Friends, I have done it. Finals are over, and I lived to talk about it. Graduation isn’t for a couple of weeks, and grades haven’t come out yet, but the exams are behind me.
And today, I embarked on my super exciting summer plans: studying for the bar!
I was being sarcastic there. It’s kind of the opposite of super exciting.
Okay, the first day wasn’t so bad. In fact, I’m sitting here wondering why my first year contracts professor couldn’t explain it all like they do in my bar prep course, because it makes so much more sense this time around. I think the hardest thing will be studying for long hours every day until the bar. It’s a marathon, and it’s going to take a lot out of me. Don’t be surprised if I get progressively crankier, or if I just drop off this blog altogether for a bit.
So it’s time to fall back on my favorite law school coping mechanisms. Reading and writing. I’m still working on revisions for my middle grade fantasy novel, and I’m going to keep that up. My goal is to work on that a little every day so that I don’t go crazy. I’m also going to keep on reading, as usual. Since I have a lot going on with my brain right now, and I need to be retaining a lot of other information, I’m planning to do a lot of rereading this summer.
That being said, I just got like five books out of the library that I’ve been waiting for, so I will still be reading some new books too, but once I’m through those I will definitely start rereading some old favorites.
I haven’t totally decided on what I want to reread. Not Harry Potter, because I just did that. And I’m not allowed to reread Tamora Pierce’s Circle of Magic books until I finish my revisions. I love the Circle books, and I would love to reread them, but they were a big part of the inspiration for my middle grade fantasy book, and at this point, I don’t want them to accidentally worm their way into my book. I probably will reread them again soon, but not until my revisions are done.
I might reread Tamora Pierce’s Tortoll books again, though, because it’s been a while, and I’ve been dying to reread at least her Immortals series ever since i read Tempests and Slaughter last year. I’m also considering revisiting Catherine Valente’s Fairyland books, The Lunar Chronicles, The Healing Wars, and some other favorites. I still plan to post reviews of what I read, and I’m excited to share my thoughts with you on these books I love so much.
For me, rereading is like settling in for a chat with an old friend, or like a large helping of your favorite comfort food. At the same time, every time I reread, I experience the book differently, because I’ve changed as a person and as a reader. I think rereading is perfect for the summer I have ahead of me, and I’m excited to dive in.
So what about you? Do you reread books? What are the favorites you go back to when things get stressful? Any recommendations for favorites I might want to revisit this summer? Let’s chat in the comments.
And if you’re studying for the bar this summer too, good luck. We got this.