# How many of you don't re-read books -- even books you really liked?



## Zell (Dec 27, 2010)

When I'm done with a book, that's it, I will most likely never read it again even if I read the book years ago and thought it was terrific.  There are just too many other good books out there that I haven't read yet.  My sons, on the other hand, can re-read a book a thousand times and never get tired of it (Harry Potter books, for example).

This is one of the reasons why I like the Kindle, when I finish a book I won't have it lying around or taking up space on a shelf.  

I know some of you re-read a book multiple times but how many of you don't like me?


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## Pawz4me (Feb 14, 2009)

Zell said:


> When I'm done with a book, that's it, I will most likely never read it again even if I read the book years ago and thought it was terrific. There are just too many other good books out there that I haven't read yet. . . .
> 
> This is one of the reasons why I like the Kindle, when I finish a book I won't have it lying around or taking up space on a shelf.


I agree completely.


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## TR Montressor (Feb 5, 2011)

I re-read everything, usually after about a year. Almost uniformly I find that I missed something.


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## EllenR (Mar 31, 2009)

There are literally only a couple of books I have re-read in my entire life. There are so many books waiting to be read the first time, I just can't be bothered to read any again.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I rarely re-read. . . .


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## bordercollielady (Nov 21, 2008)

I don't  reread many books either..  too many I want to read.  Unless -  accidentally when I forget that I already read some of them..


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## Cuechick (Oct 28, 2008)

The only book I think I ever read more than once was The Outsiders... I read it around 13 and then again as an adult. If Geek Love ever came out in Kindle format I might re-read it, even though I have paperback copy.


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## chipotle (Jan 1, 2010)

I don't usually re-read either although last year I think I accidentally read one for the second time. 

My theory is if I don't remember the book from the first time I read it then it wasn't that great anyway. I delete them all from the Kindle the minute I finish.


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## stevene9 (Nov 9, 2008)

I have 2 forms of rereading. I have been a sci fi fan all my life and have saved every SF book I've ever owned since I was 10 years old. I very well may reread a book from my teens or twenties (I'm 62 now) that I have read but only vaguely remember. Also my perspective is so very different now than it was 20, 30, or 40 years ago. The second form of reread is of a more recent book, say one I have read in the last 10 years. The only book that fits that criteria is Replay by Grimwood. But rereading a much older book happens fairly frequenttly, especially for a classic like the Foundation series.


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## JFHilborne (Jan 22, 2011)

I never re-read a book. I also don't have time. I do like to keep them, though....I just have a thing about having a library room with shelves completely filled with books. Lately, I've been reading more on my Kindle. I love the low price of the eBooks and end up buying so many more, particularly by lesser known authors (another reason I don't have time to re-read). Interestingly enough, I do watch lots of re-runs on the TV, especially Two and a Half Men!


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## gina1230 (Nov 29, 2009)

There's not enough time to read books in my TBR pile, so no, I never re-read.


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## CJArcher (Jan 22, 2011)

Zell said:


> When I'm done with a book, that's it, I will most likely never read it again even if I read the book years ago and thought it was terrific. There are just too many other good books out there that I haven't read yet.


I'm exactly the same, and with movies too. The only book (okay 6 books because they're a series) I've re-read was Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond series. The second reading was 10 years after the first time and I plan on reading them in 10 years again.


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## Linjeakel (Mar 17, 2010)

When I was younger and could afford less books, I was more likely to re-read books I had really enjoyed. Nowadays there are so many books on my wish list I tend only to re-read books in a series. If you have to wait two years or more for the next in the series to be published it's nice to re-read the previous one before you read the new one - or to re-read the whole series in one go when the last one is published.



CJArcher said:


> I'm exactly the same, and with movies too. The only book (okay 6 books because they're a series) I've re-read was Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond series. The second reading was 10 years after the first time and I plan on reading them in 10 years again.


Me too! Even though I have all the DTBs I just got 'Game of Kings' on Kindle and if I can ever find the time I want to start my third read of this amazing series.


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

gina1230 said:


> There's not enough time to read books in my TBR pile, so no, I never re-read.


Same here.


