Uplifting Comfort Reads for Days When You Just Can't
NYPL Digital Collections, Image ID: 1699355
This can be a dreary time of year. With cold days and early sunsets, melancholy can seep in and spring can feel so far away. We think the best antidote to these pensive moods is a "comfort read"—a book you return to again and again (even if only to dip into for a chapter or two) for a bit of cheer and warmth. We asked our NYPL book experts to share the book they turn to for quick pick-me-ups on down days—the books that restore them as much or more than a bowl of mac n cheese, veggie chilli, or chicken and dumplings. As one of our experts notes: "comfort without calories"!
Perhaps one of their picks will become your comfort read!
The Wild Braid: A Poet Reflects on a Century in the Garden by Stanley Kunitz
When I need a comfort read I always turn to The Wild Braid. It's like a hug from a friend, a hot cocoa, a snuggle with your dog and refreshing walk in the woods rolled into one big, happy sigh. Ahhhhh.
—Maura Muller, Volunteer Programs
Everything I Ate by Tucker Shaw
This book provides me comfort... through pictures of food. There's something satisfying about the fact that I can turn to any day of the year and find his complete photographic record of what, where, and with whom he ate. It's an impressive feat of memory-keeping for readers (me) who like to document everything!
—Suzanne Lipkin, Billy Rose Theatre Division
Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke
My choice for a comfort read is Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke. I reach for this book if I need fortitude or wisdom, regardless of what's going on in my life at the time. Rilke's calming tone as he advises his young friend is like a warm cup of tea on a cold day.
—Liz Baldwin, Mid-Manhattan Library at 42nd Street
Castle Waiting by Linda Medley
This independently published comic series brings a warm, laid-back twist to classic fantasy and fairytale tropes. Instead of going on journeys or falling under dark spells, this comic's characters just hang out in a castle, eat good food, and enjoy one another's company.
—Benjamin Sapadin, Morris Park Library
Unlikely Friendships: 47 Remarkable Stories from the Animal Kingdom by Jennifer Holland.
This non-fiction/Adult/Science/Nature book is filled with great photos and stories, and never fails to launch an inner squeeeeeee! As in a fable, we meet the snake who loved a hamster, Koko the gorilla and her pal Ali (a tiny grey kitten), and many more predator/prey narratives turned on their heads.
—Sherri Machlin, Mulberry Street Library
Bowlaway by Elizabeth McCracken
I immediately thought of Bowlaway by Elizabeth McCracken, which follows several generations of a topsy-turvy family who own a candlepin bowling alley. It's told with such childlike wonder and kindness that everything feels a little bit magical.
—Alana Mohamed, Communications
Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss
There is no better role model than Horton the Elephant, in this wonderful story of kindness, compassion, bravery, loyalty, love, and the true meaning of "family."
—Jeff Katz, Chatham Square Library
Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers
A lonely penguin and a thoughtful child find one another, lose one another, and then find one another again.
—Jeff Katz, Chatham Square Library
Can't and Won't by Lydia Davis
When I'm feeling stressed, it comforts me to sit down with reading material that feels short and digestible but resonates deeply. Lydia Davis' collection of short stories Can't and Won't checks all the right boxes, perfect for pulling off the shelf and flipping to a random story that is sure to be pithy, bracing, and poignant.
—Sasha Jones, Roosevelt Island Library
Big Hair and Plastic Grass: A Funky Ride Through Baseball and America in the Swinging '70s by Dan Epstein
Summer ain't here just yet, but we can read about the boys of summer and how they spent theirs in what became known as the 'Me' Decade.
—Joe Pascullo, Grand Central Library
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
I read Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis just before I went to college and I find her dark drawing style and darker sense of humor is immensely comforting all these years later. Accidentally very timely, Satrapi's account of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution always reminds me that there's joy to be had no matter how bleak things are.
—Caitlyn Colman-McGaw, Young Adult Programming
The Cubs Way by Tom Verducci
While watching Game 7 of the 2016 World Series live may have been one of the least comfortable experiences of my life, reliving the ups and downs (and eventual triumph) of the 10 innings that brought the Chicago Cubs their first World Series win since 1908 in the final chapter of Tom Verducci's The Cubs Way always warms my heart, even when spring training is still months away.
—Brian Stokes, New Amsterdam Library
Omelette and a Glass Of Wine by Elizabeth David
I don't subscribe to TV apps, so I'm not able to stream the Great British Baking Show's Master Classes (I find it soothing to watch Mary Berry making it all look so easy). The next best thing would be reading one of Elizabeth David's classic English cookbooks. The book that I would reach for is David's Omelette and a Glass of Wine, which contains dozens of articles that she wrote about food (syllabub, anyone?) and cooking. Comfort without calories is a plus.
—Virginia Bartow, Senior Rare Books Cataloger
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
For me, forever, it has been The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster. I've read it dozens of times since my first go-round at the age of 8, and I still find something new in it every time. Thoughtful and funny and inspiring. "For whenever you learn something new, the whole world becomes that much richer"—what better reminder for a librarian?
—Stephanie Anderson, BookOps
The Hot Zone by Richard Preston
I always find nonfiction absolutely comforting, and reading about infectious disease has always calmed me down. That's why my comfort read is (oddly enough), The Hot Zone by Richard Preston.
—Kate Fais, Bloomingdale Library
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Have trouble reading standard print? Many of these titles are available in formats for patrons with print disabilities.
Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your ideas too, so leave a comment and tell us what you’d recommend. And check out our Staff Picks browse tool for more recommendations!
Summaries provided via NYPL’s catalog, which draws from multiple sources. Click through to each book’s title for more.