Episode #349: Re-Reading Reconsidered

[DeAnna]

1) I must have missed this information when it was discussed previously -- why is this upcoming Booktopia the last one?

2) I've been a re-reader forever -- I read very quickly, which helps. Sometimes I know a book is going to make me feel a particular way, and I want to feel that feeling again. Sometimes I just miss the characters and want to visit with them again. I really enjoyed what Jo Walton had to say about rereading here:
Why Re-Read?

[Gerald]

Re reading is not in my schedule. I would only re read one book and that's Ragtime. That's my fastest read and my favorite book.

[Jena]

I am a picky rereader, but I will do it if the book is good enough. I agree with the poster who said they reread because they know a book will make them feel a certain way and want to feel that particular feeling. I've done the same thing.

I am also curious why this was the last Booktopia.

[Linda]

Jena wrote: "I am a picky rereader, but I will do it if the book is good enough. I agree with the poster who said they reread because they know a book will make them feel a certain way and want to feel that pa..."

Jena, Ann and Michael have full time jobs as Random House sales reps, they do the Books on the Nightstand podcast, they each are married with young families AND the IRS stuck their hand into Booktopia. It takes a lot of time and juggling to put on one Booktopia let alone three in one year.

That said, as you may now know, Northshire Bookstore in Manchester VT has decided to continue Booktopia. We did not have a lot of notice, but we signed up this past Friday. It took a tad longer than with Ann and Michael, but it was sold out by last night (Saturday).

We (Petoskey Booktopians) have started to nag, er um, work on the owners of the bookstore in Petoskey.

[Katherine]

I will reread books I love, but they tend to either be "beach reads" that I can do very quickly, or books in my top 10 of all time. In one case (The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern), I loved the world the author created so much that I didn't want to be done with it when I finished - so I immediately turned back to page 1 and started rereading.
My book club actually had a reread - we had enough turnover that a lot of the newer folks hadn't read our favorite (The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield), so we chose that again. Our joke is that you have to read that book to join!

[DeAnna]

Thanks for the Booktopia info, Linda. I thought the sheer amount of extra work might have been the reason for cancellation. I thought it was only 1 event per year -- I didn't realize it was 3 per year.

[Sloan]

I LOVE to reread books! I thought Ann and Michael's "fear" that a book wouldn't be as good as they remembered was interesting. Don't you trust the book and your judgement?

[Laura]

I like to revisit books I've enjoyed by listening to the audio versions. That way I already know I'll like the book yet it's not a tragedy if I miss a sentence while actually paying attention to the traffic on my commute. :) I've revisited some childhood favorites by reading them to my daughter and will probably reread the Harry Potter series at some point.

[Ann]

Just to clarify on Linda's explanation. It's not that the IRS stuck their hand in Booktopia, (I'm OK with doing my civic duty), it's that our biggest expense is food for the welcome reception and IRS rules only allow deduction of 50% of the cost of meals. Since we're break-even, in order to not lose money, we'd either have to a) not serve food at any event or b) raise the prices so that you all would cover those taxes. That would have made Booktopia out of reach of many, which is exactly the opposite of our original intention (remember the first one was free?)

So while I love you all, my family's budget could not afford paying the tax bill out of our personal account. Booktopia was never intended to be a business and we don't want it to be one.

[Janet]

Ann wrote: "Just to clarify on Linda's explanation. It's not that the IRS stuck their hand in Booktopia, (I'm OK with doing my civic duty), it's that our biggest expense is food for the welcome reception and I..."

This is water under the bridge but couldn't Booktopia file as a non-profit (which would make meals 100% deductible)? I'm an accountant but tax is not my specialty so maybe someone who knows will chime in.

[Ann]

Janet wrote: "Ann wrote: "Just to clarify on Linda's explanation. It's not that the IRS stuck their hand in Booktopia, (I'm OK with doing my civic duty), it's that our biggest expense is food for the welcome rec..."

There are a lot of regulations to be considered nonprofit, and honestly, it's just too much trouble. There wasn't any one thing that brought about the end of Booktopia, but it was a lot of things, of which taxes were the most tangible and painful.