Books I Have Read More Than Once

Harper Lee

Some books are just so good that you have to read them again. Sometimes, you have to read them repeatedly. It does not matter how intellectual or significant the book is; there is just something about it that keeps drawing you back into the story. For me, this has been true for a great many books. However, there are a rare few that I have found myself reading closer to five times than one.

The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

The Harry Potter series is not particularly mature reading. It is best described as youth fiction and easy to read youth fiction at that. This is certainly not typically the type of book I indulge in, let alone indulge in over and over. There is just something about these books that kept me coming back. I felt sorry for Harry; I loved the idea of witches and wizards living secretly amongst muggles; I was intrigued by the duality and complex nature of so many of the characters and, well, I was smitten with a group of books. I have read every single one of them about five times. I find myself reading them again every time a new Harry Potter movie comes out. Do not tell anybody, though. I am a little too old for Harry Potter.

"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee

"To Kill a Mockingbird" is, in my opinion, the best American novel ever written. Many would argue that assertion, but my love of this novel is unwavering. This book tells the story of a town, torn apart by bigotry and false accusations. It brings to light the bravery of people who have the nerve to stand up for people who cannot stand up for themselves in a racist southern town. Furthermore, it shows us that this bravery can be found in the least likely of places. "To Kill a Mockingbird" is nothing short of brilliant. I have no idea how many times I have read it.

"The Lord of the Rings" by J.R.R. Tolkien

J.R.R. Tolkien may not be the most flamboyant of authors. In fact, his work is rather in-depth and dry. However, it is his precision and attention to detail that make his works so wonderful. "The Lord of the Rings" contains so much accurate (in as much as it can be) information about a fictional world that it can make a writer's head spin. Every time I read it, I wonder how on Middle Earth he could have been so accurate and detailed at the same time. Every writer knows it is hard to avoid mistakes when you go for such a broad scope as creating another world, full of different races and even languages. Mistakes were exceedingly rare in this (these) book (books).

Other books that I have read more than once include several Charles Dickens titles, "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen, "The Stand" and "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon" by Stephen King and many more. I never find these books less enjoyable the more I read them. I hope that you have found some great books that make you feel the same way.