Somewhere around here, on the sidebar to your right, is my list of recommended books. Though I think it of interest to the casual reader I will grant the following two things:
1. I am possibly the worst judge of what is of interest to the casual reader in the history of letters.
2. My list is a bit chaotic.
As to the second of these, since discussing the first is like the third rail of clerkmanifesto, I can only say that I make occasional efforts at tidying up. There is some organization to it. And the way that certain book recommendations link to relevant clerkmanifesto posts is almost fancy. But finding a new book to add to the list, or remembering to do so, rarely happens. And though perhaps an occasion should be made out of any new addition, such a thing also almost never occurs.
Nevertheless, today we herald a new listing in my recommended books, Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett. Replete with romance, engaging characterization, reluctant personal growth, plausible faeries, near normal world fantasy, and romanticization of scholarship, I am enormously fond of this book, and, at present, have nearly finished rereading it.
Which brings me to our real subject today: Rereading.
Would I have recommended this book on first reading? Probably. But though there is an irreplaceable thrill to the first reading of a book you love, I believe the second and third readings of any beloved books are the best ones. No longer blinded by the dazzlement of a great story, or wonderful writing, in the reread one still has all the joy and interest of the story, but also the leisure and space to delight in the material. One can poke about in the fantastical corners of the book. One can see the neat stitching, the carefully tied off knots, and the weft of time. One can still be magicked, and yet simultaneously be able to look at all the wonderful ways it was all put together: Double the magic!
There is a sequel to Emily Wilde and I remember it as equally good.
But, do I recommend it?
Probably, but I haven't reread that one yet, so we'll have to wait.
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