The Sword and Laser discussion

I don't usually re-read a book, since there are so many new titles to be read at any one time. But lately I've been wanting to re-visit some of my favorite titles. I've even considered making 2015 "The Year of Re-Reads," but that's not a definite plan just yet.

Do you re-read books? What book has you coming back to it the most? What book do you want to re-visit?

Some of the titles that I am considering re-visiting...

The Light of Other Days - Arthur C. Clarke
This is my favorite Clarke title. I haven't read it in years. Also, the only book that I've listened to the audiobook of, and it was the old school Books on [actual cassette] Tape. Who knows? I just might go the audiobook route.

The Songs of Distant Earth - Arthur C. Clarke
My 2nd favorite Clarke title. Also haven't read it in years. Has the most emotionally devastating destruction of the Earth scene that I have ever read (or seen).

The City and the Stars - Arthur C. Clarke
This dystopian novel is a re-write of an earlier Clarke title, Against the Fall of Night, but I vividly remember enjoying this one more. I might go back and read the earlier version as well.

Rama Series - Arthur C. Clarke with Gentry Lee
If I re-read this series, it would be my third time. But I am not completely sure that I will since the three books with Lee are so long, and I am not sure I want to commit to such a long undertaking. But I will at least re-read Rendezvous with Rama.

The Foundation Trilogy - Isaac Asimov
Another trilogy that I have already read through a second time. But I just might continue on with the fourth and fifth books this time around, because I actually enjoyed the whole search for Earth plot line. And I do miss reading about benevolent robot, R. Daneel Olivaw.

To Sail Beyond the Sunset - Robert A. Heinlein
Time Enough for Love - Robert A. Heinlein
These two Heinlein novels trace the origins/adventures of one of his most compelling characters, Lazarus Long. It's been so long since I read these, that I totally forgotten what happens.

Moon is a Harsh Mistress - Robert A. Heinlein
During my Heinlein phase, I remember loving this one. And thinking that it was so realistic, that if there was a rebellion on a colonized moon, this is how it would go down.

Bluebeard - Kurt Vonnegut
Hocus Pocus - Kurt Vonnegut
My two favorite Vonnegut novels. The ones that I recommend to anyone that will listen. Hocus Pocus was my first Vonnegut, which is probably why I love it so much, but also its story structure and the way it unfolds like an onion is just so compelling. Just a fascinating way to tell a story. And Bluebeard is just a beautiful story. Period. It mixes the mid-20th Century art scene, WWII trauma and relationship issues so well. That final image still haunts me. Can't wait to experience it all over again.

The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
It's been 10 years since I read this originally. And since then we got a terrible movie adaptation, and the news that there might be a sequel(?). I am not afraid to admit that I cried a bit while reading this. Curious to see what a second time around will bring. That ending is just so bröötal.

Ready Player One - Ernest Cline
This would be a fairly recent re-read, since I first read it just two years ago. But, I enjoyed it so much, that a re-visit to this world can't come soon enough. (Not the actual world of the book since it is a miserable place, but the virtual world in the book. If you've read it, you know what I mean.)

I don't reread a lot, but I do do it. Never understood the resistance to it. If we read for pleasure, and the thing we most want to read at the moment is a reread, why not?

I almost never re-read. Not that I'm against it, there are just so many books out there that I don't put it into my time to do so.

That said, I did re-read most Gene Wolfe books at least once. But does that even count, when many of them are constructed such that you have to re-read to get the full experience?

For me, if I reread it's in audio.

I tend to only re-read if a new book in a series is coming out and I want to refresh myself on what's happened in the previous books. So when the next Kingkiller book comes out (not counting The Slow Regard of Silent Things), or when the next Song of Ice and Fire book comes out, I'll re-read everything prior to that.

When the final Wheel of Time books were released, I did a complete series re-read before the second-to-last book came out. When the final book was released, I re-read the books written by Brandon Sanderson. I would like to re-visit that series end-to-end one day...

Generally, I don't otherwise re-read books, not because I have anything against it, just because I have so many other things in my queue...so many books, so little time...

I do use two series of audiobooks to fall asleep at night. I just turn on the book and let it go, since I've read the books in both series multiple times. I go back and forth between the Wheel of Time series and the Harry Potter books.

I don't generally reread anymore for the "too much to read" reason. Once a year I'll reread a Heinlein book because he's my favorite author and I read books with my kids at night that I've read before like the Harry Potter books or some Terry Pratchett.

terpkristin wrote: "I tend to only re-read if a new book in a series is coming out and I want to refresh myself on what's happened in the previous books."

I should probably do that myself. But when there are so many previous novels to get through, just to read the latest installment, it becomes such a task. At some point, I'll probably re-read the entire Expanse series, back-to-back, between the annual releases.

I planned to read Shipstar when it came out last April, the second book of Niven/Benford's Bowl of Heaven series, but as I started to read the first chapter, I realized that I had no memory of these characters or the events that led up to what I was reading (so I just lemmed it). I will probably have to go back and read the first novel and immediately follow it up with the second. I don't know what I'll do if there is a third book.

Phil wrote: "Once a year I'll reread a Heinlein book because he's my favorite author"

There was a period of a few months, many years ago, where I just tore right through all of Heinlein's novels. Lately I've been getting the hankering to re-reading his Juvenile Novels, just because there are easily digestible and short reads.

I'm a big re-reader, always have been, though I will say, the books I've read many many times I kind of skim through to my favorite parts sometimes. I also will re-read a series when a new book comes out. I read a lot of books.

