Monday, December 21, 2015

Holiday Reading

by Vicki Delany

I rarely read a book twice.  I keep my favourites on hand, always expecting to want to re-read them some day, but that day never seems to arrive. There’s always something shiny and new to attract my attention.

I’ve probably read the Lord of the Rings about twenty times. The last time was when the Fellowship of the Ring movie came out, and I wanted to refresh my memory (and look for similarities and differences, of course).  But now, I think I’m done with LOTR and won’t read it again. 

One of my favourite books is An Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears. I’d read it twice, and recommended it to my book club, so read it a third time, again to refresh my memory.  It’s so incredibly nuanced, that it does have to be read several times to get the full meaning, as the layers are slowly peeled away. Same for another one of Pears’ books, Dream of Scipio. Also a novel I’ve enjoyed rereading.

That’s about it. My list of books to read more than once.

Oh, there is another exception.

Every Christmas I try to at least read a few of the stories in Holmes for the Holidays, and More Holmes for the Holidays.  The books are anthologies, all the stories have something to do with Sherlock Holmes and/or Dr. Watson and are set in the holiday season.  What could be better?



Let me wish you and yours a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year. As for me, I have reading to do. The game is afoot!


1 comment:

Donis Casey said...

Great. Now I have more books to add to my sky-high TBR pile. Loved Rest Ye Merry, by the way.