Re-reading books

[MrsAxilla]

How often do you re-read books?  Which ones?  Why? 

I used to re-read a lot more, and I have several in my to read list.  But as I get older (and busier), I think there are just too many books and too little time.  I haven't read any in a while that I'd re-read.

[MrsAxilla]

I've read these multiple times:

Anne of Green Gables
Little House on the Prairie
VC Andrews (FITA, Heaven especially)
Dark Tower
The Stand
Anne Rice (Vampire Chronicles and Mayfair Witches)
The World According to Garp
A Tale of Two Cities
A Song of Fire and Ice

I'm sure I'll think of more.

i guess I re-read because they're comfortable and compelling and well-written (VC Andrews aside.  That was mostly compelling and scandalous).  But think of all the pages represented in that list, and all the other books I missed because I was reading those!

[alleinesein]

I re-read books in a series when I know a new book is coming out. It helps me brush up on some of the back stories and saves me a bit of $$ because some of the series that I read are 10+ books long and if I know that I have something to read I wont hit up the bookstore for new books.

[fayeelle]

To Kill A Mockingbird. Love that book and seem to take something different from it each time.

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[labbie]

Very rarely, unfortunately. I wish I did more, but as you said it's so difficult with so many books/so little time. When I was a teen, I'd reread a lot,
Little House series, Nancy Drew series, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, The Hobbit, Gone With the Wind, To Kill a Mockingbird.

What I would reread if I had the time now would be books I've loved that are movies ( Book Thief, Hunger Games, Unbroken) or vice versa. I'd also like to reread The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter.

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[charlatti]

I reread fairly often, usually to get out of a slump where I can't get started with anything. If if give something five stars, I will probably reread it at some point. I also reread the Harry Potter series almost every year.

[Myrrhine]

I reread at least a few books a year. There are stories I just love, and I get in the mood to revisit them.

After our crappy winter spring is finally quasi kind of here, and I think I need to read the Secret Garden again.

I also reread the Amelia Peabody series sometimes and Airborne by Kenneth Oppel. And when I need a laugh, Bab: a Sub Deb. I usually like to wait between rereads a bit so that the details are a bit fuzzy before I go back.

[aurora]

I've re-read The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings too many times to count - close to once a year probably since I first read them at age 11. I've re-read the Harry Potter series several times - the earlier books again when 5, 6, and 7 came out and then the whole series several times since then. I probably re-read less in recent years simply because I found book recommendations on the internet and have a much larger TBR pile, but it certainly hasn't stopped me. The other day I started to feel like maybe it was time to re-read the Dark Tower series (which I've only read once).

It probably makes me sound a little sad, but I kind of feel like some books are "friends" and I seek out their company when I'm stressed. I swear I do also have real, human friends.

[Wallflower]

I re-read How Green was my Valley every so often. It's beautifully written, but also was my grandmother's favorite book and I have her copy, and it makes me feel a little closer to her.

[booknerd]

I've re-read HP nearly ten times. It's my absolute favorite series and books and I never get tired of the story. They get me out of a funk and they make me happy.

I also re-read other books, though not as much as I used to. Mainly I just enjoyed the story that much and want to enjoy it again. Sometimes I'll re-read because a friend is reading it. Sometimes I'm in a book funk and I feel like that book in particular will pull me out of it. Sometimes I'm about to see the new movie they made out of it. Etc.

[MrsAxilla]

aurora - I've been thinking of a Dark Tower re-read, too!

[labbie]

Mar 23, 2014 20:51:14 GMT -5 Wallflower said:

I re-read How Green was my Valley every so often. It's beautifully written, but also was my grandmother's favorite book and I have her copy, and it makes me feel a little closer to her.

I have this on my shelf and keep meaning to read it.

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[BlackCanary]

All the time. Right now I'm re-reading Game of Thrones since the new season is starting soon. I randomally will think of a book and then feel the need to start reading it again right away.

I'm surprised that I didn't re-read A Tree Grows in Brooklynn last year. Maybe after the GoT series.  

[dorothyinAus]

I re-read books when I need a visit with old friends.  Every other year I will re-read the Anne of Green Gables series or the Emily of New Moon series.  Less frequently than that I will re-read the Little House series.

I read The View from Saturday at least once a year and Little Women every 3-4 years.  I also re-read Mama's Bank Account, Nicholas & Alexandra, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers, What the Deaf-Mute Heard, a few books from the Childhood of Famous Americans series fairly regularly.

I am working on re-reading the Girls of Canby Hall series and the Pratt Twins series (which I preferred to the Sweet Valley High books), just to see how bad they really were.

Growing up I read and re-read my mother's Cherry Ames books over and over and over.  I wish I had those now, because sometimes I'd like to re-read them.

I don't really count my re-reads of Beatrix Potter books, the Richard Scarry or Dr. Seuss books, or the re-reads of Peantus, Calvin & Hobbes, or Bloom County collections, but I do re-read or flip through them often.

[dorothyinAus]

Mar 23, 2014 17:45:49 GMT -5 aurora said:

It probably makes me sound a little sad, but I kind of feel like some books are "friends" and I seek out their company when I'm stressed. I swear I do also have real, human friends.

No.  I know this feeling exactly.  When I am stressed, worried or overwhelmed, I need to visit old, familiar friends and I will always turn to Anne, Emily, or Laura.  The best thing is they are ALWAYS there when I need them.

[darkling_glory]

Mar 23, 2014 0:48:02 GMT -5 alleinesein said:

I re-read books in a series when I know a new book is coming out. It helps me brush up on some of the back stories and saves me a bit of $$ because some of the series that I read are 10+ books long and if I know that I have something to read I wont hit up the bookstore for new books.

I do this too.

Sometimes I go on "author" binges, as well. For instance, I just read the new Stormlight book from Brandon Sanderson. Something in that book made me want to re-read Warbreaker so I just finished that up for the third time.

I also have some comfort books that I can just open up to any page and start reading. Love those.

[itsme]

I don't. I get bored. I already know what happens.

[mrspez07]

I usually don't unless the characters or story have been on my mind.
Though I am making my way back through the Outlander series (over the last year I've read 3), because I read all of them too far apart initially that with the last book released I felt I was missing something with references to people and past events. I pick it up when I "miss" them.

[DarcyLongfellow]

I re-read all the time. I also enjoy the comfortable feeling of visting with old friends.

Also, I usually read so quickly (racing to find out what happens next) that I miss details. So when I re-read, I get more details. I also do it more often with a series than a stand alone book.

I re-read the Anne books, the Outlander series, Bridget Jones's Diary, and The Time Travelers Wife regularly.

I also re-read a series before a new book comes out. So I'm working on Outlander, Black Dagger Brotherhood, and Daughter of Smoke and Bone now since new books in all of those series are coming out soon. I still haven't read Allegiant because I can't make myself pick up and finish Insurgent.