I’m a huge comfort re-reader, and have been since I was a kid (I can still remember passages from Heidi and some ajudy ablume books that I would flip to every time I needed to feel better.

If I love a book I read from the library, I will buy it for this reason, so I can have it for re-reading later.

I’m a big proponent of re-reading— some books I’ve read probably 10 or so times! (More common when I was a child.) I’m sorry to hear about your family and would be doing the same thing.

I find fantasy and adventure particularly comforting. Lord of the Rings is fairly soothing and reassuring, as is The Hobbit. During a recent stressful period of time I re-read something like 5 Michael Crichton books- not soothing so much as engrossing/took my mind off things. (Some of the prose made me wince but they’re definitely page turners.)

Maria Dermout's "The Ten Thousand Things." Beautifully written, almost dreamlike account of lives in the Spice Islands just after the colonial period.

It is so soothing that I re-read it only on airplanes, to assuage my intense fear of flying.

Anonymous wrote:OP here, thank you all for your good wishes and recommendations! I added some to my library list. I haven't read Lord of the Rings in a while, I used to be very into fantasy. I'm comforted to hear that many of us look to reread books as old friends...I loved the reference of "getting to know new characters" lol, when I was starting that new book I felt like, "I am not in the mood to get to know this person."

So I am going to search out some old friends and I hope you all find comfort in some too.

Best wishes to you and your family, OP.

When I was a child, this quote was in my public library that left an impact on me then and still does to this day:

"He that loveth a book will never want a faithful friend, a wholesome counsellor, a cheerful companion, an effectual comforter." -- Isaac Barrow

I do this, too. In times of intense stress, I can’t get into new books so I go back to old favorites for moments of escape and comfort.

In normal times, I greatly dislike re-reading books but that may be because I associate doing so with times of stress? I don’t know, but perhaps a therapist would…

Katherine Center was called the queen of comfort reads. I wish she wrote more books!

I absolutely read for comfort. ((Hugs))

OP here, thank you all for your good wishes and recommendations! I added some to my library list. I haven't read Lord of the Rings in a while, I used to be very into fantasy. I'm comforted to hear that many of us look to reread books as old friends...I loved the reference of "getting to know new characters" lol, when I was starting that new book I felt like, "I am not in the mood to get to know this person."

So I am going to search out some old friends and I hope you all find comfort in some too.

I'm sorry, OP.

I re-read all the Austen novels every few years. I've re-read Lord of the Rings trilogy several times as well.

I love to reread! I think a good book deserves to be reread, in fact. You notice different details when you know how a book is going to end.

Good luck to your family. Cancer sucks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks, PPs. I think for now I'm going to stick with my "comfort" genre (historical romance, lol) and maybe try to reread books from my favorite author. If anyone has some feel good, easy on the brain fiction recommendations, I'd certainly be open to them right now!

Can you branch out into contemporary romance? Ali Hazewood’s Love Theoreticaly comes to mind.

During the pandemic I only read very fluffy chick lit and romance. I could not handle anything more. I love Ali Hazelwood for that.

Anonymous wrote:I’m so sorry, OP.

I am a huge re-reader. Reading a new book is exciting and can be great, but it’s also a risk and it takes a lot of energy to learn new characters, follow a plot, etc. Of course that’s wonderful and important for intellectual engagement, but re-reading a favorite book is like spending time with people you love. I have read the Discovery of Witches series probably 8 times. It’s like the characters are friends.

(Now I sound super weird, I realize…)

I have different comfort books but I agree with you about the emotional energy required for starting something new. Rereading is easiest, trying a new book by an author I know I like is next, and even a new book in one of my favourite genres can also be okay, but something really new requires me to be emotionally prepared to meet all those new people lol.