The question that has been bouncing around my head this week is, WHY do I like re-reading so much?
I recently re-read the entire Hollows series by Kim Harrison, which was not my first time doing so. This got me thinking about why I re-read books so often. And I mean often, I have re-read almost all of my books at least once and on some occasions several times. Which is why my bookshelves are overflowing. I can't seem to part with my books since I like to read them over and over and over again. So why do I re-read?
Firstly, I think it has to do with getting caught up for the next book, refreshing my memory. I want to have all the details fresh in my mind so I know what is going on in the latest book. I won't be wondering the whole time about why a character does something or what happened in their past. I'll know because I just re-read their entire story. I hate when I can't remember things that happened in previous books. It just nags at me the whole time I am reading. Which can get annoying and makes reading less enjoyable, at least for me. 
Secondly, I like to re-read because of the story. When I am reading I love getting lost in the story, the characters, and the world that has been created. Even though I know how things are going to turn out I can't help delving back into these characters lives. The characters made such a huge impression on me that I feel that I need to go back and read about them again.
Lastly, I like the foreshadowing in previous books. It is fun to go back and see all the things that an author set up ahead of time and discovering it when I read the book again. Sometimes it is so obvious the second go round that I can't imagine why I missed it the first time. With a re-reading I am able to discover new things I didn't notice the first time I read the book. Which is always fun.
In other words I am a re-reading addict. I do it constantly and for fun. I know most people don't have the time or the need to re-read. So are you a re-reader?
I am a re-reader too and I was shocked to find out that other people don't re-read. (Some of them are even related to me!) Re-reading a book is like seeing an old friend. And yes, if the book is well-written, you often do get more out of it the second time around.
ReplyDeleteIt is like seeing and old friend and catching up! I too have non re-readers in my family. It's weird to me that they don't like to re-read but I guess at least they're reading:)
DeleteI've always been the opposite. I've only re-read one book, and that was because I had to. But, I know that once the Rachel Morgan series is over, that I will re-read it. I miss those books just waiting for the next one to come out. I think it would be fun to re-read them all back-to-back. We should have a read-along for Dead Witch Walking :D
ReplyDeleteI hate re-reading books because I have to like Huck Finn for one of my literary classes.
DeleteI know I am dying to read Ever After especially after re-reading the series.
A read along sounds fun, let me know.