The Reading Challenge Group discussion

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message 1: by Brie_reads (last edited Jan 18, 2014 04:47AM) (new)

Brie_reads | 7 comments Hi everyone! My name is Brie. I was just wondering how people felt about re-reading novels?

I love to re-read some of my favourite books. There are books I have read so many times if you give me the name of the chapter I can tell you exactly what is happening. Harry Potter for example, started reading those before the fourth book came out - love them. Big Nora Roberts fan, her series like the MacGregors and the MacKades, love them.

At the moment, I am re-reading one of my favourite series of all time before the new book comes out in June. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. Re-reading it for the fifth time is reminding me why I love it so much and seeing how much the characters have grown. It's like returning to see old friends.

Does anyone else experience this? Does anyone else love re-reading books or are you like my mother who reads it once and is done forever? Just curious.


message 2: by Brie_reads (new)

Brie_reads | 7 comments Interesting. And see I find re-reading like re-watching a favourite movie or television show. I love meeting those characters all over again.


message 3: by Roseanne (new)

Roseanne | 1239 comments There are books I want to reread but the truth is there are so many books I want to read that I never reread anything. I never seem to have enough time to read.


message 4: by عماد (new)

عماد العتيلي (emadreads) Like Roseanne said, I have many books in mind that I really want to reread, but I have a lot of books that I have to read! So I don't know how to deal with that!!
Anyway, if I could manage to reread books then I'll reread The Brothers Karamazov, The Picture of Dorian Gray, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Collin Wilson's Outsider :)


message 5: by Holly, That Geeky One (new)

Holly (hollycoulson) | 1949 comments Mod
I need to read The Brothers Karamazov...


message 6: by Irene (new)

Irene (zavrou) One book which took hold of me was 'Word of Honour' by Nelson de Mille first published in 1985. I read this book several times, experiencing the same emotions over and over again. I loaned it out and when it was not returned I replaced it. THEN, dreadful day, I saw the movie based on the book, did not like it and tried to read the book again to get the movie out of my head and did NOT like it!!!! I still have it and will one day read it again and maybe it will become a re-read again.


message 7: by Roseanne (new)

Roseanne | 1239 comments I am done with movies. They are never as good as the book.


Brenda (aka Grandma) | 278 comments I used to love to re-read books, but now I've started feeling like there are just so many new-to-me ones to get to. I don't know if that's because I'm getting older or because I can get things instantly on my kindle. I sort of miss that feeling of loving a book so much I want to go be in it again. I've also noticed that there were some that changed quite a bit when I read them years later.


message 9: by Faye, The Dickens Junkie (new)

Faye | 1415 comments Mod
I try to limit the amount of re-reads I indulge in per year, but I HAVE to read certain books at least once every year or two simply because I love them so much that I want to be in that world as much as possible. A Tale of Two Cities, Jane Eyre, and A Christmas Carol are the ones I re-read the most. I've re-read a few other Dickens novels, and next year I'm actually planning to re-read them ALL, every single one of them, in the order that he wrote them. It will be the greatest reading year of my life, seriously. :D

I also love to revisit L.M. Montgomery's books every once in a while. They're my happy place, and every time I open one it's like returning to childhood.

Mostly, though, I agree with the others who have said that there are SO MANY BOOKS I still have to read for the first time that re-reading seems like I'm depriving myself of something new and wonderful for the "safety" of what I already know.


message 10: by Amber (new)

Amber (amberterminatorofgoodreads) I reread books too basically the sherrilyn kenyon books I own, and others.


message 11: by Brie_reads (new)

Brie_reads | 7 comments I agree about do many other books to read - I start to get nervous when I don't have a stack of books in my to read pile but there are certain books I just have to re-read every year. I just finished re-reading Outlander two minutes ago and only having been introduced to Diana Gabaldon three years ago, I can't believe how good the book is and how much I love the characters. And i know I will read a new book in between but I also know that by the end of next week I will have started to re-read Dragonfly in Amber because I cannot get away from those old friends that the characters have become.

A good story is only a great story when one simply cannot help starting it back from the beginning. At least that's my belief.


message 12: by J.M. (new)

J.M. Paden (jmpaden) Every once in a while I reread, and I always go back and reread my favorite scenes. :) I'm seriously impressed that you've read that series 5 times! :)


message 13: by Irene (last edited Jan 19, 2014 12:46AM) (new)

Irene (zavrou) Sandy wrote: "Holly wrote: "I need to read The Brothers Karamazov..."

Me too. Maybe we could do a buddy read? Or maybe the Chunksters group would do it. This is one of my "bucket-list" tasks. hehe I'd better hu..."


