One of the reasons I love to read is the escape it can provide from real life. When the world gets to be a bit much, a great book can sweep you away into another reality and provide a distraction. I have a few books set aside as comfort reads:
Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
This is the ultimate comfort read because nothing really happens in the book. It really just outlines life in this small fictional English town and how life passes for its residents. I have only read through Cranford once, but would crack it open from time to time and read bits and pieces from it. There’s something about the quiet narrative that I found so comforting. There’s also the wonderful BBC adaptation starring Judy Dench, which you should absolutely watch.
Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
I only just read this book, but I can tell already that it’s going to be the book that takes me away when life gets overwhelming. It’s almost like an extended fairy tale – the world is so different from anything we’d experience in real life and it fully gets its hooks into you.
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
If you haven’t read this childhood classic, seriously go get it right now. It’s a must for anyone who loves reading, language, and word play – to this day I have never read anything quite like it. The Phantom Tollbooth was my go-to book as a kid, and I think I’ve read it over one hundred times. It is the ultimate comfort read because it’s short enough to read in an afternoon, is a world of pure imagination, has the best illustrations, and is ridiculously fun.

So, I’m opening the discussion to all you lovely readers: do you guys have go-to comfort reads? What makes a book comforting for you? What’s your favorite genre to read as a distraction from the real world?
This is so true for me. I love to re-read bits from books I read as a teenager (Avalon High comes to mind as one that I end up reaching for) just because I know them well enough that I can start wherever I like and just read for a little bit and then put them down again regardless of how far I’ve got.
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I used to re-read whole books much more when I was younger, but now reading bits of beloved books works so well! I’m glad I’m not the only one 😃
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My kids and I love The Phantom Tollbooth! I really need to add Strange the Dreamer to my TBR list. My go-to comfort genre is mystery/thriller no specific book.
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Strange the Dreamer really surprised me! I thought I’d like it, I didn’t realise how much though
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A big yes for The Phantom Tollbooth.
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It’s one of my favourites! I’m always thrilled to see others love it too
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Great topic! I think for me it would be Harry Potter, Illuminae and strange the dreamer. Laini Taylor’s writing is just a dream!
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I need to read Illuminae! I hadn’t heard of it until I started blogging, and now I see it pop up everywhere.
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It’s so different. Took me a while to get into it but once I was hooked I was hooked! I hope you get the chance to pick it up!
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