Your Top Three Re-Reads — And Why!

When we talked about DNFing books and why, a few of y’all asked if we could talk about re-reading, which is a popular antidote to Too Many DNFs in a Row.

PamG wrote in the comments:

I think it would be an interesting counterpoint to the DNF question to also discuss the practice of rereading. Some people never reread a book or so they claim. Others, myself included, have whole stables of books they gleefully reread.

Nothing is more comforting to me than dipping into a favorite author’s work and hunkering down with a juicy reread. It probably goes back to the good old days when a healthy keeper shelf kept you sane till you could get your library fines paid off or your holds came in.

Personally, I would love to see a post devoted to what the Bitchery rereads and why.

Then Kareni and Melanie were all like, I second this tremendously awesome idea!

Obviously means we are SO in.

What are your top 3 re-reads, and why?

Sarah: I wish there were a way to see which ebook files I’ve re-read most on my phone or ereader, because I wonder if my estimations are off.

However I do know for absolute certain that All Systems Red is in my most-frequently re-read list. When I’m stressed, I re-read a chapter. If I have insomnia, I re-read a chapter, or I might re-read some of the ART and Murderbot interactions in Artificial Condition.

The narration, the story, and the pov of Murderbot all combine to somehow magically relax my brain. Maybe it’s because the world is so fraught and Murderbot is so terrified of losing autonomy over itself and its capabilities. Everyone expects Murderbot to be the worst sum of its parts and over and over Murderbot tries so hard to be the opposite of expectations. It’s a big dose of “It’s going to be okay in the end, for the most part, even if everyone and everything is annoying.”

I’m so familiar with the Murderbot series that sometimes I will hunt down a particular scene to re-read. Do you do that?

I’ve also re-read Act Like It by Lucy Parker an uncountable number of times. The first time I finished that book, I immediately turned back to page 1 to start over. I think it’s my brain’s ideal of a near-perfect contemporary romance, and when I re-read it, I spot something new that I hadn’t noticed before.

I’m really going to have to think about what my third book is.

Lara: I have reread the first three Poison Study novels by Maria V Snyder countless times.

I’m a sucker for a story in which the main character taps into her power and finds herself to be terrifyingly powerful. I reread it when I need comfort amidst uncertainty or worry. There’s something about a character with endless power when I myself feel powerless that hits the spot.

I’ve also reread the All Souls trilogy by Deborah Harkness multiple times for very similar reasons.

My third book would have to be Murderbot which Sarah very astutely explained. When I need a reminder of humanity, that’s the series I reach for.

Tara: Okay, this is hilarious timing. I was talking about this topic in a group text with a couple of book friends literally within the last hour.

The Carlisle Series by Roslyn Sinclair

First of all, it has some of my fave tropes (ice queen, age gap). Secondly, the chemistry and passion are just correct. I probably reread this one every year or so because I just get an itch and have to dive in all over again.

I try to schedule it for when I’m off, because I will disappear into both books for a few days and I can’t do that if I’m working.

Course of Action by Gun Brooke

This is one I reach for when everything feels hard and bad, and I just want to hide from the world and I don’t have the capacity to read something new. It has some first-book problems going on, but I adore the characters and watching them fall in love. It’s also among the first 5 sapphic romances I ever read (probably the first sapphic celebrity romance, which is another fave trope), so it holds a special place in my heart.

All That Matters by Susan X Meagher is my third

This is another good comfort read for me. It’s a friends-to-lovers romance where we see them meet, become truly good friends, and then enter a romantic relationship. It also ends with the leads as a very established couple. My only gripe is that it’s a gay-for-you story and I wish the character acknowledged some kind of queer or bi label, but the rest makes me so happy that I keep returning to it..

Shana: I want to read all three of those now, Tara.

So I actually started tracking rereads this year for the first time, and I’m excited for all the data future me will have.

I feel pretty confident that A Prince on Paper by Alyssa Cole is one of my most reread books. The pining is top tier and I adore both Johann and Nya. I tend to read this when I need a reminder that people can be kind and loving to one another. It’s a book where every chapter puts me in a good mood.

I’ve mentioned before that the Sugar Baby series by Rebekah Weatherspoon is my go-to when I need a comfort read. It’s one of those low stress billionaire romances where nothing much happens except for a very rich person falling in love with a normal person and then buying them anything they want. It’s also quite short, which is perfect for relaxing my brain.

And last, I reread an Octavia Butler book at least once a year. The one I come back to most often is Dawn, the first book I read by her as a child. It’s an unsettling novel, about a woman who wakes up on an alien ship, and is put in an arranged marriage of sorts by manipulative aliens. While it’s probably the root of my love for alien romance, this is definitely not a romance.

Every time I read it I notice something new and think about the book for days afterward. I tend to read it when I need distraction, or when I’m feeling stifled by social constraints and want to read about an alien culture with 3 genders.

Now you know we want to know yours! 

What are your top three re-reads, and why?