Friday Question #216
Do you tend to reread the books you own over and over, or do you read them once and are done with them?
I finished reading The Other Boleyn Girl for the second time last night, and I think it is the first time in my adult life that I have read a book I own twice! I reread books all the time when I was a kid, but I just don’t seem to do that anymore. Maybe it’s because I feel like I don’t have a lot of time to read books as it is, so I want to read the news ones I have? And I have some old books I haven’t even read… like the entire Star Wars series…
Guess I better start reading those since they are going to make sequels VII, VIII and IX!
And if I am being honest, I have to tell you that the reason I reread The Other Boleyn Girl is because we are watching The Tudors on Netflix and I wanted to reread Phillipa Gregory’s Tudor series. But after I finished it I started on a book in her Cousin’s War series so I guess I didn’t really stay on track. Ha ha.
Themocracy
I have a collection of health/self-help/spiritual books that I read over and over and over and over…so much so that my husband and kids always laugh at me. They are in a pile by my bed and underlined and highlighted a lot. But they are like old friends to me and they help me get thru hard times. Some of my favorite authors in this category are Pema Chodron, Marianne Williamson, Don Miguel Ruiz, Tara Brach, Anodea Judith, Christiane Northrup, Eckhart Tolle, and Elizabeth Lesser.
On the other hand, I very rarely re-read fiction. I suppose it’s because fiction for me is about finding out what is going to happen in the end. Although I just read “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed and I absolutely LOVED it and so I think I am going to read it again (but it is a memoir so not fiction so I guess it doesn’t count).
I am the same way with some health books, especially the ones I read to try to curb my overeating! (Just had our Thanksgiving today – still overeating. Hahahahah).
Great question! I generally tend to only read it once..and never again.
However, “Tuesdays with Morrie” is such an inspirational book that I dig it out pretty often!
I recently reread French women don’t get fat. I also reread my favorite starred blog posts on google reader sometimes.
That is a good idea! I should start starring my fave blog posts to reread 🙂
I never read books twice. That’s why I love my Nook. I don’t have books all over the place now.
I used to watch movies over and over but I don’t even do that now. I’d rather watch/read something new. Too much out there that I’d like to see/read, so I don’t have time for re-watching or re-reading. 🙂
I’ve re-read books a couple times. In high school, we were forced to read classic literature and I don’t think I had the chance to fully enjoy them. I’ve gone back and re-read some of these books in my own time and enjoyed them much more.
Also, I’ve re-read all of the Harry Potter books between 2-6 times (that is not an exaggeration. I think I’ve read book 6 about 6 times). My husband thinks I’m crazy but the author does so much foreshadowing. Only reading this the first time, I missed it. I plan to read these to my kids out loud some day and help carry on the HP tradition. 🙂
I would like to reread some stuff from high school too. Except The Scarlet Letter. Did you try that one again?
Nope, I didn’t do Scarlet Letter although Lord of the Flies has been on my re-read list for a long time.
I tend to only read books once… although I did read an entire series a second time (up until whatever point it was at.. I think 10?). I usually have a book I am reading now but prior to getting my job in DC, I didn’t really read books. I was only reading this one series and when I got to the end (at the time.. it’s still going) I re-read them because my roomie was re-reading them too. I was actually really impressed that I read that many books twice! All on the train though.
I always thought I would reread books and that’s why I kept so many for so long. Then I finally realized I never would and started consolidating most of my collection.
I think it feels so wrong to get rid of a book because you think you might want to reread it someday, but I recently donated a few books to Goodwill! Shhh 🙂
I’m like you. When I was a kid, I read many books multiple times. But now I feel like there is so much that I want to read, that I rarely reread books. I’ve reread some light books like Bridget Jones’s Diary and a few of my favorite classics, but mostly it’s on to the next thing.
No, I don’t re-read books. I don’t ever even keep books. I usually just borrow them. On the rare occasion that I buy a book, I buy it used and then resell it when I get done with it. lol I just hate book clutter. I grew up with three book whores, so I don’t know what happened to me.
Where do you resell it? Online? I had some books I didn’t want and was thinking about posting on my Facebook page to ask people if they wanted them but ended up taking them to Goodwill 🙂
To be honest, I don’t read very many books (unless you count cookbooks). Usually I don’t have the patience (which is the same reason I don’t watch too many movies). Instead, I read lots of periodicals – magazines, newspapers, and blogs. =D So no, I do not reread books. And I agree with Pam in hating book clutter (unless you count cookbooks). Adam always buys his books, as opposed to borrowing them from the library or whatnot. Then all of his books pile up and make our bookshelves sag with their weight – and it drives me nuts!
I have a few books I’ve read or kept to go back as reference for something esp some running books and autism stuff…that’s quite a Star Wars and Star Trek book collection you have there my friend! lol
Do know that those Star Trek books are NOT MINE 😉
Oh I love the Tudors! It’s probably a little more smutty than historically accurate, but it’s good TV. 🙂
I do re-read books from time to time, mostly when I can’t find something new that I want to read on my Kindle. Even though we have a huge bookcase full of books that I have yet to read.
When I don’t feel up to searching for a new book to read I’ll go to an old standby. But I haven’t re-read anything recently.
I don’t usually re-read books. I feel the same way you do – there are so many books to read, I don’t have time to re-read ones I’ve already read. Although I have recently re-read a couple books that I first read in high school and didn’t really appreciate the first time around. Also, a couple moves ago, when we were significantly downgrading how much space we had, I donated a lot of books. I figured what’s the point of keeping them (and having them take up space), if I only read them once? Now, I only buy books (secondhand) if they are classics or written by a favorite author. Otherwise, I go to the library.