# Have you ever read a novel twice?



## Russell Brooks (Dec 23, 2010)

Is there a book or a series that you enjoyed so much that you read it twice?

Mine are: Inside Out by Barry Eisler and Rain Fall by Barry Eisler.


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## WDR (Jan 8, 2014)

_The White Dragon_ by Anne McCaffrey-I read this so many times as a teenager the book fell apart in my hands.

_The Witches of Karres_ by James Schmitz-I still pull this out and enjoy reading it, at least once or twice a year.

The truth is, I would say a significant portion of the books I have read over the years (95%) I have read more than _twice_.


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## Russell Brooks (Dec 23, 2010)

I remember re-reading THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy before the movies came out. I also re-read THE HOBBIT several years ago.


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## karendawn (Aug 4, 2014)

Oh, absolutely. Sometimes it is a book that I love and want to experience again and sometimes I reread books in a series if a new book is coming out and it's been a while since I read the previous ones.

I don't know how many times I've read _A Wrinkle in Time_ or _The Mists of Avalon_ (my two favorite books). I've also read _The Handmaid's Tale_ and _Till We Have Faces_ a number of times (both because I love them and because I taught them in my college literature classes).

As for series, I'd say Harry Potter probably has the most rereads, but A Game of Thrones (Song of Ice and Fire) comes in a close second (since it's soooo long between books). I also need to reread (again) Robin Hobb's Fitz books since a new one recently came out and I want to go into with a fresh memory of what came before. And I really want to reread the Outlander books (I had planned to do so before the newest came out this summer but I didn't get started in time and didn't want to put off reading the new one). And I see someone else mentioned Pern--I also plan a reread of all of those at some point.


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## J.R.Mooneyham (Mar 14, 2011)

I've read at least around 2500 books once-- maybe around 150-200 of those twice. And at least several dozen three times or more. And this doesn't include the at minimum dozen readings apiece of my own books during editing.

Part of the reason for re-readings was trouble finding any new books which interested me, and the terrible amount of time it can take for my favorite authors to produce a new one (some can take 10-20 years).

I much prefer a span of years between the readings of the same book, so that most of the story is no longer easily recollected. But at times there's been only months (when I was desperate).


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## paf2011 (Sep 15, 2011)

Yes. I love Bond novels


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

Sure, I do this a lot. I've re-read entire series or author works multiple times. I've done the 40-volume Nero Wolfe series by Rex Stout at least three times, the Amber series by Roger Zelazny probably five times, Cliff Simak's work three or four times, Sherlock Holmes several times, Jack McDevitt's SF books several times, some of Asimov's SF work several times, and John Dickson Carr's mystery series three or four times.

These books give me a lot of enjoyment to re-read. Particularly since there's not all that much recently written work that I enjoy. I read around 100+ books a year and sometimes I like slipping back into a comfortable environment of a world I like (yes, it's escapism).


Mike


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## 75845 (Jan 1, 1970)

When I first read The Lord of the Rings: One Volume at the age of 13 I was so blown away by it that I started re-reading it as soon as I finished it the first time. Then when I finished the second reading I immediately began the third reading. I re-read them (plus The Hobbit and The Silmarillion) after seeing Peter Jackson's _Fellowship of the Ring_. I now have _Lord of the Rings_ in eBook form (50th anniversary edn) but not re-read it yet as there are too many new to me books to get through.


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## Seleya (Feb 25, 2011)

Yes, there are quite a few books I love to re-read, the Lord of the Rings, The Divine Comedy, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Iliad, The Odissey, Mary Stewart's Merlin books, the Wheel of Time series...and the list goes on.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

I don't re-read very often. Maybe if my memory keeps going to the cats as its been going, I can just start all the books I read over again.  

I re-read the Angelique series by Anne Golon several times after I first read them when I was young. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to read them again for 20 years as I need an english ebook version, which does not exist, only german, which for cosmic irony I can't read fiction in my mothers language anymore. I keep waiting. 

I also re-read many of the Karl May books when I was a kid. I have to be honest that I do not recall much of what I read when I was still in Germany. 

As an adult I re-read Outlander, I also re-read the beginning episodes in the In Death series by JD Robb. 

