So many excellent authors and titles already mentioned and a some I'm eager to try! Thank you everyone! Here are some yet unmentioned "recovery" titles which soothe me: A Place Called Sweet Apple" by Celestine Sibley and Peter Mayle's "Provence" series.
Thanks, Melissa! It's interesting that so many of our "comfort" reads are set in "comforting" places, out of the mainstream of commercial life. We could also add Gladys Taber's books to our list. I love her Stillmeadow books (our MeadowKnoll is named for her place).
Oh, how delightful this behind the scenes peek is! I just finished my second Cottage Tales book and can't wait to get the rest of the series. They are just what I need to be reminded of when so much news is grim and there is excessive distrust between neighbors. I'm looking for the good in folks and I am finding it...both in your books and in my community. We had a series of wildfires in our small Appalachian counties in the Panhandle of West Virginia just this past week. It took ALL the volunteers from farmers to cooks to students working side by side and battling the fires right alongside the National Guard. It was amazing to see restaurants cooking and serving the crews. businesses turning their spaces into shelters for those who were evacuated, people opening their homes to whomever had need of a safe haven. So many wonderful stories. In the midst of the whole thing, I went to the grocery store for supplies and a women checking out in front of me turned to me after paying and thrust a bouquet of beautiful Dianthus at me and said, "These are for you; they're free!" and she was gone almost before I could call a loud, "Thank you!" after her. There is good in the world and I feel like reading The Cottage Tales is helping me to look for and find it. Thank you for these lovely, seemingly simple but actually profound, books.
Leenie, thank you,. from the bottom of my heart (a cliche, but it's true). You're right: there is so much good and so many good people--and it does help to be reminded of that occasionally. The bad and the bad people are so sensational that they dominate all our media and overshadow what is right and helpful and truly gracious. Like those beautiful dianthus. 🧡❤💛💚
Georgeann, thanks so much! I wouldn't have seen this if you hadn't tipped me off. I left a comment on that post (moderated, so it'll be a while before it's approved).
The books I go to for comfort and enjoyment are Miss Read's Fairacre series and Thrush Green series, which you mentioned you enjoyed also. Also, at the top of my favorites list are the Darling Dahlias series that you wrote (I am so looking forward to reading some of your short stories you will will write that feature the Dahlias).
Thanks, Judy. I've been thinking about those Dahlias, yes. I wanted to bring Zora Neale Hurston into a story, but I'm afraid it might have to be too long for the "short reads" section on Substack. So we'll see.
Thanks! CPAP is certainly a weird but (I hope 🤞) ultimately helpful therapy. Kitchen Reno’s are awful - tied with bathroom (done both). Ours is master bedroom and ensuite so water is turned off at times.
Do give Martin Walker and Richard Osman a try - think you’d enjoy them 😁
Looking at the comments, it seems many of us continue to love the books that we read as children. I understand that schools and teachers need to have reading levels in mind for different grades.... but I can't help but wonder about what really goes on with kids learning about the world around them. When my nieces were coming home from elementary school, they would quickly turn on the hot and steamy daytime soaps to watch with their after-school snacks! I hated seeing this, but their mother would say something like "They are going to learn about life sooner or later." - sigh My sister and I read above our age levels both in fiction and non-fiction all through high school. It was not anything I thought about at the time. I actually didn't read much fiction until high school when certain books were assigned for review. I happened to have had two French language teachers who each brought fiction authors to my attention, as well as poets. One teacher was a gay man who happened to have two sisters who were nuns. He was a wonderful teacher and well liked for his humor as well as being a good and thoughtful instructor. The other French teacher was French and loved living in America. She had 2 adult sons whom she often traveled with during summer break. She encouraged me to write poems about the things I loved. I mention all of this because I wish there was more understanding and acceptance of how our reading develops when we are young.
