Read, Repeat

[therealsnape]

Hello, everyone at the coffee corner,

Today it's my turn to post an item. And as usual, it's a bookish one.

Are you a re-reader of books? If not, why not? And if so, which books in particular? And which is the book you've re-read most often, and why?

I am a great re-reader myself. My father, who was also a compulsively-buying book addict dedicated collectionneur, even had it as a criterium for his purchases: if it's a book you want to read more than once, buy it. If not, get it from the library.

Wise words, and he lived by them. Therefore his collection, after some thinning, fitted into three large Billys. In my case it was more difficult. Not because I lack self-control (which I do) but because I like to read lots of English books, and live in the Netherlands. While the English section of our library is largish and fairly well-stocked, it has its limitations.

Things are better now that I have a kindle. That allows me to read all the lovely bookses without actually buying them in paper. I only do that when I want to re-read.

The book I've read most often is Dickens's Christmas Carol. Every year, when the tree is decorated and the final lesson given, out comes my lovely copy, with Rackham's illustrations, and at that moment Christmas has truly started. The reading count is well over 30 times.

An other book I've re-read often is Terry Pratchett's Night Watch.

And how about you?

Comments

[liseuse]

I've read Wolf Hall a couple of times, but not recently, and it's so nice to read it again. I remembered it being good, but it is just so smoothly elegantly good. There is a lot of plot and Cromwell is a fascinating character but the underlying writing is just so measured and practiced and honed that the reading experience is very smooth.

Yes! Seasonal authors and seasonal books! I always re-read Gaudy Night around the end of May/beginning of June because that's when I first read it - after my university finals revelling in free time and sunshine. It just feels weird to re-read it in the autumn or winter, but that is exactly when I want to pick up something by Kate Atkinson for a re-read.

[highlyeccentric]

Uuugh I want to read The Mirror and the Light, and I want to re-read beforehand, but I discovered a few years ago I process Mantel *much* better by audiobook. The entire trilogy as an audio-reread is going to be, like... a year's listening...

[liseuse]

I'm re-reading so I can read The Mirror and the Light with more memory of what came before!

Ah, I'm so jealous of people who can listen to audiobooks! I just tune out and end up missing thirty minutes of them. To listen to them I have to effectively stare at a blank wall and then I figure I might as well just read the book. Something in my brain just won't.