The Next Best Book Club discussion

I'm curious about this because I have heard lots of people use the argument "so many books, so little time" in regards to giving up on a book they are not enjoying.

Does this argument mean that re-reading is out too?

I am unsure of my own answer to this. The have re-read a few books in the past (and not regretted it) and there are a few sitting on my shelf now that I would like to re-read (partly because I discovered good reads and I want to give them a review they deserve instead of one from my useless memory lol!). That said, I own so many unread books that I would love to read - not to mention the millions out there that I don't own or haven't even heard of yet. The amount of books can be overwhelming sometimes and I really really really want to read them all!! (When I was younger I used to claim that I wanted to read every book ever published - lol!)

So what do you guys think?

I have never re read a book and I don't think I can do it. Sometimes, a book is so good that I would love to read it again,but as you say, they are so many to read! But...never say never!

I don't reread, at least not intentionally. (I might have reread a book I didn't remember having read in the first place.) We rarely watch movies, but wouldn't watch a movie a second time either. If I remember reading/seeing, then I know the ending. Sort of spoils the whole thing.

I am a big re-reader, actually. Before joining GR, I would re-read the same 3 series (The Harry Potter series, The Lord of the Rings, and The Dark Tower series) over and over, intermixing with a few new reads. I just couldn't get enough.

I don't mind re-reading books even after joining GR, but since I have so many Owned-to-read books, I haven't been. I did recently re-read "The Green Mile" by Stephen King, which was well worth it.

Plus, what's the point of buying books to only read them once?

I fall in love with books, I don't just have one night flings with them. That being said, I have to revisit them and cherish them from time to time. Like old friends, or family you haven't seen in a while. (Heck, I love some of my books MORE than some members of my family!)

(Just joined this group - So... Hi!)

There are several books I've read over. By that I mean, I skip to the parts I loved or need clarity on and reread them. Also, as someone who actively writes, I often go back to my favorite parts that I've flagged for advice and direction on style.

Just a few minutes ago I went back and reread the last bit of The Time Traveler's Wife and got a little misty-eyed :-). (I really want Niffenegger to write something new!)

While I think it's fine to dump the books you're not getting into and use the old adage as an excuse, rereading isn't really a waste of time. I'd love to find the next Time Traveler's Wife or Heart Breaking Work... or even older classics like Catcher in the Rye . But the reality is that's so unlikely. Why not spend a little time remembering why you loved the book in the first place? :-)

I've read "The Stand" (Stephen King) twice and a I know there have been a couple others. I read them again because I was so young the first time that I wanted to see if there was something I had missed! It would only ever be books that I absolutely loved reading from 20 or more years ago.
I read for pleasure, if I don't like a book I have no problem giving up on it! Why would I want to make myself miserable? If you enjoy reading and it makes you happy, read whatever you want how ever many times you want!

I have re-read The Stand and The Shining so often that I've had to replace both books twice. They are two of my all time favorite books!

Becky wrote: "I am a big re-reader, actually. Before joining GR, I would re-read the same 3 series (The Harry Potter series, The Lord of the Rings, and The Dark Tower series) over and over, intermixing with a fe..."

I'm with you, Becky. I love re-reading my old friends. I have a complicated system of working my TBR, and for every 4 or 5 "new" books, I sneak in a re-read. I have to read Harry Potter and Peter Wimsey every so often...

I re-read lots of books over and over and over. I don't mind at all that I know what's going to happen. The books I tend to really love are more about style of writing than story anyway. Like Becky, I have had to replace books from too much re-reading:)

I re-read all the time. Maybe not the entire book but definitely well loved sections. Or at least this is how it starts then I end up rereading the entire book. It does take some time from the new books but I don't have a deadline for them anyway so it makes no difference.

I only keep my favorite books and those do get reread. I'd say I pick something off my shelf 5 times a year. I mainly reread my John Irving favorites. Not too long ago I reread Terms of Endearment by Larry McMurty and found that I had forgotten things.

I think somebody in one of these threads used the term "mood reader". I am a mood reader if that means that I read what seems to fit the mood I am in and also that I read only when my mood or state of mind allows reading.

