Comfort Reads discussion

How do you most frequently find your comfort read books?: Goodreads, friends, family, school assignments, childhood favorite, favorite from teen years, favorite from earlier adulthood, newspaper reviews, magazine reviews, the internet, authors' blogs, other blogs, bookstores, library shelves, etc. etc. etc.

For me: Now, it's definitely Goodreads. Books I see on my friends' shelves and other members' shelves and books recommended to me by Goodreads' friends. Before Goodreads I'd pared down my to read list from about 700 to about 200. Now my to-read shelf has nearly 3,700 books on it.

Before Goodreads, I found most of my books from friends.

Now and then I also find books from the book review section of the Sunday paper and from newsletters from some of my local independent bookstores, and many sources. Most of the above.

ETA: the weekly magazine The Week often features books I add to my shelves.

For me, comfort books are either books I've read before or books from a series that I know and love. For example, 'The World According to Garp' is a comfort read - I've read it over and over and I just love it. And so is books from the Dragonlance setting because it's just so cosy to go back and visit this world.

Christina, I have a few handfuls of books from way back - to childhood & adolescence - books I've also already read, that are some of my main comfort reads.

How long ago did you first read The World According to Garp and the Dragonlance books? Were you an adult or younger?

Traditionally, from friends, browsing bookstores and libraries (and those freebie book newspapers from said locations!) and the occasional bit of happy serendipity on Amazon.com and the recommendations there. Now, most of them come from GoodReads--and GoodReads friends :-)

Kathryn, Amazon is sometimes very very dangerous (their recommendations have overextended my credit card more than once).

Haha, yes, I have to be very careful on Amazon!

I often just erase them from my email, but every once in a while, I go on a recommendation checking binge, bad, bad, bad.

Bookmarks magazine and Amazon are the main ways that I look for books. I am newer to Goodrreads, but it's becoming one of my top sources to find what I want as well.

Bookstores are very, very dangerous!!! I don't go in them that often anymore but I used to go frequently, and come out with way too many purchases.

I mostly use the library these days.

I always try the library first, especially if I'm not sure about a book. I don't buy near as many books as some of my goodreads friends do every month. I hate spending money on a book that I end up not enjoying. (Sorry for the poor grammar).

I agree! I almost always check books out at the library first and "sample" them to make sure it's an investment I want to make.

And, the library is usually willing to buy a book they don't have or get it on inter-library loan. I did buy Jane Bites Back: A Novel the other day, based solely on a GR friend's recommendation. woohoo being reckless!! :)

Jeannette wrote: "I always try the library first, especially if I'm not sure about a book. I don't buy near as many books as some of my goodreads friends do every month. I hate spending money on a book that I end ..."

I need your self-control. I buy way too many.

I'm just too cheap, I guess. My only weakness is manga, but only series that I want to finish (so I know already that I enjoy them). I finally have stopped buying magazines, too! That was one of my bad habits in the bookstore.

Well, when both you and your better half have a very nasty book store habit (he's even worse than I am, at times), it's not always good to go to a bookstore together. We have actually received weird looks and snarky comments from both cashiers and customers about not only the amount of books, but about the fact that we tend to buy books on literature, philosophy etc. I don't mind intelligent conversation, but I hate having to answer someone's "Why on earth are you buying these geeky literature books? Are you some kind of intellectual?"

You need to reply, "Yes, but you certainly wouldn't understand." Can never understand random acts of rudeness.

Gundula wrote: "Well, when both you and your better half have a very nasty book store habit (he's even worse than I am, at times), it's not always good to go to a bookstore together. We have actually received wei..."

Someone actually said that to you?? And if a cashier makes those kinds of comments then they shouldn't be working in a bookstore. Sheesh! (excuse my sheeshing)

Gundula, What a weird bookstore employee, especially if it's an independent bookstore.

It was at a Chapter's (Indigo) store, I don't think that this would have happened at an independent bookstore. I don't generally like going to those big box bookstores, but in many Canadian cities, they've really taken over.

They've taken over in the U.S. too but I'm lucky to live in an area with many independent bookstores, although quite a few have closed over the years too.

I do mostly use the library at this point but for many years (ages early teen through my thirties) it wasn't unusual for me to spend many thousands of dollars a year on books. Now, when I do buy books, I buy mostly online, but if I go into a bookstore, I do to independent bookstores 99% of the time.

I buy a lot of my books online as well; the kinds of books I like I often have to specially order, even if I do go to a bookstore (as they are often not in stock). I also think that the big box bookstores have gotten worse and worse over the years. My main problem is the amount of noise, from customers, but more importantly from loud music (makes browsing for books a real chore).

Gundula, I hate most music in bookstores too. I guess most of them sell CDs as well and they're trying to sell the music too.

