Have you ever had that feeling after finishing a book where you just wished you could go back in time and read it again for the first time? Same! I asked our online community which books you wished you could read again for the first time and these were the 13 books that came up the most often.
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
This children’s fantasy novel (which has been adapted into a popular anime film) follows the story of 18 year old Sophie Hatter. Destined to a life running her family’s hat shop in her home town, Sophie’s mundane life is suddenly turned upside down when the evil Witch of the Waste casts a spell on her which turns her into an old lady. She leaves the hat shop and finds work cleaning the enchanted ‘castle’ of the notorious wizard Howl where she strikes up a bargain with his fire demon Calcifer who promises to return her to her original youthful state if she can break the spell that’s on him.
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien
“One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.”
An absolutely epic fantasy novel, it’s no surprise to find this on the list! Set in Middle-earth The Lord of the Rings tells of the great quest to destroy the One Ring. A quest undertaken by Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring: Gandalf the Wizard; the hobbits Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin; Gimli the Dwarf; Legolas the Elf; Boromir of Gondor; and a tall, mysterious stranger called Strider.
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
With over 100 million copies sold, this mystery novel written by the Queen of mystery herself is one of the best-selling books of all time. So it’s no shock to find it here amongst the books you wish you could read again for the first time!
10 strangers receive an invitation to a private island off the coast of Devon. Their host, an eccentric millionaire unknown to all of them, is nowhere to be found. All that the guests have in common is a wicked past they're unwilling to reveal and a secret that will seal their fate…
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
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Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
One for the Shakespeare fans, this moving novel gives an insight into how his personal life may have influenced the writing of one of his most famous plays. Set in Warwickshire in the 1580s, the story centres around the life of Agnes, her husband (William Shakespeare, though never mentioned explicitly by name) and their three children: a daughter, Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. The boy, Hamnet, dies of the plague in 1596 at the age of 11. A few years later Agnes’s husband writes a play called Hamlet.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
A retelling of the Trojan War as told from the perspective of Patroclus. Set during the Greek Heroic Age, the novel follows Patroclus’ relationship with Achilles. Staying true to the Greek legends and the works of Homer, this story convincingly fills in the blanks and gives Patroclus an interesting and believable backstory.
This book is a firm TikTok favourite and is one you voted to have the chance to read again for the first time!
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
A core part of American popular culture, this classic novel set in the Jazz Age of Long Island depicts first-person narrator Nick Carraway’s interactions with the mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby and Gatsby’s obsession to reunite with his former lover Daisy Buchanan. A story of indulgence, pining and the conceptualisation of The American Dream, this novel has been adapted for stage, television and film and remains a firm favourite for many including you!
The Starless Sea Erin Morgenstern
The second of Erin Morgenstern’s books to appear on this list, this is the book which prompted the response from someone that they would “sell their left kidney to read it again for the first time”!
The Starless Sea is a timeless love story set in a secret underground world—a place of pirates, painters, lovers, liars, and ships that sail upon a starless sea. The story follows Zachary Rawlins who finds a mysterious library book which contains stories about him and sets out on a quest to discover more.
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Although Dracula was not the first piece of literature to depict vampires, the novel has nonetheless come to dominate the topic. Count Dracula is usually the first character to come to mind when discussing vampires and so it’s no surprise to find this one here!
An epistolary novel, its narrative is related through letters, diary entries and newspaper articles. It opens with Jonathan Harker taking a business trip to stay at the castle of a Transylvanian nobleman, Count Dracula.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
A historical fiction novel set in Nazi Germany during World War II, this book became an international bestseller.
Narrated by Death, the novel presents the lives and viewpoints of the many victims of the ongoing war and more particularly follows the adventures of a young girl named Liesel. When Liesel steals a copy of The Gravedigger’s Handbook from her brother’s graveside, her “career” as The Book Thief begins and she is soon stealing books from Nazi book-burnings.
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
This historical fantasy novel follows the life of Diana Bishop, a history of science professor at Yale University. Oh, and Diana is also a witch.
While working at the University of Oxford, she discovers a lost manuscript at the Bodleian Library which soon attracts the attention of demons, witches and vampires who have long been searching for the manuscript. It becomes apparent that Diana is the only one who can break its spell.
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
How could a band as successful as Daisy Jones & The Six fall apart? One interviewer pieces together interviews from band members, friends and family and other relevant sources to find out why.