Ask HN: Which books have you read more than once?

63 点作者 shuaib将近 5 年前

For those into reading books, I think it is common practice to pick a new interesting book most of the time. However I want to know if there are books you found so valuable, you went back to it multiple times. Which book(s) was it, and how many times did you read it? What compelled you to reread it?

75 条评论

fourseventy将近 5 年前

Good Night Moon - 187 timesThe Cat In The Hat - 200 timesThe Very Hungry Caterpillar - 85 timesBut seriously, im on my third re-read of Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin, In my opinion its the best book about leadership ever written.

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xamuel将近 5 年前

The Bible (technically working on my 2nd cover-to-cover readthrough, but have read individual books in it many times, especially the Gospel of Matthew).All of Kafka's novels, but especially "The Castle".Several of PKD's novels: "The Man in the High Castle", "Through a Scanner Darkly", "Ubiq""The Silmarillion" (when I was a young adult)Douglas Adams' "Dirk Gentley's Holistic Detective Agency" (when I was a teenager)

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humanistbot将近 5 年前

Dune by Frank Herbert. This is a book I first read as a young teenager, but every time I re-read it every few years at a somewhat different point in my life, I get a different sense of it, maybe more based on where I am in my life and what is going on in the world. That for me is what makes a book endlessly re-readable: you always find something new in it. It is packed with all kinds of references and allegories to so many parts of our world, but in a way that still seems like its own world.

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alanfalcon将近 5 年前

I find myself re-listening to large portions of my audible library fairly often. I pick up so much more on additional read/listen-throughs.I listen to or read Snow Crash at least once a year. I just enjoy most everything about it. Anathem required a couple listens, and a third listen was just for comfort food.The Altered Carbon trilogy has depth and sublime world-building that I have now enjoyed at least a half dozen times.I second mentions of Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency (and will mention The Long, Dark Tea Time of the Soul as well).Ender’s Game is also comfort food for me.Breaking from the speculative fiction reco’s above... The Power of Vulnerability (Brené Brown) is more lecture series than audiobook, but as for non fiction I’ve recently given multiple listens to, that tops the list.I borrowed “Landline” from the local library, read it twice and then bought it so I could continue to read it when I want to. I think I was in just the right age group and life situation for this novel to hit home for me. Your mileage may vary, but IMO read it without knowing anything about it in advance if you’re going to read it. That means don’t read the back cover etc.(Blind borrowing of books from the library is fun and can be eye opening, try it sometime! Most places, you can borrow eBooks and even digital audiobooks without even leaving your home as long as you have a library card.)

syndacks将近 5 年前

So I know this is the opposite of what OP is asking, but I've taken the stance recently that I won't re-read another book. There are books that I would like to re-read, but they come at the opportunity cost of reading others.A fellow traveler in a Guatemalan hostel broke it down to me like this: - let's say as an avid reader, you're able to read 12 books a year. - let's say you have 50 years of reading left in you, that means you have 600 books left to read in your lifetimeThat back-of-the-napkin-math put things into perspective for me. So many great books to read, so little time. It's also for that reason that I have no qualms about putting a book down that I'm not into.

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trts将近 5 年前

For many books that I find myself thinking about for years, or just that I enjoyed very much, I will revisit them later. They can be very revealing in how my perspective has changed or that I'll identify with completely different characters, or be awed by a passage that my earlier self overlooked.Several that come to mind areHeart of DarknessMoby DickRobinson CrusoePretty much any Chekhov storyCathedral by Raymond Carver

wazoox将近 5 年前

The book I've reread the most is The Odyssey. For a long time, I've read it once every year.Another book I've read many times is Eco's Foucault's Pendulum.I've read Asimov's cycle of Foundation many times. Don't know how many, actually.I've also read several times some philosophy classics, particularly Plato's Symposium, Phaedrus, Apology and Republic.Then there are many books that I've read at least twice, almost all considered classics (from 1984 to LoTR, Great expectations to Tom Sawyer, Crime and punishment to Twenty thousand leagues under the sea, etc).

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LeoPanthera将近 5 年前

Douglas Adam's "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency".Probably the finest work of fiction ever written, and my favorite book of all time. You kind of have to read it twice, the end completely changes the interpretation of the entire rest of the book. It's great.Avoid spoilers, and also avoid the TV versions - not even the same story, and quite disappointing. The audiobook version, read by Douglas Adams himself, is sublime.