I am reading It now . This is my second attempt as I started once before and abandoned it!


message 14: by Holly, That Geeky One (new)

Holly (hollycoulson) | 1949 comments Mod
Perhaps we should create a 'Chunksters' thread. I know I want to read at least 5 this year.

I'd definitely be interested in doing a readalong of it though!


message 15: by Holly, That Geeky One (new)

Holly (hollycoulson) | 1949 comments Mod
Just anything that is abnormally long. It's a subjective view. I'll set up the thread :)


message 16: by James (new)

James (jimmyconnors) There are some books I have read more than twice like "The Stranger" by Albert Camus, I've read the Akira comics twice (probably won't read them again), Asterix and Lucky Luke over and over again when I was a child; I have read all books of the Rabbi Small series at least twice and probably will read them again in difficult times of my life (when I'm just not open for new stuff) ... some times I read non-fiction books again because I almost totally forgot the content ...


message 17: by Tracey (new)

Tracey | 916 comments Roseanne wrote: "There are books I want to reread but the truth is there are so many books I want to read that I never reread anything. I never seem to have enough time to read."

^This is exactly how I feel. I have a list of books I'd love to re-read, but there are so many new books I want to read out there.


message 18: by Brie_reads (new)

Brie_reads | 7 comments There are soo many books out there that I want to read but I can't not re-read some - there are just certain books I have to make time for every year.

When I get distracted by other books I just go to them and return back to those old characters and storylines I love when that new book is finished :)


message 19: by Yvonne (new)

Yvonne | 23 comments I love rereading as much as I love new books. Sometimes I'm just in the mood for a certain book, even if I've already read it. As a fast reader I have time to reread and to read new. And rereading is perfect for when you are short on cash and can't afford to buy anything new just now. There are some books that once read I know I'll never read again (just as there are some films I watch that I know I'll never watch again) but most of the books I own I've read at least twice and some more than that.


message 20: by Clare (new)

Clare (-clare-) | 98 comments Roseanne wrote: "There are books I want to reread but the truth is there are so many books I want to read that I never reread anything. I never seem to have enough time to read."

^ Exactly this. Joining Goodreads and seeing my too read list continue to grow and grow gives me little hope of re-reading many books in the future either.


CaptKirk42 Classic Whovian (klandersen) | 455 comments Yep I do re-reads. In fact the last few books I've been reading are re-reads to get the series read. I've been reading a series of 3 books by Anne McCaffrey that she co-wrote with other authors the "Planet Pirates" series and it's "prequel" sister 2 book series "Dinosaur Planet". I had not originally read the 2 Dinosaur Planet books but had read the Pirate Planet ones before. I have a little less than 100 pages to go in "The Death of Sleep" which is book 2 of the Planet Pirates and the 2nd book of the series I have re-read or am currently re-reading.


message 22: by Michael (new)

Michael (micky74007) I reread A Separate Peace every couple of years, and reread Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising series. I can't wait for my 10 year old to get interested in them.


message 23: by Rebecca (new)

Rebecca (bd200789) I do re-reads a lot. I've read Pride and Prejudice at least a dozen times, for example. Sometimes, i just prefer a book I know I love, rather than ones I'm not sure about.


message 24: by Brie_reads (new)

Brie_reads | 7 comments That is one of my favourite things - I just want to sit down and enjoy a favourite like re-watching a favourite film - enjoy something i love before moving on to see if I love another.


message 25: by A. R. (new)

A. R. Rumi | 19 comments the book thief


message 26: by Holly, That Geeky One (new)

Holly (hollycoulson) | 1949 comments Mod
Are people counting re-reads in their Challenges?


message 27: by Faye, The Dickens Junkie (new)

Faye | 1415 comments Mod
I count them, unless I read a book more than once in the same year, in which case I would only count it once.


message 28: by Lauren (new)

Lauren | 85 comments I only count re reads if I read them first a long time ago (aka I've forgotten what happens haha)


CaptKirk42 Classic Whovian (klandersen) | 455 comments Same here I count them. Since I have a huge to-read list as well as a to-re-read list I rarely read the same book twice in one year.

To track them I have added "read in xxxx" (xxxx being the year I read the books) as the official challenges don't have the ability to handle re-reads. For books I read before joining Goodreads and officially keeping track I had to guestimate when I read books and so my pre-Goodreads read books are by "read by decade" instead of year.


message 30: by Gavin (new)

Gavin (thewalkingdude) | 209 comments I find it hard to re-read, not only because my TBR is massive, but also because I remember what I read a little too well, particularly if I liked it enough to want to re-read it.


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