What We Are Reading—The "Comfort" Edition

Cara/Andrea here, For this month’s “What We Are Reading” feature, we decided to do a “companion” piece to last month’s “Comfort Activities”—the things we do to relieve stress when Life (as the coming holidays and all the things that can make them . . . complicated) gets a little out of control So here’s a list of some of our favorite “go-to” comfort reads—the literary equivalent of a mug of hot chocolate and a plate of fresh-baked cookies!

Nicola:
Comfort reads. Just the words make me feel all warm and happy. These are the battered books on my keeper shelves that I reach for whenever I want to curl up knowing I am in for a good read. It doesn’t matter that I know the story by heart and could probably quote quite a bit of it aloud. These books never let me down.
 
Here are a few of my absolute favourites: This Rough Magic by Mary Stewart. I could choose anything by Mary Stewart, really, but This Rough Magic just squeaks in as my favourite as a result of the combination of exotic location, strong heroine, gorgeous hero and a life-saving aquatic mammal. Makes me cry every time in a GOOD way.
 
There are many Regency historicals on my keeper shelf: books by my fellow wenches, Ann Elizabeth Cree, Anna Campbell and Louise Allen amongst others but one of my stand out comfort reads is The Beau and the Bluestocking, a traditional Regency by Alice Chetwynd Ley. As with Mary Stewart, I could have chosen almost any of Alice’s books because they were amongst the first Regencies I ever read and I’ve loved them ever since. I love the trope of the clever heroine who refuses to be impressed by the fashionable fop only to discover that he has hidden depths… The Beau and the Bluestocking seems to be out of print but I see that a number of Alice Chetwynd Ley's books have been reissued in e-book and a good thing too!
 
Amongst the contemporary romances that I turn to when I’m looking for a comfort read are Sarah Morgan’s books (again, almost ALL of them), Sophe Page’s To Marry A Prince, the perfect fairy story and Persuade Me, by Juliet Archer. Perhaps because Persuasion, by Jane Austen, is also a comfort read for me, I absolutely adored Juliet’s modern take on the story.

Pat:
I have so little time for reading that “comfort” reads could easily mean anything I’m reading right now. I bought Sharon Shinn’s latest, Jeweled Fire, because I was going to be on a plane for 19 hours and I wanted an author I knew I could trust and a book I could sink into. But I wouldn’t call it easy or mindless reading for when the brain just wants simple.

One of my favorite authors is Jayne Anne Krentz in all her incarnations, and I have lots of her books on shelves and in my e-readers, so I suppose I could call her one of my fall-back authors, ones I trust to give me a rip-rousing story with great characters and a lovely romance. Just pick one from her website and enjoy.

Susan:
There's a small group of books that I will read and re-read whenever I need something comfortable and familiar and close to me - when I'm down with flu, for instance, or feeling low energy or just need to step out of the world for a bit. I'll pick up one of these so-familiar books, the ones that have been with me for years like a well-worn blanket, the books that feed and fill something in me. Mary Stewart is top of that cozy-comfort batch of books, and The Moonspinners is truly my favorite of hers. Other than Mary Stewart, whose books have gotten me through many rough patches over the years, my short reading list also includes Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, Elizabeth Peters' Crocodile on the Sandbank, Mary Brown's whimsical Playing the Jack, and there are a few more on the list. I treasure them all for their different strengths--sometimes it's the exquisite writing, sometimes the story and the characters, sometimes I associate the read with something important in my life. They all combine the best of what I deeply need in a book--characters that I truly love, quality writing and storytelling that means something deeper to me than the many, many books I read and enjoy, but don't need to read again. The comfort reads are deeply special books to me and I'll keep on reading them.    

Mary Jo
Not everyone enjoys rereading a book, even ones they really liked, so I'm grateful that I'm a re-reader and can enjoy favorite books over and over.  Particularly when I'm on deep deadline, I escape into my keeper shelf and often re-read whole series, such as Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan space opera series, Jayne Ann Krentz's Arcane and romantic suspense books, or Sharon Shinn's Twelve Houses or Elemental Blessings series.  They're all great, imaginative storytellers and there are always satisfying endings and usually a fine romance.
 
And if I want humor, I might dive into my Jennifer Crusie books.  Though they can be laugh out loud funny, what makes them special are the layers of subtext below the surface.  A favorite of mine, Bet Me, is romantic comedy at its best, but it's also about body image and self-acceptance.  And shoes. <G>  The heroine Minerva, a cranky actuary whose mother is trying to bully her into becoming much thinner than her body type allows, meets Cal, who is just way too attractive for anyone's good.  When she first sees him in a bar, she thinks, "Every woman in the room with a working ovary probably looked at him and thought, This one!"
 