So much to enjoy in this post and all of the comments! It is a keeper for all of the delicious links and referrals. I was a late comer to the Cottage Tale Series. I somehow had assumed that this series and The Darling Dahlias were for young children. But once I discovered my error, I was totally taken with both series. They were so welcome to rely on, when I lost my forest to the loggers. These books both audio and written, managed to get my mind off of what was going on, as well as the aftermath. The audio of The Cottage Tales is really a treat! I had to hunt for copies of The Dahlias online. Happy to say I now have them all! I too have read most of the Miss Read books as they were being published. Women, cottage gardens, walks between villages and a crusty schoolhouse cleaner! What's not to love! 😄
Other favorite reads of mine are Mary Daheim (both series), Lilian Beckwith, Dorothy Gilman (all of the Mrs. Pollifax books and all of her earlier books), Lillian Jackson Braun and Tony Hillerman - in part because they are both read by George Guidell!) and Bill Bryson books!
Re: children's books. It's the association with Potter that leads people to think that the books are for children, I think. I adopted the style of her work, which reinforced that belief. It brought the series to the attention of school librarians, teachers, and homeschoolers, and I'm glad for that. But the vocabulary and syntax put the books into the high-school reading range. And they're likely not to the taste of today's teens. 🤨
Two of my all time favorite books are Puck of Pook's Hill and Rewards and Fairies by Rudyard Kipling. That's how I learned English history to begin with. Dan and Una live in Sussex in the country, early 20th Century. They act a play made out of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the foot of Pook's Hill, in a fairy ring. So of course Puck comes out. He brings back people from history from where they live. A knight from the Conquest, a Roman centurion, lots more. Even Gloriana.
Somebody I knew made a snotty comment because I read Kipling, and he's such a an awful imperialist. That's true. But not in these books. I wasn't in a position to retort. I wish I had, though.
Kipling is a central character in our Robin Paige book, Death at Rottingdean. We visited that village (where he lived around the turn of the century), and I read a lot of his work. Yes, of course he's an imperialist, but he's a product (like all of us) of his time, place, and social class. He's a wonderful writer, Nan. My favorite book of his: Kim.
That village has such a remarkable history as a smugglers' waypoint. It's very different now than it was in Kipling's day, of course. But since you're a Kipling fan, you'll enjoy it. Do put it on your list the next time you're in England! And the mill is still there: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beacon_Mill,_Rottingdean
Oh my gosh, you went to their village! I'd like to do that. I liked Kim. My other favorites are the Jungle Books. And we had a collection of his short stories, too. He's so good at bringing people to life.
Thanks--I'll let them know. 😍 I wish, though, that I hadn't set that series in Alabama. I was too naïve (uninformed, ignorant) of the ugly Jim Crow situation there in the 30s--and the racial prejudice that persists to this day. I tried to partially address that in Voodoo Lily, but that's not nearly enough.
You're right. I considered Indiana and Illinois, but after I read Timothy Egan's A Fever In the Heartland, I realized that the Klan was very active in both states in the 20s, 30s. And I really wanted to work with the Southern ladies. Just didn't know enough to tackle that project. 🙄
Storms, yes! A tornado EF2 tore through our Hot Springs Village that night of the 14th (it would have been appropriate had it been the Ides of March!). We did not have damage, but did experience lots of rain and wind and huge hail. Though the hail was possibly baseball size, it was so intermittent that it did not harm our home. At least we think not. But hundreds, perhaps thousands, of trees were flattened, with some homes damaged, but no injuries. We all were very fortunate. Thanks for asking and wishing us well.
I lived through a terrifying F3 as a girl in Illinois in 1953 and have enormous respect for those storms. So glad you are safe and (mostly) undamaged. Fingers crossed for a safe storm season!
That must have been terrifying! My husband grew up in Wichita Falls, TX, and has lived through several. I just don't like them . . . but who does except the thrill seekers who track them. At least our early buds on our dogwood did not freeze last night, so looking forward to their beauty.
