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24 books to read when you feel like the world is falling apart

When I read the news these days I feel like the world is coming apart at the seams.

Will and I were away last week for work, offline for a bit, but that didn’t insulate us from the devastating news about the Philando Castile shooting in the Twin Cities. And then the news reported another shooting elsewhere. And then another. The horrific headlines just kept coming.

We happened to be in Chicago for a conference, and—in a completely unrelated decision, or so I thought—we decided to bail on a session and hit the Art Institute. We used to go all the time, but I hadn’t been in so long I hadn’t even seen the new modern wing—and it’s been open since way back in 2009.

They had a special exhibit going, featuring American artists in the 1930s, the standouts being O’Keefe, Wood, and Hopper. Will and I made a beeline for the special exhibit rooms, talking on the way about the headlines: Do you feel like we’ve all lost our ever-loving minds?

And then we stepped into the first room.

What was happening in the United States in the 1930s? The economy tanked; the soil was barren. People were broke, starving. The Great War was still a recent memory. Feelings of unease were rising along with the burgeoning political unrest in Europe.

The exhibit was titled “After the Fall,” the nation’s fall from grace. We saw depictions of war, and racial lynchings, and sadly deserted city streets that had been bustling with life a decade before. Some artists responded to the news of the day with absurdist art; some starkly portrayed reality as they saw it. Others chose an escapist route, depicting fertile fields painted purely from imagination because it had barely rained in years.

Halfway through the poignant collection, it dawned on me that those rooms were an oddly reassuring place to be when you feel like the world is falling apart. In those works artists wrestled with the most horrible news of the day—of the decade—and seeing their work nearly a century later made me feel like while today’s news is so new, and so horrible, civilization has been dealing with the worst for a long, long time.

Some paintings were calls to action. Some were precise depictions of reality as it stood; others were abstract, aimed for the heart. Some were escapist. Some were hopeful, highlighting the glimmers of good in the worst situations.

This list is in the same spirit, and with the added bonus that it’s easier to visit a library than an art museum. Some of these works are precise depictions of realities as it stands; some are aimed for the heart. Some are calls to action. Some are hopeful, inspiring, redemptive—highlighting the glimmers of good in desperate, devastating situations.

Each title brings something different to the table, but they’re all good choices for your stack when you feel like it’s all coming apart. I can’t wait to hear what you’re reading right now, and what you’d choose to add to this list.

What kind of books do you turn to when you feel like the world is falling apart? What would YOU add to the list? 

What to read when you feel like the world is falling apart
Hannah Coulter

Hannah Coulter

Author:
Berry writes gorgeous, thoughtful, piercing novels, and this is one of his finest. Hannah's second husband Nathan Coulter (her first died in the war) was reticent to talk about his experience in the Battle of Okinawa. "Ignorant boys, killing each other," is all he would say. In this atmospheric novel, an older Hannah looks back on her life and reflects on what she has lost, and those whom she has loved. Contemplative, wistful, and moving. More info →
Half of a Yellow Sun

Half of a Yellow Sun

In 1967 Nigeria, the Igbo people of the East seceded to form their own nation of Biafra, inciting a bloody three-year civil war followed. This novel from the author of the wonderful Americanah tells the story of that conflict, known as the Biafran War—an event largely forgotten outside Nigeria—through the eyes of five diverse characters: a university professor, his privileged girlfriend, their servant boy, her twin sister, and her British journalist boyfriend. This is a story that will stay with you long after you turn the last page. More info →
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

Unbroken tells the true story of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic athlete turned World War II bombardier. Hillenbrand has called Zamp’s life “almost incomprehensibly dramatic,” and she masterfully unfurls his story, which begins with his plane failing and crashing into the Pacific during a routine search mission. He's captured as a POW and survives against nearly impossible odds. A wonderful, riveting story of resilience and redemption. More info →
The Hiding Place

The Hiding Place

Author:
Corrie Ten Boom lived an ordinary, uneventful life as a watchmaker—for the first 50 years. But when the Nazis invaded and occupied her home country of Holland, Corrie and her family became leaders of the Dutch Underground, and built a room in their home to hide Jewish people from the Nazis. Eventually all but Corrie were put to death in the concentration camps for their participation in the resistance. A moving story, inspiring and insightful. More info →
The Wednesday Wars

The Wednesday Wars

Author:
This wonderful work of historical fiction revolves around middle school drama, the New York Yankees, and the Vietnam War. You may enjoy sharing this one with the kid in your life (if they’re 10 or so or older). Fans of E. L. Konigsburg will love this funny and piercingly poignant book. Adults will admire the way Schmidt drives to the emotional heart of every scene without beating his reader over the head. More info →
Everyone Brave is Forgiven

