Surprisingly enough, this is a controversial thing! I’ve often asked my students if they re-read books and have gotten a mixed bag of responses. Most of them say no, “What’s the point when you already know what’s going to happen?” Like any librarian worth her sensible shoes, I ask, “But what if you are older or in a different place mentally than when you first read it?” Sometimes I get a thoughtful look and answer and sometimes I get a blank stare. Sigh…Hello, My name is Donna and I am a re-reader. You know, there’s actually research and articles written on this topic. There’s even a whole book dedicated to re-reading!!!

I re-read for a variety of reasons. Sometimes I want the comfort of old friends. Yes, yes, I realize I’m talking about fictional characters. I’m not crazy but I do love to meet them again between the pages of my favorite books. Other times, I’m waiting for a book to be released and want to read something I can stop in the middle of. Like when, Holly Black’s newest book, Queen of Nothing wasn’t coming out until November 19 but I finished my other book on Halloween. What’s a girl to do? Not reading wasn’t an option so, I picked up Fire by Kristin Cashore. I settled in and got reacquainted. I also found myself surprised by things I’d forgotten and new things I learned…mostly about myself. You see, when you re-read books, you not only get to see your old fictional friends; you also get to find yourself, both the old you when you read that book so long ago and the new you who found something you didn’t know you were missing. I highly recommend re-reading!

Fire is a monster. Not your typical snarling, ugly, murdering kind of monster. Rather, she’s the last of her kind, a human monster. Her power is both in her looks, which captivate and ensnare those with weak minds and her ability to read and control minds. Though she has great power, she refuses to use it against anyone and goes to great lengths to earn the trust of those around her. Then, one day, Prince Brigan rides into her life. There is a war brewing and her power could tip the balance. She knows she has the ability to save her beloved kingdom but does she have the strength to save herself from becoming the real monster her father was?

I like this quote. I like the idea that stories never truly end. If you’ve ever read Jasper Fford, you know that the characters in the story have full lives when they are not being read. I like that idea, as well, especially when you find a great trilogy or series. I like to imagine the characters living, loving, and moving about their daily lives when I close the book. It helps when you get to the end and you’re sad that it’s over. I mourn the characters lost and the those I love but who aren’t real (SIGH!!!).

Holly Black is one of my favorite authors. Her latest trilogy (?), The Folk of the Air has been dreamy! She writes about the Fey as though she knows them intimately, has seen their revels and danced with Faerie princes. The first two of the series, Cruel Prince and Wicked King paint a picture so vivid and heartwrenching that I was unsure of how the final book would go. I was not disappointed, though she did give me a massive fright toward the end and I almost broke my cardinal rule NOT to read the end before getting there. I am glad that I did not do so for it would have ruined the sweetness.

Jude is doomed to the mortal world indefinitely. She is always thinking, scheming of a way back to Faerie, back to her wicked king to repay his betrayal. In the meantime, though, she is a Fey fixer and assassin, when necessary. On a day that begins like all the rest, her chance for revenge appears in the form of her backstabbing twin, Taryn who has put herself on the wrong side of the Fey court. Being an identical twin has its advantages. Playing the role of Taryn, Jude defies her exile order to confront the charges against her sister and her feelings for Cardan. Upon her arrival, she discovers that Elfhame is in dire straights. War is coming and at its head is her father, Madoc. Soon she is entrenched deep in enemy territory and must find a way to stay alive long enough to warn her king of impending war. In an unexpected and tragic turn of events, a hideous curse is unleashed putting her in the very place she longed and dreaded to be, Queen of Elfhame. She must walk a razor-thin line between love and control if she wants to save her kingdom and her King.