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## Katie Salidas (Mar 21, 2010)

I re-read about 10% of the books I own (not accounting for my reference books). Most books are great for a single read (romance especially) but there are some that just stick with you. I've re-read the Anne Rice vampire chronicles at least 3 times. I read the Lord of the Rings trilogy twice. Same goes for the Harry Potter series (I re-read them before the movies came out so I could spot the errors. LoL). But then the rest tend to be a once-only read. I do swap out copies with friends though so they aren't always wasting away on my bookshelf.


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## Alain Gomez (Nov 12, 2010)

I have a handful of books that are "sick books."  I pull them out and reread them because they're light, feel-good types.  Plus, by the time I finish plowing through them, I usually feel better  

Other than that, I almost never reread books for the same reason you state: too many on the to-read list.  But I keep every book that I read.  

Isn't there some Latin word for a complex like that?


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## Daphne (May 27, 2010)

I'm actually the opposite to most of those replying here - I love to re-read good books and find it hard to break into new ones. The best books can be read a dozen times and still reward me with some new nuance or subtlety. I like buying on Kindle because I have worn copies of Jane Austen's books into sawdust. Some characters are like old friends - Peter Wimsey, for example - and I'm always happy to meet them again. Harry Potter and the host of wonderful characters classify as old friends and I'm with the sons who don't grow tired of re-reading these books. Kindle Boards has been good for me as it has encouraged me to try a host of new writers.


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## KindleGirl (Nov 11, 2008)

I never re-read books, even if I really enjoyed them. Too many books out there to read and I read a lot of mystery/suspense books and once you figured out who did it and why, re-reading would not be the same.


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## M.S. Verish (Feb 26, 2010)

(From Matt)

I have yet to reread a book, but I will skim a book in a series if the next installment is coming out and it's been awhile since I last read its predecessor.


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## jimbronyaur (Feb 9, 2011)

I usually never re-read... but I do "flip".  If I'm writing and I get stuck, I'll grab a book and just start reading random sections.  Look at how the paragraphs are setup, etc. - I'll re-read the author's intro or outro, etc... those kinds of things.  It gives me inspiration to keep writing.  But to sit down and re-read an entire book again... not sure I could do that unless it's been a LONG LONG time.


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## theraven (Dec 30, 2009)

I've re-read books from my childhood but haven't for any books that I've read in the last fifteen years or so. There are a couple that I plan to re-read but don't know if I'll ever get around to it. I always find myself chaning my mind and decide to read a book that I haven't read yet.


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## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

There are a few books that I will re-read. Lord of the Rings I read every few years. But in general, I have a "you can't go home again" feeling towards books. There are books that I wished I could erase them totally from my mind just so that I could have the experience of reading them again, and having them be fresh. But you can't do that. I remember too much of the book for the experience to be fresh enough to enjoy.


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## Zell (Dec 27, 2010)

JFHilborne said:


> I do like to keep them, though....I just have a thing about having a library room with shelves completely filled with books.


I agree. There are some hard-copy books that I want to own and keep on a shelf. Not to read them again -- who knows, maybe -- but because they're classics and I just want to keep them. Harry Potter books are a good example. I would never just get the e-book versions (if it ever happens). I want those on a shelf.


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## Katinkia (Feb 9, 2011)

I think there's only a couple of books I've read more than once.  Jane Eyre and The Hobbit I think.  Otherwise I'm of the mind that life is too short and books too many to re-read stuff.


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## tsilver (Aug 9, 2010)

I never re-read books although have almost done so by accident because I didn't remember the title.  I also don't like to watch movies again unless I'm completely bored and a movie on television is the only thing that appeals to me, whereas my son used to love watching his science fiction movies over and over and over again.  He said he always noticed something new each time.


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## Larry45 (Feb 7, 2011)

I'm a complete new guy here, so I hope you'll forgive a dumb question. My K3 won't be here for a couple of days yet, but I've been browsing the book store, and this forum, in anticipation of getting my new toy.

Is there a way on the Kindle to separate books you've read from books you haven't?  That is, is there a separate library for each, or a way to organize them by "read" and "not read?"  Personally, I read for "present moment" entertainment.  I only read at night, an hour or so in bed before going to sleep.  And once a book is done, I promptly forget it and move on to the next one.  As such, I may come across the same book a couple of years later, and if I don't remember the plots or the ending, I'll read it again.