So happy to read your reply. Equally important to me is my reading history with your China Bayles series-in fact, I still have one of your earliest newsletters I subscribed to (snail mail!) back when I discovered Thyme For Death!❤️
Oh, my goodness, Diane! That would have been China's Garden, which I launched in 1994 and continued through (about) 1998 or 99. In those years, there were quite a few self-published herb books (by other authors)--I reviewed as many as I could, wanting to spread the word about the "useful plants." Then the internet came along and made it so much easier to find books aimed at smaller audiences (unprofitable for most bookstores). How times have changed! 😮💚
There was plenty of political turmoil then, too--relatively speaking. They were in the runup to WW1, and most felt it was inevitable. Plus the uncertainty of a new king in 1910 and labor unrest. But the Lake District was pretty well isolated and communication was slow--a lovely little haven. Hope primary day is peaceful, Jude--we'll be watching tonight to see the outcome.
Wow, what a blessing for you and for us, your readers, that you were able to use Beatrix's animals. I have all of these books and should reread them again. So yes, in times like we are living in, I love to go upstairs into my reading room and read mysteries, biographies, magazines like Mary Jane's Farm and other magazines that encourage gardening and crafts and other delightful things in life, and books that my Mom had on her shelves about birds, and gardening, and etc. So many delightful things to read and do to escape the insanity! I'm looking forward to part 2 of your Cottage Tales Series.
And escaping the insanity has never been more important! (Altho I know we must also do what we can to ensure that at least some of this insanity comes to an end.)
Was it you who reminded me of the magazine Piecework, Pamela? I subscribed and am enjoying it very much--also enjoying the weekly newsletter, with links to archived articles. Here, for those who don't know it: https://pieceworkmagazine.com/ So much beautiful needlework, much of it by women who found a little time for their art in the midst of grueling daily work.
Yes, I'm grateful to Warne too, for those animals. They have become much more proprietary about Potter in the last 10 years. I think it would be much harder to get that permission now.
I've read them all and loved each book. The animals are wonderful characters with such realistic personalities. My husband has enjoyed all of the various series too. I read faster before my eye surgeries. So I always got to read the books first back when we had to share a paper book.
It isn't scheduled yet. My optometrist says I'll have to go to Santa Rosa, about four hours south. But I'm looking around here for reviews of local ophthalmologists.
Definitely. My sister lives there, but I'll be doing the driving. Recovery time will make it a long stay. I don't know why he said that. I guess I should ask.
Discovering the animals' personalities was part of the enjoyment for me, Penny--as was figuring out how to use them as point-of-view characters. They can tell parts of the story that humans don't know (or don't care about), and have interesting opinions about the ways humans behave. Such fun!
So many excellent authors and titles already mentioned and a some I'm eager to try! Thank you everyone! Here are some yet unmentioned "recovery" titles which soothe me: A Place Called Sweet Apple" by Celestine Sibley and Peter Mayle's "Provence" series.
Thanks, Melissa! It's interesting that so many of our "comfort" reads are set in "comforting" places, out of the mainstream of commercial life. We could also add Gladys Taber's books to our list. I love her Stillmeadow books (our MeadowKnoll is named for her place).
Oh, how delightful this behind the scenes peek is! I just finished my second Cottage Tales book and can't wait to get the rest of the series. They are just what I need to be reminded of when so much news is grim and there is excessive distrust between neighbors. I'm looking for the good in folks and I am finding it...both in your books and in my community. We had a series of wildfires in our small Appalachian counties in the Panhandle of West Virginia just this past week. It took ALL the volunteers from farmers to cooks to students working side by side and battling the fires right alongside the National Guard. It was amazing to see restaurants cooking and serving the crews. businesses turning their spaces into shelters for those who were evacuated, people opening their homes to whomever had need of a safe haven. So many wonderful stories. In the midst of the whole thing, I went to the grocery store for supplies and a women checking out in front of me turned to me after paying and thrust a bouquet of beautiful Dianthus at me and said, "These are for you; they're free!" and she was gone almost before I could call a loud, "Thank you!" after her. There is good in the world and I feel like reading The Cottage Tales is helping me to look for and find it. Thank you for these lovely, seemingly simple but actually profound, books.
