Monday, August 17, 2015

Do You Reread?

This is my face when I hear people talking about rereading the same book for the fifth time.
How do they even do that??

There are SO MANY BOOKS in the world. The struggle is real people.
I feel incredibly guilty for rereading a book when my TBR is hundreds of books long.
But there are books that I would love to reread.

Sea of Tranquility, for instance. 
I read that one last year and had the urge to read it all over again the second I finished it.

But my TBR pile keeps growing and growing and growing . . . how do I reread and make myself okay with the thought that I may not be able to read all the books (oh, I just cried a little when I typed that)?
When I hear of people who have reread the same book over and over and over again, I feel a bit jealous.
Okay . . . more than a bit.

So tell me . . . do you have time to reread your favorites? What are some books you have reread over and over again? Make me jealous!



38 comments :

  1. I am so not a rereader. I think I have only reread TFIOS before the movie came out. I want to reread To Kill a Mockingbird before GO Set a Watchman. I am also thinking of listening to a few of my favorites so I can experience the in a different way.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Grace, listening is a great idea! I don't listen to audiobooks too often. But this year, I did really want to reread To Kill A Mockingbird so I decided to listen to the audio. It worked. :)

      Delete
  2. Yes, the struggle is real. I reread things occasionally but I also get quite a lot of ARCs/review copies so they're my priority! There are some childhood books that I would ADORE rereading, though :D

    Harry Potter doesn't count, I also seem to be rereading one of them at any given point in time ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Loony Literate, believe it or not, I have never read Harry Potter! But that is one of those books I hear people talking about rereading over and over. And yeah, my TBR is even crazier with all my review copies. How can I reread a book when I have those deadlines looming over my head?

      Delete
  3. I do re-read, and I don't feel guilty about it! :) One solution that really works for me is that I've gotten hooked on listening to audiobooks when I drive and when I walk, and for audiobooks, re-reads are the best option for me. I've reread the entire Outlander series a few times now, and I've been listening to all of Jane Austen's books this year (which are repeats for me). I'll re-read physical books too, like if the sequel to something is coming out and I want a refresher, or just to re-visit an old friend.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. bookshelffantasies, listening to the audio is a great idea! I did that with To Kill A Mockingbird earlier this year. I really wanted to reread it, so I got the audio. It worked! And I am so jealous that you feel no guilt. Ha. :)

      Delete
  4. I do re-read Anne of Green Gables and others of the author's writing. Plus I like to try out new audiobook versions of the series.
    Probably the same with Agatha Christie mysteries - books and audios.
    Otherwise my tbr shelves are sagging with all the books awaiting my attention!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Faith, I have never even read Anne of Green Gables! The TBR pile just sucks sometimes. So many great books, so little time!

      Delete
  5. I don't typically reread books because I don't have the time. But if I did have the time I would definitely reread the Martian, maybe even one of the classics.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Breana, I just got a physical ARC of The Martian! I am so happy to hear that you loved it enough to want to read it again.

      Delete
  6. I used to reread all the time...pre-blogging. Then I started working on my TBR piles...and the stack of physical books is very manageable now. There are thirteen books on that pile. But let's not talk about my Kindle...no, that doesn't count, does it? Since it doesn't clutter up my space...LOL.

    I do try to whittle away at those, too, but it will take a while.

    I do have a short stack of books I hope to reread: Rebecca, Jamaica Inn, Gone with the Wind, Uncle Tom's Cabin...and then there are a few on my nightstand. They are more of a "wishful thinking" list, though.

    Here is MY MUSING MONDAYS POST

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Laurel-Rain Snow, argh I have way more books on my Kindle than on my shelves. And I keep getting more! Haha. I do think I would have had more time to reread pre-blogging. All the ARCs just demand my attention.

      Delete
  7. Oh hell yeah, I reread for a few reasons.
    1 - the best possible way to get out of a reading slump is to reread an old favorite
    2 - if a new book in a series is about to come out and I need a refresher
    3 - because I miss the world and/or characters.

    Sarah @ One Curvy Blogger

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sarah . . . all great reasons!! There are times when I wish I had the time to reread a series before a sequel or finale comes out. I just typically dive in and hope that all the information comes back to me. Haha

      Delete
  8. I don't reread very often, and usually it's lyrical voices & beautiful writing that brings me back. Like Maggie Stiefvater. Now, I'm rereading a lot of classics - with my son, which is such an amazing experience!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ramona, that must be so much fun! I know that when I have kids, I will reread some of my favorites with them for sure. :)

      Delete
  9. I'm on my fifth read of Gone with the Wind. :) Books are friends. I would never tell a friend, "I have no time to sit with you, for you see, there are so many other people in the world, and I must meet them all." :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jillian, oh wow, of you have read Gone with the Wind five times, it must be good. I have never read it, but it's on the TBR! And that is such a wonderful analogy about them being friends. You are so right!! If I look at it like that, I will sit down with lots of old friends more often. Thanks so much. :)

      Delete
  10. I've always re-read a lot since I was a child. Sure it keeps me from reading other books but I can't imagine life without re-reading. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lois, ahh I am so jealous of that! Ha. I really need to make more time for rereading.

