Reading lists

6 comforting books to lift your mood

Rowan Coleman, author of The Summer of Impossible Things, shares the books that have brought her the greatest comfort and lifted her mood when she’s most needed it.

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There have been times in my life when there has only ever been one place that I can truly find refuge - and that’s always been deep within the pages of a good book. What I look for in a truly absorbing and transformative read is impeccable storytelling, nuanced characterisation and that authorial voice that you know you will follow, without hesitation. Here are six of the very best uplifting and wonderful stories I know.  

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Is there any better remedy to a bad day than some top notch fantasy adventure? Not as far as I’m concerned. To pull off an epic story like the All Souls novels and ensure the reader comes with you heart and soul (pun intended) your world building has to be on point. What makes it so easy to become fully absorbed in this world of witches, vampires and demons is the wonderfully rich and detailed universe that makes the impossible seem possible. The age-old story of good against evil is told with such gusto and passion that as a reader you truly believe it.

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