We’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s prompt is: books I wish I read as a child. But I don’t know.. I’m not really feeling that prompt right now. So I’m going to twist it up a bit and look at books I read as a child (kid/tween/teen) that I want to read again as an adult!
I read quite a bit as a kid in elementary school, really enjoyed my humanities classes in middle school and basically almost moved into the library in high school. The sad thing is though, I don’t really remember a lot about the books I read. I remember which ones I enjoyed but if you asked me what they were about… Well, I’d be (mostly) hard pressed to tell you 😂 So I’d love to try re-reading some of these and seeing what I’d think of them now as an adult!

The House on Mango Street. I’ve mentioned this book a few times before because I still remember how this book made me feel and how it made me want to try writing, but I don’t remember much of the story itself. Keen to refresh my memory!
Where the Sidewalk Ends. I loved Shel Silverstein and I remember checking this book out so many times in ES. I think this book (along with his others) definitely need to be added to my physical bookshelf. They’re classics!
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. This was a favourite that I read many times so I guess I do remember a lot of it still 😂 But there’s just something about this book that filled me up with warmth, hope and happiness. I want to see if it can still do that now!
The Princess Diaries. I was obsessed with this series after watching the movie for the first time. I still love the movie but I forgot about the books and I’m not even sure I finished the series. They also had really cute covers!
The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. Actually, I want to re-read the whole series. I remember checking out this book from the library quite a few times in ES, but I also remember reading a few of the others, although their stories completely slipped my mind.
Night. Pretty sure I read this in class for year 8 and while I can’t remember it 100% I’m sure that this is one of the books that sparked my fascination and love for book written during this period. Never fails to make me emotional AF.
Gossip Girl. I was reading GG way before the show was even a thing and oh man, this was another one that made me feel a bit cheeky reading it because there was so much mention of sex, drugs etc. It would’ve defo been a book my parents wouldn’t have let me read (if they actually saw what books I read)! 😂
Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging. I’m quite sure I’ll hate this book if I re-read it again but I’m so curious to remember how it was written. I felt so cheeky reading a book that mentioned thongs and snogging on the cover (I can’t remember what year I was in)! 🤣 Oh, youth!
Things Fall Apart. Read this in class and the title rings all the bells but I can’t for the life of me remember the content! I came across my brother’s copy from year 9 that he never returned 🙄 so I might just take it back with me next time I visit Jakarta.
Speak. I think I read this when I was in Year 10 or 11 and I remember it left me feeling shaken. I had never read a book like this before that was so raw and sexually explicit and about this topic too. I think I’d like to get my hands on the graphic novel.

Did you read any of these titles when you were a kid/teen? Are there any books that you would like to re-read as an adult?

