Monday, December 20, 2010

COMFORT BOOKS by Melissa Senate

Publishers Weekly very kindly said about my new novel, THE LOVE GODDESS’ COOKING SCHOOL: “Senate handles the hefty topics of loss and remembrances with lightness and respect and in so doing, reinvents comfort food.” I could kiss this quote. If there’s anything I want a reader to take away from my novels, it’s a feeling of comfort. Of warmth. Of yes, yes, yes, that resonates.

I like comfort.

After I sold my first novel in the year 2000, I spent part of the advance money on something I still use every day and treasure the sight of: my writing desk. It’s an interesting and beautiful six-feet-tall mahogany secretary about two feet wide, and the drop-down desk is big enough only for my laptop, my ever-present mug of tea, and my vertical stack of comfort books—the ones that are always there, as comforting to look at as they are to read.

These books are the ones I read over and over—especially right before I’m about to start writing a new novel, and when I’m stuck in the middle and three-quarters of the way through. When I’ve written myself into a corner. When I’m blocked. When I’m scared and think I can’t do it. And when I just need to be reminded of what speaks to me as a writer and as a reader. I have more favorites, of course, including more recent ones that inspire me, but this beloved collection never leaves the desk, the side of the laptop, and restores me to all good things:

Then She Found Me by Elinor Lipman. LOVE this novel, starting with its great first line: My biological mother was seventeen when she had me in 1952, and even that was more than I wanted to know about her.

The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler. Inner lives. A celebration of the quirky. Beautifully written.

Good Grief by Lolly Winston. Never fails to help me. The perfect novel. As funny as it is touching and true.

Bitch In The House: 26 Women Tell the Truth About Sex, Solitude, Work, Motherhood, and Marriage, edited by Cathi Hanauer. I’ve read every essay at least 5 times.

Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy by Sarah Ban Breathnach. I love these inspirational mini essays, one for every day of the year. True comfort.

Circle of Friends, Maeve Binchy. Pure warmth. I've read many of her novels, but this was the first and the one I love most.

Range of Motion by Elizabeth Berg. I can’t always relate to Elizabeth’s Berg’s work, but when I can, I’m mesmerized. She’s elegance and earthiness at the same time.

A Little More About Me by Pam Houston. Wonderful personal essays. (In one she sums up her life by reciting Shawn Colvin: I gave nobody life, I am nobody’s wife, and I seem to be nobody’s daughter.)

Writers on Writing, Collected Essays from The New York Times. Essays on the writing life and craft from varied, interesting writers, from Richard Ford to Alice Hoffman to Barbara Kingsolver. Also a volume II. I can’t get enough of essays about the writing life.

Mothers Who Think: Tales of Real-Life Parenthood, edited by Camille Peri and Kate Moses of Salon.com. Another brilliant collection of essays from the trenches. Have read each one zillion times.

And the winner of the never-gets-old-and-never-will: Bridget Jones’ Diary by Helen Fielding. Voice. Absolute honesty. And biting British humor. A gem. (And gave me the courage to write my first novel at 34 when I’d all but given up.)

For a Happy Holidays chance to win a signed copy of The Love Goddess’ Cooking School, leave a comment about what books bring you comfort. I’ll pick a random winner early Wednesday morning, so check back here!

Mini bio: Melissa Senate is the author of 10 novels, including her latest, THE LOVE GODDESS’ COOKING SCHOOL. She lives on the Maine coast with her son and lots of books. Come visit her website (click on her name above), friend her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter. Happy Holidays!

27 comments:

  1. Hey Melissa! I love your concept of "comfort" books--I'm right there with you. Two for me are TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (the book that first made me fall completely in love. With writing and story and Atticus) and Anna Quindlen's LIVING OUT LOUD, a marvelous book of essays about being a woman and mom and wife and writer.

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  2. What a great collection of comfort books, Melissa! (And I love the sound of your writing desk, too...) A few books I especially hold dear are Sue Miller's While I Was Gone, Elizabeth Berg's Never Change, E.M. Forster's A Room with a View, Austen's Pride & Prejudice (of course! I also love Bridget Jones :) and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. Makes me laugh every time!

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  3. Lovely post! I too love "Simple Abundance" and ALL of Maeve Binchy's books--pure comfort. xo

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  4. I already have an autographed copy of your book but I'll leave my comment anyway :)
    This summer I discovered "A Dog's Purpose" by W. Bruce Cameron. It hasn't been a "comfort" book for very long, but it will be, for all the years ahead of me. It brings tears, then laughter and brings me closer to all my pets, past and present.

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  5. No need to enter me, as I already own a copy of your wonderful book, but Emily Giffin's "Something Blue" and Jill Mansell's "Nadia Knows Best" top my list of comfort reads!

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  6. I, too, won't be eligible for the signed copy...because I have mine!!! But, some of the books I go back to time and time again are surprisingly diverse. THE LITTLE HOUSE series by Laura Ingalls Wilder, FAHRENHEIT 451 by Ray Bradbury, THE THORN BIRDS by Colleen McCullough, THE CATCHER IN THE RYE by JD Salinger and one of my newest, SECRET CONFESSIONS OF THE APPLEWOOD PTA by our very own Ellen Meister (oh, how I love those PTA ladies!)