Leenie, thank you,. from the bottom of my heart (a cliche, but it's true). You're right: there is so much good and so many good people--and it does help to be reminded of that occasionally. The bad and the bad people are so sensational that they dominate all our media and overshadow what is right and helpful and truly gracious. Like those beautiful dianthus. 🧡❤💛💚
Today I found a post on The Cozy Mystery List Blog, by Danna, discussing the Beatrice Potter tales. The link is:
https://cozy-mystery.com/blog/susan-wittig-albert-the-cottage-tales-of-beatrix-potter/
Georgeann, thanks so much! I wouldn't have seen this if you hadn't tipped me off. I left a comment on that post (moderated, so it'll be a while before it's approved).
I thought that was Erin Martin's blog. https://cozy-mystery.com/blog/about-the-cozy-mystery-list-lady-who-what-where-when-how-and-why/ You mention Danna. Has it changed hands?
I believe so. At least the "signature" on the various messages is "Danna."
My comforts books are Standing in the Rainbow by Fannie Flagg, the Mitford series by Jan Karon, and the Darling Dahlias series by you! 💕
I'm a Flagg fan too, Amber. I like most of her work--Fried Green Tomatoes is my favorite. Glad you've enjoyed the Dahlias!
The books I go to for comfort and enjoyment are Miss Read's Fairacre series and Thrush Green series, which you mentioned you enjoyed also. Also, at the top of my favorites list are the Darling Dahlias series that you wrote (I am so looking forward to reading some of your short stories you will will write that feature the Dahlias).
Thanks, Judy. I've been thinking about those Dahlias, yes. I wanted to bring Zora Neale Hurston into a story, but I'm afraid it might have to be too long for the "short reads" section on Substack. So we'll see.
Thanks! CPAP is certainly a weird but (I hope 🤞) ultimately helpful therapy. Kitchen Reno’s are awful - tied with bathroom (done both). Ours is master bedroom and ensuite so water is turned off at times.
Do give Martin Walker and Richard Osman a try - think you’d enjoy them 😁
Morning Susan! 😄
Looking at the comments, it seems many of us continue to love the books that we read as children. I understand that schools and teachers need to have reading levels in mind for different grades.... but I can't help but wonder about what really goes on with kids learning about the world around them. When my nieces were coming home from elementary school, they would quickly turn on the hot and steamy daytime soaps to watch with their after-school snacks! I hated seeing this, but their mother would say something like "They are going to learn about life sooner or later." - sigh My sister and I read above our age levels both in fiction and non-fiction all through high school. It was not anything I thought about at the time. I actually didn't read much fiction until high school when certain books were assigned for review. I happened to have had two French language teachers who each brought fiction authors to my attention, as well as poets. One teacher was a gay man who happened to have two sisters who were nuns. He was a wonderful teacher and well liked for his humor as well as being a good and thoughtful instructor. The other French teacher was French and loved living in America. She had 2 adult sons whom she often traveled with during summer break. She encouraged me to write poems about the things I loved. I mention all of this because I wish there was more understanding and acceptance of how our reading develops when we are young.
So much to enjoy in this post and all of the comments! It is a keeper for all of the delicious links and referrals. I was a late comer to the Cottage Tale Series. I somehow had assumed that this series and The Darling Dahlias were for young children. But once I discovered my error, I was totally taken with both series. They were so welcome to rely on, when I lost my forest to the loggers. These books both audio and written, managed to get my mind off of what was going on, as well as the aftermath. The audio of The Cottage Tales is really a treat! I had to hunt for copies of The Dahlias online. Happy to say I now have them all! I too have read most of the Miss Read books as they were being published. Women, cottage gardens, walks between villages and a crusty schoolhouse cleaner! What's not to love! 😄
Other favorite reads of mine are Mary Daheim (both series), Lilian Beckwith, Dorothy Gilman (all of the Mrs. Pollifax books and all of her earlier books), Lillian Jackson Braun and Tony Hillerman - in part because they are both read by George Guidell!) and Bill Bryson books!