I also sometimes re-read out of print books when I finally get my hands on the ebook version. Its not always done on purpose either. 

But in general, I go for new to me books.


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## readingril (Oct 29, 2010)

Nice to know there are other re-readers of LOTR here.

I revisit (reread) favorite books often. It's like a version of comfort food for me... but no calories!


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Only twice?  

Without doubt, my biggest "offender" would be Zelazny's original "Amber" series, which I would conservatively estimate at over 30 reads since I first discovered it in the late '70s. But there are many others I've read multiple times, and if it was good enough to warrant a second reading, there's a decent chance there was a third reading if it's been around long enough.

If a novel is really well done and isn't just about the plot (whodunnit?), I have no problem re-reading it after some amount of time has passed.


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## Daniel Harvell (Jun 21, 2013)

I wish I had more time to reread some favorites, but there are just so many books out there to explore! I have reread a few, though ... but it's usually because I forgot that I'd read them in the first place!


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

I echo NogDog--only twice?

Many books/authors I have read several times.  Dick Francis novels, the Lord Peter Whimsey books with Harriet Vane, the Spenser series by Robert Parker, Nero Wolfe books, the Narnia series, Atlas Shrugged.  

Many more.

Betsy


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## intinst (Dec 23, 2008)

LotR, The Hobbit, Dune, Stranger in a Strange Land, The Amber series & most of Zelazny's other works, Harry Potter books, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, most of Asimov's & Heinlein's, several of McCaffrey, Andre`Norton, Norse and Barbra Hambly books have been reread by me, some several times. LotR & The Hobbit nearly once a year since I first discovered them in the mid sixties. What can I say, I'm a classic Sci-Fi/Fantasy slut. I've bought what I can in ebooks of these. When I feel the urge for some "comfort reading," that's where I go, even if I have to (shudder) read a paper book to get my fix.

eta. How could I forget Dune?


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## madelyneld (Aug 27, 2014)

Oh definitely. I just finished rereading Misery by Stephen King for the... fifth time? I'm not sure anymore. I won't reread every book, but usually I know after the first read-through whether I'll want to read it again.

I have a long list of books I've returned to multiple times. I reread _The Wheel of Time_ and the Harry Potter books every time a new installment was due, and I'll probably do the same thing for _A Song of Ice and Fire._

Not to derail the thread, but I wonder how KU will register this kind of habit...


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## ValeriGail (Jan 21, 2010)

As a child I read the Ann of Green Gable books so many times I wore out my copies.  I now have them on my kindle and reading them to my daughter 

I've read most of Jane Austen's books more than twice.  I read all of the Harry Potter series on my own and then again out loud to the family on road trips.  The same with Mercury Falls. (One of the best books I've ever read!) There have been a couple other books and series like this through the years who's names are not standing out to me right now.  My husband is currently reading The Mageborn Series by Michael G. Manning for the second time, read all five book then turned around and started reading them again.  Same with my oldest son (1.  They keep pestering me to read them as well, but 4 people in the house reading the same books is quite enough (the twins are reading them too! LOL)


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## alawston (Jun 3, 2012)

I'm a serial re-reader.

Another vote here for Lord of the Rings, as well as just about all Terry Pratchett's books (apart from the ones that are so recent that I've not got back to them yet). And the Hitch-Hiker's Guide, almost all of the Doctor Who New Adventures, Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series and, just to keep it vaguely highbrow, L'Etranger and Candide...


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Countless books, countless times. 

Susan Howatch (always at the top of my list)
Agatha Christie
Rex Stout
Nora Roberts
Robert Ludlum
Diana Gabaldon
Sergeanne Golon
Nora Lofts
Janet Evanovich
Ann B. Ross
J.K. Rowling, and others whose authors I can't remember, but I enjoyed one of their books enough to reread them several times.

I've read nearly every book on my shelves more than once and then reread the ebook if I bought it. Audiobooks, too.


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

Every time I read* The Lord of the Rings* I get something new out of it. The first time I read it the beautiful prose gently wove its spell around me. Then the world that Tolkien created grabbed my heart, particularly Lothlorien; I want to live there! And then the characters and the choices they faced and how each one they made, whether for good or evil, would impact their entire civilization is what ultimately haunted me and kept calling me to visit on annual re-reads. To this day I still can't read the final chapter without crying as Frodo waves farewell to his friends, and all of the magic of Gandalf and the timeless beauty of the Elves, bid a sad farewell to Middle Earth. And I grieve with Samwise on the shores of the Sea...


