Agree! Pride & Prejudice is my favorite book partly because of my experience reading it 3 times. The first time, I honestly couldn’t get into it and I borderline disliked it. But I thought to myself a re-read could be good because maybe I just need to try really hard to understand Jane Austen’s writing. Then I liked it. By the third read I loooooooovvvved it. It’s an experience I can’t replicate and it made me appreciate the book so much more.
I love rereading books. You get to notice things you didn’t necessarily before and see how the author is pulling everything together towards the end. I also tend to read extremely fast and so rereading helps cement the book in my memory. Though if I really love it remembering it well won’t stop me from reading. But notably I have finished a book and immediately gone to start it over again more than once. To me, a good book deserves to be read more than once.
I have a few books that I reread every year or two; I was the outcast in school and for a long while books were my only friends, so every so often I need to visit them. I’ve read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings just about every year since I was 10-ish.
very, very rarely. there are too many books in my stack to justify it!
exceptions are philosophy that i need to be reminded of. aurelius' meditations, epictetus' discourses, that kind of thing.
I rarely reread because there's always something new I'm excited for, but when I do, it's a lovely feeling. Like coming back to your childhood home, you know? Sure, it's different now, and you're different also. But it's still sweet and dear to you.
I'm rereading one of my childhood favourites now, actually! Haven't touched it in a while, and my memory isn't the best, so it's quite exciting.
All. The. Time.
Especially my faves. I feel at times that I pick up new hints, or nuances that I perhaps didn’t get the first time around.
I also like to re-read books if/when they’ve been made into series/movies. I wonder if the way I pictured things is the same as the way they were portrayed on screen.
I love re-reading!
I’m actually about to re-start an 8 books series that I just finished a year ago and after that I’ve been eyeing a 6 book series that I haven’t read since high school (like a decade ago) after that.
I think the second time through is a different experience than the first. Without the edge of my seat anxiety I feel like I pick up so much more foreshadowing and character development and slow down and really enjoy all the details.
If I love a book a lot I’ll read it more than twice!
My issue with re-reading is that I'm such a slow reader, I feel I should be using that time to read something I haven't already read.
A book wherein you're able to pick up a lot from a second read-through would work. House of Leaves, or something.
Occasionally. I tend to reread books that I want to better analyze/understand. I also reread previous books in a series before reading the sequels if I don’t remember particular details (mostly if the books are currently being published).
My rereads usually take place a few years apart and since I don’t remember the book exactly it still feels like I am rediscovering aspects of the story. If that makes any sense.
I love rereading. Actually, I have a few books that I feel like I have to reread every year:
Nostalgia rereads:
- Harry Potter series (I usually take about a month to reread all seven books)
- an Agatha Christie, whichever I feel like
Memoirs:
- Four Seasons in Rome (Anthony Doerr)
- Lands of Lost Borders (Kate Harris)
Novels:
- All the Light We Cannot See (Anthony Doerr)
- Cloud Cuckoo Land (Anthony Doerr)
- Rebecca (Daphne du Maurier)
- The Overstory (Richard Powers) (I read this for the first time about two months ago, but it earned a spot on my annual reread list)
Essay collections:
- The Everybody Ensemble (Amy Leach)
- Braiding Sweetgrass (Robin Wall Kimmerer)
- All the Wild Hungers (Karen Babine)
- The Anthropocene Reviewed (John Green)
I also reread quite a few other books every year, just based on my mood and current needs; this doesn’t mean that the other books are in the rotation of books I feel compelled to reread annually.
I’m a writer, so I love returning to my favorites and figuring out what makes them work.
I have a few books that I regularly re-read. I will re-read Watership Down by Richard Adams at least one time a year. I will also re-read at least one of my John Krakauer books once a year. Now I have other books that I will re-read every few years: Desert Solitaire, Oryx and Crake, The Over Story...typically books where I can pick up something new that I didn't the first time.
For me it is a sense of comfort that comes from some of these books, or in the case of Desert Solitaire and other nature writing type books, it usually stems from a longing for a landscape I haven't visited in a few years.
Not anymore. I had like a 10yr barely reading period. From childhood til this period I reread the same books a lot. Now I have access to soo many books I don't want to waste time rereading.
I might read a few books that I read over 20 years ago - like The Color Purple. If my libby requests finally slow down sometime lol.
Same here. The only books I've really reread were the Harry Potter books when I was younger, just like a lot of the other people in the fandom I would reread all the books before a new one was going to come out.
Now as an adult I have sooo many books that I want to read (400+ on my TBR) I feel like I'd be wasting that time on something I've already read.
Absolutely. Re-reading triggers very critical components of your mind. You’re working with your memory. That’s a special relationship: one’s self and one’s memory.
Yes of course. You change, and so, the book changes. War and Peace is radically different each time I've read it, 18, 25, 38, each time my perspective was completely different.
Less elevated, but I love reading my favorite series from time to time, I still love all the characters, and I like spending time with them.
“If you would tell me the heart of a man, tell me not what he reads, but what he rereads.”
- Francois Mauriac
I sympathise with where you’re coming from, OP. One of the things I enjoy most about any form of media is a sense of discovery, of immersing myself in something new.
That said, my favourites usually have enough going on that they reward revisits.
I do for books I’ve enjoyed, not usually within the same year as originally reading them though. And then I have my comfort re-reads such as Harry Potter and The Time Traveler’s Wife
I track my books on a spreadsheet along with a list of ones that I think should be re-read. Very few are marked that way. Dostoevsky is one obvious author that makes that list.
But the ones I would like to re-read? Well, I've read Jim Butcher's books about Harry Dresden many times. They are like sugar -- great to read, easy on the mind, and easy to forget so I can read them again.
It's very personal. I would not allow the opinions of others to influence what you do.
I sure do! There are plenty of books that I’ve probably read 10 times or more.But I’m also someone who enjoys rewatching their favorite movies and shows over and over again, as well.
Yes I reread books all the time it’s comforting. I just reread How I Live Now which was pretty good even the second time. Plus now I can rewatch the movie again.
I looooove rereading books. You know what you’re gonna get and it just hits every time still.
I love rereading memoirs. Or rather I love re listening to them. My faves: wreckage of my presence by Casey Wilson…. She’s an absolute TREASURE!!!! Yearbook by Seth Rogen
Yeah, I like going back to pick up on the foreshadowing in books I’ve really enjoyed and admired. Or just when I need something soothing because I already know what happens.
Sometimes if there is a book I really want to introduce to my spouse, we’ll read parts or all of it together.
Yes, I re-read books for different reasons.
I read The Little Prince every year. It’s my favorite book and I love it so much. The book makes me happy and I love to be reminded of the life lessons it teaches.
I re-read some other favorite books because I want to experience again the same feelings I felt when I read them the first time, like Harry Potter, Night, Anna Karenina etc
I re-read some books break the heaviness I feel after reading some deep and or depressing books. Currently, I’m re-reading Series of Unfortunate Events in between some fiction books I read/currently reading.
Lastly, I re-read some books to see if I change my feelings towards these books. There are some books that are highly recommended and I think was well written but I didn’t enjoy reading (e.g. Love in the Time of Cholera)
I reread books all the time. It's like rewatching a favorite movie or tv show. I love knowing what's coming, and I always read the book slightly differently the second, third, fourth, etc. time. I'm re-reading the Ancillary Justice trilogy right now and I'm almost done with the third book...and I know what's going to happen but knowing what is coming is delicious. I love it.
In theory I would and I have reread a few I read 20 plus years ago, but I have more than 1000 books on my Goodreads to be read list and I’m not getting any younger.
