Hello, everyone! Do you want to read some kick-ass books while helping Nowhere Bookshop and other indie bookshops? Are you wondering where to get books right now since so many of the big stores aren’t shipping them? Then this is the post you need to read.
If you’re a member of the Fantastic Strangelings Book Club I already emailed you about this because you are my favorite pen pal/hostage but skip down to the last several paragraphs because I have a question for you.
So. How are you feeling? Me too. Like, literally any answer you have I would say, “me too” because everything fluctuates so much from minute to minute that I’m like if a mood ring could be people. One thing that’s helping me? Day drinking. Wait, no, reading. I meant reading. Also binge-watching tv while I work. Did you watch that Tiger King show on Netflix? HOLY CRAP, WAS THAT BAT SHIT BANANAS OR WHAT??? How are all those people even real? Wait…I got distracted. Reading. That’s what I was talking about.
I’ve been reading a lot lately and I know I am not alone. It is a kick-ass healthy distraction that can give you perspective and comfort, while accidentally making you feel smarter than everyone else for the moment and one small advantage of living through this plague year is that suddenly those of us who have to stay home have no excuse not to read all the books in the world.
We’ve had such great response on the book club (seriously, thank you. You are keeping us in business even when we’re not able to be in business) and the biggest complaint I’ve seen so far is that you actually need more book suggestions right now because you’re going through them like crazy and need distractions. RELATABLE.
So…if you’re a member of the book club then next month’s book (Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby) will be headed to you in April but if you want a double helping of goodness to weather the storm of slow-moving-crisis we’re offering a extra book in case you need to double up. And if you’re not already part of the bookclub you can buy this extra book and see what it’s like to be part of the team of weirdos reading together around the world.
BUT HOW, JENNY?
Easy. I just finished a book that was the perfect distraction and it comes out next month too so if you want to order it and read along with us you totally can. And we’ll open a discussion on it and do everything basically the same as the normal Strangelings Club.
SO WHAT BOOK IS IT?
I’m so glad you asked. It’s The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix.
I was sucked in with the fantastic cover and stayed fully riveted with a horror story that was odd, terrifying, funny, and so completely different from what’s going on in the world that I was able to exercise my anxiety on a world where the worst thing going on is predatory vampires and 1980’s era patriarchy.
We should come up with a name for this but I can’t think of one. Quaranreads? Isoliteracy? Con(Fine-I’ll-Just-Read)ment? Fict-Shun Everyone Who Doesn’t Practice Proper Handwashing Techniques? Silent-Sequestered-Reading? Oh wait. I like that one. Silent-Sequestered-Reading. Because when I was a kid the best thing that ever happened in school was when the teacher would call for Silent-Sustained-Reading (that’s not just a rural Texas thing, right?) and it got quiet and everyone was reading together but at their own pace and for the readers and introverts in the class it was pure heaven.
Yep. That’s the one.
“BUT DIDN’T YOU SAY SOMETHING ABOUT HELPING BOOKSTORES?”
Oh, fuck. Yes, I did. Sorry. Okay, there’s a website called bookshop that will send books out for us (and other indie bookshops) which is incredibly helpful when me and the team are all sheltering in place. If you buy books through the Nowhere Bookshop portal of Bookshop then it raises money for our store and all indie stores that use it divide up a portion of the profits at the end of the month so that means if we do well it helps other indie stores too. This is also great for authors who are struggling with selling books right now since Amazon isn’t shipping books for at least 2-3 weeks. So click here to go to our portal. Or click here to order our extra book club book for next month. We have suggestions, or if you’re looking for something particular you can search for it in the search bar at the top of the page. I bought a book yesterday from them and it was super easy. As long as the Nowhere logo shows up on top of the page we get credit but if you have a local indie store you want to support you can change it to any one that is listed on the site.
So if you want an extra book for Silent-Sequestered-Reading next month you can get it here to support our store. Or you can pick it up from the library if they are open or buy it from your local indie store because a lot of them are offering curbside delivery and that’s pretty awesome. No pressure either way. We have enough of that already.
Right now I’m reading a bunch of books to find the perfect one for May. I finished one that was great but a little to close to what’s going on in the world right now to feel escapy enough, and then another one that I liked but wasn’t quite perfect and now I’m reading a dark fairy tale that I think it going to be the perfect choice. Here’s the thing though. There is something about reading these books to choose for you that makes me feel like I’m reading them to you. Like when Hailey was little and I’d find the perfect book and I couldn’t wait to share it with her. It makes me feel like we’re all together, in the dark, sharing stories and opening minds and escaping. I wouldn’t have that without you and it’s given me a strange new way to read and to enjoy books. These books have saved me, recently. And you have saved me by giving me reason to read them. Thank you.
And now I have another favor to ask you. Right now I think we all need a little comfort and so will you share in the comments what your go-to book is when you need comfort? Maybe it’s horror, or comedy or a children’s book…what is the one book that the rest of the world might need right now?
For me, it’s anything by Ray Bradbury. He is the warmest blanket in my library. If you click here and scroll down to “Jenny Recommends” you’ll see some more of my comfort reads.
Your turn.
I may be crazy, but I can’t get to the Check-out function on bookshop. Can’t find the icon to sign up and pay! Please advise.
(Click on “add to cart”, then there will be a red button that says “checkout”. I did notice when I was using safari (don’t judge me…I hate change) that I couldn’t see some of the buttons. On Firefox and Chrome it worked perfectly. Try another browser? ~ Jenny)
All of Patrick Rothfuss’s books. I also like to look through quotes on goodreads.
The Hobbit
The books I always turn back to are the Gunslinger series by Stephen King, I don’t know, there’s just something so… hopeful? Maybe? about them. That and the Talisman and Black House by Stephen King/Peter Straub
Persuasion by the brilliant Jane Austen!
Kurt Vonnegut is my go-to for utter distraction. Jenny, you are a gem. You hear that all the time, but I MEAN IT! Be well, be safe. <3
I ordered a stack from my local store AND THEY DELIVERED. #shoplocal
For me, it’s the Mercy Thompson books and the Alpha and Omega books by Patricia Briggs. Great Urban Fantasy series’s. Lots of action, humor, not a ton of romance, well thought out setting. They are my great escape.
For when you need something sweet: Garden Spells
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VRBBD2/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
All Creatures Great and Small (the series). Those books were hugely comforting while we were remodeling/adding to our 90+ year old house and our beloved 15 year old Golden Retriever passed away (Eberle). Also love The Shell Seekers and anything by Bill Bryson. Thank you, Jenny!
Ray Bradbury?! Ahhhh… ‘S is for Space’. My favorite one and all the stories stayed with me from when I was a little girl.
E
Anything Sherlock Holmes. I think it’s because I comfort-read books a lot as a child, and re-reading my childhood favorites brings back those associations of happily hiding myself in the tiny little reading room at my local library.
Once a year, when I feel I need it, I reread Winnie the Pooh. It brings me back to a calm state. And it’s fun to look for Heffalumps.
