Book Talk: Books for Comforting

Last week was really rough for me. My grandpa passed away. I was really close to him and I was so upset, so that's why the blog has been quiet for the past week. It has been tough, but my friends and family have reached out to me and I've felt very loved and supported, which is so wonderful and comforting during your unhappiest times.

That got me thinking about how books can also be a source of comfort. There have been times in the past few years where I was inexplicably upset, lonely, insecure, or all of the above. Sometimes I was too embarrassed to talk to my friends about how I was feeling, and sometimes I didn't even really know how to talk about it. I found a lot of comfort in books, because sometimes when you read about a character that is struggling with some of the same things you are, you feel less alone and less ashamed of how you feel. 

I used to read books because of the clever plot twists or because of the magical sci-fi and fantasy worlds, but now I've started reading because of the characters. I love reading about incredible friendships and seeing how characters grow and overcome their own personal struggles. Some of my favorite books and authors are ones that wrote characters that I identified with or got really attached to: Melina Marchetta, Patrick Ness, Brandon Sanderson, Scott Lynch.

I didn't read that many books this past week, but now that the waves of grief have started to slow down, I'm getting back in the mood for other worlds and other stories. Here's to the books that get you through the tough times in your life!