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Comforting reads for the middle of the night

60 replies

Ladybird37 · 10/03/2020 15:24

I've had terrible trouble sleeping for the last year or so and I've been slowly rereading through all the jilly coopers, starting with riders and now on Pandora. They've lasted me a year as I only read in the middle of the night on my kindle when I'm feeling anxious. They're such chatty and fun books, I can read them when I can't focus on anythibg else i would read in the day. I'm worried what I can do next, as I think Jc books go a bit wobbly after pandora. I'm looking for something light and positive, but easy to follow at 2am...and 3am... any thoughts? I've not really been a fan of many of the light 'chick lit' type of books that I've pick up, but I know that's a bit sweeping

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DuckonaBike · 11/09/2020 22:23

I’d second the murders - Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers are very comforting.

Barbara Pym is wonderful.

Gentlemen prefer blondes is amazing comfort reading.

Also have you tried re-reading childhood favourites? Arthur Ransome has been taking my mind off the state of the world recently.

NEE1302 · 11/09/2020 22:19

Fiona Walker's earlier stuff. Jill Mansell. And agree with pp about Christina Jones.

BestIsWest · 11/09/2020 22:13

Bill Bryson, James Herriot, Bridget Jones, Malory Towers and Marian Keyes have all kept me company at 3am recently.

Sk1nnyB1tch · 03/09/2020 12:50

I came back on to say not The Cazalets, I followed pp recommendation and halfway into the first book there is an instance of sexual abuse.
It's not that this is a subject that should be hidden but a book by definition is not comforting when it contains a realistic depiction of abuse.

Viviennemary · 28/08/2020 10:21

Penny Vincenzi would be good I think. Recommend her trilogy. But her stand alone books are good too.

TheMemoryLingers · 26/08/2020 07:47

@TellItLikeItReallyIs New Caper Court book is out now - 'A Touch of Silk'.

MotherofPearl · 26/08/2020 07:42

Also Anita Brookner.

nannytothequeen · 25/08/2020 23:10

The Treasure stories by Gina Davison. Mild worries of a comfortably off woman living with teenage trials and tribulations. Or Scotland Street series by Alexandrer McCall Smith. Day to day slightly eccentric going ons of rich people in Edinburgh.

MotherofPearl · 25/08/2020 21:55

Further votes for Barbara Pym and Elizabeth Jane Howard.
Also find Joanna Trollope mildly comforting.

theotherfossilsister · 25/08/2020 20:05

@Mollscroll I literally came on here to say that, Cazalets will be your friends forever, I adore them, especially Miss Milliment.

I recently reread Judith Kerr's When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit and loved it.

Mollscroll · 23/08/2020 18:39

The Cazalet Chronicles by Elizabeth Jane Howard. Especially on audiobook read by Jill Balcon. Posh family with mild worries about relationships and whether cook is making plum tart for tea. Cannot recommend highly enough.

Costacoffeeplease · 20/08/2020 22:35

Miss Read

OhDear2200 · 20/08/2020 22:28

Oh and The Shellseakers

OhDear2200 · 20/08/2020 22:28

The Stephanie Plum series by J Evonich (Sp?)

There’s lots of them about a female
Bounty hunter, funny, with some sex and there is a minor crime being solved. I dip into them now and then when life is tough.

Camomile Lawn is also a favourite goto for escaping.

LunaNorth · 20/08/2020 22:06

James Herriot.
Laurie Lee.

NeedingCoffee · 20/08/2020 22:00

Oh, and how could I forget Gerald Durrel! Wonderful tales about animals (overlooking the very “of its time” aspect of it being ok to capture animals from the wild) and very funny.

Bbq1 · 20/08/2020 21:59

Ooh, Santa Montifiore too.

NeedingCoffee · 20/08/2020 21:59

The Lovely Lane series by Nadine Dorries; such good stories and even though there’s a hint of suspense, everything always turns out well.

Bbq1 · 20/08/2020 21:58

Anything by the fantastic Lucinda Riley.

olivo · 20/08/2020 21:57

Millie Johnson and Tilly Tennant here. Nice easy reading, I wake up a lot. This month, I have read Mandy Baggott too, as I had subscribed to kindle unlimited for my daughter and lots of hers were free.

WinWinnieTheWay · 20/08/2020 21:47

Agatha Christie - nothing like a nice jolly English murder mystery with naice middle class characters...

MrsGrindah · 20/08/2020 21:41

Alan Bradley’s Flavia De Luce series.. funny, very well written and “ jolly hockey sticks”

Matildatoldsuchdreadfullies · 20/08/2020 21:36

The Chalet School is always soothing.

Noel Streatfeild is another relaxing author. I love Thursday’s Child, and its sequel.

I also reread Cue for Treason and The Silver Sword on a fairly regular basis.

frick · 20/08/2020 21:28

The woman who went to bed for a year, by Sue Townsend is my all time comfort read.

LunaNorth · 20/08/2020 21:24

Katie Fforde.
Marian Keyes’ earlier novels.
Rosamund Pilcher
PG Wodehouse.
EF Benson - particularly the Mapp and Lucia books.
Joanna Trollope.

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