James Herriot’s books are my ultimate comfort read. At turns charming, heartwarming and laugh-out-loud funny, these are one of the elite few books I will continue to re-read throughout my life.

I first read this entire a series decades ago because my mom loved them and the PBS show from the 1970’s. She was not wrong to push them into my hands. I absolutely devoured the stories of an English country vet and over the course of four books, James, Siegfried and Tristan became beloved to me.

Re-reading these books at the end of a year that has been, let’s face it, utter crap, was exactly the note I wanted to end with. From Siegfried’s sputterings to Tristan’s idleness and to all the situations James imbues with his trademark wit and humor, I was enchanted once again.

I am also looking forward to the new television version of All Creatures Great and Small being released this month and timed my re-read to have the stories fresh in my mind for that viewing.

If you need pure enjoyment, I highly recommend a good dose of James Herriot.