The Kindle 3 will be my first e-reader, so I don't really know yet how it works.  But that is one of my questions...if I keep all the books I buy after I read them, is there a way to keep them separate from the newer books that I haven't read yet?

Thanks so much for your help, and this is a great forum...I'm really going to enjoy it.


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## SpearsII (Jan 16, 2010)

I have never re-read a fiction book, all though I have tried. I tried to re-read the Lord of the Rings more than once but I never get very far even as great as those books are. I am like, "wait a minute I know what's going to happen", and then I get bored. I do underline and reference a lot of my economic and political non-fiction. That might count in some ways as re-reading. 

Fiction: no. Non-fiction: sorta kinda.


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## terryr (Apr 24, 2010)

It depends on the book. Many times I'll fall in love with a book I've read in the library or borrowed from someone else, and end up liking it so much I have to buy it for myself to re-read. Good books never lose anything in the re-read with me. They just get better.


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## DYB (Aug 8, 2009)

I'm actually astounded that so many people don't re-read some books.  It is impossible to get full meaning and nuance from any serious work of fiction on a single read.  Can you imagine listening to a song just one time?  Listening to a symphony by Beethoven just one time and thinking you got out of it all you can? A Mozart opera?  See a Shakespeare play?  Can you look at a Michaelangelo just once and think you've seen it all?  I have re-read some books a few times - and will re-read them again - but I don't in the least feel like I'm missing out because I am not reading something else in its place, because on each re-read I am seeing things I did not see before.  And my own life experiences might have changed my perspective on what I am reading.  Simply taking in a great novel once is not really taking it in at all, it's just skimming the surface.  Some works of literature can offer me so much more.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Larry45 said:


> I'm a complete new guy here, so I hope you'll forgive a dumb question. My K3 won't be here for a couple of days yet, but I've been browsing the book store, and this forum, in anticipation of getting my new toy.
> 
> Is there a way on the Kindle to separate books you've read from books you haven't? That is, is there a separate library for each, or a way to organize them by "read" and "not read?" Personally, I read for "present moment" entertainment. I only read at night, an hour or so in bed before going to sleep. And once a book is done, I promptly forget it and move on to the next one. As such, I may come across the same book a couple of years later, and if I don't remember the plots or the ending, I'll read it again.
> 
> ...


Welcome Larry!

I think we each figure out what works best for us. What I do is download a book right away when I buy it. When I've read it, I delete it from the Kindle and go to "your collection" on Amazon and I note that I've read it and when I finished it and what I thought of it. So, basically, any book that's still on my Kindle is one I haven't read.

Many folks use Calibre which is a free program that allows you to organize your ebooks. Others use web based systems like Goodreads and Shelfari.


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## Holly A Hook (Sep 19, 2010)

I rarely re-read books.  I think that's because I read so many.  When I finish one, I move on to the next one.  Maybe it's also because I can't get into a book once I know what's going to happen.  Wanting the answer to a question always keeps me turning the pages.


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## Darcia (Jul 16, 2010)

I don't have time to read the hundreds of books on my to-read list, much less re-read any of them! 

So far, I have never re-read a fiction book. There are just too many new ones calling out to me. Plus, once I know the plot and the twists and what the characters will do, I don't have any interest in reading it again. (I also don't like to watch movies twice for the same reason.)

I do keep most of my nonfiction. I don't necessarily re-read the entire book but I keep them for reference.


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## terryr (Apr 24, 2010)

DYB said:


> I'm actually astounded that so many people don't re-read some books. It is impossible to get full meaning and nuance from any serious work of fiction on a single read. Can you imagine listening to a song just one time? Listening to a symphony by Beethoven just one time and thinking you got out of it all you can? A Mozart opera? See a Shakespeare play? Can you look at a Michaelangelo just once and think you've seen it all? I have re-read some books a few times - and will re-read them again - but I don't in the least feel like I'm missing out because I am not reading something else in its place, because on each re-read I am seeing things I did not see before. And my own life experiences might have changed my perspective on what I am reading. Simply taking in a great novel once is not really taking it in at all, it's just skimming the surface. Some works of literature can offer me so much more.


Amen.