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navbaker将近 5 年前

I tend to re-read my favorites every few years or so, my latest re-read was "A Deepness in the Sky" by Vernor Vinge. Lots to dig into in that book, but my favorite aspect of it is actually how he writes the two different cultures' points of view to skew the reader's perception of the (very) alien culture, only revealing exactly how uncomfortable humans would be around them late in the book.

5letters将近 5 年前

When I've needed to laugh I've read and reread:Mark Twain's "Life on the Mississippi" and "Roughing It" as well as many short stories, esp. "My Watch", "Political Economy", "Journalism in Tennessee"Also short stories from others: J.S. Perelman's "Strictly From Hunger", Alex Atkinson's "The Eyes of Texas are Upon You"

brudgers将近 5 年前

The book I've read the most times is Three Little Pigs or "the wolf book" as my son used to request it just about every night for an extended period of time. Children's books dominate my most read list. And they are very important books because what's important about reading a book is mostly the experience of reading and less about the content.The content of a book isn't static. The content is a collaboration between the words on the page and the churning and whirring in the reader's head which isn't just churning and whirring because of the book and so varies from moment to moment and varies a lot from decade to decade.Which is why children want to hear the same story every night and why young readers often read Harry Potter several times rather than always seeking novelty in new books. Which was how I was as an early reader of science fiction.Then for several decades I sought the novelty of new books mostly. Largely because that's how I thought of myself as an adult reader...and then one day I read The Hobbit for the umpteenth time, but the first time since I was a child and out loud because my child was a child. It reads aloud very well and that inspired me to start rereading LoTR (for the O(n * umpteen)th time and it's the literary equivalent of a 200 slide slide deck...but I digress.The big thing is rereading is not reading the same book because of how much I've changed. I'm a much more experienced reader. Even excluding children's books I've probably read close to a hundred books through more than once.I read Blood Meridian cover to cover and then immediately reread the whole thing on two separate occasions about twenty years apart.All four times it was different.To me that's a good proxy for importance.

p4bl0将近 5 年前

The Campus Trilogy (Changing Places, Small World, Nice Work), by David Lodge.DO IT!: Scenarios of the Revolution, by Jerry Rubin.The Cuckoo's Egg: Tracking A Spy Through The Maze Of Computer Espionage, by Cliff Stoll.The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams.Logicomix, by Apóstolos K. Doxiàdis and Christos Papadimitriou.Other books that I strongly recommend can be found here (some of them are in French): <a href="https://pablo.rauzy.name/miscellaneous.html#books" rel="nofollow">https://pablo.rauzy.name/miscellaneous.html#books</a>Update: Pirates de tous les pays, by Marcus Rediker is a translation of Villains of All Nations: Atlantic Pirates in the Golden Age which you can thus read in English :). It really is an awesome read! After I finished it I immidiately ordered 5 more copies to give them to friends.

mindcrime将近 5 年前

There are a handful of books I have read more than once, and which I may still read more times. Offhand, I can think of:1. The Mysterious Island - Jules Verne - read 6 or 7 times if not more, dating back to when I was in about 6th grade2. False Memory - Dean Koontz - read probably 4 or 5 times3. Neuromancer - William Gibson - read 3 or 4 times, at least4. Nineteen Eighty-Four - George Orwell - read at least twice5. The Four Steps to the Epiphany - Steve Blank - read 2 or 3 times, skimmed parts many other times6. Mastering The Complex Sale - Jeff Thull - read 2 or 3 times7. Crossing the Chasm - Geoffrey Moore - read 2 or 3 times8. Wellsprings of Knowledge - Dorothy Leonard-Barton - read 2 or 3 times9. Common Knowledge - Nancy Dixon - read 2 or 3 times10. Winning the Knowledge Transfer Race - Michael English & William Baker - read 2 or 3 times

Zhyl将近 5 年前

The Kingkiller Chronicle.Firstly, they're good books and are enjoyable to read a second time round.Secondly, Rothfuss has laid down plot points like a Go player places stones. The second time reading through will join together disparate pieces of information that you wouldn't have connected together before, starting from very large revelations in the second reading of the first few chapters.I know of other books that are so rich that you can appreciate new details on multiple readings, but none that re-contextualise the whole story with revelations hidden in plain sight.Readings: (Name of the wind - 4 times, Wise Man's Fear 5 or 6 times - I like this one more for some reason).

