Thursday, June 06, 2013

Re-reading books

A while back, I came to the realization that I was reading very few books that I hadn't read before. Instead of seeking out new material or challenging myself, I was re-reading all of the Dresden Files or Old Man's War. As a result, I had a difficult time remembering what I had read that year.

So in 2012, I began tracking every book I read. I tracked genre, page count and whether I had read it before. By the end of 2012, I read 113 books, 39 of which I had read before. Keeping track really pushed me to try new material. I read some books I probably wouldn't have, other wise. I read some books I kind of wish I hadn't (I'm looking at you, Brad Thor). And it prevented me from reading some books just because they were there and I was familiar with them (John Ringo).

I'm not saying that re-reading a book is bad or undesirable. Quite the contrary! Re-reading a book is one of the great pleasures in life. It lets you gain a greater understanding and appreciation for the text. Some books are meant to be read time and again. Some books are just great fun to read and should be re-visited, like old friends.

Re-reading becomes a problem when you're doing it to the exclusion of all else. If the last 10 books you've read didn't have at least one new title among them, you should probably look at your reading habits.

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