And matters progress from there, with preparations for Min's sister's wedding, Chicken Marsala, an ugly cat named Elvis, and a man who is much nicer and more complicated than Min's first reaction.  Did I mention that it's laugh out loud funny?
 
Anne:
My comfort reads are usually people like Georgette Heyer and Eva Ibbotson. Others have mentioned Amanda Quick/Jayne Ann Krentz and I'm with them too; I can't tell you how often I've reread Scandal or Trust Me. There's Elizabeth Lowell's medieval Scottish border trilogy, Untamed, Forbidden and Enchanted and lately I've been digging through some of my old Johanna Lindsays.

At this time of year I like to reread a few favorite Christmas books. Trish Ashley's Twelve Days of Christmas is one I never miss rereading, and I recently bought two
Mary Balogh Christmas collections, a few stories of which I'd read before, but some of which were new to me.

But I also like to balance my re-reading with fresh new exciting reads and new-to-me authors, and at this time of year I start to collect new books, ready for the holidays and some lovely self-indulgent reading time.

Joanna:
I thought for a while about ‘comfort reads’ and ‘frivolous reads’ and the sort of books I can go back to and back to and they always make me smile. My ‘magic carpet’ books, as it were.
 
I have LOTS of these. I do indeed. I’m going to point to some old ones. Folk tales. Fairy stories. Contes De Fées.  I find these fascinating on an intellectual level. They also touch my heart. I’m almost cheating because these are everyone’s magic carpet books.
 
When I’m enchanted by a writer like Peter S. Beagle or Tolkien, it’s in part because they’ve tapped into this tradition. Handing out recommendations, I’d suggest the Red Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang. Free at Gutenberg here. The Blue, Yellow, Brown, Violet follow in its wake. All of these are available on Kindle and Nook to rescue you from some perfectly dreadful airline delay.
 
As a backup to the variously colored Fairy Books . . . I was going to suggest Moldavian Folk Tales by Grigore Botezatu which delighted my own children, but I see it has not been reprinted. It appears to cost $200 used. So I’ll put it very carefully back on the shelf and suggest The Arabian Nights by Richard Burton instead.

Cara/Andrea:
I’ve got a number classic comfort reads. First on the list is Pride and Prejudice, which always guarantees a blissful few hours of smiling over Austen’s sharp observations on human nature. The friendships, the foibles, and the lovely way that love conquers all is a delight, no matter how many times I’ve read it. Like a number of the other Wenches, I also turn to the works of Mary Stewart (The Moonspinners and This Rough Magic) and Elizabeth Peters (Children of the Storm.)

I also am a big fan of historical mysteries. The charming Charles Lenox series by Charles Finch is a particular favorite. His lovely prose has a quiet, cozy appeal, the characters and relationships are really well-wrought, and the plots are interesting and address bigger issues than the particular crime. I raced through his latest, Home Before Nightfall, in the week leading up to Thanksgiving, and it was as big a treat as as a slice of pumpkin pie!

So, what about you? What are your favorite comfort reads? Please share!


Comments

[Mary Jo Putney]

Cara/Andrea, just THINKING about these books from all of us makes me give a happy sigh of relaxation. To add to the many wonderful possibilities, last night I started rereading my very First Georgette Heyer: SYLVESTER, OR, THE WICKED UNCLE. Even the title is a smile since it's a Gothic satire.

[Sonya Heaney]

I don’t know if I have particular comfort reads, but I have been alternating between ARCs and rereads for a few weeks now, and it’s making me happy. :)

I usually read historical romance more than other books (just reread The Perfect Rake!), but in the past fortnight I've been reading and rereading a lot of paranormal romance.

I'm not sure you could call Kelley Armstrong's werewolf-themed "Bitten" a "comfort read", but I'm loving rediscovering it!

I’ve been loving many of the rereads much more than many of the new books. Call me crazy, but the romance genre has become much more about misogyny and blonde (thanks, Twilight!)/skinny shaming in the last few years... I want my non-sexist books back!

