My friend Liz and I were away in Oxford this weekend – meeting up with some fellow Virago readers. It was a lovely weekend – sharing an enthusiasm is always wonderful. The pictured cake is a Virago themed cake made for the occaison – by our wonderful hostess.
Anyway this morning my good friend Liz and I were discussing how there are books we always thought we would re-read but seem never to have got around to. There are, after all just too many books. So we have come up with a reading project – yes another one. A month of re-reading books we’ve read before – and really want to re-visit. We thought we would do it twice – six months apart. We will do July – and January – easy to remember two J months. Liz will be sharing her thoughts on the project too and can be found here. Liz’s full time blog
I immediately had some titles in mind – although I haven’t made a final selection yet – I will do so this week probably.
Pictured are The Trumpet Major – will be reading for our Hardy project too – Northanger Abbey, Villette, Cold Comfort Farm and Dead Man’s Folly. I may also be re-reading Elizabeth Taylor’s Angel for the Virago group’s read-a-long, also under consideration are Rosamond Lehmann books for the Rosamond Lehmann reading week and some re-reads I have waiting on my kindle – among them My Antonia by Willa Cather, some Sherlock Holmes and Henry James The Turn of the Screw. So many I could choose it is very difficult to make a final list.
We would love it if some other people decided to join us in a month of re-reading. What have you been meaning to re-read? Could you dedicate a whole month to just re-reading old favourites? or books you simply wish to re-visit to see how you feel about them now.
I will decide upon my final list in the next week – and post it – as I’m sure Liz will do too. Let us know by dropping us a comment if you fancy joining us in only re-reading for a whole month.
heavenali 
[…] always something new to get on with. Thus was hatched the Month of Re-Reading plan, which Ali is hosting over on her blog … but I’ll be talking about my re-reading on here … watch this space! Share […]
My own post about this is here http://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2012/06/17/a-month-of-re-reading/ – I hope lots of people will join us. I’m really enjoying mulling over what I’m going to re-read …
This is a great idea! Though I think I’d have the same difficulty as you – even devoting time to re-reads still leaves the challenge of what to choose! At the moment I find a frequent tension in how to use my time for reading – I want to re- read but I’ve got so many new books piling up! However inspired by you I’ll devote at least some of my time in July. Now I just have to decide what to choose!!
I am going to end up doing that, to be honest – as I have a couple of books I need to read before the Olympics! Thanks for joining in!
I would love to read my favourite book to see how I find it all these years later, I don’t have a copy but shall try and get one, the book is ‘Industry of Souls’ by Martin Booth, it was a longlist nomination for the Booker prize in the 90’s and a gem of a book for me, sadly he only published one other book after I discovered him before he passed away.
Excellent I hope you manage to find a copy of the book.
Hope you manage to find a copy. I’m always amazed how my reactions change to books – when I first read Middlemarch aged 17, I thought it was about love and marriage; when I read it again in my 30s, I realised it was about inheritance and politics!
Hi Ali, I found your blog looking for Elizabeth Taylor reviews and recognised the name from comments on Savidge Reads. This sounds a brilliant idea. I’ve already committed to the Paris in July challenge for next month but would love to join you for January. 🙂
Hi Alex – that’s great! We will look forward to you joining us then. In the meantime check back in July to see how we get on with our project : )
Ooh look – Ali’s famous! I reckon we’ll do this every six months for a while …
I think this is a wonderful idea, and something I’ve been thinking about a lot recently. So many of the books I love I haven’t actually looked at for years and one particular book (Italo Calvino’s “If On A Winter Night A Traveller”) is calling to me strongly. The main issue I have is the length of time since I’ve read it – I loved it so much then and I’m a little afraid that I might not react in the same way. But I think I will take my courage in my hands and read it soon. I don’t think I can give a whole month over to only re-reading but I certainly will join you for some of the time!
