11.11.2016

Go-To Comfort Reads



To say that this week has been stressful and overwhelming would be a gross understatement. It's at times like these, when reality becomes a little too much, that being a reader is like having a super power that allows you to jump into alternate worlds and realities (can you tell I just saw Doctor Strange?). Returning to a favorite book is often the mental equivalent of wrapping yourself up in a cozy blanket, so today I thought I'd share my go-to comfort reads.

1. The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien
If I had rules for selected the perfect comfort read, the first rule would be to return to a childhood favorite. There's nothing like nostalgia to immediately block out whatever is going on in the real world and make you feel safe and untouchable. And for me, that describes Tolkien's The Hobbit perfectly. It was a book that was read aloud to me as a kid and always brings me back to the feeling of being completely enveloped in a story.

Meet Bilbo Baggins, the little Hobbit who joined a company of dwarves on a mission to reclaim the ancient dwarf kingdom of Erebor. Throw in an ancient wizard, huge spiders, an arrogant Elf-king, and a dragon and you've got one of the most iconic fantasy stories of all time. Looking to escape reality for a bit? There's no better place to go than Middle Earth.

2. Inkheart - Cornelia Funke
If you've followed my BookTube channel for a while, you probably already know that I have very strong feelings for the Cornelia Funke's Inkworld Trilogy. Although I was rather disappointed by its conclusion, Inkdeath, the first two books are amazing fantastical adventures. This is a series for book lovers of all ages about the magic of books.

Meggie has always shared a deep love of books and stories with her father Mo, a bookbinder, but wonders why he's never read aloud to her. Then one night, a character straight out of one of Meggie's books shows up on their doorstep and Meggie learns the truth about her father: he can read things out of books and into the "real" world.

Pulled into a world of magical readers, mystical creatures, and flame-throwing jugglers, Meggie soon learns that real danger isn't as exciting as it is within the pages of a book.

3. Pride & Prejudice - Jane Austen
I'm sure quite a few people would rank Jane Austen high on their comfort read list. There's just something cozy about the home life of her heroines, evenings entertaining the neighbors, letters shared between potential lovers.

Almost any Austen will do for this warm, cozy feeling, but I personally think Pride & Prejudice takes the cake. This is the story of the iconic Lizzie Bennet, a clever young woman who finds herself butting heads with the handsome and proud Mr. Darcy. If you want some witty social criticism about something other than our current political climate, I would definitely recommend Pride & Prejudice.

4. Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro
This might seem like an odd choice for a comfort read, as there is little to no comforting subject matter in Never Let Me Go. All the same, it is one of those books that I return to all the time, for any reason at all: because I'm in a funk, because I don't know what else to read, because I've had a bad day and just want to return to a book I know and love.

In the remote English countryside, Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth grow up at an isolated boarding school surrounded by kids just like them, kids with no families or pasts. As they grow up, the friends struggle to figure out their place in the world and who they truly are.


These are some of my go-to comfort reads. What do you read when you need to escape reality for a while?

2 comments :

  1. I must say these choices cover a wide range of genres.
    I know for my escape I definitely turn to Harry Potter, I know it's slightly cliche for my generation, being a 90s kid. But it brings a sense of nostalgia and definitely a comfort read for me, taking me back to my childhood where my mom and I would read the books and have hour long conversations discussing the characters as if they were close family friends!

    Side note: I recently finished never let me go and I must say it held my thoughts for quite some time and still leaves me with a slight chill. I think I will read it again, I find it interesting that you would find comfort in a book like that.

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    1. I'm also of the Harry Potter generation, but for some reason I don't really turn to it for a comforting read. Actually, it's been years since I reread it!

      As for Never Let Me Go, I know it's an odd choice! It's not really a comforting story, but I have a strong emotional/nostalgic connection to it so that's probably why it's one of my go-tos.

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