I just last night bought a bajillion of the Jenny Recommends books!!!
I love:
A Great and Terrible Beauty and the other two in the trilogy by Libby Bray.
Bone Season (not about bones, derived from French, bonne, or good) and it’s sequels by Samantha Shannon
The Vine Witch by Luanne G Smith
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbury
Totally different from the ethereal, supernatural and cerebral books above,
Lexicon by Max Barry
The Ocean at the End of the Lane, by Neil Gaiman, is my all-time number-one go-to comfort book. It’s eerie and atmospheric and the tone of the writing is so beautiful and warm that it feels like a hug in book form.
Stay safe and healthy, Jenny. Same goes for your family. ❤️
I love to read Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein. I love the poems and especially love the drawings.
Hi Jenny! My friend, Sam Weller, was Ray Bradbury’s biographer and very close friend. He wrote four books with Ray. I think you would enjoy them. The two main ones are, “Listen to the Echoes”, and “The Bradbury Chronicles”.
My favorite book is, “Memoirs of a Geisha”, by Arthur Golden.
My comfort authors are mostly classic writers. Asimov, Bradbury, Cordwainer Smith, Campbell, etc. Lately I’ve been rereading Andre Norton, Ursula K LeGuin, and Mercedes Lackey. With a few good doses of Patricia Briggs. I read a lot.
At the moment, I’m in the middle of “Mad Ship” by Robin Hobb and luckily my local book shop has sent me part three this week, so I don’t have to slow down reading. And there is always Terry Pratchett, of course. 🙂 I also like to re-read children’s books.
The Black Jewels series by Anne Bishop cos we all need some sexy times to take our minds off of things. See also the first three books of the Kushiel series by Jacqueline Carey. In an extreme pivot, my brain also finds the travel writing of Anthony Bourdain a comfort read.
My comfort reads are Agatha Christie, Lord of the Rings, and– this is a little embarrassing– Jean Auel’s Earth’s Children series. That’s Clan of the Cave Bear and its sequels, except for the last one, which is terrible. They’re all kind of cringey in their special way, but I love them.
For me, it’s Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund. I read it when I was younger, and fell in love, so it holds nice memories. Also, thank you Jenny; heading form you/reading your books always brightens my day ❤️
I’m currently re-reading Harry Potter to my cats (don’t judge-they enjoy listening to my voice. For some reason it’s calming to them. It actually started with reading to my shelter cats, who mostly love it too). I always feel better getting lost in the wizarding world for a while. We’ve been scheduling reading times every night after I get home from work (yes I’m still be forced to go to work and probably already have the virus, who knows). I’m excited to read everyone else’s suggestions. And thank you Jenny for adding the extra book (I had actually looked at that one before!) and the link to order other books. My library is closed for the foreseeable future and it was starting to give me major anxiety (on top of my normal anxiety).
I finished “A Place for Us” by Fatima Mirza, and it was incredible. I bought copies for every reader I knew. I also just finished “The Afterlife of Holly Chase,” and it is the sweetest, most wonderful escapist story. Currently, I am reading “The Body” by Bill Bryson. It’s a fun read, too.
Maybe the Moon by Armistead Maupin; Screening Party by Dennis Hensley.
My TBR pile just grew! Thank you for giving me something fun to look forward to in April!!
I don’t have a comfort book per say, but I always love Neil Gaiman for some comfort & a great story.
Meu Deus você não sabe como é difícil ficar traduzindo os textos para o inglês (porque você não entende uma palavra do inglês ) gosto muito do que você escreve jane (na verdade só estou aprendendo inglês pra ler o seu blog)
ps: culpem o Google tradutor por qualquer erro ortográfico, estou usando ele
My God you don’t know how difficult it is to keep translating texts into English (because you don’t understand a word of English) I really like what you write Jane (I’m actually just learning English to read your blog)
ps: blame Google translator for any spelling mistakes, I’m using it
Anne of Green Gables books. When I was a kid with a bat shit crazy father, I had two sets of books I was allowed to read – Anne, and Little House on the Prairie. (Farmer Boy was my fave.) I read all of one series, then started on the next, back and forth, from when I learned to read until I was 13.
It’s like I know them by smell at this point.
Cozy mysteries aren’t usually my cup of tea, but the Mrs. Pollifax books by Dorothy Gilman are extremely comforting. They’re about a little-old-lady spy with travelogues and you know nothing really bad is going to happen to the characters.
Oh, and if you like Southern Vampire Books:
The Whole Dang Sookie Stackhouse series- by Charlaine Harris- I discovered the series when I had an infant so listened to it, and Johanna Parker is a lovely and brilliant narrator. I can’t watch True Blood, the HBO Series that is based upon these books because the series was sexually and physically too graphically violent for me to tolerate- not like “I won’t tolerate that under my roof!” But “I can’t tolerate the distress the gratuitous violence causes me to feel.
Charlaine Harris also wrote the Day Shift/Night Shift/Midnight Crossroads trilogy which takes place in Midnight, TX
The Entire Half Moon Hollow Series by Molly Harper- again, the first time through, I listened, and Amanda Ronconi is PERFECT for this series, but actually, I have since gone back and read all the books with my eyes, too.
Sookie Stackhouse and Jane Jameson (protagonists in the Sookie and HMH series respectively) taught Yankee Me that there are LOTS of Southern Accents! We folks here in Boston think it’s one accent. Cross the Mason Dixon Line and blowie, tin and pen rhyme. And while I suspect that us still a decent rule of thumb, I’ve heard the narrators differentiate not only Kentucky vs Texas, but Eastern vs Western Kentucky. I just love language.
Harry Potter, and pretty much anything by Christopher Moore
I actually just started re-reading Let’s Pretend this Never Happened. I also day drink, drinking right now. Airport rules, you know. Anyway, when I got to the part about your sister never getting sick, it made me a bit sad because she has this right now. But taking note every time you say, “this will be in the next book,” and I am gonna check on that. Like a scavenger hunt for lies or truths, but unintentional lies. Anyway, even though life sucks right now, “at least you don’t have your arm stuck up a cow’s vagina.” I just finished that part. 🙂
Please please add some Christopher Moore. Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove is still a fave when you want a good gut-laugh.
Skinny Legs and All by Tom Robbins, seriously the best
When I need comfort I really love funny memoirs like anything by David Sedaris, literally laugh out loud embarrass yourself. And recently I love Augusten Burroughs though his humor is even darker than Sedaris. For fiction I head back to reread Anne Rice and Harry Potter because each marathon read brings something different.
Sunshine by Robin McKinley. Or Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones.
Anything by David Sedaris
I second the nominations of all things by Kurt Vonnegut (especially Timequake) and Winnie the Pooh, which is even better when it’s ready aloud. Still no free time to read, yet, but I will be ordering books for the future from Nowhere later today!
Absolutely anything by Wally Lamb.
The “Darkover” series from Mario Zimmer Bradley.