Everyone Brave is Forgiven

Author:
Because Cleave tackles heavy-hitting subjects, this is the first of his novels I've had the guts to try. I knew I had to read this when my husband (who beat me to it) couldn't stop sharing Cleave's well-turned sentences aloud. There have been so many WWII novels of late; this tale of four young, warm, wise-cracking friends in wartime England is a standout in the genre. Through their characters, Cleave throws issues of wartime morality, race, and class into sharp relief. This is for you if you love a great story and admire a beautifully-rendered, wry turn of phrase: Cleave's writing brilliantly contrasts humor and the absurdity of war to punch you right in the gut, time and again. More info →
The Hobbit/The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

The Hobbit/The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

Author:
These stories of epic quest and good vs. evil are part myth, part fairy tale. These books are wonderful, touching, and timeless. In the words of C.S. Lewis: “Here are beauties which pierce like swords or burn like cold iron. Here is a book that will break your heart.” More info →
The Hotel New Hampshire

The Hotel New Hampshire

Author:
Irving is known for writing big Dickensian novels; this is no exception. Irving pulls in some truly wacky plot elements: circus bears, taxidermy, weightlifting, and a run-down hotel. But at its heart this is the story of a messy, unusual family as they grow up and learn about love and death, success and failure, and (this being a John Irving novel) sex. Irving has a knack for distilling wisdom out of the strangest situations, and this exuberant novel gives him ample opportunity to exercise his talent. More info →
The Nightingale

The Nightingale

Author:
Hannah's newest and best novel is historical fiction, set in occupied France during World War II. She tells the story of two sisters, born many years apart, each of whom is desperate to serve her country and her people, but must find her own unique way to do so. This inspiring, sweeping novel testifies to the resilience of the human spirit and the sturdiness of the female spirit in particular in dire times. More info →
The Diary of a Young Girl

The Diary of a Young Girl

Author:
This classic needs no introduction. In 1942, in occupied Holland, Anne Frank and her family hid from the Nazis in a tiny attic for two years. After an informer gave them away to the Gestapo, they were discovered and sent to the concentration camps. This is Anne's diary that she kept during that time. It was discovered in the attic, after her death. More info →
Stitches

Stitches

Author:
Lamott's central metaphor makes this a reassuring book when the world seems to be coming apart at the seams: when we suffer a devastating loss, whether its global and public or deeply personal and private, she examines the ways we can reconstruct a new version of wholeness out of the tattered shreds we've been left with. More info →
Birdsong

Birdsong

This sweeping novel covers three generations, beginning with World War I, and is on my reading list for its favorable comparisons to Tolstoy, A Farewell to Arms, and The English Patient. Faulks weaves together romance and war story, focusing on a young man who's met the love of his life, and carries the love of this doomed relationship into the trenches of No Man's Land. Lovers of this book (and there are many) appreciate its beautiful and wrenching portrayal of the power of love and the horrors of war. More info →
A Wrinkle in Time

A Wrinkle in Time

L’Engle begins her groundbreaking science fiction/fantasy work with the famous opening line “It was a dark and stormy night,” and plunges you headlong into the world of the Murray family, who must travel through time to save the universe. I wanted to be Meg, of course. Wrinkle is the first—and most famous—of the Time Quintet, but if you love this there are four more titles to suck you in. More info →
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption

Author:
Stevenson's story-driven account describes his work with the Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit legal organization he founded that is devoted to defending the most desperate in our legal system: those who were convicted as children, the wrongly condemned, the poor, and the mentally ill. This story also follows the story of Walter, a man sentenced to Alabama's death row for a crime he didn't commit. Moving and beautifully written. This is an important, eye-opening book. More info →
Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide

Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide

The Pulitzer-winning husband-and-wife authors tackle a big global problem in this important 2009 book. First they take a close look at the state of women in the developing world today, saying, "More girls have been killed in the last fifty years, precisely because they were girls, than men were killed in all the wars of the twentieth century." Their close examination of terrible phenomenons such as sex trafficking, forced prostitution, and genital mutilation will make you want to weep. But Kristof and WuDunn go on to convince readers why smart and well-implemented efforts to empower girls and women (as opposed to men) has an incredible impact, not just on the females themselves, but on their entire communities. The book's powerful conclusion gives you concrete action steps for practical things you can do to make a difference. More info →
Mudbound

Mudbound

Author:
In a provocative closing that gives you a hint at the moral complexity of this prize-winning novel, Jordan has one of her characters say, "Sometimes it’s necessary to do wrong. Sometimes it’s the only way to make things right.” It's 1946 Mississippi, and Jordan's city-bred heroine is struggling to make a life for herself on a primitive farm on the Delta that she dubs "Mudbound." Nothing is easy for these characters, who wrestle with issues of family bonds, race, class, and poverty. A bleak, thought-provoking tragedy. More info →
Station Eleven

Station Eleven

In her haunting, wistful novel, Mandel imagines the end of the world as we know it, and it's nothing like you're expecting: a global pandemic known as the Georgian Flu sweeps the world. A traveling Shakespeare troupe earnestly endeavors to maintain in a ruined world. A comic book is a point of hope for many. I was afraid this post-apocalyptic novel would be depressing (or terrifying) but it's neither. It IS a pageturner: I read it in two days. More info →
Between the World and Me