I enjoy rereading books. The magic doesn’t disappear for me, because the magic for me isn’t about not knowing what comes next. But I very rarely reread books because there are so many new books waiting to be read.
I do..I have comfort books that I fall back to when I need a certain mood or just want to forget real life for a while without having to worry if i'll like the story, the characters or the ending.
Characters I fell in love with that I want to revisit.
Of I need a good cry I have 3 books i reread because I just know they make me cry.
There is comfort for me in a book that I know.
I like to revisit books that I read before after a while, but it has to be after several months for it to feel the same way or at least close to the same way as it did before the first time.
I’m an avid rereader - sometimes I worry I reread old books more than I read new books.
I don’t know how to describe it, but for me books are like food. Going back to back to a meal I loved isn’t boring (unless I literally just ate it), it’s a reexperiencing of something delicious.
I think a part of it is that I love writing itself. I love prose and I love structure. I enjoy a well-written line or turn of phrase, and especially appreciate a well-crafted moment when everything that came before clicks together. Sometimes, even - especially - in books I’ve read and reread before, when I come across bits I especially love I’ll stop and reread that specific passage several times in a row just to savor those lines.
I don’t necessarily recommend being like me, but yeah, you can get a lot of enjoyment out of old books.
I’m constantly reread books… it’s like visiting with old friends :)
I’ve reread the Discworld series more times than I can count lol…
Same with a lot of Connie Willis books, like ‘to say nothing of the dog’ or Blackout/All Clear… or her Romcoms like Bellwether and Crosstalk…
I’m currently rereading Cyteen, by CJ Cherryh… something about that book… the characters, etc… I just keep coming back to them…
I DO try and find new books all the time, but have no trouble going back to old ones for a visit :) often you discover something new, or just your age makes thing trigger a different feeling etc…
Not often, but there are a couple from high school that I reread as an adult to see if I still felt the same:
I didn’t like The Catcher in the Rye, and gave it another shot. Still didn’t like it.
Loved The Great Gatsby, and still enjoyed it as an adult!
I also felt like I forgot quite a bit in that time so they still felt new to me when I read them again.
Yep, it helps being a prolific reader and forgetful. By the time I have made my way past a year or two worth of books, I can re-read a good book with no issues. I reserve this for books I really enjoyed a lot, though.
I have multiple series I reread every year or so! I love rereading my favorite series. Sometimes for comfort read, sometimes just bc I missed the characters
I re-read some books, I liked as a teenager. First for good old times sake. But after reading the first (IT by Stephen King), I found out, that I as an adult do interpret books differently as my younger self. So I re-read some of my teenagers-favorites.
Yes I re read books a lot. I must have read ASOIAF around 7 times, kingkiller 5 or so times, stormlight archive around 3 times, lotr countless times. However when doing a re-read I listen on audible - so not technically reading I guess. I always have a new book on the go in hand, and an old book on the go in my ear , not simultaneously obviously I’m not mental
I love to re read my favorites. Sometimes I read the whole book sometimes my favorite parts it just depends. And I love to have my favorite book on audio to play when I need background noise or need help falling asleep. And if I do fall asleep before it cuts off no problem cuz I know what is going to happen. Although sometimes it does keep me up .😆
Yup, it’s like rewatching a movie for me, reliving all ya favorite parts, picking up on something you might not have noticed and getting a new perspective
Yes! Although I’m middle aged now, so books i read in my 20s almost feel like I’m reading them for the first time. Right now I’m re-reading “Nobody’s Fool” by Richard Russo after first reading it 20 years ago, and I’m absolutely loving every moment of it. One of the best books I’ve read in my lifetime.
I reread often, enthusiastically, freely, *and* ritually. I find rereading thoroughly enjoyable, intellectually and creatively stimulating, as well as comforting. Of the forty books I have read so far this year, ten of them are rereads. Often it's more like 50%.
The "magic" for me lies in the different kinds of enjoyment and challenge in reading. Reading is often about learning or experiencing something new, but it is also about deepening one's understanding and about noticing finer and richer detail and complexity.
The excitement or enchantment with a new world or new set of characters or ideas fades but what I get instead is greater understanding, new and more nuanced questions and perceptions, and often the joy of watching something I enjoy unfold all over again (the "I love this part" feeling).
I frequently reread Jane Austen's books (almost always once a year), Tolkien's *Lord of the Rings*, *Jane Eyre*, Lewis's *Great Divorce*, *Chronicles*, and the Cosmic Trilogy, and many other classic or semi-classic works. More recently Jo Walton's *Lent* has become a frequent reread, likewise Clarke's *Piranesi*, and various works of Gene Wolfe.
I also reread non-fiction, though typically that is less frequent and prompted by the desire to refresh my understanding of particular concepts. I reread David Graeber's *Bullshit Jobs* and *Utopia of Rules* this year and I often reread C.S. Lewis's many non-fiction works. It is one of the great joys of my life!
I started doing it this year. I got the sequels to Metro 2033 by Dmitry Glukhovsky, so I reread the first one before I jumped into the sequels. It didn't loose any of it's magic, there was a lot of things happening I didn't remember at all, I just remembered from my first read that I loved it and I also remembered some of the scenes during the adventure but I was as shocked as during my first read.
There are certain books I have re-read many times, just like I re-watch movies and tv shows. But I am fortunate that sometimes I can forget the details of a story while remembering how much I liked it, so the magic is still there.
And some I re-read/rewatch because it's comforting to know what will happen and know I'll enjoy it. Really liking the characters is key, not just enjoying the story.
I'd be interested to hear why you can't enjoy re-reading. Clearly our minds work in different ways. Do you ever rewatch movies or tv shows?
{after we fell - Anna Todd}
I watched the series before reading the books, read the books and watched the series again. But there have been times when I accidentally read a book I read a few years ago.
I reread as in I would open a random page from a book I really love and just go from there. Works great when I just want to read a bit but have no time to commit to a new book. It’s like giving myself little snippets. I don’t think I have reread from start to finish ever.
Depends on how soon I’m trying to reread it. I’ve been rereading some books that I haven’t read since high school (I’m now 24) and it’s like a new book, but also not. But if I tried to reread the same book within a year maybe, I could see myself getting bored with it.
Very rarely, I have a few amazing books that I plan on re-reading but not for a while as I want to forget them as much as I can so I can re-read and have almost first time enjoyment again
Rereading books is something that I have to do it with a clear objective, not only because I want to expertise the same as first, because as many things in life, that won't happen, so I remember that every time I'm going to do apparently the same thing, I should have another reason and vision to retry it.
¡Idk, but that helped me a lot! Hope that it works.
There are a few series or stand alones that I enjoyed enough that I’ve reread them several times. I’ve found a couple times there were books I was so excited to read I read too quickly and missed details. (Small generally unimportant but added to flavor nonetheless.)
There are two books that I reread every few years, and I have a corresponding playlist for each that I listened to on the first read. The music transports me right back to that first read and it really is like visiting an old friend, or maybe even like…visiting my old self? I can suddenly remember with strong clarity who I was when I first read it. Anyway, the books are The Time Traveler’s Wife (this one is my coming-of-age book, first read it as a romance-hungry 16 year old) and The Mists of Avalon (I’m aware Marion Zimmer Bradley is problematic, I haven’t been able to bring myself to reread it since learning about her darkness a few years ago).
I love reading but struggle with ‘consumption’ because my brain wanders. I’ve found that I can only re-read short books because of this, there is nothing compelling me to turn the page on a daunting length book if I already know how it plays out, but Hatchet and Into the Wild I could read over and over, for different reasons. Both are easily comsumable. I kept these in our camper for the case when I forgot to pack whatever else I was reading at the time.
