Although I love discovering and reading new books, sometimes I just have to revisit old favorites. Books that I have read before and loved are like old, comforting friends, and yet every time I read them, I notice something new or see or understand something in a way I didn’t before. I have been in a revisiting mood lately—most likely because one of the new books I read was more than a little disappointing—so I thought I would share some of my old favorites, both for middle grade/young adult readers and adults.
Middle Grade and Young Adult Books
My favorite series to reread is Gerald Morris’s The Squire’s Tale series. King Arthur stories are my all-time favorite, and I love Morris’s new take on these classic tales and the humor and word play he uses. My favorite instance of Morris’s word play comes in the third book of the series, The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf, when two of the characters argue over the correct way to say “cleave” in the past tense. Morris’s characters are excellent, with human and relatable struggles, and speak in a modern vernacular. Although the original Arthurian tales focus on male protagonists, this series has plenty of strong female protagonists.
Some aspects of Arthurian tales are rather adult in nature, but Morris does an excellent job of handling these issues at a middle grade level. Morris also is able to incorporate bits of Chaucer throughout the series, which I am sure I didn’t appreciate as a middle grade reader, but they make me smile now.
Looking for other King Arthur MG/YA reads? You should also try: I am Mordred by Nancy Springer, The Dark is Rising sequence by Susan Cooper, The Lost Years of Merlin by T.A. Barron, Sword of the Rightful King by Jane Yolen, Legendborn by Tracy Deonn, Once & Future by A.R. Capetta
Two other favorite rereads are by the same author, Robin McKinley: The Outlaws of Sherwood and Beauty.
The Outlaws of Sherwood is a retelling of the Robin Hood tales—next to King Arthur, Robin Hood retellings are my favorite. While this retelling mostly sticks to Robin’s point of view (third person), it shifts around a little bit so that we don’t miss important parts of the story, and McKinley does this so well that there is no confusion for the reader. Again, the characters are well developed and real in a way that they often aren’t in the original tales. I particularly love how McKinley ends this book—sorry, no spoilers.
Looking for other Robin Hood MG/YA reads? You should also try: Rowan Hood, Outlaw Girl of Sherwood Forest by Nancy Springer, Shadows of Sherwood by Kekla Magoon, Sherwood by Meagan Spooner, The Forestwife by Theresa Tomlinson; ADULT READ: Hood by Stephen Lawhead
Beauty is, as you might have guessed, a retelling of Beauty and the Beast (sensing a theme, are you?). Ever since the Beast terrified me in the movie theater as a small child, Beauty and the Beast retellings have been a favorite, and this one is the one I love the best—probably because Beauty loves to read. While there is, of course, the magic surrounding the Beast, the world Beauty comes from is very real, and best of all, her father and sisters are not terrible people.
Looking for more Beauty and the Beast MG/YA reads? You should also try: Hunted by Meagan Spooner, Uprooted by Naomi Novik, A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
My last go-to reread is Gareth Nix’s Old Kingdom series. These are not retellings, but are set in a pseudo-England where a wall separates the magical world from the non-magical one. The original series starts with Sabriel, although Nix has since written several prequel books that come before the original trilogy. I really enjoy Nix’s world building—he just jumps right in and you learn as you go along—and the snarky demon cat.
Adult Books
I do not have as many adult books that I reread—childhood favorites stick in the brain much more, at least for me—but there are two series that I discovered as a young adult and absolutely love and will reread at any time.
My absolute favorite is Juliet Marillier’s Sevenwaters Series. This series started as a trilogy, but has grown to contain six books and two (what I would consider) related series: Blackthorn and Grim and Warrior Bards. I would categorize this series as historical fantasy, and it takes place in Ireland. The first book, Daughter of the Forest, centers on Sorcha, the youngest of seven children of a chieftain, and is a retelling (shocking, I know) of the tale The Six Swans. Again, great characters, excellent storytelling, and a weaving of the magical and realistic.
My other favorite adult reread is Queen of Camelot by Nancy McKenzie. As you might have guessed, this is a King Arthur retelling—Guinevere’s story. This telling brings Guinevere to life, starting with her childhood and bringing the story all the way to Arthur’s death. I love the way McKenzie handles Mordred and love triangle between Arthur, Guinevere, and Lancelot. There are two books that follow this one, Grail Prince—the story of Galahad and the Holy Grail—and Prince of Dreams—the story of Tristan and Isolde (Essylte, by McKenzie’s spelling).
What are some of your favorite books to reread? I’d love to hear, so I can read them, too!