Candide by Voltaire is hilarious. Yeah, I know you don’t believe me. No one ever does. But is is true. You can even watch the play on YouTube if you dont believe me. Starring Kirsten Chenoweth and the magnificent Patti Lupone.
Right now it has to be What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours by Helen Oyeyemi. Every story in this book is perfectly strange and just enough details are left out to keep it mysterious enough that you find out more the more you re-read. Can’t go wrong with sentient puppets, murderous roses, and a step-by-step method to hallucinate the son you never had.
I just read the Ten Thousand Doors of January, and The Starless Sea, and for an introvert that has always imagined that books were magical things that could maybe come alive if I believe hard enough, they were both such a wonderful journey. For comfort, I tend to also turn to the Wheel of Time series again and again. It’s a really long series, but it’s the kind of book I want to live in and become an Aes Sedai.
I adore Barbara Kingsolver, and re-read The Poisonwood Bible every few years. x
“The wind in the willows”. “The swallows and the amazons”. Or is it “the swallow and the Amazon”. Anywho, Ruth changed her name to Nancy because pirates are ruthless!
So, does buying the ebook version through that site help you out too?
(I don’t think so. I’ll check. ~ Jenny)
Letters from new york by Helene Hanff. lovely. comforting. easy to read. lots of dogs.
Im not ordering much online as im so worried about delivery staff and warehouse workers being exposed to the virus
ANYTHING by Pat Conroy.
anything by Connie Willis. Favorite is Bellwether.
The Dark Tower series by Stephen King, anything by William Gibson or Neil Gaiman (especially Neverwhere), the Otherland series by Tad Williams, The Forest of Hands and Teeth series by Carrie Ryan, anything by Haruki Murakami, The Secret Book of Paradys by Tanith Lee. Lots.
“Lamb” by Christopher Moore. Or honestly anything by him. He is hilarious.
I an’t read paper books, only E-books so I can xlarge the print. How can I support Nowhere Shop without getting the books?
(You can buy merchandise on our website. 🙂 And audiobooks from our website too if you listen to those. ~ Jenny)
TJ Klune who is one of my favorite authors just released a book that we all need right now. It’s The House In The Cerulean Sea and it’s an amazing fantasy book and I cannot rave about it enough. I am ready to reread it again because it left me feeling so much hope and I fell in love with all the characters. Here is the excerpt:
Linus Baker is a by-the-book case worker in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. He’s tasked with determining whether six dangerous magical children are likely to bring about the end of the world.
Arthur Parnassus is the master of the orphanage. He would do anything to keep the children safe, even if it means the world will burn. And his secrets will come to light.
The House in the Cerulean Sea is an enchanting love story, masterfully told, about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.
My go-to book when you need comfort? Yours. Let’s Pretend This Never Happened is at the top of my list. It’s at the top of my recommendations when friends ask what to read.
2nd is Furiously Happy, followed by Bill Bryson’s Notes From a Small Island.
I like to laugh. It’s a great distraction from the terror swallowing our world right now. And laughter is the best medicine.
Love you, Jenny. I hope your sister is feeling better.
Any Charles de lint books, Black Beauty, and the original novel of One Hundred and one Dalmatians. It is what the movies were poorly based off of. It started out as a serial in one of the Women’s magazines. Not sure which one now.
Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome (Allison Larkin does a great job reading the whole series on Audible).
I’m rereading an old fave series, The Belgariad by David Eddings. A great fantasy escape!
I love SSR. Or DEAR: Drop Everything And Read! 😁
Well, my main comfort books are these two weird-ass books everyone here has probably already read, so I’ll recommend some different ones.
If you’ve never read a Discworld book (Terry Pratchett) then it’s hard to know where to start because the catalog is huge. Here are some good entry points.
The Wee Free Men
Tiffany Aching is a very intelligent shepherd’s daughter. Probably the only thing you need to know about her is that a river monster tried to eat her brother, and she responded by grabbing a giant cast iron frying pan, getting the monster to come back using her brother as bait, and then whacking it a good one. Later the queen of the fairies kidnaps her brother. With the help of a horde of six-inch-tall, kilt-wearing blue men who are basically chaos on legs, she storms off into Fairyland–frying pan in hand–intent on doing pretty much exactly the same thing.
The Fifth Elephant
Vimes is a policeman who’s not terribly happy about also being a duke. He’s even less pleased to be sent to an interspecies diplomatic function in an area largely populated by dwarves, werewolves, and vampires. Comparatively, he’s pretty delighted when something important gets stolen and throws a giant wrench into the whole business, and he’s called to discreetly investigate. He’s displeased again when one of the local noble families tries to eat him.
Going Postal
Moist von Lipwig (yes, that’s his name) is a con man who didn’t quite get hanged properly. So the Patrician of Ankh-Morpork, recognizing his skillset, decides to use him to fill a governmental job opening. Moist is charged with resurrecting the city’s defunct postal service. Turns out he’s really, really good at it, actually. He’s less good at not pissing people off in the process, and his major competitor decides to kill the competition… as it were.
If you prefer graphic novels, I actually have a suggestion by a different author. If you’ve never read the Bone series, now is the time, because it’s awesome and funny, and it has magic and dragons and a princess and a really creepy bad guy with locusts and the art is beautiful.
Never get tired of the Hitchhiker’s Guide series. Right now I just want to laugh too so they hit the right place
anything by ilona andrews, larissa ione, gena showalter, or jim butcher.
Laura Ingalls Wilder, especially The Long Winter…read through the books to The First Four Years. The love story in the midst of hardship never fails to suck me in, and when you finish, and return to the world, you are just a little more thankful for all the things. (At least I am!)
Thank you for the link! If these truly bizarre times, I look forward to being able to “shop localiish.” …wow…I wonder if rural Alabama HAS bookstores….here’s hoping!
Anyone else panicking about being forced into homeschooling your children?!?! Eeks, I’m scared (just had to throw it out there).
Apologies of this comes up 2x. So many choices…I think for me it’s Madeline L’engle’s A Wrinkle in Time series
Fahrenheit 451 is my all-time favorite book. But for comfort: that’s all Harry Potter!
Anything by Terry Pratchett and the Dracula series by Fred Saberhagen
Just read “We Ride Upon Sticks”. Might be a YA book… not sure, there’s some adult business in it, but really enjoyed it!
Last night I was in need of some comfort and I randomly grabbed one of my much read “Harry Dresden”s. I have read them so often I can pick from anywhere in his series. He tries so hard and often fails but never loses his faith, he struggles with right and wrong and is a blast, he has a steadfast group of weird friends as well.
Jenny – you could really help me out by buying my book “Circling Butterfly” for Nowhere. Maybe it will inspire other indie shops to do the same!
I just finished The Golden Compass and can’t wait to finish the series. Just waiting for the Amazon guy!! I recently finished The Witcher series again, too. The Netflix show made me want to re-read them, just to picture Henry Cavil as Geralt!!
