The comfort of authors (and a hot cup of cocoa)
Admit it: You have a pile of worn paperbacks.
You don't collect books for nothing. The titles are among your favorite ones, which you read from time to time. You seek comfort in it, as the familiarity gives you assurance. Call it the right direction while looking at those fictional characters as members of your extended family. Comfort reading is usually done during the lazy hour, but you can't think of better things to do. It happens during those vulnerable moments when the world is about to get bleak. It's not a sign to explore Crime fiction, though.
Some people consider comfort reading as part of their ritual, and it can't be farther from the truth. It's no different from watching a game of baseball on a Sunday afternoon, if not a scary movie (and popcorn) on a Saturday night. There are those readers who have an unusual taste, finding solace in cynical detectives who expect the worst scenario. There's no reason for alarm if these people harbor such feelings and thoughts, waiting for the right opportunity to re-enact their favorite chapters. If they happen to be lead a shelter existence, then it will be another story. There's also a possibility that it might be the opposite, but it's a rare case. Let's not stray further from the subject matter.
Comfort reading would result from the books that you grew up. Let's not confuse it with the titles you outgrow, where you're certain of your eclectic taste. Well and good, but there's a good chance that you have a short list of books that you don't mind reading again and again. It can fall under comfort reading. Let's look at the possible genres:
Children's literature. No surprise here. Your childhood memories would be incomplete without Alice's zany adventures in Wonderland, Peter Pan's excursion into London, and the possibility of Aslan singing along with the von Trapp children. ("The Sound of Music" can fall under this category, but it will be movies you love to watch over and over.) There are many reasons behind it. You identify with these lovable characters. You're still a child at heart. You haven't figured out the hidden meaning behind these children's books, and adulthood would prepare you for it.
Fairy tales. You don't have a clue about the original version of those popular fairy tales until you study them during your second year in the university. It would pique your curiosity, such that you find the way to read it between writing papers. (You could include a title or two during Reading Week.) You may not find the answer behind the authors wanting to pen these fascinating stories, but it won't worn you out. Ever.
Fantasy. Harry Potter used to be a novelty until you were introduced to the Earthsea tales. And you can't decide if the Chronicles of Narnia series is more of religious tales disguising as fantastic stories. It didn't matter, as the familiarity would be good enough.
You're thinking of Adventure fiction until you realized that nothing beats the real thing. And you don't have a passport yet.
