Obviously knowing the end helped. So I could skim the hair pulling stuff. I dreaded today middle books.
A few thoughts I was surprised at afterward...
I found it was like one big book. So those middle books felt like chapters.

While reading the first time it is all about Rand for the reader. but while Rand is 1a, the other 3 or 4 are all really lead characters too.

I really enjoyed 7 the second time, the Mat one.

They others weren't as bad, except I still didn't like the one where Rand gets stopped in his attack (?)

The biggest pleasant surprise was that Perrin's wife wasn't in there as much as I had remembered.

Of course Sanderson kicked it back in gear. Veins of gold chapter was awesome. And of course Lan.