Books Day 12 -- Second time -- or more - around?

Day 12 – A book or series of books you’ve read more than five times

I seldom re-read books, at least knowingly, and at most, I re-read them fewer than five times.

Okay, I've already told you about re-reading the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. I've read that maybe five times, but that'd be a stretch.

I get what I want out of most books the first time. I'll go back to some of the more in-depth ones and re-read passages, like "What Color is Your Parachute," for instance, or the Martha Beck books.

And I've found myself more than once re-reading a fluffy beach read by Nora Roberts or one of the Goldie Baer series by Diane Mott Davidson simply because I didn't realize when I picked it up that I'd already read it! (hate when that happens) Usually I'll go ahead and finish it anyway.

I've read "Huckleberry Finn" more than once but fewer than five times, and it was a long time ago; ditto with "Gone with the Wind." I'll re-read the last Harry Potter book -- "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" -- before the movie comes out in November, partly because I just devoured the first read and know I missed detail, and partly because I do want the background of that lovely rich description before I see the next-to-the-last movie. (And I want to figure out where I think this first movie will end.)

I may read "Eat Pray Love" again before I see the movie. But that will likely be the last time for it.

While I'm reading some books, especially those by the really wonderful writers like John Updike, I will slow down and savor the language, will go back to re-read passages because of the elegant, eloquent words the author chooses. But most of what I read these days does not really merit a second reading, in my humble opinion.