Between the World and Me

This is a profound, moving, timely book. Coates frames this series of essays as a letter to his son, exploring what it means to be black in America, and how issues involving race have shaped and continue to shape the country in which he lives. The audio version, read by the author, is fantastic. More info →
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Author:
If you're new to this novel, brace yourself: Francie Nolan is about to win you over. Her Irish Catholic family is struggling to stay afloat in the Brooklyn slums, in the midst of great change at the turn of the century, while her charismatic but doomed father is literally drinking himself to death. But Francie is young, sensitive, imaginative, and determined to make a life for herself, and Smith gently shows us how Francie is like those Brooklyn trees that somehow manage to grow in the city, even in cement, even with no light or water. A moving story of unlikely beauty and resilience. More info →
Anne of Green Gables

Anne of Green Gables

Author:
Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert of Prince Edward Island, Canada decide to adopt an orphaned boy to help them on their farm. Their messenger mistakenly delivers a girl to Green Gables instead—an 11-year-old feisty redhead named Anne Shirley. The series follows Anne from her childhood at Green Gables until she is a mother herself. Don't miss the final books of the series when Anne's own sons set sail to fight for Canada in WWI. More info →
The Grapes of Wrath

The Grapes of Wrath

Author:
This is Steinbeck's epic tale of the Great Depression and the great Dust Bowl Migration of the 1930s, told through the eyes of one downtrodden Oklahoma farm family. This Pulitzer winner is sweeping and evocative, packed with unforgettable images, bursting with meaning. Powerful and tragic, with an absolutely haunting ending that holds forth the tiniest glimmer of hope. More info →
Gone With the Wind

Gone With the Wind

This 1936 epic novel and Pulitzer winner is enjoying a resurgence, and for good reason. More than a Civil War novel, this is a tale of the breadth and depth of human emotions, set against the backdrop of the Old South from the dawn of the war through Reconstruction, and is told through the eyes of Scarlett O'Hara, a beautiful, vivacious Southern Belle pressed into the unforeseen challenges of war who personifies the resilience of the human spirit. Scarlett is but one of a cast of many unforgettable characters that has been bringing readers back to this book for 75 years. Important: the pervasive racism in this book has lead some contemporary readers to deem it too painful a reading experience to be worth it. More info →
Night

Night

Author:
"What does it mean to remember? It is to live in more than one world, to prevent the past from fading and to call upon the future to illuminate it." In this moving memoir, Wiesel recalls his experience as a young boy with his father in the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps in 1944-45, during the Holocaust at the height of World War II. It's amazing how much Wiesel packs into 100 pages. "Never shall I forget ... " More info →
To Kill A Mockingbird

To Kill A Mockingbird

Author:
In this 1960 classic, small-town attorney Atticus Finch attempts a hopeless defense of a black man unjustly accused of rape, and to teach his children, Scout and Jem, about the evils of racism. It's been a staple on high school reading lists for years (and I talked about my significant high school experience with Mockingbird here), but it enjoyed a fresh burst of publicity when its companion Go Set a Watchman was recently published. (I'd love to be in the course that reads both, together.) More info →

 

24 books to read when you feel like the world is falling apart

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  1. I reread all the Harry Potter books (totally for comfort reading after a tumultuous Spring) this summer, and I am currently making my way through the Anne books for the first time ever (❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️). Loving this list and when I finish on PEI I may tackle some more of these. (I read and adored Station Eleven this summer, too.)

  2. Sabrina Foulke says:

    The Hiding Place is one of the best books i have ever read!! I highly recommend it to everyone! As a matter of fact, i just recommended it to two of my cousins!! Corrie ten Boom has a number of books full of love and inspiration!

    • Melanie says:

      This is one of the few books we read in elementary school that I remember vividly. One of the best WWII books out there in my opinion.

    • Susan says:

      The Hiding Place is one of my Top Ten Favorite Books of All Time! I didn’t read it until my kids were almost grown, but it’s had a HUGE impact on me. They’ve all read it too.

  3. Katherine says:

    Great List! I have found myself feeling the same way lately. I honestly don’t know what to do without some good books to retreat into when it feels like the world has gone crazy. I have been dithering on whether to read Everyone Brave is Forgiven, if the beautiful title is anything to go by, I’ll enjoy it. So, I think I’m going to give it a try!

  4. Jane Weichert says:

    I’ve read all of these except 2 and agree that they are wonderful books. Just read Chris Cleave and loved that book. When I started I wasn’t sure I wanted to read another WWII book but this is unique. Thanks for recommending.

  5. Ramona says:

    Thanks for putting together this list. It’s truly a gift to your readers. I picked up Stitches at the library recently. I’m moving it to pile of books I want to read soon. I also picked up Night (which I’ve never read) for a book club I do with two friends through Google Chat. So many personal faves on your list – TKAM, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Anne of Green Gables, The Hiding place – plus new titles to explore. Thank you!

