Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Books I Wish I Could Read Again for the First Time. To me, that means books that made a huge impact the first time around — anything from an intense emotional experience to sheer delight to big twists and surprises I never saw coming.
Here are my top ten:
- Outlander by Diana Gabaldon: As a die-hard fan of the series, I can’t help but think back on how powerfully the first book affected me.
- The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell: The opening pages knocked me for a loop.
- The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger: The jumps between times confused me and delighted me so much.
- Fingersmith by Sara Waters: This book made me literally gasp out loud at certain twists.
- The Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Evans: I just remember sobbing. That’s it.
- The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison: Such an incredible reading experience. I find something new to appreciate with each reread, but the first time was especially mind-blowing.
- The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal: My heart was in my throat.
- Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn: Such a delightful, playful story.
- The BFG by Roald Dahl: I don’t know if I’d appreciate it on my own, but I read this for the first time with my kiddo when he was about 9 or 10, and his laughter was everything.
- Rolling in the Deep by Mira Grant: This horror novella is like nothing I’d read before, and the key horror element is a knock-out.
What books do you wish you could read again for the first time? Do we have any in common?
If you wrote a TTT post, please share your link!
Bookshelf Fantasies 
I love that you included the BFG!
Here’s a link to my TTT post
I have such mixed feelings when it comes to Roald Dahl… but there’s no denying that his books were such a hit with my kid!
Great choices! I wish I could read The Night Circus for the first time again.
That’s a great one! I didn’t love the book as much as a lot of people did, but there’s something so special about the way the magical elements are described.
I’ve only read Time Traveller’s Wife but I do have Goblin Emperor and Outlander on my TBR and I’m keen to check out both 🙂
Both very different (obviously), but both excellent! I hope you enjoy them!
I am with you on Outlander and The Time Traveller’s Wife. I would add Doctor Zhivago, A Fine Balance, and The Winter Pony. These books stuck with me for ever. I finished the Winter Pony on the bus and sobbed. The bus driver asked if I was all right.
I haven’t read The Winter Pony, but a friend recommended it to me a while ago and I’ve been meaning to check it out (but now know not to read it in public!!). I should probably give Doctor Zhivago another chance. I was reading it with my book group a few years ago, but we were only doing two chapters per week and I just never got into it at that pace, unfortunately. (Ended up DNFing somewhere around the middle…)
You will like The Winter Pony and even though you know how it will end, it is still heart breaking. Doctor Zhivago has a number of emotional moments, especially the end. The Russian sagas can be a bit of a slog, but worth it in the end.
I think the only one I’ve read off here is the BFG but what a great selection of books! 🙂 Here’s my Top Ten Tuesday post – https://justreadjessie.blog/2025/10/14/top-ten-tuesday-books-i-wish-i-could-read-again-for-the-first-time/
THanks! The BFG is so much fun — wish I still had kids around to read it with!
The only book on your list that I’ve read is The BFG. The only reason I’ve read it is my kids. If not for them, the only Dahl book I would have read is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!
https://readbakecreate.com/birthday-book-tag-happy-50th-to-me/
I mostly read Dahl books with my kids — in fact, I think the only one I read myself as a kid was Charlie and the Chocolate factory!
Outlander!! Yes, that’s a great one. I need to continue the series, but I’ve loved what I’ve read so far (3 books).
Ah, you have so much to look forward to! Such a terrific series.
Yes, it’s so good. I’m behind on the tv show too. lol One of these days!!
I read the Horse Whisperer and saw the movie of it. It is a good book. It has been over twenties years since I read it. Have a good week.
Here is my TTT.
It’s probably been that long for me as well since I read the book, and I don’t remember a ton about the plot, just how it made me feel. I remember watching the movie, and loving Robert Redford in it!
I would love to read Tuck Everlasting again.
Oh, me too! It’s been a long time, but that was really a good one!
I wish I could read The Sword of Shanara and all the Harry Potter books again for the first time. And The Night Circus, too. 😀
Yes for Harry Potter for me! I remember the feeling of waiting for the new books to come out! I’ll have to check out Sword of Shanara eventually… that feels like a gap in my reading!
What a great topic…
The Goblin Emperor ( such a great read ).
The Sword in the Stone ( such fun ).
But top pick for me would be The left Hand of Darkness ( a wonderful concept and such a moving relationship between the two main characters. I am moved every time I re-read but the thought of reading for the first time? WOW). And then…
The Lymond Chronicles
The Friend ( and anything else Sigrid Nunez has written )
The Sparrow
So many folk have mentioned The Night Circus I’m going to try it again – it could qualify as being read for the first time as I couldn’t be bothered to finish it.
All great picks! I think I’m more aligned with you regarding The Night Circus — I finished it, but I didn’t like it. Definitely in the minority on that one! Left Hand of Darkness has been on my to-read list for far too many years, and I really need to make a point of getting to it!
Hi Lisa,
Interesting what captured so many with The Night Circus left us unmoved!
And I envy you a first read of The Left Hand of Darkness – let me know what you think.
Cheers,
Liz
The Sparrow is a great choice!
I loved that book so much — think I’ve read it at least 3 times by now!
Great choices! Check out my blog http://www.motownsavvy.com for some books too!
Thanks!
I am right there with you about Outlander. Every time I recommend the book to someone, I feel envy that they get to read it for the first time!
I am now excited to read some of the books on your list as I will be that first time reader! Thanks.
Please let me know if you end up reading any — would love to hear your reactions! I may end up listening to the Outlander audiobook sometime soon. Now that there’s a new narrator, it’ll be almost like having a new experience!
Great selection! I wouldn’t mind reading Outlander for the first time again either.
They released a new version of the audiobook in the past year, with a new narrator, and I’m planning to listen to it sometime soon… so perhaps a new narrator will help it feel like a first time again!
Oh that’s good to know!