I have read some amazing books that I often consider reading again. However, even when I search and search for my next read (often unsuccessfully) I still can’t make myself do it! It just seems soooo counter productive knowing there are literally an infinite amount of new books to read. Am I the only one? What are some books you have read more than once?
by Expert_Squash1004
24 Comments
The only books I have ever read more than once was The Lord of the Rings and The Dark Tower.
Totally get what you’re saying, but given enough time some books are just too good not to read again. I just read Lord of the Rings again and it was so worth it! Just pick a book or two a year that you haven’t read in a while and it will not feel like a waste.
I’m really bad at re-reading books, too. But the times I’ve done it I really enjoyed it and I’m trying to do it more. I re-read Senlin Ascends after being unsure of it the first time through and ended up enjoying it so much that I devoured the rest of the series. Last year I revisited a middle grade fantasy series that I adored growing up. It was so fun to be back in that world and it was actually neat to realize how much that series formed my reading taste.
I’ve been waiting yearsssss to be able to re-read The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. I think I finally forget enough of what happens to get to re-experience it. And I think I want to read Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop again because that was just such a lovely, comforting experience.
I’ve reread dozens of books. Why not? I don’t see it as any different from watching a movie I’ve already seen.
Not crazy at all. Same reasons people watch their favorite movies more than once. You notice things the second time around that you didn’t the first time, and a second read can often be more enjoyable than the first. The hard part is finding the time and energy to go back and revisit a book rather than opening up a new one.
Reading books can actually be super-productive! It lets you focus on different things than in your initial read, such as theme, construction, messaging… or just noticing different things each time! In addition to just enjoying something for a second time.
I have a lot of books I’ve re-read, and sometimes I’ll reread them surprisingly close together. I think I once re-read Plain Kate by Erin Bow three times in as many months. For non-fiction, I’ve reread Unmask Alice by Rick Emerson a surprising amount of times. Other books I have a harder time re-reading, for whatever reason. But overall, it’s a notable part of my reading experience.
I really like re-reading books I love. After a few years, I don’t remember all the details so there is still some surprise along the way. I always like seeing what my new take aways are and whether I still love the book as much the second or third time around. I do believe how we feel about a book is somewhat dependent on where we are in life and what’s going on in our life when we’re reading that book. So revisiting a book after a few years at a different stage of life often gives me a new perspective on the novel.
Lately I’ve been doing the audiobook for a re-read so it feels like a new experience.
I’ve seen dozens moves & TV shows so many times i can recite them by heart, imagine how much of that time invested i could have replaced with new things i have yet to see — that is to say, i re-watch them because i love them and want to experience them again!
I re-read my favorite books every few years or so, I love seeing what strikes me in a different way each time (and it definitely has changed over the years). If you want to read it again, read it again. If you want to watch a movie again, watch it again. If you want to see a Broadway show again, go see it again. Spend your time making yourself happy, not doing what you think you ought to do.
I reread my favorite books all the time. No one gives you the side eye if you listen to your favorite albums over and over
Do you rewatch tv shows? Or movies? Is that counter productive? The way I see it, if you are enjoying yourself then it’s not counter productive.
I love rereading! I dont put too much pressure in it. Reading to me is a hobby after all.
I reread Anna Karenina every few years or so. At this point those characters are like old friends.
There have also been a few books where I didn’t enjoy them the first time round and a bit of time and a reread really helped me get into them. Wolf Hall is a good example because not only did I enjoy the book a second time round but it encourages me to read the whole trilogy.
In fact, there have been a few instances where I have reread a first book to give me another run at a series.
I’ll always reread books I’ve loved. Like visiting a dear old friend. Usually I’ve missed or forgotten a lot too.
Lots of cliches in my list of multiple more than twice re-read books: Dune, LOTR, Les Miserables, Anathem, Siddartha… and my cult fave sci fi author Rudy Rucker.
Also re-read lots of comics. Halo Jones, Lost Girls and others by Alan Moore. Lots of by Robert Crumb, Chris Ware and Dan Clowes. You could argue that’s to appreciate as the art the same way we enjoy paintings over and over, but it’s also the incredible stories.
I re-read books all the time! Especially books that make me think, like anything by Hesse for example. I first read them in my early twenties, so nowadays they hit differently!
I read for entertainment and brain soothing, and sometimes brain soothing means re-reading.
Productivity is for work, not for leisure, I’m seeking pleasure here not another chore.
I re-read books all the time, in addition to reading new ones. Read what you want. Read what gives you fulfillment. There are no reading police.
i get what you mean! while i also want to get to all my new reads, it’s equally as satisfying (imo) in the moments when im not feeling any new reads to fall back into my comfort zone and pick up something i know im going to love. there’s no rush and there’s no end to the TBR, just have fun with the new and the old! i have a tag on GR for the books i wanna get back to and honestly sometime a skim through is enough
I never ever reread books. Once I know the characters and story, I don’t feel the need to revisit. TBR shelf has like 1309 books on it and I add more every day. I’ll never live long enough to get through it (and that thrills me!), so I’m not going backwards.
I love re-reading books! It always feels like dropping in on an old friend
I reread all the time. I’ve got a mental shelf of probably like 30-40 10/10s that I’ll occasionally revisit, maybe 5-10 rereads a year (out of 50-100 books/yr).
Sometimes when nothing is appealing, or if I need some comfort, I absolutely re-read things.
I love to re-read books. There are some books I read every year