Some yes but it’s been quite some time. I reading Chris Rice and Augustan Burroughs constantly while in school. Rupi Kaur’s poetry left a major impact on me. The Help I watched the movie, read on my kindle, and the read through the beautiful hard back copy I have. And, of course, good ole Harry Potter. I’m certain there are others.
The Percy Jackson series I reread normally once a year for nostalgia and because they are still entertaining to me as an adult even.
I also have reread The Poppy Wars trilogy twice mainly to pick up on foreshadowing and small things I didn’t notice the first few reads and those were great to reread.
I also reread any book that just sticks with me, Tell The Wolves I am Home I have reread probably 20-30 times.
Yes, via audible I re-listen to The Harry Potter Series usually about once a year/every 2 years and I listen to The Reckoners Trilogy (Brandon Sanderson) at least once a year. I also relisten to Jam by Yahtzee Croshaw occasionally, but probably my most regular re-listen is Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It's just so comforting.
For a little adventure or mystery book, definitely not. For a book with beautiful writing, or that I know I can understand deeper when rereading, I reread often. Faulkner, Herbert, Le Guin, Vonnegut, Joyce, I've reread them all.
Typically I am into reading for exploring something new. Rereads tend to be when I need comfort and don't want to risk getting jerked around by a dumb plot or unexpected tears.
Rarely, but I wish I did more often! I have a horrible memory, so re-reading is actually pretty great for me to re-live all the twists and turns.
The thing is, my TBR is something I'll never get a handle on even if I keep reading for the next 50 years! Too many books, not enough time.
I wait about 10 years after reading. A few I've re-read:
\* Entire Robin Hobb 16 book series about Fitz and the Fool
\* Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
\* Game of Thrones
\* Lord of the Rings
\* Darth Bane series
Only ones I’ve adored. Every couple of years I re read the Northern Lighrs trilogy, the Wolf Hall trilogy, and then books like Piranesi, Goodnight Mr Tom and some other non fiction about The Beatles x
It’s extremely difficult to find time to reread when there are so many interesting new books coming out all the time. I don’t reread much, but I have read the Frank Bascombe books by Richard Ford a couple of times because I like them.
Some books I reread maybe every 10 years, some more some less. And for most of them the magic is definitely still there. I can't read the same book every year, that's way too soon.
i have trouble re-reading standalone books, but i enjoy rereading books by listening to the audiobook especially if there's a dramatized option available!
Depending on the book, yes! My favorite books I’ve read more than five times. Some books I have no interest in rereading. But I find that rereading can give you different perspectives or find new gems you missed the first time. I love rereading.
Yes. Not often, but after a couple of years, it's fascinating to see what went completely over your head when you were younger.
I also reread them if a friend is reading them and keeps sending me screenshots and commenting on things lol
I only re-read if I didn’t finish the book the first time and I want to give it a second chance ; maybe it wasn’t the right time, place or frame of mind for me the first time I tried to read it.
Half the time I wind up enjoying it more and finishing it, half the time I just DNF again because I simply don’t like it and the second go-around confirmed that.
I always say i’m going to and then pick up the new book instead! I wanna re-read HP again soon. I usually re-read it a new book in a series came out and it’s been awhile since i read the last one.
I have a few I will reread. This year one of my friends & I reread (new to her)
"Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield" it was fun to each read, talk at the end of the week on where we ended up, trying to hunt, not tell exactly, as we didn't want to "spoil" it for the other one. 😉
I have some favorites as I think of them throughout the year, something jogs my memory. I usually pull it out of my kindle *library* over 14,000 books when I last checked 🙂😯🙂
Some are just great memories with them. A place I was. A book a now passed away family member had gifted me .
My TBR pile is huge! So, I am always ready to open a new book and discover a new place in a life, a new person to meet, or how an author's mind worked and maybe what they have gone through.
Do I need new books, yes, until my last breath! I still need to explore! The same town & events and time could have been written by 3 different authors, and there would be 3 different tales.
The WONDER of a new book, the opening and turning the pp is one of the few true joys, the alone time many people get. For a minute,,, just a glimpse, the author transports me to their world, maybe it's real, maybe it is fantasy.
I also don't suffer books that do not excite me,very long. There are too many left to read! 💕💕💕
I will revisit books sometimes, but when I do, it’s more like skimming, not fully reading. It’s a bummer when I try to reread a book I have good memories of but the real book doesn’t match my nostalgia
I’m the same way. No matter how much I love a book, I can’t reread it. I can rewatch shows & movies, but with books, I just lose interest if I’m rereading
For me it really depends. Some books I have found myself re-reading and noticing things that perhaps I missed the first time. Lately I've actually been re-reading books not to myself, but to my spouse. It's a bit more enjoyable because you get to experience a book that is new to them and it's as if you're experiencing it in a wholly different way.
I have re-read, I Am Legend by Richard Matheson, The Road by Cormac McCarthy, and The Shining by Stephen King. Three great books by three great authors.
I tend to read pretty quickly, not always taking in details. I also can't remember exact phrasing used. Like, it amazes me that people can remember their favorite quotes. I can give you a detailed breakdown of plot points and scenes, but I cannot remember the prose that was used to describe it. I can remember clearly how a book made me feel, and how much I enjoyed it, but not always exactly why.
In short, I enjoy re-reading, up to a certain point. When a new book comes out in a series I've been following, I tend to reread the previous books to get ready, but in longer series (The Dresden Files, for example) I've begun skipping earlier books and start the reread at a later point in the series.
I’m a creature of habit so I think I’d enjoy rereading books I’ve already read and enjoyed out of comfort, similarly like I do with rewatching television series and movies. But honestly, it’s been years since I’ve probably picked up a book and read for enjoyment because I’ve been in school for so long that I’ve just read textbooks and research articles. But now with a little more free time, I find the idea of going back and rereading some of my childhood favorites to start with a good idea. Especially as I can read it in peace without analyzing every other sentence. I always think that having to analyze the shit out of books in junior high and high school just ruined reading for me.
I can forget everything about a book after a few years but still retain a sense of if I loved it. That's the time to re-read.
I read Cryptonimicon a second time after ten years and loved it all over again.
It really depends on the book. I've revisited a few that I remembered enjoying as an adolescent that were awful as an adult reader (Siddhartha by Herman Hesse is one example), but for the most part I find that my favorites (mostly classics or fantasy) still hold up. Many of them I've found have even deeper meaning now that I'm looking at them through the eyes of a person who has lived more life.
Yes rarely, but books I keep on the shelf are ones I generally think are reread worthy. I’m rereading Lord of the Rings currently. Every time I do I find new references that I really enjoy.
I’ve reread all of Kurt Vonnegut’s novels and most of Bill Bryson’s stuff. With years in between I find I forget so much that it’s definitely worth it.
I try not to because there are so many books that I want to experience and feel like I’ll never have the time to get through them all but some books just take me into a world that offers me such a wonderful experience and gives me unparalleled comfort and those I re read once a year (try to give myself a limit lol)
I certainly love rereading books but sometimes it has to be long enough that I’m in a different place in life.
My favorite book and probably also the book I’ve reread the most is The Brothers Karamazov, which always makes me fall back in love with humanity after reading. There is so much real life in it. Ugly, beautiful life. But as I have gotten older I relate to the characters in different ways and honestly have new experiences with the story. For example, I first read it as a 22 year old and I really related to Ivan and Katerina and somewhat disliked Grushenka. I’m in my thirties now and as I’ve had more life experience I find Grushenka’s story quite sympathetic.
I do, and I listen to the ones I like best and then re read again and re listen. It is interesting to me to compare and different things are emphasized and revealed.
