Comfort Reads discussion

Please introduce yourself, share anything that hits your fancy but what we really want to know is your favourite comfort read!

Hi Lee,

Thanks so much for the invitation. What a great idea for a group!

I have a bunch of comfort reads but two I always seem to go back to are A Wrinkle in Time and Meet the Austins by Madeleine L'Engle. I do have quite a long list though, which I will share in further posts.

Hi Lisa,

Funnily enough, I haven't read any Madeleine L'Engle! I think I will have to remedy that soon.

Lee wrote: "Hi Lisa,

Funnily enough, I haven't read any Madeleine L'Engle! I think I will have to remedy that soon. "

Definitely. Although I was introduced to Meet the Austins when it was 2 years old and A Wrinkle in Time when it was brand new. I do wonder if that contributed to my enjoying them so much because I notice they're not universally popular.

Hello! I'm Sandi, a bookaholic. Lisa invited me over here.

My favorite comfort read is To Kill a Mockingbird. I've read it 3-4 times, starting in 3rd grade. Each time I read it, I get something new out of it.

Thanks for the invite, Lisa!
My main comfort reads are fantasy novels in the DragonLance setting. This is a shared world and there are many books set in this world by many different authors. Even though the quality varies a lot, I always enjoy spending time in this setting and when reading about my favourite characters by my favourite authors, it's just such a treat.

Sandi wrote: "Hello! I'm Sandi, a bookaholic. Lisa invited me over here.

My favorite comfort read is To Kill a Mockingbird. I've read it 3-4 times, starting in 3rd grade. Each time I read it, ..."

Welcome Sandi,

I see you everywhere! I'm ashamed to admit I haven't read To Kill a Mockingbird. My only excuse is that I'm Canadian and it's not required reading for us in school but I will be read it at some point.

Christina Stind wrote: "Thanks for the invite, Lisa!
My main comfort reads are fantasy novels in the DragonLance setting. This is a shared world and there are many books set in this world by many different authors. Even t..."

Hi Christina, welcome to another fantasy lover! I will have to search the Dragonlance books out. Can you suggest a good starting place or one of the authors?

To Kill a Mockingbird (a different, older, edition) is perhaps my favorite book of all time. I read and reread it many times starting at age 12.

Sandi, I saw the movie when it came out when I was around 9, but you were advanced!: third grade is very early to read this book.

I can't remember the last time I read it but I know I haven't read it since I joined Goodreads over 2 1/2 years ago.

Lee, I never had to read it for school either. It's well worth the read. It takes place in Depression era Alabama and for readers reading it for the first time, I think it helps to remember that.

It's just a beautiful story with wonderful characters. Atticus and Scout are two of my all time favorite characters in any book ever.

Lee wrote: "I'm ashamed to admit I haven't read To Kill a Mockingbird. My only excuse is that I'm Canadian and it's not required reading for us in school but I will be read it at some point."

It was never required for me in school. My mom used to get the Reader's Digest Condensed books and I first read it in there when I was about 9. I missed a lot of children's classics, like Little House on the Prairie and The Secret Garden because I was consuming Readers Digest Condensed Books.

Ooooh yes, The Secret Garden is one of my all time favourites. Thanks for reminding me Sandi, I will add it to our shelves.

You and Lisa are motivating me to bump up To Kill A Mockingbird on my list.

Lee wrote: "Ooooh yes, The Secret Garden is one of my all time favourites. Thanks for reminding me Sandi, I will add it to our shelves.

You and Lisa are motivating me to bump up To Kill A Moc..."

I got to catch up on books like that when my daughter was growing up.

This conversation has just reminded me of another book I read over and over as a child but I will add it to the children's lit thread.

My daughter is almost four and I look forward to doing the same as she grows.

Hello Everyone I am Merry and my good friend Lee started this site, and Lee this is such a "comfy" site! Ahh.. a place to relax and kick back with a good feeling book.

Hum....all I can think of are sweet stories like the Time Travelers Wife....and I think I told you at one time, my favorite movie was The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. My comfy books tend to be sappy happy. I will give this some thought.

Welcome Merry! I'm so glad you feel comfy and at home. I'm still getting things organized but feel free to start a conversation or suggestion anywhere. It's great to see you here. :-)

Thank you so much for inviting me! What a great idea!

I was given the option to read To Kill a Mockingbird in school on a list of classics we could read. It sounded boring. Later it sounded too depressing. I finally read it last year and I am so sorry I waited. It's delightful, really a great book. It has sad moments but it's not depressing over all. It's an amazing book and so sad that Harper Lee never wrote anything else.

Thank you for the invitation Lee! ♥

I am the QUEEN of comfort reads - in fact I already have a shelf called comfort reads! Oh man, where do I even begin with my favourite comfort authors?

♦Sophie Kinsella and Katie Fforde (my fave chicklit authors and always the best for brain candy momnets)
♦Mary Higgins Clark (the best thriller easy reads)
♦Tracy Chevalier (historical fiction and such gentle reads)

I could go on (and on and on!)

