Comfort reads/re-reading/interlinking threads: yay or nay?

[~Geektastic~]

Are there books that you revisit when you want to be comforted? When I'm having a particularly hard time, I tend to go back and re-read Practical Magic or the Harry Potter books. I know some people don't like to re-read anything, since there are so many books and so little time. Other people, like one of my roommates, love to constantly re-visit the same beloved stories again and again. So, what about you? Re-reading: yay or nay?

[janine]

I love to reread the books I love, but I don't do it as much as I used to. There are so many new books, but when you're rereading at least you know it will be good - if not you have a lousy memory.

[Sally, la reina]

For comfort I like to reach for Pema Chodoron: When Things Fall Apart or Tennessee Williams.

[Jonathan]

John Mortimer, P. G. Wodehouse, Arthur Conan Doyle--all good for bringing down the blood pressure, as is the well-thumbed copy of The Norton Anthology of Poetry that I've had since college and couldn't get by without.

[AB]

I reread every single Sookie Stackhouse book whenever I really need some serious comforting.

It's not even that great of a series anymore, nor are any of the books comforting at all. I started reading them way back in 7th grade, though, and know them by heart. I think it's just because they're so familiar.

[~Geektastic~]

Koeeoaddi wrote: "Arthur Conan Doyle for me, too. Also, Persuasion, Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, over and over and over and over.

A Soldier of the Great War four or five times, [book:..."

Ko, you are a re-reader after my own heart. I read P&P, Persuasion and Sense and Sensibility on what is becoming an annual basis. And I always re-read a favorite horror story (usually Stephen King) for Halloween.

And to Bun and Jonathan: I haven't read any Wodehouse yet, but I've been meaning to for a long time. Where is the best place to start?

[Jonathan]

Opinions will likely differ on where to start, but I'm partial to the Jeeves & Wooster stories. Many of the best short ones are collected in Carry On, Jeeves. I'm generally more inclined to re-read the full-length novels: Thank You, Jeeves, Right Ho, Jeeves, The Code of the Woosters, and on, and on. Also interesting, and good, is Ring For Jeeves, which is the only Jeeves story without Bertie: Jeeves has temporarily been lent out to the Earl of Towchester--pronounced "Toaster."

[Aynge]

P.G. Wodehouse is my go-to cure for the sour times. I've read Jane Eyre about six times now.

[Jammies]

I re-read a ton of things. My comfort books tend to be ones like the Laura Ingalls Wilder books or the Betsy-Tacy series, but there are others I re-read for the sheer joy of the language (Sharyn McCrumb) or to figure something out or because the next book in the series is coming out (the Harry Dresden books).

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...

[Sally, la reina]

No. I like it.

[Lori]

Yes, I really dislike when old threads are resurrected - we were rolling along nicely with this one, why change direction.

[Sally, la reina]

Were we quite rolling yet?

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

Linking serves two purposes....one, to remind people that they ought to search to see if there's an already existing thread identical to the one they're creating.

Two, if you care what people's comfort reads are in 2011, why wouldn't you care what they were two years ago?

[Sally, la reina]

I can't search worth a damn. I don't blame them. But I like linking threads. Interlinking galore makes GR kind of interwebzey.

[Félix]

Link shit. Or something.

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

::resists urge to post image::

[Félix]

I don't remember ye olde threade.

[janine]

I thought this thread would be about interlinking reads a la Derrida.

[Félix]

That's what you get for thinking.

[janine]

I'm really annoyed by the scientology ads that keep showing up in Goodreads.

[Félix]

I haven't seen any.

[ms.petra]

Janine, I just picked up Inside Scientology: The Story of America's Most Secretive Religion. I have a fascination with religion and its extremes.

[Jonathan]

If you mention scientology enough times in this thread, the ads will probably show up, although right now there seems to be a big campaign going on for the movie version of The Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, which might take precedence.

[janine]

Scientology! Scientology! Scientology! I will make you suffer with me. Stupid videos!

[Jonathan]

Are these ads for the L. Ron Hubbard books, Janine? I seem to remember seeing those on GR while I was in the Netherlands, but they aren't coming up now that I'm back in the States. Maybe it's targeted advertising.

[janine]

No, just basic spacey scientology promos.

[Rebecca]

I am a big rereader, and one of the most interesting things about that is the different effects books have on me at different times. Another reason I do it is that I remember general things about books but I forget details, so, say, with nonfiction especially, reading it once isn't enough for me to learn all I'd like to. There have been many comfort reads at different points in my life. In recent years, one I seem to return to is The Razor's Edge by Somerset Maugham. Also pretty much anything written by Alan Watts.

[Sally, la reina]

Takes the two year old thread to feed it out of a baby bottle.

[RandomAnthony]

It's kind of funny we're talking about re-reading old threads on a thread about re-reading.

I agree with Buns and Misher here...new conversations about older topics don't bother me. I also don't mind people alerting others to old threads when new ones emerge. Intent, I think, is key...if the intent is "hey, we talked about this once before, here's some additional information" that's cool with me.

I don't think groups of friends, for example, talk about thunderstorms and then say, "we are done discussing thunderstorms. We shan't again. Let us close this topic and never return. Let the person who brings up thunderstorms in the future do so at her peril."

[~Geektastic~]

What's funny is that, for once, I actually tried to see if I was rehashing old territory (and with a topic like this, it's pretty much a sure thing) but I couldn't find the original thread so I went with it anyway.

[Sally, la reina]

Lol. Peril.

[Jonathan]

Shan't is a good word too.

[Sally, la reina]

I am unable to find old threads. I don't understand how Heidi (master) and Lg (1st Lieutenant) manage to do it.

[Jammies]

Sally wrote: "I am unable to find old threads. I don't understand how Heidi (master) and Lg (1st Lieutenant) manage to do it."

You simply do not wish to do it, grasshopper. Search or do not search.

[Sally, la reina]

Dawwww, little midwestern grasshopper.

[Riya]

When I need some comforting I reread Interview with the Vampire (its my all time favorite book and I really can't explain my morbid fascination with it) or any of the other vampire chronicle books by Anne Rice. Her stories always take me away from whatever problems are going on in my life and let me escape into her vampire world.

all right, I guess that was my deliciously dark reading secret. No making fun of me now!