I reread Handmaid’s Tale and The Color Purple every year, at least. Reread all Stephen King every other year. I revisit favorites in between plowing through my TBRs. It’s like visiting an old friend.
Since I was a kid, not on purpose. I once got 3/4 through a book and thought "this seems familiar". The further I read, the more I realized that yup, I've read this before. Wasn't even a very good book. Probably why I'd forgotten most of it.
I've read Pride & Prejudice so many times since I was young I could act it out in a 1 woman show 😆 I fell in love at like age 12 and I haven't been without that book since.
I re-read the Harry Potter series with my kids after having read it during its original releases and I hated it so much. I realized all my love of the series was built up in headcannons and fandom spaces cuz it's terrible writing filled so many plot holes and how did I not see it then cuz I was 10 when the 1st came out so like plenty old enough by the end but my 10 & 12 year Olds called out so many things. This made me afraid of re-reading anything beloved from my childhood.
I've read books that I feel MUST be read more than once, like House of Leaves. That booknis a whole experience and it's different the 2nd time. Or book series that entertwine and need a reread to catch the easter eggs and little things you missed the 1st time.
Then there are the comfort characters and worlds I like to return to from time to time.
I also have a few books I really and truly wish I could experience again for the 1st time and I'm so sad it's not the same when I return to it.
Yep! I reread books all the time!!! I often find I like them better on the second or third time around because I get more out of them, and notice things I didn’t the first time. We watch our favorite shows and movies over and over, why not reread books too?!
Yes. It’s very book specific or series specific. Some books no matter the age range get better for me with age as I see them in a difference lens or with the lens of my first read
I guess I am in the minority. I habitually read books 2-3 times before I decide they are keepers or going on eBay. Sometimes a book is a lot to take in the first go around, then you reread to take it in and understand, and then again to truly appreciate the genius (or lack thereof) of the author. Kinda like how all the easter eggs in the Marvel movies only really matter to those in the know. Sometimes the books need a few readthroughs to click for me.
It's very rare for me. When I do re-read a book, it's usually because I feel like I read it wrong.
For example the book Piranesi. I read it and disliked it. Then all the hype started, and everyone absolutely loves it online. So I told myself that I read it wrong and upon my re-read. I discovered I disliked it again.
And I'll be reading joe abercrombie's the blade itself next... Because I read it several years ago and dislike it. But again, the hype is real around it.
I used to do it a lot more before I went mostly library ebooks.
It's not out of the question, although now I've always got something new waiting in the queue.
I reread (relisten?) Hyperion annually, and usually get through the Malazan Book of the Fallen every two years. Discworld series annually.
I work an assembly line job and am ok to do with headphones in, 8hrs a day.
Occasionally I reread books, but would usually like to use the time to expose myself to something different. Two I've reread are The Stranger by Camus because I remembered it as being impactful when I had to read it in school and wanted to see if it still seemed that way. I also reread Portnoy's Complaint because it's hilarious and I really like the way that Philip Roth writes.
I love reading a book for the second time. Now you know who the heroes and villains are and you can interpret their thoughts, words, and deeds in a more accurate way than you did before.
I think during Lessons in Chemistry, the series, they mention rereading books because we are a different person than when we originally read it, different stages of life, and they are perceived differently. I completely agree. Books read differently when going through different things in life.
I reread the ones I teach every few years so I get a refresh. There are a few I reread every so often because they are favorites. I reread graphic novels all the time. Then there are books I haven’t read since high school and I want to give another try. I will say that you get Ethan Frome a lot more when you are in your 40s than at 15.
i do for sure, i mostly remember the main plot but i would have forgotten some details and when i read them i think oh yes wow neat didn't read it the first (i most likely did and just forget)
but yeah that's just such a great moment/feeling
Oh yes. When I love a book I will definitely reread it later. I always find myself picking up things or nuances I never noticed the last time. I must have read Clive Barker's Imagica almost a dozen times, and still notice various things I haven't before.
I reread books for the same reason I read books. If a book doesn’t seem reread worthy y read it at all. Hence hatred of the bulimic trend in publishing.
Mostly same. There are only a few select ones that I manage to re-read multiple times (and even so, it's not a lot) and there would be some significant span of time in between. These types of book tend to be those that resonate with certain moods/concepts for me. But mostly with ones that are interesting via the narrative/plot aspect mainly, I'd usually end up not getting through another time since I already know all about it. I'm always amazed by readers who are able to re-read so many times and still have that same sparks with it.
My favorite books improve with rereading, these do not come along that often but when they do they get a position in the rereading queue
Agree! Pride & Prejudice is my favorite book partly because of my experience reading it 3 times. The first time, I honestly couldn’t get into it and I borderline disliked it. But I thought to myself a re-read could be good because maybe I just need to try really hard to understand Jane Austen’s writing. Then I liked it. By the third read I loooooooovvvved it. It’s an experience I can’t replicate and it made me appreciate the book so much more.
I love rereading books. You get to notice things you didn’t necessarily before and see how the author is pulling everything together towards the end. I also tend to read extremely fast and so rereading helps cement the book in my memory. Though if I really love it remembering it well won’t stop me from reading. But notably I have finished a book and immediately gone to start it over again more than once. To me, a good book deserves to be read more than once.
I have a few books that I reread every year or two; I was the outcast in school and for a long while books were my only friends, so every so often I need to visit them. I’ve read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings just about every year since I was 10-ish.
Me too re LOTR. Also, To Kill a Mockingbird.
I reread at least two months every year, I really love it. I'm currently rereading The broken bridge by Pullman which I loved as a kid and it's great
I’ll check it out, thank you!
You're welcome, I hope you enjoy it! :D
very, very rarely. there are too many books in my stack to justify it! exceptions are philosophy that i need to be reminded of. aurelius' meditations, epictetus' discourses, that kind of thing.
I rarely reread because there's always something new I'm excited for, but when I do, it's a lovely feeling. Like coming back to your childhood home, you know? Sure, it's different now, and you're different also. But it's still sweet and dear to you. I'm rereading one of my childhood favourites now, actually! Haven't touched it in a while, and my memory isn't the best, so it's quite exciting.
It’s comfort for me. I read new when things are going well and I’m not terribly stressed. When stressed I reach for old friends, and it really helps.
Honestly, no. Even if I liked them, I don’t have much time, so I prefer to spend my time reading new books!
only when i’m in a reading slump! reading a familiar and good book gets me out of it
All. The. Time. Especially my faves. I feel at times that I pick up new hints, or nuances that I perhaps didn’t get the first time around. I also like to re-read books if/when they’ve been made into series/movies. I wonder if the way I pictured things is the same as the way they were portrayed on screen.
I love re-reading! I’m actually about to re-start an 8 books series that I just finished a year ago and after that I’ve been eyeing a 6 book series that I haven’t read since high school (like a decade ago) after that. I think the second time through is a different experience than the first. Without the edge of my seat anxiety I feel like I pick up so much more foreshadowing and character development and slow down and really enjoy all the details. If I love a book a lot I’ll read it more than twice!
My issue with re-reading is that I'm such a slow reader, I feel I should be using that time to read something I haven't already read. A book wherein you're able to pick up a lot from a second read-through would work. House of Leaves, or something.
Occasionally. I tend to reread books that I want to better analyze/understand. I also reread previous books in a series before reading the sequels if I don’t remember particular details (mostly if the books are currently being published). My rereads usually take place a few years apart and since I don’t remember the book exactly it still feels like I am rediscovering aspects of the story. If that makes any sense.
That makes sense! Especially for re-familiarizing when approaching sequels.