  6. Katia says:

    LOTR and Harry Potter are my go-to comfort books. I’m currently listening to the audio version of The Nightingale and am finding it surprisingly enjoyable. Unfortunately, I read many negative reviews of the book but decided to pick it up anyway. I’m glad I did.

  7. Jamie says:

    I read “One Summer: America 1927” by Bill Bryson earlier this year and whoah – was America in a heap of trouble then! Of course there were the highlights of Babe Ruth’s home run chase and Lindberg’s crossing of the Atlantic, but those events seemed like trivial distractions (although welcomed!) to the greater plots of politics, drought, racism, eugenics, and the tumble into the Great Depression. As I read through one description of the nation’s politics, I literally laughed out loud because it was so absurd – stealing, cheating, lying, evading taxes…and basically being rewarded for it! It made modern day situations seem like a cake walk. Even though it was no doubt a difficult, confusing time for the people living through it, reading Bryson recount all the craziness gave me a sense of comfort that ‘this too shall pass.’

  8. Alisha says:

    We were in Chicago the day the Dallas shootings happened and went through the same exhibit at the Art Institute. History continues to repeat itself, it looks a little different but at it’s core it’s the same.

  9. Sue says:

    Love how you remind us that things have been bad before and we can overcome. A great reminder of the power of art and books to soothe and heal and inspire. I will put the ones I have not read on my TBR shelf. Happy that Anne made the list- as a Canadian that is one of my all time fave books.

  10. Kristie says:

    I’ve read a few of these, and was happy to see my favorite-of-all-time, A Wrinkle in Time, on your list. (Psst – it’s Murry, not Murray.) I’ve read it a number of times, but you reminded me I’ve only read the rest of the Quintet once. Time to put the rest on my TBR list!

    • Rachel says:

      I was going to add that series as well.
      I think someone else described it as “beautifully hard.”
      It is my absolute favorite series that I have read in recent years (maybe ever), largely because of the timeliness of it for me personally.

    • Laura says:

      Love these books! My 10 year old got a bit scared during bedtime reading so I’m continuing on my own and will try again when she’s a bit older 🙂

  11. Ann Perrigo says:

    Thanks for the list–I see many old favorites, and a few I’ve never heard of. it sends me running to my library’s online catalog! I’m glad you included Unbroken–it was one of the few titles that had me walking around the library, thrusting it into patrons’ hands… I truly believe it’s a book every American should read!

  12. Wyndi says:

    I just started listening to the Harry Potter series (I read them the first time round), and Gone with the Wind is in progress on my kindle. I recently read Everyone Brave is Forgiven, and LOVED IT! I bought Between the World and Me yesterday and can’t wait to get started on it. Thanks for the recommendations!! I also read One Plus One recently by JoJo Moyes and thought it was a nice reminder that life is hard–really hard, sometimes–but you have to just keep doing what you can to make it through, remembering that good things can happen when you least expect it.

  13. Jaclyn says:

    Great list! A mix of comfort reading and of-the-moment topics – perfect. I’m looking forward to reading “Love Wins” – I haven’t read it yet, but it seems a good choice for when the world goes crazy and we need to remind ourselves that there are good news days, too.

  14. Debbie Snyder says:

    A great list, Anne (with an E)! I have read a few of these listed and heartily concur! Gone With The Wind, Anne of Green Gables, Diary of Anne Frank, A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN (my all time fav), The Hiding Place (ugh, if you ever think you have problems, just read this!), The Grapes of Wrath! I have a few of these on my TBR list now. My wish is that everyone reads as much as they possibly can!

    • Susan says:

      A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is my all-time fav, as well. I try to reread it every summer. Maybe this a little weird, but I have about 6 different copies of this book!

  15. Jennifer N. says:

    As I work through Stephen King’s “11-22-63: A Novel” on audio (only 3 hours left!!!) I have been struck with King’s descriptions of the early 60’s… the racial tension and subtle lack of freedoms for both people of color and women. He covers (briefly) the Cuban Missile Crisis, which I had only learned about in school, but I was struck with how terrified the American people were at the time of high tension during the Cold War. The parallels between 50 years ago and today are striking, and comforting. We have been here before, but since most of us weren’t there we forget, and our grandparents and parents lived to tell the tale. And many things today really are better.

    In my life, any type of reading is a comfort through any kind of stress, but if you’re looking for a nice contrast between modern times and the 60’s, this is a great book if you don’t mind King’s flare for words and a bit of violence and creepiness.

  16. Karen says:

    Great list! I have read some of these, some I’ve heard of but haven’t read, and some are new to me. I tend to gravitate toward escapist fiction when the world gets too crazy. It’s nice to have a variety though 🙂

  17. Molly says:

    I am currently reading Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee for the 2016 reading challenge, but I can’t ever get through more than a few pages in a sitting. Perhaps it’s because their world was falling apart, and right now the same seems to be true of ours? At any rate, I am about to set it aside for something more hopeful. My friend and I found copies of Barefoot by Elin Hildebrand and are going to start reading it together soon. The summary makes it sound hopeful that things will come out well in the end.

