Top Ten Books From My Childhood I’d Love To Revisit
I constantly struggle with the urge to reread – I want to do it SO much more than I do, but with so many new reads building up on my TBR, I rarely get the chance. I’m signed up to the 2015 Reread Challenge, and so far I’m failing spectacularly. Must. Do. Better.
If I had the joy of winning the lottery and reading every day instead of working, here are some childhood favourites I’d like to revisit…
1. Harry Potter: Do I need a reason? Really?
2. The Switchers Trilogy: I was around 10 or so when I read these, and I’ve never actually finished the trilogy. Tess is a switcher, which means she can take the form of any animal, but she must decide which form she will take forever by her 15th Birthday. Adventures ensue.
3. The Children of the Famine Trilogy: I think I’ve only read the first two in this series. Little-me was an awful series-finisher, apparently. I read this when I was learning about the famine in primary school and I loved this story – three children seek out their long-lost Aunts during the famine in Ireland in 1840 so they don’t have to go into the workhouse.
4. The Princess Diaries Series: I started reading The Princess Diaries when I was 12 or so, and I adored this series! I owned all 10 of the books, but sadly these were some of the books I purged when I hit the “I’m too old for these now” phase. How I wish I had have kept them! Normal-geekish girl finds out she’s actually a princess, and still has to face the trials and tribulations of high school.
5. The Malory Towers Series: A series I turned my nose up at for a long time due to its age (I think it was originally released in the 60s?), and teen-me was having none of that! Once I started though, I was hooked. An all girls boarding school, bullies, adventures and drama!
6. The Mediator Series: Another Cabot series I read and loved as a young teen – I owned close to all of this series, but alas it was another one I got rid of years ago (which partly explains why I’m such a hoarder now!). I am still dying to know what happens at the end, and if I ever see these at a great price, I’m snapping them up!
7. The Girls Series: I adored Jacqueline Wilson books when I was growing up, but I don’t know if there are many of them I would revisit now as an adult. The Girls series was Wilson’s YA series as opposed to children’s and I think the storyline would still be relevant today. I have a signed copy of the fourth book, and because of that I never purged these. Thank, God!
8. His Dark Materials Trilogy: Another series I never did manage to finish, but would love to read as an adult. Even when I read these as a kid, I knew I’d have more appreciation for them as a grown up because there are some seriously heavier themes going on here.
9. The Adrian Mole Series: I’m not sure if this is a YA series that progresses into an Adult series, or if the entire series was originally intended for Adults, but I started this one quite young. Yet another one I have yet to finish, but I’d absolutely love to. I was addicted to reading this repeatedly when I was younger.
10. The Bar Code Tattoo Trilogy: An amazing dystopian read, and I would LOVE to get my hands on book 2 and 3 to find out what happens. Luckily, I still have my original copy of the first book. I think I need to treat myself soon…
Which books from your childhood would you like to revisit? Have you read any that made my list? Let me know in the comments!
Confessions of a Book Geek 
Adrian Mole, I adored those books when I was younger, my nan gave me the most battered copies to read because they were my dad’s and I still have them. I think I only read the first couple of books, because they were the only ones i owned. I would love to read them again too. I obviously loved all of Meg Cabot’s books, there is a new book being released for both The Mediator series and The Princess Diaries next year I think, so I need to reread both just for nostalgia’s sake. I, like you, purged a lot of my childhood books and I now completely regret it. And the Girl series, that was a series I loved, I even remember Jacqueline Wilson coming to out school, I didn’t get to see her, though, because I was in a music lesson at the time.
Your entire list is just a list of nostalgia for me, I love it 🙂
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I had battered copies too! I got a couple from a local charity shop when my mum told me she loved them. I would love to reread the ones I have and continue on with the series.
I WISH I still had my Mediator books and Princess Diaries books – if I can find a great deal anywhere I’ll snap them up, if not I might have to loan them from the library at some point – have to laugh at myself for this, I can barely manage one reread a month, and now I want to reread 20 books… Well, there’s always Christmas?! I’m hoping in the run-up to the new books being released somewhere like The Book People will do a collection pretty cheap… R x
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I’ve always wanted to read The Barcode Tattoo. And I’m probably one of the poor sods who hasn’t read the Potter books. IKR??
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Joy?! NOOOooooo!! I want to say that you’ll love Harry Potter, but I know you don’t always like Fantasy. But really, you MUST try it some day! I don’t know how I’d feel about them now going into them when they’re so hyped, but honestly, favourite books ever. I just ordered the sequel to The Barcode Tattoo yesterday – excited! From memory I really loved it when I was a teen, so now I’ll reread it, and read the sequel and post a review about them R x
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I remember when I read The Golden Compass for the first time when I was older and it was VERY different from what I remember it being when I first read it when I was younger…it’s actually a pretty deep and thought-provoking trilogy that I definitely could not completely understand when I was in elementary school! Funny how a story changes in your eyes depending on when you read it!
