Comfort Reads discussion

Does everyone have a comfort read that they frequently recommend to others? I'm always interested in hearing if there is a difference between what you read and what you recommend!

Actually, most of what I recommend are books in my top favorite comfort reads books, but I don't recommend all my favorite comfort reads books. It depends on the person.

I often recommend A Wrinkle in Time. It used to be my most recommended book. I probably suggest it less often these days because I'm afraid some might think it's dated. Also, I've always been shocked when it's not a "5 star read" for others.

These days I often recommend Into the Forest by Jean Hegland and Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman.

Also, the trilogies that start with The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer and the book The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages.

And the mystery series by Lisa Lutz, Sue Grafton, and Nevada Barr, and both series by Donna Andrews.

So many more. (Sorry Lee, as this is your shelving thread, but I suspect I'm going to post even more! There are just too many good comfort read books out there.)

I never recommend a book I won't read. If I don't like it, I will expound upon a book's "badness" to the bitter end.

Otherwise, what I recommend depends on who is asking. :)

I'm with Lisa, typically the books I recommend a lot are the ones on the top of my list (that, I must add, are not widely popular or well known).
Some of those books would be:
Airborn (the series)
or
Larklight: A Rousing Tale of Dauntless Pluck in the Farthest Reaches of Space (again, a series)
Both are YA, but I dearly love the characters in both series and it's always a joy to revisit them!

I'm always so nervous recommending books to others, even if I read and loved the book. I have one friend whose reading tastes I know pretty well, so I'm pretty comfortable recommeding books to her.

Otherwise, I'll always recommend The Art of Racing in the Rain to my animal-loving friends.

Diane D. wrote: "I'm always so nervous recommending books to others, even if I read and loved the book. I have one friend whose reading tastes I know pretty well, so I'm pretty comfortable recommeding books to her...."

Awe - hello fellow animal-loving reader :) I adore your avatar!!

Thank you, Ann! Let me introduce you to Jack (left) and Dougy (right) watching the rain! So, have you read The Art of Racing in the Rain?

Diane, Have you read The Good Good Pig: The Extraordinary Life of Christopher Hogwood?

That's a comfy animal memoir. It's pretty funny and great for fans of animal rescue.

Happy Friday, Christine.
No, I haven't read The Good Good Pig, and this is not the first time I've seen it mentioned in a thread. I will have to add it to my shelf (and buy it when I can -- you know that darn read what you own challenge ;)))
Ha - I just went to add it to my TBR and it is already on there!

Diane D. wrote: "Ha - I just went to add it to my TBR and it is already on there! "

After almost 3 years on Goodreads, that now happens to me more often than not.

That's funny, Diane! And of course, I have done the same thing. :)

Christine wrote: "That's funny, Diane! And of course, I have done the same thing. :)"

I've found different editions of the same book on my to-read shelf as well; I must go through my bookshelves.

Gundula wrote: "
I've found different editions of the same book on my to-read shelf as well; I must go through my bookshelves."

Gundula, If you go up to my books and select the edit view, you can click on the "check for duplicates" link. If the editions are combined (they usually are but not always) your duplicate editions will be listed. I do this every so often to make sure no librarian has incorrectly combined book editions.

Great tip Lisa! I found a book on my tbr that I just brought home from the library.

Lisa wrote: "Gundula wrote: "
I've found different editions of the same book on my to-read shelf as well; I must go through my bookshelves."

Gundula, If you go up to my books and select the edit view, you can ..."

Thanks Lisa. I'm still figuring out all the ins and outs.

Gundula wrote: "Thanks Lisa. I'm still figuring out all the ins and outs."

Me too. I'm always learning new things about Goodreads. There are so many features, and new ones are being added all the time.

Diane D. wrote: "Thank you, Ann! Let me introduce you to Jack (left) and Dougy (right) watching the rain! So, have you read The Art of Racing in the Rain?"

Oh! What cute names! And, can I add that (as a previous "owner" -ha!- of two cats) how wonderful that yours appear to get along!! :)
And no, I wasn't even aware of Art of Racing. But, I shall add it to my TBR! Thanks!

Lisa wrote: "After almost 3 years on Goodreads, that now happens to me more often than not."

Oh my gosh! I just realized that I think I've been on Goodreads for 3 years, too!!!! Feels like three months!

Ann wrote: "Diane D. wrote: "Thank you, Ann! Let me introduce you to Jack (left) and Dougy (right) watching the rain! So, have you read The Art of Racing in the Rain?"

Oh! What cute names! An..."

