Hugh Hewitt wonders if there was any modern novels worth reading more than once as the holiday gift giving season rolls around. Here is my list of books that I have deemed worthy of more than one time through.
The first and most beloved books among my re-reads is The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. I read these every year.
Next would be the Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling. Yearly re-reads (obviously not in the league as Tolkien though). Now some of you will cringe upon reading this. Some Christians have marked the Harry Potter series as evil books of witchcraft to be avoided at all costs. I am a Christian and disagree. I'm in the Hugh Hewitt camp on this one. It is simply a great story about good and evil. The first book of the series, The Sorcerer’s Stone, is the weakest of the lot, since it was “Americanized” for release here. Not so with the rest of the series. Rowling’s writing continues to evolve and improve as the series progresses. The characters are complex, and you either love them or hate them. I would definitely recommend the read. Not for young children though, especially because the books get more intense and darker with each installment of the series.
Another perennial favorite is Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein. If you saw the movie, don’t use it as a basis for the book. About the only things in common between the two is the title, a character or two, and nasty aliens. An incredible work that must be read multiple times.
In the same vain as Starship Troopers is The Forever War by Joe Haldeman. Another incredible futuristic Sci-Fi war story.
And my final book worthy of rereading is The Stand by Stephen King. My buddy Peter thinks it’s worth more than one time through as well. King is by trade a horror writer, but his writing skills are unrivaled. The Stand is a classic epic about good and evil. I have read more than a couple times, and as soon as I am done with my current book, The Stand is going to be read again.