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## Cheryl M. (Jan 11, 2011)

I couldn't tell you which books because I read many more than once. If I love a book, I love a book! It's the same as watching my favorite movies. Just stick it on repeat! 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk. These are not the typos you are looking for...


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## pmac (Sep 22, 2014)

Feel like I read The Great Gatsby once every five years.

Others include:
The Long Goodbye
A River Runs Through It
A Day No Pigs Would Die (please read this book of you haven't already)


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## Russell Brooks (Dec 23, 2010)

ValeriGail said:


> As a child I read the Ann of Green Gable books so many times I wore out my copies. I now have them on my kindle and reading them to my daughter


Pssst. Anne is spelled with an E, lol


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Russell Brooks said:


> Pssst. Anne is spelled with an E, lol


Not always.  

I'll be the voice of dissent: I rarely re-read. Not sure why, just don't.

That said, I have sometimes re-read a book because I didn't remember reading it in the first place. Every page was tinged with a flavor of deja vu but I couldn't, for the life of me, remember what was to happen next.

I also re-read the Harry Potter books many times. When they were still being written, I'd re-read from the beginning, timed to finish the most recent just before I got my copy of the latest so I could just continue without a break. I also re-read all 7 books before seeing the final two films.

I've read one or two others on purpose -- because I'd liked them so well I wanted to read them again. In one case it definitely held up, but in another cases, I was sorry I'd re-read because I didn't like it as well as I remembered. So, mostly, even if I really like it, I don't re-read. Especially if it's something I'd read a long time ago because I don't want to end up embarrassed for my teenage self for liking it so much. 

I've read LotR and liked it well enough -- but not enough to even think about re-reading. I did recently re-read the Hobbit -- I actually like that MUCH better than LotR and am not a fan of what has been done with the movies.

I was going to re-read To Kill A Mockingbird this summer when it was released legally in eBook format -- but I realized, as I'd read, that I'd never read it before. I knew the story only from the movie.


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## Adaman14 (Mar 20, 2013)

Series I have read more than once: Amber series - Zelazny, TLOTR - Tolkien, Hornblower - C. S. Forester, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser - Fritz Leiber, Thieves World collection, the narrative historical series by Allan Eckert, and more I guess.  I hadn't really thought about how many series I have read more than once.  There are more I should revisit.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> I'll be the voice of dissent: I rarely re-read. Not sure why, just don't.


Well, not very "dissenty," since the rest of your post is about the books you HAVE re-read, and the subject question is "Have you ever read a novel twice?"

Seems like your answer to the question is "yes."



Betsy


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## John Donlan (Sep 20, 2014)

I have a lot of books that I like to go back and re-read again and again. Though thinking about it, most of those are books I read when I was a teenager or younger, so I expect there is a certain amount of nostalgia involved in that. Sometimes when I read a favourite book again it feels like going and visiting with old friends. I have a certain series of books that I have read so many times, I've worn out three copies of each of the three volumes!


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## intinst (Dec 23, 2008)

John Donlan said:


> I have a lot of books that I like to go back and re-read again and again. Though thinking about it, most of those are books I read when I was a teenager or younger, so I expect there is a certain amount of nostalgia involved in that. Sometimes when I read a favourite book again it feels like going and visiting with old friends.* I have a certain series of books that I have read so many times, I've worn out three copies of each of the three volumes!*


One of the great things about ebooks! (When they are avaiable )


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

intinst said:


> One of the great things about ebooks! (When they are avaiable )


Indeed!

Betsy


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## JumpingShip (Jun 3, 2010)

Oh my gosh, yes!   The Little House on the Prairie books have all been read many times--even now, I'll pick them up and re-read them. The Clan of the Cave Bear series have all been read multiple times--except for the last book in the series. I couldn't even finish that one. Other favorite reads: Shogun, Centennial, Pillars of the Earth, Aztec, The Journeyer, Morning Glory, The Forgotten Door, The Grapes of Wrath, and The Physician.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Well, not very "dissenty," since the rest of your post is about the books you HAVE re-read, and the subject question is "Have you ever read a novel twice?"
> 
> Seems like your answer to the question is "yes."
> 
> ...


