Be Kind, Rewind
The art of revisiting old favorites with new experiences
I don’t normally do re-reads. I think of books as relationships that have run their course and no need to revisit that time period in my life. Call it the Virgo in me but once the relationship or book is done, they’re dead to me even if some scenes or themes continue to replay in my head.
However, my children are becoming the ages I was when my reading capabilities and range really took off so I’ve been inspired to dig back into my personal archive and pull out some classics that have stuck with me throughout the years.
My 9 year old has been particularly taken with The Boxcar Children - a favorite of mine that I devoured around that age. It melts my heart when he gets so excited he finished reading a book that he wants me to also read it so we can discuss. I was also stoked to find mint condition copies of The Baby-Sitters Club with the same cover art that my copies had a million years ago at one of my favorite local book stores. They’re a bit too advanced for my 6 year old but no reason I can’t preview them before she’s ready to pick them up, right?
Plus, a little YA reads can help with the state of … gestures around wildly.
In addition to YA reads, several of my favorite authors have released or are soon to release new novels that might require a freshening of their past work. As a curveball, I’m also throwing in Catcher and the Rye on my list because I absolutely LOATHED it the first time I read it 20 years ago and I am curious if my opinion has changed at all with age. Plus it’s pretty short and I’m no longer afraid to DNF a book that I can’t stand. Growth is a good thing.
These are some of the re-reads I am planning to do in 2026:
Happy [re-]reading!
Meghan x