It seems counter productive. We're now in a world where the number of books you read is brag-worthy, the number of books you own defines your "book nerd-ed-ness", and the ever growing pile of new books one wants to read teeters miles high.
Rereading has always been an important part of my reading experience. I have a list of about twenty books I used to reread yearly. Once a year I would read each of these novels - I love them that much. In university, rereading became soothing, a comforting blanket to swath me when I was most mentally drained.
Since graduating, my rereading of old favourites has declined substantially. Favourites have taken a back burner.
The most favourite series, out of all of them, "The Lioness Quartet" I used as my guide through life. Whenever I read it, I gleaned new advice. New ways to approach similar situations. I viewed her struggles through training like mine through university. I imagined, at the end of it, I would become a knight (of sorts) - I still imagine that to be so.
The series ends with her being aged 24 or so. My fear began. Can I relate to the series any longer? Having finished my own training, being 'knighted', and now questing - was there anything left in the book that could guide me?
Similarly, the books from my childhood seem to be fading in relevance. I now fear my inability to relate. Does one outgrow the stories that helped mold them?
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