Monday, January 2, 2012

And So It Begins Anew

Wow, did the holiday season do a number on me!  Just as I was getting the hang of this, I lost all my free time.  But it's a new year, and I am making it part of my weekly routine to post something.  To help with that, I am adding a widget that will track my progress on this year's reading challenge.  Once again, I have the goal of 50 new books this year.  To be honest, it's a hefty goal; one book a week is about all I can manage (I am a parent, and my kid does have nightly homework and other activities).  Also, this gives a little leeway for other hobbies that may cut into my reading time (like the SCA, or jewelry making, or the three weddings this summer....); if I want to do any rereading of other books, I'd better make it snappy!

Speaking of rereading, I am curious as to whether or not other people often reread their books.  In the course of a random conversation with my family, I learned that my mother and sister don't typically reread stories.  To me, that's like saying you'd never watch a certain movie again because you had seen it once, or why bother going to the beach for vacation because you'd been there before.  My sister said the only time she reread a book was for the Harry Potter movies; she would reread the book before the movie came out so she could refresh herself on the plot.  I've done that myself, and sometimes I refuse to see a movie until I read the book first; the book is almost universally better than the movie.  (The one exception being Howl's Moving Castle; I think Studio Ghibli did so much more with that story than Diana Wynne Jones).

So I'm curious; do any of you ever reread your books?  Or are you more likely to just read a story once and move on?  If you are less likely to reread a book, do you prefer renting it from the library?  Maybe this would be a reason to own an e-Reader like the Nook or Kindle; cuts down on the space of owning actual books that you aren't going to read again.  Sorry for the snottiness, but it does truly boggle my mind that people wouldn't want to read a book over and over again.  I'm not saying read every story again, but I think that's one of the most beautiful things about books- not only does it transport you to a new place with new people, but you get to go there over and over again, revisiting them and seeing them through new eyes as your own perspective changes.

As to this year's reading list, I can look around my bedroom and already count at least seven books waiting here for my attention, not to mention the series that a friend lent me *mumble-three-or-four-years-ago-mumble*.  Also, GoodReads, the terrible fiend, shows me what my friends are reading, as well as recommending books based on my own shelves.  If we go by that list, I've already got about thirty-plus books waiting for me.  And then there was the trip to Books-a-Million (or BAM! as they are calling themselves now) last night; the Leven Thumps series had two books on the bargain shelf, as well as two books from the Peter and the Starcatchers series by Dave Barry.  I got the Leven Thumps books; I consoled myself by saying that I would be back for the Dave Barry books on my next payday. 

I think I might have to break down and check out more books from the library this year.  My wallet will thank me, my bookshelves will thank me, and my family will thank me.  My bedroom would not continue to shrink.

My neurotic need to own almost every book I read will be a bitch to contend with on the other hand.

What say all of you?  Do you need to own the book, or is okay to borrow it from the library?  Do you ever feel the need to read something again and again, or is just the one time good enough?  Tell me all about your reading habits; I am terribly curious to know how everyone else manages something that to me is almost an all-consuming addiction. 

Hope you all have a great year, and keep reading! 






PS.  If you haven't already, join GoodReads.  I know I sound like a paid advertisement, but I do legitimately want to see everyone on there.  I love to see what other people are reading, and it's great as an impromptu book club.  Also, the recommendation software is pretty cool- if you like this story, here are other ones you might want to try.  It's instant feedback; you can comment on other people's reviews, and see why they gave a book a certain rating.  Just saying, that for a bibliophile, it's a great website.

1 comment:

  1. I re-read my favorite books all the time! I also almost exclusively borrow fiction from the library- since my house is filled with books, and since I read fiction so quickly, it seems silly to spend the money on it. I buy specific non-fiction for my hobbies, and leave "regular" fiction for the library. That being said, some books I have to own- like the Dresden series, and all of Charles De Lint's stuff.

    ~Amy Woj

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