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## lawenn13 (Jan 12, 2011)

I'm with the majority in that I have never re-read a book. I just don't really see the point. I read books for the entertainment value. I analyze literature enough in school to have any desire to do it on my own time.


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## Harry Shannon (Jul 30, 2010)

I've only re-visited a few books in my time, just SO many in my TBR shelf and now on the Kindle. Read "Shogun," "The Source," "Red Dragon," "Starship Troopers" and a few  others years apart. These days I just run and never catch up.


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## tim290280 (Jan 11, 2011)

We generally only keep books in the house that we are likely to re-read. The others we take to second hand stores. Although I do tend to keep some that I may not re-read, but wouldn't mind to all the same. I do this because I'd like to have a stack of reading material around the house for our kids. I think one of the best ways to encourage kids to read is just to make it normal. Having a pile of books there means they are never short of good things to read.


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## James Everington (Dec 25, 2010)

For me, if a book's not worth re-reading it'd probably not worth reading in the first place - a good book works on multiple levels and there's no way you can understand them all first time. And I don't just mean this about hi-falutin' "literature" - I mean any good book: Stephen King, Terry Pratchett etc.

Plus, regardless of the book, _I've_ changed. Hopefully I've learnt and developed. So my reactions won't be the same on rereading too.

James


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## Maud Muller (Aug 10, 2010)

There are a few books I've re-read. Some because a movie was coming out and I wanted to compare how closely the movie followed the book. Recently I re-read One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and The Great Gatsby because they were required reading for a writer's conference I was attending in San Francisco. It was remarkable how much more I appreciated them the second time. Perhaps that old song _The Second Time Around _ applies to books as well as love.


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## Barbiedull (Jul 13, 2010)

I never re-read a book.


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## Hoosiermama (Dec 28, 2009)

I rarely re-read a book. I usually find I get bored, knowing what's going to happen next. However, at my age, with paperbacks, I'd find myself re-reading and think "huh, this sounds familiar" ...but with my Kindle I know what I've read and what I haven't!


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

Larry45 said:


> I'm a complete new guy here, so I hope you'll forgive a dumb question. My K3 won't be here for a couple of days yet, but I've been browsing the book store, and this forum, in anticipation of getting my new toy.
> 
> Is there a way on the Kindle to separate books you've read from books you haven't? That is, is there a separate library for each, or a way to organize them by "read" and "not read?" Personally, I read for "present moment" entertainment. I only read at night, an hour or so in bed before going to sleep. And once a book is done, I promptly forget it and move on to the next one. As such, I may come across the same book a couple of years later, and if I don't remember the plots or the ending, I'll read it again.
> 
> ...


Larry, you can create collections on your Kindle. I have a lot of collections, and among mine are the following:

Currently Reading
Read
To Be Read Soon

Those might help you sort your books easily. Hope that helps. Welcome to the KB!


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

DYB said:


> I'm actually astounded that so many people don't re-read some books. It is impossible to get full meaning and nuance from any serious work of fiction on a single read. Can you imagine listening to a song just one time? Listening to a symphony by Beethoven just one time and thinking you got out of it all you can? A Mozart opera? See a Shakespeare play? Can you look at a Michaelangelo just once and think you've seen it all? I have re-read some books a few times - and will re-read them again - but I don't in the least feel like I'm missing out because I am not reading something else in its place, because on each re-read I am seeing things I did not see before. And my own life experiences might have changed my perspective on what I am reading. Simply taking in a great novel once is not really taking it in at all, it's just skimming the surface. Some works of literature can offer me so much more.


I feel the same way. In addition to the nuances and full meaning of the works of writers that I consider to be wonderful, sometimes I simply love the way certain writers turn a phrase. For instance, I think Pat Conroy's writing (especially in _The Prince of Tides_) is superb, and love to re-read passages. I think Nelson DeMille's writing is wonderful, and often re-read favorite parts of his books. Stephen King's _'Salem's Lot_ is so well-written that I have re-read it several times. Our own David McAfee has a book entitled _33 A.D._ that I'm sure I'll re-read simply because some of his writing in that book is similar to King's. The classics (Jane Austen, Shakespeare, Poe, Stoker, etc.) definitely deserve to be re-read in my opinion. To savor them only once seems like a shame to me. Of course, that's just my opinion.


