Re-read series before newly released book?

[FlibBityFLooB]

Hi people,

Newbie who's never posted...

I was curious. Frost's new book is out (DESTINED FOR AN EARLY GRAVE), and I've been eagerly waiting for it.

Do you guys typically go back and re-read the rest of the series before reading the new book?

I decided to put off reading the book until this weekend when I can finish it uninterrupted. However, I'm not sure if I want to go back and read the first three novels again to get in the mood :)

What do you typically do?

[Ann aka Iftcan]

Sometimes I do it--especially if there's a really long interval between the 2 books. Like with Lawrence Watt-Evans Ethshar books. He had a very serious illness that kept him from writing anything for about 3 years, so when he was finally able to write again, I went back and re-read the previous books in the series.

I only found the Frost books 6 weeks ago (thanks to someone in the Monthly Challenge group--protecting the guil--er innoucent, that is) so I'm not going to go back and reread the new one.

If there is only 1 or 2 in a series, I'm also more likely to go back and do a re-read than if for instance we are talking Charlaine Harris' Sookie books or Jim Butcher's Dresden books (both at 9+ now)

Ann in VA

[The Flooze]

I've done the re-read with several series. For me, it depends on how complicated the plot is, how many loose ends were left hanging, and whether the over-reaching plot arc relies on knowledge of previous events.

For the Night Huntress series, there isn't really that much left unresolved in the last book, right?

[FlibBityFLooB]

Nope. I think it will be a fresh book.

I'm just curious because most of the series I started are already well into the series, so I haven't had to wait long amounts of time between books.

I'm a very impatient person when it comes to waiting for a new book to come out...

[Willow]

I don't generally have the time and like Flibbityfloob, often come in after the series has been out for a good while. However I keep meaning to re-read the Psy-Changeling series because 1. there are enough books with more and more characters that I'm getting confused about who's who and 2. Singh is such a good writer

[Lenore]

I am going to re-read the 3rd in the series, but I have anticipated Destined for an Early Grave so much I don't want to put it off too long.

[The Flooze]

My most recent re-read was the whole Sookie Stackhouse series. I'd originally read them all in one go over some time off and so they were a bit of a blur.

I used to re-read all the Harry Potter books every time the new one was due out.

[Susan (Suz)]

I should do some re-read's on some series since my memory sucks and if it's been a while since the last book or if I've read too many other books in between, cuz I usually can't remember what's happened, but I'm too impatient for that LOL. I have to jump right in and I find that most of the series do a good job at recapping stuff that happened in the previous book/books...

[Lenore]

I should probably re-read Sookie since I have yet to read the latest. And there are supposed to be more, am I correct?

[Kathy]

I reread Sookie and the cassie palmer series at least once a year. Oh and I reread the Kate Daniels series too. Others I might go back and read some favorite parts but I generally don't reread the whole book.

[The Flooze]

I re-read Cassie, too, Kathy! I only started that series in the past year. There's so much going on and it's so fast paced that re-reads were the best way to go. I'll probably go back over Midnight's Daughter and some of Cassie before Death's Mistress comes out.

[Schnaucl]

I'm currently reading so many series (36) that I rarely reread the previous books unless it's been an extra long time since the last book was published. For example, I reread Lynn Flewelling's Nightrunners trilogy before the fourth book came out last summer, but I won't reread them again before The White Road comes out.

[DarkHeart "Vehngeance"]

If it's a series I really love, then I may go ahead an reread if not the whole series, then at least the last book. I've done this with BDB, Kate Daniels and Mercy. I actually really like audiobooks for these rereads, especially if I'm working my way through a reading challenge and don't necessarily have time to fit it all in. Listening to them on my commute to and from the office works brilliantly for me.

[Michelle]

I often re-read books, depends on how large the series is. If it's the Stephanie plum books you are talking 15+ the novella's, then i don't always. In preparation for Bad Moon Rising by Sherrilyn Kenyon I re-read Vane's book and I will read Fury's. Just to refresh my memory.
In this case I only read the third book a month or so ago, so I don't need too! :)

[Josephine]

I have series which I re-read and others which I don’t bother. If it’s re-readable, THEN I keep the books and will frequently re-read them prior to a new release. The way I determine if I would read again, includes the complexity of the plotlines, the eloquence of the writing, and the heat in the love scenes. With respect to the latter, it doesn’t mean just sex. Heck, Zsadist’s reaction to Bella’s announcement that she was pregnant is likely the most re-read love scene in my library. I highly recommend re-reading any series prior to reading the latest installment! There’s my two cents.

[[deleted user]]

I tend to re-read just one previous book in the series for a good refresher.

[Maggie the Muskoka Library Mouse]

No. I very rarely re-read. I keep a book journal, so when the new installment comes out, I just go back and read the notes I made about the previous books before diving into the new one.