Re-reader

I confess, I am a re-reader. I like to read books again that I enjoyed the first time.

A lot of people look at me like I am strange because I spend so much money on books "you'll only read once." Because I am a fast reader, skimming at times even through books I enjoy, I can re-read something and not feel like I just read it and know what is coming. And when I do read a book often enough to know what is coming (Harry Potter), it can add to the enjoyment because I know "one of my favorite parts" is coming up.

I have been thinking about re-reading a lot lately. My life is so chaotic these days I am having trouble digging into a book deeply enough to keep reading. My mind is racing. I am staying up past midnight to get things done and the next night falling into bed at 9pm trying to make up for all the lost sleep.

In the back of my mind, though, is the idea that I could pick up an old (or new) favorite - a book I don't have to work to engage with or enjoy. The idea of falling into a story like that appeals to me.

Here are some of my read-over-and-over favorites:
Deadline
The Amber Photograph: Newly Repackaged Edition
Harry Potter Paperback Box Set (Books 1-7)
Touched by an Alien

That last one is a new favorite I reviewed a few weeks ago on my other blog. That is the one I keep looking at and thinking of longingly. If I do a re-read this weekend, that will likely be the book I pick up. The author's voice is fantastc, the characters are outstanding, and I get inspired by the heroine's kick-butt nature. I need a little kick-butt attitude in my life these days!

So, do you re-read? What are your go-to books when you want to read something fantastic and familiar?