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## Dawn McCullough White (Feb 24, 2010)

It is super-duper rare for me to re-read a book.  I did re-read Interview with the Vampire recently, although I read it over 20 years ago so, it was like reading something totally new.  My perspective has changed from what it was at 16yrs.  But generally no, once I've read it, I'm done with it.

Dawn


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## TrevorBloom (Jan 29, 2011)

I'm a newbie here but this subject really interests me because I own an awful lot of books and have recently bought a kindle; so I'm curious as to whether and how it will change my reading habits.

I have always enjoyed re-reading non-fiction books, especially history and military history where the material doesn't date. I never re-read genre fiction because the material is usually easy to digest and I remember it too well. I have found that re-reading literary fiction, especially the classics, can be rewarding but requires more effort and commitment that I'm not always prepared to give when there are so many books out there I haven't read.

With my new kindle I've started to re-read some of the classics I read at college and it's great. Right now I'm re-reading Anna Karenina. The kindle means I can dip in and out whenever I feel like it and I can really appreciate how different my perspective is now compared to when I last read it as a 19 year old.


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## Cliff Ball (Apr 10, 2010)

I have bookshelves full of books I've never read again, even the ones I liked. Now that I have a Kindle, I don't have to worry about space. I do like having a library of physical books though, throwing away books seems sacrilegious to me.


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## DYB (Aug 8, 2009)

I see a lot of people saying that they've read a book and now they remember everything, so it won't be interesting to read it again after X years.  I guarantee you that you do not remember everything after a single read.  Memories are notoriously unreliable.  You remember some things and you may remember the ending, but you will not remember the journey to the last page.  Take a book you read 5, 10 years ago and enjoyed, and read it again.  You will be surprised by how much you have, in fact, forgotten.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

DYB said:


> I see a lot of people saying that they've read a book and now they remember everything, so it won't be interesting to read it again after X years. I guarantee you that you do not remember everything after a single read. Memories are notoriously unreliable. You remember some things and you may remember the ending, but you will not remember the journey to the last page. Take a book you read 5, 10 years ago and enjoyed, and read it again. You will be surprised by how much you have, in fact, forgotten.


I agree with you, and think that part of the interest in re-reading good books is that our (or at least my) perspective changes with age, and I believe that life's experiences bring about a lot of that change. For you Bible readers, it's a bit like reading a passage during one phase of your life and taking away from the passage what seems relevant to you at that time. Read under different circumstances, I, for one, often need and take away other understanding and relevance. I have certainly found the same to be true with books that I read.


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## Jon Olson (Dec 10, 2010)

I sort of think that re-unless it's an extraordinary book, misses the point of reading. I want to know MORE, not relearn the things I already know.


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## DYB (Aug 8, 2009)

Jon Olson said:


> I sort of think that re-unless it's an extraordinary book, misses the point of reading. I want to know MORE, not relearn the things I already know.


You can't know more if you have forgotten what you already knew. You're just replacing one bit of knowledge with another, not adding to it. That's the point I'm making. You think you learned it all and that you will remember it all, but you will be surprised by how much your mind did not keep.


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## ReneAZ (Jan 1, 2011)

Zell said:


> When I'm done with a book, that's it, I will most likely never read it again even if I read the book years ago and thought it was terrific. There are just too many other good books out there that I haven't read yet. My sons, on the other hand, can re-read a book a thousand times and never get tired of it (Harry Potter books, for example).
> 
> This is one of the reasons why I like the Kindle, when I finish a book I won't have it lying around or taking up space on a shelf.
> 
> I know some of you re-read a book multiple times but how many of you don't like me?


That's me! I'm just like you. Once is enough. And (also like you!) I love my (new) kindle because it replaces so many books that I don't have to make room for!
I have books piled everywhere in my (small) condo, and got so tired of it. Now I just have to get rid of all the books, and not slip back into my old ways! (Some paperbacks are cheaper than ebooks, sigh, so I will not give them up entirely).

I don't really understand why anyone would reread a book - you know what's going to happen (unless it's been soooo long you don't remember it).
It's not like a movie that can still be enjoyable a second time. (I have a few I watch again if they happen to come on the TV)

I haven't read this thread yet - curious to see what others have to say.

