A hot new novel can keep you turning the pages late into the night, but a different – and some may argue, greater – pleasure comes from the act of re-reading. Whether it’s returning to a classic and seeing its humour in a fresh light, or expecting to be swept off your feet by a romance only to find you’re now transfixed by the class politics, there’s a singular joy in coming back to well-thumbed favourites. ABC Radio National’s The Bookshelf co-host Kate Evans chats with authors Bernadette Brennan (Leaping into Waterfalls) and Ruth Wilson (The Jane Austen Remedy) about the books they return to time and time again and the lessons they offer.

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