When I was younger, I re-read books constantly. I re-read less now, partly because working in a public library, I’m hyper-aware of all the new books being published, as well as all the old ones that have a good long shelf life (pun intended). But I’m re-reading three* books right now, so I’ve been thinking: Which books do you return to over and over? Is there a particular time (say, when you’re traveling, or after finishing a very long book, or one you didn’t like much) or time of year that you like to re-read?

*The three I’m re-reading/re-listening-to now are Greenglass House by Kate Milford; Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling, read by Jim Dale; The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman, read by a full cast. I read Greenglass House for the first time last year and I think re-reading it may become an annual winter tradition.

Here are a few of my other favorite books to re-read:

• His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman (The Golden Compass is the first)
• The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
• The Magician’s Assistant by Ann Patchett
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
• Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
• All My Friends Are Superheroes by Andrew Kaufman
• Griffin & Sabine by Nick Bantock
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
• The Boggart by Susan Cooper
• The View From Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg

I think I’ll re-read The Princess Bride this year also. I’ve been meaning to for a while…although I could re-read it every year for the next thirty years and still not catch up to how many times I’ve seen the movie.