For what it's worth - the Shiver series has only been read once. Raven Boys and Scorpio Races and Dreamers have been read many times. Every time, I find a new description, a new turn of phrase, a new facet to an old beloved character that delights me; that antagonizes me; that I twist around, look at from all sides, and lodge in my brain for future reference. Every time.
You did it, Maggie. I’m on the (first) reread, and so many times in these early chapters I’m saying to myself, I remember this sentence, how did I not SEE it like this last time, it’s the same words…
At the Nashville event, I forgot to show you my reread copy of Scorpio Races, which I marked up with the Act breaks we went over in bootcamp. Fresh wonder with every reread.
I have reread The Scorpio Races an innumerable number of times. (Or listened to it; one of the finest audio books I’ve heard. Right up there with Piranesi, read by Chiwetel Ejiofor.) Sometimes for the incredible action, or for a glacial romance, a historical travelogue, and sometimes for the comfort of meeting an old friend. And every time, I am transported. It is the best of books.
(I’ve never said on social media, but I don’t really care for the Shiver series. And now you’ve given me some insight into why that is.)
I'm constantly on the hunt for books I can live in. I love to re-read. TRC is probably my most re-read series. I love that that's the way you wrote them, because it's exactly how they read. Thank you for giving me a comfort read that I could never get tired of! I can't wait to love The Listeners just as much.
My reread as a kid was Holes by Louis Sachar. I read that book 7 times in a row in just a couple of days (I'm a pretty quick reader). And Raptor Red, which was such a weird little book told from the first person perspective of a female red Utah raptor and has, as far as I recall, zero dialogue in the whole thing. That book I finished at about 2am and then immediately flipped back to the beginning and read it again until the sun came up.
I've reread Lament probably three or four times, though by that point my life had started picking up pace and I had become aware of just how many books were out there in my phone and on the internet and on friend's shelves and and and and began tearing myself in different directions to try to read as much as I could.
I felt this so deeply because I love to reread. And I also had a serious fixation with the shins circa 2011. When I got to college I used to tell everyone that I had read the first 4 Harry Potter books 23 times. Which like was clearly the way to reinvent oneself to be super cool in college ha-ha. But even now, I have books that I end up rereading annually even when I have so many new books I am dying to read. If something triggers me to think about one of my favorite books, I honestly have to put aside all other reading goals to reread my fave immediately. So I recently read Jonathan strange and Mr norrell for the first time and all of this talk of “raven king”…. Well despite preordering The Listeners in two formats, guess what I have committed the summer to rereading for the 4th time… In conclusion your work is so highly readable, I can’t stop. I’m sure I’ll feel the same way about The Listeners when I finally get back to my new book reading. I promise it is first on my list.
Why is it reassuring to hear my long-practiced, “solitary” reading and auditory behavior expressed by you? It is. Lbrary book return card patterns (I am so old), puzzled my school librarians. The totally foreign music my new spouse produced slowly followed the attachment evolution you mention. I should be self confident enough not to need the affirmation, but after a lifetime of feeling quite quirky, it’s nice.
i’ve read the original Raven Boys series through three times. both rereads were during dark periods when i didn’t know if i would make it through the horror of my life.
The long-read vs. the page-turner. It's the slow-cooked, six-hour oven-baked lamb shoulder, versus the BBQ'd lamb chop, isn't it? Both satisfying in their own way. But one that brings with it the benefits of time spent marinating and rendering and caramelising.
It is interesting to me that you seem to identify Shiver as a pleasurable read, but not an enduring one. That is what I found it to be as well. Enjoyable, with an interesting hook. But not something that begged me to think about it as I fell asleep at night. The Raven Cycle and Dreamers Trilogy, on the other hand, have taken up residence in my brain. I have visited and revisited them many times and I have only discovered them in the last year. I think the thing I love best about them is that I discover new places in my own soul with each reread. huh. That sounds way more poetic than I intend. I simply mean i discover new things with each read. The story first, then the themes of friendship, then the beauty of the words used, then themes of family - blood and chosen, then the…. I already plan to read The Listeners again. As I read it the first time I kept noting to myself - “Oh, there is more here to discover.” My favorite books are the ones the become old friends.
This found me at an interesting moment - yesterday, I started rereading TRC for what is somewhere around the tenth time. I remarked a few hours ago that it's amazing that, despite having read The Raven Boys over and over and over again over the course of seven years, it hasn't lost any of the magic or mystery. Truly an incredible feat.
I adore the Raven Cycle and have reread it several times (and will continue to reread it probably forever). I'm so curious how you go about planning a book that you hope has high rereadability- is it because every word is purposeful? Is it the magical atmosphere of the story? I've watched your series on novel-making, and maybe it's time to give that another read, too!
For what it's worth - the Shiver series has only been read once. Raven Boys and Scorpio Races and Dreamers have been read many times. Every time, I find a new description, a new turn of phrase, a new facet to an old beloved character that delights me; that antagonizes me; that I twist around, look at from all sides, and lodge in my brain for future reference. Every time.
You have done it. Please keep doing it!
I love this: "that antagonizes me." YES. Thank you.
