I am a total re-reader. I go back to books time and again. That’s partly why I have a shelf dedicated my to my favorite books on my bookshelf – so I can easily find my old friends and read them again. But lately, I’ve been so focused on reading new books to reach a certain goal or post a review, I haven’t re-read a book in a long time.
Every time I re-read a book, my family always asks me why I re-read them. My little sister once told me re-reading books was a waste of time unless you really love the book. “Of course, Anna,” I told her. “That’s why I re-read books.” Because I really love them. After all, if a book isn’t worth the re-read, was it worth the read?
Sometimes, though, I re-read books when I’m in between books I’m currently reading. If I don’t have a book I want to read or haven’t read, I pick out a book to re-read. This way while I figure out book I haven’t read I’m going to read next (there are sooo many to choose from! I never know what to read next!), I can still re-visit an old friend I haven’t read in a while.
I like to re-read books because I notice things I didn’t before. I realize “Ohhh, that’s what she meant in the prologue!” or “What? That character actually appeared as a minor character in the beginning??” And I feel like I get a better appreciation for the author, especially being a writer, and wanna-be-author (haha!) myself. It’s like re-watching favorite Disney movies. You notice Rapunzel and Flynn at Elsa’s coronation, or a wanted poster for Hans in Big Hero 6, and it’s really exciting because it’s the little things you notice the second time around.
For me, books hold memories as well. When I think of The Babysitters’ Club books, I think of the summer my family and I went to Charleston, South Carolina, and I read four books in one weekend. When I think of Interrupted by Rachel Coker, I think of my first year of middle school and how nervous I was the first couple of weeks, holding my copy of Interrupted by me as I walked down the halls or got off the bus. When I think of The Main Street series, I think of the third grade and tearing up in class and my teacher asking me what was wrong and I told her about the two girls who had just become orphans and how sad it made me. So re-reading books, for me, at least, is almost a little nostalgic.
Do any of you re-read books? Why or why not? =)
I love rereading books. You notice so mny things you didn’t notice the first time( ot the third time). I like to reread before I go to bed because its more calming then reading a.book you’ve never read before.
Me, too! I re-read books a lot before bed, too. Something about knowing what’s going to happen is calming. When I’m reading a book I haven’t read before I go to sleep, I’m on my toes and excited to figure out what happens, and then I end up staying up too late! 😉
Exactly! If I read a new book before bed I want to find out what happens and I end up staying up really late, but if I reread a book before bed its calming knowing what happens to them and its easier to put the book down.
On a different note I liked your story on Heathers blog. And wouldn’t it be cool to have a pen pal? I write my cousin but I want another pen pal. Especially if you got along and had the same interests( like Emma and Bailey).
Yeah! I completely agree. 🙂
Thanks! That was a really cool picture. Actually, me and my sister sat in a chair like that at this man-made lake my grandparents take us to. it’s pretty cool!
I really want a pen pal, too. My cousin has a pen pal from Pennsylvania who does the same home-school curriculum we do, so I could probably ask my mom if I could get one. I think you and I would be great pen pals. 😉 Writing letters is more fun than on the internet (though I do appreciate my computer at times, lol!). I also love to get mail!
Yeah. That’s really cool. I have no story behind my story. I just made it up.
Yeah. I bet we would make great pen pals. Maybe we could! That is if you want to. I would have to ask my mom. Your right. Email and comments aren’t the same. Letters are more personable. I love writng and getting letters. Yes. I love my nook. Its amazing. I write my cousin but we might move to the same area as her so that wouldn’t work out( we ar moving but we don’t know were to yet). On one blog the girl became pen pals with another blogger and know they are really close( emily jane. I’ve told you about that blog before).
Well, you did a great job on your story! I would have never thought of the museum or the giant chair being a sculpture. 🙂
Omg, that would be so much fun!! I would definitely have to talk to my parents, too. My mom and dad get all my comments on For the Bookish, and I told my mom about all your nice comments. 😉 I write letters to my great-grandma, even though she can’t write back (she is 92 or 93!)
Yeah, if you’re close it’s not that fun. My cousin and I used to write each other, but we’d see each other before our letters ever got to the other’s house! My parents have talked about moving, too, in the future. I’ll probably be a little bit older if we do.
Really? That’s cool. I haven’t really looked at her blog recently. I should check it out again. 😉
I reread books ALL THE TIME. I’ve read the MDBC at least seven times (no joke), and don’t get me started on Harry Potter… 😉
I do the same thing as you: when I don’t have anything else to read, I reread! I also reread whenever I need the comfort of a character who I’m already familiar with.
Haha! Me, too!
I especially love re-reading books to get to know the characters. I see little quirks and notice things better, and I love already having a feel for them. 🙂
I love rereading books, and I think the ability to reread a book is one of the greatest things about books. We can read a book over and over again, reliving our favorite moments and digging deeper into our favorite stories. Like you said, every time you reread a book, you notice new details. For me, all those new details come together to make my understanding of a book have so much more depth and meaning. It’s pretty amazing.
