Re-Reading

Surprising how we grow and change, and what we come to realize about ourselves as readers. Not too long ago I realized that I don't like memoirs.  Aren't they just a sneaky way to write an autobiography?  No?  Anyway, I'll do a "Book Thoughts" on that one of these days.  Today, as the eagle-eyed have guessed, I want to talk about re-reading.  Until recently, I almost never re-read a book.  There are so, so many books I want to read, and I only have a lifetime to do it.  With so many books to read, why would I want to go back to re-read a book?  I've got shelves of books to read. Some of the books are quite long.  My TBR is infinite.  So little time!  But then, in part for this blog, I've been re-reading some books so I can make better reviews.  Surprise!  I've enjoyed the re-reads, absorbed more the second time, seen things I didn't see before.  There were ideas or plot points I'd forgotten, and even elements that had changed in my mind.  In one book that I re-read, Shosha, I remembered the character of Shosha as being the main character.  She actually appeared only infrequently.  But she was such a strong and sympathetic character that my memory had magnified her role.  Odd what our memory can do based on what we were going through at the time.  The re-reads are also usually quicker, I zip though the books more easily, having been through them once before.  Even tho my initial motivation was to write reviews, now I'm thinking of re-reading for pleasure.  What a concept!  It may be gradual, but I plan to pick out some of my favorites, re-read, and see what I think the second time.  When people used to talk about re-reading I'd ignore them as silly hippie dreamers.  But I've changed.  Now I'll be listening.