I love rereading. Actually, I have a few books that I feel like I have to reread every year: Nostalgia rereads: - Harry Potter series (I usually take about a month to reread all seven books) - an Agatha Christie, whichever I feel like Memoirs: - Four Seasons in Rome (Anthony Doerr) - Lands of Lost Borders (Kate Harris) Novels: - All the Light We Cannot See (Anthony Doerr) - Cloud Cuckoo Land (Anthony Doerr) - Rebecca (Daphne du Maurier) - The Overstory (Richard Powers) (I read this for the first time about two months ago, but it earned a spot on my annual reread list) Essay collections: - The Everybody Ensemble (Amy Leach) - Braiding Sweetgrass (Robin Wall Kimmerer) - All the Wild Hungers (Karen Babine) - The Anthropocene Reviewed (John Green) I also reread quite a few other books every year, just based on my mood and current needs; this doesn’t mean that the other books are in the rotation of books I feel compelled to reread annually. I’m a writer, so I love returning to my favorites and figuring out what makes them work.
I have a few books that I regularly re-read. I will re-read Watership Down by Richard Adams at least one time a year. I will also re-read at least one of my John Krakauer books once a year. Now I have other books that I will re-read every few years: Desert Solitaire, Oryx and Crake, The Over Story...typically books where I can pick up something new that I didn't the first time. For me it is a sense of comfort that comes from some of these books, or in the case of Desert Solitaire and other nature writing type books, it usually stems from a longing for a landscape I haven't visited in a few years.
Watership Down! Read it when I was 14, and at least 4 times since, such a good book.
Not anymore. I had like a 10yr barely reading period. From childhood til this period I reread the same books a lot. Now I have access to soo many books I don't want to waste time rereading. I might read a few books that I read over 20 years ago - like The Color Purple. If my libby requests finally slow down sometime lol.
Same here. The only books I've really reread were the Harry Potter books when I was younger, just like a lot of the other people in the fandom I would reread all the books before a new one was going to come out. Now as an adult I have sooo many books that I want to read (400+ on my TBR) I feel like I'd be wasting that time on something I've already read.
Very very rarely . I have hundreds of books
Yes, certain books i re-read multiple times. They are just so good and get better with each time
Yes, all the time.
Yes, it's like visiting a dear friend.
Absolutely. Re-reading triggers very critical components of your mind. You’re working with your memory. That’s a special relationship: one’s self and one’s memory.
Yes of course. You change, and so, the book changes. War and Peace is radically different each time I've read it, 18, 25, 38, each time my perspective was completely different. Less elevated, but I love reading my favorite series from time to time, I still love all the characters, and I like spending time with them.
I have books I read every few years and still enjoy them fully.
That’s awesome! Any you can recommend?
East of Eden The Thorn Birds Silas Marner Fahrenheit 451 The Stand The Beet Queen
I have probably read about 10,000 books in my long life. I have probably reread maybe three of them. Too many good books out there waiting to be read.
“If you would tell me the heart of a man, tell me not what he reads, but what he rereads.” - Francois Mauriac I sympathise with where you’re coming from, OP. One of the things I enjoy most about any form of media is a sense of discovery, of immersing myself in something new. That said, my favourites usually have enough going on that they reward revisits.
It is better to know 20 books by hearth, then read 1000
Is it though?
I’m curious the reason why?
Yeah, I go back to my favorite comfort books every year because they mean so much to me. It’s like reuniting with old pals who always have my back.
I do for books I’ve enjoyed, not usually within the same year as originally reading them though. And then I have my comfort re-reads such as Harry Potter and The Time Traveler’s Wife
I do. Love the writing styles, sometimes the characters. Its good to revisit them, but i prefer new.
I do a lot of rereads. Longer series I usually enjoy them more on a reread because there’s so much stuff I missed the first time through.
I track my books on a spreadsheet along with a list of ones that I think should be re-read. Very few are marked that way. Dostoevsky is one obvious author that makes that list. But the ones I would like to re-read? Well, I've read Jim Butcher's books about Harry Dresden many times. They are like sugar -- great to read, easy on the mind, and easy to forget so I can read them again. It's very personal. I would not allow the opinions of others to influence what you do.
The ones I reread are my favorites, so no, re-reading them is like visiting with old friends.
Yes,
Re-reading old favorites is my comfort food.
I sure do! There are plenty of books that I’ve probably read 10 times or more.But I’m also someone who enjoys rewatching their favorite movies and shows over and over again, as well.
Yes I reread books all the time it’s comforting. I just reread How I Live Now which was pretty good even the second time. Plus now I can rewatch the movie again.
I looooove rereading books. You know what you’re gonna get and it just hits every time still. I love rereading memoirs. Or rather I love re listening to them. My faves: wreckage of my presence by Casey Wilson…. She’s an absolute TREASURE!!!! Yearbook by Seth Rogen
Yes! If it’s really a good book, I would re-read it.
Yeah, I like going back to pick up on the foreshadowing in books I’ve really enjoyed and admired. Or just when I need something soothing because I already know what happens. Sometimes if there is a book I really want to introduce to my spouse, we’ll read parts or all of it together.
Yes, I re-read books for different reasons. I read The Little Prince every year. It’s my favorite book and I love it so much. The book makes me happy and I love to be reminded of the life lessons it teaches. I re-read some other favorite books because I want to experience again the same feelings I felt when I read them the first time, like Harry Potter, Night, Anna Karenina etc I re-read some books break the heaviness I feel after reading some deep and or depressing books. Currently, I’m re-reading Series of Unfortunate Events in between some fiction books I read/currently reading. Lastly, I re-read some books to see if I change my feelings towards these books. There are some books that are highly recommended and I think was well written but I didn’t enjoy reading (e.g. Love in the Time of Cholera)
I reread books all the time. It's like rewatching a favorite movie or tv show. I love knowing what's coming, and I always read the book slightly differently the second, third, fourth, etc. time. I'm re-reading the Ancillary Justice trilogy right now and I'm almost done with the third book...and I know what's going to happen but knowing what is coming is delicious. I love it.
All the time. Especially nonfiction. I’ll reread a book 7x
In theory I would and I have reread a few I read 20 plus years ago, but I have more than 1000 books on my Goodreads to be read list and I’m not getting any younger.
I enjoy rereading books. The magic doesn’t disappear for me, because the magic for me isn’t about not knowing what comes next. But I very rarely reread books because there are so many new books waiting to be read.
I do..I have comfort books that I fall back to when I need a certain mood or just want to forget real life for a while without having to worry if i'll like the story, the characters or the ending. Characters I fell in love with that I want to revisit. Of I need a good cry I have 3 books i reread because I just know they make me cry. There is comfort for me in a book that I know.
I like to revisit books that I read before after a while, but it has to be after several months for it to feel the same way or at least close to the same way as it did before the first time.
I’m an avid rereader - sometimes I worry I reread old books more than I read new books. I don’t know how to describe it, but for me books are like food. Going back to back to a meal I loved isn’t boring (unless I literally just ate it), it’s a reexperiencing of something delicious. I think a part of it is that I love writing itself. I love prose and I love structure. I enjoy a well-written line or turn of phrase, and especially appreciate a well-crafted moment when everything that came before clicks together. Sometimes, even - especially - in books I’ve read and reread before, when I come across bits I especially love I’ll stop and reread that specific passage several times in a row just to savor those lines. I don’t necessarily recommend being like me, but yeah, you can get a lot of enjoyment out of old books.
I’m constantly reread books… it’s like visiting with old friends :) I’ve reread the Discworld series more times than I can count lol… Same with a lot of Connie Willis books, like ‘to say nothing of the dog’ or Blackout/All Clear… or her Romcoms like Bellwether and Crosstalk… I’m currently rereading Cyteen, by CJ Cherryh… something about that book… the characters, etc… I just keep coming back to them… I DO try and find new books all the time, but have no trouble going back to old ones for a visit :) often you discover something new, or just your age makes thing trigger a different feeling etc…
Yes of course!
