Books on the Nightstand discussion

This question was posted on The Reading Room's Facebook page, and I thought it was a great one to share with my fellow Books on the Nightstand followers.

If you could unread one book so you could read it for the first time, what book would you choose?

I would choose A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. My sister recently started that book, and I was green with jealousy over the fact she was meeting Francie Nolan for the first time!

To Kill a Mockingbird would be my choice. I enjoyed it when I read it the first time. However, I think I was too young to fully appreciate it. Meeting Scout would be precious.

Little Women

To Kill a Mockingbird would also be my choice. I read it every year when I teach it to my classes, but nothing can ever replace the joy of the first reading, watching it unfold through Scouts eyes.

Probably my second would be As I Lay Dying, but as others respond, I'm sure many more will come to mind.

Secret Possession of Joy-Alice Walker. The ending was so powerful.

Linda wrote: "Little Women"

*hanging head in shame* I have never read Little Women.

Suzanne wrote: "Linda wrote: "Little Women"

*hanging head in shame* I have never read Little Women."

me either

i would say watership down. i simply adored the family of rabbits and i eagerly read to see what their next adventure would be. this is one i'd like to re-read, but the first read was just breath-taking.

I have several books I wish I could experience for the first time again. Obviously I'm in good company!

"To Kill a Mockingbird"-I read it in 10th grade for the first time, loved it and subsequently have re-read it a few times as an adult.

"Rebecca"-I am so jealous when I hear people are reading it for the first time and get to experience Manderly, Max, and Mrs. Danvers!

"Little Women"-I will always be the cheerleader for Laurie + Jo forever!

Shannon, I just read "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" this summer and I know exactly what you mean. I adored it, but that first read is now gone!

Suzanne wrote: "Linda wrote: "Little Women"

*hanging head in shame* I have never read Little Women."

Well, Becky and Suzanne it's never too late. I read it a few years back and know that as a 50+ reader it was a completely different book than it was for the 14-year old who first read it.

It was interesting to see how many pages were in the book, how small the print was, yet I still recall how I wanted my own garrett.

Linda, you wanted your own garrett, too? I used to spend hours in my parent's attic, writing, with thoughts of becoming the next Jo March! :-)

Chris wrote: "Linda, you wanted your own garrett, too? I used to spend hours in my parent's attic, writing, with thoughts of becoming the next Jo March! :-)"

Obviously, Chris, we are kindred spirits. : > )

Hmm, there are so many classics that I love and adore, but I sort of adore re-reading them, like seeing an old friend. So I don't think I want to give up my history with them.

Instead, I'd re-read The Dog Stars. This was the biggest surprise for me in 2012 -- read it solely on BOTN recommendation and loved it. I'd re-read it and be surprised again by how much enjoyment this book -- which is not at all my typical -- brings.

How amazing! I read the topic of this thread on the main board and immediately To Kill A Mockingbird popped to mind. Then I saw many others felt the same way. I read it as a teen and then picked it up a few years ago at an airport to read again. With all the intervening years, the experience was like reading it for the first time because I brought to it adult sensibilities and experience. It is a masterpiece.

I would choose two:
Pride and Prejudice - I read this before all the film and TV adaptations so I had no idea about the plot developments. It was fantastic.

The Eyre Affair - it was amazing. I had never read anything like it both fun and intelligent. I'm sure it is what brought me back to being such a bookworm.

My top 3 would be

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Anne of Green Gables (Speaking of kindred spirits)

Little Women

For me, my choices are books that had surprise endings:

The Awakening (by Kate Chopin)
The Remains of the Day (by Kazuo Ihsiguro)
Waiting for Columbus (by Thomas Trofimuk)
The Reapers are the Angels (by Alden Bell)
Life of Pi (by Yaan Martel)

These are all remarkable reads and re-reads; but once you know the ending, the journey (vs the denouement) becomes the focus.

Also a good one, Bel Canto. It's breathtaking to watch it all unfold, but I don't think it would have the same effect once you know the end.

'Into the Wild'

Madame Bovary. This was the first book that wrenched pure and true emotion out if me as I read it. Anger, sympathy, hatred. I never knew a book could make me feel so much, in such a real way. I would love to experience that again.

