Mental comfort food.

Today was one of those days where I needed some mental comfort food. What do I mean by that? I mean one of those books that you can slip into like a cozy blanket and let your brain rest. That isn’t to say that you aren’t actually doing a bit of mental work, but sometimes you just want to know the story ahead of time.

I used to say that I wasn’t a re-reader, but I realize the older I get the less that is true. I love to re-read books that mean something to me, or even that I want to re-visit because I can’t quite remember what happened. That book for me today is Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. I have every book of the Harry Potter series on Audible, as I have mentioned a million times before, and there is something about Jim Dale’s voice that lulls me into a comfortable place.

I tend to return a ton of books on Audible – so many that they have now eliminated that possibility for me unless I call and ask them to refund me. It isn’t a big deal, but I hate talking on the phone, and every time I try to return something online I get a virtual scolding. I mean, I get it but it isn’t like I’m returning them for no reason. I always listen to samples before I purchase, but sometimes the story just doesn’t draw me in. I’m currently sitting about 30% intoThe Mermaid & Mrs. Hancock, by Imogen Hermes Gowar and it just isn’t doing it for me. I want to love it but I find myself getting bored and that’s never what you want during a listen. And since I cannot currently return books, I downloaded the first of the Harry Potter series to give my mind a rest. It’s exactly what I needed.

So what are the books that I can slip into like an old cardigan? Let’s take a look:

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

This has been mentioned in my very first blog post, and still to this day I can open it up and fall right into it.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

All of the books in this series, really.

Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen

I read this on average once a year. Best love story ever written.

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

I love this for the story and for the bold symbolism.

11/22/63 by Stephen King

Though I’ve only read this once, I know it will be a re-read in the future for me. It feels like a hug, oddly enough. There’s something cozy about Jake and Sadie.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

I mean, do I really need to explain? I’ve read this about three or four times, and each time it’s like reading it the first time.

Every now and then it’s okay to open something up that you have before – and as I was scouring my bookshelves for titles that feel like an old pal, I realized I really don’t have that many. I don’t have many re-reads. Maybe it just takes something special, I don’t know. Whatever the reason, it doesn’t actually matter. Because in your own reading life, the only opinion that is important is your own.

go read something delightful, my dears. And know that whenever your mind needs brain-mac•n•cheese, it’s alright to go eat a great big bowl of it.

xoxo

is.