  18. Sheri Bay says:

    Great post and wonderful list of books! So many I have read and enjoyed, and thank you for sharing new titles I can add to my (every growing) TBR list.

    To add to the list, The Catcher and the Rye, which I just read, is a great book to read in times like these as well. I enjoy your blog so much!

  19. Lori says:

    These are great ideas – My world was hardly “falling apart” but when I was planning my wedding, I was very stressed out and the only thing I could focus on was Jan Karon’s Mitford series, which I had already read. Re-reading it was very soothing to me.

    • Susan says:

      I read the first Mitford book and loved it, and it’s been a few years and what’s kept me from reading the rest is that I don’t know if I should re-read the first one so I can follow the plot/characters in the second one! I have this problem with several series – do I need to re-read the first book to read the rest of them?? Seems kinda silly, but it always bothers me and keeps me from finishing a series!!!

      • Lori says:

        Not sure you wanted my advice, but I would re-read the first one. It’s so delightful, and there are a lot of characters to keep track of.

      • Mary Alice says:

        I’d move to Mitford in a heart-beat. I think you can read each book as a stand alone. So, pick up the second one and enjoy.

  20. Mary Kate says:

    I need pure but still quality escapism when I feel like the world is falling apart, so Harry Potter and A Wrinkle in Time are definitely up my alley. Reading depressing things (I haven’t read The Grapes of Wrath or Night since high school, but I remember them having a profound affect on me) are ones I would probably avoid at the moment. But perhaps that’s just me.

    • Debbie Snyder says:

      I agree! Some people like to read stories more heartbreaking than their current realities, helps them feel like their lives are quite as bad as they seem. Others (like me), need to read lighter, more uplifting stories that pull us up out of our holes. In the midst of some major heavy stuff going on in my life, I am currently reading “One Thousand Gifts” by Ann Voskamp. That book is doing it for me NOW! All I can say is WOW! I’ve many lines underlined or hightlighted. It’s speaking to me, LOUDLY, in a good way, touching all the deep places, shining light and bringing healing!

      • laura says:

        me too. which is why i had to put down the nightingale, even though i know i will like it; it’s just too much right now. i’m much more in the mood for harry potter, mitford, and inspector gamache (even though murder mysteries, the characters are so likable; i find the books so comforting).

  21. Jennifer Selvin says:

    Anne, I so appreciate the fact that while you have listed books that may comfort, you also give some books that challenge. Thank you for your thoughtfulness, both in the podcast and on the site.

  22. Veronica says:

    Great suggestions! I recently finished “Everyone Brave is Forgiven” and just when I feel overwhelmed with the news, I remind myself that if Londoners could get through the Blitz, I can get through this time. Another series set during the Great Depression is Julia’s Hope, by Leisha Kelly.The family endures hardships, but keeps their faith and hope.

  23. Noel Ferre says:

    Great list! I’ve read all but four and those are going on my TBR list. When I’m down in the dumps I often go on a reading slump, picking up books and putting them down a minute later. The books that wind up getting me through the slump have been gentle, easy reads – The Mitford series, The Number 1 Ladies Detective Series, and anything by Jane Austen. I want to be transported to a land with fewer problems, nice people and happy endings. And then I can go back to serious topics and once again, watch the news.

  24. Ashleigh Anne Payne says:

    What a wonderful list, Anne. I’ve read many of these…love Harry Potter and A Wrinkle in Time, as well as Lord of the Rings and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. And just finished Grapes of Wrath for the first time…a beautiful and haunting novel. Another book that I have found timely is Erik Larson’s In the Garden of Beasts, about an American ambassador and his family in pre-WWII Germany at the rise of Hitler. I was struck by the subtle way evil can sneak into a culture, little by little, closing it off to seeing what it is doing before it is too late. Not uplifting, but perhaps timely. Thanks for this list.

    • deb says:

      Thanks for mentioning Erik Larson’s In the Garden of Beasts – I was looking for a good book set in Germany to read as we’re heading there soon! Just added this to my list!

  25. rebecca says:

    I have Hotel New Hampshire sitting on my bookshelf where it’s been waiting to be read. Love this list and that I can start with one of my favorite authors.

  26. Grace says:

    I just finished Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline, and I felt exactly this way about that book. So good! I loved it’s side by side narration between the 1930’s and 2009. We’ve come a great way, but there’s still a long way to go.

    • Susan says:

      I read Orphan Train a few months ago and I just loved it. I’ve been telling my grown daughters to read it – and I can’t believe they did that back then. I missed this part in history class – or they didn’t teach it!

  27. Melanie says:

    I have Everyone Brave is Forgiven sitting on my shelf waiting for its turn in my ever-changing queue. I feel like it’s a treat I’ll earn once I power through some other titles I feel like I “should” read first (or that need to be read first because of the library due date).

    For lighthearted escapist reads I’ll add Cold Comfort Farm and I Capture the Castle.