[Michele]

I always love to read a few holiday-themed books this time of year, and my pick was "The Last Chance Christmas Ball." Perfect blend of likeable characters, believable romance and holiday atmosphere. (Thank you!) When I just need comfort, I turn to Louise Penny's Three Pines series (odd to choose a murder mystery for comfort, but her books aren't really about murder.) Sharon Shinn is a favorite reread. Right now I'm reading Heyer for the first time and I plan to check out your suggestions. Thank you!

[Kathy Lynn Emerson]

Hmmm. I agree completely on rereading (or listening to) almost anything by Elizabeth Peters, Jayne Ann Krentz/Amanda Quick/Jayne Castle, and Mary Stewart. I just finished listening to Touch Not the Cat. But I'd add two of the wenches to that list. I often reread connected stories from book one and have read Jo's Rogues and Mallorens and Mary Jo's Fallen Angels multiple times. I do this with mystery series too, mostly in the cozy realm, but occasionally with paranormal mysteries like Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse series, which are nowhere near as graphic as the TV version (True Blood) and a lot more humorous.
Kathy/Kaitlyn

[Dee]

I am in the Mary Stewart camp, too, but surprised that no one mentioned My Brother Michael. Her Greece-set books were wonderful and Simon was such a great hero in that he gave Camilla supportive space to do some growing. Not a romance but a book I frequently re-read and snicker over is Bill Bryson's In a Sunburned Country - could dovetail into Pat's recent post on Australia. And, never leaving my keeper shelf is Pride, Prejudice and Jasmine Field. Susanna Kearsely's Shadowy Horses. An oldie thriller, Helen MacInnes' Neither Five Nor Three (oh, and Horizon, too).

And, now I am off to get the latest Sharon Shinn- thanks for the tip!

You know, when I look at my comfort read list, it ironically incudes a lot of angsty/cry books. (I was going to list Linda Howard's Cry No More [*snort*, really, it's cry every d*mn time I read it] on the above list because sometimes there's nothing like a good cry to make you feel better.) Not sure if you ever done a post on that type, but since I like y'all's recs, it'd be interesting to see which ones make your cut.

[Andrea Penrose]

I always find Heyer's The Talisman Ring makes me laugh aloud. It, too, is a slightly tongue-in-cheek take on the swashbuckling adventure hero. (Making a note to get it off my keeper shelf and re-read!)

[Andrea Penrose]

Hmmm, not sure I would find werewolves a "comfort" read! But old favorites are always a delight, and sometimes when things get frenetic, they are just the "old friends"to bring an interlude of perfect relaxation.

[Andrea Penrose]

So glad you enjoyed The last Chance Christmas Ball, Michele! I find mysteries a great way to relax too, especially ones that are as much about characters as they are about solving a crime.

[Andrea Penrose]

Kathy, a great list! Thanks for sharing!

[Andrea Penrose]

Dee, I love My Brother Michael too! And Pride, Prejudice and Jasmine Fields is a wonderful book that isn't mentioned much. I thoroughly enjoyed it! Susanna Kearsley is also high on my comfort reads list

And LOVE your suggestion on "Good Cry"books! I will put it on our list for a future WWR, so stay tuned!

[Rose]

When I am stressed and want to relax, I need to be swept to another time and be guaranteed a happy ever after. So, historical romance, hands down calms my worries and pushes the world aside for a little while. Keep them coming!

[Mary T]

I also have a keeper shelf (two actually) full of comfort reads. I most often read them during January and February. Christmas sees me through the first part of Winter but after that all I have is the promise of Spring and my comfort reads for those dreary, gray days.

Most of them are historical romance - I love a good love story. I have many authors there, but my all time favorite is Mary Balogh. There are a couple of hers (SLIGHTLY DANGEROUS and SIMPLY PERFECT) that I go to over and over again. They are like old friends.

Another couple of my favorites (Barbara Metzger and Joan Smith) are there because their books make me laugh. For some reason, when I am down, a good laugh makes me feel so much better. Humor is subjective. We don't all find the same things funny. But these two authors have provided me with many laugh out loud belly laughs.

[Evelyn Alexie]

Put one more down for the Mary Stewart column. And Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe books. But if I'm really in need of comfort, it's usually because the world has been behaving itself in stupid and incomprehensible ways, and for that I usually turn to Terry Pratchett.
In fact, I think I might need to re-read Hogfather soon. ("Though everyone knows it's your father really.")

