How often do you re-read your favorite books and which books do you re-read the most?

[rai]

Hi-o

At an advanced age 43 years old now I have a 30-ish reading history behind me.

I developed a habbit to write down all my books I have read and the date, I used to put a star rating 1 to 10 next to the books but have not done that for a while.

I have hundreds and hundreds of new books yet to read, I can truly read for the rest of my life without re-reading a book. But I have found that I am often adding in old (previously read) books into my reading mix.

The pre-read books I know I'll like, sometimes I find myself reading a new book like Wicked and find that i'm 1/3 of the way in and that I hate it and at the point ask myself if I shoud plow through it or throw it in the trash?

with books I have read previously, I know it'll be good.

Books like:
Moby Dick
LOTR
Dune
Catcher in the Rye
Huck Finn
The Stand
etc....

I like to think of those as the sure thing like the Babe Ruth of books.

Discuss which books you like to re-read or would like to, and also, what do you feel like when you go back to the old books.

I am currently re-reading Thomas Covenant after 27 years and find it's almost like new to me, I know the basics but forget most of the details.

Books like LOTR I know so well, I have read those about 5 times.

One of the most interesting books to re-read is The Stand, it was so great the first time, then SK re-wrote the book and made it just as great. Now I found a copy of the original Stand and am thinking to re-read that edition to see if it was better or worse.

 

[Rodders]

Re: How often do you re-read your favorite books and which books do you re-read the m

It's very rare that i'll reread a book, although i will regularly reread my favourites.

I've read Stepehen Kings the Uncut edition of the stand 3 times, but because it's so big its not practicle.

The only books i've actively reread and the Forge of God and Anvil of Stars by Greg Bear, The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks, Weaveworld by Clive Barker and Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds.

my favourite, the Player of Games, i read twice back to back i was so impressed.

 

[Overread]

Re: How often do you re-read your favorite books and which books do you re-read the m

I have way way too many books still to read to waste time re-reading old ones

ok that is not fully true - I have re-read a few
Lord of the Rings, Dune, His Dark Materials

sadly a lot of what I like at the moment is long epic fantasy stufff - re-reading the whole 9 books of Hobbs work is way way too much!

 

[K. Riehl]

Re: How often do you re-read your favorite books and which books do you re-read the m

I find myself getting into a particular author for a period of time. I might read the new Lois Bujold and then go back and reread most of her titles.
I try to read LOTR every 4-5 years.
It's more about the author and their style than the individual titles for me.
I tend to re-read good books when I have run into a particularly bad book or several run of the mill books. Just to remind myself what good writing is all about.

 

[dask]

Re: How often do you re-read your favorite books and which books do you re-read the m

Haven't re-read any novels yet but if there's a story in an anthology I have read before I'll read it again. Usually always enjoy it. BUT --- I think I've read "First Contact" for the last time. This might be the most anthologized story in sf.

 

[bloggeratf]

Re: How often do you re-read your favorite books and which books do you re-read the m

I'm braced for the flame, but I reread selected highlight from the WoT. I am pretty fond the ending of the Lord of Chaos.

When I am too lazy to go the the bookstore, I tend to pick up quick forgettable reads like some David Gunn. Character driven adventures I tend to forget a week after I read them and so enjoy equally the second time around.

 

[Pyan]

Re: How often do you re-read your favorite books and which books do you re-read the m

Umm...Lord of the Rings - about forty times, straight through.

All my Terry Pratchetts at least once a year...

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Re: How often do you re-read your favorite books and which books do you re-read the m

It depends on how favorite the book is. For some of them I've lost count. (Which may say more about my ability to keep track than the number of times I've read them.) If I like a book, it's likely that I'll read it at least twice. With books of any depth, I don't feel as though I've really read them if I've read them only once. If I really, really like a book ... well, who can say? Even if I've already read it many times, it may have a few rereadings in it yet.

And then there are the books that don't even become favorites until someday when I get bored, reread them because there's nothing else on hand, and discover that I didn't begin to do them justice the first time around.

