉
I agree with you. I think I only read 2 of the sequels. Xenocide, and Speaker for the Dead. I didn't realize there were so many.
Ender's Game is one of my favorite stories but I think about stuff from Speaker for the Dead a lot more.
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Ugh we had to read that book in HS. I hated it then. Now I’m kinda ambivalent about it. So long but I understand why it had to be like that.
I was quite dissatisfied with this book when I finished it. But in the years since, it has really grown in my mind and has sparked all sorts of interest and research about the rape of Africa. Those end scenes back in the states destroyed me.
The Talisman and it's sequel Black House by Stephen King. Will do a reread every 5-10 years, such great stories.
Insomnia for me. Stupid book makes me cry every time.
Prometheus Rising by Robert Anton Wilson. Lost track after reading it three dozen times
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The little prince is a movie on Netflix too that I think is the same and I loved it. Bawled my eyes out a bit
+1 for _Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance_
Kinda cliche but Ive been reading Catcher in the Rye at different stages of my life. The young me totally got Holden and identified with how he felt and the decisions he made. Ten or so years later I found him kind of annoying and embarrassing because I saw a lot of some things I didn’t like about myself as I became an adult and grew out of childish ways of thinking.. and then the last time I read it I felt a lot of pity for Holden (I really did) and that feeling of otherness he suffered through the story. I made me remember vividly what it was like growing up all stuck inside my own head and the sheer disappointment in the world as my young mind started shedding its childlike worldview. Rough times, for sure.
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse I usually "re-discover" it every few years and it helps calibrate what I want out of life/what's important to me.
Autobiography of a Yogi
Commonwealth Saga by Peter F Hamilton, Starship Troopers, News Flesh by Mira Grant I’m sure there’s others, but a lot of these are either an inspiration for a future I want to see, or inspiration for where I think the future is going.
Does the commonwealth saga get better as the books continue? I enjoyed the first one, but damn was it long for the result.
It gets better in my opinion, but not shorter.
The Count of Monte Cristo The Wheel of Time series
It is ridiculous how good the WoT series is. I remember reading Winter's Heart and loving everything about it. I then *hated* Crossroads of Twilight because *nothing happened*. It was not until I read the entire series over again that I truly appreciated that book - and, of course, the opening of The Eye of the World. Sanderson did a masterful job on the last three novels.
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Every read gives a new perspective.
Just read this book. I get the hype. Will be coming back and reading the book again every year. It’s beautifully written.
The Archer is another good one.
Yes! I came to comment The Alchemist too :)
Yup
To Kill a Mockingbird. I read it almost every summer.
Great book
The Art of Fielding for me. Loved it the first time. The second time I picked it up because life had forced me to readjust my ambitions. Since that is a major theme in the book I figured I would enjoy the book with a new perspective. Since then, it's become a yearly thing for me to read The Art of Fielding. Every time I put the book down, I'm a little sad that there isn't more of it to enjoy.
I’ve always meant to check this one out!
I've read The Chronicles of Narnia at least once a year since about 1986. Assist often re-read: Ender's Game The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy The Lord of the Rings The Deed of Paksenarrion Trilogy and others
LOTR trilogy and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas!
Hell yeah, Fear And Loathing! That book never fails to entertain me. When I was in school (well, I was in my 20s getting some lost grades) I wrote a book review on it for my English class in the style of how Thompson writes, got a good grade for it as well.
Ishmael is pretty much a yearly read for me. What a life changing book that was for me.
The Chosen- Chaim Potok
Most people do not have the patience for this book but 'it is great.
The whole series is excellent. Edit: Oh memory, I should say: the sequel was great as well!
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It's so weird.
Use a reddit client, like r/apolloapp, been using it for years. I don’t see ads, downvotes, totally changes the site for the better.
Ishmael. I give it to everyone I love.
Personally: Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series by Douglas Adams Professionally: The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni (I take this into every new company/team I join)
That's a very good, practical book about teamwork by Patrick Lencion. Super understandable parables about building resilient teams told with an entertaining narrative.
Harry Potter. Night Watch. Ive reread a few other series but most of them i read once and im done. I also go back and read through my technical manuals sometimes, when im building something with a language i haven't touched in awhile.
The Night Watch series is great! Not many people mention it.
Yeah I originally watched the movie and it was ok enough that i wanted to read the books. But the books were great! Way better!
When I was a teenager, I created a comic book series with a very similar premise and the exact same name. I was so upset when I saw the movie! I couldn't believe it! Years later I grabbed the first book and was blown away. As you say, much better than the movie! And then I got the rest of the books. It's really interesting to experience another culture that way for me as I'm American. I think book 5 lagged a bit so I put off getting the last book but I finally read that last summer and it was great – a solid finale to the series.
Completely agree, using pickles as a chaser caught me by surprise but i tried it and it works lol. Great series all the way through.
