Gotta Read That One Again
Are you someone who rereads books, or are you always looking for something new without looking back? I, myself, am someone who loves rereading books. It can be hard to decide if I want to reread a series or try to find something new. In fact, I am often conflicted about what choice to make, and often get the urge to revisit specific series, worlds, and characters. To me, there are several reasons to reread a book or series:
1. A New Book Coming Out in the Series
I often will reread a series when there is a new one coming out. This could mean rereading a lot of books since I do love ongoing series that are at thirteen or more books. It is a nice refresher for me to get back into the world of the series and remember how the story gets to the point it is currently at before jumping in to the new book. This is especially the case with longer series that have taken a while to release a new book. I read so many books that it is nice to have a refresher after being away from it for a long time.
2. Reexperiencing the Events and World
There are just some worlds and storylines that are just so good that one visit is not enough. I can’t tell you how many times I reread a story just to revisit a place with a cool magic system or excellent plotline. I just want to reexperience the thoughts and feelings I had when being immersed in the setting and action in a book or series.
3. New Details Come to Light
Another reason to reread books is because you can catch new things that you either didn’t remember or never noticed during your first or other previous reads. Many times, I will read a book for the second or twelfth time and be like ‘did that always happen like that?’ or ‘how did I not remember that?’ or ‘I never realized what that meant!’. With each reread, I experience new points and details that I would never have enjoyed if I never went back.
4. Revisiting the Characters
Characters are the heart of any story, and when I love a character, of course I’m going to go back and visit them again. Sometimes the heart just wants another dose of the character’s personality or to remind yourself as to why you like him or her so much. Sometimes it’s even like visiting an old friend who never lets you down every time you see him or her again.
5. Want More Story and Can’t Get More Except by Rereading
I have a minorly obsessive personality. When I find something that I really enjoy, I just want more and more and more and more! And, once I get to the end, the only way to get more is going back to the beginning. There are a few series that I have read through and then immediately gone back to page one of book one and read all over again immediately. It was just too incredible to admit that it was over. I was just not ready to be done yet. Has anyone else experienced that sensation?
6. Watched the Movie Version
There is never a time that I have watched a movie adaptation of a book series I enjoy that did not make me have the roaring need to read the books. Since I find the books almost always better, the movie just kindles the love of the series, the characters, and the books that makes me yearn to experience them over again. There have been times that I come home from the movie theatre and immediately hunt down the book even though I was in the middle of a different one!
Often, the reason I reread books is a large mix of all of these different reasons. I just continually find more reasons that I really should reread a book or series. The book/series doesn’t even have to be one of my absolute favorites for me to want to reread it. I have reread many books that I think are three or four stars as well as all my five-star books. If I highly enjoyed what I read and is memorable, there will be a time that I will have the urge to reread it.
Do you reread books? If you do, which of these reasons are the ones that pull you back to a series or book you already read? Do you have any reasons I didn’t mention? I would love to hear your opinions on rereading a book/series. Comment below and share your thoughts!
