Re-reading Old Favourites
After reading Jennifer Hubbard’s post on re-reading, I got thinking about books that I re-read and the reasons why. Even though almost nothing gets me more excited than finding a wonderful new book to read (except maybe solving a challenging issue in my writing), sometimes I just want to pick up an old favourite. Why?
- It’s comforting, like spending time with an old friend or family member without having to talk.
- When I’m feeling tired, sometimes it’s easier to read something where I already know what’s going to happen.
- The story is compelling and, even though it’s different than reading it the first time, I want the experience of reading it again.
- I want to share, so I read it aloud to one of my daughters.
- I admire the writer’s skill and want to get a feel for their writing techniques again, or I want to research how the writer handles a particular element of writing. Even when this is my purpose, I often get caught up in the story!
A few of my favourite books to re-read:
- The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (or any of the HP books)
- These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder
- A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park
- Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
– Andrea
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I love to reread books! I’ve read Stephen King’s The Stand several times. Ditto for To Kill a Mockingbird. Some more of my favorites:
Turnaround (Margaret Peterson Haddix)
Savvy (Ingrid Law)
Harry Potter series (JK Rowling)
I reread a lot, for all 5 reasons you mentioned. Often I read a very exciting book so quickly the first time through to find out what happens, I have to reread it to understand what happened! I love to reread anything by Terry Pratchett especially. I’m looking forward to reading my son the Harry Potter series in a couple of years.