Monday 7 March 2011

Monday Musings

Owing to a walking-cum-geology trip yesterday, Sunday Summary has become Monday Musings.

Life
Owing to sunshine and life speeding up things have been hectic.
Convinced that Saturday was 12th March I dragged us off to a geology day we were helping with at the local museum - only to find that it was next week *blushes*
It's been like that recently. Perhaps I need a holiday.

Writing
Owing to life being as it is, my carefully prepared writing timetable has gone out the window recently. As always, if time is short I find it easier to drop into learning mode. So even though Mystery in Morocco has gone on the backburner, I've turned my attention to How to Write a Series.

Reading
When circumstances throw me into the fast lane of life, things can get stressful. Under these conditions, some people comfort eat. My appetite fades away, so I 'comfort read' instead.
Comfort reading books have to have the following qualities:

They are easy to read
Nothing very terrible happens in them
High feel-good factor
Preferably a happy ever after end
Often have an element of gentle humour

Some of my comfort reads are:
My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Linnets and Valerians by Elizabeth Goudge
Thornyhold by Mary Stewart
Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
The Hills is Lonely by Lillian Beckwith (or anything by her)
The Brother Cadfael books by Ellis Peters

I was wondering if anyone else 'comfort read'? And if so, what helps you to unwind/escape/tune off from hectic modern life?

11 comments:

  1. Ohhh, I love My Family and Other Animals. Gerald Durrell is hysterically funny.

    Comfort reads for me: Georgette Heyer. Jane Austen. Diana Wynne Jones. L. M. Montgomery. Any book that transports me to a gentler, more manageable world.

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  2. I first read MFaOA years ago and it so made me laugh - especially the bit with the mother scorpion and her babies :D I chuckle every time.

    Georgette Heyer, yes. I don't know the last two authors so I'll have to try them. Thanks for those, Rabia.

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  3. I tend to read Terry Pratchett. He makes me think and roll around squeeling with laughter. I also get the sudden urge to run into my office and start typing until my hands fall off.
    I also have a Jane Austen collection containing six of her stories that I read on dreary rainy days.
    I enjoy Minda Webber as well. She does paranormal-romance with a good dash of comedy.

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  4. Thanks for sharing, cryndyl. I've never read Terry Pratchett. I don't know Minda Webber either.

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  5. My comfort reading is all stuff that I read when I was a kid. I especially enjoy running through the Three Investigators series, and The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin.

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  6. I hadn't realised it but a lot of my comfort reading dates back a long, long way :)
    Thanks for your suggestions Shayne.

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  7. I love that you comfort read! I hadn't thought about it before, but I think I do to.

    Also, I'm considering changing the date of the birthday love blogfest, but only if all the participants are ok with it. Let me know here.
    Thanks

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  8. Hi Prue, The blogfest will still go ahead this weekend. I hope you have fun :)

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  9. Hi Elle,
    Nice to meet another comfort reader!

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  10. Thanks Sari. You have plenty of fun too :)

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