# Do any of you do this? (Re-read early books in favorite series?)



## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

I share an Amazon account with my daughters and son-in-law, and we have hundreds of wonderful books available to me, many of which I are on my TBR list. What am I reading? "Naked in Death," J.D. Robb's first books of the series. That wouldn't be so bad had I not read it when I bought it a few months ago. Why am I reading it? Because I just finished "Vengeance in Death," (I have to pace myself since there are 40 in the series) and I want to relive Eve and Roarke's meeting and the beginning of their relationship. I am really enjoying the book, particularly because the first time through, I had no idea what was to follow. 

Prior to reading "Vengeance in Death," I was re-reading the first four of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books. Why? Because I'd just seen "One for the Money," and wanted to relive the fun and zaniness of the first books in the series. 

Does anyone else do this? Do you occasionally find that you want to go back to read some of the books that you've really enjoyed or that became part of a series with recurring main characters?  I understand that there are too many wonderful books on my TBR list, yet not enough time to read them all in a timely manner, so there's no need to lecture me about that. Maybe rereading a few books is like visiting with long-lost friends. Maybe I need an intervention.


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## aslagle (May 17, 2010)

No, you don't need an intervention 

I often re-read books. I've re-read Tolkien's _The Lord of the Rings_ about every two years or so since I first read it in middle school (I'm now 46). I'll frequently go back and read old favorites, even if I have books I've never read, simply because something about the character resonated with me. (I went back and read the entirety of the _Wheel of Time_ series from Robert Jordan when I found out Brandon Sanderson was finishing it - I wanted those events to be fresh in my mind.)

If you're crazy, we share a diagnosis, then


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

when a new book in a series comes out, I often re-read the entire series to freshen my memory.  However, once a series moves beyond about a trilogy or tetralogy, I will skip the re-read and maybe read just the last book or two (since I already read the first ones 3 times ....)


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## shelbymhailstone (Jan 17, 2012)

I've found that books need to be revisited multiple times if they're really good, because every time I read through them again, I pick up on something else. This is especially true of a series, where you'll reread the first book and see the setup for the last one.

And I agree with what's been said earlier about books being like old friends. There's something _comfortable_ about sitting on a couch with a familiar book to relax and revisit the friendships you made with the characters the first time around.


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## MLPMom (Nov 27, 2009)

I have, in fact I also re-read Naked in Death after reading a few others in the series because I too wanted to re-read the moment they met. I think I gathered more from it the second time. Little clues I didn't pick up right away the first read, plus I didn't have to sit there and wonder as much if he was guilty or bad because I had already read it.

Even I like to re-read books in series, they are never quite as good as the first time you read them.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

Whew! It's a relief to know that I'm  in such good company! (That's one of the things that I love about the Kindle Boards. I know of nowhere else that I can find so many kindred souls.)


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## Jorja Tabu (Feb 6, 2012)

I definitely do this, but then, family and friends occasionally hold semi-interventions for me regarding the amount of books I lug around (even with a kindle!), so maybe that's not helpful


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## TLH (Jan 20, 2011)

I used to do this when I was younger. It was mostly with memoirs. Weird.


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## Steven Stickler (Feb 1, 2012)

Absolutely, I do this! Always have, (probably) always will.


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## acellis (Oct 10, 2011)

I do this all the time. My favorite to re-read in series is Andre Norton's books.


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## Silver (Dec 30, 2008)

Of course!  Actually, I find that after reading five or six or seven new books (I also have many, many on my TBR list), it's almost as if my brain needs a rest.  Best way to do that is re-read an old favorite (or an old favorite series).  Just relax and enjoy something I don't have to think about too much.


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## PAWilson (Jan 9, 2012)

I love it when I find a backlist from my favorite authors up on eformat. One thing I'm not doing any more is rereading. I think it's because I can have so many more books to read in eformat and so little time to read.


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## Ms T (Nov 19, 2011)

Yes, I do. If I didn't re-read my favorites I would rapidly run out of money to feed my reading habit. I also like the familiar feel of the characters and the situations like old friends where we reminisce about good times.


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## Rick Gualtieri (Oct 31, 2011)

I'll occasionally go back a book or two.  Sometimes going back to the beginning can be a little painful (especially if the author has really grown with the book).  However, I don't do it for every series.

