Tea Party Talk: Rereading and How it Sometimes Changes Everything

As I'm sure you all have gathered, I am a super fan of reading.  What you may not have gathered is, I am an even bigger super fan of rereading!  I know, I know, you're all probably sitting there, staring at your computer screens thinking "Wha?  How does anyone have the time to even consider rereading when there's so many other fantastic new books out?!"  I'll admit, its hard, especially as a blog runner who wants to be able to put out up-to-date reviews weekly for my really cool and totally spectacular readers.  But when I do get a chance to pick up a book that I've already read, I find that a lot has changed since the time.

While obviously I'm reading the same story as before, I find that it feels and seems to have turned into a stranger to me.  This is especially true when it has been years since I've had the chance to read it.  It's not that the story or the characters or the writing style has changed at all but more that I've changed a whole bunch.  My reading experience has expanded in that time and I've been introduced to many other stories that have made an impact on who I am and how I think.  That's because every single book I pick up and decide to read changes me, whether in a big or small way.  It opens my eyes to things I wouldn't have seen myself and allows me to connect with hundreds - if not thousands - of people just through reading the same words.  

Sometimes, rereading a book doesn't change my opinion of it but instead makes me more aware of the little details sprinkled throughout that I didn't notice before because I was too wrapped up in the actual story. This is true for all of the Harry Potter books.  I will forever and always adore this series. Almost nothing can change my opinion of it and rereading it only brings me enjoyment and a sense of nostalgia.  

However, there are other books like Graceling by Kristin Cashore that make all my feelings for them change.  When I first read that book, I didn't really like it.  I was likely a bit too young to have been reading it and I wasn't understanding everything that was happening.  When I picked it up about a year ago to reread it though, I found myself completely wrapped up and in love with the plot, the premise, and the characters.  In fact, I went out and bought the other two books in the series immediately after finishing it.  It times like that when rereading becomes something magical, maybe even more magical than just reading, because it shows you just how much you've grown.  

So, how often do you reread?  What is your favorite story to reread?  Do you find that rereading often changes your opinions of those books?