Do you reread books? My “keeper”
shelf is for just that reason and it is so loaded. There are books that I have to keep. A story will grab me the first time and I’m so
reluctant to let it go that sometimes I’ll reread the book right away. I can
get so engrossed in the action, so impatient to find out what happens that I tend to miss things. Or the ending
(usually in mysteries and suspense) is such a surprise that I have to start
over to find the clues.
Why do we read a book we’ve
already read when we have hundreds of books on our To Be Read pile? (I don’t
know about you, but my TBR pile is so high it's toppling over.) I mean, we know the ending. So what
is it that makes a book so compelling?
Is it the story itself? A fascinating
take on an old theme. A twist to a plot we’ve seen hundreds of times. A unique
point of view. Or is it the characters? Characters so well written that they
become “real”. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons sequels do well. We don’t want
to let go of those characters and must find out what happens next in their
lives.
Or is the reason we reread books
something illusive? A combination of so many things—plot, characters, setting,
atmosphere, humor, pathos, whatever—it’s hard to distinguish the elements that
make that book too good to leave alone.
Now for a twist. Have you ever
reread a story years later and wondered what you ever saw in it?
Next week, I will be blogging early to
celebrate the launch of my latest book The Pilot. Come on back here next
Sunday, December 2nd to read an excerpt from The Pilot and check out
the stops along the “The Pilot Launch
Tour” route.
