What was the last book you had to re-read immediately after you finished it?

The last book I had to re-read was the one detailing how to use my new Vector Software..
The last book I re-read fictionwise must have been World War Z., just for kicks :)

@Staalesen what’s World War Z about?

The Gathering Storm Robert Jordan/Brandon Sanderson
I’ve been hooked on the series since 1990. When a new one comes out, I devour it in a couple days, barely able to contain myself in excitement to see what comes next. Then I have to go back and reread, taking it slowly and enjoying every last small detail. Kind of like how I used to be with my SO after we had been apart for a week or so. Same principle, anyway.

@Trillian oh I totally agree with you on the connection between an intensity you feel for a good book and some of the intensity you can feel for an SO

I never re-read a book right after finishing it but there are a number I will re-read after a time, and some few I will read almost every year; Pride and Prejudice and The Dark is Rising sequence, to name two. There are many, many books in which I will linger over the ending pages because I do not want them to end.

The only books that I have ever read more than once are the Chronicles of Narnia, and there was probably a decade between the first and second readings. I just don’t read the same books twice.

‘Sailem’s Lot by stephen king.

The Catcher in the Rye

We Need to Talk About Kevin. I thought it was amazing, deep, a fascinating story of nature v nurture. Then I decided to read some reviews of it online (which I always do when I love or hate something), started to see it in a different light, and read it again immediately. I really don’t like it so much anymore.

Ink Heart (recently).

It wasn’t really a book…more like a map…yes,I think that ‘s what that thing that got me lost was.I read it over and over again.It had a happy ending;)

Seabiscuit.

“Sh-Boom! The Explosion of Rock ‘n’ Roll (1953–1968)”

@Simone_De_Beauvoir It is about a worldwide Zombie outbreak, with a lot of (fake) people telling their experiences and such… It is quite fun actually, more like an alternative history/biography/horror mix..

Into the Wild

@Simone_De_Beauvoir Word. ;-)

Never.

Books take time (sometimes measured in years) to digest. I feel that coming back to a book too soon defeats the object of a good book.

@the100thmonkey I feel the same way. Except for “Seabiscuit.”

Misery, from Stephen King. It’s just that badass.

House of Leaves.

The Alchemist. If you haven’t read it, do so.. NOW!

I think Deathly Hallows was the last book I did that with too. From time to time I still go back and read the last several chapters again – I loved the whole book, but I could read from the start of the battle to the end of the book a million times and get something new out of it every time…

I came very close with Sunshine by Robin McKinley – I actually closed the book and sat there on the couch staring at it, pondering whether to flip it over and start again. Finally I decided to give it a while to sink in – I’ll probably go back and read it again in a few months!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
After reading it twice, I reread the entire series.

Immediately after reading it?

That will take some thought. I’ve re-read several Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft stories in quick succession…but those aren’t whole books. I’ve read “The Mists of Avalon” and “The Phantom Tollbooth” at least twenty times each, but I don’t think I’ve ever finished the last page immediately before starting the first page again.

I may have re-read Frank McCourt’s “Angela’s Ashes” soon after I finished it the first time. I really don’t remember. I’ve read it several times, as well as ”‘Tis” and “Teacher Man”.

@ElleBee I have read it! About 5 years ago – Veronica Decides to Die remains my favorite, though

I’m jealous. I’ve never experienced the desire to re-read a book right away – yet I hear of it all the time. I’m envious of the passion and emotion that must be involved in this desire to re-read something – I guess it means an involvement in the story that I have never experienced.

I’m with @Zen_Again

Although there have been many books that I have reread over the years (and some I reread periodically) when I find a book that powerful and moving I need to allow my brain to simmer, and process everything.

Also, there have been times when after reading several books I have cried, because the characters were so rich and life-like that it was almost like someone had died.

Actually, if a book is emotionally powerful, I have the urge to re-read the ending again.
It’s like I’m not quite ready for the real world, so I re-read the ending to prolong the feeling/digest things.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows did that. Dragons of the Vanished Moon did that to me too.

With DVDs I go and read up some interviews or watch ‘the making of’, which has the same effect of grounding/transitioning.

The last Harry Potter book had me so excited, I raced thru the book. Once done, I reread it to enjoy it, and drink it in. An amazing series.

Believe it or not: The Firm (when I read it in 1991)

I am amazed at the number of people who re-read Harry Potter. And to be honest, I kind of wish they had taken the time to read a much better book once, then that one twice

@Seek_Kolinahr have you ever read the series and gotten into the analysis of the series? if you haven’t, then you can’t know how complex it really is – the kids get out what they get out of it but knowledgeable adults with background in mythology, religion, linguistics and history can get out so much more if you know what you’re looking for…I wouldn’t be into it if it wasn’t quite intellectually complex, actually…most people don’t know though how much is behind each sentence and each book…

what @Simone_De_Beauvoir said.
They seem to start out like childrens books, but by the time you hit the 5th and 6th books, you are dealing with difficult adult themes. Give them another chance.

