Do you have one "comfort" book which you reread when you need a literary hug?

[Libby]

I love anything John D. MacDonald, primarily the Travis McGee series. Each book feels like a vacation to me! I usually reread one or two every summer.

[Libby]

Mary wrote: "The Little House books, Garden Spells, Harry Potter, some teen novels I shouldn't admit to.
All while the Gilmore Girls play on repeat...over and over again."

I cannot wait to read the Little House books to my daughter and then take her to the museum and homestead site in Walnut Grove!

[Bonnie G.]

Abigail wrote: "Bonnie, is that from Veronica Mars (which is on my TBW list)?"

It is, Abigail. I recommend moving VM to the top of the TBW. Seriously one of the best written shows ever, and the chemistry between Veronica and nearly every other character (except Duncan and Meg, the worst characters on VM) shows how great a scene partner Kristin Bell is. As much as I LoVe (a little VM humor) Logan and Veronica, I love her relationship with her father at least as much. It is great stuff. My son teases me mercilessly, but I still watch at least a couple episodes a week. I have the DVDs but if you have Pivot it runs marathons pretty frequently.

[Bonnie G.]

Libby wrote: "Mary wrote: "The Little House books, Garden Spells, Harry Potter, some teen novels I shouldn't admit to.
All while the Gilmore Girls play on repeat...over and over again."

I cannot wait to read t..."

I was excited about the same thing, but then I had a boy. Try as I might, he never really loved the Little House books. Luckily we had "Indian in the Cupboard" and "Series of Unfortunate Events" series' over which to bond. He also loved the Jean Fritz history books, particularly the ones about the presidents, and especially Teddy Roosevelt and James Madison. Our book related travel feel to visiting presidential houses and museums, but I would rather have gone to Walnut Grove.

[Libby]

Well who knows what she will think : ) You've given me more good ideas for books to read to her too. And I love book related travel! Reading Balzac while in Paris is one of my favorite memories. I don't know where you are located, but if you ever make it to Walnut Grove, I highly recommend a visit to the Harkin Store (http://sites.mnhs.org/historic-sites/...) as well. The store isn't in any book that I'm aware of, and it and Walnut Grove are not particularly close together, but what is so interesting about the store is that in the early 1900s the owners closed it one day, leaving all of the merchandise on the shelves. It sat untouched for nearly 40 years until it was opened as a museum. The things that are on the shelves are straight out of the pioneer days, it's so amazing to see!

[Barb]

Jennie wrote: "I love the Green Gables books too, especially books 1 & 3. Also, anything Jane Austen, The Blue Castle, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, and [book:The ..."

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is absolutely one of my comfort books. Just thinking about it makes me want to curl up in a chair and forget the world. So odd, because the subject matter is fairly heavy!

[Bonnie G.]

I love your comments about reading Balzac in Paris, Libby. How wonderful! I am woefully unversed in Balzac's work (I know...its on my TBR pile) but that sounds glorious. I often try to match book and place when I travel and also tend to read things set where I live. I was all about books set in China when I lived there (though back in the 80's many books were banned), I read New York books when I lived there (I still sort of do, but not to the same degree)and as a transported Atlantan I now read a lot of Southern writers.

I am not sure if your daughter is old enough, but my son's first Jean Fritz book, and his historical favorite, was "Bully for You Teddy Roosevelt" which he got for his 7th birthday. All of her books are just wonderful for kids who like American history.

[Libby]

It sounds like you've had some wonderful reading adventures!

Thank you very much for the recommendation! It will be a few years before she's ready, but it looks like an awesome way to help her connect with history!

[Sara]

Pretty much any Jane Austen, but especially Lady Susan (I love how breathtakingly bad she is!). Lord of the Rings. All the Wooster & Jeeves I can get. And children's books are particularly comforting, especially my beloved E. Nesbits (Phoenix and the Carpet and The Enchanted Castle are my most-beloved) and the various Edward Eagers (Half Magic etc.).

[Elizabeth]

Oh Wooster and Jeeves for sure! When I really just can't take the state of the world I also turn to Busman's Honeymoon, about Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane. The newly married couple solving a mystery with the help of a Shakespeare-quoting detective is the ultimate in delight.

[Larisa]

Elizabeth wrote: "Oh Wooster and Jeeves for sure! When I really just can't take the state of the world I also turn to Busman's Honeymoon, about Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane. The newly married couple solving a ..."

Yes to Wooster and Jeeves! I also read Busman's Honeymoon for a "cheer-me-up-BECAUSE HUMANITY" read. Plus Gaudy Night. I love how much both Harriet and Peter evolve in their thinking of one another in that novel — and how Harriet herself develops.