 

[tangaloomababe]

Re: How often do you re-read your favorite books and which books do you re-read the m

I have probably read The Stand at least three times and the same goes for Lord of the Rings. They are both the type of book you can always find something new or view from a new angle and even though you might know the outcome each time, its a new road you take getting there.
For me I can read over and over again:-

The Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follet's most brilliant novel
The Day of the Triffids - John Wyndham probably I just like reading about the end of the world as we know it and how poeple cope with it.
Fevre Dream - George R R Martin because its such a good good book and
The Shadow in the Wind because its just so well written.

 

[j d worthington]

Re: How often do you re-read your favorite books and which books do you re-read the m

While I'm not quite on a par with Pyan, I've read LotR 23 times or so over the 40 years since I discovered it. Various Lovecraft books I've read so many times I long ago lost count. Moorcock... the majority at least 3-4 times (and I'm gradually going through them yet again, as a whole); some as many as 10-15 times. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein I long ago lost count. Two anthologies edited by Stephen P. Sutton, which I picked up when I was a wee lad, I've probably read more than 50 times each (the most recent time was about two years ago). The Wind in the Willows, something on the order of 10-15 times (closer to the latter, I believe, though it's been a while). Ditto for quite a few books by Harlan Ellison, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Richard Matheson, Robert A. Heinlein, etc., etc., etc....

It's more about the author and their style than the individual titles for me.

And I think that has a great deal to do with it for me, as well. Well, that and their themes -- especially with those who tackle the truly "great" themes, with a large canvas (Moorcock, Cabell, and Lovecraft certainly have that, I think, and I'm finding myself more and more attracted to Balzac for this reason as well).

And then there are just books which are saturated with wonderful associations for me, such as several of Groff Conklin's anthologies, a good deal of R. E. Howard's work, and the like....

Also, like Teresa, I like books with some substance to them; something you can revisit at least a few times (preferably many times), and gain something new, something that enriches you as a person, each time. Also like Teresa, I will sometimes revisit a book I didn't particularly like (or even actively disliked), and find upon rereading that the fault was not with the book, but with me; whether I was simply not mature enough, not in the right emotional/intellectual place to appreciate it, etc. (Starship Troopers is an example of this; I hated that book the first time around, but several years later found myself going back to it... and it has since become one of my favorite Heinlein books; not because I agree with much of what he says, but because I enjoy the stimulation of the debate....).

As for an actual listing of the numerous books which fall into these categories... I'm afraid that might just take up a bit too much of everyone's patience....

 

[Urlik]

Re: How often do you re-read your favorite books and which books do you re-read the m

I love to reread books
I've read most of Moorcock's Eternal Champion books many times (although not as many times as JD, but still enough to lose count on some)
all my Pratchett's get reread quite regularly and Heinlein, Azimov and Clarke are never far behind along with some old SF anthologies that I love for a quick fix here and there.
Douglas Adams is always on my reread list and Tom Holt is there too

 

[HoopyFrood]

Re: How often do you re-read your favorite books and which books do you re-read the m

When I was younger, I used to reread books like mad. Now, what with finding out that there are many, many books I still need to read, that's been curtailed somewhat.

However, there are still some books I'll read again and again, even though my to-be-read pile is taller than me (and before someone else gets there, that's not saying much, etc...)

The Secret Garden is a book I've read too many times to count. I love it. And I enjoy it just as much as I did when I first read it.
The Wastelands, the third book of the Dark Tower series, I've read many times, as well. It's my favourite of the series and one of my favourite King books.
Flowers for Algernon - absolutely adore this book and I shall keep rereading it until the copy falls apart...and then I'll just stick it back together and carry on.
Behind the Attic Wall - another book from my childhood that I can just reread endlessly.
The Life of Pi
Artemis Fowl and the Eternity Code - probably my favourite Fowl book; again, a book from my young days, because as I say, I reread a lot back then.
Misery - another very favourite King book.

 

[Overread]

Re: How often do you re-read your favorite books and which books do you re-read the m

All my Terry Pratchetts at least once a year...