  28. Danae says:

    This is a very thoughtfully compiled list. I like how many of the selections have withstood the test of time – which is testament to how well the authors approach the human experience in an uncertain world, and how readers across generations can still relate.

  29. Anna says:

    Thanks for the perspective. I feel the same way when I read the news. We were already praying about the violence/ attacks in America and here in Mali (our current home.) When I found out about Nice, I felt like I collapsed inside. And then Turkey on top of that, with some of our friends trapped at the airport temporarily. But it is true that the world has seen other troubled times.
    I prefer to read things to escape reality at times like that. The kids and I are working though the Wrinkle in Time series on audiobook. I also like to read “cozy mysteries” as escape, current favorite is Donna Andrews.

  30. Missy G. says:

    I live in Baton Rouge, and while the media doesn’t report it, the community is coming together to have heartfelt and constructive conversations about perceptions and realities. I am trying to seek more diverse and edifying books to my TBR list so that I may meaningfully contribute to that conversation and be more involved in my community. Here are a few:
    Night by Elie Wiesel
    White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide by Carol Anderson
    The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
    Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
    Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
    Just Mercy is our book club pick for August, and Between the World and Me and Half the Sky have just been bumped up on my TBR list.

    Reading has been one of the activities that still seems normal for me the past couple of weeks. Thanks for this list.

  31. Muriel says:

    I have a shelf of “old friends” – those books which I read time and again because I so enjoy them, for a variety of reasons. They are also largely the same set of books to which I turn for “comfort reading”. Some of been “old friends” for decades. Others snuck onto the shelf without my realizing it. 🙂 These titles are among the first that I either acquired upon getting my kindle, or for which I continue to anxiously await ebook availability, so that I can have them always with me, no matter where I roam.
    A few of the titles on your list are also on mine (A Wrinkle in Time, Anne of Green Gables, The Hiding Place, LOTR). Some of mine won’t appeal to others, while some of the titles listed above are anything BUT comforting or enjoyable for me! It is interesting how varied and different are the things in which each of us finds comfort.
    An incomplete list:
    (which forces me to acknowledge that over time the comfort reads “shelf” has grown into an entire bookcase.)
    The OZ series, by L. Frank Baum
    The Belgariad series, by David Eddings (+ Belgarath & Polgara)
    Monster Hunter International, by Larry Correia
    Lammas Night, by Katherine Kurtz
    The Enchantment Emporium, by Tanya Huff
    The Deed of Paksenarrion, by Elizabeth Moon
    Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott
    The Song of the Lioness, by Tamora Pierce
    The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norman Juster
    All Things Great and Small (series), by James Harriot
    Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen
    The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
    Cheaper by the Dozen, by by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. & Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

    • Debbie Snyder says:

      I love that you’ve mentioned All Things Great and Small! I am reading this now for the first time and am thoroughly enjoying it! This man writes in a way that makes you feel like you are right there with him and the other characters! I enjoy the humor in it too. Very good read!

      • Muriel says:

        There’s a reason the BBC ended up making a show based on those books! I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve read by Mr. Herriot. Marvelous reads, all.
        (Also, I just realized that I combined the names of two different books together, there – All Creatures Great and Small, and All Things Bright and Beautiful. And misspelled the author’s name. Whoops!)

        • Debbie Snyder says:

          As you can see, I didn’t notice and did the same thing! Ha ha! BTW, what is the BBC series called? Same title (the correct one)? Is it on Netflix, I wonder? I would love to watch it!

          • Muriel says:

            Yes, the BBC series has the same name as the original book – All Creatures Great and Small. (Just in case you’re a Doctor Who fan, Peter Davison – the 5th Doctor, plays Tristan in the series!) If not streaming, I’ll be Netflix has it available on disk.

        • Muriel says:

          Oh, thank you for that recommendation, Melanie! Unsurprisingly, there’s a long wait list at the library for the audiobook. 🙂 The sample is just lovely.

    • Lori McKee says:

      All Creatures Great and Small is one of my favorite series EVER, and I am the last thing from an animal lover. Great, great series of books. The TV series was good, but a warning – the pace and humor was a bit different from what I was used to as an American. You may need to give it some time. 🙂

  32. Ali says:

    I listened to the podcast where you recommended the Thursday Next series the morning after the EU referendum result. I read the first 4 over the following week and they were a fantastic escape from refreshing the guardian app. The only books where British politics is more surreal than the last month of reality!

  33. Susan says:

    Anne, have you read Lilac Girls yet? I searched your blog for it before I started reading it, and saw that was one you were looking forward to in 2016. I’m reading it now – I’m about 40% through it (Kindle version from My Media Mall through my public library) – it’s very very good, and difficult to put down, but as is the case with many WWII books, hard to keep reading at times due to subject matter. Very well written and fabulous reviews on Amazon encouraged me to read it.