I.E. For Jim Butcher's Dresdon Files, I'll usually go back a book or two and catch up.

For Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's Agent Pendergrast series, I usually just dive right in to the new one.


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## tahliaN (Nov 6, 2011)

I used to until I got my kindle. Now there are so many books to read at such a cheap price that I don't have time to re read anything.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

I don't re-read books very often. There is a small select list I want to read again, but some of them I can't get in english. And I can't read in my mothers language anymore. 

There are just so many books I still want to read and my puny human life span is getting in my way.  

Funny as I did re-read the first in the JD Robb series too. I too wanted to experience again the 2 main characters meeting. But I don't think I'll re-read any other in the series. I'd never get anything else read. 

I think I re-read about 5 books in 3 years. I just want to move on to the next story and adventure. I don't mind re-watching some stuff on TV, but reading is somehow different for me. I have way more books on my have got to read list than there are movies or shows.


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## MLPMom (Nov 27, 2009)

Ms T said:


> Yes, I do. If I didn't re-read my favorites I would rapidly run out of money to feed my reading habit. I also like the familiar feel of the characters and the situations like old friends where we reminisce about good times.


That is actually why I like series so much, because you feel comfortable with the characters and they are familiar, like seeing a long time friend you haven't seen in awhile and it feels like nothing has changed when you see them again.


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## horsebreaker53 (Feb 24, 2012)

I've read (Jean M. Auel's) "Clan of the Cave Bear" twice and the complete series, all but the latest, once. But I'm seriously considering it all again, when I get the latest book.


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## Carol (was Dara) (Feb 19, 2011)

I often have to reread early books in a series to help me understand what's going on with the later books. This especially happens when the books are released a year or two apart. A good example is Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. I've read through it three times now because each time a new book comes out I realize I've lost my place and don't remember what's going on.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Huh?!  You mean there are actually people who don't do this?  Takes all kinds, I suppose.


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## Lyndl (Apr 2, 2010)

All the time. Two that I particularly read over and over are The Stand ( I'm up to read #14) and Voyager from the Outlander Series.  It's my favourite of the series so far.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

The Hooded Claw said:


> Huh?! You mean there are actually people who don't do this? Takes all kinds, I suppose.






Lyndl said:


> All the time. Two that I particularly read over and over are The Stand ( I'm up to read #14) and Voyager from the Outlander Series. It's my favourite of the series so far.


I have only read _The Stand once, but have read 'Salem's Lot_ several times. It's one of the most well-written books I've read for a long time. King is able to make the hair stand up on the back of my neck, make me smell the musty smells of the basement in the old house on the hill, and cause me to feel as if I've just walked through cobwebs. Great book!


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

I do it, but only rarely.  There's a handful of series: Patricia Briggs (Alpha and Omega.  While I love the Mercy Thompson series I've no real urge to re-read).  Ilona Andrews, but my favorite of hers is the first in The Edge series.  Still, I could see re-reading Kate Daniels too.  I've re-read Briggs' When Demons Walk too.  Oh--and I think long ago, I read one of Janet Evanovich's books over--I was an early fan and was waiting quite eagerly as each one came out.  I think it was ... 7 or 8 I reread.

There's nothing quite like a good comfort read.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

MariaESchneider said:


> I do it, but only rarely. There's a handful of series: Patricia Briggs (Alpha and Omega. While I love the Mercy Thompson series I've no real urge to re-read). Ilona Andrews, but my favorite of hers is the first in The Edge series. Still, I could see re-reading Kate Daniels too. I've re-read Briggs' When Demons Walk too. Oh--and I think long ago, I read one of Janet Evanovich's books over--I was an early fan and was waiting quite eagerly as each one came out. I think it was ... 7 or 8 I reread.
> 
> There's nothing quite like a good comfort read.


The first time that I read Janet Evanovich's books (the Stephanie Plum ones), there were five in the series. As soon as I finished _High Five,_ I re-read _One For the Money_, as well as a couple of the others. I wanted to watch the characters develop again, the second time with the knowledge of where the relationships were headed. Besides, like you said, it was a long time before another book was going to be out.  (I love _Four to Score_, probably because I'm a Morelli fan, and that book is perfect for a Morelli fan.


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## marianneg (Nov 4, 2008)

The Hooded Claw said:


> Huh?! You mean there are actually people who don't do this? Takes all kinds, I suppose.


