Revisiting your youth

crossi · 02-07-2014, 01:13 PM

I've been buying and rereading books from my younger days. Francis Burnett's books, Lewis Carroll, Lloyd Biggle, The Dark is Rising series, Heinlein's Juveniles, Georgette Heyer, ect. Right now I'm revisiting Andre Norton. A lot of those I enjoyed in Jr High and younger are still good reads.
Anyone else revisiting their youth?

QuantumIguana · 02-07-2014, 03:12 PM

Not for my own reading, but I am reading my daughter The Phantom Tollbooth.

ebusinesstutor · 02-07-2014, 03:25 PM

I do this quite often. I own and regularly reread books like Heinlein's "Tunnel In the Sky" and "Time for the Stars."

As well as Niven/Pournelle's "The Mote In God's Eye" which I still think is one of the best portrayals of aliens, ever.

Katsunami · 02-07-2014, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crossi

Anyone else revisiting their youth?

I'm not revisiting. I'm still there.

For some reason, I have the urge to re-re-re-re-read books I already read 15-20 years ago. My current re-read of the Shannara series is my 5th. (2x Dutch paperback, 2x English paperback, now English e-books.) I must have read The Lord of the Rings + Appendices, the Hobbit and The Silmarillion at least 10 times since 1998 (in English; I also read it twice in Dutch). I read all the Eddings books once in Dutch paperback, twice in English paperback, and Elenium and Tamuli have been re-read as ebooks last year. The Belgariad, Malloreon, and other Eddings books are on the TBR list (again), also as e-books. Same with some Stephen King books: once Dutch, once English, once e-books. Last year, I read IT for the 3th time in English.

Yeah... I've been re-re-re-re-re-re-reading for almost 20 years, and since this year, I've decided to stop it. I managed to replace my entire library with e-books, and after i've re-read everything (started in 2012) as an e-book, I'm not going to re-read again. Time for some new stuff.

Well... maybe Lord of the Rings. I just MUST read that book once every 1-2 years or so, and then do a movie marathon.

supermighty · 02-07-2014, 03:49 PM

I re-read A Wrinkle in Time and Something Wicked This Way Comes once a year. It's always a joy.

theducks · 02-07-2014, 03:56 PM

I grew up on Heinlein .
More often than not, it is books from the 60's and 70's that get frequently reread

jgaiser · 02-07-2014, 04:32 PM

Not a lot of stuff from my youth. I still reread Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit every couple of years and some of Heinlein's early stuff (The Moon is a Harsh Mistress seems to be read every couple of years). Remember loving Dune, but haven't reread. Enjoyed The Foundation Trilogy, haven't reread.

pwalker8 · 02-07-2014, 05:27 PM

Yep, I still read a number of books from my youth. Most seem to hold up well. To an extent, it depends on what you mean by youth. I can't say that I read a huge number of books from pre high school (Hardy Boys, 3 Investigators, ect...), but I do read some of the classics (Sherlock Holmes, Jules Verne, Mark Twain, etc...) that I read during that time period. Most of my high school books (when I first started to discover SF&F, Heinlien, Asimov, etc) are considered adult books. I do find that I enjoy reading YA/youth books still (Harry Potter, Tamera Pierce, Heinlien ). I do find myself starting to go back to some of my pre High School reading (Altsheler, for example) these days.

DiapDealer · 02-07-2014, 05:28 PM

I can't take the chance that they're not really as good as I remember them.

BWinmill · 02-07-2014, 05:44 PM

I read a lot of books written for youth, but it's because I enjoy them. They are more fun to read because they are more optimistic, more creative, have a sense of adventure, and have a more open narrative. It isn't so much revisiting my youth as it is visiting youth -- may they be the youth of a hundred years ago or of today.

Hamlet53 · 02-07-2014, 05:47 PM

Not real often. It was such a long time ago.

I did read Laughing Boy again last year, and Johnny Tremain over last Christmas to a visiting niece.

meeera · 02-07-2014, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BWinmill

I read a lot of books written for youth, but it's because I enjoy them. They are more fun to read because they are more optimistic, more creative, have a sense of adventure, and have a more open narrative. It isn't so much revisiting my youth as it is visiting youth -- may they be the youth of a hundred years ago or of today.

Same. I must say that reading about Literary Middle-Aged Ennui bores the everliving daylights out of me.

cromag · 02-08-2014, 02:23 AM

I do, but more often than not I have to get them on paper, from the used book store.

Apache · 02-08-2014, 07:38 AM

I have always reread books. Even in my youth I would read books again and again. I can not tell you how many times I have read some of the great ones like Dune, Armor, Starship Troopers, The Walking Drum and many many others. Some people like to watch great movies many times over the years, I prefer to do it with good books.
Apache

crich70 · 02-08-2014, 07:45 AM

I often re-read favorite books. Some I've even gotten in ebook format. The Phantom Tollbooth is one of those. I bought it from Amazon back in Sept. 2012 and still enjoy reading about Milo's adventures. And of course the classics are always a good read. It's like revisiting old friends who I haven't seen for a while.

