Hrm, comfort books... it depends on what's made me want a comfort book which one I'll go for, so it's a fair list...
All of Douglas Adams body of work. Particularly the Hitchhiker books* or Long Dark Teatime of the Soul. Sara Paretsky's VI Warsawski novels - I've got a real soft spot for them, my dad introduced me to them (apparently he used to listen to radio adaptations, never *ever* watch the film, it's terrible) and I've always loved the strong female lead detective, as is fairly apparent when you look at our bookshelves. I also thought Bleeding Kansas was excellent, but it's not a comfort book, just another by SP that I rate.
That early love of crime novels means that Carl Hiaasen's novels fill me with joy, and fall into the comfort-reading arena. I suspect that Nicola Griffith's stuff will too, but that's a recent discovery, and they're not so light, which may make them less comfort-read - definitely not warm or delightful, but well written and a endlessly strong lead character, which sometimes is what I need.
I think more likely to drift into Comfort Read is Nurk (Ursula Vernon, of course) and possibly Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series.
Stephen Fry - particularly The Liar - that is definitely a curl up and read. As are Puckoon (Spike Milligan) and Three Men in a Boat (Jerome K Jerome). Both are books that bring my dad into my mind, and bring me that bittersweet feeling of being close to him. I also think they're both awesomely funny, which helps. But TMiaB I can actually hear my dad reading to me when I'm reading it. It was traditional for us to have that on holiday, usually in the Lake District with the rain hammering down on the windows...
And for the ultimate cheering up, Elephant's Don't Sit on Cars (David Henry Wilson) and Florence Parry Heide's Treehorn's Treasure (illustrated by Edward Gorey :) ).
Probably a few more in there, but since our book collection is mostly in boxes still, it's hard to remind myself.
* Not a book, but, also, the original BBC radio series of Hitchhiker and The Restaurant at the End of the Universe - complete with announcements, recorded by my dad on crappy C-120 tapes. I need to digitise that** :) ** Also not a book, but entirely wonderful is the vinyl copy of The New World Symphony, complete with scratches, pops, crackles etc. Relates in that it has the same effect on me as some of these books.
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All of Douglas Adams body of work. Particularly the Hitchhiker books* or Long Dark Teatime of the Soul. Sara Paretsky's VI Warsawski novels - I've got a real soft spot for them, my dad introduced me to them (apparently he used to listen to radio adaptations, never *ever* watch the film, it's terrible) and I've always loved the strong female lead detective, as is fairly apparent when you look at our bookshelves. I also thought Bleeding Kansas was excellent, but it's not a comfort book, just another by SP that I rate.
That early love of crime novels means that Carl Hiaasen's novels fill me with joy, and fall into the comfort-reading arena. I suspect that Nicola Griffith's stuff will too, but that's a recent discovery, and they're not so light, which may make them less comfort-read - definitely not warm or delightful, but well written and a endlessly strong lead character, which sometimes is what I need.
I think more likely to drift into Comfort Read is Nurk (Ursula Vernon, of course) and possibly Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series.
Stephen Fry - particularly The Liar - that is definitely a curl up and read. As are Puckoon (Spike Milligan) and Three Men in a Boat (Jerome K Jerome). Both are books that bring my dad into my mind, and bring me that bittersweet feeling of being close to him. I also think they're both awesomely funny, which helps. But TMiaB I can actually hear my dad reading to me when I'm reading it. It was traditional for us to have that on holiday, usually in the Lake District with the rain hammering down on the windows...
And for the ultimate cheering up, Elephant's Don't Sit on Cars (David Henry Wilson) and Florence Parry Heide's Treehorn's Treasure (illustrated by Edward Gorey :) ).
Probably a few more in there, but since our book collection is mostly in boxes still, it's hard to remind myself.
* Not a book, but, also, the original BBC radio series of Hitchhiker and The Restaurant at the End of the Universe - complete with announcements, recorded by my dad on crappy C-120 tapes. I need to digitise that** :)
** Also not a book, but entirely wonderful is the vinyl copy of The New World Symphony, complete with scratches, pops, crackles etc. Relates in that it has the same effect on me as some of these books.