Everyone has their list of favorite books and stories, but it intrigues me to know which books did they think were so good that they just had to reread them. What books made you have to pause at the end and then think “I need to read that again”? What books did you enjoy and made you smile that they became the stories that you reach for when you need a little comfort? While I have many favorite books, some I’ve reread and some I haven’t, these are a few of the stories that bring me comfort when I need it.
My mom actually picked this book out for me when I was about 11, and on one rainy day, I finished it. Then I decided to read it again. And again. Between the ages of 11 and 19, I probably read this book, no lie, over 10 times. Recently, for old times’ sake, I read it again, and even in my late 20s, I still find it charming and fun. It follows the story of Cimorene, a strong-willed princess who chooses to live with dragons rather than marry a prince she doesn’t love. This is the first book in a series called The Enchanted Forest Chronicles. All the books in the series are very fun to read, but it’s the first book that holds a place in my heart.
If you know, you know. This is probably one of the greatest love stories ever written about a wealthy, pompous man who falls for a witty, sharp woman from a lower social class. The story follows these two as they deal with several misunderstandings as well having to deal with with own follies and vices. I read this book every Christmas because I was first introduced to the world of Jane Austen by my mother during the Christmas season when I was younger. While Jane Austen is one of the greatest writers of all time, her writing style is a little dry at times.
This book follows a woman in her early thirties who just has too many hangups when it comes to her dating life, and part of that is because of her secret obsession with Pride and Prejudice, particularly Mr. Darcy. In order to get the Darcy-craze out of her system, she uses a gift from a distant relative to go to Austenland, a Jane Austen themed live-action roleplay to act out her own Regency Era fantasy. She enters the 19th century charade thinking she’s got this in the bag only to learn she may not have what it takes to be a true Austen heroine. It’s just funny and heartwarming with a cute, cringey love story and a heroine who I identify with a little too much.
This book is my security blanket, my night light. This book went with me to 27 states; anytime I traveled, this was the book I would take with me. I fell in love with it when I was 12 or 13 because of how much I resonated with it. It’s pretty much a book about the love of books. The story follows a young girl, Meggie, and her father who share a deep love for books, but Meggie can’t help but wonder why her father refuses to read aloud to her. After a man who doesn’t seem to belong to this world shows up at their doorstep, things begin to take a very dark turn, and Meggie soon learns of her father’s remarkable gift to bring stories to life (literally) with his voice.
This is probably one of the best books I have ever read. Probably one of the best books ever to be written. And that’s the charm of it. There are no intense action scenes or thrilling mysteries or passionate love stories or fantastical aspects. It is so well-written and captivating that you don’t even realize that the book does not have all of the concepts that would normally make a story interesting. It follows a young, tom-boyish girl living with her older brother and lawyer father in the deep south during the Great Depression. We see the entire story take place through her eyes, the eyes of innocence. The story captures and breaks your heart, and despite the warmth that is seen in some of the most beloved and intriguing characters in literature – Scout Finch, Boo Radley, Tom Robinson, Calpurnia, Atticus Finch – it greatly addresses heavier topics like racial injustice, rape, and the death of innocence.
Just as Pride and Prejudice is my Christmas book, Dark Harvest is my Halloween book. The story takes place in a small Midwestern town during. In this little town, it seems no one can leave. Every year on Halloween, all the young men participate in The Run, a ritual where they must hunt a pumpkin-headed monster called “the October Boy” or “Sawtooth Jack” that rises from the cornfields. Whoever captures and kills the monster before midnight is given the chance to leave the town, pockets full and his family well-taken care of. The tale follows three characters that decide to bend the rules of The Run: Pete, Kelly, and the October Boy himself. While the ending is satisfying, it does still leave the reader with a lot of questions and ideas up for speculation. But it makes for a pleasant and spooky evening read.