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Definitely, Holly. I find that with movies too, life experience = new appreciation. Need to hoke out my copies of Dark Materials, I’m pretty sure I still have them, but I could be wrong 😦 R x
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No, you do not need a reason to reread Harry Potter. Ever. I will reread that series over and over until I die. Always. Okay, that was cheesy. I’m sorry. Haha.
My TTT!
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Hahahaha! I love that though. I love that there are things that HP lovers just GET! I just need the TIME to reread them now lol R x
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Great list. Glad you put HP as first 😉
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Always, Alex! R x
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You so need to go to The Harry Potter Studios. You would love it!
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Oh don’t! I’ve been planning to go for the past two years and haven’t made it yet! It’s a massive goal of mine though! R x
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Fingers crossed for you 🙂
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GAH, how is it that I didn’t read any of these growing up?! Maybe because I’m way old compared to you. 😉 I love Meg Cabot, but have only read her adult books.
I was all about RL Stine Fear Street, Babysitter Club, Sweet Valley High, etc…
I really wish I was a re-reader. I need more reading time!
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LOL! You are not. I read Sweet Valley High, The Babysitter’s Club and Nancy Drew sometimes too – I guess because there was hype about a lot of these as I was growing up they have stayed with me more. Oh, and I read a lot of R L Stine too, including those “Make Your Own Adventure” ones. I am a rereader who never rereads lol R x
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I read His Dark Materials as an adult (I was in graduate school) and I loved it. I think there is a lot to love about those books as an adult.
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I agree – even when reading it when I was younger I found it to be a lot darker and deeper than I was expecting. I remember there are religious/political themes in it – must dig them out! R x
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What a fun list! My daughter loved The Mediator series too, and I like your Princess Diaries cover! Thanks for sharing your flashback favorites 🙂
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Hi Lucy, thanks for commenting! I loved these so much, it’s nice to get nostalgic every now and then. I read so many books these days it’s great to see which ones actually stay with you. I wonder which ones I’d still talk about 10 years from now?! R x
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What in the world…are those the international covers for Meg Cabot’s books? So disappointing! But His Dark Materials is my all-time fav series! I just didn’t put it on my list, because I talk about it too much! haha
My TTT: http://bookclubbabe.net/2015/03/24/top-ten-books-from-childhood-id-like-to-revisit/
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The Princess Diaries or Mediator?! Lol They’re the original UK covers as I read them, not sure if they were international or not… I really want to read His Dark Materials, and finish it this time! R x
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Lol I was just surprised! Usually the UK has awesome book covers–those not so much! Haha! And yes, you must finish it! It’s so amazing!
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YES to the Mediator series and Princess Diaries series! Cabot’s actually writing adult additions to each series, so it’s my goal to reread all of them before they are released! I know you can find paperbacks of some of the Princess Diaries books on Book Outlet for a good price!
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I know, I wish I had have kept both of those series so I could reread them and then the adult ones 😥 Book Outlet shipping is ridiculous to the UK though, so I might have to hunt around to try and find them, or suck it up and go to my library! R x
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I started rereading HP, but forgot how long the last books were! It only took a couple of days way back when they were first released. Still, they are worth rereading.
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I really want to reread those at some stage – there are so many I want to reread now but need to make a dent in this TBR of mine first. I have a thing where I really struggle to cull my collection and get rid of books until I’ve read them, or tried to read them and don’t like them. I could be giving away a great story! Once I get a bigger dent made (not likely with the amount I add to it…) I’ll want to reread more. I always promise myself when I have time off I’ll reread, but adult-hood usually gets in the way. Or vodka… 😀 R x
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Haha, that’s a troublesome bookish problem. You could be in possession of the Holy Grail of books and not even know it! I struggle between rereading too much and not rereading at all. It’s always extremes with me.
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Oh my gosh, Adrian Mole!! How the heck did I forget about those books! I loved them when I was a kid 😀 I remember trying the Princess Diaries, and really enjoyed them, too. Ooh, ooh, and Mallory Towers!! Gahh, I forgot so many books *sobs.* Fab list, Rachel, and thanks for stopping by my blog earlier! x
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This happens to us all every week where we forget books! I WISH I’d had a Goodreads account from year dot! And I wish I had unlimited time for rereading! Lol R x
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Sometimes you can tell a persons age by the list. All of these weren’t even published when I was a kid! Maybe my list will add to your TBR. http://ebogie.blogspot.com/2015/03/top-ten-tuesday-childhood-favs.html
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[…] Tuesday – Top Ten All Time Favourite Reads – Top Ten Books On My Spring TBR – Top Ten Books From My Childhood I’d Love To Revisit – Top Ten Books Added to My TBR […]
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Rowling and Pullman are awesome, loved their books to pieces! I haven’t read the rest but I have heard of some before. Mostly we didn’t have them here when I was a kid, maybe we still do not. I do know we have Enid Blyton because I read her 50 times XD
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I thought it was really interesting seeing what everyone’s childhood reading was like, you could see that a lot of childhood reading still influences book preferences today. Blyton is one I’d love to reread someday, along with so many others! R x
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