If they would at least have the courtesy to play the music at a reasonable level, but it's always so loud. And, I hate that they start playing Christmas music in October already.

Lisa wrote: "They've taken over in the U.S. too but I'm lucky to live in an area with many independent bookstores, although quite a few have closed over the years too.

I do mostly use the library at this point..."

I don't think we have any independent bookstores here anymore...I am dying for a good used bookstore.

Christine wrote: "I don't think we have any independent bookstores here anymore...I am dying for a good used bookstore. "

Christine, That's too bad. Thank goodness for the internet, book swap here at Goodreads and other sites, and "regular" bookstores too, of course, as they can order anything in print. I have an independent store in my neighborhood that sells new & used. Not my favorite place though and there are others not too much further away. San Francisco is a small city in terms of land area.

Usually it's been that time of year, round Christmas when I go in to the library and it is so quiet, and there aren't many books on the shelf. Sometimes I pick one up that's an unexpected surprise. I really wasn't sure about though I found myself really enjoying its humour.

It's surprised me that I find something like or so comforting, normally I'm unable to re-read books, this one I've re-read several times. Comforting because I related to the main characters - the relationship 'mirrored' mind at the time, it was also an engrossing story.

Sometimes I look at who else writes like, and I got on to goodreads through googling a series I like for suggestions (fortunately there was a whole thread). Lots of times I will read urban fantasy/paranormal because it's not 'our' world as such, and the ones I like are where I can (again) relate to the characters.
The library is my main source of books, and I'm lucky that so many that I've come across on goodreads are available here.

Hi, K. Welcome to the group and thanks for the 2 messages you've posted so far.

Thank you Lisa, it's great to see so many books I have enjoyed in this group.

K, wrote: "Thank you Lisa, it's great to see so many books I have enjoyed in this group."

Our members have very eclectic tastes. We can find so many books from so many genres here. I'm glad you've seen books here that you've already enjoyed. Hopefully you can find some new favorites.

Quite often i see them mentioned in a thread on Goodreads then the ones that sound interesting I go to Amazon and download a sample to my Kindle. From five or six samples, I decide which ones I want to continue reading - usually it's only about 1/3 of the ones I try. Sometimes I finda book that is so wonderful I order it before I even finish reading the sample.

Working at a library helps me - I get to hear great reviews from our customers, which often influences me to read a book.

Groups like this. Thank you.

Dee wrote: "Groups like this. Thank you."

Yep. My shelves have gotten heavier and heavier, but it's great!

I find them on threads from Facebook or the authors on FB and go to Amazon to check them out. I only now have 189 downloaded on Kindle. Guess I need alot of comfort. Also, my co-workers are also into the steamy romances, so we trade books, comments and even (looks at hot guys)

I'm browsing around and came across this fun thread. Like you all, I love browsing bookstores. My favorite is Vromans, a lovely indie in Pasadena and has been in SoCal for 125 years. It's not that close to where I live so we call it a 'date' when we venture over.

Gundula, Endre is also a book-a-holic so whenever we go into a bookstore together, we spend alot of $!

For sure I get most of my ideas from GR and friends on GR; but I also find wonderful books in Oprah magazine.

I browse web sites or browse the book stores. Check out the title, then read a page or two.

Most of my to read shelf is from Goodreads friends and the blogs I follow. I know longer have a Borders to peruse, which I guess is a good thing for my wallet. I have been lucky to have a library that has a great inter library loan system so I can still get a peak at fairly new books.

Everywhere actually. I really like trying out new ones free on Kindle. I have had the pleasure of discovering some great writers I might not have tried otherwise. We also pass around alot of books at work. I love to go to Goodwill and browse thru their books. I also finish a lot of series I start by checking out the library

Most of my books are taken from Kindle section of Amazon and others book stores, that I check often. Others are result of discussion with my friends and collegues. Since I've been here, I discovered many books on Goodreads.

I will find a series that I like and start reading each book until I finish the series. Then I will often look for another series by the same author. I also get a lot of book recommendations from friends and from what's new at the library. Finally, I've discovered lots of new series through Goodreads; I particularly like the Cozy Mysteries group since there's a new author featured each month.

I find mine a lot of times on Goodreads. I discover all sorts of wonderful books here that are recommended by others or by Goodreads itself in my "Recommendations" at the top of the page. I have been seeking out books I read as a child or teen as well and often read children's books. There is something very comforting and lovely about books written for kids, especially the older ones, with picture books being among the best.

I also find some great reads by listening to the show Fresh Air on Public Radio.

I find great books through a variety of venues. I love used bookstores, and scour them constantly. I read book reviews, magazine articles, on-line reviews, and talk to other people. I also take a glance at any title or cover that catches my eye, and see if the blurb on the back interests me.