That said I'll re-read a book if the moment seems to fit that.

I've very seldom read to complete an inventory of self assigned books. I'm old enough to know that I will never read all the books that are out there. So reading selections are made hoping that this book best fits the needs of this moment's mood or state of mind. Sometimes this system even works.

I re-read all the time; always have, since I was a small child. Some books I must've read 30 times or more.

Susanna wrote: "I re-read all the time; always have, since I was a small child. Some books I must've read 30 times or more."

I usually never re-read a book.

I only re-read books that have settings that I really enjoyed "being" in, or books that I enjoyed reading but don't really remember the ending well.

But the plethora of other books that I haven't read yet isn't a deterrent for re-reading to me. I just don't like to re-read books that I didn't love the first time through.

Some books that are memorable to me are also memorable because of where I was in life when I was reading them. So particular scenes of a story will bring back memories of my life too. It's quite nostalgic ;)

C wrote: "I only re-read books that have settings that I really enjoyed "being" in, or books that I enjoyed reading but don't really remember the ending well.

But the plethora of other books that I haven'..."

Songs do that to me....when I hear a certain song it reminds me of where I was at that moment in my life.

Elizabeth wrote: "Susanna wrote: "I re-read all the time; always have, since I was a small child. Some books I must've read 30 times or more."

I usually never re-read a book."

Good books are worth re-reading. You might have missed something the first time!

Susanna wrote: "Elizabeth wrote: "Susanna wrote: "I re-read all the time; always have, since I was a small child. Some books I must've read 30 times or more."

I usually never re-read a book."

Good books are wor..."

Most likely, but when I discuss with my group or friends I seem to catch what I need, but thanks for the advice....that is so true about missing something.

I can be sure there are things I will miss along the road of life, including things in a book I have read. I can reread or I can miss another good book. So many things to do. The older I get, the more I realize how limited the length of one's life and the things one can fit into it.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "I can be sure there are things I will miss along the road of life, including things in a book I have read. I can reread or I can miss another good book. So many things to do. The older I get, the m..."

Wow - that certainly is the truth.

I've never re-read, but there are quite a few books that I would like to. I always seem to find another new book that I haven't read that takes the place of those I'd like to re-read...

Currently, I don't re-read but that is because my TBR is around 400 books. Once I finished the TBR, probably in 10 years time, I will re-read some books.

Well, I have a problem remembering things (I swear, I never remember if I've seen a particular movie, sometimes we get 15 minutes into it and it's like "oh yeah, I *have* seen this!" lol!). I mean.. I can remember basic plot but not details, or not how it ended. So for some of my favorite authors, I read and re-read.

Mosca, I am also a 'mood reader'. That pretty much goes for anything in my life - what I have for dinner, when I'm going to clean, etc. So I too will re-read for that reason.

Usually not because there are too many good books I am interested in. A book I re-read intentional was The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough. Another book I re-read was Michelangelo's Notebook by Paul Christopher because I couldn't remember reading it. It sounded familiar but I wasn't sure. My memories came back when I had just ten pages left to read...

Maliades wrote: "Well, I have a problem remembering things (I swear, I never remember if I've seen a particular movie, sometimes we get 15 minutes into it and it's like "oh yeah, I *have* seen this!" lol!). I mean.. I can remember basic plot but not details, or not how it ended. So for some of my favorite authors, I read and re-read.

Mosca, I am also a 'mood reader'. That pretty much goes for anything in my life - what I have for dinner, when I'm going to clean, etc. So I too will re-read for that reason. "

That's pretty much exactly how I am. I use the library a LOT, because I don't usually buy books without reading them first. (I wouldn't buy a $16.00 DVD without seeing the movie, and I'm not going to buy a $16.00 book without reading it first!) So most of the books I own are my favorites--ones that I loved enough the first time to buy. Sometimes, I'll just be "in the mood" for one of them, and so I'll re-read. Sometimes I read the whole book, sometimes just my favorite parts. Sometimes I'll start in the middle and read through the end.

I have a pretty bad memory, so even though I mostly remember how a book ends, I don't always remember everything that happens in the middle. How you GET to the ending is just as important as the ending itself, in my opinion. My husband can't understand how I can re-read, because he remembers almost everything he reads. I'm kinda glad I have a bad memory. I like re-reading.