(added: but have to add that I do reread/scan non-fiction books occasionally)

Love my Kindle!
Rene


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## Mark Feggeler (Feb 7, 2011)

I wish.  I get caught on a favorite book or favorite author and then grind to a halt reading and re-reading.  Pretty sure I need to join a Dashiell Hammett addiction support group.


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## D/W (Dec 29, 2010)

Other than some favorites that I re-read _countless_ times as a child, I can think of only two fiction books that I've re-read in my lifetime. I have nonfiction reference/instructional books that I refer to often, however.


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## DYB (Aug 8, 2009)

ReneAZ said:


> That's me! I'm just like you. Once is enough. And (also like you!) I love my (new) kindle because it replaces so many books that I don't have to make room for!
> I have books piled everywhere in my (small) condo, and got so tired of it. Now I just have to get rid of all the books, and not slip back into my old ways! (Some paperbacks are cheaper than ebooks, sigh, so I will not give them up entirely).
> 
> I don't really understand why anyone would reread a book - you know what's going to happen (unless it's been soooo long you don't remember it).
> ...


I'm not sure I understand your distinction between a movie and a book. Why would you re-watch a movie if you know how it's going to end?


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## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

Watching a movie is often a social experience. It's more fun to watch a movie with other people than all alone. Reading is mostly a solitary activity. It's also easier to watch a movie than to read a book, plus a movie only takes a couple hours of my time, while rereading a book takes days. A movie and a book are really totally different experiences.


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## DYB (Aug 8, 2009)

QuantumIguana said:


> Watching a movie is often a social experience. It's more fun to watch a movie with other people than all alone. Reading is mostly a solitary activity. It's also easier to watch a movie than to read a book, plus a movie only takes a couple hours of my time, while rereading a book takes days. A movie and a book are really totally different experiences.


Right on all counts. Which to me says that's not about the movie, it's about the party. So you can have a party and watch "Star Wars" a million times and memorise every scene and line. You will never memorise an entire novel, every scene, action, and conversation. Now, if somebody doesn't care - that's one thing. I'm just saying I don't believe any person who says they remember a novel they read once 5 years ago. Some books can be pure entertainment, some not. Ditto some movies. There's not a lot of Bergman to be screened at drinking parties. Some people will watch Bergman over and over again, however, because they are learning something new each time.


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## bashfulreader (Jan 29, 2011)

There are a few books I've read more than once, and a few more that I'd like to read again.  I definitely understand the idea of getting more out of a book when you re-read it, and sometimes it's just about "revisiting old friends".  However, I do find that I'm re-reading less, now that I have a Kindle.  It's not that I don't want to, but that I now have access to so many more books.  With all of the free classics, and other free and reasonably priced books, available with just a click, my "wish to read list" have grown to HUGE proportions!  I find myself constantly thinking "so many books, so little time!"  

Actually, I think it's a combination of two things: the convenience of the Kindle, and also all these book forums on the Internet.  Between Kindleboards, the Kindle forums on Amazon, and Goodreads.com, my "wish to read" list is growing at an astronomical rate.

However, having all my favorites with me all the time (instead of returned to the library, or loaned to a friend, or donated because I ran out of room) does make the possibility of re-reading easier... if I can ever make a dent in my "waiting to be read" pile.


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## Debra Purdy Kong (Apr 1, 2009)

Ordinarily, I never go back and read a book no matter how much I liked it because there are too many new books and authors I haven't read. I'm a mystery writer and I read mysteries every month, and I still haven't come close to reading everyone in my genre, never mind getting to other genres.

Having said that, though, I was in a used bookstore a few months back and found some old hardback editions of Nancy Drew. Nancy Drew is what started my love of mysteries over 40 years ago, so I bought 3 and have started re-reading them from a completely different perspective than I had when I was 12. It's great fun, actually, to read them again.

Debra


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## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

I don't remember every detail of book that I re-read. But I often remember enough to hamper enjoyment of the book. But I can rewatch a movie, even though I remember even more of a movie than I would about the book. People don't just rewatch a movie to see new things, they rewatch to re-experience. You can get that with a book, but a movie is a more visceral experience. It's easier to evoke emotions with visual media than with a book. This can be a good thing, you can make cheap, manipulative emotional ploys with a movie, but you have to think more to evoke emotions with a book, so you get more depth. A rabble-rousing speaker can whip a crowd up into a frenzied mod, but take that same speech and have people read it, and the readers might just think "this is garbage". On the other hand, Bogart's "We'll always have Paris" speech is better on screen than it would be a in a book, in my opinion.