Welcome Kelly and Boof,
I'm so happy to have you both join us. I had a flash of inspriration during a migraine tonight and BAM here we are!

Boof, feel free to go on and on down below if you can find the right spots. :-)

And Kelly, the Mockingbird pressure is really on now! I better get to it LOL! You can also add books to the shelves if you feel inclinded to do so.

Oh, I forgot my own comfort reads. Well I very rarely read a book more than once because there are SO many on my to-read list. When I was a kid I read A Wrinkle in Time many times as well as Are You There God It's Me, Margaret.

As an adult, my favorite books aren't generally comforting--they make me think too much. When I need a comfort read, I generally turn to one of the following: A cozy mystery featuring dogs prominently (generally in a series I know and trust like Patricia Guiver or Laurien Berenson); A space opera with a strong, intelligent heroine like Heris Sarano in the Once a Hero series by Elizabeth Moon or Jade Darcy and the Zen Pirates by Stephen Goldin; or something funny in any genre like Tamar Myers Amish/Mennonite mystery series that is ridiculous but pretty funny, Terry Pratchett or Dave Barry (nonfiction only).

Lee wrote: "Welcome Kelly and Boof,
I'm so happy to have you both join us. I had a flash of inspriration during a migraine tonight and BAM here we are!

Boof, feel free to go on and on down below if you ..."

Hi Lee - isn't it like 3am or something where you are? Are you still up?

Yes, it's 3:30 a.m. and not only am I up but my wee little daughter is up with me watching Pocahontas.

Oh man, no wonder you need some comfort reads!

It's snowing so hard here that I can't get my car out of the drive and go to the office (Woop woop!)

Oh you poor thing! Ha, you'll just have to snuggle up with a good book.

Kelly, which is the first book in the Tamar Myers series? It sounds as though it's one I will want to add. (I knew this group would be big trouble and would wreck havoc with my to-read shelf.)

Lee, thanks for your kind invitation.

Welcome Laura! I'm so glad you're here. Join the chaos and fun. I know you'll be adding some great historical comfort reads. I've been thinking about you all evening.

A great comfort book that I read last year was

My Stealing Horses

I also liked The Enchanted April

Laura, I have Out Stealing Horses A Novel by Per Petterson on my to-read list. I've been wanting to try one of his books for a long time. I find it interesting that you consider it a comfort read. :-)

Well, many of us have really come to know eachother here on GR! So only a qucik summary is in order. I am that crazy person who loves books and dogs. Born in the US and lived there through my teens; moved to Sweden which now I guess feels most like home given that my family lives there - parents, kids and grandchildren! Currently living in Belgium and frequently visiting Brittany, France - which I adore! Me in a nutshell. Hi all you guys - and happy new year greetings to all of you! Lee, what a great idea!

To pick one really great comfort read, well that is impossible. It depends on your mood, don't you think?! OK, Sacajawea is very special.

I love this group - loads of my favourite people are in it! ☺

Lee wrote: "Laura, I have Out Stealing Horses A Novel by Per Petterson on my to-read list. I've been wanting to try one of his books for a long time. I find it interesting that..."

I bought this one just before christmas after Laurele recommended it - I found it at the Borders closing down sale for 70p brand new (about $1.00).

Lee, thank you for inviting! This is an interesting group.
I'm re-reading Austen right now, starting with Sense and Sensibility. Other comfort readings would be anything by Jhumpa Lahiri (one of my favorite authors) I also love re-reading Jane Eyre... Those are the ones I can think of right now, I do have lots of others. lol.

Hello Lee! Thank you for inviting me to this group. My favorite comfort books are all over the place, and I will post on the other threads. I like to reread Persuasion and the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and shojo manga (teen rated).

Hope you got some sleep today!

Out Stealing Horses is wonderful - the author very well depicts Scandinavian life in the small villages spread through out the forests and lakes in both Sweden and Norway. You get a peak at the culture of those living there.

Hi everyone! I'm Wendy and I've been friends with Lee for a while now. Thanks, Lee, for inviting me to join this group. Looks like a lot of wonderful ladies on here!

I agree with Sherien that Jane Austen are great comfort books. I also just adore The Grapes of Wrath - not because it's a feel-good story, but the writing is so lyrical and beautiful that it just feels right! I also love a good Agatha Christie mystery (Hercule Poirot stories are my favorite). I read so many of them when I was a teenager that it just brings back so many wonderful memories.

Hi everyone -
Lisa suggested I might enjoy this group as well. I think I know quite a few of you from other places.
I'm not sure if I have a specific comfort read, but maybe this will jog my memory.

Hi everyone, and thanks, Lee, for the invite! I read just a few of the other discussions before reading the intros, and already feel like a warm blanket was wrapped around me :) What a great idea for a group!

Brief intro - I'm a co-mod in Victorians (along with the wonderful Boof!) and am a professed bibliophile with scattered tastes.

My 'comfort reads' are typically books in series - Elizabeth Peters and the Amelia Peabody books (combine both my love of ancient Egypt and all things English); Martha Grimes and her Richard Jury series (I love a good mystery and adore the characters in this series); Terry Pratchett's Discworld series (just good plain fun and they make me feel like a teenager).