I have never read If on a winter’s night a traveller – and look forward to hearing how you get on with it. It is a wonderful title – one I remember hearing – but I can’t say I have any idea what the book is.
It’s a very wonderful book I read in the early 80s and was described to me as “a book about books for people who like books” but I remember it as being very clever with lots of different stories starting in alternate chapters with other chapters linking them. (I’ve mentioned it briefly on my blog and shall do a review when I’ve worked up the courage!)
Do let us know if you feel differently about it on the re-read – I often find I still love a book, but in a different way (see my note about Middlemarch, above!).
And I meant to say, what a lovely edition of Dead Man’s Folly you have!
Oh yes it is sweet : )
Hello Ali. Funnily enough I’d already decided I was going to do some re-reading in the summer hols ( I’m a teacher). I’d really like to read The Great Gatsby again. Really like your blog btw! Caroline
Thank you : ) as a TA I will also be on hols soon (Yay!) the summer hols are great for reading in.
As a school admin person I’m also looking forward to the hols!
Hm, as a self-employed person there’s never a lull but I am getting good at carving out reading time for myself!
Your posts have tempted me to re-read my favorite book of all time Mrs. Dalloway, haven’t re-read it since 1998, wondering how I”ll feel about it now. Also would like to re read a childhood favorite Harriet the Spy as my son is now the age I was when I read it. I remember enjoying it so much. going to go search out one of my copies of Mrs. Dalloway now. Thanks for the inspiration 🙂
Excellent : ) glad you are joining us.
Wonderful news – hope you enjoy both books (I re-read childhood favourites all the time; in fact now I’m having a mull over doing “My Friend Flicka”, which I haven’t re-read for AGES”!)
I think I’ll join too – and it will be a good excuse to get my Livejournal up and active again. I think I’d like to go back to a mix of books from my childhood, and books I read earlier on my degree (after all, some of that’s six years ago now!) and see what new nuances I spot.
Excellent : ) looking forward to hearing what you choose to read – and what you think now.
That sounds like a great idea. I’m going to revisit some childhood favourites, too.
I wish I could, but I’m signed up for Paris in July and I have a good few books on order from the library. But I have a few books in mind that I may read again next month, and I’ll try to get myself organised to give over a month if you do this again.
I think we’re fairly flexible on this: it doesn’t HAVE to be a whole month of re-reading. I have to read a couple of books on the Olympics before they start, but close enough to the Games that they are still fresh in my mind, so not every single book read in July will be a re-read for me! Hope you have fun!
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Ladies, I think I will join you on a part or half time basis as you are battling ORANGE JULY and ORANGE JANUARY for my reading time. But I would love to join you if it is okay that I spend………………………..Don’t know what I am thinking. I can simply reread some ORANGES. ha, that will work. Thank you for listening. I just needed to talk that one through. I would be thrilled to join you.
hugs,
Excellent Belva – can’t wait to hear what you decide to re-read and what you think of them.
I’m sure you’ll find a way, and it’ll be great to hear what you read!
I want to play, too! I’m already going through my bookshelves and it looks lijke I’m going way back. So far I’m thinking King’s Row by Belleman and Captain from Castile by Shellabarger. (Both of those were my attempt to look for sex at the age of 12.) Then maybe Great Gatsby and Daughter of Time. And if i can find a copy of Angelique…..
Elaine
Great, glad you to have you joining us Elaine. I am so excited to be doing this and loveit that so many people are joining us.
Sounds like a great selection. I must get thinking about what I’m actually going to choose …
[…] of re-reading, I’ll be sorting out and posting my choices for the Month of Re-Reading Ali Hope and I are organising … watch this space! Share this:ShareEmailLinkedInStumbleUponDiggRedditFacebookTwitterLike […]
[…] you may know by now, my friend Ali and I are doing a month of re-reading in July. It’s really time to choose our books, so here […]
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[…] July Liz and I did our first month of re-reading, several people joined in and I have to say it was a complete joy. So many times we (readers) […]