Reread Challenge
I love Goodreads with the flaming passion of someone who never entirely enjoyed Facebook. But—it pains me to say this—it can be stressful sometimes.
Take their reading challenge, for instance. As many of you know, I ambitiously challenged myself to read 200 books in 2015. With their helpful system, I tracked the number of books I read to ensure I was right on schedule.
I made it maybe three months when I realized that it was making reading un-fun. I couldn’t reread books, because I had to keep reading new ones in order to meet my quota. That long, dense book I’ve been dying to read? Forget about it. I had a schedule to meet.
Sometime around March, I quite cheerfully deleted the challenge.
Ever since then, though, I’ve been in that mindset. Read new books! Don’t reread old ones!
But I like rereading books. It is, in its way, more pleasant and relaxing than reading new books. Everything I loved is still there, but it’s worn and familiar, like a favorite old blanket. I pick up on new details that I didn’t notice before. I can skip the boring parts.
So I have challenged myself this year—not to read more new books, but to reread favorite old ones. Here is my reread challenge:
The Tiffany Aching series, by the late Sir Terry Pratchett
I read the first book, The Wee Free Men , as a youngster and adored it. A fairytale about a girl with brown hair? Was that even allowed? Then, a little older, I discovered it was a series. Right now I’m rereading A Hat Full of Sky, which is perhaps one of the best-written books I’ve ever read. These books are some of Pratchett’s best and great favorites in my house. And they're posthumously publishing a last one... and I am so afraid....
The Lord of the Rings, by J. R. R. Tolkien
Confession: I’ve only read this series once. But I’m working my way slowly and surely through The Silmarillion, and it’s inspired me to a reread.
Howl’s Moving Castle and House of Many Ways, by Diana Wynne Jones
I came to these books rather late in life at the grand age of sixteen. Since then I’ve read them a few times, but I think they’re due another rereading. They’re my second and third favorite books by Diana Wynne Jones and utterly enchanting!
Those are the three main books on my list, but I’m making a point to incorporate more rereads into my reading diet. I truly believe that rereads are some of the most important ones. And so I’m challenging you, readers, to reread one of your favorite books. Which one will you choose?
Take their reading challenge, for instance. As many of you know, I ambitiously challenged myself to read 200 books in 2015. With their helpful system, I tracked the number of books I read to ensure I was right on schedule.
I made it maybe three months when I realized that it was making reading un-fun. I couldn’t reread books, because I had to keep reading new ones in order to meet my quota. That long, dense book I’ve been dying to read? Forget about it. I had a schedule to meet.
Sometime around March, I quite cheerfully deleted the challenge.
Ever since then, though, I’ve been in that mindset. Read new books! Don’t reread old ones!
But I like rereading books. It is, in its way, more pleasant and relaxing than reading new books. Everything I loved is still there, but it’s worn and familiar, like a favorite old blanket. I pick up on new details that I didn’t notice before. I can skip the boring parts.
So I have challenged myself this year—not to read more new books, but to reread favorite old ones. Here is my reread challenge:
The Tiffany Aching series, by the late Sir Terry Pratchett
I read the first book, The Wee Free Men , as a youngster and adored it. A fairytale about a girl with brown hair? Was that even allowed? Then, a little older, I discovered it was a series. Right now I’m rereading A Hat Full of Sky, which is perhaps one of the best-written books I’ve ever read. These books are some of Pratchett’s best and great favorites in my house. And they're posthumously publishing a last one... and I am so afraid....
The Lord of the Rings, by J. R. R. Tolkien
Confession: I’ve only read this series once. But I’m working my way slowly and surely through The Silmarillion, and it’s inspired me to a reread.
Howl’s Moving Castle and House of Many Ways, by Diana Wynne Jones
I came to these books rather late in life at the grand age of sixteen. Since then I’ve read them a few times, but I think they’re due another rereading. They’re my second and third favorite books by Diana Wynne Jones and utterly enchanting!
Those are the three main books on my list, but I’m making a point to incorporate more rereads into my reading diet. I truly believe that rereads are some of the most important ones. And so I’m challenging you, readers, to reread one of your favorite books. Which one will you choose?
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