You did it, Maggie. I’m on the (first) reread, and so many times in these early chapters I’m saying to myself, I remember this sentence, how did I not SEE it like this last time, it’s the same words…
At the Nashville event, I forgot to show you my reread copy of Scorpio Races, which I marked up with the Act breaks we went over in bootcamp. Fresh wonder with every reread.
I have reread The Scorpio Races an innumerable number of times. (Or listened to it; one of the finest audio books I’ve heard. Right up there with Piranesi, read by Chiwetel Ejiofor.) Sometimes for the incredible action, or for a glacial romance, a historical travelogue, and sometimes for the comfort of meeting an old friend. And every time, I am transported. It is the best of books.
(I’ve never said on social media, but I don’t really care for the Shiver series. And now you’ve given me some insight into why that is.)
I'm constantly on the hunt for books I can live in. I love to re-read. TRC is probably my most re-read series. I love that that's the way you wrote them, because it's exactly how they read. Thank you for giving me a comfort read that I could never get tired of! I can't wait to love The Listeners just as much.
My reread as a kid was Holes by Louis Sachar. I read that book 7 times in a row in just a couple of days (I'm a pretty quick reader). And Raptor Red, which was such a weird little book told from the first person perspective of a female red Utah raptor and has, as far as I recall, zero dialogue in the whole thing. That book I finished at about 2am and then immediately flipped back to the beginning and read it again until the sun came up.
I've reread Lament probably three or four times, though by that point my life had started picking up pace and I had become aware of just how many books were out there in my phone and on the internet and on friend's shelves and and and and began tearing myself in different directions to try to read as much as I could.
I just finished The Listeners and loved it. I'm coming to your talk in Cheltenham, I can't wait. Also, heads up that there's a stationery shop called Wildflower Illustration Co near the Waterstones that sells dachshund writing paper! https://www.wildflowerillustrationco.com/wildflowershop/p/flowers-butterflies-writing-paper-8rgb6-fr4fc-b43hm-pmznd-27as2-tj928-443pc-r3t8p
Love this 🥰 excited to read The Listeners … was perfect timing after visiting Pearl Harbor last month
I re-read the Raven Cycle books every year ❤️
I felt this so deeply because I love to reread. And I also had a serious fixation with the shins circa 2011. When I got to college I used to tell everyone that I had read the first 4 Harry Potter books 23 times. Which like was clearly the way to reinvent oneself to be super cool in college ha-ha. But even now, I have books that I end up rereading annually even when I have so many new books I am dying to read. If something triggers me to think about one of my favorite books, I honestly have to put aside all other reading goals to reread my fave immediately. So I recently read Jonathan strange and Mr norrell for the first time and all of this talk of “raven king”…. Well despite preordering The Listeners in two formats, guess what I have committed the summer to rereading for the 4th time… In conclusion your work is so highly readable, I can’t stop. I’m sure I’ll feel the same way about The Listeners when I finally get back to my new book reading. I promise it is first on my list.
Why is it reassuring to hear my long-practiced, “solitary” reading and auditory behavior expressed by you? It is. Lbrary book return card patterns (I am so old), puzzled my school librarians. The totally foreign music my new spouse produced slowly followed the attachment evolution you mention. I should be self confident enough not to need the affirmation, but after a lifetime of feeling quite quirky, it’s nice.
i’ve read the original Raven Boys series through three times. both rereads were during dark periods when i didn’t know if i would make it through the horror of my life.
thank you.
I am very glad I could be a small window to another world during it.
I am a stranger, but - thank you for holding onto those stories tight enough to keep yourself here.
The long-read vs. the page-turner. It's the slow-cooked, six-hour oven-baked lamb shoulder, versus the BBQ'd lamb chop, isn't it? Both satisfying in their own way. But one that brings with it the benefits of time spent marinating and rendering and caramelising.
It is interesting to me that you seem to identify Shiver as a pleasurable read, but not an enduring one. That is what I found it to be as well. Enjoyable, with an interesting hook. But not something that begged me to think about it as I fell asleep at night. The Raven Cycle and Dreamers Trilogy, on the other hand, have taken up residence in my brain. I have visited and revisited them many times and I have only discovered them in the last year. I think the thing I love best about them is that I discover new places in my own soul with each reread. huh. That sounds way more poetic than I intend. I simply mean i discover new things with each read. The story first, then the themes of friendship, then the beauty of the words used, then themes of family - blood and chosen, then the…. I already plan to read The Listeners again. As I read it the first time I kept noting to myself - “Oh, there is more here to discover.” My favorite books are the ones the become old friends.
This found me at an interesting moment - yesterday, I started rereading TRC for what is somewhere around the tenth time. I remarked a few hours ago that it's amazing that, despite having read The Raven Boys over and over and over again over the course of seven years, it hasn't lost any of the magic or mystery. Truly an incredible feat.
I adore the Raven Cycle and have reread it several times (and will continue to reread it probably forever). I'm so curious how you go about planning a book that you hope has high rereadability- is it because every word is purposeful? Is it the magical atmosphere of the story? I've watched your series on novel-making, and maybe it's time to give that another read, too!