• Mood: nostalgic
• Music: Steeleye Span: Rave On (a cappella)

Comfort reading

I have some really interesting people on my friends list. You should all go and check out this comment thread where people are introducing themselves, because there are some really fascinating potted bios!

Also, tattycat asked me: What do you find yourself reaching for when you need comfort reading?

If I need comforting, reading probably isn't the first activity that comes to mind. When I'm upset I need people contact and reading is very solitary for me. That said, if I want to read something that isn't too much effort and will cheer me up, I mostly return to childhood favourites.

So I suppose answering this question means indirectly answering the question of what I loved when I was a kid. Kipling, mainly Puck of Pook's Hill / Rewards and Fairies. Michelle Magorian: Goodnight Mister Tom, which is a really lovely book, beautifully written as well as being touching. Paul Gallico's children's books, which tend to be quite weird and rather sentimental, but sometimes suit my mood especially if I'm not feeling well. The man who was magic and the two cat books, Thomasina particularly and Jennie to a lesser extent. I have been known to reread Elinor M Brent Dyer's Chalet School books, particularly the ones in the middle of the series, and I have something of a soft spot for The new mistress at the Chalet School because I so much wanted to be Kathy when I was a kid.

Anyone else?