Do You Re-Read?

[Doubledf99.99]

I re-read a lot, think last year i re-read over a dozen books.

[Kateb]

I love re reading . I think it is for a number of reasons, one is that I read so fast when I am interested in a book that I skim and miss details. So a year later to re read opens up new ideas

2nd I fall in love with the characters and really enojoy the story again

3 I usually read series and become really immersed in the life etc of the characters.

last I have years of reading behind me and thus after a few years one can re read a book. 10 years ago I read this series I wonder how it is like now. Or 30 years ago I read that.

yes I have so many books to read but good oldies are comfit zones for cold days, stressed moments

[Jain]

I reread all the time. Of the 75 books I've read so far this year, 22 are rereads. Most of those are comfort reads and/or rereads of previous books in a series when I'm about to read the newest volume. I've also recently begun a personal project to reread a bunch of childhood favorites, partly out of nostalgia and partly to see what I think of them now, 25 to 35 years later.

As to why I reread quite as much as I do: I read for pleasure--and for the Hugos, but that's a purely voluntary commitment. This year, I've read five 5-star reads (four of them rereads) and twenty-four 4-star reads (nine of them rereads). I've also read sixteen 2-star reads and three 1-star reads (none of them rereads).

This means that rereads comprise 45% of my most-enjoyed books of the year and 0% of my least-enjoyed books. Rereading a book I liked before is practically a guaranteed good time, so I indulge frequently and with great pleasure.

[Kateb]

so happy there is another maniac re reader Jain

[Brick]

I re-read Ray Bradbury's Martian Chronicles yearly. I also dive into his other works, such as Something Wicked This Way Comes. I'll even re-read a PKD novel. As well as some Kurt Vonnegut.

[Tom]

I noticed that a local Meetup was going to take a look at Infomocracy by Malka Older, so I re-read it to re-familiarize myself. I read it years ago, so it was fun to re-visit.

[Monica]

I very rarely reread. If I do, I most likely read the book multiple decades before. Within the last ten years, most of the rereads have confirmed or improved my initial impressions. I reread Hyperion, The Fall of Hyperion, and The Color Purple to tremendous effect. All were fantastic!! Book appraisal rating: highly accurate!! I also reread Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah which had me questioning my judgement and sense of self back in the day... ;-)

[Jennifer]

It depends on the book(s) for me. I have read Pride and Prejudice at least 35 times, I always go back to it. Its like visiting an old friend.

I have re-read the Harry Potter series as well. I will also probably re-read Heartstone once I finish the sequel Dragon Shadow. I just loved it and if I could jump into the novel and live there I would! (3rd installment releases Nov 12th)

[Nichelle]

I re-read quite a bit, if I've enjoyed the story. On the second (or third, or fourth) time around, I don't get so distracted by the plot and am able to savor the details, foreshadowing, and craft of the writer. I usually keep all my books for a future second reading, unless they are too bad/boring to finish.

[Michele]

Nichelle wrote: "On the second (or third, or fourth) time around, I don't get so distracted by the plot and am able to savor the details, foreshadowing, and craft of the writer..."

Yes, exactly! On a reread I can take my time, pick up on all sorts of things I missed the first time through.

[Antonio]

HI, my first post in this group :)
I try to re-read the books that fascinated me when I've read the first time.
Or I did in the past.
Now too many book to read and too little time :(

[The Jokester]

I reread very seldom. due to the large number of books on my limited bookshelves I am forced to trade out read books. I have only kept a handful of my chosen classics:

Lord of the rings
4 Musketeers
Dune

[Garret]

This question has me so conflicted! Wow, I didn't know I had such battle inside me about this very topic.

I truly wish I could re-read all of my favourites – and I have often over-thought about the order I would start my re-reading journey in!
(Because I agree with Nichelle and Michele above)

But on the other hand, there are so very many books that I still want to read. I don't have a lot of time to read in my schedule, and I'm legit scared I don't read all the books I want to read by the time I'm gone.

SO I favour not re-reading. But, I'm also pretty cutthroat about most books – I will stop reading quite quickly!

[CBRetriever]

The Jokester wrote: "I reread very seldom. due to the large number of books on my limited bookshelves I am forced to trade out read books. I have only kept a handful of my chosen classics:

Lord of the rings
4 Musketee..."

advantage of using an electronic device - it takes up very little space and I can carry around the complete works of Alexandre Dumas and it weighs about 7-8 oz (even with The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo about Dumas' father included

[Reed]

Not really

[Dorothy]

Absolutely. When a new book is published in a series, I reread the series, moving right into the new book. In some cases this has meant that when Book N is released, I have read Book 1 a total,of N times. (For obvious reasons, I am very happy when I discover a series that is complete when I discover it!)

