10 Books I Could Reread Forever

I love rereading. As a kid, I had a big bookshelf filled with books and I think I read every book multiple times. I would just pull books off the shelf and read them depending on my mood, with no worries about a TBR list or yearly numbers. Once I got older and started caring about those things, my rereading dropped off significantly, but lately I've been back at it. In the past two months alone I've reread nine books and I have so many more that I'm dying to read.

Here are ten books that I love and have read over and over again.

1. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
I have loved this book for years. It tells the Biblical story of Jacob's wives and children from the point of view of his only (mentioned) daughter, Dinah. I found its descriptions of ancient womanhood to be beautiful and I love the voice it gave to all the little-known characters.

2. The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
This story begins with two immigrant parents expecting their first child, and the story eventually shifts over to him. His story as a first-generation American, encapsulated in his struggle over his name, feels universal.

3. Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck
This memoir tells of Steinbeck's months spent traveling around the U.S. in 1960 with his dog, Charley. His descriptions and realizations of what America and its people are like is still so accurate, even almost 60 years later. I love it a lot and know I will be rereading it for years to come.

4. The Chosen by Chaim Potok
The friendship between two boys from different Jewish sects in Brooklyn made me think hard about relationships between fathers and son and between God and His children. Moving and heartfelt, it has stayed with me ever since I read it.

5. My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout
There is something about this book that draws me in. I cannot get enough of it and find myself coming back to hear again Lucy's thoughts on childhood, poverty, and relationships.

6. Truth and Beauty by Ann Patchett
Patchett delves into her friendship with Lucy Grealy in this memoir that ranks as one of my all-time favorites. It is wonderfully descriptive and poignant.

7. Kindred  by Octavia Butler
While technically classified as science fiction, this insightful novel of a black woman time-traveling from the 1970s to the antebellum South is incredibly fascinating. It provides a modern, thought-provoking view that really puts the reader in the shoes of the slaves. 

8. MWF Seeking BFF by Rachel Bertsche
Sometimes it is a little weird to me that I love this book as much as I do, but it is such a fresh take on making friends. It is so honest about the hardships of making friends as an adult, and I love the innovative steps Bertsche takes to make more friends. I think about her experiences often.

9. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
The New York society told of by Wharton in this beautiful classic was made up partly by her memories, which make it feel real. The story is about love and sacrifice, and certain passages have haunted me long after I finished it. I've read it three times already and know I'll be reading it again.

10. Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin
I thoroughly enjoy reading Rubin's experience of how to enhance her happiness in her home life. She provides useful examples and tons of tips to achieve greater satisfaction, and both times I read this book I came away feeling inspired.

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