THE WORST THING ABOUT READING NEW BOOKS
IS THAT THEY KEEP US FROM READING THE OLD ONES.
(Joseph Joubert)
I want to re-read Stephen King's It and The Long Walk. I want to re-read Betty Smith's A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove and Maeve Binchy's Evening Class.
But I also want to read all the new books on my Goodreads To Read Shelf and everything on my TBR list.
A friend of mine once said that when she realized she'd never be able to read all the books in the world that she wanted to, she started to cry. I know the feeling.
How do you choose what book to read when? How do you find the time to read and to re-read? What are some old favorites you want to go back to?
I've been having a terrible time finding the time to read all that I want to read lately. I wish I had an answer for this. But I love the quote!
ReplyDeleteIt's rare I reread a book. I don't even have time to read the ones I have once!
ReplyDeleteJulie - it is a great quote, isn't it? Even if I had lots more time to read, I still probably wouldn't get to read everything I wanted to.
ReplyDeleteAlex - it's funny, because I'll re-watch movies but it's rare I re-read a book, even though I want to.
I read whatever I happen to be in the mood for. Sometimes, I just have an urge to re-read a book and I'll bypass my shiny brand new book pile to go for the favorites pile. There are a couple of series that I'll re-read once every couple of years, if not every year.
ReplyDeleteMJ - I think I'm too distracted by the shiny new book ("Squirrel!"), even though old favorites live on my shelves. I'm just going to have to make more of an effort, like getting in touch with an old friends. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's a problem. I heard someone say once that a writer's job is to downplay other people's writing to promote your own. Basically it boils down to a choice. And since the reader is such a limited resource, we should feel grateful that anyone ever has the time to read anything we write.
ReplyDeleteMichael - I'm always grateful when people read my work. :)
ReplyDeleteVery hard to find the time to re-read. I like to read the Hunger Games and Harry Potter books over and over. I also like Fablehaven.
ReplyDeleteAaaaah, yes, so painfully true! I was actually just thinking that I should reread some favorite fantasy stories from my childhood, like The Neverending Story and some of the books in the Oz series, but I almost always choose to read something new rather than reread something old.
ReplyDeleteLeigh - I re-read The Hunger Games before the movie came out. Same with most of the HP books, too. :)
ReplyDeleteJillian - it's funny because if we re-read an old favorite, we already know it's good. If we choose a new one, we don't know - maybe that's the point? The thrill of discovery, of maybe finding another favorite? :)
i know!!
ReplyDeletei read three or four books at the same time. one in my bedroom, one in my car, and then one or two on kindle. and they are a mix, two new, one popular, one re read (Magic Kingdom For Sale - Sold! by Terry Brooks)
i read when i can, so i am slow. plus i am about to crit an ms! (priority!)
Tara - wow, that's a lof of books at one time! I usually have one fiction and one nonfiction going at the same time, plus a few magazines.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite thing to re-read is Mutiny on the Bounty!!
ReplyDeleteOE - interesting! I think I read that one a long time ago.
ReplyDelete