I read many books and I have even more on my TBR (to be read) list. There are so many books in the world, I know I’ll never be able to read everything that I might enjoy. And time is limited because I also have a life, a family, a writing career, etc.

But I also like to reread books that I really love. And when a new book comes out in a series that I love, I often drop everything else so I can read the entire series in order.

I questioned whether this was a good use of my time. On November 30, the 9th and final book in The Expanse series is finally coming out. But when I looked at the eight other novels (which are like 550-600 pages each), and the half-dozen or so companion short stories and novellas, I realized that was a month’s worth of reading (or more). Did I really want to read it all again just for a new book?

I started a poll in the YA SFF Addicts group (even though it’s not a young adult series, some people have also read it) and I was surprised by the range of responses. Most people are not reading any books a second time and relying on the new book to refresh their memory. (I do this sometimes, particular if it hasn’t been very long and/or if there aren’t too many details to remember, but The Expanse is a sprawling, complex series and I haven’t read it in over two years since the last book. Also, details are different from the TV series so I sometimes misremember things.)

Some people do reread the most recent book, but there aren’t many fans of reading the entire series again. Lack of time. And I understand, but I still feel like I need to read these books again.

What do you think? Do you ever read books a second time?