Cosy Comfort Reads

Sometimes we need books to be more than just books.

There’s nothing like comfort reading when you’re feeling sad, unwell, or otherwise in need of a pick-me-up. If you’re looking for a little self-care, here are some tips for choosing your next book.

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Books you’ve read before

This is my favourite type of comfort read. If you’re anything like me, you’ll have books you haven’t read for years. You may not remember what happens in them. But you probably do remember how you felt when you were reading them. So you can pick something that’s just right for how you’re feeling now.

Your To Be Read pile will forgive you, just this once.

Slow burn stories

Thrillers and action stories are not going to help you feel rested and relaxed. Bring it down a notch with a nice slow burn mystery instead. You don’t need gore right now so head straight to the cosy category. Cosy mysteries usually have the added benefits of a victim no-one liked, and a villain with a specific motive that won’t keep you awake at night.

Other genres, like romance, include books that are slow burn. You can search by phrase to find them online, or use comments in the reviews to identify likely options.

Children’s books

There’s no rule that you have to read books written for your age group. Children’s authors know how to look after a reader. The baddie is stopped – and sometimes we find they aren’t really that bad after all. The unfairly treated person gets a wonderful opportunity. Everyone goes home in time for tea. 

Books for children require less concentration and are less likely to end in tears. When life gets too complicated, isn’t it nice to escape into something simpler?

Happy Ever After endings

I like a happy ending but my preference is for something plausible. Happy ever after endings (or HEAs as they are known in romance reader circles) are sometimes just not plausible. But there are times when we want to suspend a little more disbelief than usual. It’s worth having a book with a happy ever after ending on your bookshelves in readiness.

It doesn’t have to be a romance. Anything from mystery to sci-fi or fantasy can have a happy ever after. Just stay away from horror, dystopia, and literary fiction, and you’ll do fine.

Are there any books that make you feel better on a difficult day?

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You might also like: How to Slow Time.

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