And I have some “comfort food” series which are great when I need a virtual warm blanket… especially HP and Lydia Sherrer’s Hocus Pocus books. I generally loathe anything “cozy” … cozy story, cozy mystery, cozy fantasy…. But Sherrer’s books are terrific.

[Anna]

Corinne wrote: "You technically know how everything turns out. Do these comfort reads not include big reveals that are ruined on rereads? I know this isn't a mystery heavy group but that is what I'm thinking. There are conclusions that are not know the first time around that effect rereads"

I wouldn't reread mystery books, or haven't, but other plot heavy rereads are still good, because you get to see how the author hinted at things, or notice little meaningful nods to things to come. And reading (for me) is not all about surprises anyway.

[Kaladin]

I hear you. So many books and not enough time to read them all.

As for rereads, I have a couple of favourites. Big factor is the mood I'm in. Sometimes I just want to read something I know I'll enjoy. A guaranteed hit if you like. When I was at uni, I used to reread books to take my mind off prior to exams. Comfort reads.

When I feel like I want to read a book again, I browse my go-to books and see which one fits best. I also made a recs shelf. All books on it are, in my humble opinion, so good that they are still fun 2nd or 6th time around. 😀

[Phil]

I guess I am something like Kaladin; I reread when I am in the mood, and when I want something I know to be good. I have thousands of books at my house and I only keep ones that I would be willing to reread one day.

Thinking back over the last few years, about 5% or so of my annual books are rereads. For series I really loved, I will reread the series before starting the latest one. I did this with the First Law books by Abercrombe for example. Last year I reread the Culture series by Banks just 'cause I had not read them for over a decade.

I also reread sometimes after I get stuck in a spell of mediocre new reads.

[Taylor]

I will reread books when the next series is coming out if I want to refresh, though that isn’t too often.

Most of my rereads right now I find are books I am reading with our middle schooler, or books I haven’t read since highschool or early in my college career. I reread maybe 1-3 books with him and then one or two on my own a year so probably about 5 rereads total per year.

[Becky]

I was always a big re-reader of favorite books and series. Back in my early 20s, I would cycle through Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and the Dark Tower series and various other King books on repeat. Then I discovered GR, and the cycling stopped, but I would still re-read them frequently (mainly HP and DT), but now I won't read HP anymore (mainly because I don't want my fond memories of it to be ruined) and I've found that I no longer enjoy King's writing the way I once did. So that's a bit sad.

I no longer re-read nearly as much as I used to because I think I'm more selective about what is worth a re-read now. Some stories or characters just work for me, and I find that I crave living in their world again, like The Expanse series. I re-read that entire series, plus short stories, last summer and I already want to do it again. It may become an annual thing for me honestly.

I will also re-read books that I want to give another shot to. If I didn't like or appreciate a book fully when I read it when I was younger, I might re-read it from an older (and hopefully wiser) perspective. Beloved is an example of a book I want to re-read for this purpose. 2009 me hated it, but I think 2024 me may appreciate it quite a bit more (mainly because I have grown to appreciate magical realism storytelling, and that's what ruined it for me the first time around).

Finally, I'll re-read books if I just want to experience it differently. I read and really enjoyed The Color Purple way back in the day, but a while back I found an edition on sale via Audible that sent shivers down my spine when I listened to the sample. Sometimes audio adds so much to the story that it's like a brand new experience.

[Michelle]

Corinne wrote: "...And I hope Michelle and Anna repost their responses..."

I would, but I've already forgotten what I had said 😂

[CBRetriever]

I tend to re-read also those books I read when younger. So me are still good, some are worse and some are better.

I too have read Lord of the Rings multiple times (once I read it imagining the whole series as Disney animated movies). I will re-read the Games of Thrones and Kingkiller Chronicles when and if the authors come out with their next book (I'm betting on Rothfuss).

and sometimes I re-read when the book comes up as a Buddy Read or a Book of the Month read on various forums. I'm re-reading the Shadows of the Apt series by Adrian Tchaikovsky and Cheysuli series by Jennifer Roberson for various challenges. I last read those before 2010 when I purchased my first Kindle

[Becky]

CBRetriever wrote: "I will re-read the Games of Thrones and Kingkiller Chronicles when and if the authors come out with their next book (I'm betting on Rothfuss)."

