This post was originally published in 2021. It has been updated with the 8 books I wish I could read again for the first time.
Have you ever finished reading a book and then immediately wished you could read it again for the first time? Me too.
There are a few titles that I’d practically sell my soul to experience for the first time again. They’re the books that mean the very most to me, have characters that I relate with, and overall love with my whole heart. These titles are the ones that I recommend the very most, but this time, rather than sharing just their synopses, I’m sharing my favorite quotes from each. I’m really big on collecting quotes from books, and sometimes just reading a good quote will convince me to read the book. I’m hoping that this post has the same effect on you!
Throughout this post, I’ve also linked back to my reviews for the books. That way, if you’re interested in finding out exactly why the story means so much to me, you can click through and read all of my thoughts. These are all stand-alone novels, so if you do decide to pick one of them up, you won’t feel the need to continue a series.
related posts
The Best Book-to-Screen Adaptations // Books to Read if You’re New to Fiction // Why You Should Utilize Your Local Library
Using My Favorite Quotes to Convince You to Read My Favorite Books
All of the books below are stand-alone novels that I wish I could read again for the first time. If you’re interested in more bookish content, follow my StoryGraph account for live reviews, and take a look at my bookstagram – where I share aesthetic coffee and book photos!
Into the Heartless Wood
by Joanna Ruth Meyer
“Something calls out to him. I am different than I was. I do not want my mother’s song, my mother’s souls. I want – I do not know. But I want something more than the death that she offers me. I want something more than her voice, her powers. I want something more. I want something mine.”
Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop | Barnes & Noble | Blackwell’s | Waterstones | Libro.fm
The Midnight Library
by Matt Haig
“We only need to be one person.
We only need to feel one existence.
We don’t have to do everything in order to be everything because we are already infinite. While we are alive, we always maintain a future of multifarious possibility.”
Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop | Barnes & Noble | Blackwell’s | Waterstones | Libro.fm
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
by V.E. Schwab
“‘Do you know how you live three hundred years?’ she says.
And when he asks how, she smiles. ‘The same way you live one. A second at a time.’”
Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop | Barnes & Noble | Blackwell’s | Waterstones | Libro.fm
The Nature of Witches
by Rachel Griffin
“If spring is a whispered promise that everything can be made new, autumn is a brilliant sacrifice born of love. Because if the autumn did not love the spring, it would not fall to winter just so the spring would rise.”
Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop | Barnes & Noble | Blackwell’s | Waterstones | Libro.fm
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill
by Abbi Waxman
“Nina had looked around and realized she would never run out of things to read, and that certainty filled her with peace and satisfaction. It didn’t matter what hit the fan; as long as there were unread books in the world, she would be fine.”
Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop | Barnes & Noble | Blackwell’s | Waterstones | Libro.fm
People We Meet on Vacation
by Emily Henry
“…I should enjoy this moment. I’m on vacation. Vacations always end.”
Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop | Barnes & Noble | Blackwell’s | Waterstones | Libro.fm
Early Departures
by Justin A Reynolds
“And I suppose the story moral is:
You can die and still live on.
You can be alive but be consumed by death.
The difference between living and being alive is:
Everything.”
Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop | Barnes & Noble | Blackwell’s | Waterstones | Libro.fm
Daisy Jones & The Six
by Taylor Jenkins Reid
“It feels like throwing yourself to sea, or maybe not that, maybe it’s more like throwing someone you love out to sea and then praying they float on their own, knowing they might well drown and you’ll have to watch.”
Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop | Barnes & Noble | Blackwell’s | Waterstones | Libro.fm
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coconut wax bookish candles (ESPRESSO10) | mug & saucer | single-serve French press | wooden cake tray | plaid scarf | pine cones | cotton sprigs | similar pillow | similar hand mirror | sweater | cinnamon sticks | similar birdcage
Which books do you wish you could read again for the first time?
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I only read one of these from your list but have all the rest in my TBR so I really need to get to read them! Shadow and Bone was one of my favourites this year, but I must say that Six of Crows topped that! I wish I could re-read again The song of Achilles and The unbearable lightness of being x
Sometimes it’s good to reread old books. I’m also planning to read some literature novels that I’ve read during my teenage years. I just want to understand the story better. Thank you for sharing.
I’ve yet to read any of these books but have them all on my list of books I want to read. Maybe it’s time I got around to reading them.
