Comfort Books

I am frustrated and disappointed by the results of the presidential election. I’m worried about the vulnerable and marginalized people in my neighborhood, community, and around the country.

But this blog is about books and not politics. And in times of stress, books can provide enormous comfort.

My spouse rereads Robert Heinlein and Joe Haldeman and The Chosen when he can’t sleep. My kid returns to favorite non-fiction, like those by Theodore Gray when they are stressed. My former colleague loved to keep a stack of cookbooks by his bed so he could imagine future delicious meals before falling asleep.

For me, books bring comfort on a daily basis. I look forward to the reliable treat waiting for me: my bed and a book before I go to sleep. When I need something particularly soothing, I often pick up L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables series. Traveling to Prince Edward Island lets me leave reality behind for a bit for a real but predictable place. In the days following this election, I sought solace in Kendare Blake’s One Girl in All the World. The second book in Blake’s trilogy about the next generation of Buffy the Vampire Scoobies was a great distraction.

Often I turn to cozy mysteries to give my brain a break. They are suspenseful enough to keep me interested, but I can rely on the bad guys getting what’s coming to them in the end. My favorites lately are The Thursday Murder Club series and some similar mysteries. This weekend I started Richard Osman’s latest, We Solve Murders, which looks to be as compelling as his other series.

I hope all you readers out there are coping with whatever life brings your way. If you are in need of a pick-me-up, I hope you find just the right book to get you through to better days. Let me know what your comfort reads are.