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ljoshua将近 5 年前

"How Will You Measure Your Life?" by Clayton Christensen. Absolutely love this book and have read and listened to it multiple times. Really provides a fresh perspective on life and work.

dedalus将近 5 年前

- Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes (All 4 Novels and 56 short stories) --> read multiple times since childhood- "Be Here Now" by Ram Dass (read once and listened to audiobook twice)- Flatland by Edwin Abbot Abbot --> read multiple times to understand whats going on in different levels- Some PG Wodehouse stuff because it ages well (specifically the bibilical references)- Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie which is absolute verbal wizardry- Treasure Island by RLS which is a kids favorite for adventurism

arketyp将近 5 年前

Some while ago I reread Richard Dawkins's The Extended Phenotype, which he has referred to as his favorite work. You could say it's the logical follow up on The Selfish Gene, quite technical and expert-oriented, but Dawkins is such a talented and lucid writer that anyone with enough intellectual thirst can follow the arguments. I regard it a piece of philosophy as much as a textbook about evolution.

photonemitter将近 5 年前

I’ve read most Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett 3 or more times.Finite and Infinite Games, by James P. Carse is another philosophical favourite when it comes to getting something new each read through.Book of Mirdad, which is like a modern take on the Abramelin, don’t recall the author’s name, but it’s very much into the symbolic/mystic/esoteric ways and very revealing to that side without explicitly stating any “secrets”First Law trilogy, by Abercrombie. This is what Gritty Fantasy should read like. It’s got scenes in them that I want to reread the books just to get to. Really hope these would be made into a series or films, as the cinematography in them is already perfect. Without spoiling the first book as it’s revealed early on; Logan Ninefingers is essentially a Barbarian, but throughout you get the feeling he’s deeply afraid of that side. (If you’ve watched how Mike Tyson talked about his fear of that side in him on his podcast, this is essentially it...)There’s been other books as well, but these are the biggest reread-able ones for me.

clairity将近 5 年前

i recently re-read the wisdom of crowds, ~15 years now since i first read it. still good, still relevant. there's even a section on how quickly SARS was identified in international collaboration despite no central, coordinating entity.it's covertly a book about statistical reasoning, but with no dry statistical language, subversive in a way. we need more statistical reasoning in the world, particularly around risk assessment, to subdue fear and panic.edit: as for fiction,james clavell's asian saga[0] series is entertaining historical fiction, which i've read twice.pat conroy's southern portraits, particularly the lords of discipline and the prince of tides, both wrenching, haunting, and beautiful.also in the historical/cultural fiction realm: anna karenina, crime and punishment, a tale of two cities, les miserables.[0] <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Asian_Saga" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Asian_Saga</a>

alexpotato将近 5 年前

Ender's Game and the "side-quel" Ender's Shadow.Every single time I've reread either I've found some part of the book that resonates precisely with a situation I'm going through in my life. Even parts I thought didn't apply to me at the time, upon rereading struck a chord.For example, when I was younger, I identified with Ender but as I've gotten older, I identify more with the adults in the book. Especially now that I have children.On a side note, the 25th anniversary edition has an introduction that has some gems all of it's own. Notably, there is a line where Card mentions something along the lines of: when I was a child, I never thought of myself as being less of a person than an adult. I just thought of myself as a smaller adult person.That has always stayed with me since I read it and have always tried to apply that mental model of childhood to any interaction I have with children. It has been particularly impactful now that I have my own children.

hpoe将近 5 年前

Man's Search for Meaning - Viktor Frankel, it is his experience of how he managed to survive the concentration camps.Book of MormonThe Stormlight Archive series (Way of Kings, Words of Radience, Oathbringer) - Brandon Sanderson, I've heard it compared to the Kingkiller Chronicles in terms of depth, intricacies and overall masterfully executed plot but Sanderson is also one of the best authors at making characters real and captivating that I've ever met.Mistborn Series (The Final Empire, Well of Ascension, Hero of Ages) by the same author as The Stormlight Archives and for the same reasons.The Screwtape Letters - C.S. Lewis, even if you aren't religious it has helped me see so much clearly the tactics and obstacles that prevent me from being the person I want to be.I've read quite a few more books more often but these are the books that I have reread multiple times because they have changed who I am and helped me recognize that each time I fall I can rise again a better man.

mathattack将近 5 年前

Hobbit and Lord of the Rings - 3 or 4, including very recently. The latest time I appreciated his background as a writer and the stories behind the story much more. They’re worth a reread as adults.On the business side I read Deming’s Out of the Crisis several times. The ideas are profound but the writing is mediocre so it took a few times for it to stick.