Tracey wrote: "My top 3 would be

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Anne of Green Gables (Speaking of kindred spirits)

Little Women"

Harry Potter is a good one. I couldn't think of an answer, but I like that one.

To Kill a Mockingbird.

Gone with the Wind
The Grapes of Wrath
and
Outlander

I've decided to listen to Rebecca, I'm downloading it now as an audio book. I'm doing some last minute knitting for Christmas and thought an audio book would be good, I've have not read Rebecca before.

The first time I read Ender's Game was in college for a class, and I loved it. Several years later I reread it, having completely forgotten the ending. That was wonderful, being able to read it for the first time twice :) It's one of my favorite books.

Several books that have been mentioned but that I've never read are:
1. Little Women
2. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
3. Anne of Green Gables
4. Watership Down
5. Bel Canto

Ester, I adore Jasper Fforde and the "Thursday Next" series. And Pride & Prejudice is my all time favorite book...I loved falling in love with Darcy!

Tanya, interesting that you mentioned Life of Pi. I'm reading it for the second time right now and feeling like I missed a lot of stuff the first time.The re were plot points I remembered, but not all the details—and there are a lot of details!

Ellen wrote: "Tanya, interesting that you mentioned Life of Pi. I'm reading it for the second time right now and feeling like I missed a lot of stuff the first time.The re were plot points I remembered, but not all the details—and there are a lot of details! "

Oh! Don't get me wrong! I re-read books a lot and I always get something out of each re-read that I didn't see or get the first or last time I read it! It's just that, after you know the "thing," the denouement... well, that gasp of surprise or awe is never there for me after the first time. Knowing the end always colors the re-read for me even if it's been years between reads. The only time I'm surprised at the ending of a re-read is if the first read was decades ago and I can't remember much if anything of the book!

Books that are like first time reads for me are usually Classics I had to read in high school:

1984 (by George Orwell)
Jane Eyre (by Charlotte Bronte)
Wuthering Heights (by Emily Bronte)
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (by Mark Twain)

One book that I re-read after twenty years and it was new-to-me again was Outlander (by Diana Gabaldon); and a book I'm about to read in the next few weeks is one I really can't remember having read (but surely must have!) is The Great Gatsby (by F. Scott Fitzgerald)!

Lara wrote: "Also a good one, Bel Canto. It's breathtaking to watch it all unfold, but I don't think it would have the same effect once you know the end."

Lara, the Lyric Opera of Chicago have commissioned an opera based on Bel Canto -- to be performed in 2015-16.

Jane Eyre
Pride and Prejudice

Just finished listening to Rebecca, recommended by Chris, Thanks Chris, it was the best book, the audible book was just delicious! I'm sad to be finished with it though and I will now peruse the list of favourites to find another great read! Aren't we lucky that we have so many wonderful books to read.

Shes Come Undone- Wally Lamb...So moving. Catcher and the Rye is such a TYPICAL answer but it did resonate.

Nancy wrote: "Just finished listening to Rebecca, recommended by Chris, Thanks Chris, it was the best book, the audible book was just delicious! I'm sad to be finished with it though and I will now peruse the l..."

I think the very first audio book that I listened to was Mrs. De Winter which continues the Rebecca story. I really enjoyed it - and that was close to 15 years ago.

Such a great question! Here we go:
1. Anywhere But Here by Mona Simpson
2. Rules Of Civility by Amor Towels
3. Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen
4. A Home At The End Of The World by Michael Cunningham
5. The Secret History by Donna Tartt
6. Like Life by Lorrie Moore

Nancy wrote: "Just finished listening to Rebecca, recommended by Chris, Thanks Chris, it was the best book, the audible book was just delicious! I'm sad to be finished with it though and I will now peruse the l..."

Oh, Nancy! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I haven't read that much Du Maurier, but another book of hers, "My Cousin Rachel" was right up there with "Rebecca," and I didn't think that was possible! Think English mystery, old mansion, interesting characters--much like "R"! :-))

Nancy wrote: "Just finished listening to Rebecca, recommended by Chris, Thanks Chris, it was the best book, the audible book was just delicious! I'm sad to be finished with it though and I will now peruse the l..."

