Do you find yourself rereading your favorite books? Do you ever reread?
(Today’s topic provided by The Book Badger. Thanks for the wonderful post with lots of discussion topics! Make sure you check out their post for ideas for your own blog discussion posts!)
Julie:
Short answer: not really.
Longer answer: Well, maybe sometimes. There are just so many books out there to be read, that I don’t typically like to spend time reading books I have already read. I’m not much of a re-reader (or a re-watcher for TV shows and movies). Once is enough, for the most part. Now I have made exceptions. I do have about a handful of books on my Goodreads re-reads shelf, and the main reason for those is either:
1. I read the book ages ago and now it is a book club selection and I want to refresh my memory.
2. The movie is coming out and I want to remember everything so I can fully judge the adaptation.
I have yet to re-read a book simply because I enjoyed it so much and I want to feel that way again. I’m more often in the search for the next book that will make me feel that way for the first time.
Rose:
I reread all the freaking time which really gets in the way of my reading schedule. I am one of those people that totally re-watches her favorite movies, and I really see no reason why it should be any different with books. Each time I read, I get to experience the book all over again. Sometimes my reaction to the book isn’t the same as it is the first time I read it. The second time through I usually noticed things I did not noticed before and I can appreciate the writer’s writing style more. I would like to re-read the entire Outlander series (or re-listen I suppose I should say, since I have it on audio.) I have read the Breathing Trilogy by Rebecca Donovan several times. When I was a little kid I used to read my favorite horse series, the Thoroughbred Series by Joanna Campbell, out loud to myself. The first read through was always read normally, but then after that, I would re-read the entire series aloud. I even had different character voices and everything! I think I enjoyed the re-read as much as the first read. To me, it is the ultimate test of a good book: Did I reread it? Do I want to?
I’m with you Julie. I rarely re-read books. I just don’t have time anymore. I remember as a teen I use to re-read books all the time. Now only if the movie is coming up and I hope it’s on audio.
Yea, too many books, not enough time.
I’m with Rose on this one. Re-readability is the ultimate test of a book. The only hard-copies of books I keep anymore are my re-reads. I read most books electronically the first time, but if I know I will want to reread it or loan it out, I buy a paper copy. Thanks for sharing this at Booknificent Thursday! Always love having you there!
Tina
Thanks Tina! Books that I plan to reread, I buy a nice copy of. However, I rarely lend out that nice copy. I often will buy a used copy just to loan out to others. Don’t even get me started on how many copies of Outlander I have.
[…] Julie and Rose discuss rereading. […]
*ha* Julie, you crack me up. I do agree you can never have that ‘first time’ feeling the second time around, I’ll still happily repeat. Rose, I’m like you. I do re-read because I’ve found that I always get something more from a story…something I missed the first time around. When I’m searching for quotes for my Sidekick post, I inevitably get drawn into the story and re-read huge chunks. With my current schedule, I don’t have a lot of time for re-reading, but one of my self-challenges for this year is to re-read some of my favorite series. 🙂
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You’re right though, that you always do notice something new the next time around. Plus with my bad memory you’d think I’d be more willing to re-read heh.
I love rereading series. I have reread some of my favorite series more then 10 times! Eeeep!
I’ll re-read now and again but not too often. Mostly because yeah there’s just too many on the tbr list to spend time on ones I’ve already read but every now and again I do pick one up for another go 🙂
anna@herding cats & burning soup recently posted…Interview w/ Judi Fennell–best foods ever, sexy men &a little apron inappropriateness!
Anna, I feel the pressure of an ever expanding TBR shelf, but I still like rereading.
I re-read every now and then. I really don’t have time to re-read everything. I used to re-read series when a new book came out but then I became a blogger and got on goodreads and my TBR pile became huge… so much for re-reading.
Angie @Angela’s Anxious Life recently posted…Read What You Want!
Angie, this is one of my biggest fears! I do not want blogging to take away my rereading. ACK!
I’m a big rereader. I agree mostly with you Rose! I love it when I reread a book wher I’ve forgotten most of the details, but I know I liked reading it the first time. Then I really get to re-experience the story.
I guess re-experiencing the story can be fun sometimes too 🙂
Sunny! I do this all the time! I know I read a book and liked a book… but cannot remember what happened in the book. These are the best books to reread.
I do reread, but not nearly as often as I used to, now that I have the blog. I think I used to reread because I was out of things to read, but now I have so much to read, that if I reread it’s because that book is really truly a favorite. I don’t think I’ll ever give up rereading though, some books just have to be relived 🙂
Berls @ Fantasy is More Fun recently posted…Never to Sleep by Rachel Vincent | Short Review
I like that, some books just have to be relived. 🙂 Great way to look at it.