It IS amazing. I’m learning that there’s so many little things that authors have to pay attention to, to write a novel. It’s incredible, once it all comes together. 🙂
I didn’t even think of making it a museum until the end. I thought it was missing something and this popped into my head.
It would be very fun. I would have to ask my mom too. She is very protective and shed probably have to check out your blog. If I can get the guts to ask I’ll ask today. I have no idea how to ask. Any advice? That’s so cool. I only have grandparents not great grandparents.
My dads retiring from the air force so we kind of have to move.
Yeah. She doesn’t write often and I don’t really like all her fashion stuff but you probably would.
Well, it was a great idea.
I said something to my mom a few minutes ago. I’ve told her about your comments before (and like I said my parents get all the comments on my blog), and then I told her we were commenting back and forth and somehow being a pen pal came up, and I think it would be cool to be pen pals with you because we have so many of the same interests and I really like talking with you, plus writing and getting letters would be fun. She said you sound very sweet. I may talk to her some more later. I don’t know, our moms could be a bit different. 🙂
She is my only great-grandparent left. All of my great-grandfathers died before I was born, but I had both great-grandparents on my dad’s side and my mom’s side when I was born. Three of them have died, so she is pretty special. 🙂
Oh, gotcha. Are you excited to move somewhere else? I bet you’ll be happy if you move closer to your cousin!
I didn’t really like some of her fashion, either, to be honest. Some of her outfits were cute, but I wasn’t crazy about her other ones.
Thanks!
Okay. I’ll just kind of say the same thing, with a few changes of course. I’ll probably as her when she’s done teaching my sister. If our moms say yes we will have to email each other with the details( adresses and who will write first, ect.).
That’s cool. All my great grandparents died before I was born.
I am excited to move but nervous too. I’ve moved frequently over the years and it will be weird settling down. Yeah I would be.
I know what you mean. Some of her outfits are…. different. And sometimes a bit short. I’m not crazy about some of her outfits too.
Okay. That sounds great. 🙂
I bet so. It would be weird for me moving frequently. I moved once, when I was three, from an apartment my parents and I lived in to our house when my sister was born. The house I live in now has been my home for about ten years!
Exactly. I have a board on my Pinterest for Fashion. I really like anything polka-dotted (half of my closet is either stripes or polka dots!), and 40’s/50’s style outfits, even though I don’t wear very many dresses on a regular basis. I mostly wear jeans and a cute top. Usually from Target or Old Navy or some place like that. 😉 And maybe a skirt sometimes.
I love rereading books. But, my parents don’t understand how good it feels. Haha…… just a quirk of being the only daughter and niece and the first generation to be born in America from an Indian family. I wish I had a pen pal, someone that would maybe understand me and how I feel. Having a brother in college, well, I usually gets pushed to the side. Do you understand how I feel? Anyways, I really want a pen pal.
Wow! That’s really neat. I’m probably the 14th 0r 16th some generations from Germany and England and all over in Europe! 😉 It must be really cool to be the first generation in your family to be born in the US.
Aww, I’m sorry. 🙁 I have one little sister, and sometimes I feel left out, but most of the time we get equal attention. I do understand what you mean, though.
I really want a pen pal, too. I wonder how I could find a website or something that connects pen pals with similar interests? I wish I could be pen pals with everyone who comments on my blog! That would be AWESOME! 😉
YES!!! I hope there’s a website like that out there. 😉 I’m pen pals with one of my friends who moved to California, but it would be cool to meet someone I didn’t know before through that sort of program. 🙂
Oops, I forgot to include my most recent post in my comment above. 😉
I’ve always wished for a pen pal, too. It would be so cool 🙂
I know right?! 😀
I think there is a website. Same here, I wish I could be a pen pal to every girl in the world.
I do re-read books, but I try not to because I only have a limited time to read (I have school to thank for that) and my TBR pile is never ending. When I re-read a book, it’s usually because it has a sequel coming out soon and I forgot what happened in the first book. (Whoops!) Or because I’m bored and don’t have any other books to read. Or because I just really really really love a book. Great post! 🙂
I’m a big advocate of rereading… But since being a part of the book blogging community I don’t make as much time for it as I used to.
I know a lot of people don’t understand rereading books, but all the points you made were valid and true. My main reason for rereading is a comfort, returning to something you know and love. Just recently I started rereading Harry Potter. I was having a kind of crappy day and really wanted to get lost in a book, my current book wasn’t that kind of read, and so I turned to something tried and tested and it was an instant pick me up.
Also, I’m so going to be looking out for Rapunzel and Flynn next time I watch Frozen. Haha!
🙂