5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD BE REREADING BOOKS

I love books. I love books so much that I think some of my friends and family members may secretly be planning an intervention. I talk about fictional characters like they're friends. I ship romances like it's a full time job. I invest not just time into a story that I am reading, but my emotions as well. My hopes and dreams and happiness and sadness all mesh with the characters and I get swept away with the events and actions on each page. 

So after I've read a book, once I've recovered from the "I just finished a book hangover" and the book is back on my shelf, it's been rated on Goodreads, and the review has been written... what's next? 

Well, you can keep the book, you can donate it, share it with friends (who would appreciate it, of course! There's nothing worse than lending someone a book you LOVE and they're just like, "It was okay.")

Or you can... REREAD IT! What do you mean, REread it? Like, read it again? Yeah. Duh. That's exactly what I mean.

So why would I ever push someone to reread a book? For many reasons! But here are just a few.

1. THE FEELS. 

Books can completely sideline you with feels. Think of a book that you read that totally swept you off your feet, left you hoping, dreaming - a book you couldn't get off your mind even once you finished it. Why would you not want to feel that again? 

2. YOU NEVER READ THE SAME STORY TWICE.

Whether we think about it or not, whatever book we read can be influenced by what is currently going on around you. If you're reading in a quiet environment you may retain more than if you were reading say in the middle of a crowded room - like a doctor's office or lunch room at work. We also tend to read characters differently depending on what's going on in your life at the moment. You may sympathize more towards a character who just got dumped if you recently experienced it, but reread that book a few years later when you're in a secure relationship and you may see that character differently. 

3. YOU PICK UP ON THINGS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED THE FIRST TIME. 

 It's 2am and you are twenty pages away from finishing an amazing book - but your eyes... are closing... No! Must... finish... book...

Yep - we have all been there! And think about that chapter you rushed to finish, or the scene that just wasn't all that interesting but realize later on that you should've paid more attention to it. It's happened to us all, and I always catch stuff I missed the first time around on a reread. This goes hand in hand with #2 about never reading the same story twice. One thing you missed the first time may completely change your feelings the second time around.

4. ANOTHER BOOK IN THE SERIES IS COMING OUT - TIME TO REFRESH THAT MEMORY!

I have trouble remembering things that happened in book one when book four is coming out. This is a great time to reread the first few books in the series - if you need to. This is where note taking comes in handy while reading, but it isn't always doable. Rereading can enhance the remainder of the series for you - if the subsequent books don't give little "reminders". Richelle Mead is great at reminders in her Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series. I can pick up any book and remember most of what occurred in the previous books.

5. BECAUSE ITS FUN TO REREAD SOMETHING THAT YOU LOVED TO BEGIN WITH!

'Nuff Said!

Happy Reading!
Laura