02-07-2014, 01:13 PM	#1
crossi Guru Posts: 997 Karma: 12000001 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Seattle Wahington U.S. Device: kindle	Revisiting your youth I've been buying and rereading books from my younger days. Francis Burnett's books, Lewis Carroll, Lloyd Biggle, The Dark is Rising series, Heinlein's Juveniles, Georgette Heyer, ect. Right now I'm revisiting Andre Norton. A lot of those I enjoyed in Jr High and younger are still good reads. Anyone else revisiting their youth?

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02-07-2014, 03:12 PM	#2
QuantumIguana Philosopher Posts: 2,034 Karma: 18736532 Join Date: Jan 2012 Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2 gen, Kindle Fire 1st Gen, Kindle Touch	Not for my own reading, but I am reading my daughter The Phantom Tollbooth.

02-07-2014, 03:25 PM	#3
ebusinesstutor Star Gawker Posts: 526 Karma: 6944314 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Spruce Grove, AB Canada Device: Kindle Paperwhite	I do this quite often. I own and regularly reread books like Heinlein's "Tunnel In the Sky" and "Time for the Stars." As well as Niven/Pournelle's "The Mote In God's Eye" which I still think is one of the best portrayals of aliens, ever.

02-07-2014, 03:49 PM	#5
supermighty Groupie Posts: 165 Karma: 6384806 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Walled City Device: Kobo Libre 2	I re-read A Wrinkle in Time and Something Wicked This Way Comes once a year. It's always a joy.

02-07-2014, 03:56 PM	#6
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 30,897 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	I grew up on Heinlein . More often than not, it is books from the 60's and 70's that get frequently reread

02-07-2014, 04:32 PM	#7
jgaiser Omnivorous Posts: 3,283 Karma: 27978909 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Rural NW Oregon Device: Kindle Voyage, Kindle Fire HD, Kindle 3, KPW1	Not a lot of stuff from my youth. I still reread Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit every couple of years and some of Heinlein's early stuff (The Moon is a Harsh Mistress seems to be read every couple of years). Remember loving Dune, but haven't reread. Enjoyed The Foundation Trilogy, haven't reread.

02-07-2014, 05:27 PM	#8
pwalker8 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,196 Karma: 70314280 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA Device: iPad Pro, iPad mini, Kobo Aura, Amazon paperwhite, Sony PRS-T2	Yep, I still read a number of books from my youth. Most seem to hold up well. To an extent, it depends on what you mean by youth. I can't say that I read a huge number of books from pre high school (Hardy Boys, 3 Investigators, ect...), but I do read some of the classics (Sherlock Holmes, Jules Verne, Mark Twain, etc...) that I read during that time period. Most of my high school books (when I first started to discover SF&F, Heinlien, Asimov, etc) are considered adult books. I do find that I enjoy reading YA/youth books still (Harry Potter, Tamera Pierce, Heinlien ). I do find myself starting to go back to some of my pre High School reading (Altsheler, for example) these days.

02-07-2014, 05:28 PM	#9
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 28,356 Karma: 203720150 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	I can't take the chance that they're not really as good as I remember them.

02-07-2014, 05:44 PM	#10
BWinmill Nameless Being	I read a lot of books written for youth, but it's because I enjoy them. They are more fun to read because they are more optimistic, more creative, have a sense of adventure, and have a more open narrative. It isn't so much revisiting my youth as it is visiting youth -- may they be the youth of a hundred years ago or of today.

02-07-2014, 05:47 PM	#11
Hamlet53 Nameless Being	Not real often. It was such a long time ago. I did read Laughing Boy again last year, and Johnny Tremain over last Christmas to a visiting niece.

02-08-2014, 02:23 AM	#13
cromag Surfin the alpha waves ~~ Posts: 26,022 Karma: 459735575 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: New Jersey Device: Jetbook Lite & Mini, Nook STR, Kobo, Hanvon N516, Kindle 2, Androids	I do, but more often than not I have to get them on paper, from the used book store.

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02-08-2014, 07:38 AM	#14
Apache Readaholic Posts: 5,253 Karma: 90000484 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: South Georgia Device: Surface Pro 6 / Galaxy Tab A 8"	I have always reread books. Even in my youth I would read books again and again. I can not tell you how many times I have read some of the great ones like Dune, Armor, Starship Troopers, The Walking Drum and many many others. Some people like to watch great movies many times over the years, I prefer to do it with good books. Apache

02-08-2014, 07:45 AM	#15
crich70 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,310 Karma: 43993832 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Monroe Wisconsin Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)	I often re-read favorite books. Some I've even gotten in ebook format. The Phantom Tollbooth is one of those. I bought it from Amazon back in Sept. 2012 and still enjoy reading about Milo's adventures. And of course the classics are always a good read. It's like revisiting old friends who I haven't seen for a while.