Emotional support pile of books

I saw the phrase “emotional support pile of books” in a meme the other day and I thought immediately about my own cozy stack.

They rest near my side of the bed and I like to think my books and I are all counting the hours each day until we can spend quality time together again.

Some days I start daydreaming about my books at breakfast, especially when I’m in the middle of a really good book or a particularly bad day.

I am lucky enough to be surrounded by equally eager readers and the books they recommend have expanded my palate.

My sister Kathy, the retired librarian, who has always been a good source for books, recently gave me “The House in the Cerulean Sea.” I loved its perspective. How great would this world be if we could all think of children with particular challenges as magical creatures (because they are).

My daughter Molly loaned me her copy of “the Underground Railroad,” which took me a while to work through because I had to take breaks to recover from the horror of some of those vivid scenes. But that book made me think and strive to do better, as all good books do.

Likewise, “When the Emperor was Divine,” which I borrowed from my mom, who read it for her book club, made me think hard about the way we humans treat each other.

My sister in-law Joan gave me “Small Things like These,” which I loved so much I immediately downloaded another Claire Keegan masterpiece, “Foster,” and I loved that as well.

I’m pretty caught up at this point and open to suggestions. I’m game for some lighter fiction too. I also enjoy a good true crime novel when the mood strikes.

Do any of you have a title or two to recommend from your emotional support pile of books?