Anything by Gail Carriger. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve re-read the Parasol Protectorate series. I also super love all of Sarah Addison Allen. And I’m currently re-reading the Charlaine Harris Shakespeare/Lily Bard series. That one has some intense moments, though. Full disclosure. But I also love love love the Aurora Teagarden series too. And for a great old school historical romance binge, all of Julie Garwood. They are also laugh out loud funny, and the heroines are strong, progressive women. So there’s my basic comfort reading list.
My go-to in times of stress is actually a series – the Shannara series by Terry Brooks. I can get totally wrapped up, transported to that world and away from this demonic intrusion. Of course, I don’t have any of those unpacked right now so I’m flailing a bit.
Weirdly enough, my comfort books to read are the Kay Scarpetta novels by Patricia Cornwell. If murder and mayhem don’t take your mind off of real world problems, I don’t know what would. Stay healthy and safe!
In times of Trouble, I ask myself “What would Thursday Next do?” Or “How would would Myfanwy Thomas fake knowing how to…?”
So The Eyre Affair & The Rook.
My go-to is always American Gods by Neil Gaiman. I have 5 different editions of it and can always re-read it and love it. Coldheart Canyon by Clive Barker is also a favorite of mine. Although a new one that I love is Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir.
Agatha Christie. Any of them.
I have a few books that I go back to time and again for comfort and distraction. The feel-good, squishy-happy ones are: Christy by Catherine Marshall, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, and Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy. If I want to read something that sucks me into the storyline and forget the outside world, I go to the Anita Blake series by Laurell K Hamilton and the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.
I couldn’t get the shopping cart to work on Edge, so I used Firefox and it went through fine. Now I feel like I’m sort of part of the club/pen-pal group.
Harry Potter will always be my comfort series.
Emil & the Detectives by Erich Kästner. Hard to find Children’s book, but my all time favorite.
If I really need to laugh out loud, I fall back on “S*&t My Dad Says”. I’ve cried and snotted and laughed my way through that many times. My other fallbacks are the first few novels by Christopher Brookmyre.
Me:Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier, my husband: Lord of the Rings
I also just finished a really powerful novel “On Sal Mal Lane” by Ru Freeman, It’s from Grey Wolf Press – a small house. I received it years ago from the Rumpus Bookclub, but was never in the right place to read it. It’s set in the 1980’s during civil strife in Sri Lanka. It reminds me of Bel Canto by Ann Patchett. You know something horrible is going to happen; in fact, it’s clearly stated that disaster is coming. But you find yourself rooting for the characters (even the less likable ones) until the very end. But it is devastating. I recommend it highly, but maybe put it on your list for when things calm down a bit.
Just ordered both books using your link! Can’t wait to get them.
Kristin Hannah books — all are awesome!
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is great for escaping the world around you. Special Topics in Calamity Physics and Night Film by Marisa Pesl (spelling? Lol) are also great.
Good Omens. The book AND the TV series.
For comfort? Illusions by Richard Bach.
About “Tiger King”: I live near Big Cat Rescue and have a friend who volunteered there (the real rescue owned by the woman he has tried to kill). Joe Exotic has harmed far too many animals. I wish they hadn’t made the documentary. Just gives him more publicity. If you want to see real rescue (where they don’t breed the animals or allow any touching or petting, and give them plenty of space and enrichment, including a “vacation” enclosure for variety), check out the videos Big Cat Rescue posts regularly. They also rehab injured and orphaned bobcats in a special are where they are away from all humans and have a special tunnel system set up for their “food” so they can learn/relearn hunting skills and can be released in the wild. I hope more people will learn about them through the film and support their important work. Big cats should be free, but if they can’t be free (born in captivity or been in captivity too long), they should have the best and most natural life possible.
Bloggess, I don’t read much any more cuz my eyes are old and weak, but if you like Bradbury you’ll LOVE Store of the Worlds, a book of short stories by Robert Sheckley!
I always go to “A Little Princess” by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I know it’s incredibly, incredibly old school, but the idea of a girl who has lost everything never losing so much of herself that she forgets to be kind to other people is pretty much my favorite thing ever – and has uplifted me probably 1,000 times over the course of my life.
Sunshine by Robin McKinley is my comfort read. An got an almost-stream-of-consciousness writing style about desserts and vampires? Yes, please.
Anything by Nevil Shute–these were written in the 30’s thru the 50’s, so not always politicallly correct. Anything by Jon Hassler–wonderful, wonderful
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. I’ve read it a million times and it still makes me laugh
A new vampire novel and supporting awesome people. Done. 🙂
Yay! I just ordered a book from Nowhere Books. Thank you for offering that as a cheapskate option to support you.
I want to tell you that if you read on a video, I would totally tune in. I’ve been watching Mo Willems doodle with little kids I’ve been watching Neil Diamond change his lyrics to ‘not touching hands.’ You wouldn’t even have to get nervous, but if you needed to hide under the desk for a minute in the middle, we would totally understand.
I love that you’re sending out love. We all need that.
Like Water For Chocolate by Laura Esquivel is a comfort to me. I’ve read it zillions of times and I love it more each time.
Feast of Love by Charles Baxter, Little House on the Prairie books, anything by Sarah Addison Allen, All Creatures Great and Small, Archie comics, School of Essential Ingredients by Erica
Bauermeister, the Outlander series, Redwall series by Brian Jacques, Jane Eyre by Charlotte
Bronte, She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb, children’s books: Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lancaster (I think), Olivia books by Ian Falconer, Toot and Puddle books by Holly Hobbie. Also Calvin and Hobbes books, the Get Fuzzy comics, and the Mutts series by Patrick McDonnell. Ramona the Brave by Beverly Cleary. The Narnia books. The Deborah Harkness Witches trilogy. The Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier. The Stars, the Snow, the Fire by John Haines. Colter by Rick Bass, and his All the Land to Hold Us. When Women Were Birds by Terry Tempest Williams. And of course Jenny’s books. Sorry about the long list! I could add more…and more…and more…
T.C. Boyle’s Drop City and his short stories collection Tooth and Claw get reread every year or so. Other standouts i love are Meg Wolitzer’s The Interestings, Anita Shreve’s Fortune Rocks, and anything by Sara Vowell.
If I just need plain silly but interesting, I go to my Christopher Moore stash. I just reread A Dirty Job and Secondhand Souls. The hellhounds and “kitty” make me happy. https://possumscatsthingsgnawingatme.wordpress.com/2020/03/27/napping-technique/
Seriously, when I am sad or lonely or in a dark and twisty place, I open Let’s Pretend This Never Happened or Furiously Happy to a random page and read the whatever chapter that is. And then I keep reading until I feel less horrible. Your books are my safety net/happy place/distraction from the awfulness that sneaks up now and then. Thank you.
SHUT UP! Grady Hendrix is the person who wroteHorrorstör, and My Best Friend’s Exorcism! Fucking love those! Our edition of MBFE looks like an 80s yearbook on the endsheets complete with bad local ads.
