So this week I talked about, in my latest installment of Before & After, how I used to be an avid rereader and how now that I’m a blogger I really don’t do it anymore. I LOVED all your comments and different habits, I have to say, and some of you cheered me on after I mentioned that I should have added made this one of my bookish resolutions for the year but that I will try to reread 5 books for the rest of this year.
I decided that I needed to be intentional about it and write it out — for accountability and for myself. After all, I’ve completed my resolution of starting a book club and sort of completed my resolution of culling my books (I still have a little bit more culling to do). So, I’ve done some thinking and here are the 5 books I plan on rereading this year:
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Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins: I LOVED this book and I’ve been waiting not so patiently for Isla and the Happily Ever After so I figured it would be fun to reread this one because I adored it — despite my adversity to it at first because of the cover.
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On The Road by Jack Kerouac: This was my favorite novel through high school and college but I haven’t reread it since then. I think I need to reread it to see if it still has a place on the favorites shelf.
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If I Stay/Where She Went: Ok, so technically this will be SIX books because I’m counting this as one for the sake of my list but I’m really craving some Gayle Forman after reading Just One Day. I actually want to reread Just One Day, even though I just read it in November, but I just want to read it over and over again because I loved it so much.
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The Giver by Lois Lowry: This was my favorite book as a child and I mentioned in my post about re-reading that I read it probably 10-15 times. I haven’t read it in a LONG time and I never knew it was part of a series so perhaps I will pick those up now.
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The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky: This was my favorite book in high school and watching it come to life on the big screen was quite incredible. I finally got around to watching it recently and it was definitively THE BEST BOOK TO MOVE ADAPTATION I HAVE EVER SEEN. I wept, I laughed and remembered why this book was so important to me and still IS so important to me even as an adult. Bonus points for the fact that Will, who has very different movie tastes than I, enjoyed it along with me. I cannot wait to reread this one!
I will say that I’m nervous to reread because what if I don’t LOVE it the way I used to? I mean, I think that’s ok to have a favorite in a different stage of life but I want to remember it as such rather than reading it now and thinking it doesn’t measure up to what I thought it was. I am hoping this doesn’t happen to me. Typically though I find I label FAVORITES as books that really had a profound impact on me and I think they will still speak to me. Some of my favorites are purely based on how FUN they were to read and how much I loved them but most resonated with me in some way.
What books have you re-read this year? Do you PLAN on rereading any this year? Have you read any of the books on my reread list? Have you ever reread a book
Brittany @ The Book Addict's Guide says
OMG, can I re-read with you??? Half of those are ones I want to re-read too – Mainly Anna and If I Stay/Where She Went, but I haven’t read Perks since I was an ACTUAL teen so I really want to read that one again too. Mini Read Along! Haha Sheesh, if only I can actually find the time to re-read these because let’s face it… I need to!
Mary @ BookSwarm says
Some completely awesome re-reads! I’m always worried that I won’t like the book as much the second time around but I usually find myself smiling as I re-read, remembering why I loved the book so much in the first place.
Christina (A Reader of Fictions) says
Planning your rereads! Very nice. I would do that if I thought I would stick with them. Le sigh. I know I would not. I know I’ll be rereading Level 2 at some point, so I can fully appreciate Level 3, but that’s all off the top of my head.
I LOVE rereading, and I miss it. I was a rereading fiend back when I was a super picky reader in high school.
Tara @ Hobbitsies says
I used to reread ALL THE TIME before I started blogging. Pretty much all I read when I started college was reread a bunch of my favourite books – then I started blogging like two years in and stopped rereading. SAD. I will say I have reread a few books a year since I started blogging. I reread maybe five or so Cate Tiernan books via audio, and Divergent via audio. Oh, and a few Tamora Pierce books, also via audio, hah!
I find that rereading via audio makes me feel less guilty for rereading instead reading a new book, because at least I’m experiencing it in a new medium for the first time.
