Winding Down with Tattered Treasures by Judy L Murray

“Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand." Margery Williams Bianco, The Velveteen Rabbit

As a writer, I often wonder what other authors like to read when they’re not writing. This past week, I reached that blessed writer’s state where you type THE END at the bottom of a page and take a huge sigh. You stare at the words. Is it a bit of disbelief, or is it relief? It might mean I can squeeze in a week, maybe two, of catch-up on all the myriad of chores that have been sitting on the wayside. The notes I owe people, the newsletter that’s overdue, the book signings I need to plan. Then I’ll likely get back on the publication process horse again.

I relish pulling books off my shelves that have been patiently waiting. Ironically, they’re often not other mysteries. They’re not the latest books on the market but those that give me a deeper kind of reward. They’re mental rest rather than mental exercise. These novels provide a bit of salve on what might be my worried heart. They slow my heart rate and lift me up when I’m feeling out of sorts.

I call these ‘mind soothers’. Here are a handful of mine.

Any Jane Austen. I have at least seven sets of her novels tucked around my house. Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Persuasion are probably my favorites.

I always turn to Rosamunde Pilcher’s stories. They’ve been my best friends since college days, and now into my – well, never mind – years. Pilcher is one of my absolute favorite authors. I own every one of her books. Like the velveteen rabbit, their pages are worn, and the edges are brown. I love their tattered condition. It makes me happy to hold one in my hand. It takes me back to other times in my life when her novels gave me solace and peace of mind when I needed them badly. I’d suggest Winter Solstice, Snow in April, The Empty House, Under Gemini. They’re stories about young people, old people, in love, out of love, joyful stories. I’ve read them literally dozens of times. They’re stained with tea and greased with cookies and have gotten me through marital ups and downs, financial worries, children’s growing pains.

From there I would likely reach for a Maeve Binchy novel, starting with Scarlett Feather or Quentins. Do I read a small novel called Air Force Girl by Rene Shann published in 1942 and passed down from my mother? She read it as a young woman. The copyright page states, “because of the acute shortage of regular book cloth under wartime rationing, this book is bound in leatherette, a sturdy paper fabric.” How often does a drab grey cover material exhibit such historic significance? This copy is truly a velveteen rabbit. I know every word. I’m grateful it fell into my hands instead of being discarded after she passed.

Do I read my favorite short stories I’ve earmarked from The Complete Collection of O’Henry? Or is it Anne Tyler’s Breathing Lessons? Maybe it’s a few favorites from Robert Frost Selected Poems. Some readers today may consider my choices much too old-fashioned. Personally, I wish I could teach myself how to write in these authors’ themes. Maybe I need to try. Would these stories be appreciated in today’s world of TikTok bestsellers? Would they compete? Truthfully, I don’t care.

What are your favorites that have absolutely nothing to do with cliffhangers, red herrings, twists and turns, and crime scenes? If you have tried-and-true favorites that calm your soul, I’d love to know about them.

Judy L Murray authors the award-winning Chesapeake Bay Mystery series. Read more about her at http://www.judylmurraymysteries.com