Same with Game of Thrones. I recently discovered a rabbit-hole on youtube discussing ASOIAF theories and character studies and such, and it made me want to re-read them so bad! But it's not worth it until the series is complete. I wish he'd get on with it!

[CBRetriever]

I want both of them to finish, but I have more hopes for Rothfuss as he has only one book to go and is younger - Martin has two books to go

[Anna]

(You're Never Gonna Get It)

[Becky]

I read The Name of the Wind but have no interest in continuing that series. But I do want ASOIAF even though I’ve pretty much given up hope at this point. But I’d be happy to reread them if and when a miracle happens.

[CBRetriever]

Anna wrote: "(You're Never Gonna Get It)"

now, now - I'm optomistic, ever optomistic

I had no reason To be over optimistic But somehow when you smiled I can brave bad weather.

[Brett]

There are too many books to read for the first time to be rereading anything. That doesn't have to be your philosophy, but it's mine.

[Becky]

Brett wrote: "There are too many books to read for the first time to be rereading anything. That doesn't have to be your philosophy, but it's mine."

‘Too many books too little time’ is true, for sure. But I’ve long ago come to the realization that in my tiny human lifetime, I can only read a minuscule fraction of the books that exist, and so I decided to aim for quality and experience and enjoyment over quantity.

I used to read “ANYTHING”, but now I curate more and aim for things I’m more likely to enjoy. And sometimes that’s in the form of a book I have already read and know.

But on top of that, I always get something new out of re-reading. I’m a different person than I was before so I might see new perspectives and nuances that I previously missed. Sometimes that’s positive, sometimes not. But it is worthwhile to me. :)

[Kaia]

Becky wrote: "But on top of that, I always get something new out of re-reading. I’m a different person than I was before so I might see new perspectives and nuances that I previously missed. Sometimes that’s positive, sometimes not. But it is worthwhile to me. :)”

Becky, this is how I feel too. Re-reading books from my childhood and teen years to my son, it’s been amazing to see what I pick up that I missed when reading as a younger person - and I often identify with different characters than I did then. Though sometimes these re-reads are cringey, too, because I’m different and times have changed. :-)

I don’t re-read just for myself that often, but if the book is good, I find that it doesn’t bother me to know what will happen. I often still feel adrenaline at the tense parts and get weepy at the sad parts. If I’m going through a stressful time, I find re-reading to be more relaxing (and re-watching movies) precisely because there is no doubt about the outcome.

[Cheryl L]

I agree with a few others that I sometimes will reread earlier books in a series when a new book in the series comes out.

I also have a few books that I reread every few decades because I often get something new out of them on rereads. These include A Canticle for Leibowitz, The Lord of the Rings, Anathem, and Angle of Repose. I suspect I'll reread Area X: The Southern Reach Trilogy because it's just so freakin' weird and mysterious.

[a.g.e. montagner]

Let's legitimise rereading.

I like to do it with quick reads, such as illustrated books, short stories and comics. Moreover, some of my favourite books are the kind whose chapters can be revisited on their own (Moby-Dick, Underworld...). I have also re-read books for academic reasons. Last year I re-read sections of books I was really enoying even before completing them ((view spoiler)[it happened with The Spear Cuts Through Water, The Essex Serpent, obviously with Orlando (hide spoiler)]).

[a.g.e. montagner]

Not anymore, but I used to, mostly during my university years. On the other hand, I got my e-reader towards the end of that period and my post-its are now digital.

All of us have favourite books to revisit, and I've discovered from dear friends who are now retired that at some stage of your life you'll learn more about yourself than about the books you're re-reading.

As for series, I prefer to invest on the concluded ones; e.g. I'm waiting for Marlon James to complete his fantasy trilogy, because I don't trust myself to remember several hundred pages of unreliable narrators.

[a.g.e. montagner]

I'm afraid there's no typo, LOL.
What I mean is that the book is the same, but you're not, and reading the same book various decades later becomes a measure of how you changed rather than making new discoveries in an old text.

[Becky]

a.g.e. montagner wrote: "... at some stage of your life you'll learn more about yourself than about the books you're re-reading. ..."

A great way to put it.

[Kateb]

I re read : when a new book comes out in the series, when i need a comfort book for a quick re read that doesnt require too much focus.

But then age helps , i have been collecting some of my books since the 1970's. So after a few decades they have faded in my memory. This means i often remove books that i have out grown, but I keep adding to the pile.

As to the person who worries about order and dusting: i put books in authors and then series, and they are kept in a cupboard that has doors. my cupboards line my passageways in my house, I feel that passageways are useless spaces otherwise.

