The Sword and Laser discussion

So, I guess that is the question. I think around 50% of my reading is rereading something I loved before, or knowing that the 37th book in some epic series is coming out next month so I prime the pump and reread the whole series up to that point (especially series that use names that aren't easy to pronounce therefore hard to remember . . . looking at you David Weber. . . grumble grumble grumble . . . safehold . . . PAH).

Most of my friends look at me oddly for this kinda thing, they give away or sell, or delete off their kindle a book as soon as they have read it.

So I was wondering where a group of (mostly) like minded sci-fi/fantasy fans end are on the spectrum.

I reread quite a few books...mostly books in a series before the most recent books come out, if it has been a long time since the last book. Over the past few months I finished rereading the first four books of A Song of Ice and Fire so I would be ready to read A Dance With Dragons.


I used to reread my favorites but now I barely have time to get through the books on my to-read shelf.

No, except when yes.

When I saw the question, my first response was, "Doesn't everyone?" Hehe

Usually, I reread my favorite books. There are several series I've read more than three times. Other books are reread because I'm looking forward to the latest addition to the series or due to a book discussion that perks my interest.

It seems as though people are in competition with themselves to achieve something by "making" sure to read certain books, meet a plan goal, etc. I do all of that but the most important thing is to enjoy the process. If it's not fun, let it go.

I can't figure out where I left off in the Honor Harrington series and decided to start it up from the beginning. I read all the latest additions to Card's Ender series and I really like the new books. I like them enough to try to read Xenocide & Speaker for the Dead again. I didn't care for them too much before but mostly due to the change in focus of those books.

Not always, but I don't rule it out. I read a lot of series that aren't finished yet, so I quite often find myself re-reading books in series when new editions come out. I did this last year with A Song of Ice and Fire in advance of A Dance with Dragons, and I think two years ago before the first Brandon Sanderson installment to the Wheel of Time series. I just re-read the Inheritance Cycle books by Christopher Paolini before jumping into Inheritance.

I also sometimes re-read books that have special meaning or senimental value to me. The Alchemistand The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer are ones I've read a couple times for this reason. Same for books from when I was younger (I definitely mean to re-read the Pern books, for example, and A Wrinkle in Time).

Finally, I consider some books to be "warm blanket" books. They're ones I go to, typically in audio form, if I need to calm down/distract myself/fall asleep. Right now, the Harry Potter books narrated by Jim Dale fill that role.

Sean wrote: "No, except when yes."

What the hell are you? A politician?

Nick wrote: "Sean wrote: "No, except when yes."

What the hell are you? A politician?"

Yes, but sometimes no.

Nick wrote: "Sean wrote: "No, except when yes."

What the hell are you? A politician?"

It depends what the definition of "A" is? ;)

I'm like most of the other posters. When there's another book in a series, I'll catch up, and when there's a book I really like.

I used to reread a lot. But that was before I joined S&L and found all the great books that I had been missing before. In the past 2-3 years I have only reread a few small series that I loved growing up and hadn't read in 12 years or more.

Sometime soon I want to start a reread of the Harry Potter books. I read them 4 or 5 years ago so not to recently. And I got my wife the the complete movie set on Blu-Ray for Christmas this year. Watching them all has reminded me how much I enjoyed those books.

I used to reread all the time when I was a teenager. The reason was mostly that I didn't have my own income and thus not that many new books at my disposal (our library always sucked!).

Now that my tbr pile is huge, I only reread my super special books. Harry Potter I've reread what feels like a billion times, some childhood series, like Search for Senna (the Everworld books) I reread just last year. And lately, I've discovered a few books that I wanted to reread the moment I turned the last page (A Prayer for Owen Meany was the most striking one).

Other than that I do what you guys do. When a new book in a series comes out, I reread the first ones (or the preceding one at least).

Generally, I feel I should do a lot more rereads. Should make that a priority for this year!

definitely reread the boooks I like....I think you get more out of a story the second or third and so on read....plus I don;t have to buy so many books...

There are so many great books out there so I don't usually re-read fiction books. I will make an exception if I'm revisiting a series and want to remind myself what has happened or when the book is extremely short and quick to read.

I re-read 2 or 3 series, usually when new installments come out. Other than that, only if s&l is reading something i've already read.

When I was younger I would always reread my books - not immediately but just read again when I felt the need. I still refuse to throw away or donate books (unless I really haven't liked them), even though nowadays I find that there are just too many new books coming out for me to have time to reread the ones I already have. Until the last few years, (and the birth of my son), I used to read The Lord of the Rings every year, but even that has fallen by the wayside.

Generally no, but there are a few exceptions.
The Alchemist and The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, are two of them.

I've never reread a book. I've thought about rereading some of my all-time favorites (The Great Gatsby, Catch-22), but I have too many on my T0-Read list so I never get around to it.

I reread books all the time.

I re-read, or re-listen to, books fairly frequently. I do have a single criterion for re-reading, though: is the journey of the book spoiled by knowing the ending? I don't re-read mysteries or thrillers, but I have returned countless times to the delightful books of PG Wodehouse, Terry Pratchett, Ursula K. Le Guin, Ray Bradbury, and AA Milne. Some books hold an experience in the prose or in the story-telling that simply does not age.

