You know, my Mother never understands why I read a novel and reread it. She will go, 'But you already read that one.' My response is that I enjoy it so much I could reread it many, many times.

So my question is, have you ever read a book that you enjoy so much you could reread over and over? Why did that book stand out to you? Do you reread books and enjoy them just as much as the first time you read them? What does a novel have to hold for you to want to reread it again and again?

I re-read books all the time! They are not quite as good as the first time to me, for the surprise of what is next has fizzled, but I enjoy them just as much anyways. I have re-read my Percy Jackson books by Rick Riordan many times, and never get bored with them. I always enjoy a book with a variety of folktale stories, even though I know the plot of the stories by heart. I fully agree about re-reading books, for why buy them if you don't plan to read them again?

I love re-reading books! I think the enjoyment of my favourite reads are always enhanced when I read them a second time, because I can anticipate the good parts, and get to relive my favourite moments with more appreciation than the first time. I have several books that I have read over three or four times, and never tire of them. That's why they are your favourites: because you can always go back to them and enjoy them as much as you did the first time. You also get to pick up all the clues that you missed the first time around, and see how it connects back to the end of the story.

So yes. I very much enjoy reading books again. You should see my brother Jacob; I think he has read the story of "Chuck Yeagher" fifty times without exaggeration.

If I enjoy a book, I re-read it. I actually have a binder where I have organized the books I want to read again into categories.

~ZA

I am surprised someone doesn't understand rereading books! To me, "It was good, but it's not a rereader" means: Don't buy it. Check it out from the library. Borrow it from a friend. After all, what point is there in owning books that will only sit there and collect dust?

The book just needs to be good for it to warrant a reread. If it's really good, it gets many rereads. Narnia and Misty of Chincoteague and The Hiding Place and A Little Princess and Ender's Game are rereads to me. # of rereads is directly proportional to how good the book is.

And we all have different opinions on what makes a truly good book, so...

I actually didn't reread books for a while. I still don't buy most books new (unless I've already read them), because I don't know if I'll read them again.
I do reread things now, if it's been a while and I don't remember the story very vividly.

Of course, there are some books that are too good not to read again.

I reread lots. My parents have suggested giving away some of my books, but I always say 'No! I'm still reading it!" I'm seriously considering getting another copy of our Narnia series because it's falling apart. I read the Last Battle over and over and over -it's my favorite of the seven.
When I read The Lightning Thief, I restarted it the next morning.
I reread because I like old stories. They're secure -like old friends. I like knowing what's happening, but still feeling the suspense.

I used to reread books a lot, and one I reread at least twelve times. Now I don't have time to reread books as much, but I still reread good books occasionally. If it's good, it's usually worth rereading.

I agree that good books are definitely worth rereading. I have a list of things that I simply must be reread. Lots.

Unfortunately, I have a first-timer list too, so I have trouble determining which list should take priority over the other. I really do need to reread more, though. Once I have time.

So far, the only books I have made efforts into re-reading are the Bible, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and (believe it or not) the Sherlock Holmes stories by A. C. Doyle. Then I have re-read books that I enjoyed when I was younger, and enjoyed them again.

Sherlock Holmes.

I need to reread A Christmas Carol. I like Charles Dickens quite a bit, and it's one of his more famous works. Might be a good thing to reread this Christmas, d'ya think?

Seems appropriate.

Yes, it does.

The Bible is on my perpetual rereading list, while The Lord of the Rings is on my reread occasionally list.

Same here.

Now see, if I did that, I would be in trouble. Too much of the story would become concrete in my memory and I wouldn't derive as much pleasure


So I guess I do what Arias does. It's at least six months before I reread a novel, usually more.

I re-read quite often, actually. "Frindle" and "The School Story" were two favorites when I was about seven, I own both of them now. If I find one of my favorite novels at a used book sale, I buy it. Especially books that aren't in print anymore or books that the library doesn't have (and won't get).

