Top Ten Tuesday: Comfort Reads

This weeks Top Ten Tuesday is all about comfort reads. This can be qualities that we look for in books, or specific books we re-read when we need to take some time. I am going to go half and half for this topic, five qualities I look for in comfort reads and 5 books/series that I always go back to. As a definite mood reader who regularly uses reading as a method of relaxation, I certainly have some opinions of what works for me.

Five books/series I revisit for comfort reading:

1. Moonshine Task Force Series by Laramie Briscoe: These books (and the spin off series) are romances that take place among a group of police officers in Alabama. They all have very different personalities and I really love the characters. They’re also very easy to read. These are always a favorite if I need to shut the brain down for a bit.
2. Pride & Predjudice by Jane Austen: This is one of my favorite books of all time and I reread this every few years because I just love reading about Lizzie who has so much wit, spine, and spunk.
3. Cafe Series by Jana Aston: These are also romances and they are really fun to read and Aston is not afraid to go there for lack of a better term. They were very refreshing for me as far as contemporary romance is concerned, and I love the characters, particularly the leading ladies of these so I revisit them regularly.
4. Night’s Child by Cate Tiernan: This is the last book of one of my favorite series that I read when I was about 13-14 and takes place several years after the events of the other books in the series. That series stuck with me through my teenage years and into adulthood and to this day I read this book at least once a year.
5. Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling: Everyone’s favorite boy wizard and one of the first things I read as a kid that turned me into a lifetime reader. These days I usually listen to the audio books when I’m cleaning, working, etc. or when I need something to perk me up.

Five things I look for in comfort reads:

1. Characters: I want relatable characters, generally with a good dose of humor for a comfort read.
2. Easy to read: If I want a comfort read, I’m not interested in something that is dense and difficult to read or something trying to impress with fancy language. I want a book that I can dig into and just read and fly through.
3. World building: If I’m seeking out something that is fantasy or paranormal-esque for my comfort read, or even a story occurring in the real world I want there to be a realistic sense of where things are based on the book. If I’m reading and the setting and world are too unrealistic or far-fetched it’s going to kill my enjoyment, and therefore the sense of comfort I was looking for.
4. Plot: Similar to world building I want things to be happening without everything feeling too far-fetched.
5. Fun: This probably goes without saying, but if I’m reading for comfort, I want to have fun with the story. Reading it, thinking about it, etc. I’m generally not reaching for a tear-jerker or a non-fiction when I’m looking for a comfort read.

Do you have any books that you revisit for comfort, or qualities that you prefer in a comfort read?

Until next time, Happy Reading!