Well. Yes. But not _much_. 

Most of the other answers seem to be more on the lines of, 'yes, all the time!'


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## Gone 9/21/18 (Dec 11, 2008)

I reread favorites probably every 5 years or so - Dick Francis, Tony Hillerman, Nevada Barr, James Herriot, some of Mary Balogh, Candace Proctor, Penelope Williamson, and Lorraine Heath. C.S. Harris (aka Candace Proctor, but this is a historical mystery series with romantic elements instead of romance) is now in that category as are Craig Johnson and C.J. Box.


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## Anna Drake (Sep 22, 2014)

Yes. I've reread the Nero Wolfe series and books by Dick Francis, Tony Hillerman, and Agatha Christie. My most often reread novel is The Testament by John Grisham, although I don't know why.


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## JGR (May 11, 2013)

I have to admit I find it hard to understand people who never read a book twice.  If you don't feel the need to re-read them, it suggests to me you didn't really connect with them in the first place.  In which case, maybe you need to try some different genres.


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## My_Txxxx_a$$_Left_Too (Feb 13, 2014)

Content removed due to TOS Changes in 2018. I do not agree to the terms.


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## Rick Gualtieri (Oct 31, 2011)

I reread Stephen King's IT probably at least once a year.  By far my favorite novel of all time.


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## momilp (Jan 11, 2010)

There are several novels I read twice, but the ones that come immediately to mind are: Martian Chronicles by R. Bradbury, I, Robot by Isaac Asimov, One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, which I read both in Italian and Spanish, the angel series by Sharon Shinn, and when I was a kid I read more times than I can remember The Children of Noisy Village by Astrid Lindgren who is better known for her Pippi Longstocking series. And now that I think about it, I really want to reread Kiln People by David Brin, and the Iron Seas series by Meljean Brook.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

JGR said:


> I have to admit I find it hard to understand people who never read a book twice. If you don't feel the need to re-read them, it suggests to me you didn't really connect with them in the first place. In which case, maybe you need to try some different genres.


See, I don't have a problem understanding it, though I do enjoy rereads. I think one can connect with a book perfectly well, but be excited to see if there's another book out there one can also connect with. So many books, so little time...

Betsy


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

JGR said:


> I have to admit I find it hard to understand people who never read a book twice. If you don't feel the need to re-read them, it suggests to me you didn't really connect with them in the first place. In which case, maybe you need to try some different genres.


Totally wrong in my case. I connect just fine to plenty of books. Some of my favorite books of all time I read only once so far. And I like my genres just fine. 

We don't all read the same. I remember my favorite books well. I remember a lot of books I read well. I just want to read more fantastic books with new stories and new characters. There just isn't enough time in my puny lifespan to do it all. So many books, so little time.


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## Jamie Maltman (Nov 1, 2013)

I'm with Atunah here. I rarely re-read books, because there's so many new stories I haven't experienced yet. And I tend to have a really good memory for print on the page--not photographic, but I'll often remember if something was near the top or bottom of a page. 

That being said, I have re-read The Hobbit and Fellowship of the Ring many times, Two Towers and Return of the King at least once more each, and I'm currently reading Narnia to my son for the first time, so that counts as a reread. Colleen McCullough's The First Man in Rome and the Dragonlance Chronicles as a teen were some other rereads. 

But going forward, unless I'll be reading them to my kids, or in parallel with my kids, or to specifically see how an author did something, it's new reading for me.


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## reneepawlish (Nov 14, 2011)

Oh, 'Salem's Lot, The Godfather - those are two of my favorites.  Also reread the Bond series and Little House books, and Rex Stout (Nero Wolfe) and Raymond Chandler.  It's hard when there's so much to read, but sometimes the old ones pull you back


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## Carradee (Aug 21, 2010)

If I like a series enough to re-read it, I'll probably read it more than twice!  I've read the Death Gate cycle only twice, but I'll likely read that again in another five years or so.

