I've been re-reading a lot lately, and that got me really interested in this challenge! It's from January-December 2010 and I've decided to try the Literati Level - six books from childhood, high school and adulthood. I'm still in high school but won't be next year so... I guess next year will count as adulthood? Or. You know. I don't know.
The books I've recently re-read are The Catcher in the Rye and PS I Love You, both for the first time since I'd originally read them and I liked them better the second time round!
I'd had a headache the last time I'd read Catcher as Holden got on my nerves and depressed the hell out of me. He still did, but he seemed so beautiful, heartbreakingly lovable now and a lot of things became clearer, sharper and funnier. I guess less time was spent wondering where the hell he was going to end up next and when he'd finally call Jane Gallagher.
PS I Love You also felt less sappy as I idly picked it up to read almost a year after I had first read it. I could really appreciate the fact that it was written well and get the character development, dialogue and quirkiness. I knew what was in store for Holly and Daniel and Sharon and Richard and Denise and Ciara, and so I could keep those things aside, and really look at them and look around them.. sort of like looking at events through a pensieve. Parts of it made me laugh out loud as I was less wary about reading what I had assumed to be 'sappy chic lit' and yes, I expected less out of it.
That's kind of the beauty of re-reading. You also view things in a different light and different angles. Sometimes, like in Twilight, the writing was just too bad to go through everything again the second time, but the third time (why did I go for thirds? Wish I knew!), I also realised I'd forgotten the cute, witty banter between Edward and Bella before they fell in love and got unbearable.
In a way, when you pick up books you've read years and years ago, you remember what you were doing, how you felt, what was going on in your life, what you'd eaten when you'd read it then and you're aware of how much you've grown since then, which totally affects the way you perceive everything now. And it feels nostalgically amazing.
My list for the Flashback Challenge will be up soon!