      • Susan says:

        Oh Anne, I can’t wait to hear what you think about it (and I’m wondering how you could’ve put it down 3 times – no judgment, though!). I finished it on Saturday. Now “The Nightingale” is ready for me from my library on Kindle – I’m wondering if it’s too much WW2 right in a row. Well, I’ll read a couple different books in between….

  34. Margie says:

    Great list and a good reminder that people have faced difficult times before. I’ve read some and will seek out some of the others. But the go-to for me will always be The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien was heavily influenced by his experiences in WWI and WWII and it gives the epic such power. Early in the story Frodo says he wishes he had never found the ring or lived to see such times. Gandalf’s response is timeless: “So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.” The story reminds us that good is worth fighting for even when it feels hopeless and that friendship, loyalty and acts of courage by even the least among us can turn the tide. It’s a good time to read it again.

  35. Elizabeth says:

    A timely list, Anne. And the exhibit you saw sounded really interesting.

    Glad you put Between the World and Me in there as well – Ta-Nehisi Coates is such a great writer. I plan on getting the audio version. There’s nothing like hearing a great author read their own work.

  36. Susan says:

    When my heart is heavy, when my world around is in disarray, I tend to go with light reading or Christian non-fiction; something to remind me or return my focus to the One who has His hand on the chaos. All these titles (at least the ones I’ve read), except maybe Harry Potter, are heavy reading.

  37. Guest says:

    Wow – my husband and I were just discussing this. We took a 20 hour road trip and listened to Bill Bryson’s One Summer. We had started the drive talking about how messed up the world is and then hearing about all of these things in the 1920s you realize Solomon was right…there is nothing new under the sun. There were crazy, horrible murders back then. Presidents who were truly awful in that capacity. Salacious media. Etc., etc., etc. A sad, but strangely reassuring, reminder that these things are not new and somehow life and society go on.

  38. Mary Alice says:

    You have put 3 of my life list favorites on here. I have loved A Wrinkle in Time since my 6th grade teacher read it to us just before lunch. Still love fall thunderstorms to this day. The Lord of the Rings AND The Hobbit are so so good. I cried at the end when the ring bearers and elves leave Middle Earth. I felt that I had lost dear friends. The Hiding Place is very near and dear to my heart. Corrie ten Boom spoke at my high school graduation. I consider her a hero.
    The subject is comfort and others have mentioned very good titles, for me the very act of reading is comfort. When I am overwhelmed or sad or worried, I run away to the covers of a book.

  39. Jennifer says:

    Oh, Anne! I’m late to this because I’ve been traveling, but this may be my favorite post of yours ever. Thank you for addressing the news we don’t always see in blogs, thank you for your insightful words, and thank you for this incredibly thoughtful list.

    Apparently, I only comment when I need to push Rosamund Pilcher and I do so here, as well. Shell Seekers and Coming Home offer compelling stories and a comforting read while dealing with tough times.

  40. Ellen says:

    My husband and I have been finding perspective and comfort similar to your art experience by watching the CNN documentaries on the Sixties, Seventies, and Eighties. Not only is it oddly comforting to know this chaos isn’t new, I’m amazed at the common themes and how current events are so tightly tied to the past.

  41. Lyn Lacey says:

    Thank you for this great list of suggested reads! I have read many listed here, and would like to also suggest adding, The Swan House by Elizabeth Musser. This historical fiction is based on the ripple effect within the Atlanta community surrounding the 1962 Orly Plane Crash, and it is a poignant and heartwarming snapshot of multi-faceted Atlanta during the Civil Rights Era. She has many other books, and once you read one of her books, you will want to read them all.

  42. Pamela says:

    Thank you Anne! What a perfect list for the difficult time we are in. Thank you for being sensitive enough to address. Some I have read and some I can’t wait to crack open!

  43. Michelle says:

    Books by Fannie Flagg (Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man, Welcome to the World Baby Girl, Fried Green Tomatoes a the Whistle Stop Cafe, etc). Many of her books have a sweet, poignant, and funny quality – so comforting when everything feels out of control.

  44. Cayla says:

    I was so happy when I saw that Anne of Green Gables was the first on this list! Thanks for tackling this subject. I’ve had a difficult couple of months and needed some uplifting/happy reads. Thanks for supplying!

  45. Nooooo! Not the Grapes of Wrath! While I, too, loved the colorful descriptions of America and Route 66 travelers during the Dust Bowl ear, I was so terribly disappointed in this book as a whole. I kept waiting for redemption, for hope: it never came. Yes, there’s a “tiniest glimmer of hope” at the end, but for me, it wasn’t enough. It took me a week to shake off the melancholy I felt at the end of the novel.

  46. Sarah Ellzey says:

    I think I’ve just found a was to categorize my “type” of book. This book list contains more of my favorites than any I’ve ever seen! Perhaps it’s because I’m prone to think the world is falling apart. 🙂 I haven’t reread “Anne of Green Gables” as an adult, or “The Grapes of Wrath”. Looks like I have some rereading to do!

  47. Ann Perrigo says:

    I have just finished listening to Between the World and Me. What an important and hearbreaking book! It’s another for my “every-American-must-read-this-book” list! It’s not an easy read, but so worthwhile.