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henrik_w将近 5 年前

"How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie

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avremel将近 5 年前

I usually read good technical books twice. Recently did that for: Designing Data-Intensive Applications, DynamoDB Book.

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anoonmoose将近 5 年前

"The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress" by Robert Heinlein"Neuromancer" and sequels by William Gibson"Slaughterhouse 5" by Kurt VonnegutI've read all of them dozens of times over. Hard to explain why, they speak my language, and help me understand myself and the world around me, kind of like my favorite bands do. Hard to put into words.

AndrewLiptak将近 5 年前

A bunch of books: Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey (as well as several of the sequels), American Gods by Neil Gaiman, The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi, The Magicians by Lev Grossman, Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie, Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin, and a bunch of others.

jackschultz将近 5 年前

These threads are posted a lot, but I still like reading the comments for new book recommendations if I see a match. Also, hopefully this can show people how great fiction is. I've seen comments that shun people for liking fiction compared to non.For me:Lonesome Dove100 Years of SolitudeCatch-22The Sellout (very relevant again)East of EdenKafka on the Shore (and all the stories in Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman)

KKPMW将近 5 年前

"The problems of philosophy" by Bertrand Russell. ~8 times."The abolition of man" by "C.S. Lewis" 3 times."The Reign of Quantity and the Signs of the Times" by René Guénon. 3 times, and planning to set a weekend for another re-read soon.

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weka将近 5 年前

The Count of Monte Cristo (Robin Buss version)

abower将近 5 年前

Adam Hall's Quiller series. Good to revisit every few years and the mechanism of building to a crisis, then starting after the resolution and backing up is fun. Not for everyone though as it's cold war vintage spy stuff. Feels real though, not like Hollywood versin of Bond. Banks of course, Use of Weapons is great. Just hit 51 and finally reading Dune now, so keep that in mind, but would also suggest Cryptonomicon as i have started it several times, put it down and then come back and had to start again several times.... but i find it interesting enough to keep trying!

lukifer将近 5 年前

I used to read The Illuminatus! Trilogy [0] once every year or two, though that's slowed down; I feel like I've gotten something new out of it every time.I'm now taking a second pass through Unsong [1], simply because I enjoyed the first read so much.[0] <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Illuminatus!_Trilogy" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Illuminatus!_Trilogy</a>[1] <a href="http://unsongbook.com/" rel="nofollow">http://unsongbook.com/</a>

loganwedwards将近 5 年前

I read East of Eden by Steinbeck twice. It's a long read, but a great story. In fact, I don't really remember any of the story, so perhaps a third read is in my future.

cududa将近 5 年前

Triumph And Tragedy of Lyndon B Johnson (his effectiveness to pass legislation fascinated me)Harry Potter (comfort series)Charlie Wilson’s War (it’s hilarious and informative),Game Change (a sobering reminder of the 2008 election and how we got to today),Lincoln’s Melancholy (on his depression).I’ve read lots of books twice, but the above are the only I can find in my library I’ve read 3 or more times. Outside of Harry Potter, I view the figures in those books most responsible for turning points in our nations history.

rfrey将近 5 年前

I can tell you that I've started Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs at least five times. Probably doesn't count.

psychomugs将近 5 年前

The Catcher in the Rye and Norwegian Wood. A goal is to read them both in Japanese, as the former was translated by the author of the latter.

BrandoElFollito将近 5 年前

Harry Potter.I read most of the tomes a few times and some parts as well.I do not like everything but the overall atmosphere (especially in the first few books) is amazing.

vzidex将近 5 年前

Catch-22. It's not at all related to tech, but it's the funniest book I've ever read and I feel it helps keep me grounded.

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snide将近 5 年前

I read East of Eden every couple years. I find it settles me and makes me believe in the goodness of Humans every time I read it.

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MaurizioPz将近 5 年前

Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality - great story and also quite a nice introduction to rationality. There's also an audiobook <a href="https://hpmorpodcast.com/?page_id=56" rel="nofollow">https://hpmorpodcast.com/?page_id=56</a>

thebillywayne将近 5 年前

The Dune series is so rich in ideas and imagery. I've read it (print and audio) more than 20 times.

me_smith将近 5 年前

The Hobbit - Tolkien Wizard's First Rule (Sword of Truth Book 1) - Goodkind Faith of the Fallen (Sword of Truth Book 6) - Goodkind Ender's Game - Card 1984 - OrwellI'm looking to read Asimov's Foundation series again. Maybe spend more time with Hyperion.

ganstyles将近 5 年前

The Power BrokerThe excellent series on Lyndon Johnson by the same author as The Power BrokerThe Three Body Problem series

dustingetz将近 5 年前

Joy of Clojure <a href="https://www.manning.com/books/the-joy-of-clojure-second-edition" rel="nofollow">https://www.manning.com/books/the-joy-of-clojure-second-edit...</a>

photawe将近 5 年前

Code Complete - 2 times: clearly it's a good book. The selfish gene - 2 times - that's not programming wise, but it's an awesome book to get your thoughts rolling.