I’m with you – I definitely want to reread Anna & Lola this year before Isla. I tried to reread Anna last year via audiobook, but I just hated the narrator so much, gah! I’m also hoping to reread the Beka Cooper series by Tamora Pierce this year! We’ll see 🙂
Kaley @ Books Etc. says
I’m doing a Sarah Dessen challenge and have already read all of them. This month is THIS LULLABY and that one is my favourite. I’m terrified that I won’t love it as much as I did when I first read it!
I’d also like to reread the Harry Potter series this summer (*pointed but loving stare at Jamie for not reading them yet* teehee).
I plan on reading Perks sometime soon! I can’t believe that one escaped me when I was younger. I have my sister’s copy to read and everything. I just haven’t gotten to it!
Happy rereading 🙂
Kat (AussieZombie) says
YAY! Rereading is great! I do it on a regular basis and it’s like catching up with old friends. The other bonus is that you pick up on things that you might have missed the first time around and a few of them I could even remember where I was / what I was doing last time I read it.
Enjoy your re-reads 😀
Paige Ladisic says
I am a terrible, terrible, terrible re-reader! I think I would make more progress on my list of must-be-read books if I could just sit down and actually read a new book every once in a while, instead of serially re-reading all of my old favorites. Some of my recent re-read obsessions include: all three of The Hunger Games books, The Selection, Divergent — basically any dystopian YA books I can get my hand on! But when I really need an old favorite, This Lullaby or Something About Forever by Sarah Dessen always satisfy me.
Love that you’re going back to some old favorites!
Kristilyn (Reading In Winter) says
I’ve reread a few books this year and I’m quite surprised that I still completely love some of them … I mean, I loved them before, but you’re right — what if the feelings have changed?!? Of course, I reread Twilight this year and hated it, so there’s always that. BUT I’m listening to Harry Potter now and loving it still … AND I’m planning on rereading Anna, too. 🙂 I can’t wait!
Good luck!
Savindi @ The Streetlight Reader says
I usually try to reread books when I feel like I’m going through a reading slump (which I’m kind of in right now). I’ve been rereading some passages from Prince of Thorns and King of Thorns by Mark Lawrence. It’s funny when I usually re-read I don’t read the whole book, rather I go through some of my favourite passages. Enjoy your rereading again Jamie :).
Lucy @ The Reading Date says
Love this idea! Re-reading is fun and reinvigorating and you certainly chose some awesome books to reexamine. Pre-blogging it’s something I used to do all the time, and I still like to re-read when I’m in a reading rut 🙂
I’m very tempted to join you in re-reading Anna, Forman’s duet, and Perks. And I think I loved the movie version of Perks even more than the book. Glad you enjoyed it too 🙂
Looking forward to hearing your reactions on these!
Anna says
I reread On the Road last month and I enjoyed more than the first time!
Ginger @ GReads! says
When you re-read Anna and if you want someone to experience it again with, let me know! I would love to relive that story with you (ok that sounded weird, but you know what I mean lol).
estelle says
This post comes as I just finished a long string of review books and opted to reread Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour. Man, if feels so sweet. Like summer after a cold cold winter or something. Or a margarita. I realized I already reread two in the Miranda Kenneally series too and it also felt nice. Because you do forget the tiny details and there is something new to discover, for sure.
I hope this resolutions works out for you! I think it’s a nice balance to reading a ton of books throughout the year. 🙂 Saying hi to old friends.
DannyBookworm says
Argh! I should do this too!!!!
Seriously, there are so many books I would want to reread. Sweet Evil and then Hopeless by Coleen Hoover (oh how much I cried) and Pushing The Limits.
Maggie @ Just a Couple More Pages says
I definitely agree that it’s harder to reread books when there are so many new books that I feel like I want to/should be reading. I need to read Anna and the French Kiss for the first time, I’ve had it forever and just haven’t gotten around to it. I re-read Where She Went two times immediately after I finished it for the first time and I still go back and re-read my favorite parts of it sometimes.
I would really like to go back and re-read Summer Sisters by Judy Blume. I read that in high school and re-read it several times, but I haven’t read it in years. I am definitely terrified I won’t like it as much as I did 10+ years ago.