    Now you've got me wondering why I don't turn to these books instead of Double-stuffed Oreos, Melissa! Great post!

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  7. What a great and inspiring collection of books! The books I keep close at hand are Ann Patchett's BEL CANTO, David Guterson's SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS, ON BECOMING A NOVELIST by John Gardner, DEEPENING FICTION by Sarah Stone and Ron Nyren, and SHINING THROUGH by Susan Isaacs.

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  8. We share many of the same comfort books. I'll add Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler, Secret History by Donna Tartt, Prep by Curtis Sittenfield, A Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers.

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  9. Melissa, Then She Found Me and Good Grief are two of my favorites too! And I have your new book on my Christmas list--I sure hope Santa was listening. One more I have to mention, though it's not really a comfort read--CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER. It's a mystery that takes place in Mississippi (hence the title) over a number of years. The writing is gorgeous and the characters fascinating...

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  10. Melissa, I know all about comfort foods, but I never thought about comfort reads before-- I love this idea!! And there are a few books on your list that I haven't read yet, so I can't wait to check those out.

    What a fabulous post!!

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  11. Ooh, so many good books here. My Maeve Binchy comfort book is Evening Class, though Tara Road comes in a close second.

    No need to enter me - I devoured The Love Goddess' Cooking School already!

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  12. Comfort books! How brilliant! Great post, great books!

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  13. I could use some comfort around now. Really, and day. Great post, Melissa!

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  14. Love THEN SHE FOUND ME. My personal comfort books are the entire PROVINCIAL LADY series by E.M. Delafield. I can't count how many times I've read them - and now that you've put the notion into my head, may have to do so again this weekend!

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  15. Of Mice and Men, On Writing and Matthew Quick's, The Silver Lining Playbook.

    And when times are dire, I reach for my bible.

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  16. What a great quote from PW!! Congrats. I am just kicking myself that I haven't yet read THE LOVE GODDESS COOKING SCHOOL. Soon, soon! I just KNOW I'm going to love it.

    Great list of comfort books, Melissa.

    And Jill, thanks for including APPLEWOOD in your list. That makes my day!

    xo

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  17. A wonderful collection of comfort books. I too have Simple Abundance, and sadly I've never read"every essay" in order, for one entire year, but I do pick it up, and it does give me a chance to think about me. I have re-read To Kill a Mockingbird several times, most recently with my daughter in high school. For a good laugh I read Jennifer Weiner.
    Thanks for the chance to win your book!

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  18. Melissa, what a fun post! I thought THE LOVE GODDESS' COOKING SCHOOL was a fabulous comfort read. It kept me calm during my crazy deadline, and it made me hungry as heck, too. ;-) Some of my favorite books that I love reading again and again because the prose soothes my brain: EVA MOVES THE FURNITURE by Margot Livesey and LYING AWAKE by Mark Salzman.

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  19. I've found SIMPLE ABUNDANCE to be comforting for many years, and can't imagine not having it around. I also like THE LIFE ORGANIZER: A WOMAN'S GUIDE TO A MINDFUL YEAR by Jennifer Louden. Very gentle and comforting. :)

    Thanks for the reminder of Elinor Lipman's books. I met her at a booksigning a few years ago, and she was so encouraging of my fledgling attempts to be a writer. Such a lovely person--it makes me enjoy her books even more. :)

    It sounds like I'll enjoy your book too--I'm looking forward to reading it.

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  20. Day 2 home with sick (just bad cold) child and of course tomorrow starts 2 weeks winter break from school, so it's been difficult to get away from playing go fish, tic tac toe and endless rounds of Apples to Apples in between slipping in some freelance work, but I wanted to say a huge thanks for these wonderful comments! I now have so many new-to-me books to add to my list.

    Can you hear a little boy saying, "MOMMMMMMMY" in the background? Back later!

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  21. I have loved reading these comments and will be checking out some of these suggestions. My comfort books would be anything by Donald Miller and Anne Lamott. Loved Good Grief as well. And Elizabeth Berg's books too. Loved House and Home by Kathleen McCleary. And Prince of Tides and Time Travelers Wife must always be within reach.

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  22. Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird and Jeanette Walls' The Glass Castle are two of my favorite books!

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  23. GOOD GRIEF is one of my favorites. I also loved Lolly's HAPPINESS SOLD SEPARATELY. Her books are my writing starters too!

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  24. One of my favorite books of all time is IN COLD BLOOD - I re-read it many times when I was working as a journalist writing narrative non-fiction. I adore so many of the books you mentioned, too!

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  25. This is a very "comforting" post--thanks! I love "The World According to Garp", Rob Swigert's "Little America" and anything by Fannie Flagg. Happy Holidays!

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  26. I'm guessing that I'm a little too late on commenting to get in the drawing, but I love "The Knitting Circle" by Ann Hood and "Winterdance" by Gary Paulsen.

    Kelly J. R.
    kjramstack at yahoo dot com

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  27. I have many of these same books. THEN SHE FOUND ME is my favorite of them. Love it, love it, love it!

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