Welcome to The Big Reveal
 
I enjoy reading author interviews, but often times they don’t ask the kinds of questions I wonder about. So I’ve assembled a group of writers at all levels, from un-agented to published, and every week I will have a new question for them.
 
Great news from Steph Campbell who has recently released another book. A Toast to the Good Times, co-written with Liz Reinhardt. Congrats Steph!
 
Do you like to re-read books?

 
Theresa Paulo, Agented Author
No. I have a really hard time wanting to read a book twice. I can’t believe I’m going to admit this but the only books I have read more than once are the fours books of the Twilight series.
 

Mindi Scott, Published Author
I don’t re-read books often because my reading time is so rare and precious these days. But I used to do so a lot as a teen. I’ve read every novel by Victoria Holt/Philipa Carr (historical/romantic/suspense novels that I was hooked on in high school and college) at least twice. There were 60+ of those, if I recall. I think I’ve read Catcher in the Rye five times? I’ve also read Mermaids by Patty Dann at least five times.

 
Steph Campbell, Published Author
I absolutely re-read books! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read the Jessica Darling series, or Beautiful Disaster, or Speak. So. Many. Times. Also, when I’m feeling down about my writing, I re-read My Heart For Yours, because I sort of love the writing Jolene and I did in that novel.
 

Christa Desir, Pre-Published Author
I’ve read 13 Reasons Why an obscene amount of times. Also As I Lay Dying. Also Play It As It Lays. Also The Blind Assassin. There are books that I have loved that I will only ever read once because they damn near broke me (The Fault In Our Stars).

Dahlia Adler, Agented Author
YES. I wouldn’t buy them nearly as often if I didn’t! I find the lighter a book, the more likely I am to reread it, because I’m much more likely to want to relive the fun of a romance then, say, a heavy book about death. I loved THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green, but I don’t particularly ever want to read it a second time, whereas I’m sure there are many rereads of ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkins in my future. I recently loved a book (THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE by Jandy Nelson) so much that I read it twice in two days, which was just absurd. I read so many new books and mss now that I no longer read things a zillion times the way I used to, but there were a bunch I used to read over and over. CATCHER IN THE RYE comes to mind immediately, and LATER, AT THE BAR by Rebecca Barry is one I often go back to when I need character-writing inspiration.

Jenny Morris, Agented Author
I am not good at this. A lot of the excitement for me is finding out what happens. Or trying to guess throughout the book. That excitement is gone once I’ve read it. But I do love re-reading children’s books with my little ones.

 
Lynne Schmidt, Un-Agented Author
I’ve re-read Where the Red Fern Grows about a million times. Also Chasing Redbird, Bloomability, and Walk Two Moons. Those are probably my favorite books. It’s hard for me to re-read the sad ones because I know I’ll just sit there sobbing…(Damn you John Green!)
 

Do you like to re-read books?