Chicks On Lit discussion

I don't re-read. Yes, I recently re-read Olive Kitteridge to be current for the group discussion, but that is a lone exception.

I know lots of you re-read, and it's not that I want to know why, though I suspect a few of you will tell me. It's not that I don't understand having favorites. It's that I truly don't understand having so much time to read so few books. I know, I'm just an old bat. I've started limiting myself to the number of books I think I might read, and I still have over 500 that I lust after. If I were younger, that number could run into the thousands.

I don't re-read often because of the same reasons but sometimes I like to visit with old friends. Scarlett often calls me up to come over and talk with her ;)

Gotcha! "Oh, I'll just deal with that tomorrow."

That's funny, Elizabeth.
Years ago, I would never do re-reads. Now my "never" has turned into occasional re-reads. When I find myself in a reading funk where I cannot decide what book to read or I cannot get further than a few chapters in any new book, then I turn back to my comfort books, my "old friends" (as Tera puts it). With them I am guaranteed a good read, and afterwards I seem to find a new book to read very easily. So I no longer turn up my nose at re-reads, rather I welcome them.

Brenda (Lansdowne) wrote: "When did we discuss Olive? "

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...

I re-read Jane Eyre. And Generation Kill. :)

Harry Potter books before their movies come out.

The books I'm most likely to re-read are ones I read first as a child or teenager that I re-read many times then. I pick up The Scarlet Pimpernel and Douglas Adams every few years to read again. Oh and David Sedaris although I think most of his books have disappeared into friends' libraries...

For the last 5 or more years I don't generally re-read...I just want to use my time reading other things and I don't put a lot of importance on owning books like I once did. I can see myself becoming a re-reader again at some point in my life though. There's something to be gained from knowing characters like old friends and it's very comforting to revisit favorites, I think.

So many books so little time! And yet I could read shadow of the wind over and over (and have) because I can't fail to be moved by it every time. That's why I re-read.

I do reread some of my books. Some people can't afford to buy books all the time so they reread the ones they have. My friend does that. Yes, there is the library but she is too busy to go.

I think the only book I reread every once in a while is The Great House Of God by Max Lucado. He is by far one of my favorites and there's just something about that book that I keep going back to.

I don't often re-read, life is so short! But I have re-read books I love, and found them richer and deeper than first time around. That's becoz I was in my 20s when I read them, and didn't understand a lot about life. I loved re-reading ANNA KARENINA, but strangely, found her boring this time. It was the other characters I fell in love with, Dolly and Levin! You will too, I promise.

I fear I re-read SOPHIE'S CHOICE too many times. At least four! Its still brilliant, massive in scope but...there were many many chapters that could have been edited. Same with THE ENGLISH PATIENT, a brilliant book, great love story, Michael Ondaatje is one of my favorite authors. But on re-reading found too many 'precious' phrases, fanciful sentences that did not advance the story. Of course you could say that about my novels, too.

I confess, after a re-read I still found Olive Kittredge herself too stringent, too 'harsh.' I did re-read THE BOOK THIEF and was fascinated again. I've read RIDDLEY WALKER four times! And still don't understand it! Do any of you? Happy Reading! And alohas from Hawaii. Kiana Adavenport, Author

As a child, I was captivated by "Nicholas and Alexandra" and re-read it about 10 times. Since time is so precious now, I probably re-read segments of favorite books, mainly non-fiction, inspirational books. However, Jane Eyre, The Brothers Karamazov, Love in the Time of Cholera, and anything by Isabel Allende are likely choices for another read.

To date, I have not re-read any books with the exception of those I teach. I have a few I have held onto because I think I would get something more from it during a second read, but I haven't yet.

There are two main reasons why I don't. First, I still have so many unread books that I want to read and I already feel pressed for time.

Second, part of the gratification of reading is getting to the ending. I am afraid I will be much to impatient to re-read a book when I already know the ending. It's the same reason why I always have to read the book before I watch the movie, but then I usually am disappointed in the movie.

I have certain comfort books which gladden me when I am down. These are not necessarily great books, but mostly contain description of places, food etc. and most are YA/children fiction. I like to reread books during my meal times. I reserve my usual reading time for first timers.

I do not re-read much, but books with layers of meaning do cause me to re-read. Sometimes, the re-read takes place quickly after the first read because I know that I missed the depth because the plot demanded most of my attention. Sometimes there is decades between reads because I know that I need to mature. "Beloved" is a recent example of such a book. And, there are some books that I return to because they help me to understand profound truths about myself. Interior Castle is my regular re-read on spirituality for me.

I have re-read: Catch 22, You're Stepping On My Cloak and Dagger, Tom Sawyer, Roughing It, Huckleberry Finn, Grapes of Wrath, The Scarlet Letter, and East of Eden.

Many of them I read the first time in high school, then again when I was in my mid-twenties, and again in my early thirties. Each time the book struck me differently. In my '30's I picked up on nuances that I hadn't when I was in high school. I am (hopefully) a more mature person with richer past experiences than when I was in high school.

And Mark Twain just gets funnier as I get older. I read Huckleberry Finn to my daughter when she was about 6 months old and I laughed hysterically at several points.

I have re-read. The Poisonwood Bible, The Great Gatsby, East of Eden, But I tend not to re-read. I agree Mary some books strikes us differently at the time of life in which we read them.

I also don't like to re-read books. There are too many out there that I haven't read yet and it seems a waste of time. I did re-read the Book Thief, though. I think it was because it was so emotional for me the first time, that I wanted to re-read it again to make sure I didn't miss anything.

There are a few I have re-read in the past because I missed the characters and they truly are favorites of mine. Now with so many I want to read I don't have the time. Although there are some books I read when I was younger that I know I would understand much more about if I read them now.

I can quite understand about the books read a long time ago and how seeing them differently now might be beneficial. But then I am reminded that if I spend 3-4 days with it again, that means there is another book I won't be able to read ever.

I reread Game of Thrones, Frankenstein, Dracula, Anne of Green Gables series, Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. Those are the ones that come to mind.