I read a lot. You probably do, too. But sometimes neither my head nor heart is in it. That’s what’s been happening this year.
I can’t focus. I can’t get carried away to another world. I get restless. I pick up the book, read a page, put it down—about five times an hour. I began to notice this during the pandemic, but now that the pandemic has eased in the U.S., I have a new stressor that’s proving to be a major distraction—we’re moving cross-country.
In this context, I discovered comfort reading, which is a salve for the soul of a stressed-out reader. It’s like comfort food, but better for you than mac ‘n’ cheese. It’s about choosing books that make you feel good, satisfied.
I first noticed comfort reading after finishing Telegraph Days by Larry McMurtry. I had randomly picked it up at a used bookstore pre-pandemic, and one Sunday I was looking for something to read and noticed the book on the shelf. I began it up with absolutely no expectations. Well, I found it to be delightful—funny and poignant, easy to read yet still well written. When I reached the last page, I was totally satisfied. I realized I needed more reading like this during my stressful summer.
What makes a book a comfort read? First and foremost, the characters have a sweetness to them. No deep-seated darkness or dysfunction. Even the bad guys have their reasons, rather than being inherently evil. I also rely on setting for comfort. Some places are just more charming than others. Descriptions of delicious food and drink are a bonus.
Another comfort read this spring is embarrassing to admit. As I packed up my collection of Nancy Drew books for the move, one didn’t fit in the box. So, craving some nostalgia, I sat down with The Haunted Showboat and finished it in one sitting. Not having read a Nancy Drew book since I was about 13, I was totally amused at how unsophisticated the plot was (all those years ago, I found the stories so gripping).
As Nancy and pals headed on a road trip to New Orleans to solve the showboat mystery, they encountered threat after threat—Nancy’s car was stolen, the tires were blown out, a bomb was planted under the car, they were shot at, and more. Nancy treats these incidents so matter-of-factly, like annoyances rather than life-threatening attacks. There’s always a sense that Nancy can handle anything that comes their way. No worries. Nancy’s friends who come along for the ride, George and Bess (who is repeatedly described as being chubby), have such enthusiasm and naivete. And Nancy’s overly innocent thoughts about her beau, Ned Nickerson, are sweet. Of course, there’s the happy ending: The mystery was solved and everyone left New Orleans quite pleased.
More of my comfort reading includes Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache series. In these books, the inspector and his family are so well intentioned and protective of each other. And while the neighbors and friends in their little Quebec village of Three Pines are quirky, they are kind and caring and always willing to help each other. Plus, what could be more comforting than these neighbors gathered around a fire on a snowy night to share steaming bowls of chili and generous glasses of wine, or any of the delicious-sounding meals that Penny so well describes?
My stressful summer doesn’t mean I’m giving up reading. But it does occasionally warrant a comfort read to reset, when I settle into an overstuffed chair and travel to another world where people are good, their environs are beautiful, and there’s always a happy ending. Sometimes you just need that.
0 Comments