Princess Bride, or anything by Jane Austen or Shel Silverstein.
Anything by Charles de Lint and Lord of the Rings.
My go to comfort books are ‘Pigs In Heaven’ and ‘The Bean Trees’ by Barbara Kingsolver, and the vampires in San Francisco books by Christopher Moore (oh, and his books “Practical Demon Keeping’ and ‘Lamb’- a good Easter book). No matter what, I find myself rereading these every year.
Ordered!! Thank you!
Harry Potter of course…on book 6 currently, I can’t even count how many times I have read the series.
or the Gargoyle
My comfort book is The School of Essential Ingredients, by Erica Bauermeister.
Re: entry# 14
Libba Bray. Not Libby.
Thanks for zero, autocorrect.
I have a few go to books, I love Skallagrigg by William Norwood, Moon heart by Charles DeLint is another I go back to again and again, pretty much anything by Neil Gaiman or Terry Pratchett, but especially Ocean at the end of the lane and Mort. Oh, and furiously happy, but I’m guessing you know that one Jenny!
I’m with Rebekah – Terry Pratchett is my go-to when I can’t find anything else that strikes my fancy, I re-read his books. It’s the only series I’ve read over and over as an adult. I like reading the books by groupings so I’ll read all the witch books, or all the Vimes books in order. Discworld is close but different enough to be familiar and comforting but also skewed and silly to take me out of my head for a bit.
“Good Omens,” by GNeil and PTerry.
Anything by Patrick F McManus, in print or audiobook
Listening to Homer’s “Odyssey” read by Sir Ian McKellan (I trained myself to fall asleep to it during a stressful time, because it’s interesting enough to calm racing thoughts, but not so interesting that I stay awake to listen to it)
Listening to Stephen Fry’s “Mythos”
Matt Fraction’s run of the Hawkeye comics
And copious, copious amounts of fanfiction. Familiar characters and universes are a comfort.
OMG.
I can’t believe I forgot Jasper Fforde. I like the Eyre Affair Series starring Thursday Next, but I also love Shades of Gray, also by Jasper Fforde. It’s an indeterminate number of shades- less than infinity, and two years before 50. It’s a great book. Shades of Gray by Jasper Fforde.
My husband wouldn’t argue that Fforde’s Early Riser is also excellent, and I’m sure he’s right, I just haven’t gotten to it yet.
But for ultimate soothing? The Big Book of Crazy. My colleagues make me call it DSM 5, but my patients love it WAAAAY more when I call it the Big Book of Crazy.
Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books always help me calm down. Love the ones that prominenty feature the witches in particular. Looks like there are quite a few Pratchett fans in the comments.
Also this might be a the time to re-read Let’s pretend this never happened and Furiously happy <3
Omg. I forgot about Terry Pratchett, thanks for reminding me, we have all his books. They’d be wonderful in times like these
Pride prejustice and zombies. And have also watched every freaking zombie show or movie I think ever, so much so I think I see zombies now, I give slow people the stink eye like they are smelling my brain or something…its been a LONG quarenten!!!
Every morning I jump out of bed and step on a landmine. The landmine is me. After the explosion, I spend the rest of the day putting the pieces together.” ― Ray Bradbury
Comfort read – anything Agatha Christie…I’ve read them all before, but most of them I can’t remember how they end or who did it. Well, except “Murder on the Orient Express”. lol
Hey Jenny – can we still sign up for the book club if we missed it the first time around? I’m in NYC, so more time at home than ever before….
Periodic reminder that I wrote a bunch of quirky, indie books that book stores can order via the Ingram catalog. (hint hint) 😉
The Markhat series by Frank Tuttle. When my mom was in the hospital dying, I restarted the series. The characters felt like friends so I wasn’t alone. Of course it helped that a friend introduced me to the series & knew the author from an Amazon forum.
The Fresco or The Gate to Women’s Country, both by Sheri Tepper.
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, by Annie Dillard
My all time favorite .
I so wish I was just home bored. I’m still working my full time job. Plus I have two school aged kids. I actually now have even less time to read, but also a heck of a lot less desire to be any kind of productive. It’s been a struggle. Making note of books to eventually get, though.
Anything by Carl Hiaasen always makes me laugh. I also find cookbooks very soothing.
Anything by Terry Pratchett
Anything by Terry Pratchett, but especially the ones starring Sam Vimes or Tiffany Aching.
The Velveteen Rabbit or Watership Down…anything with bunnies actually LOL
I’m old as dirt, been a lifelong reader and one of the best I’ve read is ‘Rich Man, Poor Man’ by Irwin Shaw, published in the 70’s. About 2 brothers lives and how they turned out so differently.
The Secret Garden and Howl’s Moving Castle. Feel good warm and fuzzies every time. Also, Harry Potter if I’m feeling nostalgic. I LOVE this whole thread though. The number of books that just got added to my want to read list is insane. 😂
Shades of Magic Trilogy by V. E. Schwab. One of the characters, Delilah Bard, is probably my favorite character ever. Completely badass and unapologetic throughout. She makes me want to be a little more vicious, in the best way possible.
The Belgariad. I’ve read it dozens of times since I was a kid, and I’ll probably read it at least that many more.
Like many people, Terry Pratchett is high on my list. But also Ngaio Marsh’s mysteries. She’s not a well known as the other Golden Age mystery writers and I just love her books.
I like Elizabeth Moon for re-reading and Nnedi Okorafor for exploratory reading, as well as NK Jemisin.
The Paladin by C.J. Cherryh
John Dies at the End by David Wong.
The Mrs Harris series by Paul Gallico.
Read reading the Harry Potter series. One of my favorite books in the world is The Artof Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. Ohh and Zaza”and the Mountains Echoed” by Khaled Hosseini. BEAUTIFUL book.
Anything by Jane Austen
Engine Summer by John Crowley
That’s easy. “Let’s Pretend This Never Happened” by Jenny Lawson. It makes me laugh until watery stuff comes out my eyeballs and I feel kinda barfy.
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. I just now realized that when I picked up Jenny’s first book for the first time, her sense of the absurd reminded me of that of Douglas Adams (my hero), so that made me an immediate fan. Weird people are so fabulous!
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. It’s a cyberpunk novel with a lead character named Hiro Protagonist. I’ve read it countless times and each time it’s still totally engrossing. I can lose hours with it.
Lots of great suggestions here! My number one comfort reads are Jenny Crusie books, especially Faking It and Bet Me. Faking It is about an art heist (well, several art heists), and Bet Me is a riff on fairytales/happily ever after type stories. Her heroines are smart and witty (though very white and very straight; they’re mostly all set in Ohio). My very picky partner let me pester him into reading one, and then he tore through the eleven others we had at home in like two weeks.
For someone who wants an uplifting, positive book, I recommend “The Wheel on the School” by DeJong. It is a children’s book, but I found it again as an adult and really enjoyed it.
