Should I read my first book?

I’m in the process of packing and getting ready for my big move into the new house. The thing requiring the most boxes, that will have the movers hating me after about two or three trips up and down my condo steps, you guessed it… books.

My keeper-shelf books make up twelve boxes. My books… you know the print copy of my books are another eight.

I had this idea that I wanted to make sure I had at least some copies of every book so when I die and my grand nieces and nephews are going through all my stuff they can say… oh that’s right Aunt Steph used to write these books and I wanted them to all have copies for their bookshelves.

Well my nieces and nephews better start having lots and lots of kids because I have PLENTY of books to go around. I plan to start doing way more giveaways going forward!

That aside I did find a single copy of my first book. 1996 Undiscovered Hero. It was then a Silhouette Intimate Moment. To this day it was one of the single greatest experiences of my life. Opening up that box and seeing my name on the same Harlequin line as Linda Howard and Sandra Brown.

And as I was putting it in the box with all the other copies of all the other books I thought to myself that I should read it. I should see how far I’ve come and how much I’ve learned. As I tackle large historical fiction books – I should look back to the first book and remind myself who I am as a writer. Because really the voice, your voice, is there from the start.

I just know it will be so totally cringe worthy. I can’t even really remember who those characters were. I mean I remember the set up and the story, but wow… it would be so surreal.

So I’m on the fence. Do I take a chance and try to learn something from my writing past? Or do I leave that book where it belongs – on the shelf – and just look forward to the next project?

What about you out there? Do you like to read an author’s older works even knowing it might be a raw version of where they end up?