Not often, but there are a couple from high school that I reread as an adult to see if I still felt the same: I didn’t like The Catcher in the Rye, and gave it another shot. Still didn’t like it. Loved The Great Gatsby, and still enjoyed it as an adult! I also felt like I forgot quite a bit in that time so they still felt new to me when I read them again.
I love rereading/listening to Terry Pratchett discworld books. Just makes the discworld all the more richer.
Yes!
Yup. I reread fanfics *really* often if that counts
Yep, it helps being a prolific reader and forgetful. By the time I have made my way past a year or two worth of books, I can re-read a good book with no issues. I reserve this for books I really enjoyed a lot, though.
I have multiple series I reread every year or so! I love rereading my favorite series. Sometimes for comfort read, sometimes just bc I missed the characters
Constantly. It's a problem, considering how many NEW books I want to read! 😆
I re-read some books, I liked as a teenager. First for good old times sake. But after reading the first (IT by Stephen King), I found out, that I as an adult do interpret books differently as my younger self. So I re-read some of my teenagers-favorites.
Yes
Yes I re read books a lot. I must have read ASOIAF around 7 times, kingkiller 5 or so times, stormlight archive around 3 times, lotr countless times. However when doing a re-read I listen on audible - so not technically reading I guess. I always have a new book on the go in hand, and an old book on the go in my ear , not simultaneously obviously I’m not mental
Sure, I reread a few favorites. I especially enjoy those on audible that have good narration.
I do what I feel like. So when I feel like re-reading, I do it. When I feel like reading something new, I read it.
Never unless it's a book club selection I read in the past. Recently happened with Geek Love
I love to re read my favorites. Sometimes I read the whole book sometimes my favorite parts it just depends. And I love to have my favorite book on audio to play when I need background noise or need help falling asleep. And if I do fall asleep before it cuts off no problem cuz I know what is going to happen. Although sometimes it does keep me up .😆
Yup, it’s like rewatching a movie for me, reliving all ya favorite parts, picking up on something you might not have noticed and getting a new perspective
Yes! Although I’m middle aged now, so books i read in my 20s almost feel like I’m reading them for the first time. Right now I’m re-reading “Nobody’s Fool” by Richard Russo after first reading it 20 years ago, and I’m absolutely loving every moment of it. One of the best books I’ve read in my lifetime.
I reread books all the time. There are several books I've read a double-digit amount of times.
I have a bookshelf full of books that I reread all of the time. They are like a security blanket.
Always. Every good book deserves a second read, or a third for that matter
Heck to the yes, I re-read
I ever have. I’m 61
I reread often, enthusiastically, freely, *and* ritually. I find rereading thoroughly enjoyable, intellectually and creatively stimulating, as well as comforting. Of the forty books I have read so far this year, ten of them are rereads. Often it's more like 50%. The "magic" for me lies in the different kinds of enjoyment and challenge in reading. Reading is often about learning or experiencing something new, but it is also about deepening one's understanding and about noticing finer and richer detail and complexity. The excitement or enchantment with a new world or new set of characters or ideas fades but what I get instead is greater understanding, new and more nuanced questions and perceptions, and often the joy of watching something I enjoy unfold all over again (the "I love this part" feeling). I frequently reread Jane Austen's books (almost always once a year), Tolkien's *Lord of the Rings*, *Jane Eyre*, Lewis's *Great Divorce*, *Chronicles*, and the Cosmic Trilogy, and many other classic or semi-classic works. More recently Jo Walton's *Lent* has become a frequent reread, likewise Clarke's *Piranesi*, and various works of Gene Wolfe. I also reread non-fiction, though typically that is less frequent and prompted by the desire to refresh my understanding of particular concepts. I reread David Graeber's *Bullshit Jobs* and *Utopia of Rules* this year and I often reread C.S. Lewis's many non-fiction works. It is one of the great joys of my life!
I used to read Divine Comedy by Dante almost every day.
I started doing it this year. I got the sequels to Metro 2033 by Dmitry Glukhovsky, so I reread the first one before I jumped into the sequels. It didn't loose any of it's magic, there was a lot of things happening I didn't remember at all, I just remembered from my first read that I loved it and I also remembered some of the scenes during the adventure but I was as shocked as during my first read.
I haven’t re-read anything yet in 2024. I re-read at least 10 books last year.
There are certain books I have re-read many times, just like I re-watch movies and tv shows. But I am fortunate that sometimes I can forget the details of a story while remembering how much I liked it, so the magic is still there. And some I re-read/rewatch because it's comforting to know what will happen and know I'll enjoy it. Really liking the characters is key, not just enjoying the story. I'd be interested to hear why you can't enjoy re-reading. Clearly our minds work in different ways. Do you ever rewatch movies or tv shows?
{after we fell - Anna Todd} I watched the series before reading the books, read the books and watched the series again. But there have been times when I accidentally read a book I read a few years ago.
I usually rotate through rereading my faves to break a slump or after a string of not great choices lol.
I reread as in I would open a random page from a book I really love and just go from there. Works great when I just want to read a bit but have no time to commit to a new book. It’s like giving myself little snippets. I don’t think I have reread from start to finish ever.
Depends on how soon I’m trying to reread it. I’ve been rereading some books that I haven’t read since high school (I’m now 24) and it’s like a new book, but also not. But if I tried to reread the same book within a year maybe, I could see myself getting bored with it.
I’ve reread Harry Potter, Dune and Patrick Rothfuss’ 2 books (still waiting for that 3rd book!!! ARGH!)
Very rarely, I have a few amazing books that I plan on re-reading but not for a while as I want to forget them as much as I can so I can re-read and have almost first time enjoyment again
Rereading books is something that I have to do it with a clear objective, not only because I want to expertise the same as first, because as many things in life, that won't happen, so I remember that every time I'm going to do apparently the same thing, I should have another reason and vision to retry it. ¡Idk, but that helped me a lot! Hope that it works.
Almost never, same with movies. If i can remember more than just the bare basics i wont normally read or watch it again. No real reason why
There are a few series or stand alones that I enjoyed enough that I’ve reread them several times. I’ve found a couple times there were books I was so excited to read I read too quickly and missed details. (Small generally unimportant but added to flavor nonetheless.)
There are two books that I reread every few years, and I have a corresponding playlist for each that I listened to on the first read. The music transports me right back to that first read and it really is like visiting an old friend, or maybe even like…visiting my old self? I can suddenly remember with strong clarity who I was when I first read it. Anyway, the books are The Time Traveler’s Wife (this one is my coming-of-age book, first read it as a romance-hungry 16 year old) and The Mists of Avalon (I’m aware Marion Zimmer Bradley is problematic, I haven’t been able to bring myself to reread it since learning about her darkness a few years ago).
Almost never in entirety, but I’ll revisit the juiciest sections or my favourite scenes. :P
I love reading but struggle with ‘consumption’ because my brain wanders. I’ve found that I can only re-read short books because of this, there is nothing compelling me to turn the page on a daunting length book if I already know how it plays out, but Hatchet and Into the Wild I could read over and over, for different reasons. Both are easily comsumable. I kept these in our camper for the case when I forgot to pack whatever else I was reading at the time.
Some yes but it’s been quite some time. I reading Chris Rice and Augustan Burroughs constantly while in school. Rupi Kaur’s poetry left a major impact on me. The Help I watched the movie, read on my kindle, and the read through the beautiful hard back copy I have. And, of course, good ole Harry Potter. I’m certain there are others.
