

When I crave a classic after reading tons of new releases, Austen is my go-to. Over the last few years, it’s become my habit to pick up a Jane Austen novel after releasing the Summer Reading Guide ( sign up here to receive it in your inbox on May 14th). Reading about women who face challenges and overcome them with kindness and determination is ever so satisfying these days.Īusten novels soothe me during stressful times, and also lend themselves well to rereading again and again. Her settings are charming and quaint her heroines are strong and steady. Almost a century later and in the midst of uncertainty, readers voted Pride and Prejudice as the most comforting read for The Strand Bookstore’s first Stranded Book Club pick.įor me, the familiarity of Austen’s wit and wisdom is the epitome of comfort reading. During the World Wars, Austen sales spiked as soldiers and civilians sought solace in simpler, less terrifying times. Readers have been turning to the comfort of Jane Austen for decades.