[Bonnie G.]

I just want to say that this thread is adding a lot to my tbr pile.

[Alicia]

Mine too, Bonnie!

[Peggy]

Oh heavens, any of my L. M. Montgomerys fit the bill, but the first one I would grab would be Anne of Green Gables. If I needed something slightly more "adult", anything by Georgette Heyer. Those two authors are my desert-island essentials...

[Bonnie G.]

feeling sad. The TV Gilbert Blythe died of a brain hemorage.

[Julie]

There are many more illustrative ones that I would LIKE to say, but in reality, what I reach for are:

A Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L'Engle
Sweet Liar by Jude Deveraux

My husband literally calls them "Julie's Depression Books." I read them probably 5 times a year (for, like, the past 20 years!).

[Bonnie G.]

Julie wrote: "There are many more illustrative ones that I would LIKE to say, but in reality, what I reach for are:

A Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L'Engle
Sweet Liar by Jude Deveraux

My husband literally..."

LOL, you clearly know what works!

[Alicia]

I know what you mean about A Ring of Endless Light, Julie! It is such a powerful depiction of grieving. Adam Eddington was one of my first fictional boyfriends.

[Elizabeth]

Alicia wrote: "I know what you mean about A Ring of Endless Light, Julie! It is such a powerful depiction of grieving. Adam Eddington was one of my first fictional boyfriends."

Oh ADAM. I swooned for days over him. And such powerful writing....it might be sacrilege, but I think I loved Ring of Endless Light more than A Wrinkle in Time (probably bc my poor little head had lots of trouble with tesseracts).

[Alicia]

Elizabeth wrote: "Oh ADAM. I swooned for days over him. And such powerful writing....it might be sacrilege, but I think I loved Ring of Endless Light more than A Wrinkle in Time (probably bc my poor little head had lots of trouble with tesseracts). ..."

I did. I also preferred A Swiftly Tilting Planet to AWIT.

[Julie]

I love this group. Almost no one I know in real life has even heard of Adam Eddington.

AWIT is deep deep in my heart and I would say that is the defining series of my childhood (along with Anne) (and Emily of New Moon), but for some reason, I haven't felt the need to reread it/them in years. I also have no interest in rereading the other Austin family books. But, man, Ring of Endless Light just gets me when I'm feeling down and helps lift me back up.

[Candace]

Oh Adam indeed! I loved loved loved The Arm of the Starfish. I always preferred Polly as a heroine over Vicky, and was sort of miffed that Vicky got Adam and Polly was always being followed around by terrible Zachary.

[Maggie]

I turn to Daphne du Maurier when I need a literary hug: Rebecca, Frenchmans Creek, The Kings's General....

[Peggy]

Love this thread! My original comfort books were by James Herriot - the "All Creatures Great and Small" series. Unfortunately, I read them so much I think I "broke" them, so they've been retired. I'm hoping that someday they'll be new enough to reread.

Now I'm on to Bill Bryson -- especially A Short History of Nearly Everything. Bryson's conversational tone combined with historical fact, plus I know what happens next, so I don't have to stay up all night reading.

[Suzanne]

I love M.M. Kaye's Death in Kashmir. It gets me every time. I love the atmosphere and the romance, the time period, and the mystery is so clever! I read it at least once a year and it never gets old.

[Alicia]

Suzanne wrote: "I love M.M. Kaye's Death in Kashmir. It gets me every time. I love the atmosphere and the romance, the time period, and the mystery is so clever! I read it at least once a year and it never gets old."

Yes! I am less fond of Death in Kenya, but the others I re-read often. I'm on my second copy of Kashmir, because I lost the first in a move somewhere, and same with Andamans. My copy of Andamans has the worst cover in the world.

[Suzanne]

Ha! That's really funny. Such a bad cover image for such a great book. Death in Berlin is my other favourite.

[Leandra]

I don't re-read too often but I've read Harry Potter a few times in the past and sometimes I'll read a chapter or two. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell is one I've read a few times and tend to go to if I want a comfort read.

[Alicia]

Suzanne wrote: "Ha! That's really funny. Such a bad cover image for such a great book. Death in Berlin is my other favourite."

I think the romances in Cyprus and Zanzibar are my favourite though.

[Shannon]

Leandra wrote: "I don't re-read too often but I've read Harry Potter a few times in the past and sometimes I'll read a chapter or two. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell is one I've read a few times and tend to go to i..."

I don't re-read much either but HP is also one of my top choices when I do!
The movies are good but I enjoy the humor that is particular to the books. To me, Book Harry has a much sharper sense of humor than Movie Harry. I miss Book Ron's sarcasm as well.