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## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

To me, not re-reading a great book is like saying, "I've already tasted filet mignon so why bother?"

Sure there are millions of other foods in the world, and if I eat that today I can't eat curry... But I'll still eat that steak and even ask for a nice Cabernet with it. I've had that before, too.


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## Bryan Smith (Feb 13, 2011)

I don't reread often, but I have revisited a few things.  Usually it's only after a number of years have passed since the last read-through.  I've read Stephen King's The Stand three times, Hunter Thompson's Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas at least a dozen times.  The latter is the only book I actually do reread frequently.  With the exception of his new one, I've reread all of Tim Dorsey's books.  And I've had second readings of a couple other King titles.  There have been a few others of various other authors here and there.  Like I said, I don't do it often, but it can be a pleasurable experience on occasion.  If enough years have passed between readings, a reread of a favorite book can almost be like reading it again for the first time.


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## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

I don't see rereading a book as being very similar to a good meal, they are fundamentally different experiences. Eating is a fundamental human impulse, you can recreate the experience of a good meal the next time you have it again. But even for the finest foods, you'll get sick of it if you have it too often, or have it again too soon. For most people the "too soon" time for a book is a lot longer than the "too soon" time for food. Besides, there is just so much more out there to read that I have not already read. A new book will be fresher than one I have already read.


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## BMathison (Feb 4, 2011)

I re-read books all the time, but only the ones I REALLY like.

I find that as I age, my perspective/experience/life circumstances alters the way I experience a book.  Each read is unique, even the story stays the same.


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

My view is that if I don't wish to re-read a book once in a while, then it wasn’t a very good book.


Mike


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## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

QuantumIguana said:


> I don't see rereading a book as being very similar to a good meal, they are fundamentally different experiences. Eating is a fundamental human impulse, you can recreate the experience of a good meal the next time you have it again. But even for the finest foods, you'll get sick of it if you have it too often, or have it again too soon. For most people the "too soon" time for a book is a lot longer than the "too soon" time for food. Besides, there is just so much more out there to read that I have not already read. A new book will be fresher than one I have already read.


It's analogy. It compares things that are unalike but still share some similarities. I find the two pretty similar in many ways. If I eat one thing that I know I will enjoy, I can't at the same time eat another--or I could try a food I've never tried before.

Exactly the same is true with books.

What does being "fresh" have to do with books? A book doesn't have to be "fresh" for me to enjoy it. _Pride and Prejudice_ isn't exactly "fresh".

Do you really think you took in everything there was in _Atonement_, _A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man_, _Catch-22_, _I Claudius_, _The Charioteer_ or _A Passage to India_ with one reading? Maybe you did, but I didn't. I have read each of those several times and some I read at least once a year.

But some I may I feel I have gotten everything, but I still want to savor the flavor of the language or re-visit characters who are old friends, just as I might want to savor the flavor of the meal or repeat the experience of it, even if I've eaten the same food before.



jmiked said:


> My view is that if I don't wish to re-read a book once in a while, then it wasn't a very good book.
> 
> Mike


Succinctly put.


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

ReneAZ said:


> I don't really understand why anyone would reread a book - you know what's going to happen (unless it's been soooo long you don't remember it).
> It's not like a movie that can still be enjoyable a second time. (I have a few I watch again if they happen to come on the TV)


Enjoying a story is not always just about finding out what happens at the end. It's about the journey to get there which, just like with movies, can be enjoyed over and over. I can understand why some people reread their favorites, I just don't have the time to do so with all the books piling up on my TBR list.


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## Wisteria Clematis (Oct 29, 2008)

Debra Purdy Kong said:


> Ordinarily, I never go back and read a book no matter how much I liked it because there are too many new books and authors I haven't read. I'm a mystery writer and I read mysteries every month, and I still haven't come close to reading everyone in my genre, never mind getting to other genres.
> 
> Having said that, though, I was in a used bookstore a few months back and found some old hardback editions of Nancy Drew. Nancy Drew is what started my love of mysteries over 40 years ago, so I bought 3 and have started re-reading them from a completely different perspective than I had when I was 12. It's great fun, actually, to read them again.
> 
> Debra


You know that the old editions of Nancy Drew are available on kindle, right?