@Seek_Kolinahr: I think the emotive appreciation of books is different from an intellectual appreciation.

I personally wouldn’t analyse Harry Potter for mythology, religion, linguistics and history, but on the level of character and plot, I cared.

Is jazz better than pop music? Are art house films better than blockbusters or soap operas? I think if you can appreciate each form for what it is, then your world is more expansive. As someone who re-reads Michale Ondaatje, Milan Kundera, Oscar Wilde, and most recently, Hamlet, I think it’s possible to be omnivorous. Obviously as one’s tastes become more “refined” you begin to spot ways in which the author might be manipulating the reader (just like if you study film, you might start laughing at the violins used to underscore the emotive bits) But simultaneously, you can also be crying even as it happens!

@Simone_De_Beauvoir

Yes, I’ve read the entire series, and I know probably 99% of the references to history, mythology, etc. No, I did not have to read an analysis to pick them up.

I’m glad I finished it (I followed the first four, then took about a ten year break. Finished the last three in about a week two months ago.) so I have some closure to the characters, but overall, I’m not impressed. Robbing history and mythology of plots and symbols, and changing the names slightly, does not make one creative and innovative.

I found myself actually angry at Rowling for many of the decisions she made with the book. Killing off Sirius Black for no reason, for instance, was a big one. It served no purpose, and caused more harm to the plot than good.

I love a good “trash novel” (as I call fiction intended to be read for entertainment only) as much as the next person. It’s when certain novels become completely viral, and are given much more credit than they are due for no reason apart from very creative marketing techniques on behalf of the publisher, that I become exasperated.

@Seek_Kolinahr I tend to agree with you. I enjoyed Harry Potter but I also thought it was pretty much a mish-mash of borrowed ideas and many of the plot points such as killing Sirius and Dumbledore were not justified. A much better fantasy series is The Dark is Rising sequence by Susan Cooper which organically intergrates elements of Arthurian and Celtic mythology into its very satisfying plot and psychologically satisfying characters..

The HP books are remarkably well thought out. Sirius and Dumbledore had to die to move the plot. It amazes me that such a beloved series is getting dumped on.

I’m with @filmfann – I think Sirius and Dumbledore’s deaths had a huge impact on why Harry acted the way he did in the rest of the books, and there would have been no way for the plot to continue the way it did without them. Harry basically lost the the only father figures/mentors he had ever had – if they had still been around, there would have been no motivation for him to take charge and figure out how to win the war on his own. As much as I hated to see those characters die, I think the deaths added an important dimension to Harry’s character and to the books as a whole (not to mention the depth that Dumbledore’s death added to Snape’s character).

I also think there’s something to be said for the fact that first and foremost, these are children’s books, and I think it’s admirable for any author to work as much mythology, history, etc. as Rowling did into something that’s going to be read by kids. They may not pick up on most of it their first time through the books, but later on they’ll learn about some element of mythology, and they’ll be able to relate it back to what they remember from Harry Potter. Rowling may not have created an entirely original world of symbols and mythology, but she’s introducing existing concepts to kids in a creative and interesting way. Part of why I love re-reading the books is that I catch something new every time – and I imagine that happens even more for kids who re-read them as they’re growing up, because they bring new knowledge to them every time they read.

There are certainly some problems with the Harry Potter books, but I don’t think the death of Sirius is one of them. Excessive exposition, whiny annoying Harry in book five who doesn’t seem to have learned anything from all his experiences yet, and the fact that no one seems to figure out that they need to talk to each other, no matter how many times it bites them in the butt. I won’t judge the whole series on whiny Harry though since I don’t really know how kids relate to the Harry of book five.

@Snarp Whiny annoying Harry is having to deal with issues around his having a part of Voldemorts soul inside him (though he didn’t realize it). Sudden anger, mistrust of his friends… It’s inspired!

@Seek_Kolinahr I didn’t say it was innovative, she builds on a lot of other literature and does it in an interesting way. I guess it’s just not your cup of tea.

@Seek_Kolinahr—I agree with your views on HP. I’m reading the last book now, started reading the series for the first time starting on Christmas. While it is entertaining with the plot twists and all, I think the writing style leaves much to be desired and the last books drag on and on…also, Felicis Felix was such a poor excuse for cheaping an important scene haha. As for all that myth robbing, yeah…didn’t know Voldemort was a lich. >_>—

What in fantasy books isn’t recycled mythology?

@Snarp

The books worth reading.

I do re-read books but I’ve never started again immediately after finishing it.

I’m reading all the time, so I could list two-dozen books that I’ve re-read. However, one stands out above the rest. Since few people seem to know about this gem, I’ll give it a plug rather than creating a bestseller list here.

Peter David Orr’s The Dive
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Dive/Peter-David-Orr/e/9780980061116/?itm=2

The Catcher In The Rye. Many times.

Robin Hobb’s “Mad Ship” from her Liveship trilogy. And partly because I didn’t have the last book immediately on hand.