cover image The Comfort Queen's Guide to Life: Create All That You Need with Just What You've Got

The Comfort Queen's Guide to Life: Create All That You Need with Just What You've Got

Jennifer Louden. Harmony, $19.95 (224pp) ISBN 978-0-609-60527-1

Fans of Louden's immensely popular previous title, The Comfort Book, will undoubtedly flock to her cheery new tome, which she likens to a ""spiritual life planner,"" though some may find it unoriginal and imitative of such books as Simple Abundance. Yet another voice urging women to find balance and to ""listen, learn and surrender to where life wants to lead,"" Louden mixes observations about her own life with affecting vignettes shared by other women. Based on following one's inner voice, her philosophy is influenced by Buddhist concepts and the work of creativity gurus currently in vogue, such as Julia Cameron. Louden derives inspiration from her muse--an imposing, bejeweled apparition dubbed the Comfort Queen--and encourages the reader to find a similar entity within herself. Among her well-expressed, if not fresh, insights: discipline is grounded in self-nurture, not self-denial; addictions and certain substances provide ""shadow comforts."" Although the device of the sometimes humorous, advice-bearing Comfort Queen comes to feel contrived, as though she is straining to entertain, readers may find value in the gently posed, reflective questions aimed at helping women discern their true selves. The 85 two-color illustrations by Cleo Papanikolas make the book an appealing gift; these images, along with some of Louden's inspirations, will be marketed on stationery, journals and other merchandise by major companies, including American Greetings and Papel. Agent, Barbara Moulton. 7-city author tour. (May)