I try to read Hogfather every Christmas.

I don't have as much time for rereading as I'd like to, I have a growing stack of books earmarked for another go round, either because they were just brilliant, or because they didn't conform to my expectations and deserve rereading in their correct context.

Also there's the 12,000 some page Wheel of Time reread looming upon me.

I have actually been thinking about this a lot. I cannot for the life of me bring myself to rewatch movies all that often, even great ones.

Books on the other hand I can re-read, but only rarely, and only the really great ones. I love the Dresden Files and I tend to re-read them almost yearly as they are published. Other books, even ones that I enjoyed I can only read once every few years.

I have so many books that I want to read that I cannot often re-reading a book when I could be exploring a new one.

I re-read books all time time. Every time this kind of question comes up, I think of the Neverending Story 2

"Ahh, but have you ever read a book twice? Books change each time you read them."

I've always found this to be the case as books have more meaning based on where you are at at the time of reading. Also, I find a big difference between reading a book and listening to the audiobook. I love it when I get the chance to read and then listen.

So, yeah, I re-read all the time. I am ashamed to say that I have read the WoT about 10 times through. Of course, the downside to this is that I am not reading new when I am reading old. That's a hard balance.

I don't re read books cause i has a pretty good memorie but maybe I should give it a try.

I reread, but not always the whole book. Sometimes I just want a taste, and I'll just read a chapter to sate a specific desire. "The Scouring of the Shire" from The Return Of The King, and both "The Golden Crane" (The Weilin Aldragoran POV) and "Under an Oak" from Knife of Dreams are great little vignettes. But at the pace I read I usually just read the whole book.

I do find I'm buying the ebook versions of books I have to do my rereads though; they are so much easier to have when you want knock off a chapter or two.

I reread books by my favorite authors (cook, martin, abercrombie, howard, etc.) and will occasionally reread the early books in a series if there's been a long time before the next one is released.

I reread certain books and authors regularly, when I'm in the mood to spend time with my favorite characters or in my fave worlds - Georgette Heyer, Patrick O'Brian, Tolkien (mostly by listening, now), Harry Potter, Lymond Chronicles ... It's a pretty long list. And series that need a refresher when a new one comes out - Temeraire, GoT.

Oh, I forgot to mention that I frequently read a book I've been waiting for twice back-to-back. I find that I like the books better that way. The first read is a head long dive through the book, usually in one day. The second read I'll take two or three days to try to pick up on the smaller gems I may have missed in my rush to the end.

I don't so it with every book I read, but especially for series books like the Wheel of Time, the Kingkiller Chronicles, or the Dresden Files it works well. All tell a compelling story that stands up to rereading, but all three also have more going on in the larger plots of the series that aren't readily apparent in a first read.

When I was in my pre-teens I re-read books often, but these days there are too many books and too many other things pulling at my attention that I resist the urge to re-read my favourites.

I re-read a fair amount, often books that I considered favorites but my recollection of has become fuzzy. Sometimes it's books that I really felt like I should have got more out of so I give them a second try. Sometimes I notice totally different things in the book (The Urth of the New Sun was an excellent recent example of this), sometimes it's a wonderful re-visit, sometimes I'm left thinking, "Er....what did I see in this exactly?"

Sword & Laser in particular has inspired me to re-read a good number of things from my young-nerdling years.

I used to only re-read the Wheel of Time, but lately, I've been reading through all the series that have a new book coming out. Them and Malazan. I find I'm enjoying Malazan a lot more now that I actually know what's going on.

i do not reread books unless i dont realize it till i'm almost done that i've read it

Of course I do. There aren't enough good books to sate my appetite available so I am forced to re-read the great ones.

I used to reread the Hobbit all the time when I was a kid until I lent it to someone and they never gave it back and I didn't realize it until years later when I went to pick it up to read again and it was gone. I was going to send the guy I lent it to a message on Facebook but I haven't seen him for years and I figured it would be a bit weird saying 'Hey remember that copy of the Hobbit I lent you seventeen years ago; can I have that back now?'

Anyway like a few others have posted I've reread the Harry Potter series a couple of times since it ended, as well as some other series that I needed refreshed.

Oh and sometimes I forget that I've read a book entirely and at some point during the reread I start to remember it. The most recent book that happened to me with was Good Omens and when I started to recall the book from the first time I read it I also had some crazy flashbacks of things that was doing around the same time that I had completely forgotten.

Boots wrote: "Oh and sometimes I forget that I've read a book entirely and at some point during the reread I start to remember it. The most recent book that happened to me with was Good Omens and when I started to recall the book from the first time I read it I also had some crazy flashbacks of things that was doing around the same time that I had completely forgotten. "

Isn't that so crazy? My brain works like that too. I recently reread The Belgariad Boxed Set for the first time in about 15+ years. All the sudden I started to remember things from when I was 13 that I hadn't thought of in years. At times I could see exactly where I had been when I was reading some passage or other.