YES! My point exactly! I read basically for the experience reading gives me. I do not read to find out what happens. I read to enjoy, to feel, to experience and THAT is why rereading is not only fun, it is completely necessary.
I almost never reread or rewatch because I dislike spoilers and rereads are basically spoiled book/shows. There are a few exceptions of course but as a habit, it’s very rare that I revisit books or movies.
Braine Talk Supe recently posted…Steampunk Sundays: Kraken King V & VI by Meljean Brook
I’m the same way. If I already know what happens, it isn’t as interesting. Whether someone spoiled it or I spoiled it for myself for already reading it, still not the same as a first read.
This subject is near and dear to my heart because I’M TOTALLY A RE-READER. 🙂 It’s like visiting old friends. Sometimes I just pick up a well known book and read a few chapters in the middle and walk away from it again.
April @ The Steadfast Reader recently posted…Spread the Love 2.0: Week Nineteen
That’s a cute way of looking at it, like visiting old friends. I wonder if Rose sees it that way too? Hehe
YES!!! I totally see it this way, too! And I do the same exact thing April!!!!
There are so many good books I’d like to re-read, but there are so many new ones to read too! So I usually don’t re-read. One of these days when I’ve read all the books on my shelf and my Kindle (so, never) then maybe I will 🙂
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Ha! I totally know what you mean. Should I ever find myself done with all the books I ever want to read, then maybe I’ll go back and start re-reading.
Julie, we already discussed this, you will never be done with all the books on your TBR list, not if you somehow managed to live to be 209.
For me it depends on the book. There are some books that I feel I am done with in one read. But I have some favourites that I never tire of!
I agree that it definitely depends on the book. There are books i might be willing to re-read someday, and others that I am not interested in picking up again.
Aloi,
I am with you on this. I love rereading my favorites. They never get old…ever!
I always intend to re-read, but never do! Part of me doesn’t want to lose the feelings I had when I first read the book. And the other part of me looks at my to-read list and says, Why re-read when you have all these wonderful NEW books to read?
Terri M. LeBlanc recently posted…Feature & Follow #205: She’s Got a Ticket to Ride…
I’m so with you there Terri. No need to change the initial enjoyment of the book. And omg there are just too many books to read as it is.
I guess I’ve been lucky. With a longer standing series like Sookie Stackhouse and Outlander, the author as woven key points back into the subsequent novels as new books has been published. And then with some of the YA series like Divergent and The Hunger Games I’ve picked them up after book 2 or 3 has come out. I’m a late adopter. 🙂 As a result, in most cases, I can just read the series straight through.
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Oh I like to be late to a series too. I started reading The Grisha trilogy just this year so that I can get the final book right away.
I thought The Lunar Chronicles was only three books when I picked up Cress earlier this year. Then as I was paging through the book while standing in line to pay for it, I let out an audible sound of frustration when I saw there was going be four books!
So much for being a latecomer to that party!
Terri M. LeBlanc recently posted…Random Thoughts: Cruising with the Winchesters
Terri, I completely understand!
This is a great question. While I feel that once I know the ending it is a different feeling for me but I still have reread some books. The deathly hallow I read a few times. I was blown away with the ending I finished them immediately reread it. Harry potter will always be one of my favorites. I can actually name them since there has been so few. The twilight saga I’ve read at least 4 times. I connected with pregnant Bella while I was pregnant. The song of fire and ice series by George r.r. Martin but only books 4-5 cause there is just so much content I feel like I learn something each time. The hunger game trilogy cause it was freakin amazing. I thought mocking jay was the best! All that retribution for years of pain and suffering!! Can’t beat it! Last but not least of course my beloved Splintered series I’ve read that like 3 times. These r probably my favorites.
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That’s pretty cool, so you pick some of your favorites to re-read, but don’t re-read everything. I can see how that can help get out of a slump too.
Brittany,
When it comes to audio books, I will relisten so long as I was mostly amused. Audio books are just too expensive not to listen to more than once. When it comes to paperbacks, though, I tend to only have certain favorites I reread again and again…
I never re-read. Too many books out there, and never enough time sigh… 🙂
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I completely agree! Too many books as it is, how can I justify taking the time to re-read when my TBR is already longer than my lifespan? LOL
I reread a LOT. Most often it’s books I just love-love-loved and need to experience again. Other times it’s because a new book in the series is being released and I want to refresh my memory before reading it. Other times it’s because I might not have “gotten” the book the first time around and want to give it another chance. I tend to reread in audiobook format, so it doesn’t truly take away from my read and review schedule, since I only listen to audiobooks in places I can’t normally read. (i.e. my car and at work) 🙂
Kim @ kimberlyfaye reads recently posted…It’s my blogiversary and I’ll give things away if I want to! (And I DO!)
Kim, I reread alot with audio books as well. I also tend to reread a book before I read the next in a series if it has been a while since I read the series.