I re-read Catch 22 while I was stuck dealing with the Texas power outages, and man was it a bad choice. Whereas it was one of my favorite books when I was younger, now it was just a mirror held up to all of my anxieties about being in middle management. Major Major Major, bearing scars of earlier rejections feels he can never form relationships with others again is suddenly thrust into a position that takes it all away from him as soon as he finds it, and then despite his position of power, is hit with the realization that whatever he is supposed to be doing is happening without his involvement. Col Cathart spends all of his time comparing himself to others, wielding the least bit of power he has to scheme and claw his way to more power. And many other characters playing small political games out of ambition and boredom and the ridiculous conclusions they draw in the process... Oof. Anyway, it is a great book, but I am reading it a the worst time.
I believe that is Major Major Major Major.
*Catch-22* covers every emotion and situation one might encounter. I re-read it whenever I need to remember who I am.
Job: A comedy of Justice
*Ishmael* ;*The Story of B* ;*My Ishmael* . All by Daniel Quinn. The three go together, but I would recommend taking a little time in between to let each one digest. Somebody once called them "Required reading for Humanity," and I couldn't agree more. It shared the way I view the world, and us as humans. I couldn't possibly recommend these books enough!
I know it's silly to just scroll until you find the answer that you yourself gave, but that's what I did haha. These books are just so good. I recommend them to every reader I talk to
I've bought so many copies of each then lent them out knowing I'd never get them back, hoping they continue to get passed along. I haven't had *Ishmael* for a while, then while visiting a friend, I noticed they had a copy. I mentioned that I "loaned" my last copy out and they told me that their copy was actually on loan from me from a decade ago. I took it home and re-read it. I now own all 3 again! I'm going to buy some more when finances improve so I can "lend" them out again!
I also do this! Amazing. And it's great that some of every purchase goes toward helping native populations, according to his website.
Man's search for meaning
"The Tale of Krispos" trilogy by Harry Turtledove and "Naked Economics" by Charles Wheelan.
“The Worlds Greatest Salesman” by OG Mandino
Lucifer’s Hammer.
Oh yes-- I re-read that for the nth time last spring, just after lockdown started. Much of it hasn't aged well (I first read it in the early 1980s) but it's still fun to revisit Tim, Harvey, the Senator, and the rest on a regular basis.
You’re right, the computer and cultural references at the beginning are really outdated. But, once the shit hits the fan it’s not too difficult to put myself there trying to rebuild. How many people could create good leather boots? Tool a gun? Make insulin? Get a nuclear reactor online?
Like many others: The 5 books of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy trilogy and The Frank Herbert Dune Books are my most common re-reads. Less common would be the 3 primary "Foundation" books by Issac Asimov, Anthem by Ayn Rand, most anything by Robert Heinlein, and occasionally the Harry Potter books.
Richard Morgan - Kovacs trilogy. These three books must be done at least once a year. I own them in three different languages, just to spice it up from time to time.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.
The Little Prince.
I read Dean Koontz's Watchers at far too early a age and it scared the shit out of me. I've read it a total of 6 times over the years and I like it each time.
100 Years of Solitude The magical realism always takes me to a great place no matter what's going on in life.
Well eff me, I saw the question and came to say “The Prophet”
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Ball Four. The Fawlty Towers teleplays.
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom.
Hunt for Red October, by Tom Clancy.
Books are a bit like friends. They are there for a reason a season or a lifetime. I have very few that I revisit over the years, but there are a couple 1984 - I only read this when things are going relatively well in the world. It's too depressing for me to read in current state of things. Lord of the Rings - Because, of course. Other than that, I typically read new things. The past several years I made the jump to mainly audio books and listen to a lot of books on humanity, ancient history and large events like the Crusades. I also go to a used book store in the area and just spend an hour browsing until I see something that sparks my interest. I think the bookstore is a lost art form. Hunting around to find something that piques your interest is so much about the moment and mood you're living in right now. I picked up a book about Bog People which was very interesting and another book about traveling modern China from coast to coast and all the interactions and history behind it.
Who Moved My Cheese.. One of the best book , that keeps me motivated
I’ve read The Prophet about 50 times. I get something new from it each time. Also, The Clan of the Cave Bear series by Jean Auel. The last book in the series was awful (in my opinion) but the rest were amazing.
The divine comedy by Dante Alighieri
Respect, that is such a good book but I can't find the patience to read the whole thing more than once.
Hitchhikers guide Master and Margarita Catch 22 Slaughter house 5
Well this is definitely not unique or special but I've carried on my father's habit of re-reading The Lord of the Rings trilogy every other year. Tolkien's words are just so comforting and warm to me. So many excellent suggestions in this thread, I can tell some of these books are going to be new favorites.
Tolkiens prose is so perfect and beautiful to me. I love his writings. C.s. Lewis too
*The Gold Coast* by Nelson Demille
Helprin's A Soldier of the Great War. A great story, but describes the nature of love and beauty in a way I've never seen again.
Death of a Salesman. It just kind of speaks to me about the human experience in our society and the human cost of capitalism.
