Comfort reads

I know, this is not a review, but it is a list, a list of books that no matter how terrible I feel always manage to cheer me up. Suffering from a cold I have been wallowing and reading an awful lot, so here are my favourite comfort reads. Ones that no matter how awful I feel, always perk me up and keep me going.

The Guy Next Door is one of my ultimate favourite reads. Every time I feel under the weather this book is pulled off my bookshelf and I curl up in bed knowing that I will have a satisfying read. Melissa Fuller is a gossip columnist for the New York Journal and her life is going along pretty well - well except for a boyfriend (her last boyfriend was a terrible example of what a boyfriend should be). All of a sudden her life is turned upside down when her next door neighbour is rushed to the hospital (after being attacked!!!!) and is now in a coma. Who will look after her pets, especially who will walk her Great Dane Paco while she is hospitalised? So Mel has to track down her next of kin - luckily he just happens to be a world-famous photographer, but when he shows up he's pretty darn gorgeous and Mel is almost swept away - but isn't he supposed to be some massive tool?
Anyway...this book is awesome and told completely in e-mails! I know, it is so 21st century! Also, Meg Cabot is amazing and just about the best author for when you are feeling under the weather. The whole "boy" series is great! So grab a copy and pour yourself a cup of tea, keep the tissues close and get ready for a hilarious romance.

Anne of Green Gables is a book I have written about before here - so not to bore you or anything - but if you still haven't got a copy Why NOT? If you ever felt down, read some Anne, not only will she have your frown turning upside down, but Montgomery's gorgeous descriptions of Prince Edward Island will make you feel like you are on holiday. With fantastic adventures and true friendships this book is perfect for when you need to curl up and forget all the pressures of life. It is also great to read a loud to a child who is sick, but I personally like to be alone with Anne and disappear into Avonlea. The story is lyrical and a magical read, but keep the tissues nearby and ready for use before you get to the end of the book. If you are far too ill for reading I must recommend the 1985 TV movies of Anne of Green Gables - they capture the whole thing perfectly and will keep you entertained for hours!

 Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen - it is short, it is fun, it is brilliant, witty and all things Austen books should be! It might be one you haven't read before, but once you have you can recite the beginning by heart and falling in love with Mr Tilney never felt so good. He is one of Austen's most amiable gentleman heroes  who is not only a great guy, but forgives our near Catherine for all her foolish Gothic imaginings and truly loves her.
There is also a brilliant villain, horrible woman and rake! Can Catherine Morland survive her first time away from her family unscathed? A truly enchanted read and one for Austen fans to try out - it is her first book, so remember that we all have to learn!

A comfort read list would not be complete without Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. For anyone who hasn't read it, I beg of you to try - it is a children's classic for a reason and anyone who meets the March family will find it difficult to ever forget them. Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy are the heroines of this work, each of them very different and vivid in detail and descriptions. Beth is my favourite, a young girl who is so kind, so loving that no one in her family could ever be without her. She would always do the right thing and when reading it, I felt more like Amy or Jo (neither of whom are perfect) messing up a perfectly good day with selfishness. But all the sisters are wonderful and if you know anything about the story or have ever seen that episode of Friends you will know that tissues are a must, as is comfort chocolate and a warm cup of tea. For when you are feeling down, the March sisters can definitely bring you comfort!

Other such comforting reads include: Daphne Du Maurier's Frenchman's Creek, which is a gorgeous romance, swash-buckling adventure story! Meg Cabot's Heather Wells Mystery series: Size 12 is Not Fat is the first and is completely amazing, a perfect mystery series to curl up with in any situation! And now a fantasy series that I loved when I was young and will happily re-read when ill or not feeling my best: Tamora Pierce's Protector of the Small series starting with First Test - completely captured my imagination and adventurous soul! Sorry, no space to add any more covers, but get thee to a library or bookshop and find your favourite comfort reads now! If you have any further suggestions comment, tweet and basically let me know! Everyone needs a list of perfect comfort reads!