Ashley says
Even though I own a lot of my favorites I don’t re-read much because my TBR list is SO long. That being said I do want to re-read The Hunger Games. And I’m re-reading Harry Potter because I read a portion of the books and then stopped. So Harry Potter is more of a re-read and then a normal read. Whoops.
Annie says
Anna and the Perks are also on my list! Hopefully, I’ll be able to get to them! I have to plow through Amy and Rogers and The Book Thief first!
Hannah says
I’ve done surprisingly little rereading over the last year or so though I did get caught in a bit of a Hunger Games spiral when the movie came out and reread the trilogy a couple of times!
I wasn’t wild about ‘Lola’ but I’m going to try and reread ‘Anna’ before ‘Isla’ comes out. I’m also really hoping to reread Philip Pullman’s ‘His Dark Materials’ trilogy this spring. I’ve only read it once but they’re definitely among my favourite books. I’ve wanted to reread them for a while but they’re devastating and I’ve been waiting until I feel ~emotionally prepared~!
Rachael @ Rachael Turns Pages says
Sounds like a lot of good books that I haven’t read yet.
Tammy says
I’ve reread 6 Harry Potter books since they became available on my kindle, still need to reread #7. I also plan to reread Before I Fall because it’s been 2 yrs and I loved it so much and I want to know if I still do.
Chantelle says
I used to reread a lot, not quite so much now. But it’s fun to revisit old favourites, and if I’m in a reading slump and just can’t be bothered with any of the ones on my TBR I’ll reread an old favourite to sort of ‘clear the decks’ I suppose. It’s fun to reread bookos that were favourite in high school because sometimes you pick up on things you might have missed when you were a teen but are more aware of now as an adult. My main rereads are my Tamora Pierce books, because they are quick (and old loves of mine) and the HP books because I re-read them all was each new one came out and then again a few more times.
Melissa says
I reread Anna and the French Kiss once, although that was because it didn’t quite live up to all the hype for me the first go around. I also reread Just One Day about a week after it came out (and a week after my first reading of it) because I was so in love with it.
While I’ve never reread any one book 15 times as you did, I have definitely become an obsessive-ish rereader, usually immediately after the first reading or in prep for another book in the series, especially the final one. Case in point, I read Gone, Gone, Gone by Hannah Moskowitz three times, front-to-back, in a row. I’ve also read Divergent three times and Insurgent twice, Unearthly and Hallowed twice, The Raven Boys twice, Jane Eyre maybe three tomes, P&P at least two times, Northanger Abbey at least two times, Frankenstein at least three times, A Tale of Two Cities at least three times, and parts of You by Charles Benoit several times with at least two complete reads. I’m sure there are others that I’m forgetting now, and I’m certain that there will be more coming this year and in the future.
Kayla says
I used to consider myself an avid rereader until I realized that the majority of books I reread are my favorite adult romances. I hardly ever reread any other favorites unless it’s been assigned for a class or a book club pick.
And I know what you mean about possibly not loving a book as much as you had in the past upon a second reading. This happened to me when I reread The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers. I loved it in high school, but I really only remembered the character Mick Kelly (one of my fave literary heroines of all time) and I was really excited when I was assigned it in a literature class my senior year of college. As it turned out though, I found a few of the scenes to be pretty boring and had a hard time getting through parts of the book. I ended up taking away a star from my 5 star rating, but I kept it on my favorites shelf because I still loved Mick just as much as ever!
i*Heart*BigBooks says
I love that you made a plan! And fantastic choices. I have been wanted to reread Perks as well. The movie adaptation was so fantastic and truly did the book justice. Without Stephen Chbosky’s involvement, I doubt the movie would’ve been as impactful.
Good luck with your list! =)
Sheri @ Perks of Being a Bookworm says
I love your last pick 🙂 Since it’s loosely what I picked my blog name from lol. Bookworm/Wallflower totally interchangeable! But really such a good book. I haven’t read any of the others though If I stay/Where She Went are on my TBR list. I hope you get your opportunity to reread these, I have a few myself I’d love to do that with I just keep getting consumed with the ever growing pile on my list.