Some of my all time favorites are -

Lord of the Rings, Dune (first 3, somes more), Pern, Eddings' Belgariad and Mallorean, Cherryh's Fortress series Fortress in the Eye of Time, Valdemar by Mercedes Lackey, Heinlein, Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was by Hughart, Connie Willis' Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog, Dresden Files, Christopher Stasheff's Warlock series The Warlock in Spite of Himself, Maia by Richard Adams, Mermaid's Song by Alida Van Gores, The Initiate Brother Duology by Sean Russell, Mary Stewart's Merlin trilogy The Crystal Cave, Glen Cook's Black Company, Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel trilogy, Pamela Dean's Tam Lin, Melanie Rawn, Good Omens and American Gods by Gaiman, Ready Player One, Ender's Game, plus a few mystery series and historical fiction and horror.

When I was a kid I re- and re- and re-read The Baby-Sitter's Club books. And Ramona Quimby. Those books were like a blanket, very comforting.

I am an enervate re-reader. I think it started when I was young because I couldn't obtain books fast enough to find new reads. I later realized that I read faster than some but that every re-read I could focus on a different aspect of story and get more out of it. So my first read is just to get the plot then I read for characters or environment or just the love of the authors prose. So over the years I have re-read a lot but not always to experience the total book, I often think it is something similar to fast forwarding a movie to the scenes I like to watch.

I'm also a "so many books, so little time" guy, but I have done plenty of re-reading. Especially back in the late 70s and early 80s when there was so little SF/F and books tended to be shorter, I re-read a ton of stuff. Especially The White Dragon.

The only thing I've re-read recently is Sten, but that book is so easy to read it only took me an afternoon to do so.

I don't often re-read, especially if the book in question had a scene that I found overwhelmingly depressing or inexplicably infuriating or unrepeatable heart-wrenching. I do find myself frequently drawn back to short stories, though, or classic books I read for school that I may have paid less attention to than I should have.

It's not sf/fantasy, but I'm about to re-read Robinson Crusoe for the first time since I was a child.

Phil wrote: "I don't generally reread anymore for the "too much to read" reason."

Chalk me up as another one of those. When I was a kid and a teen, I was limited to what my mother's old collection and what the library had and somehow never discovered inter-library loans. I read The Chronicles of Narnia over and over. And the Dragonriders of Pern series. I've read the Vorkosigan Saga at least three times at this point, particularly A Civil Campaign, which is my favorite. I've been trying to reread old classics that I didn't understand the first time, like The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress.

Series I've read Multiple Times:

Dresden Files
Lord of the Rings+The Hobbit
The Dark Tower
Harry Potter
Codex Alera

Similar to others, I used to reread a lot when I was a kid. For instance I read the first few Wheel of Time books I think 3 times each, and I used to reread the Star Wars: X-Wing novels over and over.

Since getting a bit older and my tastes expanding I rarely reread now, I'll usually prefer to pick up something new. There's always the threat of the suck fairy paying a visit too. There are a few I'd like to revisit at some stage though, American Gods and the Revelation Space books come to mind.

Joanna wrote: "I read The Chronicles of Narnia over and over."

Same here.

More when I was a kid and had "infinity time". I read Jurassic Park 3-4 times. There are lots of books from that time period, but I can't really remember them. Now, as an adult with a wife and kid there isn't time for that and new stuff. Although sometimes I take an old paperback to work to read while waiting for meetings to start. That's how I've read the "I, Robot" collection a few times.In college I re-read many of the Neal Stephenson novels I'd read in HS.

But now with book bundles plus books I want to buy at full price, I have enough books to read for the next three years if I never buy another book.

I don't re-read like I used to. Since discovering S&L, my TBR pile has grown considerably and there's so much I haven't read yet so I don't want to spend time re-reading. There are some books I can always re-read though. Harry Potter, LOTR, ASOAIF (although that's diminishing returns now). Someday, I'll re-read the Malazan series and maybe understand it more.

Dara wrote: "Since discovering S&L, my TBR pile has grown considerably"

Before I discovered S&L, I didn't really read any new SF. It was solely the old classics (i.e., Asimov, Clarke, and Heinlein. The 3 Great Masters). Now, I am exposed to so many currently active authors, that my TBR is never in need of new titles.

So it sounds like I'm not alone -- I don't reread nearly as much as I used to, but I do still revisit old favorites from time to time (currently Barry Blake of the flying fortress,).

When I was younger and had more time and less Netflix, I'd reread an entire author -- spend a month or two rereading everything I owned by, say, C.J. Cherryh or Michael Moorcock. These days when I do reread I'm much more selective -- usually just a book or two at a time.

I don't reread all that often. Time is at a premium for me now. I might reread if I am feeling nostalgic or for comfort. I reread the first few Vorkosigan Saga novels when I was going through tough times last year and that helped me some.

I enjoy re-reading. For me, it's like watching a movie multiple times, each time I get something different from the experience.

The books I've re-read the most are probably David & Leigh Eddings' series The Belgariad, The Malloreon, The Elenium and The Tamuli. I am pretty sure my read count on these are in the double digits.

Ones I've read many times include The Chronicles of Amber, The Han Solo Adventures, Merchanter's Luck and The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings.

If we're including graphic novels, Watchmen, The Starman Omnibus, Vol. 1, and basically anything written by Chuck Dixon.

I re-read quite a lot, just as I'll watch re-movies and re-play games I've enjoyed. Currently re-reading T.H. White's excellent Once and Future King. The series I've re-read the most is Brian Aldiss's Helliconia trilogy, been coming back to that since 1986

I reread lots when I was young. Partly that was simply a matter of availability - I only had the local bookshop and library to choose from, and it didn't take long to exhaust their supply of SF&F.

Now, there are so many great new and new-to-me authors to choose from, and thanks to Amazon etc, they're pretty much always available - no more frustration that you can't find the next book in the series and so on.

And more than ever it becomes a limitation of time. I have to work. I have to write, cook, do a million and one other chores. And every book I reread becomes a new book I don't read.