Camy here! So I’m curious, what books are “re-reads” for you? And what exactly defines a re-read book for you?I might be in the minority, but there are very few re-reads on my bookshelf. Persuasion, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Mansfield Park by Jane Austen are my most often re-read books. I also re-read French Women Don’t Get Fat because I find it inspiring and helpful in my weight loss goals. And once in a while I’ll re-read Dragonsong and Dragonsinger by Anne McCaffrey.
Other than that … I guess there are just so many new books to read that I don’t have time for re-reading. I’m always excited to pick up the new Love Inspired Suspense novels each month, so I don’t often re-read any old ones since there are new ones just begging to be opened!
The only times I reread books are when I’m tired and want some “comfort reading.” LOL Is there such a thing? I think I just made that up. But I’m sure you all know what I’m talking about—those books that give you warm fuzzies no matter how many times you read them. You don’t have to think, you just have to wrap yourself in a familiar book like that holey-yet-warm granny square blanket your grandma crocheted for you when you were a kid and you always love.
So what books do you re-read, and why? What defines a re-read for you?
Camy Tang writes romance with a kick of wasabi. Her novels Single Sashimi and Deadly Intent are out now. She runs the Story Sensei critique service, is a staff worker for her church youth group, and leads one of the worship teams for Sunday service. On her blog, she gives away Christian novels and ponders frivolous things. Sign up for her newsletter YahooGroup for giveaways!
14 comments:
Camy, I like that term, comfort reading. :) I don't tend to do it so much with books as I do movies. I have movies I watch over and over, like Phantom and Twilight. And Akeelah and the Bee. And Nanny McPhee. :) Oh, and Miss Congeniality! I bet I've watched that one more than any of them.
I do need to add that I have keeper shelves, though. I can't part with those books I've loved!
Missy I loved Miss Congeniality! But movie #2 was disappointing. :(
Susan, Oooooh I loved Christy! I read that a long time ago.
Eva--I've watched P&P over and over again, too!!!!
Camy
My favorite books to reread is the O Malley series by Dee Henderson (pretty much all of her books), What a Girl Wants series by Kristin Billerbeck, The Hawk and the Jewel by Lori Wick, The Whitney Chronices by Judy Baer, The Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery, Flabbergasted by Ray Blackston, any Diann Hunt book, Every Storm by Lori Wick, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, The Canopy by Angela Hunt, The Guernsey Liteary and Potato Peel Society, and probably some more. lol I hardly ever have time to reread any more because of my reading challenges and book reviewing. :)
I have a Love Inspired book by Carolyn Aarson I believe it is called Faithfully Yours, I have read that book maybe 20 times.
Juanita, I'm so glad they're a blessing to your life! I and the other Love Inspired Authors are so thrilled and honored!
Rachel--how awesome! I'm sure Carolyne will be happy to hear that.
Hmm I think some comments are not showing up. It says there are 9 comments but I only see 8.
Camy
Comfort reading really sums up why I re-read the books I do...my favorite ones to re-read are:
The Princess by Lori Wick
Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Emily of New Moon Series by L.M. Montgomery
I think I re-read them because I value the ideas in the books.I also may associate with the characters depending on what mood I'm in or what events have happened that week!
Great question, Camy! There are a couple main reasons I'll re-read a book. The first is if the book is literary fiction with deep layers of meaning to mine, particularly with regard to poetry. I think that literary fiction is such a gem because it allows us to shift our focus each time we read the story, essentially "reading" a different story each time: first we focus on the plot, and then we focus on underlying symbols and deeper meanings.
The second reason is a lot more personal. I love books that make me laugh and let me escape the stress of the day. My Life as a Doormat and Miss Invisible are two examples of books I could never grow tired of because they genuinely make me laugh out loud when I read them. I also love re-reading Robin Jones Gunn books because I read the Christy Miller Series as a teenager (one of the reasons I am a writer today) and feel like the characters are real-life friends.
-Ashley
http://ashleyclarkwrites.blogspot.com
I guess I'm with the majority I don't re-read books, but I do like the idea of "comfort reading."
Not even the classics... which sadly most I haven't read once... oops
Brittanie's comment showed up! I don't know what's up with Blogger today. Anyway, Brittanie I love your list!
Emily, I don't think I've read L.M. Montgomery's Emily of New Moon series! I'll have to order them or get them from the library.
Camy
Many of my comfort reads are books that I read when I first started reading. They are books like the "Emily of New Moon" series, the "Trixie Belden" and "Nancy Drew" series, and then there's "The Sugar Creek Gang" and some Christian books by a man named Stan Best (you probably won't be able to find those).
But now that I've gotten older, I find I like Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Shakespeare's plays, and Louis L'Amour's books. I don't tend to re-read nonfiction that often, but I like Marguerite Vance's biographies, and I like anything related to Ireland or the Old West.
~Sasafras
I totally re-read books. I like the "comfort reading" thing. Like Comfort eating.
I also tend to re-read books like "Persuasion" that I read as a kid and loved and have some kind of memory attached to. But I also reread newer fiction I've read if it's very good. I recently re-read "Rules of the Wild" by Francesca Marciano, which is a book on expatriates living in Kenya. It is fantastic. I think I've read it five or six times now, and it never gets old for me.
Holly and Ashley, so sorry I didn't respond sooner, but your comments didn't appear on the blog until now!
Ashley, good point about literary fiction!
Holly, I haven't read a lot of classics, too! You're in good company! :)
Sasafras, I loved Nancy Drew books! I especially liked her friend George. :)
Rebecca, I do WAY too much comfort eating while I'm comfort reading! LOL
I just read Ashley's comment and had to add the Christy Miller series by Robin Jones Gunn as a re-read. I absolutely loved those. I only own one of the very last ones, but I have re-read it over and over...Great books!
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