Exactly 

Seriously, I often go back and read books in a "serious" series. Eg., I reread The Name of the Wind before reading The Wise Man's Fear. Pure brain candy, like the Sookie Stackhouse books, not so much, although I probably would have reread those in my pre-Kindle days, when it was harder to buy books.


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## lmyrick (Feb 23, 2012)

Yep. I've read Iain Banks' Culture novels and John Le Carre's novels all multiple times.


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## purplepen79 (May 6, 2010)

shelbymhailstone said:


> I've found that books need to be revisited multiple times if they're really good, because every time I read through them again, I pick up on something else. This is especially true of a series, where you'll reread the first book and see the setup for the last one.
> 
> And I agree with what's been said earlier about books being like old friends. There's something _comfortable_ about sitting on a couch with a familiar book to relax and revisit the friendships you made with the characters the first time around.


This matches my experience with re-reads. I get in moods where all I do is reread old favorites. The thing that fascinates is that the same story I may have read ten, twenty years ago can mean something so different to me now that I'm in a different stage of my life. Some books age like fine wine, new, more subtle aromas and tastes to delight with each visit to the author's world. For instance, I reread Anne Tyler's _Saint Maybe _ probably once every two years or so.


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## KateEllison (Jul 9, 2011)

If a book is one of my favorites, this means I've re-read it at least 3 or 4 times. I have a shelf at home with about 15 books that I reread once a year or so, and my enjoyment of them never diminishes. The best books seem to get better with each subsequent read, I've found. I catch little things that I missed before.

But I'm not as bad as my husband--he rereads EVERY BOOK HE OWNS at least one or twice a year. It's crazy to me.


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## philippebert (Feb 25, 2012)

I absolutely do this as well. One of the very first Fantasy authors I have ever read was Raymond Feist and while he is certainly not one of the best, I really enjoy to reread his older books, especially the Riftwar Saga, which I have probably read nine or ten times by now
Of course I know what is going to happen, but I just enjoy revisiting the story and the characters I have known for such a long time and that were so dear to me in my youth.


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## AllisonKraft (Sep 13, 2011)

I do this, too, usually with series. I've re-read the In Death series and the Stephanie Plum series, as well as the Outlander series, Harry Potter and the early Anita Blake books (ah, the good old days before the ardeur.)

I've actually been itching to re-visit the Plum books after seeing the movie, but I have a bunch of library books to finish first. I also want to read Karen Marie Moning's Fever series again someday.

I love to go back and read series I love. It's like reconnecting with old friends, and I always find things that I either missed the first time around, or forgot about.


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## Sean Patrick Fox (Dec 3, 2011)

I've read George R.R. Martin's _A Song of Ice and Fire_ series multiple times, as well as Stephen King's _Dark Tower_ series. When I was younger, I read a bunch of _Dragonlance_ books more times than I can count. And of course, I've read (and listened to the audiobook) _Harry Potter_ multiple times. So you've got nothing to worry about.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

I love the responses that I've received here. I really thought there might be quite a few people who would tell me that life's too short to re-read books. It's gratifying to see that most of you go with the "revisit old friends" philosophy.


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## Ergodic Mage (Jan 23, 2012)

aslagle said:


> I often re-read books. I've re-read Tolkien's _The Lord of the Rings_ about every two years or so since I first read it in middle school (I'm now 46).


I've re-read _LotR_ at least 20 times and the _Silmarillion_ at least 10 times.

I'm currently loving David Weber's _Safehold_ series and re-read everything before reading the latest. I also have read his _On Death Ground_ 4 times.

Then there is the Foundation series, Rama, Riftwar, Horseclans, Chronicles of Thomas Covenant and Dune, all I've read at least 3 times.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I don't see much value in re-reading most books.  It has to have been really good in the first place and I have to want to re-read it to focus on the small things that, after finishing, I realize were 'significant'.  

I did re-read all previous Harry Potter titles, each time a new one was due out. . .so I'd be fully reminded of the details and immersed in the world.  The last re-read I did of it was when the HP7-2 movie came out.  I don't anticipate re-reading again, though one never knows.

There's nothing else of any length I've re-read on purpose. . . .though I've sometimes read something through with a complete sense of déjà vu -- I can't for the life of me remember what's happening next, but every page seems very familiar.