I have 2 authors that are my happy place. Anytime I need a pick me up I reach for your books or Dakota Cassidy. Both make me laugh and make me feel a little more normal (whatever normal is…I should say less alone, because normal doesn’t exist. Unless you’re a dryer..but if you’re a dryer I don’t think you’re worried about reading or what normal means. Anyhoo….)
Thank you for bringing back that wonderful memory of “reading quietly to yourself” It was literally the best feeling in school.
Also my hubby has a word offering for this time… covideracy. Literacy with a dash of covid.
All of Robert L Heinlein’s books, starting with Time Enough for Love
Also, all of Anne McCaffrey’s
Someone in my teacher’s FB group said she liked this series, and I was mildly interested….so I picked one up….and read it….and enjoyed it….and borrowed the next 2 from the library, but then they didn’t have any of the others….so had to (gasp! the horror!) buy the next one….am about to buy the next 2….Now, this series is pure brain candy–just for fun–but the characters are cute and the love story is squee, and there are witches and druids…the Magical Bakery Mystery series by Bailey Cates–I think there are 7 books in the series–just for fun!
I highly recommend Cameron Jace. He writes twisted fairy tales and his entire Insanity series (Alice in Wonderland) is to die for. What if Snow White is a vampire and SM trying to kill SW is trying to fix a problem that SW is creating. I freaking adore the man.
Eat, Pray, Love. I re read it every year and cry and then feel hopeful all over again. I love the combo of travel and self discovery.
Hugs and I can’t wait to see your bookstore in person ( someday)
Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache books are my go to books when I need to feel safe and cozy. They take place in a small quirky village in Quebec and they’re about really good food, and the warmth of friends and a caring community as much as they’re about solving a murder.
There are 15 or 16 books in the series and probably should be read in order to fully appreciate character relationships, but it’s not essential. Book #1 is Still Life.
I started out by borrowing them from the library, but I love them so much that I had to own all of them for myself so I can read them again whenever I want.
Again, it’s not entirely about Who done it?”, but as much about “What did they eat and how did it taste?”
Night Circus!!!also anything Nancy Drew even the crossover Nancy Drew/Hardy Bothers books. Love you Jenny and the menagerie!
All the Mr. Putter and Tabby books.
So, over the past few years, I’ve found that I actually prefer audiobooks… I’ve been a heavy reader for years, but these days I seem to have a difficult time focusing on reading a print book (I don’t know if it’s peri-menopause, or adult onset ADHD, or what). With audiobooks, I can listen and work on my knitting or something else repetitive, and it’s much easier for me for me to concentrate.
Is there any way I could talk you into doing an audiobook digital download version of the book club? I get most of my audiobooks from a library app, and they just can’t keep up with my purchase requests. I suppose I could use Audible, but I’d rather support you and your bookstore…
What do you think? Is anybody else in the same boat?
I have two that I reread about every year: The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie (adventure and intrigue in Africa) and Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart (the tagline is ‘a fairytale of ancient China that never was’. It involves labyrinths, puzzles, monsters, and myths. Or, as Barnes & Noble puts it; “something that resembles an ancient Chinese collision between Sherlock Holmes and The Princess Bride.”)
Oh, also the Alienist, but I’m weird like that.
I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith and A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore
Anything by Gail Carriger is my comfort read–I’m starting rereading the Parasolverse from the beginning with Etiquette & Espionage, the first in the Finishing School series (it’s YA, the others in the Parasolverse–The Parasol Protectorate series and The Custard Protocol series are adult). Silly, fun, romantic, steampunk. If you want silly, fun, romantic with a more sci-fi flavor, she also has a novella called The 5th Gender. Good luck to everyone, health-wise and reading-wise.
Wouldn’t recommend The Stand right now but if you liked it you will like Swan Song by Robert McCammon better. I actually had a young man at a bookshop recommend it to me years ago and he said if I didn’t like it more than The Stand he’d buy it back from me. He did not have to do that and I’ve read it several times since. Also my fav book of all time is Green Darkness by Anya Seton. Great love, reincarnation story with an evil twist. May I also recommend a great movie to break up the reading? Watch The Commitments. Story about a bunch of young people in Dublin forming a soul band. Funny lines done in thick Irish brogue and Fantastic soundtrack. The only book I’ve ever read where the movie was better!!
Those of you who like ilona Andrews and Patricia Briggs, two of my favorites, should try the Charlie Davidson series by Darylinda Jones, 13 books and I was so sad when they ended. Seannan McGuire has three series, two of which I love, October Daye and InCryptid. The third one Wayward Child is not to my taste but is very popular and worth a look. The Hollows series by Kim Harrison is also engaging, I can’t recommend anything she’s done since then. These all have smart women and tons of humor and snarky dialog.
Also
Simon R Green is very prolific, the two series of his I like best are the Secret Histories and the nightside
These are all in the urban fantasy genre
Have a million people suggested Terry Pratchett yet? Because his book Monstrous Regiment makes me happy in many many ways.
Louise Penny is a Canadian author whose books take place in Three Pines – a place that’s not on any map and one has to get lost to find it. The main character is Armando Gamache with the Surete de Quebec (I don’t have a book in front of me so the French could be off). The characters are unusual, interesting and snarky. If I want a hardcore mystery/supernatural book then it’s John Connelly! There’s enough good friendships, strange bedfellows, horror and spectral beings that it’s hard to stop reading at bedtime.
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follette
Christopher Moore vampire trilogy… Bloodsucking Fiends, You Suck, Bite Me… A Dirty Job (cos dead people)… LAMB (omg hilarious retelling of the lost JC years as mostly remembered by his bestie Biff)… And Good Omans by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett (cos it kinda feels like the apocalypse right now.)
Tolkien- LOTR current spot the Council of Elrond also the fantasy worlds of Peter Beagle a collection of his work that includes: the Last Unicorn, A Fine and Private Place – set in a cemetary,
A werewolf story Lila the werewolf, and Come, Lady Death a short story about the grim reaper . Both books are falling apart i’ve read them so many times… I may make paper roses out of this copy of LOTR. The Peter Beagle book I’m sure is out of print – the stories are available in separately.
Anything by Agatha Christie. “High Rising” by Angela Thirkell. Both of Jenny’s books. “Strange Practice” by Vivian Shaw. Sherlock Holmes. Scripture. Hitchhiker. James Herriot.
Tamora Pierce. I read her books as a child and they always bring me comfort and joy. Thanks for the reminder. I will dig my copies out tomorrow. 🙂
Weirdly, it’s a couple of books by an author named Takashi Matsuoka, first ‘Cloud of Sparrows’ then ‘Autumn Bridge’. I say weirdly, because they don’t fit into my usual reading genres. They are set in 14th century Japan, have blood and gore (guns and swords), romance, Japanese culture, paranormal themes and yet I find them captivating. I live with the disappointment that the author appears to have stopped writing after he finished those. Also, for the past few years I’ve found reading really difficult, so have turned to audiobooks (as I can block out distractions with headphones and closing my eyes), but the books aren’t on audio.
