What’s your go-to comfort read, and why?
(Google’s AI says, “A comfort read is a book that provides warmth, reassurance, and solace, often by being familiar and easy to return to during times of stress or need. These books typically have a strong emotional connection for the reader, who may reread them for their familiar characters, settings, or a sense of nostalgia.“)
For me, it’s gotta be Pride and Prejudice. I probably read it once a year.
I can’t even remember the first time I would have read it - probably junior high. But I think the familiarity is, indeed, comforting. I still revel in the language after all this time, and although I don’t consider myself a romantic, I do like the “frenemy” trope. And Elizabeth Bennett is the perfect heroine - smart, self-assured, and witty.
Joan Didion is my feel good author. Her writing style is honest, thoughtful and deliberate with a philosophical tone. The first sentence in The White Album — We tell stories in order to live. I read stories in order to live. Her book The Year of Magical Thinking is a wonderful book when dealing with grief and loneliness.
Mysteries–any kind–are my go-to. David Rosenfelt’s Andy Carpenter series is among my favorites since they have dogs who never die & just enough snark to re-energize me. But I have become a fan of uplit–sometimes I just need heartwarming & happy endings. Rarely do I re-read books but in the past year I’ve picked up Krueger’s “Ordinary Grace” & “Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie” by Shaffer & Barrow when I needed grounding.
For me, it’s children’s classics, whether I’ve previously read them or not. Anne of Green Gables, The Secret Garden, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Island of Blue Dolphins, etc. all bring my childhood of the 1950-60s, which was simple and wonderful, back to me.