Boots wrote: "I was going to send the guy I lent it to a message on Facebook but I haven't seen him for years and I figured it would be a bit weird saying 'Hey remember that copy of the Hobbit I lent you seventeen years ago; can I have that back now?'


One of the first things I did on Facebook is tracked down the guy whose copy of Watchmen I'd borrowed like 20 years ago; then I sent it back to him. He was amused.

I don't reread as much as I used to -- for one thing, the new stuff keeps coming out, and for another thing, I don't read as much as I used to in general. But I do like to revisit things from time to time. I'm thinking it'll be time to pick up A Princess of Mars again really soon.

Nowhere near as much as I used too. There are just too many authors that I read now to keep up with the new, let alone revisit the old. These day's I find myself recommending authors to people whose works I haven't read in over 10 years (Piers Anthony and Christopher Stasheef come to mind.)

Yes.

Sometimes I get a hunger for something familiar that I know is good, so then I go back to old favorites. Sometimes it might be the whole book, other times I just read favorite passages.

Then there are series I like to reread every now and then, if enough times has passed between the last book and the new one. Or if it is a long time since I read the series.

So yes, I do reread.

Yes. Especially when the last book before a new one comes out, but I find hearing the audio version after reading the novel much more interesting. While you don't get that nose deep in it, it refreshes your memory for the upcoming title. Plus my reading list is growing every week. Thanks a lot Sword & Laser!

Very rarely.
When your back log of books
hits triple digits it hard to justify re-reading a book.

Micah wrote: "Isn't that so crazy? My brain works like that too. I recently reread The Belgariad Boxed Set for the first time in about 15+ years. All the sudden I started to remember things from when I was 13 that I hadn't thought of in years. At times I could see exactly where I had been when I was reading some passage or other."

I had some great memories of some girls I was hanging out with at the time and the memories were crystal clear like they had just happened the day before, it was great. The bizarre thing was that the girls I remembered from the summer that I had read the book I didn't see again until I was an adult and we became friends again but I didn't know that I already knew them. So I told them about what happened and how I remembered them from when we were kids and neither of them had forgotten about that summer so I kind of felt like a jerk for forgetting in the first place.

Joseph wrote: "One of the first things I did on Facebook is tracked down the guy whose copy of Watchmen I'd borrowed like 20 years ago; then I sent it back to him. He was amused."

That was actually a very nice thing to do. I don't think it would work so well the other way around though.

It would be funny if the person I lent it to was in jail though, for robbing a bookstore, in San Fransisco and I asked for my book back during visiting hours that he could be using for a conjugal visit. The guy I actually lent it to isn't in prison though so it's not really entertaining to ask for it back.

Surprisingly, this thread and one other elsewhere now have me STRONGLY considering a Wheel of Time re-read prior to the final tome's release.

The book I've re-read the most is The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. Must be 4-5 times now.

Also re-read LOTR as, well I'm nerdy like that. :D

I don't tend to re-read as much now, that was back when I was a bit fussier and younger (though I'm still fussy and young now :P).

Nathan wrote: "I re-read books all time time. Every time this kind of question comes up, I think of the Neverending Story 2

"Ahh, but have you ever read a book twice? Books change each time you read them."

I'..."

Totally agree! I think the second read especially is when I enjoy books the most. You don't have to worry quite so much about rushing through to find out what happens. It lets you appreciate the writing so much more on a small scale: character development, jokes/tangents the author takes, descriptions of places and things...as is clear, I am a big fan.

I used to reread books all the time, that was back when I would often forget about a book between the time I heard about it and my next trip to the bookstore. Since I've gotten my kindle it seems like my wishlist has grown faster then I've cleared it though. So now I feel like I always have to read something off that.
I recently decided to start getting my rereads in audio format so I can listen to them at work. I figure if I get distracted and miss portions of them its no big deal since I've already read them.

I re-read books depending on how much I liked them and how long ago I read them. I've read Dune 4 or 5 times over the past 20 years as an example. Graphic novels are a good example of re-reads such as Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns.

I don't re-read so much as re-listen to books. As a truck driver I listen to books for 10-12hrs a day while I'm driving. So when I don't have anything new to listen to, or the new book doesn't appeal to me at the moment because the last couple were similar and I need a change, i'll flip thru my library and find an old favorite to listen to. Have over 450 books in my audible library so far, so I can generally find any kind of story i'm in the mood for. 8-D

I think re-reading books is like eating comfort food sometimes. You just know that this or that book is going to give you exactly the feeling that you want at that moment.

I also reread at least the last book or two in series when a new one comes out.

I'm finding it much easier now that everything is moving to e-books.

I rarely re-read works of popular fiction. But I do re-read some of my favorite classics every couple of years; Moby Dick, Brothers Karamazov, Three Musketeers, etc. I will also occasionally re-read a good history book, especially anything by Simon Schama.

I tried re-reading books I loved, but I can't! I remember most of the plot and details and I find my self rushing it to the "good parts" and I can't enjoy it.

When I was younger I read all my favourites dozens of times.
The Lord of the Rings, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn etc but as I have got older and my "to read" list has got longer, I just don't have the time to re-read as much.

I'll occasionally pick up an old favourite and re-read it.