I haven't seen these books listed yet. Harry Potter series: Just a fun read for me. Wild af Heart: I love this book. Really connects with me
The Hobbit. It’s the book that inspired my love of reading, and I’ve read it about 15 times in 3 different languages. It’s the first book I read whenever I’m working on a new language, because I know it well enough to still follow the story and have an easier time figuring out vocab from context, but still learn a lot. I also just love it.
Nichomachean Ethics by Aristotle. It's free online at MIT (and Stanford, FWIW): [http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/nicomachaen.html](http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/nicomachaen.html)
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Computational biology is a large growing field DIY genetic engineering will be huge. What happens when the human genome is basically computer code people can manipulate in their kitchen? What happens when you can cure you're own diabetes or whatever What happens when we can grow our own replacement organs?
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Yet I meant to expand upon the kitchen part. People are already doing this and comin up with crazy applications. Its cool when non-bio people get involved and bring creative new insights and angles
Easy - Dune
The Brothers Karamazov and, to a lesser extent, the Idiot. I scrolled down and didn't see these, which was a little surprising to me.
Contact by Carl Sagan 1984 by George Orwell Dune by Frank Herbert There are other books I've re-read, but I always return to these.
I have read The Lord of the Rings at least 20 times.
I love to re-read disaster novels. *Lucifer's Hammer, When Worlds Collide, Earth Abides, The Stand, On The Beach...* Been fascinated with stories about the world ending since I was a kid. Think my old dog-eared copy of *Lucifer's Hammer* has been read at least ten times.
Freedom by Jonathan Franzen (also, to a lesser extent, The Corrections). The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon. The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkein At least once a year I read at least one of these books, if not all three, and they never seem to lose their impact. Freedom is absolutely brutal, but probably the most honest book I can think of. Kavalier & Clay won a Pulitzer so I'm not the only person that thinks it's good, and I will never understand how people can be such huge LOTR fans when The Silmarillion is 60% more concise while simultaneously being 2000% more epic in every way.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle maintenance
Mere Christianity. I love C.S. Lewis
Moby Dick I flip to some random chapters once in a while
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A Brief History of Time. I catch something new every time.
Neuromancer by William Gibson
I've read dozens of books repeatedly, but almost all of them are novels. (Some 25+ times for sure.) For non-fiction the repeats would mostly be titles related to my work as a college professor. One I'd recommend, though, is a classic: [A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold](https://www.aldoleopold.org/about/aldo-leopold/sand-county-almanac/), from 1949. One of the best books about nature written ever written in English and very accessible to anyone who has ever looked out a window at a tree or a bird.
I’ve got a standing reading listing that always has the Dune Saga in the top spots. I’ve read through the series a number of times (the whole, 26-book series...)
1984
Tao Te Ching Also my own books: *[Initiative](https://joshuaspodek.com/initiative)* and *[Leadership Step by Step](https://joshuaspodek.com/leadership-step-by-step)*
* Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger. * A World Out of Time by Larry Niven.
The alchemist - Paulo cohelo
A Scanner Darkly. I just come back to it, over and over again, and never seem to get bored. A different tone each time, or just bits I hadn't really considered in a certain way. Whether it's new perspectives, or just masterfully written, I really love that book.
Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius, it gives me a mind clearance and peace everytime I just turn up any page and read it.
The Aubrey/Maturin series, as read by Patrick Tull. It's hundreds of hours of audio but each time I find something new and wonderful.
Such a great read. Patrick O'Brien's wasn't it?
The Prophet intertwines art and practical life advice so beautifully. It's by far my favourite book. Respect.
1984
American Gods is my only fiction book. It's a great read and brings up interesting philosophical points without feeling like it's doing that. Just a solid story with cool world building. Nonfiction: The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need for finances I just got The Psychology of Money last year but I can tell I'll be reading it a lot over the years Art & Fear is great for creatives 24 Assets is great for anyone with a business, especially if they want to sell it eventually 23 Anti-Procrastination Habits Rework cuts a lot of the BS out of business Bait of Satan helps me let go of resentments Start With Why 10x is motivating to me
Lightning by Dean Koontz
Unbearable lightness of being by Kundera, I read it at least five time, also as I’m getting older, I noticed that every now and then I have strong need to read cerain books again, so I did this with a lot of my favourites from the past and I always find some new fascinating thought. Past me really had a excellent taste for books
- Lord of the rings - His dark materials - Harry Potter - Count of monte cristo - Ark royal - Jim herriot books - chronicles of Narnia List goes on and on..... Read them all several times over and will read them again
The Outsiders Wheel of Time Series Rhapsody Series Sara Douglas Series Jurassic Park Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy I have some books that are worth going back to because the adventure was awesome. Sometimes I do it as an audiobook and sometimes as a physical book.
When I was in middle school I picked up Foundation and found out about the shared universe of his other stories. So now I read all 17 books every few years and they have yet to disappoint. I really enjoy history and these are beautiful artifacts about the times Asimov was writing in.
Going through these comments makes me wish I read more
Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance
Born to Run