I’ve only spoken to a couple of friends and acquaintances about re-reading books but the majority have said that they don’t re-read books. The exception seems to be when they’ve stopped reading a series and feel the need to refresh their memory. I’ve always that was strange because I love re-reading books. My favorite is when it’s been long enough (many years usually) that I don’t remember what happens anymore. Or I’ve forgotten some of the bigger plot points. It makes the book an even newer experience. Even if I do remember a book well that won’t stop me from re-reading and re-enjoying it. 🙂

I think one of the reasons I do enjoy re-reading so much is because though the book doesn’t change, my perspective does. As a teenager I had a voracious appetite for book and read a whole bunch. I started on Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time epic when I was 12 or so and there were only a couple of books in the series. Admittedly they were a tough read for a kid my age but I muddled through and really loved the books. Other favorite authors of my youth are David Eddings, Laurell K. Hamilton, and Mercedes Lackey. I’ve added plenty of other favorite authors but sometimes I just want to read something I loved reading previously. And the amazing thing is that I get something new out of them every time. Every time I re-read one of those books I’m at a different point in my life with different things influencing how I read and process the books.

Probably the biggest differences looking back are my shift into real maturity (something I’ve only managed to just barely snag in the past decade) and now that I’m writing for a living. As an adult my tastes have changed somewhat and I find I have no patience for situations and things that I may have sympathized with as a teenager. (A big example here would be angst. Having been through my fair share I don’t have a lot of patience for it.) And now as an author I find myself with a split view of everything I read: one as the laid-back reader I’ve always been and one as an author examining word choices, formatting, publishing quirks, etc. It makes for an engaging experience even when I’ve read the book many times before.

Anywho, just some food for thought.