Greetings, bookish humans! It’s August! The river is cold, my community garden plot is full of flowers, and my CSA share this week was filled with so many delights: I love a book that shakes things up and make me think about the world in new ways. But sometimes I just want a book hug. Comfort reading is a personal thing. My most beloved comfort reads aren’t without any tension, and they don't always avoid hard or serious subjects. They do leave me with a particular feeling: like I’ve just spent a few hours bundled up in the coziest sweater snuggling my pup, or belly laughing on the couch with my best friend. I can’t promise that these books will give you the feeling of the best hug ever (or whatever the equivalent of a great hug is for you). But that’s the feeling they give me. Regardless, every one of them is bursting with joy.