Hi visitors. It's Lisa today.
What's a re-reader? It's a book that people re-read. I'll give an obvious example: HARRY POTTER. Anyone who has read any of the HARRY POTTER books, generally they've read them again. For me that "re-read" number is closer to one than ten.
So what makes a book a re-read? I have it boiled down to two reasons - either it's the plot that brings you back or it's the main character.
Often it depends on the reader as to what brings them back to books again. For me, it's the main character. It doesn't matter how amazingly creative the plot, it doesn't matter how smooth the writing is either, if the main character doesn't pull me back, I won't be back. I can handle a shaky plot, but I won't be back if that character doesn't mesmerize me. Not that it's a bad book, it just isn't good enough to read twice.
What are you thoughts? How can an author write a book that guarantees you'll be back for a re-read?
Ashley: For me, it's a mixture of the character and the plot. The books that I've re-read the most have been Sophie Kinsella's Confession of a Shopaholic Series and Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl. With both, I clicked instantly with the narrators because I found points in common (Rebecca's shopping addiction and Cath's love for writing) and the plots kept me intrigued and my imagination running. An author's writing style will also get me hooked.
Dan: This is a tough one, because as a reader I'm pretty picky about rereading things. There are just so many books that I haven't read for the first time. That said, I'm a sucker for a good character and a great plot. Pace, too, is important, because I'm less likely to repeat a book that slowed down in the middle. Much of this is subjective to the reader, but there's one thing an author can do to help the chances of re-reads: write a series. When a new book in a series comes out, I'll often read the previous book(s) to get warmed up for it.
Caitlin: Honestly, I can't remember the last time I re-read a book. And I may be one of the few Harry Potter fans who only read the books once. Like Dan said, there are so many books out there I haven't read! I feel an anxiety about that, how will I ever read all these books! And that anxiety is a pretty big deterrent for me when it comes to re-reading something. Additionally, the mot fun pat of reading, to me, is the discovery and anticipation, which is lost a little on a second read. All that said, I will often go back and read the things I underlined, certain other sections, etc. as more of a study. If I really liked the narrator's voice, I'll re-examine a few sections to try to dissect what it is that I like about it and see if there isn't something I can keep in mind when creating my own voices. I will also re-read short stories that I really like in this same way, studying them the second/third/fourth time around instead of simply enjoying them. There are also several books I read as a kid or in college that I keep thinking I really should re-read now because they'd probably be quite different with an older perspective (Huckleberry Finn, Pride and Prejudice, Heart of Darkness, etc.) Additionally, there have been a few sequels where I felt a little lost and probably should have re-read the first book to refresh my memory first. :)
A book with a twist or long trail of breadcrumbs can make at least one re-read. I've got a story almost every beta reader went back and read again because when the "big secret" (TM) was revealed, they all had a "how did I not see that coming?" feeling, but at that point things are moving so fast they chose to go on. So when they were done, they went back and read it again with an eye for clues, which, in retrospect, were obvious. The Harry Potter series does this well, I think, because as you re-read it you can see the groundwork laid for the conclusion. It's fun to pick out the bits when you know what they mean.
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