I really don’t think I am going to be able to find ten books for this one. Like an elephant, I have a really good memory, especially for books I enjoyed. And I write reviews, so I am always thinking about and writing about books I’ve read. Of course it also means I also have trouble rereading a book and losing myself in it again (Plus, in life, I can’t forget bad days or slights very easily either).
Stories of Jeeves and Wooster
I adore these stories by P.G. Wodehouse but I find that the exact details of their escapades, and Jeeves’ ingenious plans, often escape me. If I can stand to wait a year or two between readings, I can manage to enjoy them again with only the vaguely recollection.
Veronica
I’m not sure I truly understood this surreal novel by Nicholas Christopher while I was reading it, never mind remembering it several years later. I loved it though. It was like sinking into a deep, velvety sofa. Perhaps I will revisit it soon.
The Sisters Brothers
I’m ashamed to say I can’t remember the finer points of the story but I recall laughing ridiculously at the unconventional Western from Patrick DeWitt.
The Kingdom of Ohio
I remember the basic outline of this steampunk adventure, but I do not recall many of the details. I do know that I loved it and recommended it to friends, in addition to writing a glowing review.
These are really the only ones I can think of. I think I’m going to have to turn this one on its head. How about some books that I read, loved and wish I could forget and read again for the first time…
Gillespie & I
I have recommended this book so many times on this blog and in person. I basically insist everyone read it. It’s not that it has a twist per se but a slow, unsettling unraveling of what we thought was real. And it is placed in vivid story that makes for compulsive reading. I keep hoping I will forget enough of it to read it again.
The Count of Monte Cristo
All 1100 pages were amazing. It’s been about 15 years since I read it and I imagine there are a number details I have forgotten but it was so intense and engrossing I feel like it was only the other day.
The Devil in the White City
I’ve read it three times (so far) but I always love it. I wish I could uncover the mystery of H.H. Holmes and the follow the drama of the World’s Fair.
Wieland
This Gothic American novel by Charles Brockden Brown is truly surprising, both in its reveal and in how modern it sounds even though it was published in 1798.
Was
It’s an unusual take on the Wizard of Oz mythology and the star turn of Judy Garland by Geoff Ryman. It’s touching and overwhelming and unforgettable.
The Ghost of the Mary Celeste
Based on the real history of the famous ghost ship, Valerie Martin constructs a novel that brings together maritime mystery, Arthur Conan Doyle and a clairvoyant.
Do you ever look at your bookshelves and have a fond feeling for a book you can’t remember much about? Or is there one you truly wish you could discover all over again?