But anyway, I re-read Kathy Tyers's original sci-fi books and Patricia Briggs's epic fantasy works once every few years. I more regularly re-read Wen Spencer's Tinker series-it _really_ makes me think and helps me remember to not get too attached to "stuff"-and Lindsay Buroker's Emperor's Edge books (which are closest I've found to some of what I write). And Shanna Swendson's _Enchanted Inc._ series is a good reminder for me that conflicts don't have to be dark to be serious.

I know there are more, but that's what I can think of, off the top of my head. 

I'm also likely to re-read specific scenes I really like in stories.


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## Kathleen_Rovner (Jul 13, 2014)

Two come to mind: Pride and Prejudice (read almost once a year and find something different each time) and Anne McCaffrey's Pegasus series (I know everyone expects it to be Pern, which I loved, but the Pegasus series was like an early X-Men )


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Joseph J Bailey (Jun 28, 2013)

I reread quite a bit when I was younger (especially fantasy staples like _LoTR_ and the _Hobbit_ but also others like _Watership Down_ and _Stranger in a Strange Land_).

I still reread some particularly interesting nonfiction on occasion (my interests veer into the realms of physics, ontology, meditation, and the like) but mostly I find there is so much great material to read that I can't keep up with the novels I _want_ to read much less the books I already _have_.

I have thousands of unread ebooks and my Wish List reads like a library catalog... I must be a TBR hoarder.


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## J.T. Williams (Aug 7, 2014)

The Lord of the Rings (4, errr. maybe 5 times)


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## R. M. Webb (Jul 24, 2014)

I will read a good book again and again and again. The first time I read Maia by Richard Adams I was a teenager. I read it so many times throughout the years, I wore out my copy. Alas, when I decided to replace it, I found it was out of print. I'm sure I'll find a used version somewhere...


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## Douglas E Wright (Mar 11, 2011)

Pet Semetary & Green Mile  - Stephen King.


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## AJSendall (Sep 25, 2014)

It is rare for me to re-read a novel. But a few are:
The Power of One – Bryce Courtney
Franky Furbo – William Wharton
Birdy – William Wharton
Sailing Alone Around The World – Joshua Slocum

All classics in their own way.


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## Sarah_Brownlee (Sep 29, 2014)

I've read 'The Eagle has Landed' about ten times   Another one I read often is Tom Sharpe's 'Righteous Assembly' - that book is insanely hilarious!


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## Hurricane John (Jul 12, 2010)

Yes, I've reread several novels more than once.

I read so many novels over the course of a year for the pure pleasure of the story, but I find that I don't really retain the information I've read. I guess that's good and bad, the good part is that I can pick up a book two years later and enjoy the reread without it being spoiled by remembering all the details of the story.


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## Guest (Oct 4, 2014)

Very seldom, and only after a great deal of time has passed. It wasn't about how good the book was, but how the book made me feel.


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## going going gone (Jun 4, 2013)

Many! I'm one of those LOTR nerds who has re-read it 20 times. I have a number of beloved books I go back to every 2-3 years for a re-read.

For me, revisting old books is, emotionally, much like sitting down with relatives and recalling a funny family story we've already discussed several times. There's a comfort to it.


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## Daphne (May 27, 2010)

I am such a re-reader of beloved books that I find it hard to break into new ones. Some I have re-read over a dozen times:

All the Harry Potter books.
Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers.
Night Watch by Terry Pratchett
Jane Eyre
Pride and Prejudice.
Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
And others...


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## John F (May 19, 2014)

Of course, but with some years in between, not twice in a row. But I'm more likely to reread nonfiction books.


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

Sure. I have read _War of the Worlds_ several times. Also _Jaws_ and _The Stand_. I have read the novella _The Mist_ so many times I've lost count.


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## Russell Brooks (Dec 23, 2010)

Wow, so many LOTR re-readers in this thread, lol. I'm glad that I'm not the only one.


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## I&#039;m a Little Teapot (Apr 10, 2014)

Oh yeah! I read every book I love, sooner or later. In fact, I've been known to reread a book as soon as I've finished. The most recent Harry Dresden springs to mind, and also Emma Chase's _Tangled_.

When I'm writing a first draft I rarely read new books because I don't want to pick up the "voice." So I find that's a great time to reread favorites.

LOTR ... I reread that one almost every winter.


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