Let's Discuss: Guilt for Re-Reading?

 

Okay, it's taken a good long time but an idea finally struck the nogging to get a discussion going! Lol. It came to me when I was trying to make my tentative reading for the next few reads and then it hit me. 

Guilt for Re-Reading?

I was contemplating re-reading the Caraval trilogy before the release of Spectacular! I thought it would be a fun way to get back into the world and be ready for the holiday story! And then I was thinking...I'm going to have to give up quite a bit of "reading days" in order to read the three books. And I was staring at the big stack of books I had on my desk from the previous week's (or maybe this last week's) haul and was like...can I "afford" to do this? I read slow. I've 2 bookcases overflowing with TBR books. Plus a trunk FULL of books. Plus another bookcase in my room that I forget is mostly TBR with a few collector editions on bottom and some books set aside for upcoming signings.

I was struck with this hideous amount of guilt for thinking of re-reading a favorite trilogy. Yes, I used to re-read books all the time because I used to have months of time with nothing new to read. It was warranted that I re-read books. But now that I have hundreds of books I need to read for the first time around, I was wondering, should I be re-reading a whole trilogy for this new novella?

I mean, there are times I can justify it. I have another series on my TBR where it was a trilogy I read 10+ years ago, and like 5+ years ago now a fourth installment was added. So I thought I HAVE to re-read that trilogy because 10+ years since I read the original books? That's several hundred books in between readings! I'm lucky if I can remember the character names and relationships! Lol.

But for Caraval? Where I pretty much know that story? This novella we're about to get is just an extra adventure after the sisters got their HEA with their beaus! So I'm like, should I entertain this idea of re-reading it? I want to, but again, I'd be dedicating a lot of reading time to 3 books I've read already when I could read 3 other books for the first time around.

I'm a slow reader, what can I say? I think about these things. I know other readers would re-read a favorite book at least once a year or they return to that one favorite if they get into a slump. I honestly have never had the time for a reading slump! So I find myself in this predicament. I have a few more weeks until I mentally scheduled myself to start re-reading...if I decide to go down that route.

What about you? Do you ever feel "guilty" per se, for re-reading a favorite book or series when you have newer books waiting for you? Can you justify a re-read for minor reasons?