Do you ever find yourself staring at your shelves, or maybe running across a quote or an image from one of your favourite books and thinking 'I need to re-read this'? The answer to that is probably yes. Do you ever actually get around to re-reading that book or series though? This is where a lot of readers tend to wince and flinch before responding with a very sheepish no.
I want to know why
Why do we say one thing and then do another? Why do we complain about never re-reading things and then continue to never re-read things? Why do we call books our favourites when we've only read the once and never picked them up again?
I'm guilty of this, but I'm also a little ashamed. I've said countless times on my blog that A Song of Ice and Fire is one of my all time favourite series of books... but I've only read it once. In my defence, I have tried to re-read the first book. Twice. I hit about 100 pages and then I put it down, due to a combination of impatience and guilt. Impatience because I already know what happens and want to get to all the best parts I can remember (and also those books are long), and guilt because I have so many unread books that I feel should take priority.
This year, though, has been my year for re-reading. Or at least it will have been by the time we reach 2017. So far, I've re-read four books and that number will only increase. I've set myself a new - very loose - rule of re-reading a series before I continue with it or finish it. This hasn't applied to all the series I've continued with, but it's a start and it serves a dual purpose. I get to re-read more and I also get to remember what happened for once.
Do you make time for re-reading?
I always re-read Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone each year, and in the past year that's extended to re-reading the entire series, because I had only read Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix once before. Other than that though, I don't tend to re-read, unless the book is "easy", like for instance Matilda - childhood classic filled with nostalgia and not the hard going. I would looove to have enough time to re-read the ASOIAF series but my god they are so long and can get quite complicated at times, and I know I would get confused trying to split what happened in the books and what happened in the TV series.
ReplyDeleteBefore I started blogging I'd re-read the Hunger Games and Harry Potter a lot, but now that I take reading 'seriously' I rarely do. I do plan on taking A Game of Thrones on holiday with me next month, so hopefully I'll get started on re-reading ASOIAF! Picking easy books to go back to sounds like a good place to start, so I might have to try that myself to get into re-reading.
DeleteAlsooo, re-reading books is a really good way of getting out of a reading slump, I've found. That's also when I go back to Harry Potter or some children's books I used to love, like the Alex Rider series or something like that. Once I'm done reading something so familiar I feel refreshed and I want to read something new and interesting again.
DeleteYes! In the past I've read the first few chapters of things I know I love to help make me want to read again, but never the whole book. Oops. I tend to stick to graphic novels and other short things to get out of reading slumps though.
DeleteI am so bad with re-reading! I too get bored since I already knows what happens. So I just don't do it!
ReplyDeleteI used to re-read my fav books when I was a kid, but that was mostly because I didn't have anything else to read. These days my TBR list is so long that I just don't bother with re-reading because all I want to do is read all of these new cool stories.
I hope you find more time and enjoy re-reading your books!
Jordon @ Simply Adrift
My TBR is so full of half finished and unstarted series that I feel like I can't re-read because I have to get through all of them. However, I've decided to re-read books in all of my half finished series, because that feels like a compromise. Really though, I just need to stop buying more books until I've cut down on how many I already own!
DeleteI do re-read - not as much as I'd like to maybe, but I do. Particularly my favourites - I've read Dracula 3 times, Frankenstein 2 or 3 times, The Picture of Dorian Grey 2 or 3 times, Jane Eyre twice, the full Series of Unfortunate Events three times. Harry Potter several times... etc.
ReplyDeleteI also keep Joe Hill's '21st Century Ghosts' by my bed, in case I feel like reading any of the stories again - weird to say, but a collection of horror stories is my go-to comfort reading :)
What I love is that every re-read shows you something you didn't see the first time, or makes you feel something you didn't feel, because every reading experience is unique.
That said, my TBR list is so long that I definitely give priority to books I haven't read before!
I've read Harry Potter countless times, and the full Hunger Games series about three (the count is higher for the first book by itself) but not for a good while. I think I last re-read The Hunger Games over Christmas when I couldn't decide which of my new books I wanted to read haha.
DeleteI still have to read 21st Century Ghosts! But if it's so good you keep going back to it then I have high hopes. Plus I really enjoyed Horns and Heart-Shaped Box. That's really why I want to re-read ASOIAF - there are so many things I know I missed, and there's a lot I don't remember too.
mrloghluidjgnh HEART-SHAPED BOX!!!!!!!!!!!! (Sorry, I'm a major Joe Hill fangirl)
DeleteI need to get my hands on a copy of The Fireman! Also, NOS4A2 is awesome, but don't read it at Christmas unless you want all your childhood memories tainted :)
So do I, but I also need to get a copy of NOS4A2 as well. As well as the majority of King's work, which is my priority!
DeleteI usually don't make time for rereading. I feel like I could better use my time exploring new books. There are a few books however, that I have reread, simply because I love them so much that I don't care if I know what happened already. Just the journey and writing style alone is enough to suck me in all over again. This rarely happens though, like I said because I would rather read more books.
ReplyDeleteThat seems to be a common theme in the bookish and blogging world. I think with so many new releases - a lot of which being new series - it's hard to keep up with them, and re-reading only adds in more stress and makes it harder to keep track of things.
DeleteI find it hard to re read for the reasons you mentioned. I feel impatient to get to the best parts, and it loses its touch because I already know what happened. But with Harry Potter, I find it actually easy to re read because I've watched the movies left right and centre as well, so I go into them knowing that I'll just know this book like the back of my hand. I'm willing to accept it, if that makes any sense.
