Life is hard right now. There’s no getting around it, and these new circumstances are definitely informing what books I’m pulling off my shelf these days. For me, reading has long been a reprieve from every day stress, but now that things have officially reached full-on crazy-town levels I’m reading purely for comfort. I thought I’d share the kinds of stories that make me feel warm and cozy.

Childhood Favorites

Anyone who knows me well knows my love for children’s books runs deep. It probably has something to do with being an oddball kid that begged her parents to read not one but TWO Magic Treehouse books before bed basically every night for a couple years. I have always taken comfort in books, and it’s a good feeling to go back to the stories that kept me company in my youth. I have a post forthcoming about reading children’s books as an adult, so I won’t give away too much yet, but I would feel disingenuous not starting a post on comfort reads without mentioning some of my favorites. 

The Magic Treehouse Collection doesn’t quite have the charm it did when I was seven, but I will never get tired of the Harry Potter series or The Little Prince (read: some of my all time favorite books). Right now, I’m re-reading the His Dark Materials series and plan to watch the new HBO show as well. These books are easy to get through by nature, but they really pack an emotional punch. I love the power behind this genre of fiction that so many adult readers dismiss.

Fairytale Retellings

Along similar lines, there is probably nothing I enjoy reading more than a fairytale retelling, regardless of whether there’s a pandemic going on and I need all the self-soothing I can get. We tend to know these stories, but I’m constantly impressed by the creativity authors bring to these tried and true narratives. For me, retellings tend to strike the perfect balance between familiarity and literary innovation.

When choosing a fairytale retelling, you have countless options. You have science-fiction YA like The Lunar Chronicles (featuring futuristic versions of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Snow White). I devoured this series via audiobook and couldn’t recommend this lighthearted yet thrilling series enough. If you’re interested in a darker, more mature approach to fairy tales, the brilliance that is Niomi Novik cannot be overstated. Novik weaves folk history with familiar stories like Beauty & the Beast (in Uprooted) and Rumplestiltskin (in Spinning Silver) to transform them into something entirely new.

Short Books v. Long Books and Series

Which is better: the weighty yet immersive tome with countless chapters or the brief text that packs a punch in under 100 pages? 

I love both, but I think one can be more comforting than the other depending on your personality. If you find peace in checking things off a list and accomplishing something, small books are great. They’re also perfect for readers that want to enjoy a lot of different stories, or for those who want to use the quarantine to try a variety of fiction that they may not have explored before. If you’re looking for a thought-provoking, short book, I highly recommend all 81-pages of The Testament of Mary. Colm Tóibín is a genius with words.

On the other hand, there is something so soothing about sinking your teeth into an entirely new world. There’s a reason why so many (but certainly not all) fantasy books push 1000s of pages: the author has the space to build everything from scratch. Historical fiction also benefits from wiggle room: all 848 pages of The Luminaries benefit from Elizabeth Catton’s tireless research about the New Zealand Gold Rush. (Trust me... it’s amazing.) 

I also love that once you select a big book or hefty series, you’re set for a while. As someone who is a) easily overwhelmed and b) obsessed with reading, it can take me a solid half hour to pick a new book because I’m so excited about all the options. (Yes, I’m aware this makes me sound like the ultimate dweeb.) Once you begin the robust, totally engrossing A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones) series off the shelf, there’s no going back for a while.