[KathyK]

I'm a big fan of all the wenches and many of their works are on my comfort list. I also like Elizabeth Lowell's Donovan series and her western "Only" series. Then I like Sharon Lee and Steve Miller's Liadan series. I also like other sci-fi oldies like Asimov and Heinlein. For mysteries it's hard to beat Dorothy Sayers/Peter Wimsey. Thanks for the recommendation on Sharon Shinn. I liked her "12 houses" very much but have lost track of her releases lately. Other, more comtemporary authors of thrillers, are Daniel Silva and David Baldacci. What with keeping up with new releases in the romance genre it's hard to stay in touch with the old favorites. Thanks for this topic.

[Vicki W.]

Comfort reads....oh yes - Jayne Anne Krentz in all her different personas. I was just on a HUGE rereading binge of her books and I've almost finished this year's quota of rereading.

GH Heyer, Mary Jo Putney, Janet Chapman, Linda Howard's Mackenzie books (plus a few other books of hers), Anne MaCaffery, D.E. Stevenson, Mary Stewart, Lori Foster, M.M.Kaye, JoAnna Bourne. Elsie Lee. Misc old sci/fi - fantasy books.

Individual titles (meaning these titles and not the rest of what that author wrote). Agnes and the Hitman (Jennifer Cruise and Bob Mayer?)- this book is guaranteed to make me laugh. Duchess of Asherwood by Mary A Garret (Regency that makes laugh). Tapestry by Maura Seger

Love love love to listen to any of the Mrs. Pollifax books by Dorothy Gilman as read by Barbara Rosenblat. Dick Francis books as read by Simon Prebble and Rosamund Pilcher books. Those are definite comfort listens.

There are other single titles or trilogies on my keeper shelves. And I'm sure I've missed listing authors I reread that I have lots of books by them.

I would love to see a blog post about "Books to Cry About". I too have several books that if I'm feeling sad and in need of a good cry I go find them and invariably cry and feel better.

[Annette Naish]

I reread - Elizabeth Peters, early Julie Garwood, Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Amanda Quick. All these books make me laugh and that is what is comforting to me. The relationships and the snappy dialog are what make me laugh out loud and I keep returning to those books.

[Janice]

Comfort reads for me are often good audiobooks that I can listen to at bedtime -- my favorites are readings of Jane Austen, JRR Tolkien, Dorothy Sayers and Alan Furst.

Comfort print reads vary. Usually I look for authors I haven't read (or read all of) yet, but often when I can't decide on a new book, I will pull an old Mary Balogh, Edith Layton or Marion Chesney. I love Balogh's hook-you-in intensity, Layton's graceful style and Chesney's combination of fairytale romance and acerbic reality.

[Janice]

Left out that I also like Nicola's choice Alice Chetwynd Ley for pure storytelling, and I'm gradually working my way through her books as I come across them. My favorite so far is The Jewelled Snuff-box (review at http://hibiscus-sinensis.com/regency/retroread07.htm#349 )

[Patricia Rice]

Thank you! Because, in a way, writing historical romance is a comfort--we know how it all turns out!

[Patricia Rice]

I remember those gloomy winter days and don't miss them at all. ;) But humor anytime rates high as a comfort read. Maybe we should do a blog on humor sometime. There's so very little of it in current reading!

[Patricia Rice]

ohhhh, now I'm heading for my Pratchett shelf! I have every book he's written and can sink into his humor and satire with a grateful sigh. If only I didn't have fifty blue million other things to do today, le sigh.

[Patricia Rice]

We're always amenable to feeding bookaholic habits!

[Patricia Rice]

I love that so many reader comfort reads are old familiar favorites! But it's driving me crazy that I don't have time to go back and drag them all out. Maybe I should quit buying new books! Crusie's humor is one of the best.

[Patricia Rice]

Ah, another one who likes humor. Andrea can have the cry blog, I'll take the humor one. SEP is another of my ideals. I want to be her when I grow up.

[Patricia Rice]

Ley is new to me. Between your rec and Nicola's, I guess I'd better go check her out, thanks!

[Mary Jo Putney]

Dee. I also love MY BROTHER MICHAEL, and all Mary Stewart's other Greek-set books. Well, I love all her books, but in particular the ones set in Greece. And I adored Bill Bryson's A SUNBURNT COUNTRY--I read it before we traveled there in 2009, and I really need to read it again. Hmmmm....

[Janice]

"Everything old is new again" :) There are so many marvelous vintage regency authors falling out of memory. It's one reason I cheer every time I see someone like Ley or Chater get new life via ebook release.

[Samantha]

Mary Jo's fallen angel series. The original 4. I have read them so many times and now have them on my e-reader.

