Why Should We Reread Books?

Hello!

With all of the libraries closed during quarantine, I have had to scour my bookshelf to find new things to read. Thankfully, I’ve been able to read my brothers’ books, but most of the books I own are ones I’ve already read. I’ve been rereading a lot of books lately, and it got me thinking… Is it better to reread older books, or read new books?

I asked a few people what they thought of this question, and I came up with a handy-dandy pros and cons list.

Pros of Rereading:

• You already know you enjoy the book
• You can dive deeper into the story
• You can begin noticing the foreshadowing and other details
• You can get more out of the story

Cons of Rereading:

• Doesn’t take books off of your TBR pile
• You could be less engaged with suspenseful parts because you already know the outcome
• It can get boring if you already know what will happen

Pros of Reading new books:

• You get to explore different worlds and hear new stories and opinions
• You could possibly find a favorite book that will become a reread
• Without reading new books, you wouldn’t have any books to reread
• Expanding your horizons

Cons of reading new books:

• You could possibly not like the book
• You don’t get as much out of the story
• Some scenes/concepts can be confusing

Why I enjoy rereading

For me, the first time I read a book I read it very fast. When I do this, I miss a lot of small details. When rereading, I can notice those smaller details. It also helps me to understand the story a lot better. For example, I had to reread The Hunger Games series about four times before I truly understood the ending and themes.

I also really like rereading books that I read when I was younger. The story always makes more sense, and I can see the foreshadowing and theme much better than when I read it the first time. Plus, rereading is like seeing long forgotten friends. It’s very comforting.

Why should we read new books?

During the few months that I’ve been mostly rereading books, I’ve gotten a little bored. Yes, when I reread, I still get excited about the book, but at the same time, I know how it ends. When I’m reading a new book, I feel the most excited during suspenseful parts.

If we never read any new books, we wouldn’t have any books to reread. Yes, there is the risk of picking up a book that you don’t enjoy, but the possibility of reading an amazing book definitely outweighs the cost. 

What do you think? Would you rather reread or read a new book? Until next time! 

-Hannah

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