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## djgross (May 24, 2011)

MLPMom said:


> I have, in fact I also re-read Naked in Death


Me too 

I also went back to the prior Harry Potter book right before the next one came out (looking forward to more scoop on J.K. Rowling's recently announced non-Harry Potter book). I plan to reread the entire series when my kids decide to read them.


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## shelbymhailstone (Jan 17, 2012)

The Hooded Claw said:


> Huh?! You mean there are actually people who don't do this? Takes all kinds, I suppose.



My thoughts as I scrolled down the page.


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## Nancy Beck (Jul 1, 2011)

I've re-read LOTR numerous times.

And every once in a while I have a hankering to go back and re-read the Stephanie Plum novels from the beginning...because I found them such fun (I am a Joisey girl after all  ).


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## cheriereich (Feb 12, 2011)

I used to do it when the Harry Potter movies came out. I wanted to read the books before. I didn't get a chance to do that for the last three movies, but it was fun.


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## Paul Dennett (Feb 29, 2012)

When I was younger I would re-read books I loved and was envious of anyone I knew who was reading them for the first time.

Now, I get the pleasure of re-reading them as if they were for the first time:  my memory, which still seems normal in other ways, has lost the ability to retain all but the barest plot details.  Presumably it'll just get worse as I get older and I'll be soon forgetting important things, like my name, but at this point in its degradation it has actually improved my life


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## Darlene Jones (Nov 1, 2011)

YES! I recently went back and reread the first of the Mrs. Polifax books and enjoyed it even more after having read the series.


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## IowaGuy (Jan 31, 2012)

shelbymhailstone said:


> And I agree with what's been said earlier about books being like old friends. There's something _comfortable_ about sitting on a couch with a familiar book to relax and revisit the friendships you made with the characters the first time around.


Yep I agree 100%. I adventure into the Lord of the Rings and The Ender's game books every other year or so just to revisit old friends and relationships


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## jumbojohnny (Dec 25, 2011)

Yes, I do this with the first 4 HP books, and with all of Philip Reeve's and Philip Pullman's fantasy series, but with the HP ones it's for a slightly different reason than the books from the two Philips.

With HP, I re-read books 1 to 4 as I know the story and spirit was all still intact. For me, it all fell apart after that. But for Philip Reeve's WOME series and Philip Pullman's Dark Materials, I re-read them purely because they are so, so good, all of them.


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## That Weird Guy.... (Apr 16, 2012)

I am completely guilty of this. It gets a little much, especially when a new Dark Hunter/Dream Hunter book comes out. The latest one coming out is book #22. Trying to get through all those books again is gonna be hard, but of course I will do it. I am kind of a glutton for punishment on that aspect.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I must say (looking at this thread again) that an explicit goal of my "80 books" project for this year was to avoid any of my "comfort reads" that I re-read again and again, and focus on new stuff, or at least on stuff I haven't read for a VERY long time.  So maybe I'm becoming one of "those people" or at least paying homage to them.


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## Richard Parks (Feb 29, 2012)

Re-reading a favorite book (series or otherwise) is one of my best guilty pleasures, because I never feel that guilty. I'm overdue for a reread of The Lord of the Rings, The Face in the Frost (John Bellairs), From the Dust Returned (Bradbury), Firelord (Parke Godwin)...It's amazing I get any new reading done at all, but I do still manage.

I had a friend who had the sort of memory mentioned above-once they're read a book, love it or hate it, they promptly forgot just about all of it. Every re-read was just like the first time all over again. Me, I still remember plots to tv sitcoms I saw twenty+ years ago.


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

I'd prefer to never read the same book twice. Unfortunately, if you're a prolific but picky reader, you'll often have no choice but to read some of the same books multiple times over the years, for lack of anything interesting among newer reads.


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## daringnovelist (Apr 3, 2010)

I do this all the time, but not for every book I like.  I think it's interesting that Ann said she never did it except for Harry Potter -- which she did to re-immerse herself in the world.

That's exactly why I do it -- in that my favorite books are series books where I just love to hang out.  For a long time, my favorite re-read series was Stuart Kaminsky's Toby Peters mysteries.  He didn't write new ones fast enough for me, so I would ration out the series so far -- maybe allow myself 3-4 a year to re-read between new books, and I'd do that until I had caught up, and then I'd start back at the beginning again.

