Are you doing a re-read?

[putts]

Just curious if anyone else is re-reading any/all the books before AMoL releases.

 

And, if so, how far are you? Do you plan on being done before reading AMoL? Are there certain books you plan on skipping regardless?

 

 

Also, have you stumbled upon certain old passages that you might have almost forgotten about but that you really enjoy?

 

 

I'm about halfway through DR.

No plans to make it through all the books in this re-read, just trying to refresh myself on how the characters first started.

Once December hits I might just read through some overviews and pick out a few select chapters and then just skip to the last 2 or 3 to try to have a fresh mind of what's coming in AMoL.

 

 

I just got done reading the part where Mat thwomps Gawyn and Galad with a quarterstaff. I think those are the sort of passages that made us fall in love with him. He knew what he was doing was stupid but he had opened his big mouth and he was gonna win because he really needed the money. He's just a pure "dude" ... hard not to like him.

 

At the same time, the parts with Egwene, Elayne and Nynaeve just seem to drone on and on. And everything is so scattered. I find myself getting really excited when I get to a chapter that has Mat's dice at the top. "Finally ... a break from that!"

[BFG]

Started my re-read in August and am now on Winters Heart, hoping to finish the main 13 before Jan and then read New Spring before the release date.

 

So far I've mostly been surprised that it hasn't slowed down as much as I was expecting post LoC, I'm going to be intrigued as to whether or not CoT is as slow as I remember. Also Nynaeve isn't as annoying this time round, may be a function of similar ages now.

[thom_merrilin]

Started in September and currently 65% of the way through ToM. Thanks to, or not thanks, to poor health so I get to read a lot. Didn't think though I'd get this far this quick.

[hjustinpace]

Yes.

 

I started reading WoT right after TSR came out, but I stopped doing re-reads around LoC, I think. This is the first re-read I've done for a long time. Started at the beginning of the year and have been reading about a book a month, although I fell behind somehow--still have KoD, TGS, and ToM to re-read.

 

I found myself much more sympathetic to Nynaeve at the beginning of the series now that I am closer to her age. I appreciated TSR and LoC much more. I find myself getting awfully emotional at times, particularly early in TSR when the characters split up for basically the rest of the series. The Perrin-Faile-Shaido storyline still drags, but there was some really good stuff in WH to appreciate now that I'm not begging for it to just end already. CoT was still terrible.

[Pinzarn]

Not going to do a re-read. Once I am done with AMoL, I will do a final re-read looking for clues since (hopefully) a lot of the plot lines will be wrapped up.

[slatanic1]

I started a re-read (actually re-listen in my case) towards the end of September to be ready for aMoL. This will be my third time through the series. I'm currently on Lord of Chaos, and do not plan on skipping any, although I'm tempted to. I want to have everything fresh in my mind for the Last Battle.

 

I like Elayne and Eggy less and less each time through, and like Mat more and more!

[Andrew the Asha'Man]

Started doing my re-read/re-listen(only when im driving and the wife isn't in the car) but as of right now I'm on Shadow rising. I started about halfway through last month and i think im doing pretty good and will finish in time for the release(if nothing comes up)

 

But right now my favorite used to be Perrin but that was before i finished the series (hate how he drones on and on and being woe is me) but mat has become #1 in my book

[Isgrimner]

I had planned to do a re-read of the entire series but just have too much going on right now. I have been just reading favorite parts here and there though. I've done several rereads over the past 20 years or so anyway. I know for sure I'm in double didgets on TEotW and TGH. as I think I read them three times before TDR even came out.

 

As to the OP putts' reading the TDR, and reading the Mat sections. I remember Mat rescueing that book for me. TDR was the first book in the series I had to wait more than a week for, having gotten TEotW right at TGH's release. Being 14 or 15 at the time, Rand was still my favorite character back then, and I was bummed because it didn't seem to have any of his POVs, but then we got Mat POVs and he soon became my favorite like many others readers. I know it seems to me like most people find CoT as their least favorite WOT book, but for me that was PoD since there are no Mat POV chapters. Also,now that I really like Nynaeve, I also look fondly on her early character in rereads.

[arianrose]

Yep, though it lags as I find other, newer things to read. I'm in the middle of ACoS right now, and man, LoC was a slog to get through. I remember it being a lot more exciting. I have no idea if I'll finish before AMoL comes out, though I intend to try.

[reson8]

I started doing a re-read back in October. About mmmm.....halfway through The Great Hunt. So far I did notice mins viewings of lights being swallowed around nyn and mor. I suspect because of this they will be 2 or the 3 there at SG with Rand. I also suspect Egwene will too based on Mins viewing,s and Egwenes whole watcher of the seals stance. So those may be your 3 with Callandor. I can't see him using El or Avi, and putting them in harms way. Either way, I suspect he's gonna have a whole gang of people up in there with him...

[reson8]

Oh...not planning to skip anything, but I'm not adverse to just brushing up on some of the slower books...we'll see,

[capuga]

Started a re-read a couple weeks ago. About half way through tDR. Should be able to finish before the release date. I always do a full re-read before a new book is released.

[Centauri25]

I started a re-read on Towers. It is as good as I remembered - especially enjoying the Perrin scenes. Kind of a weird thing - Perrin is my favorite character, and Faile about my least fav. Fail, indeed.

[Black Waltz]

I just started a re-read in preparation for AMoL to be released, finished TEotW yesterday. It's been a while since I did a full re-read of the books, before tGS and ToM I skipped sections that were based around Elayne (without Birgitte at least), so this time around I will be doing a thorough reading and note taking; fourth time through and I still find new snippets I've missed on previous runs.