Good tips list--thank you, Sandy!
Re: children's books. It's the association with Potter that leads people to think that the books are for children, I think. I adopted the style of her work, which reinforced that belief. It brought the series to the attention of school librarians, teachers, and homeschoolers, and I'm glad for that. But the vocabulary and syntax put the books into the high-school reading range. And they're likely not to the taste of today's teens. 🤨
Two of my all time favorite books are Puck of Pook's Hill and Rewards and Fairies by Rudyard Kipling. That's how I learned English history to begin with. Dan and Una live in Sussex in the country, early 20th Century. They act a play made out of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the foot of Pook's Hill, in a fairy ring. So of course Puck comes out. He brings back people from history from where they live. A knight from the Conquest, a Roman centurion, lots more. Even Gloriana.
Somebody I knew made a snotty comment because I read Kipling, and he's such a an awful imperialist. That's true. But not in these books. I wasn't in a position to retort. I wish I had, though.
Kipling is a central character in our Robin Paige book, Death at Rottingdean. We visited that village (where he lived around the turn of the century), and I read a lot of his work. Yes, of course he's an imperialist, but he's a product (like all of us) of his time, place, and social class. He's a wonderful writer, Nan. My favorite book of his: Kim.
I'll get Death at Rottingdean, yay.
That village has such a remarkable history as a smugglers' waypoint. It's very different now than it was in Kipling's day, of course. But since you're a Kipling fan, you'll enjoy it. Do put it on your list the next time you're in England! And the mill is still there: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beacon_Mill,_Rottingdean
Oh my gosh, you went to their village! I'd like to do that. I liked Kim. My other favorites are the Jungle Books. And we had a collection of his short stories, too. He's so good at bringing people to life.
Part of the garden at The Elms (where he lived at the time) is open now (it wasn't during the years we visited): https://www.visitbrighton.com/things-to-do/kipling-gardens-p360661 And yes--his characters are wonderful. He had a sharp ear for dialogue.
And so good at dropping us into the scene immediately.
Yes! Something that's not appreciated enough!
I named one of my cats Bagheera. In his youth he was quite elegant. He's rather fat now, but he can occasionally pose like his namesake.
👍😊
In addition to the Beatrix Potter series, I have found the Darling Dahlias pleasant and comfortable, a good example of community and friendship.
Thanks--I'll let them know. 😍 I wish, though, that I hadn't set that series in Alabama. I was too naïve (uninformed, ignorant) of the ugly Jim Crow situation there in the 30s--and the racial prejudice that persists to this day. I tried to partially address that in Voodoo Lily, but that's not nearly enough.
Not sure where you could have set it in that time period to avoid those issues, though Alabama can be worse than most.
You're right. I considered Indiana and Illinois, but after I read Timothy Egan's A Fever In the Heartland, I realized that the Klan was very active in both states in the 20s, 30s. And I really wanted to work with the Southern ladies. Just didn't know enough to tackle that project. 🙄
I struggled with that while reading the books. It sort of haunts the background for me. But I like the characters so much.
Storms, yes! A tornado EF2 tore through our Hot Springs Village that night of the 14th (it would have been appropriate had it been the Ides of March!). We did not have damage, but did experience lots of rain and wind and huge hail. Though the hail was possibly baseball size, it was so intermittent that it did not harm our home. At least we think not. But hundreds, perhaps thousands, of trees were flattened, with some homes damaged, but no injuries. We all were very fortunate. Thanks for asking and wishing us well.
