As a lifelong reader, I rarely go anywhere without a book. From my purse to my bedside to books scattered through the house, it’s safe to say I’m a book addict. I love sinking into a story, imagining myself in far off (or near off!) places.
While I love to read something new – and the majority of my reading time is spent on new stories – there are also those moments I reach for something comforting and familiar. The emotional equivalent of a warm blanket. For me, I often go back to those comfort reads at times of great stress or fatigue, but also during times where life is just busy. It’s far easier to drop in and out of a story you already know than attempting to keep up with something new.
What’s been an interesting discovery is to realize why I find comfort in a certain set of stories. My list is fairly short, but in each book there’s something about the core of the story that speaks to me on a deeper level. Sometimes it’s the book’s perspective. Or maybe it’s tied to a certain time in my life when I’d first read the book. I’ve even realized that sometimes it’s just a basic premise I’m drawn to over and over. Regardless of the category, my comfort reads speak to me in a way that’s even deeper than the normal joy I find in opening a book.
For fun, here’s a few of the books from my list. I’d love to know what you included on yours!
Ravished by Amanda Quick
This one falls into the “basic premise” category for me. I love a Beauty and the Beast story and this one does not disappoint. While it is true I love anything Amanda Quick writes (and that includes her work as Jayne Ann Krentz and Jayne Castle), there’s something extra special about Ravished. A brilliant and daring heroine. A scarred hero (sigh). And an archaeological find. Oooh, this one is wonderful!
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume.
This book is my “read it at a certain time” story. I read AYTGIMM the year I turned ten. At the time it was a fictional guide about what to expect in real life from puberty - how my friendships would change, how I would change and how my body would change.
What is great about this book is that more than three decades later, it’s not only still an enjoyable read that allows me to remember those days in my life that were full of transformation and learning about myself, but it’s also a story that makes me want to go hug my mother. Judy Blume dedicated the book to her mother and reading it as an adult, there’s definitely a sense of mothers and daughters that’s pervasive in the story.
Happy Ever After by Nora Roberts
The hero of this book is Malcolm Kavanaugh. Oh, Malcolm.
Nora Roberts writes a damn fine hero (Roarke, anyone?!?!?) But she knocked it out of the park with this one. Malcolm Kavanaugh is a bad boy. He also loves his mother, plays poker, has a sexy shoulder tattoo, was an ex-stuntman and knows how to maneuver around a woman as well as a car engine (he’s a mechanic.) Malcolm is perfection on the page. He’s also a charmer, a gentleman, a man who stands up for the underdog and a man who ensures one of his employees learns to read. He has a deeply honorable core that translates into his actions throughout the book and, to me, he is the perfect hero.
What’s even more fun is the heroine Nora wrote to match him. Parker Brown is loyal, driven, kind and a good girl. I like to think Parker’s written as the perfect good girl on the page - one who knows they can be just as naughty as a bad girl if given the right partner.
Thanks for joining me today! And feel free to drop in and share your comfort reads. I’m always looking for new books to add to my stacks!!!
XO,
Addison
Despite early ambitions of being a diver, a drummer or a doctor, Addison Fox happily discovered she was more suited to life as a writer. She lives in Dallas and - thankfully - doesn't have to operate on anyone. You can find her at her home on the web at www.addisonfox.com. Her latest release, THE ROYAL SPY’S REDEMPTION, from Harlequin Romantic Suspense is on shelves now. You can visit her at her website at www.addisonfox.com