[Balefire to da face!]

Yeah, I was hoping to get through a full reread this time.

 

I started the series right after tPoD came out, and reread the series prior to WH, CoT, and KoD releases. When TGS came out, I was kind of surprised to find that the mixture of each reread getting longer because of additional books, and working full time made it much harder to get through the entire series in the time I gave myself. I got to Winter's Heart with TGS's release fast approaching, and up until just a few days go I fooled myself into thinking that I could get through it....ya know, if I blew through WH, CoT, and KoD all in a day each!

 

ToM was even worse, I got to LoC and ToM was just a week or two away so I tapped out.

 

I was really hoping to get through the whole series this time, to read the whole thing front to back culminating in aMoL. At this point, I am not even sure if I'm in good shape or not. I am just over half way through The Great Hunt, and fearing that I need to pick up the pace or I am not going to get there.

 

As for differences, I am catching on some clues, but I already knew a lot of this stuff from reading so many fan theories the past decade. The biggest difference is probably that I have been studying various kinds of history lately, and it makes the post-Breaking, pre-series timeline backstory much more interesting and comprehensible. The Trolloc Wars, Hawkwing, The War of a Hundred Years, Bonwhin and Tetsuan....it all sounds much less like a distraction now.

 

And while I am not exactly an expert on ancient military history, listening to the wonderful A History of Rome makes the various infantry used throughout the series, as well as cavalry, with the mixture of in universe unique units into the mix all paint a more comprehensible picture in my mind.

[The Wolf King]

I started my re-read in the latter part of August. I'm about to finish up LoC now but I dont' think I'll be able to catch up before AMoL comes out. On my last re-read before ToM I thought the book was slowing down by LoC, but this time I don't feel that all.

[Jonrox]

I just got into Path of Daggers, and I've been finishing about two per month (listening to them on my iPod during commutes). I might need to power through the last couple during Christmas break but I think I'll make it.

[lhsmommy]

I started my re-read in *thinks* mid-August. I finished completely by end of September/beginning of October. No skimming or skipping. Granted, I read a normal size novel every day or two, but I really am anxious to get my hand on AMoL. It had been a while since my last full re-read of the entire epic, so I was pretty captivated by the ones I'd rarely or never read a second time. Now I am more than ready for the final chapters.

[makaveli422]

I started my re-read in June I think. Just started Knife of Dreams and plan on finishing by Jan. Should be doable even with my crazy schedule right now. I discovered WOT before Path of Daggers came out and did a re-read every time a new book was coming out until Towers of Midnight. Then I just read KoD and TGS before. CoT was as slow as I remembered and I skipped most of Perrin and Elayne's scenes. Couldn't do that with Mat though. He is still my favorite character. I plan on re-reading everything again sometime after aMoL.

[What's a Seawolf?]

Yep, currently on LoC. This may sound a little strange, but I actually forgot just how good tEotW is. Still not as good as the series best, but can really give them a run for their money. (If memory holds for the rest of the series, I'd rank it fifth.)

[Drakkon]

I am going through the series again, but this is the first time I have listened to the audio books. Taking a bit to get use to, but I am enjoying it. Really enjoying hearing some of the names. I am in the middle of LoC, and suspect that I will last past the release of AMoL. But since I am waiting on the e-book version, it should not be a big deal.

[RelentlessAttack]

Not this time. Probably done 10 re-reads over the years and to be honest don't want to be any more aware of any sandersonisms and inconsistencies than i have to be.

[Danjaman]

Ah, every time I read a topic like this it reminds me how slow of a reader I am...

 

First readthrough (tEotW - ToM): Sept 2008 - Nov 2010

Second readthrough (NS - ToM): Oct 2011, will be done ToM in a week.

 

2nd time was completely audiobook, which is actually faster for me, especially if I read while walking/commuting.

 

I met an man on the subway reading tFoH when I was on PoD, both of us on our 2nd readthroughs. He had an autographed copy and I ended up missing my station by 3 stops because we were deep in conversation (he hadn't read the aMoL prologue). I told him "may you find water and shade" when I got off :)

[Dalton Moser]

I was introduced to the series as audiobooks so I plan to do another listen through half way through december of NS-TOM.

[Vels]

I started my re-read beginning of last year. Took me a month to get through EotW. Then I got distracted and did a re-read of Game of Thrones... I thought the rest of the series would be at the same pace, but my flatmate started reading the books for the first time so I was reading at the same pace as him so we could discuss as he read.

 

I finished the series at about a week per book. Finished last month. I really don't have the energy to re-read before January, but I think I'll re-read KoD onwards over my xmas break.

 

I first started reading the series after LoC and finished just in time for aCoS. I used to do a re-read every book until the last 3 or 4 - then I just read the book before to freshen up.

 

My thoughts from this re-read: Egwene wasn't as bad this time as I felt from previous re-reads (although she did get a bit preachy in the last two books). I enjoyed the wonder-girls adventures, right up until aPoD when they were travelling with the Kin and Seafolk - that was an annoying sequence. Then when Elayne was trying to win the throne - boring stuff. Way too many chapters devoted to that story line I felt. My flatmate got pretty angry whenever an Elayne chapter came up - he would skip ahead and find there were 4 Elayne chapters in a row lol.

 

I never really found Faile that annoying - maybe a few too many chapters devoted to her when she was captured. Perrin was my favourite early in the series but I found his avoiding responsibility pretty annoying towards the end. Hopefully now he'll be back to my favourite!

 

My flatmate thought for the first two books that Mat was destined to become a darkfriend haha