The Joys of Rereading

Like any other avid reader, my TBR pile can feel out of control most of the time. For me, it’s partly because I’m a mood reader with an aversion to to-do lists of any kind, but it’s also because of my love for rereading.

Sometimes I wonder if the two are connected for me. I sometimes go through frustrating phases where I can’t focus on a new book, or I’m not in the right headspace for it in general. That’s often when I turn to the familiar. Rereading helps break me out of reading slumps. It’s almost as if it retrains my brain, gets it back into the habit of reading so I can try again with a new book. I often do feel a little refreshed when I emerge back into the world of a new book, or try again with a book I’d previously thought I couldn’t finish.  

There’s something inherently satisfying about opening a book that I know I’ll like and know what to expect. I’ll often notice something different that I didn’t notice before, or understand it from a different perspective. I don’t always have reread a book from cover to cover, either. Sometimes even just dipping into a favourite section is all it takes to give me that cozy nostalgic feeling.

And coziness is indeed important! I’ve written about cozy rereads before, during the holiday season when curling up under a blanket with a book is kind of a given. I’ve noticed over the years that I do tend to reread in winter more than any other season. In those cold, cozy months I gravitate to the classics. I feel more able to drop into that slower pace and those long paragraphs. That said though, the rest of the year sees the joys of rereading too. I reread for coziness, introspection, or even if I want to spend some time with a particular writer’s voice.

Rereading also offers escapism, something Iturn to often. In good times and in bad, escapism is my favourite thing. When I’m stressed, the anchor of a familiar book helps me to feel more grounded. When things are going well, escapism is simply fun. I mean, that’s the reason we love reading in the first place, right?

As both a reader and a writer, rereading a book also means that I can read a little more actively, using an analytical part of my brain. How does the writer evoke that mood I love so much? How have they developed this character I keep thinking about long after I close the book? What are the book’s themes or questions the author explores? This is a time when I might jump around in the reread, going from a scene in the middle and then back to an early chapter, deconstructing the craft as I go.

And one fun thing I’ve discovered in recent years is rereading a book along with a friend or two. Not only is it nice to revisit a familiar story, but discussing each chapter with other people helps me understand it in a different way than I often do when I’m reading on my own. 

If you haven’t explored the joys of rereading yet, I hope this has convinced you. There are many different things I get out of revisiting a familiar book, and you might find some value in it too. Your TBR pile will just have to understand.

Here are some of my favourite books to reread, for any or all of the reasons listed above.

Field Notes From an Unintentional Birder by Julia Zarankin

Avalanche by Jessica Westhead

Creature X Mystery series by JJ Dupuis

Port of Being by Shazia Hafiz Ramji

Bone & Bread by Saleema Nawaz

The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley

Emma by Jane Austen