  48. Some of my favorite books made this list! Anne of Green Gables is more of a feel-good, pick me up type of book in general. Gone With the Wind is one of my favorites. I loved the movie too, but it leaves out so many great scenes. Added Stitches and Half of a Yellow Sun to my holds list at the library.

  49. MAK says:

    What a great post and reading list to go with it!! There are so many of my ‘comfort’ reads on here. Just finished reading The Nightingale and it was by far one of the most impactful books I’ve read. I just thought seeing WWII through the perspective of these women was both so beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. But in contrast to some of these other reads, because of the parallels to some of the things happening today, it made me feel SO sad and discouraged that no matter how many of these tragic moments of history we go through we never seem to learn from them! ?

  50. Marilyn says:

    Thanks for the list. There are many of my favorite books on the list. “A Tree Grows In Brooklyn” is a book I can relate to. I grew up in Brooklyn and there was one tree at the end of the row of houses. Needless to say we kids always gravitated to that tree in the summer to sit under the tree. I do not think the owners of that house appreciated us playing there a lot. As far as other soothing books, the “Emily” series,”Pat of Silver Bush” and “Marigold” all books by Lucy Maude Montgomery are worth reading. I am reading the “Elsie Dinsmore” series. I never read them in my youth.
    Marilyn

  51. Marion says:

    I enjoyed your list.Many of the books I have read are listed.The American Girl Books, any book with an Amish theme are a great comfort. I just finished “And The News Is” by Dana Perino,former press secretary to former President George W Bush. It is very interesting. I am now reading “Legends and Lies” The Real West by Bill O’Reilly.

  52. Joan says:

    Great list of books. “A Tree Grows In Brooklyn” is a favortie of mine. I read it when I was in my teens. A neighbor asked me if my mothe rknew I reading that book, I guess he thought it was too old for me. I told him my mother lets me read any book I want. “Nancy Drew Mysteries is another good choice. When I was a little girl I would buy every new one that came out. I love anything Amish too. Have you read any books by D.E. Stevenson? The one I just finished is “Listening Valley” It is reprinted form long ago. “Ivanhoe”, “Lorna Doone” “Ramona” are some more good examples worth reading.
    Joan

  53. Melissa says:

    I’m glad that you included Gone With the Wind. It’s true that there is a great deal of racism in the story, this is an unfortunate slice of life in the South at that time in history. If you pay attention when you’re reading it, though, certain black characters are wiser and understand the human heart better than any of the white characters (Specifically, Mammy and Dilcey). The love stories, the losses, the challenges and ultimate perseverance in GWTW make it a true, deserving classic.

  54. Pamela says:

    You are an amazing blogger – I found you through someone else’s tweet. THANK YOU for this post. Yes, I would be a different person – a sadder, meaner, grumpy person – without my books to turn to. And I turn to books every night, reading at least one a week. Your list is magnificent. I’ve read a great many of them, but you’re encouraging me to return and reread some of them (like A Tree Grows in Brooklyn – that book began my love of reading at the age of 10). I’d recommend Madeleine L’Engle’s Journals even over her Wrinkle in Time series. The Summer of My Great Grandmother, and others, are astounding. When I’m really low (the news, a family member’s struggles) I turn to books like Harry Potter (reading the Children’s Curse play now) and escapism romantic suspense (which, I suppose, is why I chose to write and publish in this genre). Wiesel’s books are MUST READS for all; Hillenbrand’s Unbroken broke me into pieces, and I put myself back together a better person (I did NOT want to read this book – too long, too depressing, hate torture – but when I finished it the first thing I said was “This book has changed me forever.” That’s what books and art (like your experience in the Art Museum) and music are supposed to do for us. They let us escape into ourselves, and return to the world a better person.

  55. Susan says:

    Would love to see a list of books that are more “cheerful” for when we feel like the world is falling apart! Funny, heartwarming, enthralling books that are really uplifting or have happy endings . . .

  56. Kim says:

    Oh, The Hiding Place.So many special memories associated with that book and subsequent movie. Corrie Ten Boom has long been one of my heroes.

  57. Emily Harris says:

    Love this list! It’s a bit older now, but that doesn’t matter; the featured books are excellent suggestions to bring reassurance or new perspectives when your world is falling apart. Here’s another one… even though we’ve pretty much gotten through the Covid pandemic, it’s left a lot of damage in it path. I, for one, feel exhausted. I’ve been searching for comfort, normalcy and some sort of path to help me feel like life is normal again. I just read “Feeling Normal Again; a Post-Pandemic Guide to Emotional Health” and I’m so glad I discovered this new book! The author, Stephen Kristof, helped me to understand a lot about how the pandemic affected me – in many ways I wasn’t even aware. Then he lays-out a bunch of very helpful strategies arranged in what he calls “Toolboxes” that I’m already starting to apply to my own life. I think this is a timely and helpful book, and would recommend it strongly!

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