Ann, Jack and Dougy (pictured) do get along most of the time. BUT we have a third, a girl, who they taunt. She spends most of her time in my bedroom and would be much happier if she were an "only child".

Generally the minute I recommend a book, I worry. I worry about two things. First that the person will not like it as much as I have b/c no one likes exactly the same thing. Secondly I worry that someone else will feel hurt that I forgot to recommend it to them. So now I have decided NOT to do it unless someone has asked me to. People can read my reviews and decide for themselves. That is kind of the best, but then they have to be a GR friend or someone who is following my reviews. However, I have one friend who like me adores Russian books. I always feel comfortable recommending to her any new Russian book I come across..... I know we have a common interest. Anything Russian!

Diane D. wrote: "Ann wrote: "Diane D. wrote: "Thank you, Ann! Let me introduce you to Jack (left) and Dougy (right) watching the rain! So, have you read The Art of Racing in the Rain?"

Oh! What c..."

Yes, I know what that is like. My two cats came to "an understanding" - my girl got my bedroom, the boy got everything else, lol! Thankfully, it worked out very well given their different personalities. :)

Chrissie wrote: "Generally the minute I recommend a book, I worry. I worry about two things. First that the person will not like it as much as I have b/c no one likes exactly the same thing. Secondly I worry that s..."

Chrissie, I feel the same! I have been nervously watching your comments on The Agony and the Ecstasy: A Biographical Novel of Michelangelo because I recommended it to you even though I read it a zillion years ago. When I read it, I knew nothing about his life so I have no idea if it's historically accurate or not. All I know is that I really enjoyed the story and was swept away by his passion for sculpture and art. I hope you are enjoying it. :-)

Lee, I definitely am glad I am reading it. I am learning a lot and in an enjoyable manner. Haven't I said on several occasions that I am addicted to learning.... You learn tons about the Medicis, about the religious conflicts of the late 1400s in Italy, about many artists contemporary to Michelangelo and you learn about the passion Michelangelo has for being a sculptor. This dedication is simply astounding. But I don't think Irving Stone has an astounding writing style and neither do I come to love the characters as I did in The Seamstress: A Novel, which you recommended to me. I personally am less drawn to Michelangelo's work than I am to Impressionistic art, like that of Monet, or Van Gogh, or Chagall, or Matisse. I am not saying Michelangelo is a worse sculptor than Giacometti, but I like the imagination of the more modern artists. That is simply my preference. I had a BIG hole in my knowledge before I read this book and it had to be filled in. Thank you. As always - I cannot tell a lie, so I am telling you the good AND the less good characteristics seen through my eyes.

So Lee, we are alike in recommending books! It feels yucky to not know if another will like the book. But we both know it is up to the person themself to judge if they want to read the book! I wanted to read this book and I am very glad you did recommend it to me. Lisa too recommended it to me. Thank you both.

Yes, I loved the book when I was a kid. Like Lee, I didn't know much at the time; it was my introduction to art history.

Lisa, I think you were one smart "kid" - there is alot of history in this book. For a "kid" it certainly isn't a light read! It is chockful with facts. As a kid you could remember all these names?! I definitely need my lists. And I probably STILL am forgetting vital bits, but then when you are younger your head is perhaps less full of holes, less behaving like a sieve.

I love reading about the Medici and the popes and the famous artists. I find it very interesting that here too people were burning books and destroying artworks. At the time of the Inquisition it was not only Spain that was acting so hysterically! The world was crazy and yet communication between the different areas had nothing of the speed it has today. Strange!

Chrissie wrote: "Lisa, I think you were one smart "kid" - there is alot of history in this book. For a "kid" it certainly isn't a light read! It is chockful with facts. As a kid you could remember all these names?!..."

Chrissie, I think I did keep all the names straight. It took me about a week to read it; which was a long time in those days. I remember being fascinated by the grave robbing (was that the book?) in order to procure a body for art study.

Well, he dissected dead bodies from a convent/hospital. They were not buried yet. He threw up every night, but the next night he did it all over again, so that he could improve his art. That is what I mean when I say he was passionate about his work. Nothing else was important. Absolutely nothing. Always that came first.

Hmm. I remember that too. Maybe I'm remembering the grave from another book.

Or maybe I haven't come to that part yet.

Chrissie wrote: "Or maybe I haven't come to that part yet."

I did wonder about that but didn't want to say. I haven't read it for over 40 years so my memory is somewhat hazy.

I have only read about half - and yeah now he is back in Florence.