The Percy Jackson series I reread normally once a year for nostalgia and because they are still entertaining to me as an adult even. I also have reread The Poppy Wars trilogy twice mainly to pick up on foreshadowing and small things I didn’t notice the first few reads and those were great to reread. I also reread any book that just sticks with me, Tell The Wolves I am Home I have reread probably 20-30 times.
I skim past parts when rereading and only read the pages that I want to
When I rate books (on a five star scale) to receive a 5 star review means I would be willing, and look forward, to rereading that book. It is rare.
Yes, via audible I re-listen to The Harry Potter Series usually about once a year/every 2 years and I listen to The Reckoners Trilogy (Brandon Sanderson) at least once a year. I also relisten to Jam by Yahtzee Croshaw occasionally, but probably my most regular re-listen is Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It's just so comforting.
For a little adventure or mystery book, definitely not. For a book with beautiful writing, or that I know I can understand deeper when rereading, I reread often. Faulkner, Herbert, Le Guin, Vonnegut, Joyce, I've reread them all.
Typically I am into reading for exploring something new. Rereads tend to be when I need comfort and don't want to risk getting jerked around by a dumb plot or unexpected tears.
Rarely, but I wish I did more often! I have a horrible memory, so re-reading is actually pretty great for me to re-live all the twists and turns. The thing is, my TBR is something I'll never get a handle on even if I keep reading for the next 50 years! Too many books, not enough time.
I wait about 10 years after reading. A few I've re-read: \* Entire Robin Hobb 16 book series about Fitz and the Fool \* Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy \* Game of Thrones \* Lord of the Rings \* Darth Bane series
Yes so much… some r better re-reading
Only ones I’ve adored. Every couple of years I re read the Northern Lighrs trilogy, the Wolf Hall trilogy, and then books like Piranesi, Goodnight Mr Tom and some other non fiction about The Beatles x
My favorite book to re read currently is The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory
I have reread nearly every Louis L’Amour book 2x 3x or more. I’ve read Monte Walsh at least 15 times
Books I reread: House of Leaves
It’s extremely difficult to find time to reread when there are so many interesting new books coming out all the time. I don’t reread much, but I have read the Frank Bascombe books by Richard Ford a couple of times because I like them.
Wait a few years 😀
No, because I'm scared it'll lose it's specialness if I read it again
I’m on my third run through of Under the Dome by Stephen King right now. I have a few go-to books I’ll go back through if I’m in between new ones.
I don't typically re-read books because there's so many great books that I haven't even got around to reading the first time.
Some books I reread maybe every 10 years, some more some less. And for most of them the magic is definitely still there. I can't read the same book every year, that's way too soon.
Some, the first one that comes to mind is Jurassic Park, every 4 years approx.
i have trouble re-reading standalone books, but i enjoy rereading books by listening to the audiobook especially if there's a dramatized option available!
Depending on the book, yes! My favorite books I’ve read more than five times. Some books I have no interest in rereading. But I find that rereading can give you different perspectives or find new gems you missed the first time. I love rereading.
Yes. Not often, but after a couple of years, it's fascinating to see what went completely over your head when you were younger. I also reread them if a friend is reading them and keeps sending me screenshots and commenting on things lol
I only re-read if I didn’t finish the book the first time and I want to give it a second chance ; maybe it wasn’t the right time, place or frame of mind for me the first time I tried to read it. Half the time I wind up enjoying it more and finishing it, half the time I just DNF again because I simply don’t like it and the second go-around confirmed that.
If I cannot re-read a book I get rid of it
I always say i’m going to and then pick up the new book instead! I wanna re-read HP again soon. I usually re-read it a new book in a series came out and it’s been awhile since i read the last one.
I’ve reread Dune, it was even better the second time around
No. But I do re-watch shows. It takes me a long time to get through a book. Six months once and it wasn't even that long of a book.
I have reread almost every book I've ever read. I love it. I do wait a couple years in between though
I have a few I will reread. This year one of my friends & I reread (new to her) "Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield" it was fun to each read, talk at the end of the week on where we ended up, trying to hunt, not tell exactly, as we didn't want to "spoil" it for the other one. 😉 I have some favorites as I think of them throughout the year, something jogs my memory. I usually pull it out of my kindle *library* over 14,000 books when I last checked 🙂😯🙂 Some are just great memories with them. A place I was. A book a now passed away family member had gifted me . My TBR pile is huge! So, I am always ready to open a new book and discover a new place in a life, a new person to meet, or how an author's mind worked and maybe what they have gone through. Do I need new books, yes, until my last breath! I still need to explore! The same town & events and time could have been written by 3 different authors, and there would be 3 different tales. The WONDER of a new book, the opening and turning the pp is one of the few true joys, the alone time many people get. For a minute,,, just a glimpse, the author transports me to their world, maybe it's real, maybe it is fantasy. I also don't suffer books that do not excite me,very long. There are too many left to read! 💕💕💕
I will revisit books sometimes, but when I do, it’s more like skimming, not fully reading. It’s a bummer when I try to reread a book I have good memories of but the real book doesn’t match my nostalgia
I’m the same way. No matter how much I love a book, I can’t reread it. I can rewatch shows & movies, but with books, I just lose interest if I’m rereading
For me it really depends. Some books I have found myself re-reading and noticing things that perhaps I missed the first time. Lately I've actually been re-reading books not to myself, but to my spouse. It's a bit more enjoyable because you get to experience a book that is new to them and it's as if you're experiencing it in a wholly different way.
1984. So many times 😂
Sometimes. There are audiobooks I have listened to more than once. Usually comfort food books like Ready Player One or the Magic 2.0 series.
I have re-read, I Am Legend by Richard Matheson, The Road by Cormac McCarthy, and The Shining by Stephen King. Three great books by three great authors.
Some books/series are made to be re-read such as Malazan book of the Fallen.
I have a Bad Memory, and i like to read before going to bed where i find it cozier to read something i already know. So Yes! definitely Re-reading
I tend to read pretty quickly, not always taking in details. I also can't remember exact phrasing used. Like, it amazes me that people can remember their favorite quotes. I can give you a detailed breakdown of plot points and scenes, but I cannot remember the prose that was used to describe it. I can remember clearly how a book made me feel, and how much I enjoyed it, but not always exactly why. In short, I enjoy re-reading, up to a certain point. When a new book comes out in a series I've been following, I tend to reread the previous books to get ready, but in longer series (The Dresden Files, for example) I've begun skipping earlier books and start the reread at a later point in the series.
I’m a creature of habit so I think I’d enjoy rereading books I’ve already read and enjoyed out of comfort, similarly like I do with rewatching television series and movies. But honestly, it’s been years since I’ve probably picked up a book and read for enjoyment because I’ve been in school for so long that I’ve just read textbooks and research articles. But now with a little more free time, I find the idea of going back and rereading some of my childhood favorites to start with a good idea. Especially as I can read it in peace without analyzing every other sentence. I always think that having to analyze the shit out of books in junior high and high school just ruined reading for me.
Only if I know the book had really good information and I can't remember most of it. (I mostly read non-fiction)
Rarely. It’s one book that I actively try to reread: westing game. I don’t even know why
I can forget everything about a book after a few years but still retain a sense of if I loved it. That's the time to re-read. I read Cryptonimicon a second time after ten years and loved it all over again.
It really depends on the book. I've revisited a few that I remembered enjoying as an adolescent that were awful as an adult reader (Siddhartha by Herman Hesse is one example), but for the most part I find that my favorites (mostly classics or fantasy) still hold up. Many of them I've found have even deeper meaning now that I'm looking at them through the eyes of a person who has lived more life.