I actually can't re-read. The only book I really can re-read is the Bible. Whenever I read a book over, I don't have the same surprise or enjoyment. It becomes boring to me. The Bible I re-read all the time though. It's different, there's so much more depth in it, even after reading it for the millionth time.

When I was in 3rd grade, my mom read the Narnia series to me. Then, when I was in 5th or 4th grade (I'm not sure which) she read them to my younger sister and I listened because I liked them so much when I was 3rd grade.

I used to read the Boxcar Children books over and over again when I was in 3rd and 4th grade.

I reread and reread and reread books!

*Chuckles*

*Is enjoying reading all these comments*

I can always always re read LOTR over and over...and over.

It was the only time I've ever done it, and it was because I was for some reason having trouble making the shift from Greek Myth to whatever else I wanted to read. I didn't have access to the second one at the time.
My sisters do it all the time, though. They must be terribly bored -a bookshelf full of books they haven't read, and they want to read the same thing over and over. Without stopping.

I could do that!

*Chuckles* Maybe the books are just especially good reads.

I'll reread books, yeah, but there are some I just won't reread, even if they are good.

To me, as sign of a truly good book is that it merits re-reading. Usually my re-read list is longer than my new book list, but it is rare to find something that will hold my attention long enough for me to get all the way through it again. I did, however, read the Hunger Games trilogy twice in the same week and enjoyed it just as much the second time. That was a rare accomplishment for me, usually it takes me about a couple months to be able to pick a book back up again.

I enjoy re-reading books because it's like visiting old friends. ^^ Actually, I just finished reading Mara: Daughter of the Nile for the 4th or 5th time last week.

~Calen

The first novel I read was Little House on the Prairie, and I read it about 11 times over and over again. After I'd finished the last sentence, I'd put my bookmark on the leaf of the first chapter and begin all over again. Finally, my mom told me to read a new one (and that new one was Anne of Green Gables).

Some books I've read over and over again are Narnia and Lord of the Rings, some Jane Austen books, some Elizabeth George Speare books. I've also read L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables more than a dozen times (even more than Little House on the Prairie, I think!). I think if the book is on my favorites list, I tend to read it more than ten times.

I don't really enjoy re-reading books. It doesn't give me the same tension and suspense I got the first time I read it due to the fact that I know what's gonna happen. Sometimes though, I will re-read favorite scenes from past books I've loved, but never the whole book.

I love that book ! No matter how many times I read it, it just never seems to get old. I think I've been through it about seven times, maybe more.

(I haven't read any other replies, so this may seem out of context, but anyway, in reply to the original post...)

Yes, there are many books that I do that with, I consider it similar to rewatching a show, which I will do if it is funny, has epic parts, etc.-which are some of the same reasons I will reread books.
But the main thing that gets me back to them are 1. Awesome lovandrelatetoable Characters and 2. Awesome settings/scenarios. The Chronicles of Narnia, The Hardy Boys, Jack Wade: Fighter for Liberty, and "Freddy books" by Walter R Brooks (look 'em up if you want), oh there are several more! One thing though, in most cases it seems like I take longer and longer between rereads as I go through them again and again.

I love that book! You've reminded me that I need to read it again... Probably the same time reading it as you!

I agree. Re-reading books is like visiting with old friends.

*still hasn't read *

So let me ask this. What is it about certain books that makes you want to reread them, and not other books?

Humor (good humor), adventure (like in Narnia, a whole world being opened to possibility), awesome characters that you wish you could meet in real life (because the only way to spend time with them is to read the book again).
That's a few of the things anyway.

I guess it all depends on a few things. One of them would be the plot. There are some books that have really great plots, books that you have to reread to understand the things you might have missed out before. Some plots are so interesting, so unbelievable that you can't help but read them over and over again.

Another, I guess, would be the character(s) in the story. If I like a particular book, and I like the characters in it, and can particularly relate to one or two characters, I find that I read that story over and over again.

What Lycanis said as well...about humor. If a story tickles my funny bone, I will definitely read it again.

*nods * Those are all reasons I re-read books, as well. I was just curious what you guys would say.

Yeah, that too. ^