On the other hand, I’ve always loved words, I would read anything as a kid, just to experience words (packets, ad boards, subtitles) so any book is comfort. Thank goodness for writers.
Maybe I’m a weirdo, but I don’t reread books. I may love a book or a series dearly but rereading just doesn’t happen. What makes me the happiest, during times of stress (or anytime, really) is finding a new book series with characters I can fall in love with & live vicariously through!!
My comfort books are usually well read romance novels, particularly The Summerhouse by Jude Deveraux. Or anything by Julia Quinn.
I also do love re-reading your books because they make me laugh and I see myself in so many of your stories.
Anything by Carl Hiaasen! He has a fun, funny, weird characters in all his books. Try Skinny Dip, Bad Monkey, Sick Puppy or anything else by him. I promise you’ll love him!
You are a lifesaver, Jenny! I totally forgot I could set up a bookshop account for my bookstore! (I’d been following them in the news and then my brain dissolved with the whole COVID thing…) This could possibly save my tiny little VT store that’s now being threatened by my landlord, on top of everything else.
Anything by Agatha Christie or Neil Gaiman! Those are the kind of books that just whisk you away to a different world and you forget reality for just a little while. True escapism xD
I’m not much of a re-reader, but when I’m really low, Calvin and Hobbes is a huge comfort. David Sedaris is also very good to read again. And I just re-read Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh…her drawings and descriptions just get funnier and funnier the more you look at them.
The Lord of the Rings. I first read it when I was 14. I think I reread it every couple of years now for 50 years. Yup. That would be my comfort book.
It’s not specific books but authors I find comfort in. Neil Gaiman, Charles de Lint, P.D. James, Martha Grimes, Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett, Agatha Christie, Isaac Asimov, and so many more. Reading has always been my go to place. Thank you for this post, it is awesome and is bringing more books and authors to my attention. Our libraries are closed and have been for nearly 10 days but fortunately my daughter and I were able to get into a bookstore the day before they all closed so we stocked up. Unfortunately, I’m a fairly fast reader and the pile of books is shrinking too quickly.
Recently finished The Starless Sea & The Night Circus, both written by Erin Morganstern. Loved them both
I just finished a delightful one called Tuesday Mooney Talks To Ghosts by Kate Racculia. Now I want to read ALL her books! And when the chips are down and I’m feeling low, stressed or anxious…it has to be Nancy Drew 🙂
Also, for any who cannot afford to purchase books at this time, Internet Archive has opened its National Emergency Library at archive.org If you don’t mind reading on your computer or mobile device there is a fiction filter on the left-hand side of the screen (if you want fiction). There are other filters as well. Not trying to steal folks away from purchasing, Jenny. It’s just the (retired) librarian in me. 😉
Joan Hess’s Maggody series of wacky mystery/detective novels featuring police chief Arly Hanks of the one-woman police force in a fictional Arkansas town.
Margaret Maron’s Judge Deborah Knott series of mysteries.
Christopher Moore’s many books
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
My Life in France (Julia Chld) and The Wind in the Willows. 🙂
My comfort reads are:
Good Omens, by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
The Belgariad Series, by David Eddings
And… Let’s Pretend This Never Happened. Because you fucking rock. Yes, you rock, you paper, you scissors, and you even Spock. No lizarding though, because lizards are dumb.
Besides the Secret Garden and the Little Princess, I love the Little House On The Prairie series, Susan Cooper’s the Dark Is Rising series books, Wrinkle In Time series by Madeleine L’Engle, Island Of The Blue Dolphin series by Scott O’Dell, Chronicles Of Narnia series, anything by Roald Dahl written for children, Gone With The Wind, Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor, the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, the original non-Disney book Bambi by Felix Salten, James Herriot’s All Creatures Great And Small series, Robert Heinlen’s Stranger In A Strange Land, Christy by Catherine Marshall, Little Women, anything written by Stephen King before 1985, anything written by James Clavell but especially Shogun. I love so many books and especially children’s books, but mostly books written for adults before the 1990’s when it became harder for me to find books I adore, and children’s books written before the 1980’s. I don’t know why but children’s books seemed to change after that to be either too simplistic or to be too mature. I often go to library book sales and deliberately hunt down older books for both the young and old. The quality of the writing just seems better.
Sorcery & Cecilia: Or, The Enchanted Coffee Pot (and its sequels) co-written by Patricia C. Wrede and Carolyn Stevermer. A very funny fantasy set in an alternate Jane Austen era Britian where magic is a known thing. Written as letters between two cousins who get entangled in all kinds of romantic and magical shenanigans.
All of y’all saying “Terry Pratchett” and “Charles de Lint” – I wanna scoop you up in a big (virtual) hug because those are my two Very Favorite Authors.
Right now I’m reading an ARC of a book that ain’t come out quite yet: Wink by Rob Harrell. It’s a middle grade story, but based on the author’s real experience of having a rare form of eye cancer. It’s sad and funny and delightful.
There is nothing better than immersing oneself in an Elizabeth Peters scribe. Her Amelia Peabody character, British Egyptologist, is always glorious a ride of historical mysteries.
Do you still get the same benefits if I buy the ebook version thru Bookshop vs a paper/hard back?
For those who love Amelia Peabody mysteries by Elizabeth Peters and also enjoy Mercedes Lackey fantasies, I just read Home From the Sea by M.L. and it has what I am certain is a reference to the main characters having met Amelia while in Egypt (she isn’t named but it talks about the umbrella etc). I was so tickled to see it!
And btw I recommend the Elemental Masters series by Mercedes Lackey as well for fun reads.
Mirabile, by Janet Kagan.
Mrs. Pettigrew Lives for a Day, I can’t remember who by.
To Say Nothing of the Dog, by Connie Willis.
Merry Hall, by Beverly Nichols.
From the husband–
Dune.
Lord of the Rings (Horns horns horns great horns of the north, wildly blowing. Theoden had come at last.)
Short story collections by classic sf/fantasy authors such as Fritz Leiber and Michael Moorcock.
From the daughter–
Tamora Pearce’s Circle of Magic.
Ringworld
Dragon song, Dragon singer, and dragon drums. They were my gateway drugs into fantasy when I was a freshman in high school. I’m almost 50 and I still read them every few years.
Charles DeLint, any of his based in Newford, because he described a quarter of my dream lands.
PG Wodehouse, especially A Damsel In Distress, for sheer be-in-a-civility-bubble-ness (Hand me that gin!). Jane Eyre, for strength of character. Margaret Mahy’s The Changeover for growing up and being stronger. Georgette Heyer for repartee and escaping into a tiny slice of history and being glad women can now run their own finances… mostly. Christopher Brookmyre for his grasp of plans dissolving into chaos.
It was lovely to see so many books and authors mentioned that I had felt like I read alone… but others love them too!
Hi Jenny and everyone. I love love love E.M. Forster’s “A Room With a View.” I have read it uncountable times and I can pick it up turn to any page and read new details every time.
