rereading – By Her Shelf

Nowadays, with the pressures of Goodreads yearly challenges, Twitter challenges, Booktube, book subscription boxes with shiny new spray painted pages, and new anticipated monthly book lists announced on blogs it’s almost impossible to consider rereading books. One of the worst things is when you start to pick up the beloved book you have loved since you were a teenager, then you hear that your new favorite author is coming out with a new book, and to top it all off they are coming to your hometown for a book signing! There is so much pressure in the book world to read all the new releases coming up and if you’re not reading them then the book fomo starts to settle in…

We need to get rid of the book fomo and remind ourselves to reread our favorite books again. My goal is to especially read my books with the paperback spine falling apart with the yellowed pages. I already read one of my falling apart paperback books by my favorite author Francesca Lia Block book and it was an absolute joy!

Here are four reasons why you should consider rereading books again…

1…Rereading before the sequel…

Rereading books before the highly anticipated sequel of one of your favorite books is always a good idea. Being an officially registered book nerd, it is difficult for me to remember all the details, events, and characters in every book that I have read. If you want to be prepared for the sequel then it’s highly recommended to reread the previous books. Especially if you are reading a fantasy there is so much detail and world-building that comes with fantasy, that getting into the sequel could be difficult to get into the world again. The best thing about rereading a book before the upcoming sequel is that it builds the anticipation for the upcoming book and what is better than fangirling over a new book being released?!

2…Rereading before the movie…

This goes hand in hand with rereading a book before the upcoming book sequel. I am guilty of not rereading books before watching the movie and I tend to google the differences between the book and the movie. Next time, if I am excited about an upcoming book turned movie then in order to feel completely confident about what I am going into I will definitely reread the book. Although the unfortunate truth is that all of us bookish folk know that nine times out of ten the book is usually better than the movie…

3…Rereading books brings back nostalgia…

One of the most amazing feelings is to read a book and be brought back to the times that were so much simpler and carefree. I remember when I was reading one of my favorite Francesca Lia Block books I was brought back to a time when I was fourteen-years-old, baking in the sun in my backyard, with that horrible 90’s trend called the sun-in, and my biggest concern was which Hanson brother I would marry. Rereading books can make you realize how much you have grown up and the best part is that it brings back the warm and fuzzy nostalgia again.

4….They remind you why you love reading…

There is nothing better than reading a book that makes you realize how amazing it is to get lost in somebody else’s world. Rereading your favorite books makes you realize why you love reading in the first place. More than likely, you are rereading books that have made a profound impact in your life, have altered your life, given you a good laugh, or just simply made you smile so big your face hurt in the end. Rereading books is like an old best friend to remind you of how amazing they have always been.

Chat with me in the comments below and let me know if you have reread any books lately!

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Once upon a time, there was a lovely young woman who fell in love with her father’s humble assistant. This love affair angered the young woman’s father because of the difference in their backgrounds. To keep his daughter from continuing the relationship, the father dismissed the assistant and built a huge fence around his property to keep the young lovers apart. He arranged for his daughter to marry a powerful Duke instead. When the Duke arrived to marry the young woman, he presented her with a box of jewels. On the eve of the wedding, the young assistant disguised himself as a servant, slipped into the house, and escaped with the jewels and the woman he loved. Using the Duke’s ship, the young couple escaped to a secluded island where they lived happily for many years. When the Duke learned of their location, he sent soldiers to capture the couple and put them to death. The gods, touched by their unfortunate situation and the power of their loved, transformed the couple into doves, thus returning them to freedom.

Lovely tale, isn’t it? This is the story, behind the Blue Willow china pattern that became popular in 18th century England.

Blue Willow China

It’s also the inspiration behind a series of books I recently rediscovered buried deep in my kindle library.

The Blue Willow Brides series by Maggie Brendan follows three sisters as they immigrate from Holland to the wilds of the western territory of America to become mail order brides. Each sister has a love of blue willow china, its meaning held deep in their hearts. That love surrounds each of the three books in the series and is enough to make anyone want to start collecting the delicate pattern.

Maggie Brendan writes genuinely vivid characters and journeys that leave readers feeling satisfied with the happy ending they crave. Her stories deal with the trials – and sometimes humor – that comes from navigating romantic relationships without succumbing to traditional romance tropes. It’s no wonder her novels have won many awards.

Rediscovering her series and rereading them much later into the night than I expected reminded me how much I love her writing! I’ve since downloaded several of her other books that I plan to read this autumn when the weather gives me a perfect excuse to curl up with a good book. Check out Maggie’s Blue Willow Brides series and I promise you’ll be reading it (and rereading it) late into the night, too!

We’d love to hear your views on rereading. Are you a re-reader? Why or why not?

Tag: rereading

Four Reasons Why You Should Reread Books

Return Reads: The Blue Willow Brides Series by Maggie Brendan