Discussion Post: Rereading Childhood Favorites

We all have those childhood favorite books. For me, I remember loving Nancy Drew and Little House on the Prairie when I was really young. As I got older, I fell in love with Garth Nix and Tamora Pierce. I also loved The Sight by David Clement-Davies. Then there was my Gossip Girl phase. And of course, Twilight. 

And there are days when I just want to grab all those books and hug them close and reread them all. I think they all had an effect on my life, one way or the other. Nancy Drew solidified my love for reading. My mom used to read them to my sisters and I at night before bed and eventually I got too impatient and just started reading them on my own. I tore through the books always wanting more. Little House on the Prairie introduced me to adventure and a life that was far different from my own. It taught me to appreciate the fact that I have running water and real candy, not molasses dribbled on snow (we tried it once and it was disgusting). 

Garth Nix and Tamora Pierce helped me discover my love for fantasy which still reigns supreme to this day. They opened up my imagination and let me explore entirely new worlds. They helped me escape from the mundane realities of my own world. They introduced me to fierce characters who stand up and fight in the face of adversity. 

Gossip Girl showed me how to deal with the mean kids. How to shake it off and be myself no matter what people were saying about me. It introduced me to my love of fashion which still remains a vital part of who I am today. And in a way, it was my first introduction to blogging, though I didn't start this blog until years later. 

And Twilight brought me back to reading after a period of forsaking books. It reintroduced me to the magic of words on a page and reminded me of why I loved reading. 

So when I want to reread these books, I'm always a little tentative. What if it's not the same? What if I don't like them as much? My reading tastes of course have changed drastically since I first read these novels and I'm always a bit scared that a reread will ruin the magic they once held. I recently reread Garth Nix's Abhorsen series and I was so nervous going into it. But they still held all the magic they once did for me. I will admit that I saw some things that would have had me rating it lower than 5 stars, but because I still felt that connection, that magic from when I was a child, I was able to overlook the tiny flaws and enjoy the story for what it was. I got new things out of the books and fondly remembered my first and numerous rereads. It made me want to reread more childhood favorites so I can rediscover the magic within these books that shaped who I am. 

How do you feel about rereading childhood favorites? Do you get nervous like me? Have you ever reread something and gone "what the heck did I like about that?"