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## MrPLD (Sep 23, 2010)

I actually have quite the opposite problem - I keep reading the same book over again because I worry I won't find another one that I'll like with the same passion, I think I read the last book in the Eddings Belgeraid probably ~8 times :sigh:


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## MrMiracle (Oct 28, 2010)

There was a time when I'd go through some of my favorite series as a teenager four or five times.  I didn't need to use a bookmark.  I'd just look where the oil from my thumbs had stained the edge of the paper in a different way.  It was easy to tell which of my books were new and which were old by the color of the outside of the paper.

I just don't find books that make me want to re-read them with quite the same zeal.  Maybe it's an age thing, but back then I really wanted to immerse myself in those worlds.  The best way to do so was with repeat readings and re-absorption of the details.


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## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

MrPLD said:


> I actually have quite the opposite problem - I keep reading the same book over again because I worry I won't find another one that I'll like with the same passion, I think I read the last book in the Eddings Belgeraid probably ~8 times :sigh:


That too.


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

I very seldom re-read.  Off the top of my head the only books I've re-read in my life are The Lord of the Rings (and the Hobbit, Silmarillion and Children of Hurin), Fight Club, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and a good chunk of R.A. Salvatore's Drizzt Do'urden series.

So i stopped keeping books.  I still have some of those around, but I donated most of my books the last time I move.  And my main reason for moving to e-books was not having physical books I'd only read once cluttering up my small condo and being a pain to pack and unpack everytime I move (which has been nearly yearly in recent years).


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## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

Reading a book and watching a movie are quite different experiences. People don't generally watch a movie to get more out of it, they watch it again to reexperience it. People choose to buy DVDs when they could simply rent the movie. They buy it because they plan to watch it enough times to make the price difference worthwhile. I'm not advocating that people should or should not reread books, only observing that people are more likely to rewatch a movie than they are to reread a book. I do read some books over again, but they have to be really good. Perhaps I could get more out of them with a second reading, but would I get more out of that book on a second reading than I would out of some other book on a first reading?


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## Basil Sands (Aug 18, 2010)

I very seldom re-read, usually because I remember most of the details very quickly upon picking a book back up. 

The one exception is if I am writing something and want to remember how another author did a particular scene. Then I will find that book, reread the specific scenes and take notes. 

There are a couple of exceptions, such as history books, but not too many.


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## bashfulreader (Jan 29, 2011)

QuantumIguana said:


> Reading a book and watching a movie are quite different experiences. People don't generally watch a movie to get more out of it, they watch it again to reexperience it...


You know, I understand what you (and others) are saying, but I'm not sure I entirely agree with it (no offense). To some extent, with some books, I do re-experience it. Maybe I'm weird, but reading a book is about more than finding out "who done it". I really do feel almost exactly the same way about re-reading some books, as I do about re-watching some movies - I get to re-live the story.

I wonder if this has anything to do with the fact that I'm not a very visual person. I'm not impaired - I just learn and retain information better if I hear it, than if I see it. Of course, I don't really "hear" most of books, but I do actually hear them in my head. Books can be just as vivid for me as movies.


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## Christine Kersey (Feb 13, 2011)

There are some books I reread. Typically it is when a new book in a series comes out and I want to refresh my memory on what happened previously. For example, I reread "The Hunger Games" and "Catching Fire" before I read "Mockingjay". I've been rereading the "Earth's Children" series, since the next book comes out in March and it's been over 10 years since the previous book was released. Other than that, I have too many new books to read to spend a lot of time rereading most books.


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## AnneKAlbert (Dec 7, 2010)

It seems the only books I ever re-visit are those 'keeper' how-to-write books in my personal library. As for fiction books, I honestly can't think of a single book I've ever read twice. But then, I tend to do the same with movies and television programs. Watching a rerun is excrutiating painful for me, no matter how good the episode. There are just so many other wonderful things to discover. Guess I'm afraid I might miss something!


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