Think of this as the “Comfort Reads” edition of Stacking the Shelves. It’s the Thanksgiving weekend here in the US. By the time you read this, I’ll have been out of town for most of the week, and not picked up much, if anything, from either NetGalley or Edelweiss. And it will be a slow week on both services anyway, because Thanksgiving. This is not a week where a whole lot get done much of anywhere in the US, unless it’s last minute grocery shopping for the ceremonial roasting of the bird – or insane Black Friday Xmas shopping.
So instead of talking about what I didn’t get this week, I thought I’d talk about some of the series that I call “comfort reads”. Series that I’ve started, or am in the middle of, that I turn to whenever I want a guaranteed “great read” of a certain type, or when I just begin to miss hearing the main character’s voice. Looking at the list, quite a few are mysteries. Mysteries, to me at least, are very comforting. Good always triumphs, evil always gets its just desserts, and the detective always goes on to solve crimes another day.
![hounded by kevin hearne hounded by kevin hearne](https://i0.wp.com/www.readingreality.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/hounded-by-kevin-hearne.jpg?w=149&h=245&ssl=1)
![maisie dobbs by jacqueline winspear maisie dobbs by jacqueline winspear](https://i0.wp.com/www.readingreality.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/maisie-dobbs-by-jacqueline-winspear.jpg?w=149&h=224&ssl=1)
![magic of recluce by le modesitt jr magic of recluce by le modesitt jr](https://i0.wp.com/www.readingreality.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/magic-of-recluce-by-le-modesitt-jr.jpg?w=149&h=243&ssl=1)
![moon called by patricia briggs moon called by patricia briggs](https://i0.wp.com/www.readingreality.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/moon-called-by-patricia-briggs.jpg?w=149&h=199&ssl=1)
![cocaine blues by kerry greenwood cocaine blues by kerry greenwood](https://i0.wp.com/www.readingreality.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/cocaine-blues-by-kerry-greenwood.jpg?w=288&h=445&ssl=1)
![night is mine by ml buchman night is mine by ml buchman](https://i0.wp.com/www.readingreality.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/night-is-mine-by-ml-buchman.jpg?w=288&h=474&ssl=1)
![magic bites by ilona andrews original cover magic bites by ilona andrews original cover](https://i0.wp.com/www.readingreality.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/magic-bites-by-ilona-andrews-original-cover.jpg?w=191&h=320&ssl=1)
![murder past due by miranda james murder past due by miranda james](https://i0.wp.com/www.readingreality.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/murder-past-due-by-miranda-james.jpg?w=191&h=308&ssl=1)
![test of wills by charles todd test of wills by charles todd](https://i0.wp.com/www.readingreality.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/test-of-wills-by-charles-todd.jpg?w=191&h=287&ssl=1)
Mystery comfort reads:
Phryne Fisher by Kerry Greenwood – first book in series is Cocaine Blues
Inspector Ian Rutledge by Charles Todd – first book in series is A Test of Wills
Cat in the Stacks by Miranda James – first book in series is Murder Past Due
Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear – first book in series is Maisie Dobbs
Romance comfort reads:
Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews – first book in series is Magic Bites
Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs – first book in series is Moon Called
Any book by M.L. Buchman – first book in Night Stalkers series is The Night is Mine
Science fiction/fantasy/urban fantasy comfort reads:
The Saga of Recluce by L.E. Modesitt Jr. – first book in series is The Magic of Recluce
The Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne – first book in series is Hounded (this series is particularly good in audio)
Who do you turn to when you need a comfort read?
For comfort reads, I go further back in time. Georgette Heyer, Mary Stewart (the suspense books, not the Arthur books), Elizabeth Cadell, Helen MacInnes…we are old old old friends. lol
I always want to shop ahead but that never happens, I end up shopping a week or two before Christmas, always rushing, not good, not good. 🙂
I’m a last minute shopper, but you would think I would’ve learned by now. I need to start shopping early and get it out of the way.