This past week, Buzzfeed ran an article highlighting books people wished they could read again for the first time. That sense of discovery, of enchantment to become immersed in a new world with new characters who seem more people than creations, is one of the greatest joys of reading.
While their list was all right, books that were treasures for me include:
Possession by A.S. Byatt
This is the novel that introduced me to contemporary fiction, when it was first released. The dual storylines, the perfect mimicry of the poetry, and realizing how I cared about these characters was a wonderful reading experience.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
"The circus arrives without warning.
“No announcements precede it, no paper notices on downtown posts and billboards, no mentions or advertisements in local newspapers. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not."
Regardless of any flaws in the rest of the novel, she had me from that opening.
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafron
A Cemetery of Forgotten Books? And fighting fascists? And coming of age? Yes, thank you.
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
A young mother mourning her dead brother, who never quite left, and her own baby boy who lives with the past, in a deeply moving story I've read several times, treasuring it even when knowing, or perhaps especially knowing, what is coming next.
Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
The duality of experience that Murakami likes to play with has never been realized better than here. While it's probably not the Murakami to start with, it is an amazing book.
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
This most unaware narrator in this most English book will break anyone’s heart.
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
Trying to figure out what was going on while still able to enjoy the wild ride makes this the most enjoyable Atwood for me. Hag-Seed is nearly there, too.
All of Louise Erdrich's books. I almost said only The Round House but what about Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse or The Night Watchman or Love Medicine or Four Souls or, well, you get the idea.
What books do you feel about that way?