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Question: Do you re-read? Are you ever tempted to change your ratings when you do?
Answer: Pre blogging, I used to re-read ALL THE TIME. I would re-read a book several times in one week!
I’ve mentioned this before, I was never an avid reader but all of a sudden I went from maybe 6 books a year to 100’s. Of course, I started like a lot of people by hopping on the vampire craze so my #1 re-reads were the Sookie Stackhouse series (especially book #4 with Eric lol), Black Dagger Brotherhood (Z’s story), Wicked Games by Jeri Smith Ready, The Night Huntress Cat & Bones series and another one about angels and vampires that I can’t seem to remember at the moment (the lead characters were Dante – the angel/vampire & Heather – a human cop).
Then I moved on to romance and re-read a lot of Nora Roberts and a few others.
But then came blogging and arc’s and obligations, and slumps and…lol It seemed like wasting time to re-read when I had so many books to read and reviews to write.
Re-reading my favorites is something I’ve wanted to get back to doing for years now. I’m totally caught up on and not accepting arc’s now so this is the year!
I am kind of afraid. My tastes have changed so much over the years. What if I hate what were once my favorites?
If my rating does change I think I would just add a note to the bottom of my existing rating – but I didn’t review most of those books back then so I don’t think it would even come up.
You read a book at a certain place and time in your life so your feelings toward the book might change but it’s not necessarily a reflection of the book, so I would leave my original thoughts and add any additional observations noting that it was a re-read.
Do you re-read? Change your ratings?
What are a few of your favorite re-reads?
That's how I feel about re-anthing-ing a favorite. I worry I won't feel the same way. Maybe it's my current mental state or just that life experience since I first read it makes me receive it differently. I want to remember it fondly. (this happened to me with a movie, so it could happen with a book)
ReplyDeleteMy reading tastes are SO different now. I have no idea how I'll feel revisiting some of those books.
DeleteI've always been a re-reader of favorites like: To Kill a Mockingbird, Jane Eyre, and the Dune series to name a few, but I think I have re-read more since blogging. The last couple of years I have tried to do a re-read a month. The Hobbit I didn't like as much, but I left my Goodreads rating the same. 😊
ReplyDeleteThat's great! It would be interesting for me to revisit the books. I didn't review back then and read with a much less critical eye.
DeleteI totally identify with being scared to re-read! I think that it's a lot about acknowledging nostalgia for me. Reading Twilight objectively, it was awful. But reading it because I wanted the feels, I loved it.
ReplyDeleteI still have my Twilight books but never read them more than once. Same with THG series.
DeleteThere are a few I want to read again though. Mostly romances.
I used to re-read romance novels all the time back in the day, particularly vampire stories(lol). Now I'm re-reading mostly cookbooks and other history related books. Another great topic. Hugs, RO
ReplyDeleteI'm exactly the same! It was all romance/vampires. For the past year I can't stick with anything but cookbooks lol
DeleteI agree with you - there are books I once loved, but now... I know I wouldn't. So I'll leave those books in the past and move on to new ones.
ReplyDeleteThere were a lot of alpha males back in the day that just wouldn't fly for me now lol
DeleteI still re-read, but very rarely. Last year I re-read Black Jewels series by Anne Bishop and enjoyed it just as much as 7 years ago, but I also reread Andrea K.Host recently, and didn't like her books as much as before. Definitely a lot of PNR I used to enjoy, I would not now. Same for much YA and Fifty Shades, for example. I re read Ilona Andrews many times, and I liked it just as much every damn time. I think UF for me stays pretty stable, the rest varies widely.
ReplyDeleteMy re-reads back in the day were almost all UF and paranormal romance. I have no idea if I'd still like it now since I haven't read either genre in years!
DeleteTruth be told, when I re-read in the olden days it was the same darn book, for years in a row, lol. I forgot to say that, I am a specific re-reader
ReplyDeleteThat's how I was. The same book 3-4 times a week lol
DeleteGreat post on your preferences for re reading. Before blogging I would never re read or not very often. But I do occasionally but its not common. But I never change my ratings. I understand why some ppl do, its just not for me.
ReplyDeleteI haven't at all since blogging.
DeleteRereading is something I want to do more of. On the rare occasions I do read, I always enjoy it. It's like visiting old friends. Sometimes my rating change a little but for me it's less about rating it or judging it the second time around and more about the comfort/enjoyment factor.
ReplyDeleteThat's how I used to feel. I would read and re-read all my favorite passages and it was so comforting.
DeleteI don't think my comment went through. Anyway, I def. re-read books more pre-blogging but I've started to re-read a bit more often. I'd like to do it more though, because there are some books I really love and want to rad again. It is a bit nervewracking though because you never know how you'll feel the second time around. So far I've had fairly similar reactions when re-reading a book.
ReplyDelete-lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.net
It's here!
DeleteThere are a few I just KNOW I won't love so I'll just stay away from them and live the lie lol
"You read a book at a certain place and time in your life so your feelings toward the book might change but it’s not necessarily a reflection of the book, so I would leave my original thoughts and add any additional observations noting that it was a re-read."
ReplyDeleteExactly! Well, I'm sure some books haven't aged well (like the alpha male ones you mentioned in a reply LOL), but sometimes it's just a matter of how we are different persons than we were back when we first read a book, watched a movie, etc. I hope you get to reread some old faves this year and still find them enjoyable!
Me too! One would be the WMVP series. I read that SO many times but haven't for years now. I'm not sure I'd read all but definitely touch back with certain scenes/books.
DeleteLast year, I found myself re-reading a lot of favourites because 2020 was such a funky year. I rarely change ratings just because they were a favourite for a reason.
ReplyDeleteLast year I couldn't read AT ALL lol
DeleteI'm doing slightly better so far but we'll see.
I know what you mean about not feeling the same about certain books. I started rereading books last year and it's going quite well for me. but somehow, I know which books I'll have different feelings now and I kind of still want to reread them.
ReplyDeleteSome of my favorite rereads are definitely Red Rising and Unwind. I've reread them several times now and still immensely enjoy them.
It used to be a matter of not having time but now I'm just afraid lol
DeleteI'm glad you found your comfort reads.
I used to re-read a lot and while I still do the frequency has decreased because there's only so much time and there's so many books! Plus, blog stuff... That said, I want to re-read old favourites again. When I'm slumpy, re-reads really help.
ReplyDeleteI think I've only changed my ratings after a re-read once and I upped it. Generally, I just let it go and ignore it. A rating is a snap-shot of what I felt at the time. Tastes do change but it doesn't change what the book made me feel at the time, you know? Even if it never makes me feel like that again...
I started re-reading the Sookie books a couple of years ago and got de-railed after book 3 but I have to say I loved them every bit as much (well, the first three at least!) so would 100% go for it. Z was my favourite BDB member but I'm so behind on that series now... A full re-read would be in order to get back into it, I think!
I thought Eric was book #4? Well, whatever book was him is what I would read up to over and over lol
DeleteI'd love to re-read a lot more than I actually do but I can't bring myself to read things like The Hunger Games again when I have about 1550 books still to read!
ReplyDeleteI don't have a big pile of books anymore so this might be the year for me lol
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