That being said, I haven't re-read too much lately, due to the Winter and Spring book challenges. I have 4 re-reads on my Spring list. I had 5 on my Winter list. Most of these are ones I REALLY didn't remember though--ones I read in middle and high school.

Do you watch the same movie more than once?

Yeah, sometimes I will watch a movie again but I don't watch films all that often anyway. When I do I just pick one that I already own rather than paying to see a different one, so I can definitely see what you are saying about books. After reading this thread, I have decided that I am going to re-read an old favourite after finishing my current read. Which one though??! Aaargh - choices, choices!! lol! :o)

My advice is: Don't let other people tell you what you should or should not read! Read whatever makes you happy, whether it's a new book or an old favorite! Some people may say that life is to short to re-read, but I say life is to short to spend it doing things that don't make you happy!

Silly note: I am not advocating quitting your job to be a stay-at-home reader. Reading is NOT as important as being able to put food on the table!

Sillier note: If you can figure out some way to get paid to be a stay-at-home reader, please let me know! ;)

Oh, and P.S. - I re-watch movies all the time. Partially, because then I don't have to pay to see a new one, and partially because I LOVE the movies I've purchased! I've watched PS, I Love You 2 or 3 times in the last month, and The Holiday at least twice that many times. I'll watch that one twice in a row, like a 5-year-old watching The Land Before Time. (My little brother....)

Don't get me wrong, Sara. If I thought I could just stay happy reading the books I've already read, no problem. But I have a problem when I'm reading, in that I stop to look at the stack of unread books and . . .

I think I will be re-reading shortly, but I'm not sure. I can't remember if I've read To Kill a Mockingbird, though I know I've seen the movie. But I'm going to read it soon as part of the Spring Challenge because I know it's a really good story, and since I don't remember whether or not I've read it, it can be totally fresh. But it might be a re-read, so whatever I said above about life being short is true, but that doesn't mean you can't re-read. Like you said, do what makes you happy.

Exactly--you should do what makes you happy, too. I understand that having a stack of TBRs can bring you down. That's why I mix my TBRs in with my read books on my bookshelf. They're easier to overlook that way... Hahaha! ;)

I don't re-read either. I usually get the books at the library, then if I really really like them, I will buy them. As for re-watching a movie... nope... don't like to do that...

I re-read. I've read the Harry Potter series 4 times and it seems like there is always something I don't remember or something that clicks together that didn't the first time. I've also re-read many of Nicholas Sparks' books. Re-reading helps me pick up new things and understand the books better.

I for sure re-watch movies. Actually, my husband likes to fall asleep to the TV, so we re-watch movies many, many times.

I love to re-read. i do it all the time. it doesn't make sense to buy a book if your only gonna read it once. especially if it is a really good book you enjoy. i have also found that every time you read a book you notice something new that you didn't notice the last time you read it. its also fun if you haven't read the book for a long time and you don't remember what happens. so its almost like your reading it for the first time again.

I just started back on the reading bandwagon earlier this year. So far, I only get my books from the library and I will buy the books that I really really love and know that I want to re-read. I only have about 4 books (2 series) that I owned right now.

Sometimes, I re-read the whole book and sometimes I just picked up and read my favorite chapters.

I love to re-read my favorite books! It's like revisiting an old friend! And I generally pick up things I didn't catch in a previous reading. :)

I'm not really one to re-read books -- even if I loved it. There's just something about reading it, when I already know what happened. I just can't bring myself to do it anymore. I don't use the so many books, so little time reasoning, though, because I guess if I forgot a lot of a book, or felt like I missed something, I would definitely read it again. I tend to have an easier time re-reading non-fictions.

I used to reread when I was younger, but lately, Ive noticed that when I reread something, It never seems to be as good.

I read so much that within a year or two, a book Ive read fades from memory, so its not so much that I remember it as Im reading, cuase most times its as if Im reading it for the FIRST TIME (ha ha, my memory sucks).. but it doesnt have that same great feeling to it.

