Yes, I'm a comfort reader!  When I'm feeling stressed, instead of something more challenging, I'll reach for a book by Elizabeth Berg, Lolly Winston, or Earlene Fowler.  Luckily, two out of three of them are rather prolific, and my reading hasn't caught up with their writing yet, so I have several books on my shelf by each that I haven't read yet.

I read "Lonesome Dove" every year or so.  I think the book is very well written and has some of my favorite characters in literature and it's comforting to visit them every so often.  This book is very tragic as well.  When times are bad for me I often think that at least it's not as bad as these characters have it.

For me it's Pride & Prejudice when I need a sure thing.  And, like a previous poster, reading at least some of Dickens' A Christmas Carol every year around the holidays is a must.

I am a long time "comfort reader" though the books I keep for that type reading has changed somewhat as I have aged. If its an author that will run me through an emotional ride ( I'm always laughing out loud reading these stories though they can also write where I cry here and there ) I tend savor certain authors with periodic rereads. One of my all time favorite authors that does this to me is Susan Elizabeth Philips.

I HAVE to do a reread of Stephen King's "The Stand " every few years. Comfort? In a way. :) In the story we end up NOT totally screwing things up. Its the message I get from the book anyway.:)

I'm a new fan to the Paul Levine "Solomon & Lord" series . The first book I ever read by him was due to a members forum post that I read here. This series is so darn funny and well written. I wouldn't trade these books because I want them on my shelf when I need a pick me up. He writes believable dialogue too.

Whenever life gets me down I always seem to reach for the Love Come Softly series by Janette Oke.  After reading through the first book I am ready to take up the challenges of life again.  It is a series I read several times a year.

For me, reading IS comfort, no matter what I'm reading.  If a book bores me I drop it right away.  If it is too disturbing - the same.  I love knowing that at the end of the day there's a pile of great books waiting.   Sure agree with assessment of Kingsolver, and The Stand and all of James Herriott's books (I have re-read them countless times) are my all time favorites.  But normally I read mystery, romance and paranormals.  Oh--  The Secret Life of Bees is one of those best evers too.  Jeez, it even makes me smile to think about these books!

I don't have a favorite author or book per se, but I do have seasonal comfort books. I try to collect books where the plot is set in either spring/summer for fall/winter or visa versa. My poetry books are my general comfort books.

Christine

When I am stressed, I tend to go for books I've read many times, maybe romance or regency.  It's as if the familiar situations and words use only the brain capacity I've got then.  Mare challengng books I save for times when life is less so.

My all-time comfort book is The Attic Mice by Ethel Pochoeki. My aunt was a children's librarian and gave it to me when I was a child. When that same aunt got divorced, it really hit me hard. My then-fiance (now DH) read me the book aloud while I cried. It is a chapter book about a family of mice who, obviously, live in the attic, and how they go about life in a dollhouse. So sweet!

I like a little murder, a little mystery, a little romance... I usually pick up a Heather Graham book for comfort.  I like her paranormal romance stories. 

Sometimes I need a little extra kick to my comfort reading, so I turn to the In Death series by J.D. Robb. 

I will also read Harry Potter every now and then.

One book I try to get around to reading every year is The Odysessy.

I guess I'm all over the place as far as books go.

Hmmm for me any reading is comfort reading:)

Stacy

I was just talking about this last week with my friend Jeannette -- it has GOT to be (for the both of us) the Lucia books by E.F. Benson.  I have the entire series in one humongous HB and it weighs a TON -- yet I pick it up every couple of years and just lose myself in the village life as if it were an old friend -- and after 30 years, it is!

totally. the harry potter books and anne mccaffrey's pern books most frequently.

When I was in my early to mid teens I must have read and re-read Tom Sawyer & Huck Finn 10 or more times each.  I just loved the IDEA of how free those two boys were and how NOT FREE I was, as a city girl.  As a child I also read Heidi over & over.  The LIttle House books were really a favorite when I was very youg, but during college I visited my grandmother and was "stuck" with nothing to read excpet the LIttle House books she had borrowed from someone for me to read while I was there.  I remember sitting on her screened in porch while the rain poured outside and reading the one of the books from cover to cover. I re-read all of them over a two week period.

The Harry Potter series is the only one I've re-read recently.  The second go-around was about the time the third movie was released and the third was last winter because I got the books on tape.  Now if I could only get them on CD . . .

My two comfort books I read, and re-read, are Parnassus on Wheels, and The Haunted Bookshop, both by Christopher Morley.  Mostly The Haunted Bookshop, though. I can imagine being in that cozy Brooklyn bookshop, by the fire reading and discussing classics with Roger and Helen Mifflin, The characters' love of books always makes me feel I'm in good company with people I'd like to know in real life.  If you love classics, try this book!

Tina

I tend to "nostalgiac" read for comfort.  I love to re-read books from my childhood, it's like visiting old friends.  One of my prized possessions is the original Nancy Drew series--I bought the whole series from bookcloseouts.  I love to see them sitting on the bookshelf, knowing they are there if I want to "visit."  LOL  I also love the Little House books and one of the best moments of my life was getting to wade in Plum Creek just like Laura.  Oh, I also love to pick up one of my Calvin & Hobbes, Far Side, and Garfield books for a pick-me-up.  I have a bookshelf in my den that I keep all my "kid-friendly" books--ready to curl up with and hopefully it will encourage my kids to pick up one every now & then. 

Don't know if anyone above mentioned this particular passion, but there are cook books that I read and reread. Certain authors have more prose than recipes, explaining their passions, travels and studies; I find this fascinating as well as wanting to try the recipes. Bert Green, James Beard, Nigella Lawson, Laurie Colwin are all examples.

Once every two years or so, I'll sit with the Annotated Holmes when down with a cold or something. Foggy, dreary London around the turn of the century beats focusing on my colds and sniffles.

All time 'comfort reading' is the New Testament and Psalms.

These are the following series/books I can pick up and re-read at anytime.