Books you read again and again
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!
19 Comments:
At May 18, 2010 8:35 PM,
Missy Tippens said…
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.
At May 18, 2010 8:36 PM,
Missy Tippens said…
I do need to add that I have keeper shelves, though. I can't part with those books I've loved!
At May 18, 2010 10:57 PM,
Susan said…
The book I reread is "Christy" by Catherine Marshall. I rarely read a book twice so this is a big deal for me,
Please enter me into the contest.
dipsydoodle68@hotmail.com
At May 19, 2010 12:53 AM,
Eva said…
I have to agree that with so many great new books I hardly ever reread a book, but I do rewatch movies. It must be the time factor. For instance I've never reread Pride and Prejudice but have watched each version of the movie more times over the years than I can count. However I do have a keeper shelf and am lucky enough to have a good memory so rather than rereading the books, just reading the titles brings back all the characters and stories that I love.
EvaMariaHamilton at gmail dot com
At May 19, 2010 1:22 AM,
Camy Tang said…
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
At May 19, 2010 11:02 AM,
Juanita Wickey said…
I don't have time to reread books, because I have so many to read. In Love Inspired I have 70 now, and only 38 read, but when I finish, want to reread them. They are a blessing to my life, and entertaining. So much better than TV. Juanita Wickey
whisper97304@yahoo.com
At May 19, 2010 8:17 PM,
Brittanie said…
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. :)
At May 19, 2010 9:29 PM,
rachel said…
I have a Love Inspired book by Carolyn Aarson I believe it is called Faithfully Yours, I have read that book maybe 20 times.
At May 19, 2010 9:31 PM,
rachel said…
My email address is rachelhofer98@gmail.com. Please enter me in your contest.
At May 19, 2010 10:11 PM,
Camy Tang said…
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
At May 19, 2010 10:42 PM,
Emily said…
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!
At May 20, 2010 12:41 AM,
writerashley said…
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
At May 20, 2010 1:22 AM,
HollyMag said…
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
At May 20, 2010 1:56 AM,
Camy Tang said…
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
At May 21, 2010 10:59 AM,
Anonymous said…
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
At May 21, 2010 11:41 AM,
Rebecca Lynn said…
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.
At May 21, 2010 4:49 PM,
Camy Tang said…
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
At May 24, 2010 11:05 PM,
Jordan said…
Oh, I can definitely relate to the "comfort" reading. I have my books in two categories - "easy" reads, when I just want something sweet and fun, and a group of "thinking" books, with some suspense or drama. I also have a separate shelf for the ones I absolutely love and cannot part with. Those are my re-reads. I have most of Karen Kingsbury's books (though I don't get to re-read very often with new ones coming out constantly!) and a few others. I also love re-reading the Anne of Green Gables series by Lucy Maud Montgomery. I don't think they'll ever get old. I think for a book to become a re-read, it has to touch me or excite me more than any old book - I like to feel like I know the characters, like they're almost my friend. I don't know if that's weird, but it's true. :) I like to get the butterflies right along with the heroine.
lizzielaura17@yahoo.com
At May 24, 2010 11:08 PM,
Jordan said…
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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