I have absorbed Richard Bach’s “Illusions: Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah” from same decades of re-reading. I usually buy a paperback version as I’m always giving the book to someone and they ain’t getting my hardback. Find out what happens when a Messiah decides he doesn’t want the job anymore.
I had a delicious time in a bookstore last fall as the staffer who recommended Amor Towles’ “The Rules of Civility.” I felt so cranky when I stared at the last page! Thorough and stylish storytelling; a new favorite author was born to me.
So it turns out IA is violating copyright law. UGH.
A childrens’s book by Ryan T. Higgins called “We Don’t Eat Our Classmates”
Calvin and Hobbs. Not strictly a book except in the literal sense, but they take me out of reality to a better place. Also, I love all the suggestions here! So many favorites and new ones to check out.
I read the copy that I stole from my high school 35 years ago of The Chrysalids at least once a year.
Anything by Christopher Moore!
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
This is a new book – just read for the first time in Overdrive but plan to buy a hard copy so I can go back to it and reread all and parts as much as I want. It’s so beautifully written and so calming, Yet it is magical, exciting and incredibly intriguing. This will be my go to book for my future self.
Get Fuzzy comic strip books by Darby Conley make me laugh.
Also, I hadn’t thought of SSR for probably 30 years, but when you mentioned it, it totally brought back VERY happy memories from elementary school (in rural California).
Many of the above. Throughout my life I have returned to Georgette Heyer’s historical romances for comfort. As a young person, I liked the spirited heroines, as an older person, I prefer the more prosaic ones, but all are good. she is the queen of dialogue.
Also not mentioned above: Lois McMaster Bujold who can keep you going for weeks all by herself – I love an author who is not only great but prolific.
My current addiction is the murderbot series by Martha Wells – everyone I ever suggested them to LOVES them. They are short but perfect.
I love re-reading is The Stand by Stephen King. It by him is a close second.
Gaudy Night by Sayers, or Little Dorrit by Dickens.
Gina
The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles – my absolute favorite children’s book.
And anything by Maeve Binchey, but especially The Glass Lake or Evening Class.
Ilona Andrews’s Innkeeper series. Aliens, magic, and sentient trees that look like houses —– WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Also, anything to do with cryptozoology, especially if by Karl Shuker
“Little, Big” by John Crowley. Our world, yet not our world, it’s strangely unclassifiable and has been around for decades trying to find an appropriate genre. It comforts me with its gentleness.
All of Jane Austen, one after the other. Harry Potter. All of Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe series. All of Dorothy L. Sayers Lord Peter Wimsey series. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve re-read them all.
I see a few other wise souls have beat me to this one, but hands down a vote for Good Omens – Pratchett and Gaiman.
I first read this when I was about 11 and I now re-read it probably once every 6 months when I inevitably give my copy away to someone and have to buy another one. It is the bestest book and I’m glad the Prime series gave it a bit more publicity/incited a rabid fandom…
That said, all of Pratchett’s Discworld books are comfort books for both me and my mum. It doesn’t matter how many times you read them, there’s always one more reference that you hadn’t spotted the last time round!
As an introvert, this whole quarantine situation was just made for me. BUT….I’m glad to have a job, I truly am, but….I work in Public Health so there is no quiet quarantine at home for me. It’s 12 hours a day in the office, every day. I read about you all having peaceful stay-home days of reading and I’m kind of jealous. I mean, like I said, I’m just glad to still have a job…but I’m jealous, too. Enjoy your reading everyone, and I’ll just have to enjoy it vicariously!
I love the Chronicles of Narnia books. There is God overtone to them but as a kid I didn’t realize it and as an adult, I can overlook it 🙂
Ordered it! I can’t wait to be in the book club!
Robin McKinley’s “Beauty” is my absolute go-to in all moments of trouble and discomfort. It’s her first (and in my opinion, best) retelling of Beauty and the Beast and it’s a warm cup of cocoa in a cold, hard day.
If you like graphic novels, I recommend the “Zita the Spacegirl” and “Mighty Jack” series by Ben Hatke. There’s also Gunnerkrigg Court by Tom Siddell, which you can buy as books or read online for free. If you’re a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and have read the comics that came after the show, then “Slayer” by Kiersten White was excellent. I’m about to start reading the second book in that series.
Little Women
The Virginian
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
I’m seconding Robin McKinley’s Beauty as a comfort read. Also any of Spider Robinson’s Callahan collections because no matter what else happens in them, the core is always people and community and shared support.
Tamora Pierce, LOTR or The Magicians by Lev Grossman…. or Lamb by Christopher Moore if I’m in a particular mood haha.
I love everything about this post… except I honestly was hoping for an update on Brad Dingleman and Co.
Also, sending your sister love and healing vibes. Because thoughts and prayers are for the birds.
No joke – I am re-reading “Let’s Pretend This Never Happened” while keeping my (presumptive) C19 kid company. She’s on about day 17 of being sick although things are getting MUCH better for her. I get to telework and self-quarantine and your book is giving me the chance to laugh and snort out loud. Thank you so very, very much!
I JUST put that book on my “Want to Read” List. Awesome! But identifying a specific book as a comfort book (other than the Bible) has me befuddled. It totally depends on my type of comfort need I suppose. Classic Stephen King, Jane Austen, Harry Potter series, Alexander McCall Smith, Yrsa Sigurardottir, James SA Corey, Kathy Reichs, and NK Jemisin are all prime candidates for helping me escape an unhappy day.
All these diligent people are recommending books or asking questions about how to join up… And I’m wondering, is that a Dorothy Barker bookmark or did you accidentally shrink her or is the book you’re holding dollhouse size?
(Both? ~ Jenny)
Roughing It, by Mark Twain
Dark Matter by Michelle Paver. It’s a short ghost story but it’s so beautifully written that I always lose myself in it.
Also any of the Mountain Man books.
Jen, I am technologically challenged. Is there a link to click on to show me how to enroll as a member of your bookstore book club?
spinning silver by Naomi Novik. Must read. Even better, listen. Fantasy but so much more and complete escapism. The book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd coming out in April. Oh my goodness, a real story.
I always turn to The Hunger Games series. Somehow it cheers me up? Does that make me weird?
Ya know, I liked this book. My vampires aren’t usually the bad guys, so this was a change for me. Thanks to Deb Harkness (All Souls Trilogy) and Elizabeth Hunter (The Elemental Series) my vamps are generally well educated, romantic, and heroic. I suggest you give them a try!
I love the Terry Pratchett books for comfort. Which one depends on my mood. Sometimes I want to spend time with Granny Weatherwax, sometimes I need some hard-bitten Vimes POV. Pratchett’s books make me feel like someone else out there see the world the way I do.
“Hope for the Flowers” by Trina Paulus. Very fitting read for our current state of affairs.
“How does one become a butterfly? You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar.”
If you like graphic novels, I recommend the “Zita the Spacegirl” and “Mighty Jack” series by Ben Hatke.