      Delete
  11. When I was a kid I re-read constantly. Now...almost never. It's been fun reading books to my kids and getting one more re-read in! My TBR list on Goodreads is pushing a thousand, so like you, I don't feel like I have time to re-read!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wendy, I actually used to reread books more as a kid too! Why does that habit disappear as we grow older? I can't wait to have kids so I can reread some of my favorites with them as well. :)

      Delete
  12. The only time I reread is if I'm in a HUGE reading slump.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I have heard that is a great remedy! I have been in reading slumps before, but they weren't so big that I felt compelled to reread an old favorite. Too bad, right? :)

      Delete
  13. I reread ALL the time, usually late at night (when I make my worst decisions, lol). I've reread Unearthly, The Royal We, Throne of Glass, City of Bones, and Clockwork Angel so many times I can hardly count.... Rereading helps me get out of slumps or just keep me happy and interested when I'm bored by some other book I'm reading. Nice post!

    Rachel @ A Perfection Called Books

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Rachel! Argh, I am so jealous of all your rereading! And I really need to just hurry up and read Throne of Glass already. If you are rereading it, then it must be good. :)

      Delete
  14. I WANT to reread. Not everything, mostly just The Hunger Games if I am being honest ;) And well, I would love to reread books before the next in a series is released (which I always USED to do, pre-blog) but I just don't have the time unfortunately. That said, I am vowing to do a Hunger Games reread before Mockingjay! And yes- I want to read ALL the books too, which is why rereads have fallen by the wayside :(
    Shannon @ It Starts At Midnight

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Shannon, I would LOVE to reread Hunger Games. That is still my favorite dystopian series ever and it would be at the top of my reread list!

      Delete
  15. I love to reread and if I'm sick or just super stressed, I love turning to the comfort and familiarity of an old favourite. Since I started blogging though I reread less often but I'm trying to make more time for it. Plus I always find something new to consider when I reread.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Trish, I have realized that I reread more before blogging. Maybe it's all the ARCs or all the blogger book recommendations that have gotten in the way of that. :)

      Delete
  16. I pretty much NEVER reread. The only books I've reread were the Harry Potter series and that's because I read it along with my son. And now we're listening to it on audiobook with my other two kids - I think audio is the way to go for rereads! Like you, I feel like rereading takes me away from all of the millions of books that I WANT to read! I can't do it!!

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Nicole! It's nice to know there is a fellow book lover who doesn't reread either. :)

      Delete
  17. Okay SO. I used to reread A LOT when I was younger (I know for a fact the amount of times I've reread the first couple Harry Potter books must be somewhere in the double digits), but I get bored or tempted my other shiny books a lot faster these days. Also, I used to read more back then, because every story was new, and I had loads of time after school (because I never did my homework, but who wants to hear about that) and less money to buy new books. HOWEVER I do reread books still, just very occasionally. There are different reasons for that. 1) There's the accidental reread, which just happened to me last week or so. I started a book and only halfway through realized the reason everything seemed vaguely familiar was because I'D ALREADY READ IT. I probably already own it too. Major fail. 2) As you can see from example number one, my brain is a sieve and my memory is abysmal, so it can actually be quite fun to reread a book once enough time has passed, because I just won't be able to remember everything, so the story is halfway new again. 3) I'm in the mood for a certain kind of book and I don't have a new one that fits it or am too lazy to look for something good 4) I just genuinely like a book so much I want to delve into its world again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Vlora, I have realized that I reread a lot more when I was younger as well! Maybe it's because I had limited access to books back then? I mean, it wasn't nearly as easy to go online and buy tons of new books. And as a blogger, I am so much aware of all the new releases. Plus, there's the whole ARC thing. I do think it's pretty hilarious you were halfway through a book before you realized you had read it. Ha. Maybe that actually says more about the book than it does about you. :)

      Delete
  18. Rereading is one of my favorite things ever but it's so hard to have time for! All the new books, all the review books! The only thing I've managed to reread this year is Bridge To Terabithia, but I like to reread Harry Potter as often as possible and plan on trying to reread the whole series every December for Christmas. At the moment I'm way too behind on everything to have time for that kind of thing!

    Great post, Cynthia!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Shay, yes all the many, many ARCs makes it so hard!! I did find time to reread Bridge of Terabithia last year. That is a great one!

      Delete
  19. This is such a STUPID reason, but I don't do rereads because the Goodreads app doesn't count rereads. But next year, I am going to have to seriously give the hell up on it and get rid of the entire idea and look for a different way to display my reading goal. Because there are books that I do want to reread. I have enough review books where I could stand to read outside of my goal. 2016 is going to change my whole idea towards my attitude towards my reading goal. The GR goal app is seriously just a way to sell more books, and they never intend to let rereads count. So, starting soon, yes, I am going to reread, because there have been a ton of books that I do want to read once again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lyn, I know exactly how you feel! I am always obsessed with every book I read being counted on Goodreads. Just to let you know though, if you reread a book in a different year from the original year, it will count towards the current year's goal. Does that make sense? You just have to change the read dates. But there are books I read THIS year and want to reread. But I can't because of Goodreads. Argh, dammit!

      Delete