Over on the dreams thread in General Chatter, I mentioned one of my 'comfort books'—one of the books I can read whenever I'm feeling depressed, or lonely, or just blah, and it'll make me feel better. Among other things, I've read them so many times that they don't take much effort, and I can just skip around to the good/moving/uplifting/funny parts. I have a lot, partly because I read and reread a lot. Sadly, these days I'm generally tired and do little reading other than rereading my comfort books...maybe I should ditch some of them?
Anyway, am I the only one who does this? Any of you guys have some good ones? My big ones are Harry Potter, P.J. O'Rourke, Timothy Zahn's and Aaron Allston's Star Wars novels, Traitor (another Star Wars novel), Wheel of Time, and some of Terry Goodkind.
Re: Comfort Books
I usually go with comfort movies, as under those circumstances I get too lazy or moody to read. If I'm motivated enough to read, Watership Down and The Hobbit are on the top of my list.
Re: Comfort Books
Lord of the Rings. Especially the following scenes: Eowyn and Meriodoc vs. Lord of the Nazgul, Gandalf et al vs. the Mouth of Sauron, and the final scene at Mount Doom.
"the only thing worse than a freeper is a blue state freeper that doesn't realize they're a freeper." -dhex
hoisted by their own waterboard!
-dhex
Re: Comfort Books
Hmm, A Fine and Pleasant Misery and They Shoot Canoes, Don't They? by Patrick F. McManus definitely qualify. Also the various Tolkiens, some of the early Tom Clancies (especially THfRO and RSR). Back in the day, Team Yankee by Harold Coyle (no longer have access to a copy). Also Some of the Dragonriders of Pern books, especially the Dragonsinger/song/drums series.
My wife's got a copy of Watership Down, so that may get added to the list.
"But if it makes you feel better, I would also enjoy a world in which there are men, women, transsexuals, genderqueer folk, etc. who all enjoy pelican role-play." - JD
"Extraordinary conditions do not create or enlarge constitutional powers."
Re: Comfort Books
My list reveals my extreme nerdiness, but it's not like y'all are unaware of that:
On Liberty, The Complete Poe, Snowcrash, Franny & Zooey, LotR, Catch 22, Road to Serfdom, and I sometimes go back and read a stats book or my micro theory stuff. {/dork}
Whenever I catch so much as a glimpse of pr0n, I suddenly turn into a sex-crazed barbarian, slashing and clawing my way through whatever and whomever until I find something to put my weiner into. -- Taktix
Re: Comfort Books
bob wilson; also portrait of the artist as a young man.
"Yeah, but my character would be all swav and deboner." - Warren
Re: Comfort Books
I don't exactly read them for emotional comfort, but I do have some favorite books that I have practically memorized because I go back and reread them again from time to time. Some of these have completely disintegrated spines and loose pages and are held together with a rubber band; a few are new copies to replace the old ones that completely fell apart.
In rough order of acquisition:
Favorites from junior high and high school:
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
The Chinese Looking Glass by Dennis Bloodworth (nonfiction; general overview of Chinese culture and history)
Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (I don't care)
The Mote in God's Eye by Niven and Pournelle
I discover Heinlein:
Friday by Heinlein
Starship Troopers by Heinlein
The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress by Heinlein
I start reading libertarian material from Laissez Faire Books:
The Machinery of Freedom by David D. Friedman
The Discovery of Freedom by Rose Wilder Lane (this one actually is an uplifter in these dark times of political pessimism)
My flagging interest in science fiction is revitalized:
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson
The Star Fraction by Ken MacLeod
A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge
Not quite reread as often as the rest, but sort of getting there:
The Sovereign Individual by two guys whose names I can never get straight -- Robertson/Robinson and Lord Something Reese-Moog/Mogg
"My intellect is gigantic, monstrous, terrifying."
Re: Comfort Books
Anything by Clifford Simak.
This is a personal problem. There are very few personal problems that cannot be solved through a suitable use of high explosives. This is not one of those exceptions.
Re: Comfort Books
Oh, yeah. Especially Way Station, City, and The Goblin Reservation.
"But if it makes you feel better, I would also enjoy a world in which there are men, women, transsexuals, genderqueer folk, etc. who all enjoy pelican role-play." - JD
"Extraordinary conditions do not create or enlarge constitutional powers."
Re: Comfort Books
The 13 Clocks by James Thurber. Very much in the vein of The Princess Bride, I've had this one since I was little. An evil duke who claims he's slain Time itself, a prince whose name begins with X and doesn't, headless monsters lurking in the dark, impossible quests, invisible spies, and, of course, the Golux - the only Golux in the world, and not a mere Device - what more could you want? For the story to be longer...