I've reread Neverwhere and Wrinkle in Time.... both were just 'eh' the second time around, when I remember loving them the first time around.

Then again... I reread some books that were HS required reading this past summer and LOVED them the second time when I felt just 'eh' the first time. They were Lord of the Flies, Old Man and the Sea, Of Mice and Men, and Catcher in the Rye.

So, huh.... I guess I would have to change my answer. I do reread, but sometimes its hit and miss.

I used to reread a lot when I was in high school but I don't as much these days (probably because I always seem to find myself at the bookstore and thus my TBR pile keeps getting bigger and bigger), usually my favourites (i.e. LOTR, Persuasion) and other books depending on my mood :)

Caitlin wrote: "I love to re-read. i do it all the time. it doesn't make sense to buy a book if your only gonna read it once. especially if it is a really good book you enjoy. i have also found that every time..."

I agree.. i love to re-read especially my favourite books & i guess i'm one of those mood reader as well. some days all i want is an old friend to keep my company..

I was (until I joined Goodreads) a BIG re-reader. In high school, I'd have about 10 books I'd read faithfully every year, as they were my favourites, I loved them, and despite knowing exactly what happened in what order, it was just as enjoyable every time. They're like old friends, and if you're onto a good thing (I thought), why try something new? - Especially when the times I would branch out and read something I hadn't read before, I would find myself comparing them to my favourites and being inevitably disappointed! When I discovered Harry Potter...let's just say those books took me to new records of re-reading. No longer was it every year, but every few months. I read that series, in a period of four years, over 12 times.
I'm the same with movies. If I love a movie, I'll see it at least twice in the cinema, then eagerly rush to buy it as soon as it comes out on dvd, and watch it again and again; Pirates of the Caribbean, Pride and Prejudice, Becoming Jane, North and South, and LOTR (extended versions!)... in fact, I feel like watching North and South now...
Writing this, I've just discovered that it says a lot about me: I am a creature of habit, who doesn't like to move out of her comfort zone!
BUT, I've read many more new books of recent years, and Goodreads and The Official Spring Challenge are making me read even more - I don't have time to revisit my 'old faithfuls' any more...

Josie wrote: "I was (until I joined Goodreads) a BIG re-reader. In high school, I'd have about 10 books I'd read faithfully every year, as they were my favourites, I loved them, and despite knowing exactly what ..."

I definately watch movies over and over again!

LOTR must be something good, but, frankly, all I can think of is something along the lines of "Love on the Roof". Well, yes, that could be good.

I have re-read many books. Mostly my childhood favorites - Little House Books I read at least 8 times. Up a road slowly at least 13 times. Adult romance novels sometimes when I want to visit old friends in a story where I know how it ends happily.

LOTR Lord of the Rings! You are too funny Elizabeth:)

I can only think of 4 books I've re-read. I read "Little Women" and The Secret Garden several times as a child. I read Gone With The Wind several times as a child and young adult. And I've read To Kill a Mockingbird several times as a young adult, and the last time 2-3 years ago.

I didn't used to re-read books. I didn't even keep books that I read. I thought I'd never read them again. But then I was talking about a book to a friend and decided I couldn't really remember what happened. So I started re-reading and decided I liked it more the second time.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "...I can't remember if I've read To Kill a Mockingbird, though I know I've seen the movie..."

Something wonderful to look forward to!! I wish I could read it for the first time again and have that incredible feeling of "I've just found my all time favorite book!"

Some books I have re-read:
Night by Elie Weisel
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
All Dean Koontz books
All Stephanie Plum novels
The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King
My Sweet Audrina by V.C. Andrews
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
LOTR and The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

So, yes, I re-read books that have had an effect on me in one way or another, whether they relate to some personal event in my life or are just plain fun. Many of these books I read to my oldest when he was young and now I do the same with my youngest (almost 5), we are currently reading the Narnia books. Kids give us a great opportunity to re-read and I love sharing my passion for great literature with my kids.

I'm one of those people who really dont like re-reading things because I like the suspense. But I agree with a lot of people with having read something when I was younger and I have either forgotten a lot of the things that happen in it or just want to re-read it now that I am older. But I rarely do it.