[Lillian Marek]

You've all mentioned so many lovely books! The phrase "comfort books" always reminds me of the time I was fairly new on a job, and a colleague and I had just put in a horrendous 60-hour week getting a project done on time. When we resurfaced, we discovered that each of us had gone home and curled up to recuperate with an Elizabeth Peters book.
It's nice to work with someone on the same wavelength.

[Jobev]

I'm glad you enjoy re-reading the Rogues, Kathy.

I agree with you about the Sookie Stackhouse books. The first ones had some humor and there was always a different tone to them.

[Jobev]

I like the Lieden books, too, Kathy. It's a softer vibe than Shinn, though I enjoy her, too.

[Jobev]

I recommend Ley, too, Pat.

[Kathy K]

As a matter of fact, my Mom gave me a book called "Bookaholics" for Christmas one year. I can't imagine what she meant by that! (big grin) As we bookaholics often say, "I could stop reading any time. I just don't happen to want to stop right now."

[Sue McCormick]

Almost all of the above recommendations (some of the authors are new to me and must be looked into)!

But I have an odd quirk in rereads: two science fiction authors write military-style fiction that I enjoy very much (and I don't usually like military stories). Neither C J Cherryh nor Elizabeth Moon write "easy" books. In fact both tend to start with the hero or heroine in a very tense and confusing situation. And you need to stay alert to follow the twists and turns and the political and military strategies. But I always feel refreshed after rereading Cherryh's many books in the Ateva (Foreigner) universe and Moon's Familias Regnet and Vatta Wars universes.

These two authors do not write what are usually considered comfort books, they are more like Dee's recommendation of "Cry No More!" which I mentally included in my "all of the above" statement. These are tense books which are still a comfort to me personally.

[Andrea Penrose]

Thanks, Rose! We will do our best!

[Andrea Penrose]

Mary, Barbara Metzger writes wonderfully funny Regencies, so glad to see you enjoy her humor too. And of course Mary Balogh is on many of our keeper shelves!

[Andrea Penrose]

Oh, I still haven't gotten to Pratchett, even though all the Wenches love his writing. Now MUST move his books up to the top of the TBR pile

[Andrea Penrose]

Kathy, glad to see another Peter Wimsey fan! I adore her mystery series.Another old friend to try to visit soon!

[Andrea Penrose]

Wonderful list!

And yes, we will do the "good cry" books in the future!

[Andrea Penrose]

Me, too!

[Andrea Penrose]

That's a great story, Lillian! One really does bond with people who read the same books!

[Andrea Penrose]

Really interesting list, Sue. I totally get how Intense books that r demand concentration can be "comforting." Any story that whisks you into its world for a few hours is an escape from everyday routine and stresses.

[Michelle H]

Ahhhhh...The Shadowy Horses. Great time to reread that, maybe after Christmas, as I'm reading and rereading all my Christmas collection new and old.

I LOVE your idea about a list of angsty/cry-cry every d*mn time you read them books. Which is oddly what I was doing over Thanksgiving in the quiet times, rereading a book I knew was going to make me angsty and cry....a Grace Burrowes book, which I don't even have to list by name because for me all of them are like that.....with a huge lump in my throat and a box of tissues. I think with all the prep done I just needed some space and time to myself. An indulgence and an escape.

Well I think that's probably what I like all of the Wenches works. Some laughter and some tears. An indulgence and an escape. I could add a few Wenches books to that list, just a few. :)

[Michelle H]

I just love these 'What we're reading/rereading now' posts! And what great theme, comfort reads. These blogs spark some of the best comments and this one was perfect.

As usual I am switching windows back and forth adding books to my wish list from the recommendations of the Wenches and the replies.

Whether I feel like a laugh or a more angsty read I'll have a bigger list (bigger than ever, sigh) that I JUST HAVE TO GET TO SOON!! And yet, I now have to go pull out and reread one of MJP's Fallen Angels that I love so much, one that I was going to wait until I had all of them in the series before rereading but heck, why wait?

And lastly: (oh well that's lastly for this time) Thank you MJP for the Georgette Heyer rec. I have that book but haven't read it yet. Since I binge-buy when they are on sale and then with all that glorious loot at my disposal I don't know what to read next!

