Comfort Reads for Anglophiles

These are difficult days. When I am anxious I like to fall back on old favorites. Here is a list of books by British authors that I find comforting. Sometimes I want to imagine that I live in a castle in England before WWII, and at any moment the butler will inform me that "Dinner is Served." These are funny books that provide a glimpse of another time and place.

(All the books on this list are available as e-books, so you can access them while the Libraries are closed using the SimplyE app,  Don't forget to "return" your e-books when you're done—the sooner you return them, the sooner someone else can use them.)

My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell

This is the story of Gerald Durrell's childhood in Corfu with his eccentric family. Durrell was obsessed with animals and collected pets including owls, frogs, ravens, and scorpions. In  addition to marvelous stories about his family, there is lovely writing about the nature and wildlife on the island. There are many of Durrell's books available on SimplyE.

The Enchanted April by Elizabeth van Arnim

The four women at the center of The Enchanted April are alike only in their dissatisfaction with their everyday lives. They find each other—and the castle of their dreams—through a classified ad in a London newspaper one rainy February afternoon. The ladies expect a pleasant holiday, but they don't anticipate that the month they spend in Portofino will reintroduce them to their true natures and reacquaint them with joy.

Frederica by Georgette Heyer

Frederica brings her family to Regency London in the hopes of finding her younger sister a suitable husband. However, her sister and brothers refuse to fall in with her plans, with hilarious results.

 I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

Seventeen-year-old Cassie and her family live in not-so-genteel poverty in a ramshackle old English castle where she pens this journal over a six month period.

Leave it to Psmith by P.G. Wodehouse

Mistaken identities, jewel thieves, Lord Emsworth who can think of nothing but his prize winning pig the Empress, there is mayhem at Blandings Castle. But fear not, Ronald Psmith (the P is silent) will sort everything out.

Love and Friendship by Jane Austen

When a noble youth arrives unannounced to request the hand of the matchless Laura, it seems their future is one of contentment and bliss—that is until his family learn of the marriage and, one by one, they reject the new bride. So begins the series of unspeakable events that Laura must confront and overcome, by way of the occasional fainting fit and bout of delirium. Tragedy and comedy here go hand in hand as a very foolish young heroine is placed at the centre of Jane Austen's early satire on drawing-room society. 

 Miss Buncle's Book by D. E. Stevenson

Who knew one book could cause So much chaos? Barbara Buncle is in a bind. Times are harsh, and Barbara's bank account has seen better days. Maybe she could sell a novel…if she knew any stories. Stumped for ideas, Barbara draws inspiration from her fellow residents of Silverstream, the little English village she knows inside and out. To her surprise, the novel is a smash. It's a good thing she wrote under a pseudonym, because the folks of Silverstream are in an uproar. But what really turns Miss Buncle's world around is this: what happens to the characters in her book starts happening to their real-life counterparts. Does life really imitate art?

The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford

We are introduced to the Radletts through the eyes of their cousin Fanny, who stays with them at Alconleigh, their Gloucestershire estate. Uncle Matthew is the blustering patriarch, known to hunt his children when foxes are scarce; Aunt Sadie is the vague but doting mother; and the seven Radlett children, despite the delights of their unusual childhood, are recklessly eager to grow up.

Queen Lucia; Miss Mapp; The Mapp and Lucia Novels by E. F. Benson

Two British women compete for social dominance in Britain before WWII. The books are full of eccentric characters and absurd situations.

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!