Okkef将近 5 年前

I've read all of discworld by Terry Pratchett at least three times. I'm almost finished with my second sequential reading. It's comfort food in book form for me.

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ajstiles将近 5 年前

Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson, every three years or so.

criddell将近 5 年前

The Dog Stars by Peter Heller and Neuromancer by William Gibson. Both of these I've read twice.The Dog Stars held up well on my second reading. Neuromancer did not.

zeroxfe将近 5 年前

1984 -- my all-time fav book. I've read it more than 10 times, because it's a beautiful dystopian love story that moves me like no other.

geoah将近 5 年前

The sprawl (neuromancer etc) and the Jean le Flambeur (quantum thief) trilogies. Both are packed with very interesting concepts and characters.

jrs235将近 5 年前

The Underachiever's Manifesto: The Guide to Accomplishing Little and Feeling GreatandThe Principles of Product Development Flow: Second Generation Lean Product Development

kencausey将近 5 年前

Every book published by L. E. Modesitt, Jr. and Iain M. Banks (I need to make more of an effort to do the same for Iain Banks. :)

hwj将近 5 年前

Bible.Even rereading the same chapter sometimes makes me discover something a wasn't aware of when reading the text before.

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booknobook将近 5 年前

I and Thou by Martin Buber Finite and Infinite Games by James P. Carse On Having No Head by Douglas E. Harding

stratosgear将近 5 年前

Roger Zelazny's, the Amber series. I only like Corwin story arc. Must have read them 5 or 6 times...

lennyscales将近 5 年前

- Sapiens - Richard Dawkin's books

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xutopia将近 5 年前

Dragons of Eden by Carl Sagan. It just is amazing in so many ways but it is hard to describe.

thanato0s将近 5 年前

The little prince. I don't count how many read anymore.I'm not kidding either. Best book ever.

ckarmann将近 5 年前

The Dispossessed - Ursula K. Le GuinHarry Potter - JK Rowling (re-read it all when the last book came out)

pier25将近 5 年前

- Sapiens- The Lord of the Rings- Siddhartha- Chaos: Making a New Science- The Death Gate cycle books- Neuromancer- Head First Design Patterns- Valis- Dune- The name of the roseI'm sure there are more, but these are the ones off the top of my head.

tonyhb将近 5 年前

"Island" - Aldous Huxley."Principles" - Ray Dalio."On the shortness of life" - Seneca.

chrisa将近 5 年前

Fiction: The Inimitable Jeeves by P.G. WodehouseNon-fiction: The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

chrismatheson将近 5 年前

All the Ian M Banks Culture series. Neal Stephenson - Cryptonomicon

justinzollars将近 5 年前

Jewish Wisdom for Business Success, Dune, Shoe Dog, On The Road

tkjef将近 5 年前

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton JusterRead it every year from 3rd grade to 8th.

dmasi将近 5 年前

Zodiac by Neal Stephenson on audiobook about a dozen times.

peter-m80将近 5 年前

Various from Isaac Asimov. Specially from the robots saga

playingchanges将近 5 年前

The Razors Edge - Somerset MaughamSiddhartha - Herman HesseThe Hobbit - Tolkien

gao8a将近 5 年前

Stranger in a strange land - Robert Heinlein

Slumberthud将近 5 年前

The Disappearance of the Universe - 4 times

novalis78将近 5 年前

“How to get what you want” by Raymond Hull

starpilot将近 5 年前

Anna Karenina, 3x in two translationsSkunk WorksIntelligent InvestorMan Who Was Thursday

Apreche将近 5 年前

AKIRA

british_india将近 5 年前

“Time Enough For Love”, by Robert Heinlein. It’s the life story of a man who lives 2,300 years.

cecja将近 5 年前

The Art of ElectronicsThe HitchhikerThe IdiotThe Wealth of Nationsand sadly Concrete Mathematics... not because it is a bad book but because I suck at math.

filtercoffee37将近 5 年前

Invested by Charles Schwab.