There is nothing quite like the feeling you get when you reread a book. Sometimes, I will have forgotten what happened in the book, and it will be like reading it all over again. But most of the time, I will remember what happened and gleefully read my favorite parts. So, without further adieu, here are my favorite four rereads.
Red Queen Series (Young Adult Fantasy)
This was my main comfort read in high school. Literally lived and died by this book.
I have read this series, by Victoria Aveyard, at least six times over by now. This series was what truly grew my love for reading. Before this series, I was bored of books. Reading felt like a chore. But not with this series. I feel in love and have been chasing this reader’s high ever sense.
The Pigman (Young Adult / Coming of Age)
I don’t know what it is about this book, written by Paul Zindel, but I just love it. The story is short; the book is a quick, easy read. It was published in 1968 so the culture is different – there are references to type writers and phone books. And the core of the story is beautiful. The narrators, a teenage boy and girl, will describe their experiences and lives. But the beginning of their story really starts when they meet the pigman. Over the course of the story the characters grow closer as friends as they meet and befriend this lonely old man. But the story isn’t without heartache.
Teardrop Shot (Basketball/Sports Romance)
Tijan was one of my favorite writers in highschool. I read and read and read her books, consuming every piece of literature she offered. The sadder and lonelier the character was, the deeper a connection I felt. Her main characters were isolated and alone, and I just felt a kinship to that in high school. But their problems were solved when they met their male love interests. And they grew to be happy. The love interest was dedicated to the main character, but not overly so. And the characters almost always grew from friends to lovers, which is one of my favorite tropes.
So recently I reread Teardrop Shot and just, ahhh. Love love love. This main character has been navigating life alone for a while now, but an old friend pops up in her life and she is forced to face what she has been running from. And just watching as she grows happier and healthier? And falls in love? Yes, please.
Twisted Emotions (Mafia Romance)
This author, Cora Reilly, made me fall in love with the arranged marriage trope. Head over heels fall. Many of her books within the mafia world she created have a similar set up: girls born into mafia families grow up sheltered and then are promised in marriage. But in many cases, the girls enter a world of uncertainties, separated from their families as they enter a marriage with a man they do not know. And the unknown is both isolating and fearful. The author does a good job showcasing these emotions, allowing the reader to feel what the character is feeling. One of my favorites of the world is Kiara’s story – TwistedEmotions and Twisted Bonds. She grows into her own skin within the series, growing more confident and comfortable within her environment. And she falls for the husband along the way. What makes this a reread I always find myself coming back to is how her love interest is emotionless – instead he allows thought and reason to control his actions. But then he himself starts slipping and his emotions, only for her of course, come out.