Reliving through Rereading
One of my greatest pleasures in life is reliving a novel. Yes, I know technically the term is rereading, but if you’re not living through what you’re reading, you’re doing it wrong. I love immersing myself in a book for the first time, but going back and reconnecting with the characters, the setting, the story,… that’s magical. It’s getting harder and harder to convince myself to reread books, though. Time becomes more and more precious as my schedule fills up with new ARC (Advanced Reader/Review Copy) books to read and manuscripts to edit. And let’s not even talk about what I’ve been feeding Audrey II these days! Having my brain and my heart agree on the best use of my bookish time is not always easy.
Oh, wait, a little explanation: I have renamed my TBR (to be read) list Audrey II. Because much like the beloved Little Shop of Horrors plant, I keep feeding it, and it keeps growing. And growing. And growing. My TBR is another entire mess of good intentions.
But, I digress… I’m finding it harder to justify reliving a book I’ve already finished when I have so many other things to read! And it’s starting to bother me. There are certain book I’ve already relived multiple times (I’ll include a list at the end), and I still want to go back and immerse myself in their wonderfulness again. And there are other books I’ve only lived through once that I want to revisit. Because they are, without question, purely wonderful stories that still occupy a significant part of my brain and my heart. And I need to re-experience that joy. Again. And likely again, again.
I feel like I just need to find a good reason for a reread so I can justify it to my brain. So, let me talk this out with you while I convince myself:
1. Books I’ve already wandered through once bring comfort. There is no angst when I know what is going to happen. And sometimes I just can’t deal with the angstiness of something new.
2. Books I’ve already wandered through feel like coming home. I love revisiting with my favorite characters. They’re like family. And it’s like a reunion without the annoying relative who just can’t seem to take the hint that I’m really not interested in their latest and greatest work from home party scheme.
3. Reliving a book while someone I know is reading it for the first time is kinda like going to Disney World with someone who’s never been there. I get to see things with new eyes through their interpretation of the story. Many times that leads to a new view on something that happened in the story, or a different appreciation for a certain character. Plus, experiencing their reactions to things is sometimes just plain awesome. And often hilarious as well.
4. A new book coming out in the series deserves to be appreciated without me having the “huh?” moments that come along with not having read the prior books recently enough.
5. Reliving a book is a great cure for reader’s block. Sometimes I just can’t figure out what to read next. So, I read something I know I’m going to love. It calms my mind. And helps me refresh before picking a new book to dive into.
6. Each time I reread a book I find something I missed. It might be a character quirk, a new favorite quote, and often with a series I get to see the book with new eyes having more knowledge of what comes later. That can lead to some pretty amazing insights. Sometimes authors interweave characters from different series into their books, and finding those hidden treasures is like knowing where the Easter eggs are before the hunt begins.
Ok, that’s six pretty damn good reasons to relive a book. But, ya know what? I think the best reason may just be: Because I want to! I mean, isn’t wanting to relive a book just because I love it reason enough? Nobody questions someone watching the same movie again and again. Why are books different? Yeah, yeah, I know… I knew the answer all along. Now I just need my heart and brain on the same page.
So, what about you, dear reader? Do you relive certain books? Or are you a once and done kinda reader? If you’re like me, what are your favorite books to relive? And why do you love to relive them? Here are some of my favorite books to relive:
Reckless Miles by Claire Kingsley (ok, the entire Miles Family series, but I’ve read Cooper’s book more than the others)
The Real Deal by Brittney Sahin (yeah, actually the entire Dublin Nights series as well, but I’ve definitely read Sebastian’s book more than the others)
The entire The Westbrooks: Broken Hearts series by Avery Maxwell
The entire Trident Security series by Samantha Cole
The entire Secrets of the Mountain Men series by Janice Whiteaker
Somebody to Love and Somebody to Hold by April Wilson
Let There Be Light by A.M. Johnson
Wild Open Hearts by Kathryn Nolan
American’s Geekheart by Pippa Grant
And of course: Chance & Enver by Pearl Foxx
