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What are your favourite books to read over and over?

I have to admit I was a huge Enid Blyton fan as a child. I even bought the entire set of Famous Five for my daughter. She gobbled up all 23 books in four months. We are now watching the TV series. Hopelessly addicted to jolly adventures and lashings of good food.

I also enjoy reading other children's authors' work, especially Cornelia Funke. Many try to emulate her and don't quite hit the mark, in my opinion. Perhaps it's that slightly different flavour due to being written in German and translated to English, I don't know, but her use of language is absolute magic.

In adult literature I enjoy pretty lightweight stuff - Jeffrey Archer and Elizabeth Peters. Read all 19 books in the Amelia Peabody Egyptian mystery series twice over. I also enjoyed a good many of Susannah Gregories Matthew Bartholomew Medieval murder mysteries. I do own weightier tomes, but these help me cleanse my writerly palate, so to speak, so I can get on with my own writing. I hate books where I have to anaylse too much or wade through and remember minute or obscure details. I want to enjoy the banter between characters and have a real sense of who they are, not just what they're doing. Perhaps that's the secret to good writing? Connection with the characters is vital, otherwise why continue?

Enjoyment! That's what its all about. And if you find yourself drawn to read books more than once its a very good sign they made an impact upon you in some way. If you find yourself reading them again as an adult and they are still fun, that's even better.


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