Great twist on this week’s topic, Dini! I’ve never read Speak but it’s one of those modern classic YA novels I’d really like to try.
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Thanks Jess! I really want to re-read Speak because I have a feeling it’s one of those books that you can read at any time and it will speak to you in some way (no pun intended) lol hope you enjoy it!
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I have Charlie on my list too! Rereading Chronicles of Narnia has been so fun!
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Yeah, you inspired me to add that to this list. I remember reading more than Lion, Witch, Wardrobe, but I can’t for the life of me remember what they were about 😂
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haha, honestly same. It’s been nice to reread the others because I have terrible memory.
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Great topic! I need to read some of these for the first time! lol
My Top Ten
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Haha thanks Leslie! I think if I read some of these again it’d definitely feel like it’s the first time coz my memory is horrid 😂
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hahaha.. Actually, that’s a good point! My memory isn’t great either!! lol
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Where the Sidewalk Ends is a great reread when you’re an adult. I highly recommend it.
My TTT .
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I want to add the physical copies of his book to my shelves but they’re quite pricey… Haha I think they’d be worth the investment though! ❤
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Oh I think The Princess Diaries would be a great one to reread I too was obsessed with it when I was kid. Brilliant twist on the prompt! 😘
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I was full on obsessed with Mia and her story when I was in middle school… Haha I’m really curious to see what it’d be like now 😅
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I’ve only read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe but already after high school. You’re right, I read TOONS of books when I was younger and only remember a third of them. Lol
Especially the required reading ones… some I really loved, but I’d need to re-read them to remind myself why I loved them in the first place 😀
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Haha glad I’m not the only one who doesn’t remember a lot of the books I read when I was younger. Some people remember all of them and I’m like WHAT HOW?! 🤣 There are some titles that really stick out to me but because I remember loving them but not coz I remember the content haha I’m defo keen to check out some of these again!
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The Angus Thongs books are very dumb and silly but I do still love them even as a grown-up!
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Hahaha I bet they’re a big bag of silly but maybe they’ll still give me a good laugh now… Who knows! Keen to find out though 😀
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Oh Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for sure! My teacher read that one (and the sequel) to us in school but I never read them myself- I’d LOVE to. And The Narnia books as well- it’s been years since I read those and some of them I hardly remember!
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I think Charlie is going to be a forever classic for me. I remember reading the sequel and not being as impressed by the great glass elevator 😂 I think it was the magic of all the sweets in the chocolate factory that really won me over! It’s nice to see how some books are so universal! Lol
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Yes so true! Something about that huge factory with all the chocolate making rooms!
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I never read the complete Narnia series as a child, only the first book or two. I’m sure I would get even more out of them now than I did as a child. I read a couple of the Georgia Nicholson books and thought they were good for a laugh. Like you, I don’t know how much I would enjoy them now. LOL
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I think I finished the series but it could very well be that I only read the first two books 🤣 I wonder if I’ll remember the stories once I re-read them but that’s highly doubtful since my memory is craptastic haha
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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Lion the Witch and thw Wardrobe were one of my favourites. Remember going to the library with my mum and brother, and taking them out every week until the librarian told me I should try some other books and I could take these two out after a couple of weeks 🙈
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It’s funny because when I think of these books I get flashbacks of me in the library holding a few of the Narnia books and staring at the details on the covers 😂 I love these flashbacks even though I can’t remember what the actual books are about (save the first of course) LOL 🤣
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😂 I can’t actually remember the whole story from the Narnia books either 🙈
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Hi Dini 👋🏻 I’m here with my usual oh I didn’t like that book comment… this edition is all about the chronicles of Narnia….. sorry Dini I AM A HORRIBLE TERRIBLE PERSON I KNOW 🙈🙈🙈 I read the entire series as a child even though I didn’t particularly like them…. I know. I’m strange. Who continues reading a series when they don’t exactly love the first book…. 🙋🏼♀️ apparently me that’s who 😂😂😂 You must’ve been well into teens when you read Things Fall Apart though right? That’s not exactly child friendly from my memory of it 🙈 Great ttt twist Dini 💜🧡❤️💛💙💚
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HAHAHA to be fair… I’ve continued to read a series when I didn’t exactly love the first or second book, I just kept hoping it would get better 🤣🤣🤣 Hahaha I’ve come to anticipate and enjoy your “I didn’t like that book” comments, Emer ❤ ❤ I wonder if I'll still like the books if I re-read them now coz I honestly can't remember shit about them lol also yes, I think I read Things Fall Apart in Year 9? Maybe… Possibly… 😂
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I like what you did with this topic. I wish I would have thought of it!
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You can still save the topic for a random day 😉
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True!
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Love your take on the topic this week! You have so many good books on this list. I read The House on Mango Street for the first time this summer and it was so good!
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I saw your review and it really made me want to re-read it soon! So glad you enjoyed it, Holly ❤
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Very cool. I like how you changed the topic! Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a magical story, no matter what age you are! 😊 I love it. Here’s my Top Ten Tuesday List!
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I have a feeling that I will definitely feel the same about Charlie even now 😉 Thank you ❤
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So many great ones here! I just read The House on Mango Street for the first time last week. It was such a beautifully written book. The Narnia books made my list, as well. I did finally read them in college. I also LOVED Where the Sidewalk Ends as a child. I had a teacher who would read it to us and do all the voices with accents. It definitely made it memorable! Night and Speak I read as an adult, but yes, both were so moving. Great list!
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When I think of Where the Sidewalk Ends I remember sitting in the small reading area in the elementary school library and giggling to myself as I read the book. And his others as well! I was so mesmerised by those books 😀 I can’t wait to re-read Mango Street ❤
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Gossip girl yesss!! I have yet to read the books but am obsessed w the show! Fab list 🙂
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Hahaha I actually didn’t follow the book or show through to the end but the show very quickly deviated from the books too (in terms of what happens and how the characters look! which frustrated the heck out of me) Haha
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I only read Roald Dahl as a kid from your list. At the time there was only so much that was translated to Dutch so I missed some series.
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I love hearing about the books that were really internationally well loved by children. I loved Dahl’s books so much when I was younger lol ❤
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I only recently read SPEAK and it was so powerful. I remember loving Lewis’ books, but I need to reread them!
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I have a feeling I will feel the same about Speak once I re-read it. I want to try the graphic novel this time though!
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The Speak GN is soooo good, but so tough! I thought it was an even harder read in some ways. It was so well adapted. ❤
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Omg I can imagine that it’d be harder to read but I think I really want to give the GN a go. Glad to hear your thoughts on it 😀
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I love your take on this topic! I can’t really think of any books I wish I had read either. Also I have the same problem, I know which books I liked but I don’t really remember much about them haha. And other books I can’t even remember if I’ve actually read them or not! Like Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging, I think I read it but I’m not sure haha
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Thanks Brittany! The original topic was too tough for me in my current mental state of pure laziness hahaha glad I’m not the only one that has trouble remembering the content of books 🤣 I always hear people talking in detail about their favorite childhood books and I’m like :Uh yeah… I loved this but… I can’t remember what it’s about actually” 🤣🤣🤣
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Great spin on this week’s topic. I have really enjoyed re-reading some of my childhood favorites with my son now that he’s old enough to understand and appreciate them.
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Thanks! I think if I ever have kids I’d love doing the same ❤ Sounds like a wonderful way of sharing your love of books too!
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Somehow I’ve only read the Narnia books but I know if I re-read them now I’d have MUCH different opinions on them. Great post!
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Good different or bad different? I’m very curious to see how I’ll feel about them because I honestly don’t remember anything aside from the first book 🤣
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Hmm, neutral different maybe? When I read them originally I didn’t pick up on all the religious themes.
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Awwww the Princess Diaries. I was so obsessed with it. 🥺❤️
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