Great picks, I wish I could discover the Grishaverse all over again too! Lord of the Rings would probably be at the top of my list.
I love this! There are a few books I wish I could read for the first time again. Lucky for me, there are a couple on your list that I can read for the first time. Thanks for sharing! The quotes are amazing!
I would love to be able to read Six of Crows and A Spark of White Fire again for the first time. Also, I still have to read The Bookish Life of Nina Hill for the first time lol.
This is a really unique post Stephanie, and I loved it!! The quotes are more than enough to convince me, because there are so many books I wish I could read again like it was the first time ₍₍ (ง ˙ω˙)ว ⁾⁾
I’ve only read one of these books, but Midnight Library is next up on my TBR! I want to add Heartless Wood too because you talk about it so highly and often!
For me its TJR’s first 4 books. ANY OF THEM! Also everything Jasmine Guillory has written!
The first time I read shadow and bone I was like this book is so amazing. I totally have to re read it. It’s so good. I enjoyed reading everything from Alinas point of view.
I really want to read Seven Husbands! I’ve seen it everywhere. I’ll keep in mind to try to savour the moment while I read it for the first time cause I won’t ever be able to do it again!
Oh wow! I haven’t read any of these books but they sound fab. I will add Caraval and the midnight library to my to be read list
Great picks, Steph! My favourite is The Midnight Library and I’d love to read Harry Potter or Twilight Saga again. I love the quotes here, they’re amazing 😀
I love this! I honestly feel this way about Addie LaRue, too. I will read it again one of these days…but I know it won’t be the same as the first. The Hobbit is another one for me, it’s always good, but never as good as the first time!
LOVEEEEE this list!!!! Can’t wait to dig in to some of these! There really is nothing like finding a book you want to read again because it’s so good!
okay i have never thought about this before but now I am definitely trying to think up my list! Seven husbands is one of my FAVE books and I still need to read some of your other fantasy faves. adding to my list now!
xx rebecca // thecrystalpress.com
Complete side note here but I love how cosy your blog images are.
I’ve been planning on reading The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill for a while now. Sounds like I should move them up on my TBR.
I have the Seven Husbands book on my nightstand and it’s been there for so long… but now this is the THIRD mention I’ve seen in two weeks about the book and how amazing it is. I really need to open it and read it! I love that you recommended books that are so good you wish you could read them again.
OMG I love this post idea, I may have to copy you! So fun to hear about which books you’d read for the first time again!
My library hold for The Midnight Library just came in and I can’t wait to read it!
Ooo I love this!! I’ve read 5 out of the 8 so wonderful recommendations 😀 Rereading books is always amazing – it’s like revisiting old friends <3
I haven’t read any of these, and honestly, I’ve never read a book twice. I love the idea of it, though! The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo sounds like such a great read – I need to check it out!
I love the idea of this post! I haven’t read any of these but I’ve heard good things about The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I’ll have to check it out soon!
So funny – when I saw the title of this post I immediately thought “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” and it was the first on your list! Truly one of my favorite books of all time.
Ah! So many of these are on my TBR list. I have The Invisible Life on my bookshelf right now. A friend just gave it to me. You’re making me way more excited to read them.
I am a lover of traditional literature like English and Italian, and I so wish I could re-read some of them from the very first time! My absolute favourite authors are not as known, but I guess if I had to pick one it would have to be I Malavoglia!
Good books are meant to be read more than once. I also have a list of books I want to read again. All books you shared in this list sounds awesome. I’m going to add them to my TBR. Thank you for sharing.
I feel incredibly lucky in that I’ve read hardly any of these, haha. I loved both Shadow And Bone and Addie LaRue and would definitely love to read them again for the first time! I’m super excited to read Seven Husbands and Caraval too, they’re both at the top of my tbr. Thank you so much for sharing x
I haven’t read these books myself but by the sounds of things, I need too! Thank you so much for sharing these books with us lovely. It sounds like they are great reads. Xo
Elle – ellegracedeveson.com
I would love to read Narnia again for the first time.
I have already purchased a couple of these but not fully read them yet. But I do agree with you that there are just some books you read and you just want to have that experience of reading it for the first time again, nothing quite like that feeling! x
I’d love to read Daisy Jones, Midnight Library and Nina Hill again for the first time too.
Guilty for not reading Midnight Library yet.. it is on my shelf, staring back at me! I’ll have to read it soon.. :O
We haven’t read any of these before. Thanks for the recommendations!