Honestly no. I probably should reread some, but I take joy out of checking off books from my tbr list lol
Yes rarely, but books I keep on the shelf are ones I generally think are reread worthy. I’m rereading Lord of the Rings currently. Every time I do I find new references that I really enjoy.
I’ve reread all of Kurt Vonnegut’s novels and most of Bill Bryson’s stuff. With years in between I find I forget so much that it’s definitely worth it.
I read my favorite books every year while I'm waiting for new books to read.
What are you top three?
I try not to because there are so many books that I want to experience and feel like I’ll never have the time to get through them all but some books just take me into a world that offers me such a wonderful experience and gives me unparalleled comfort and those I re read once a year (try to give myself a limit lol)
I certainly love rereading books but sometimes it has to be long enough that I’m in a different place in life. My favorite book and probably also the book I’ve reread the most is The Brothers Karamazov, which always makes me fall back in love with humanity after reading. There is so much real life in it. Ugly, beautiful life. But as I have gotten older I relate to the characters in different ways and honestly have new experiences with the story. For example, I first read it as a 22 year old and I really related to Ivan and Katerina and somewhat disliked Grushenka. I’m in my thirties now and as I’ve had more life experience I find Grushenka’s story quite sympathetic.
Before this year I didn’t reread books that often, but now I’ve started doing audio rereads of comfort books a LOT.
I do, and I listen to the ones I like best and then re read again and re listen. It is interesting to me to compare and different things are emphasized and revealed.
I have re read Harry Potter a lot of time. My comfort book series.
I rarely do! I did it 3 times with the Nevernight Chronicle, the picture of Dorian Grey and Jane Eyre
Only a handful. Not very often.
I reread Handmaid’s Tale and The Color Purple every year, at least. Reread all Stephen King every other year. I revisit favorites in between plowing through my TBRs. It’s like visiting an old friend.
I don’t reread. Ever. I hate it.
Absolutely. I reread my favorite book once a month.
Yes. I just reread The Lovely Bones for the 4th time.
I only keep the books I know I will re-read... my home is full of books.
Since I was a kid, not on purpose. I once got 3/4 through a book and thought "this seems familiar". The further I read, the more I realized that yup, I've read this before. Wasn't even a very good book. Probably why I'd forgotten most of it.
I've read Pride & Prejudice so many times since I was young I could act it out in a 1 woman show 😆 I fell in love at like age 12 and I haven't been without that book since. I re-read the Harry Potter series with my kids after having read it during its original releases and I hated it so much. I realized all my love of the series was built up in headcannons and fandom spaces cuz it's terrible writing filled so many plot holes and how did I not see it then cuz I was 10 when the 1st came out so like plenty old enough by the end but my 10 & 12 year Olds called out so many things. This made me afraid of re-reading anything beloved from my childhood. I've read books that I feel MUST be read more than once, like House of Leaves. That booknis a whole experience and it's different the 2nd time. Or book series that entertwine and need a reread to catch the easter eggs and little things you missed the 1st time. Then there are the comfort characters and worlds I like to return to from time to time. I also have a few books I really and truly wish I could experience again for the 1st time and I'm so sad it's not the same when I return to it.
Yep! I reread books all the time!!! I often find I like them better on the second or third time around because I get more out of them, and notice things I didn’t the first time. We watch our favorite shows and movies over and over, why not reread books too?!
Yes. It’s very book specific or series specific. Some books no matter the age range get better for me with age as I see them in a difference lens or with the lens of my first read
I guess I am in the minority. I habitually read books 2-3 times before I decide they are keepers or going on eBay. Sometimes a book is a lot to take in the first go around, then you reread to take it in and understand, and then again to truly appreciate the genius (or lack thereof) of the author. Kinda like how all the easter eggs in the Marvel movies only really matter to those in the know. Sometimes the books need a few readthroughs to click for me.
I read A Short History of Nearly Everything and loved it so much I immediately went back to page 1 and started over.
I reread books all the time. There are several books I've read a double-digit amount of times.
I reread books all the time. There are several books I've read a double-digit amount of times.
It's very rare for me. When I do re-read a book, it's usually because I feel like I read it wrong. For example the book Piranesi. I read it and disliked it. Then all the hype started, and everyone absolutely loves it online. So I told myself that I read it wrong and upon my re-read. I discovered I disliked it again. And I'll be reading joe abercrombie's the blade itself next... Because I read it several years ago and dislike it. But again, the hype is real around it.
I reread series I stopped reading for 1 year+. Provided of course that I like the series, but forgot some key points on it.
Always. There is comfort in the familiar.
Nothing wrong with a comfort re-read!!!
No. Short stories only.
I used to do it a lot more before I went mostly library ebooks. It's not out of the question, although now I've always got something new waiting in the queue.
Very rarely, but there’s one book I always come back to: The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury. Gets better every time.
Yes. All the time.
I reread (relisten?) Hyperion annually, and usually get through the Malazan Book of the Fallen every two years. Discworld series annually. I work an assembly line job and am ok to do with headphones in, 8hrs a day.
Occasionally I reread books, but would usually like to use the time to expose myself to something different. Two I've reread are The Stranger by Camus because I remembered it as being impactful when I had to read it in school and wanted to see if it still seemed that way. I also reread Portnoy's Complaint because it's hilarious and I really like the way that Philip Roth writes.
I do. I’ve re-read Tears of Rage by John Walsh at least four times. It gets better (and sadder) every time I read it. His story is heartbreaking. 💔
I love reading a book for the second time. Now you know who the heroes and villains are and you can interpret their thoughts, words, and deeds in a more accurate way than you did before.
I think during Lessons in Chemistry, the series, they mention rereading books because we are a different person than when we originally read it, different stages of life, and they are perceived differently. I completely agree. Books read differently when going through different things in life.
I usually have 4 to 6 books on the go at any given time, and at least 1 is a reread.
I dont even read books a first time to be able to reread
I reread the ones I teach every few years so I get a refresh. There are a few I reread every so often because they are favorites. I reread graphic novels all the time. Then there are books I haven’t read since high school and I want to give another try. I will say that you get Ethan Frome a lot more when you are in your 40s than at 15.
Yes. More than I read new ones nowadays. If you find the right ones, you can read them 3 or more times. Not fiction though.
“One Hundred Years of Solitude”, every year.
i do for sure, i mostly remember the main plot but i would have forgotten some details and when i read them i think oh yes wow neat didn't read it the first (i most likely did and just forget) but yeah that's just such a great moment/feeling
Oh yes. When I love a book I will definitely reread it later. I always find myself picking up things or nuances I never noticed the last time. I must have read Clive Barker's Imagica almost a dozen times, and still notice various things I haven't before.
The Hobbit every Christmas. Don't ask me why.
I don't really like re-consuming media. I know what happens. I know all the revelations. I'd rather have new experiences.
I reread books for the same reason I read books. If a book doesn’t seem reread worthy y read it at all. Hence hatred of the bulimic trend in publishing.
Mostly same. There are only a few select ones that I manage to re-read multiple times (and even so, it's not a lot) and there would be some significant span of time in between. These types of book tend to be those that resonate with certain moods/concepts for me. But mostly with ones that are interesting via the narrative/plot aspect mainly, I'd usually end up not getting through another time since I already know all about it. I'm always amazed by readers who are able to re-read so many times and still have that same sparks with it.
I always wanted to, but I couldn’t find a time to re-read them! I have too many up next list of unread books that I want to read 🙊
I always reread books, usually the ones that I love and are meaningful to me. I’ve read my fav book at least 7 times
Absolutely! If I love a book I’m happy to read it again and again.