At the moment i only have about 600 paper books and a few thousand ebooks. But a re read is great when having trouble going to sleep, just enough to doze to

[Cheryl L]

a.g.e. montagner wrote: "What I mean is that the book is the same, but you're not, and reading the same book various decades later becomes a measure of how you changed rather than making new discoveries in an old text."

Beautifully said. This is why I return to some books over and over.

[a.g.e. montagner]

Thanks for the feedbacks.
As I said, it's something I've been told by elderly acquaintances rather than personal experience.

I wanted to add:
I have no problems with reselling, exchanging, donating books that no longer interest me; if anything, I feel this strengthens my connection to the ones which, let's say, pass this quality check (to be sure: I'm not getting rid of my childhood nor of my entire collection, just making room for more books).
I think it'll be interesting to re-read the keepers, in the future.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

*I* just stayed up way too late rereading the end of Dune.

I don't often reread; there are just so many books! But I do enjoy catching up with old friends

[Cheryl L]

Allison wrote: "*I* just stayed up way too late rereading the end of Dune.

I don't often reread; there are just so many books! But I do enjoy catching up with old friends"

So much the same here! I just finished my reread.

[Chris]

I am quite a slow reader so I have only ever re-read three books: Lord of the Rings, Dune, and Stephen King's IT. I think the reason I revisit these three is that in each case the world building is so detailed and intricate that I get something new out of it each time. Generally, though, I prefer something new.

[Luffy Sempai]

Becky wrote: "CBRetriever wrote: "I will re-read the Games of Thrones and Kingkiller Chronicles when and if the authors come out with their next book (I'm betting on Rothfuss)."

Same with Game of Thrones. I rec..."

Hi Becky. Hi guys. Just rejoined. I feel the same lassitude about GoT as you feel about HP. As I reread GoT's 4 books (read book 4 once only), I felt that the world felt smaller, the characters flatter. Only Tyrion and his father (deny all you want Tywin) retained some life for me.

[Luffy Sempai]

a.g.e. montagner wrote: "I'm afraid there's no typo, LOL.
What I mean is that the book is the same, but you're not, and reading the same book various decades later becomes a measure of how you changed rather than making n..."

Wise thoughts montagner!

I kinda have mapped my evolution, and I know my mind. If I forget, I just reread a few of the great reads I've given 5 or sometimes a 4 star.

[Luffy Sempai]

Phil wrote: "I guess I am something like Kaladin; I reread when I am in the mood, and when I want something I know to be good. I have thousands of books at my house and I only keep ones that I would be willing ..."

Kaladin is a mood reader? EDIT : Never mind, I'm no longer confused.

[CBRetriever]

Luffy (Oda's Version) wrote: "I felt that the world felt smaller, the characters flatter. Only Tyrion and his father (deny all you want Tywin) retained some life for me"

I continued to like Arya, disliked Sansa and thought Danerys was a hormone driven teenager w/o a speck of common sense to her

[Luffy Sempai]

CBRetriever wrote: "Luffy (Oda's Version) wrote: "I felt that the world felt smaller, the characters flatter. Only Tyrion and his father (deny all you want Tywin) retained some life for me"

I continued to like Arya, ..."

I found Arya pointless, despite the advice that Jon (him I find even more insipid) gives her at the beginning. Sansa is boring as hell, and I need to erase Danerys' milk and fire scene at the end of book 1, from my mind.

[CBRetriever]

Luffy (Oda's Version) wrote: "CBRetriever wrote: "Luffy (Oda's Version) wrote: "I felt that the world felt smaller, the characters flatter. Only Tyrion and his father (deny all you want Tywin) retained some life for me"

I cont..."

your profile helped me understand (you're male) - I'm female and to me Arya, in the first part of the series, was who I would have wanted to be as I was a tomboy when I was a child.

I don't do friends, sorry

[Luffy Sempai]

CBRetriever wrote: "Luffy (Oda's Version) wrote: "CBRetriever wrote: "Luffy (Oda's Version) wrote: "I felt that the world felt smaller, the characters flatter. Only Tyrion and his father (deny all you want Tywin) reta..."

Fair Enough for Arya. Fair enough for not doing friends.

[JasonReads]

If it's a book that I really enjoyed the first time, then I generally do. I've read Magician: Apprentice and Master by Feist, and Storm Front by Butcher three times apiece. I plan on adding Ender's Game and Old Man's War to that club this year.

To me, it's no different than re-watching a favorite movie or TV show.