Kaminsky died a few years ago, alas, and I am now re-reading them only at the rate I can afford to buy the 9.99 Kindle versions.  (Even though I own most of them in hardback.)

Camille


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## Joseph_Evans (Jul 24, 2011)

I've reread the first three Harry Potters an innumerable amount of times, and I've reread the first few Broken Sky books a few too. For me, they only get better and better!


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## Miriam Minger (Nov 27, 2010)

I've re-read favorites books many times...and each time I see something new.

Miriam Minger


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## Rie142 (Oct 28, 2009)

Ah, Yes, I reread my favorites frequently.  Right now I am re-reading the Virgin River Series by Robyn Carr.


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## bordercollielady (Nov 21, 2008)

Since I discovered  stopyourekillingme.com  -  I keep  text files  - one per author -  with all the books written by my favorite authors  - mark which ones I have versus I have read - and  read them in sequence.  This saves me money too since the older books are usually less $$.


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## Karl Jones (May 13, 2012)

I love to go back and re-read my favourite books, especially if they're in a series, it's so nice to rejoin characters I love, and I have so many of them from various authors. The habit has tailed off a little since I got the kindle and discovered all the indie authors out there, and greatly expanded my reading selection, but I still enjoy returning to my favourite characters.


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

There was a time when I used to re-read books.  I did it a lot as a kid, but not so much as an adult.  It is rare.


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## smallblondehippy (Jan 20, 2012)

I do this all the time! I'm currently re-reading Steven Erikson's Malazan series. There's 10 books and I'm on number 7. It's taking forever as they are huge! And while I'm doing it my TBR pile just keeps on growing...


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## morantis (May 8, 2012)

With the new book in the Gunslinger series coming out, I am surely going to be re-reading the beginning and middle of that series.  There is no way that I have retained everything that happened during that series.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

I love re-reading old favorites...it's like going back to a favorite travel spot and checking out all my old hangouts.

Among the one's I've reread are the Spenser series by Robert Parker, my Dick Francis books, the "In Death" series by JD Robb (Nora Roberts), _Atlas Shrugged_ and others by Ayn Rand...Anne McCaffery's _Crystal Singer_ series (some of the first books I bought for my Kindle), the Narnia series by CS Lewis (ditto)....

Betsy


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## Lisa Scott (Apr 4, 2011)

Oh yes.  I've read the first Outlander book from Diana Gabaldon book several times.


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## Steph H (Oct 28, 2008)

I have many series that I'll go back and re-read. I just mentioned in another thread that I want to re-read the Dresden series by Jim Butcher before the next one comes out; I also re-read the In Death (Eve Dallas) series by J.D. Robb every couple of years; the Prey (Lucas Davenport) series by John Sandford; the Spenser series by Robert B. Parker; several of Anne McCaffrey's series; several of Mercedes Lackey's series; several of Clive Cussler's series; and the list goes on.  Sometimes it seems like I re-read as many books in a year as I read new ones! 

But even though my TBR (new) pile continues to grow, I enjoy the re-reads and have no plans to stop doing that.  I read a lot and I read fast. So it works for me.


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## brianjanuary (Oct 18, 2011)

I wait until enough time has gone past that I forget most of the plot lines and then I re-read. If I start to remember, many times I'll quit!


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## valleycat1 (Mar 15, 2011)

Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series.  Kris Radish (although her novels aren't really a series).
And often at the library I'll find a book that's the newest in a series that I hadn't read on the new acquisitions shelf, enjoy it, then go back & start the series.


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## StephenEngland (Nov 2, 2011)

I rarely have time these days, but I'm going back and re-reading Brad Thor's Scot Harvath series as we prep for the release of Black List in July.


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## Krista D. Ball (Mar 8, 2011)

Often I have to re-read books in a series so that I remember what's going on when the next book in the series comes out!


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## C.F. (Jan 6, 2011)

I do this all the time. I have my favorites that always stay on my Kindle for when I'm in the mood. If I'm more stressed than usual or depressed, I often find myself reaching for those familiar books. 

A part of me loves thinking, "There's a funny part coming up. Is it going to make me laugh again? Yep, it did!" Or, "I wonder if I can keep from crying this time. Nope, *sniff* I can't!"

It's comforting going back to an old favorite. I do the same thing with TV shows.


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