Comfort Books

[zdashamber]

mtfierce speaks of comfort books:

I've been reading Darkover again. Partly as study for anaughtie's game, and partly because it's my major comfort series. You know, the books you read again and again because you're comfortable in that world or mindset, and sometimes it's better to escape there, or maybe there's a lesson there for which you want to be reminded?

She goes on to ask, "So, what are your comfort books? What lessons do you get from them? Which ones would you recommend to others?"

The first that leapt to my mind is _Memory_, by Lois McMaster Bujold. Particularly the scene were Miles is sitting in the small room without moving. The rest of the plot, while completely excellent, is just tacked on to the beginning of the book where she deals with hubris and despair and their aftermath. I recognize the hubris and despair.

Many others of Bujold's books are comfort reading, too. "Borders of Infinity" is without question my favorite novella in all the world. _Mirror Dance_ is nearly as good as _Memory_. _Ethan of Athos_ I like for slightly lighter reasons.

I also turn to Steven Brust's _The Phoenix Guards_ and _Five Hundred Years After_. Good people doing interesting things, depressing consequences, honor, humor, ridiculous language...

Barbara Hambly's _The Ladies of Madrigyn_ has been longest on my list. Capable defiant people in a low key romance in a well-wrought world.

And I'd of course recommend all of these to anyone willing to read science fiction and fantasy.