Jessica at A Great Read posted a discussion titled Guilt for Re-Reading? She asked if you feel guilty for re-reading when you have books at home you haven't read yet at all.
I tend not to feel this way, despite how many unread books I have at home. And I go out and get more library books, when I could be reading from home (but that's another story).
It seems I get the re-read prompt every year in at least two different challenges. When it comes time to decide what to re-read, I tend to go off what I already have. If I look up a book from the library on Goodreads and see that I've already read it (I'm surprised how often this happens), I often tend not to re-read the book in question. For one I already had at home, it turned out I'd already read that one and had no wish to read it again. For some books, once is enough. I may donate a book after I read it, if I feel I won't have a desire to re-read it. Some I just keep, without feeling certain if I want to repeat them. And when it does come time to want to do a re-read, it can be hard to decide what to take off the shelf for a second go-around. I decided to re-read this one just last month.
There are also those prompts that say "Re-read a childhood favorite" or "A book you had to read in school" or some variation. It can get even harder to fulfill this one. I've re-read so many books I had as child and cannot remember all the books I had to read in school. And just how far back can I go when it comes to books read in school? Does that include college? I feel free to interpret this how I see fit.
What is your take on re-reading?
When I was young, I used to re-read favourite books all the time. Now I never do. Guess I have a greater sense now that time is short.
ReplyDeleteI am a rereader. Some books I read again most years. I am often surprised to find that I can take different things away with me... particularly if it has been some time since I last read the book.
ReplyDeleteI re-read my favorites. Some of my books are taped together, I've had them so long and read them so many times;)
ReplyDeleteI believe I was in jr hi when a teacher said, "You see a movie you liked more than once. Why not reread a book you enjoyed?" That stuck with me. In 2020, I found that I couldn't start new books. It was weird. I just wanted the comfort of books I had already read and enjoyed.
ReplyDeleteNowadays, I tend to reread things during the week. This is because I can't be trusted to put a book down before 2 (or 4) AM if I get sucked in. If I get sucked back into a book I've read before, I can chide myself that I know what's going to happen. With a new book, it becomes "just one more chapter..." until the sun comes up. (Sometimes. Well, frequently.)