Revisiting old favorites
i've changed my tune
Hi friends! Do you typically re-read books? Historically, I have not — there are so many books waiting on my bookshelf or in my library queue that I don’t want to spend time on things that I’ve already read. But I’m starting to change my mind on this. While on my honeymoon, I started out with two books I really enjoyed (more on that below), and I wanted to continue the streak without trying too hard to find the next book. In this case, an old re-read is perfect: I knew I’d like it but couldn’t recall many of the details, so it felt like reading something new.
I chose The Interestings, a book that I — and many of my friends — adored in our early 20s. It’s about a group of friends who meet as teens at summer camp, and we follow them into their 20s and 30s as they fulfill (or don’t) the dreams they once shared when they were young. It’s a classic coming-of-age story, so it was fascinating to first read this around age 23 and then a decade later, and to evaluate how my own views on success and growing up have changed. It inspired me to revisit other old favorites from previous periods of my life — more on that come.
Other reviews from my trip:
Bug Hollow ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Charts the life of a family after a tragic accident with vignettes from different characters’ perspectives. Reminded me of Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance with its ability to describe tragic events at an arms-length, in an almost innocent way.
Hazel Says No ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A Brooklyn family relocates to a small town in Maine and unintentionally causes a big stir, which they have to navigate together. I loved getting to know all members of this family. The writing was very “of the moment” without feeling like it will immediately go stale — my favorite internet-y reference was the Cup of Jo /
shout out. I’d put this book in the same bucket as Come & Get It or Family Family.Atmosphere ⭐⭐⭐
After reading this book, I felt the same way I did after Carrie Soto Is Back — it was a bit trite, and while there's nothing explicitly bad or wrong about the book, I didn’t love it. But it’s one of the buzzy books of the summer, so maybe you — like me — want to be a part of the conversation. And can we talk about the ending??
This grew on me. It started out too saccharine, but I liked how the story progressed and ultimately enjoyed it (and got through the entire thing on a plane ride). Annabel Monaghan’s books are a good fit if you’re looking for something fun and flirty, but you’re not a full-on romance head.
What are your thoughts on re-reading? Any favorites from summer trips so far? See you next week!
You and I are on the same wavelength! I am also having a re-read summer. But make it Jane Austen? 😂 I started with Pride and Prejudice, and then hit such a groove I went right into Sense and Sensibility, then Emma, then moved on to the Brontës with Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. All were my faves in my early 20s and here 10 years later I am re-reading and loving them even more? I think part of it is just high anxiety over the state of the world, and I’m finding tremendous comfort in losing myself in re-reads. I think next I might move to Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache series again, which is one of my all-time favorites. And side note—I also just finished Atmosphere and texted my sister, “I feel exactly the same way about it as I did about Carrie Soto—good, but not great.” Thanks for your post, I’ve been eying The Interestings for a long time!
I've re-read a few books in my time. The Harry Potter series, Bridget Jones's Diary, Pride and Prejudice... but I usually just move on to the next book!