One question I often get asked by my family and friends is; why do you re-read a book? You already know what happens so why bother? I love to re-read books and this past month I’ve been re-reading a lot so I thought I’d break down some of the reasons why I love it so much.

1. The little things. When you first read a book it’s always the big, dramatic, plot twisting, out of the blue moments that usually stick with you. When you’re reading a book for the first time you’re introduced to a new character or a new world and you get so swept up in these big moments that you forget about the smaller, quieter moments. This is where the re-read comes into play because when you go to read the book again you already know what you’re facing in these big, loud moments. Therefore, when you read a book for the second time, you pick up on the smaller details that either foreshadows what’s to come, or reveals something new about a character. Sometimes it is these small moments that prove to be more impactful and carry more substance than the big moments do. I often find these moments during a re-read and it only makes the story and character that much more interesting and memorable.

2. Comfort. If I’m not in the best of moods I usually like to curl up and lose myself in a book and more often enough the books I turn to are ones that I’ve read already. There’s this great sense of comfort of being able to reconnect with characters you grew to love and cherish so dearly. You get to experience life in their world all over again, and revisit the journey they take from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows and see them come out on top. I just love going back to a book and remembering the moments that helped shaped the person they became at the end of the book. I always feel a burst of pride when I see how far my favourite characters have come.

3. Book slump. I am a mood reader so I will not read a book unless I feel like it. However, sometimes I go through periods of either not wanting to read or I’m not sure what exactly I’m in the mood to read and the last thing I want to do is force myself to read but not enjoy a new book. Here enters the re-read. Knowing what to expect in a book makes the reading experience a lot easier if you’re in a slump and you don’t have to concentrate as much when you’ve already read the book. Re-reading a favourite book is a great way of getting out of that slump because you find that once you’ve finished the book, you then want to continue reading books that are similar to what you’ve just experienced.

4. Get Reacquainted. A lot of the books I’ve read this year are either a beginning, middle or an end to a series. I think we can safely say that the wait for the next installment in your favourite series feels like a painful, never-ending journey. The re-read helps to make that journey a bit more bearable. It also helps to keep the interest and excitement alive for the next book. On top of that it provides an opportunity to get reacquainted with the characters and familiarise yourself with the world so you’re not confused by the references made in the new book.

I have quite a few books I like re-reading but these are the ones that I consider my go-to re-reads:

• All the Truth That’s In Me by Julie Berry
• My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
• Under the Never Sky Trilogy by Veronica Rossi (Recent re-read)
• I’ll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios
• Starbound Trilogy by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner (Recent re-read)

Overall, there are many benefits to re-reading a book. I think the most important thing about re-reading is not only getting the chance to reconnect with your favourite characters but it’s also a way of heightening this connection you feel to them which in turn makes the reading experience a lot more special.

Tell me, what do you love about re-reading? What are your go-to re-reads? Let’s discuss.