Okay . . . picture this (really) worst-case scenario: It’s cold and raining, your boyfriend/girlfriend has just dumped you, you’ve just been fired, the pile of unpaid bills is sky-high, your beloved pet has recently died, and you think you’re coming down with a cold. All you want to do (other than hiding under the covers) is to curl up with a good book, something warm and comforting that will make you feel better.
What do you read?
(Any bets on how quickly somebody says the Bible or some other religious text? A good choice, to be sure, but to be honest, I was thinking more along the lines of fiction…. Unless I laid it on a little strong in the string of catastrophes? Maybe I should have just stuck to catching a cold on a rainy day….)
Don’t forget to leave a link to your actual response (so people don’t have to go searching for it) in the comments—or if you prefer, leave your answers in the comments themselves!
Hmm...That's tough one because there have been times when I was really down that I couldn't bring myself to read at all. I usually clean like a crazy woman when I get bad news. But if I just need a comfort read, a little pick me up, I'll go for old favorites like Jane Eyre (Yeah, I'm beating that one to death), Pride and Prejudice or Anne of Green Gables. They're feel good tales to me. There is some strife and sadness, for sure, but it all works out in the end. I don't want to read a depressing story where all the main characters die in some awful way. I don't think I'd ever leave the couch!
A romance is another good choice. The happy ending is practically guaranteed!
I just finished my comfort read (I turned my latest manuscript into my editor and decided to reward myself.) It's TURTLE MOON by Alice Hoffman, by far one of the best books I've ever read, and I think her best (and that's saying a lot since she's written so many). But this book has it all: a crime, romance, amazing characters and the most beautiful writing. It just wraps itself around you.
ReplyDeleteKaren- I've only read Practical Magic by her. I'll have to check that one out.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the manuscript!
I also chose Jane Eyre and P&P.
ReplyDeleteOther favorites are Charlotte's Web and The Chronicles of Narnia.
I nominated romance too, for the same reason.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to see a stage version of Jane Eyre next week! {happy dance}
ReplyDeleteAmy- Lucky you! Have fun.
ReplyDeleteHeh, I must be the only person who answered this who went for cheap brain candy distraction like Indiana Jones-style adventures. I think when I'm upset my brain tends to grind away too much for me to focus on a book with much substance to it.
ReplyDeleteI can read "Far from the Madding Crowd" along with the ones you mentioned.
ReplyDeleteWow. Clean like crazy? You need to come visit me when you are depressed!!
ReplyDeleteI like the new look, by the way!
I have all the three books you mentioned in my collection, but have only read Pride and Prejudice. It was a great book. Great choices, yours. :)
ReplyDeleteI don't normally read either, but I do appreciate a good romantic comedy if I'm down and out. Thanks for coming by!
ReplyDeleteI always in the middle of something anyway, so it's rare that those down and depressing days just when I finished and haven't started something new. But if I am currently in the middle of a novel and it's not cutting it as a pick me up, I'll turn to a magazine. Or t.v. Or potato chips. Or beer.
ReplyDeleteOh I love Anne of the Green Gable! I did a report on the book, when I was in high school. I remember I was so caught up with the book that I was looking forward to doing book report on it (and I usually try to avoid doing books report hehe). I got an A on it :)
ReplyDeleteGreat list of choice. Happy BTT!
A happy ending is always good after beating the odds when you need a pick me up.
ReplyDeleteLike you, if I'm really upset about something, then it's really hard for me to read. Those are great choices for those other times though, when you need to snuggle up and get comfy and read :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Reading!
I can't read when I'm stressed out either. And I clean too!
ReplyDeleteI'm with Stephanie... next time you get depressed, there's a house here in south Georgia just waiting for you. Now.. I clean when I get angry, but depressed? Nah, can't be bothered :-)
ReplyDeleteI do love Jane Eyre though....what a wonderful story. Or Rebecca...that's another goodie.
Ha ha, I just wrote this huge long comment here, and then I realized it should be my own post. :)
ReplyDeleteI love all the books you mentioned!
Heather- That sounds good too!
ReplyDeleteGuatami- I have that one on my shelf but haven't read it yet. I do love Hardy.
Stephanie & Judy- Sorry. There's always something to clean her ;)
Carrie- Glad I'm not the only stress cleaner.
Alice- Love P&P. Give the others a try!
Romance readers- Great escapes!
John- Hahaha!
Thanks all for visiting. :)
I wish I'm able to do something like cleaning when I'm down! When depressed, I don't even feel like doing anything but brood over stuff. However, a funny movie or something light works for me.
ReplyDeleteLove the new look. Happy BTT!
Greetings. I'm new here, but felt like I should post...
ReplyDeleteReading is a salve to my mind when depressed or stressed. I just read Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead," the first A. Rand book I've read. WOW!
I've already selected "Atlas Shrugged" for my next bout of depression :-)
Hey Rosie, Welcome! I've read Atlas Shrugged. It's reeeeaaally big!
ReplyDeleteJane Eyre would be a wonderful choice as a comfort read.
ReplyDelete