Between the coronavirus, the election, the stock market, and putting our house on the market (last kids moved out and we are downsizing big time), I am frazzled. I take more baths, listen to music that brings me joy, and refuse to watch anything depressing. And, of course, I read books that soothe my soul. My bandwidth, at the end of the day–which is when I read–is limited right now and I’ve been struggling to read anything new. Instead, I’ve been pulling out the old, the familiar, and the much loved. I’ve recently reread Eloisa James’ Three Weeks with Lady X, Jenny Holiday’s Famous, and Kathleen O’Reilly’s Sex Straight Up, three of my favorite comfort reads. Tonight, I’m thinking I’ll page through Caroline Linden’s Love and Other Scandals.
What do you pull out when you need that perfect comfort read? And why?
So many good suggestions here! Comfort read to me means something light or funny. So I head for Jennifer Crusie, Loretta Chase, Georgette Heyer, and Julie James. It used to mean SEP’s Stars series – although I haven’t read her for a while – and I wonder if these hold up over time. A few specific titles would include
Beard Science by Penny Reid
What I Did For A Duke by Julie Anne Long
Just One of the Guys by Kristin Higgins
The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley
And one of my favorite audio books of all time is Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer’s Agnes and the Hitman. I listened to it first, and it is one of the few books I’ve never been able to read off the page. Every time I tried, I ended up with my headphones back on. The narrator just made that book work like a boss for me.
Caveat: I’ve yet to read Lucy Parker (so she isn’t here in this list) and am holding my breath that I will find her as funny as everyone else has.
Like you, I have resisted rereading SEP recently- I worry that she may be another lost love. I will definitely read her new book out in June / July, and then see what I feel.
I need a bit more slow developments and abundant wit, potentially more secondary characters, in rereads, I am not sure that re-reading Lucy Parker will work for me. She is wonderful but very straight for me. Will see in a while.
Somehow, older books which were written in a more leisurely mode hit the spot better, for me. I know the story, I remember the best scenes, so I want to linger on the little comment here, the sneaky detail tugged in there – this is why Heyer, Kelly, and Layton work so well. They have so much “garnish” around the main plot line that just rewards re-reading, because I forget the small stuff, and rediscover it with joy.
I don’t usually have me time until after dark, daytime being for work and horse chores. I have a time consuming evening hobby (genealogy) thus little time for novel reading or rereading. I have turned to audiobooks that I can listen to while at my computer or when cleaning house. Most of my audio purchases have been favorite novels that I once reread: early Laurens books incl. Devil’s Bride, Scandal’s Bride, Capture of the Earl of Glencrae, and On a Wild Night, Laurie King’s Beekeeper’s Apprentice, favorite Mary Balogh, Loretta Chase, and Lisa Kleypas novels Due to a recent sale, I picked up a few Royal Spyness audios and have found them to be useful in focusing my mind away from virus news. When I want to sit back with a hot chocolate and just listen, I usually select Devil’s Bride, Dreaming of You, Devil in Winter, Chasing Cassandra, or Slightly Dangerous. Old favorites and one new.
Jennifer Crusie’s short books, Jayne Ann Krentz oldies, Amanda Quick the oldest 5 or 9, Carla Kelly, Georgette Heyer, Loretta Chase, Layton, Balogh, Roberta Gellis, Justine Davis Trinity Street – yes – I second all of them.
Not mentioned yet:
I find Katherine Kingsley’s A Natural Attachment – a very old Signet Regency – wonderful.
I love and return to Kelly Hunters’s series books, and to Dani Collins’.
Also, I have discovered Mary Burchell (thanks, Keirasoleore!) and find her old fashioned series romance restfully lovely. Such fine women in them, in many cases.
What I cannot read anymore: Judith McNaught, Catherine Coulter, Iris Johansen, … somehow, they did not age well for me. For many years, those were comfort reads, and now they are somehow kaputt – heroines too doormatty, heroes abusive … I am sad but they are lost to me.
Lieselotte – I have just ordered a 1p copy of the Kingsley after your pointer. Sounds like my kind of catnip. I do miss the Signet Regencies so many of which I enjoyed and many them reside on my keeper shelves.
:-)
Thanks!
Yes, some of those oldies were really very very good
Quite a few excellent Layton regencies too.
Advice – check the blurbs, some stories are dated but Ok, some may not be ok anymore, too much of “heroine is a slut, so she gets mistreated for 60% of the book”. This was, and probably still is, true historical description, of treatment of women in conservative communities / societies. But I am not finding it romantic anymore that she gets vindicated because of proven virtue and that is a HEA. Mary Jo Putney’s Dearly Beloved, a very beloved book, just does not work anymore, for that reason, for me.
I’m not sure if I’d call them comfort reads or not, but I find re-reading any favorite is very satisfying. Laura Florand tops that list.
I really need to make time to read a Laura Florand book this year. Do you have a favorite you’d recommend to start?
I love this post! I was thinking just today of what books I would like to re-read!
My list includes The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer, the JD Robb books with the first five taking the lead since I love the building of the lead characters relationship, sci-fy romances by Linnea Sinclair like the Down Home Zombie Blues, Paradise by Judith McNaught and anything by Lisa Kleypas.
Comfort reads:
Manhunting or Cinderella Deal, by Jenny Crusie (used to be Getting Rid of Bradley, but I think I outgrew that one)
The Grand Sophy or Devil’s Cub, by Heyer
Miss Chartley’s Guided Tour, Carla Kelly
Fallen Angel, Charlotte Louise Dolan
To me a comfort read is not only something I have read before and enjoyed but one that may be cozier in nature, have more humor and in general be a less “stressful” read than some others.
Like Mark, I will often turn to Jayne Ann Krentz/Amanda Quick when I want a fun and usually gentle read. I not only know what I am getting but there is also a humorous element to many of her books due to quirky heroines going up against more stolid heroes. No one is very mean, there are no “alphaholes” and the underlying message is usually “love can save you because we are all a big family and must help each other out.” It’s the essence of comfort. Ravished, Rendezvous, Perfect Partners are some of my favorites but a lot of hers will do in a pinch.
For a long time Nora Roberts “Three Sisters Island” trilogy was my go to after a hard day. The “Practical Magic-esque” books about the three witches/friends on a tiny Nantucket-like Island where everyone knows each other and is nice is like a soothing balm. There is some supernatural wickedness and a really bad guy but nothing that would interfere with your sleep. Roberts excels at describing the charming homes, delicious food and warm friendships with some nice romance thrown in. It’s like snuggling up in a comfy blanket and having a hot cup of tea every time I break open a book in this series.
My other standard comfort read is often Carla Kelly. While her characters often endure very tough times and privations they have a strong moral sense and sense of self. The love stories are truly sweet and lovely and she has a way of making you read one and think people are generally good and that things in life may all work out well in the end. Everyone has their particular favorites but I keep going back to “With This Ring, The Lady’s Companion, Marrying The Captain, Marrying The Surgeon and Miss Whittier Makes a List”.
Last but not least is Lisa Kleypas. I know she doesn’t work for everyone but I cannot think of one books of hers from “Dreaming of You” on that I don’t at least really like, and most of them I love. I’ve yet to find a funk that The Hathaways and/or The Wallflowers won’t help if liberally supported with ice cream or some other treat. Reapply as necessary.
I re-ead a lot. From classics to romance favourites, especially in times when I am weary and need certainty of a good read. I love revisiting books, just to see if they would have the same impact, withstand the test of time and my maturity or lack of. Lately, I have been on a re-read binge of children’s literature that I read with my kids in Elementry school.