Old Read - New Insight

I did it again.  I read a book I have already read and I enjoyed it.  Can you believe that?  Some people would think I was crazy.  From comments I hear often, reading a book a second or third time is not the same as watching an old favorite movie for the fourth or fifth time this year.

I already knew what was going to happen, when it would happen, who it was going to happen to, how it would change things and even whether there was a sad or a happy ending, but I read it anyway.

 This time as I read I could let go of the emotions of wishing something would turn out a certain way, the anxiety of waiting to find out if something was or was not going to happen, wondering who the mystery character was or why he was involved in his hidden acts.  I didn't have to feel stressed not knowing how many more pages I had to read before the chapter ended and trying to read them as fast as possible in the little time I had.   This time I could enjoy the characters and get to know them.  This time through the characters were more than just names on a page, they were people who were going to face challenges, and I could see how they either did or did not prepare for what was to come.  I could relax and feel the emotions they had rather than pushing aside the feelings in my my haste to turn a page or finish a chapter as quickly as possible.  

This time as I read I could enjoy the style of the writer, the way the story flowed and moved, or didn't move at all.  I could enjoy what the writer pointed out about life, decisions and values.  I could enjoy the writer's views as well as the views of the characters.  I could think about how the values were similar or dissimilar to my own.   I could take time to ponder what I thought myself about the problems the characters faced or their particular personalities or how either I or someone I knew had faced those challenges.  

I had previously read the majority of the chapters of this book through a blog that the writer had over a year ago.   She shared a new chapter twice a week for several months.  Due to family responsibilities she paused in her blogging, but shared an occasional update that she had changed a few things in the story, including the ending.  So when I stumbled across another post the other day, and found that she had published the book I was anxious to read it.  So I downloaded the book  Under My Neighbor's Roof by Melinda Porter Wilden to my Kindle.   I was pleased with some changes I felt she had made.  I liked the changes in the ending she had made.  She added a smoother ending to a variety of the story lines while leaving an opening for follow-up for others.  I have already looked to see if she is working on anything else, and found two chapters of another story.  I guess I will need to check on this writer again in the near future.  

So would I do this again?  You bet.  I have already gone to my home library and browsed the shelves, reminding myself of the hours of enjoyment I have found in the pages of some of these books.  What did I enjoy about each one of them?  Why did I buy that one? Why did I save this one but not the other one by the same author?  Maybe I will even go buy a set of books I have been longing to reread but gave away to a friend a few years ago and they moved before returning them.