Chrissie wrote: "I have only read about half - and yeah now he is back in Florence."

Chrissie, Please let me know. I'd like to know if I'm remembering the book correctly or mixing it up with another book. Thanks.

I am also loving this book Lee, thanks for your recommendation!! I am learning quite a lot about Michelangelo, the Medicis and so on.

Yay! I will read it again one day.

Lisa, will do.

Chrissie wrote: "Lisa, will do."

Thank you! I'll be looking out for your review too.

Some people may not consider a thriller a "comfort read," but some of us do. So...
I hope the idea of “best book of 2011” refers to the year in which it was read, rather than the year in which it was published.
The Marching Season
I read the first Signet printing of this book by Daniel Silva. This one takes place in Northern Ireland and in England. It is connected to "the troubles" in Northern Ireland between Republicans (Catholics who want to merge with the Republic Of Ireland)Unionists or Loyalists (Protestants who want Ulster to continue being part of the U.K.)
This book is, happily what fans of Daniel Silva (I'm one of them) would expect. A great deal of political intrigue in which all is not what it seems, and violent action. It probably is trite to say this, but this really is a book you do not want to put down. It keeps you intently and excitedly reading, and produces tension and suspense, so that you cannot help wanting to know what happens next. CAUTION: Do not start before bedtime, because if you do, you will be reading long after bedtime, and will stop only when you can no longer keep your eyes open or when you/ve finished the book.
like •
Published on January 03, 2012 11:08• Tags: england, ira, ireland, northern-ireland, political

I'd like to recommend Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson, my favourite comfort read of 2011. A really nice and sometimes funny love story between seniors who felt their chance for love was gone. Well worth a read!

For those who love children's literature, especially realistic children's literature, I would very strongly recommend the Booky trilogy:

That Scatterbrain Booky
With Love From Booky
As Ever, Booky

or if you want to read the entire trilogy in one volume (this one is in current print in Canada, the three single Booky novels are unfortunately only available second-hand), Booky: A Trilogy

Wonderful series, I have read all of them and the books are amazing (although I still need to review the second and the third book). The trilogy omnibus contains the entire series, including an additional short story.

I always recommend Maus I: My Father Bleeds History and the second half, Maus II: And Here My Troubles Began (which is how I have it), but it's also available as, The Complete Maus. They're graphic novels that are based upon the experiences of the author's father during the holocaust. He uses animals in place of the different people (e.g., the Jews are mice and the Nazis are cats). The story won the 1992 Pulitzer Prize.

I originally read them for a history class, but I've read them a few times since then. I've since lent them to a Jewish friend of mine who took his time and thought a lot about each page. He found them very moving.

Just this year, there's now MetaMaus: A Look Inside a Modern Classic, Maus which I've been meaning to buy which has a lot of details about the writing of the book(s).

Lee wrote: "Does everyone have a comfort read that they frequently recommend to others? I'm always interested in hearing if there is a difference between what you read and what you recommend! "

I like to read about international intrigue, thrillers, espionage... Recently I read (and recommend) Rabbit in the Moon, by Deborah M. Shlian
Rabbit in the Moon is a thriller that takes place mainly in China and Los Angeles. Although it is a thriller, there is a strong romantic element in it as well (and I'm definitely NOT a fan of romances). This element does not take away from the suspense, in fact it adds to it. The book might become a crossover into mainstream because of human relations subplot, but it is a page turner. The center of the story is an element of science fiction as well. It also gives an insider's look at modern Chinese culture and politics and recent history.
Rabbit in the Moon

I like to read about international intrigue, thrillers, espionage... Recently I read (and recommend) Rabbit in the Moon, by Deborah M. Shlian
Rabbit in the Moon is a thriller that takes place mainly in China and Los Angeles. Although it is a thriller, there is a strong romantic element in it as well (and I'm definitely NOT a fan of romances). This element does not take away from the suspense, in fact it adds to it. The book might become a crossover into mainstream because of human relations subplot, but it is a page turner. The center of the story is an element of science fiction as well. It also gives an insider's look at modern Chinese culture and politics and recent history.
Rabbit in the MoonRabbit in the Moon

Looks like something I would love. Thanks for the recommendation, Clark!

I'd like to recommend a dystopian/YA series - Slated by Teri Terry.

Clark, do you enjoy John LeCarre?

Clark, do you enjoy John le Carré?

If someone is looking for a "comfort read," I direct them to Maeve Binchy. I just find her novels so warm and real. I have read quite a few of hers, and have enjoyed every one.