Happy reading! 🙂
Molli says
I totally thought I commented on this post yesterday. *facepalm* Anyway, I’m excited to be re-reading ANNA soon, and I hope you get to. (You’re totally, VERY welcome to join my read-a-long if you want!) I haven’t read PERKS yet, but I’ve been meaning to for years. A friend of mine read it when it first came out, and really loved it, and I trust her recs, plus EVERYONE loves it now. I found it on sale for my Nook, so it’s on my TBR for sure!
I intend this year to spend more time reading “me” books, like the ones I bought when they came out and still have yet to read. I recently re-read Before I Fall, which was a great experience!
Jaime says
You named most of my favorite books here! I haven’t read On the Road yet though.
Alexa Y. says
I’m very happy that you’re turning this into a concrete thing that you actually want to do this year, and I’m sure you’ll manage! I’m actually planning on reading Anna and the French Kiss again later this year, as well as already having read three books (Incarnate, Something Borrowed and Something Blue).
Off your list, I do want to read The Giver. Oh, and If I Stay/Where She Went.
Asheley Tart (@BookwormAsheley) says
HAHAHAHA we are re-reading twins!
I JUST finished re-reading If I Stay so I could read Where She Went! Also I’m about to re-read Anna and the French Kiss!
I counted yesterday or the day before, and I’ve re-read nine books this year so far. I think that’s pretty good. – Shatter Me by T Mafi, Wither & Fever by L DeStefano, Incarnate by Jodi Meadows, Everneath by Brodi Ashton, The Selection by Kiera Cass, If I Stay by G Forman, Rootless by Chris Howard, and Graceling by Kristin Cashore. I’m re-reading The Host by Stephanie Meyer right now with Mike so we can see the movie with some friends next weekend.
I like that you listed your choices out for accountability. Have you read beyond The Giver – the rest of the series, I mean? I can’t remember if you’ve mentioned it or not. The other books are really good too!
Re-Readerz 4 Lyfe.
xo
StephTheBookworm says
I’m re-reading Perks this year too. Read the book eons ago and then saw the movie and loved it.
Lea B says
Love your list. A few I have read and a few are in my TBR pile.
I am always apprehensive to re-read. I have done it with a few and they still have a place on my favorites list. Then I re-read “Passage to India,” which I read in high school and has vivid images of in my head and it held a place as one of the first books I remembered and loved. In the re-read as an adult, it didn’t have the same magic, mostly due to being an adult and knowing things that as I teenager I didn’t know about life.
Hope you find there’s still magic in your re-reads. 🙂
Dana says
Oooh, I am almost afraid to reread Anna and the French Kiss because I loved it so much the first time a read it. Great list!
Anna (I Am Here for This!) says
This past winter, I re-read The Giver for the first time since early high school, and it was…interesting. Both because it has so obviously paved the way for the resurgence of dystopian books that we’ve seen in the past couple of years, and because it didn’t quite blow my mind as much as I remembered it doing way back when. (I think this may have something to do with the fact that sequels have rendered the previously ambiguous ending unambiguous, which bums me out.)
Cari says
I used to love rereading books (the wear and tear on my Harry Potter books literally speaks volumes!). Even though I don’t blog (though I do want to) I haven’t found myself rereading very often since so many enticing new books come out every week. I hope to get back to rereading soon and can’t wait to re-enter certain worlds!
Christie says
I used to love rereading! But now it makes me hesitant, because I feel the way you do – what if I don’t love the books the way I used to? For years, I have meant to reread A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. It was my absolute favorite in high school/college, but I am so nervous to sully its reputation as my favorite by rereading 🙁 Same with God-Shaped Hole by Tiffanie DeBartolo.
This post also reminded me how much I liked The Giver, and how I really need to reread it – especially now that they based a movie on it!
Jamie says
That’s the scariest part! I still want to think of the book as beloved and not have MEH feelings towards it if I reread bc I KNOW that’s how I will remember it haha.