If I ever end up traveling by train TP books are some of the few I find that I can read and still enjoy - I think its because they are so easy to put down and pick up again - no race reading for the next chapter. Still working through the list (as far as Lords and Ladies) so still a few to go before I re-read

 

[Faraday]

Re: How often do you re-read your favorite books and which books do you re-read the m

Ive re-read at least 80% of my books at least 4 times some more, some less, and up until last year would re-read them yearly, but I've grown bored with them and have started reading new books, and am determinded not to re-read any book on my bookcase this year...we will see how that goes....but I dont have a favourite, any book that i keep is pretty much going to be re-read at some stage

 

[Parson]

Re: How often do you re-read your favorite books and which books do you re-read the m

Wow! I'm impressed! There are very, very, few books I re-read. The only book that puts me JD's class, and unfortunately not Pyan's is the Bible. I've read it through roughly 30 times. Basically once every 15 months or so in more recent years. I started slowly, only twice before I was 25. But this tread is about novels. I've read David Weber's first 6 books of Honor Harrington series 4 times and nothing else more than twice. Is that bright or dim of me?

 

[j d worthington]

Re: How often do you re-read your favorite books and which books do you re-read the m

Wow! I'm impressed! There are very, very, few books I re-read. The only book that puts me JD's class, and unfortunately not Pyan's is the Bible. I've read it through roughly 30 times. Basically once every 15 months or so in more recent years. I started slowly, only twice before I was 25. But this tread is about novels. I've read David Weber's first 6 books of Honor Harrington series 4 times and nothing else more than twice. Is that bright or dim of me?

Not sure it has anything to do with either, actually....

Hmmm... I'm not sure I'd count the Bible out here, as (though I consider it to be mythology rather than fact) it wasn't specified in the title or opening post, at least, that it had to be either fiction or novels (hence my inclusion not only of anthologies and collections, but also writers rather than specific works by them... which can (and does) include books of essays, verse, letters, etc.

Of course, your interest in the Bible has a lot to do with your calling, but I'd suggest it is a book well worth reading, re-reading, and studying, as it has both had a massive impact (both positive and negative) on much of the history of Western culture (as well as others); and because it is in many ways a very good book -- certainly, I'd put the KJV high on the list of literary accomplishments and highly recommend it as a classic of English literature.....

 

[Pyan]

Re: How often do you re-read your favorite books and which books do you re-read the m

I'd put the KJV high on the list of literary accomplishments and highly recommend it as a classic of English literature.....

Definitely - whereas I can see the point of putting the Bible into modern language to increase its accessability to the comparatively poorly educated present times, a direct comparison of the KJV and, say, the Good News Bible verse by verse show how much of the sheer poetry is lost in the process.

 

[j d worthington]

Re: How often do you re-read your favorite books and which books do you re-read the m

Definitely - whereas I can see the point of putting the Bible into modern language to increase its accessability to the comparitively poorly educated present times, a direct comparison of the KJV and, say, the Good News Bible verse by verse show how much of the sheer poetry is lost in the process.

Indeed. And, for all its "dull spots", there is a great deal of magic to that particular compendium, which no one who loves either literature in general or fantastic literature specifically, should miss.

Besides... how can you go wrong with a book which stylistically influenced the likes of Oscar Wilde, Lord Dunsany, and H. P. Lovecraft (the latter two atheists, for those who feel you have to have a religious bent to enjoy it)....

 

[rai]

Re: How often do you re-read your favorite books and which books do you re-read the m

My gosh, I had no idea people read so many books, I am I guess a slow reader only about 15 to 30 books a year, also I am reading a lot more non-fiction WW I and such which takes longer than say a book like Catcher in the Rye which I could read in a day or two.

But I have like 400 (or so) books yet to read, it would take me a long time to get thru all my stuff once let alone now that I am re-reading.

I need to put more time into reading that's for sure.

 

[thesoothsayer]

Re: How often do you re-read your favorite books and which books do you re-read the m

When I was younger, I used to reread books like mad. Now, what with finding out that there are many, many books I still need to read, that's been curtailed somewhat.

Same here. When I was younger and depended on my parents to buy me books, I reread them many times over.

Nowadays, I try to read as many different books and authors as possible, and I'm just finding out how much I've been missing.