ReplyDeleteSee, with book to movie adaptations I feel like it can be a bit easier. I've definitely watched Harry Potter more than I've read it in the last 5 or so years, so I'd say I'm more familiar with the films at this point. Re-reading would be almost like picking it up for the first time again, as both versions are different. But my impatience also stems from the fact that, rather than wasting time reading 600 pages stuff I already know, I could read two 300 books that are totally new to me.
DeleteUnless at lot of time has passed, I find it difficult to properly re-read books, instead I tend to just read my favourite scenes and sort of skim over the rest. The one exceptions if JD ROBBS, in death series. Those books just never seem to get boring lol
ReplyDeleteThat's what I've done with Catching Fire - skipped to the parts in the arena because I know I like them best and they'll cheer me up/make reading seem more fun.
DeleteI honestly can't tell you the last book I purely sat down to re-read, but I feel like I really need to. It pains me that I have a hard time remembering things from books I really enjoyed, and I want the experience over again. The only problem is that re-reading a book is not like re-watching a movie. It is more of a time investment, but I guess if it is one of my favorite books, I should want to make that investment right? Well, I feel the same type of guilt you feel everytime a look over at the number of unread books I have on my shelf, and I generally just like to move on to other books. It is hard for me to even stick to series let alone re-read books.
ReplyDeleteChioma @ Blue Books and Butterflies
The last time I re-read stuff was in April while I was on holiday, so I think from no one, if I go away I'll re-read books rather than take new ones with me. I agree that time is a big issue - okay, I can read books quite quickly, but I'd still rather spend time cutting down on my TBR. Unless the book I wanted to re-read was short. I'm actually thinking for the longer ones I want to pick up again, I'll have to read them alongside new books.
DeleteI definitely make time for re-reading - many times I just don't feel like picking up anything new and so I revisit my favorites. This might just be me, but rereading also helps me get out of reading slumps - I rarely have them, but when I do they last for more than a month, and so I need all the help. Also, I just LOVE to reread series, to see the whole story together - I'm able to see smaller things I'd missed the first time + I love to see the character development.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Glad you're enjoying rereading! :)
Veronika @ The Regal Critiques
That's interesting to hear that you'd rather read something you're familiar with over something new! I think, for me, I'd rather dive into the unknown than re-read, because suspense of not knowing kills me and I'm very impatient. Hopefully I manage to read some more old favourites though.
DeleteI adore rereading but ever since I started blogging - and my TBR has grown and grown and grown - I've kind of stopped rereading. And man, I miss it so much! I definitely think true favourite are ones you can reread over and over again, and next year I definitely plan on having a year set aside for a lot of rereading. I just need to set it as a goal and let myself go. I know that I'll fall behind on new releases - and that's scary - but I just need to do it. Great post!
ReplyDeleteThat's what it was like for me; blogging seemed to make re-reading more of a chore or a time waster. The good thing about books - whether they be new or old favourites - is that they'll always wait for you!
DeleteI understand this!!
ReplyDeleteI've been meaning to reread the entire hunger games trilogy and other countless favorites I have, but I don't have the time. Every time I try to reread a book or series that I have really loved, I just don't because I have so many other books that I need to get to.
I do plan on making myself reread more. I think I will have more focus in 2017 about rereading.
We can both set ourselves a mission to make 2017 our read of re-reads. I definitely want to revisit all of the Hunger Games stuff, as well as the Selection. I'll probably stick to short, quick reds so that I can still keep up with all the new books I have.
DeleteI'd love to re-read my favorite books, but as you said I also feel guilty because there are so many other books I have to read. It's a endless struggle-circle of reading. Same things goes for tv series!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you mentioned TV because whenever I'm on Netflix I'm like 'I want to re-watch Dexter!' but I never do because my list is soooo long.
DeleteRereading definitely poses a challenge! I think you highlighted it perfectly, with how impatient you are - because I think that's my problem too! I usually tend to skip forward a couple of pages as well, past sections which I think are 'boring' in comparison haha! But I recently reread the Deltora Quest series by Emily Rodda, and I actually reread the whole thing, because it had been about 8-9 years since I last read them? Honestly felt like I had never read them before! Good luck with your rereading endeavours - maybe you'll come across the same thing soon, with a book you haven't read in ages? :D
ReplyDeleteGeraldine @ Corralling Books
I can't say I've ever skipped pages due to impatience! The perfectionist rule follower in me won't allow me to :P I hope I do! I'm thinking of re-reading Misery by Stephen King because it's one of my favourites but I must have been about 15 when I first read it? And I'm nearly 20 now and have still only read it once.
DeleteI've definitely been rereading a lot this year than I have in previous years too. Whenever I'm out of books or don't have time to go to the library, I just pick a book and reread it. Thanks for sharing and, as always, fabulous post! <3
ReplyDelete~ Zoe @ Stories on Stage
I'm not sure I'll ever reach a point when I'm out of books! Maybe once I've FINALLY defeated my TBR I'll focus on only re-reading. But that's a long way off...
DeleteI wasn't a big fan of re-reading. Sure, I want to visit those stories again. But I also have tons of books I haven't read. This year has been a pretty great year for re-reading though. I've re-read Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and some other books. I realized while reading it how impatient I am and how I always skipped the boring parts of the book xD I mostly try to hold the urge though xD
ReplyDeleteTasya // The Literary Huntress
I think Percy Jackson would be a great series to re-read though because there aren't many boring bits!
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