[Teresa Broderick]

Reading through all the comfort reads I see a lot of my own favourites there. I love Georgette Heyer and Persuasion is my fav Austen read. I also have two out and out favourites and they're written by Mary Nichols. Marrying Miss Hemingford and Working Man Society Bride. I recently won a copy of The Last Chance Christmas Ball and I'm (trying) to save it for the hols as I love reading themed books of the time. And now through this newsletter I've discovered Alice Chetwynd Ley. Can't wait to try one of these.

[Andrea Penrose]

Michelle, so glad you enjoy these What We Are Reading blogs. I love them too—though they are VERY dangerous to the wallet. I get so many great recommendations from all our readers as well as the other Wenches.

[Andrea Penrose]

Teresa, thanks for the Mary Nichols recommendation! Persuasion is a huge favorite of mine too.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Samantha, I love that I've been able to put my older books into e-editions. And I've very glad that you've continued to enjoy the stories!

[Karin]

Funny you should mention Dorothy Sayers-there was an amazing Cyber Monday sale of her books on Kindle, most were $1.99, and I ended up buying 9(that's right NINE) of them before I was able to snap out of it. The ones with Harriet Vane are my favorite comfort reads, but I'm looking forward to rereading some of the others too.
I think almost everyone has a favorite Edith Layton comfort read-mine is "The Chance" although I love the whole "C" series. I also go back to Anne Gracie's "Perfect Rake", Balogh's "Almost Married", Jo's "Lord Wraybourne's Betrothed", Heyer's "Devil's Cub", Patricia Wentworth's mysteries, Lisa Kleypas historicals, and some very old Jayne Ann Krentz and Linda Howard books.
I see a lot of us have similar tastes in comfort!

[Nicola Cornick]

All M M Kaye's books are on my comfort reads shelf too, Vicki. I hadn't thought about Mrs Pollifax for ages and must dig those out too. Love them! Thank you for reminding me.

[Nicola Cornick]

That's one of my favourites too, Janice, along with At Dark of the Moon and The Tenant of Chesdene Manor. I have almost all her books on my shelf and read and re-read time and again.

[Reina]

I really enjoy these posts on what books you're reading--thank you! Though my tbr list keeps growing because of your recommendations, I'm happy to have more books to choose from, especially when I'm not finding something appealing. :) My comfort reads are Country of the Pointed Firs (Sarah Orne Jewett), Jane Austen, the Ramona books (Cleary--favorites from childhood), the Betsy series by Maud Hart Lovelace, and the Miss Read books. Thanks again and I'm off to Goodreads to add to my "shelf"!

[Sophie Weston]

This is lovely. Thank you so much. So many of my favourites and plenty of new-to-me authors to try. Great to see lovely Mary Nichols mentioned and Elizabeth Moon, too, someone whose books I just gobbled up after I found her, I'm also a Stewart and Heyer fan too - and pretty much all the Word Wenches, unsurprisingly - as well as Pratchett and Dorothy L Sayers.

One comfort read that surprised me, because I'm not keen on vampires on the whole, is Sunshine by Robin McKinley. Very intense and believable, with a hero to die for. Have re-read it several times and it stays up there, for me.

[Jorie]

Hallo, Hallo dear Word Wenches!

My absences are many but I've been following you by your newsletter and seen you on Twitter a few times as well. Forgive the long silence as I have missed reading your posts and learning more about the eras in history that give joy to my spirit to read. I'm switching up a few things in New Year on my own blog, to where I'm being more selective and will have more time to visit whilst chattering once again. Launching my blog was a learning curve but now is the time for better balance as a whole.

Like you, I love reading ChocLit and have missed interacting with your posts featuring those lovely authors. I'm getting back into my Classics in New Year, and one thing I dearly want to do is finish my Austen books, so I can start reading Juliet Archers stories based on Austen. I find settling into ChocLit and the Classics are equally a cuppa comfort for me to read.

I'm finishing my time with Jane Eyre over Christmas as I have the pleasure of reading two after canon sequel authors whilst blogging about how I choose which sequel authors to read. The first one focuses on Mr Rochester's first wife (Wide Sarrago Sea) and the second one is combination sequel of both the original and this version: All Hallows at Eyre Hall by Luccia Gray (whose second of the trilogy is Twelfth Night at Eyre Hall). Have you come across these? or do you stick with the canons only? I like to find authors who yield to to canon but then make it their own like Laurie R. King (a la Holmes).

Outside of the Rom from ChocLit, my favourite comforts would be cosy mysteries, as I love a wicked good mystery or suspense!

Lovely convo!

[Jorie]

*update: It's 'Wide Sargasso Sea' by Jean Rhys.