I lived through a terrifying F3 as a girl in Illinois in 1953 and have enormous respect for those storms. So glad you are safe and (mostly) undamaged. Fingers crossed for a safe storm season!
That must have been terrifying! My husband grew up in Wichita Falls, TX, and has lived through several. I just don't like them . . . but who does except the thrill seekers who track them. At least our early buds on our dogwood did not freeze last night, so looking forward to their beauty.
Yes it was--I was 13 and remember it vividly. Enjoy your dogwood!
Susan,
So happy to read your reply. Equally important to me is my reading history with your China Bayles series-in fact, I still have one of your earliest newsletters I subscribed to (snail mail!) back when I discovered Thyme For Death!❤️
Oh, my goodness, Diane! That would have been China's Garden, which I launched in 1994 and continued through (about) 1998 or 99. In those years, there were quite a few self-published herb books (by other authors)--I reviewed as many as I could, wanting to spread the word about the "useful plants." Then the internet came along and made it so much easier to find books aimed at smaller audiences (unprofitable for most bookstores). How times have changed! 😮💚
It's primary day here on Ohio and a reread of this series is exactly the right counterbalance to all the political turmoil... ahhhh....
There was plenty of political turmoil then, too--relatively speaking. They were in the runup to WW1, and most felt it was inevitable. Plus the uncertainty of a new king in 1910 and labor unrest. But the Lake District was pretty well isolated and communication was slow--a lovely little haven. Hope primary day is peaceful, Jude--we'll be watching tonight to see the outcome.
Wow, what a blessing for you and for us, your readers, that you were able to use Beatrix's animals. I have all of these books and should reread them again. So yes, in times like we are living in, I love to go upstairs into my reading room and read mysteries, biographies, magazines like Mary Jane's Farm and other magazines that encourage gardening and crafts and other delightful things in life, and books that my Mom had on her shelves about birds, and gardening, and etc. So many delightful things to read and do to escape the insanity! I'm looking forward to part 2 of your Cottage Tales Series.
And escaping the insanity has never been more important! (Altho I know we must also do what we can to ensure that at least some of this insanity comes to an end.)
Was it you who reminded me of the magazine Piecework, Pamela? I subscribed and am enjoying it very much--also enjoying the weekly newsletter, with links to archived articles. Here, for those who don't know it: https://pieceworkmagazine.com/ So much beautiful needlework, much of it by women who found a little time for their art in the midst of grueling daily work.
Yes, I'm grateful to Warne too, for those animals. They have become much more proprietary about Potter in the last 10 years. I think it would be much harder to get that permission now.
Yes, it was me that reminded you of the magazine Piecework. I'm so happy you're enjoying it, as do I. I also enjoy Victoria.
And yes, getting out to vote and doing everything else we can to help end some of the insanity is definitely important.
I've read them all and loved each book. The animals are wonderful characters with such realistic personalities. My husband has enjoyed all of the various series too. I read faster before my eye surgeries. So I always got to read the books first back when we had to share a paper book.
Did you have cataract surgery? That's looming for me.
Yes, two years ago. It was easy and successful. I was sooo relieved. Hope yours goes well!
It isn't scheduled yet. My optometrist says I'll have to go to Santa Rosa, about four hours south. But I'm looking around here for reviews of local ophthalmologists.
Worth doing! We did mine in 2 surgeries, about 4 weeks apart. It would be good if you could find someone local and avoid a 2-day trip x 2.
Definitely. My sister lives there, but I'll be doing the driving. Recovery time will make it a long stay. I don't know why he said that. I guess I should ask.
Mine was in-out in an afternoon. But of course everyone is different. And you'll likely need an assessment visit, which makes it 3 trips.
Discovering the animals' personalities was part of the enjoyment for me, Penny--as was figuring out how to use them as point-of-view characters. They can tell parts of the story that humans don't know (or don't care about), and have interesting opinions about the ways humans behave. Such fun!