I agree with Wendy on the Hercule Poirot books by Agatha Christie; when I was much younger, I used to check out the black leatherbound versions of these books, and reading them now makes me feel somehow like returning to my happy place :)

Sorry for the long post - I tend to get a bit wordy :)

Ok, clearly not awake yet - just noticed Boof is here, too! (*waves*). I'm totally jealous of your snow day!

It's not snowed here much this winter (Chicago-area, US) but I think we should have a 'cold' day (it's been hanging around 0F to -5F for the last week or so).

Hope you were able to get some sleep, Lee, and that your migraine went away!

Wow, how wonderful! Welcome everyone, I went to bed at 5:30 am and wake up to many of my favourite friends here as well as a few new ones!

Chrissie, yes it does depend on your mood and we all have lots of those don't we?!? That's why I created this group so we could find a comfort read for EVERY mood.

Sherien, welcome and I'm also an Austen comfort reader. I have as yet to dip my toes into Jhumpa Lahiri but I've got her on my list. I think I may have to start a short stories thread!

Jeannette, how interesting that you read Manga! I must try some. I'm already learning to much about what people like to lift their spirits. How fun!

Hey Wendy! I'm so glad you're here too! I also love to curl up with a good mystery every now and then. My favourite Agatha Christie when I was a teen was
And Then There Were None. I hope you feel at home here.

Welcome Sarah Pi, I'm sure you will find lots to enjoy here, my memory has been jogged severely already. I hope you enjoy the group! :-)

Hello dear Abigail, I know you will contribute loads of wonderful books to our threads! Abigail is so knowledgeable about all things Children's lit and runs a great group for L.M. Montgomery fans.

And finally Paula! Hello there friend, yes isn't it a great group already? I'm so happy to have you all here and am glad you feel warmly welcomed. I think I'm going to have try some Terry Pratchett. He's been on my radar for quite some time, I just haven't reached him yet.

Whew, *waving happily at all the new faces including those who are too shy to say hello*

I want to officially welcome everyone even if you don't post an intro. Feel free to just read for ideas if that suits you too.

Well, you've already hit upon one of my all-time comfort reads - the Secret Garden. I must have read this book, or portions thereof, 30 or 40 times or more, always pulled from the shelf when I need a little comfort.... Just what the Comfort Read Specialist ordered!! It is of course a classic by anyone's standard and a richly uplifting book. A few decades ago, a friend of mine also pointed out that it is a story which vibrantly shows the rich rewards of Positive belief. Mary Lennox, Colin and their counterpart, Sarah Crewe in "A Little Princess" all, in the midst of tremendous adversity, grow and blossom as a direct result of the Power Of Positive Thinking. Great book for any of us who need that stuff!

So don't forget to add "A Little Princess" in there too!!

Boof wrote: "Lee wrote: "Laura, I have Out Stealing Horses A Novel by Per Petterson on my to-read list. I've been wanting to try one of his books for a long time. I find it inte..."

$1.00 on the Close-Out shelf! Good find Boof!! I hear it is a great book.... something we have on our Reading Group book list sometime in the spring. I look forward to your review.

Wow, look how many people have joined! This is a lovley group of people too ☺

Paula, I'm beaming that you described me as wonderful before you realised I was already on here (and blushing).

You're all lovely!

I just read an interesting quote regarding To Kill a Mockingbird that I wanted to share. It's from an interview of the author of Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia

"I remember being in English class in college and we were discussing To Kill a Mockingbird. And this pimply-faced 19-year-old boy next to me goes, "Harper Lee — one-hit wonder." [Laughs:] And I was like, there's something wrong with that. This isn't a pop song; if you have written the definitive 20th-century tome on racism, compassion, and forgiveness, you can take a pass for the rest of your life, if you want to just garden after that. You know, it's crazy. It's just so nuts."

She was talking about her next book project, but I like the idea she had that Harper Lee wrote her great story and then maybe she did garden the rest of her life, satisfied with what she did. :)

Hi, I'm new. My name is Whisper. My comfort reads include My Sister's Keeper and the Harry Potter series.

Hi Whisper, a warm welcome to the group!
I hope you find many more comfort reads with us. Take a look around and maybe you could post the Harry Potter books to our Fantasy or Young Adult thread if you know how to add the book links. Let me know if you need any help.

Okay...

Hello, I'm Joy and my friend Merry invited me to join this group. We both have Christmasy names :) I also love To Kill a Mockingbird but I also enjoy the Shopaholic series. My favorite book from high school is A Separate Peace. I need to get a new copy - the pages are turning yellow!

Great idea for a book group, and I see some of my new friends from the Mary Stewart group, so I know I'm in good company.

I think anything you read multiple times even as a teenager qualifies as lifelong comfort reading. Or any book where your spouse catches you and says, "You're reading that AGAIN???"

Loved, absolutely loved Robin McKinley's retelling of Beauty and the Beast called BEAUTY. The bookish heroine and wonderful beast will thrill any book-lover.