One of my all-time favs! Picked it up in 5th grade and fell in love.

Tanya/dog eared copy wrote: "Ellen wrote: "Tanya, interesting that you mentioned Life of Pi. I'm reading it for the second time right now and feeling like I missed a lot of stuff the first time.The re were plot points I rememb..."

Tanya, you will LOVE The Great Gatsby! I'm envious that you get to read it for the first time! (Or possibly the first time).

OK, some of these are kind of old, but here goes:

Gloria Naylor's Mama Day
James Baldwin's Giovanni's Room
Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls
Nicole LaBlanc's Modern Family (non-fiction: stunning)
Norman Mailer's The Excecutioner's Song (also non-fiction and also stunning, I thought)

I'm noticing these are all kind of depressing, so I'll try to come up with more happy ones soon!

Tracy

Oh, and anything by Michael Cunningham or Michael Chabon.

Tracy wrote: "Oh, and anything by Michael Cunningham or Michael Chabon."

Tracy, I'm with you. I had the chance to study with Michael Cunningham just after he published A HOME AT THE END OF THE WORLD. He was an amazing teacher, brilliant writer and is truly one of the kindest human beings on the planet.

I'd like to unread Gone Girl so I could recapture that OMG moment in the book that really throws you for a loop.

Renee--so jealous you studied with Michael Cunningham! I *loved* The Hours, although I wish I hadn't seen the movie, since I didn't love it quite as much as the book, which I read first.

And Shona, I loved Gone Girl too, but I'm interested to know what the OMG moment in the book was for you. And was it purely a surprise, or more of a confirmation of what you suspected? I ask b/c I felt like there were little hints along the way, but I wasn't sure if others felt that too or if I was reading it too suspiciously.

Tracy wrote: "Renee--so jealous you studied with Michael Cunningham! I *loved* The Hours, although I wish I hadn't seen the movie, since I didn't love it quite as much as the book, which I read first.

And Shona..."
Tracy, I don't want to give it away here for people who haven't read the book, but there was a place for me that totally surprised me and I didn't see it coming at all. I love when that happens in a book.

Shona wrote: "Tracy wrote: "Renee--so jealous you studied with Michael Cunningham! I *loved* The Hours, although I wish I hadn't seen the movie, since I didn't love it quite as much as the book, which I read fir..."

Shona, good point about not giving the good stuff away!

Tracy wrote: "Shona wrote: "Tracy wrote: "Renee--so jealous you studied with Michael Cunningham! I *loved* The Hours, although I wish I hadn't seen the movie, since I didn't love it quite as much as the book, wh..."

Tracy, I loved The Hours, too. Have you read A Home At The End Of The World yet? If not, you should. The third chapter is amazing and flawless--run don't walk.

Shona, everyone I know is telling me to read Gone Girl--I don't know why I've been resisting, but now it's going on my TBR pile!

Shona wrote: "Tracy wrote: "Renee--so jealous you studied with Michael Cunningham! I *loved* The Hours, although I wish I hadn't seen the movie, since I didn't love it quite as much as the book, which I read fir..."

There's a discussion about Gone Girl for those who have read it or don't mind spoilers.

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/9...

If you don't want to be spoiled, don't look, though!

Thanks, Tracey! So cool how an author can create a character out of thin air that people feel so strongly about!

Tracy wrote: "I ask b/c I felt like there were little hints along the way, but I wasn't sure if others felt that too or if I was reading it too suspiciously. ..."
I knew all along something was up. What actually happened was only slightly off from what I suspected.

1. Carter Beats the Devil by Glen David Gold
2. Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafron

bookish wrote: "1. Carter Beats the Devil by Glen David Gold
2. Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafron"

Ooh, that's a good one. I loved Shadow of the Wind!

Renee wrote: "Ooh, that's a good one. I loved Shadow of the Wind!"

If you liked Shadow of the Wind, you should really give Carter Beats the Devil a whirl. It's a very different novel, but just as thrilling to read in so many ways.