Chicken soup is comfort food.

A hot, steaming bowl warms the tummy on a cold day.

Authors Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Theresa Peluso found a recipe to bring comfort and warmth, too, in a new, flavorful series of “Chicken Soup for the Soul” books that includes “Chicken Soup for the Wine Lover’s Soul,” “Coffee Lover’s Soul,” “Tea Lover’s Soul” and “Chocolate Lover’s Soul.”

When Hansen and Canfield needed a title for their first book, Canfield thought of his grandmother’s chicken soup and how it healed the body, but not the soul. Hence, the title was born with the original “Chicken Soup for the Soul,” in 1993.

Since then, more than 100 million “Chicken Soup” books have sold, with more than 145 titles translated into nearly 50 languages.

Paola Fernandez Rana, director of public relations for Health Communications in Deerfield Beach, Fla., which publishes the books, says their success is based on a common denominator: all the stories are inspirational.

“In each story, someone is overcoming an obstacle,” Rana explains. “In spite of the adversity, in spite of the sadness (in some cases), each story has a lesson to be learned.”

Besides the “flavorful” series, there are other new titles, including “Chicken Soup for the American Idol.”

“The book is not just about stories from the idols themselves who are pursuing their dream,” Rana says, “but the stories are generated by the hairdressers and make-up artists who help them.”

There’s hardly a topic untouched by authors of the best-selling books. Often, Rana says, themes and trends can be seen through the thousands of submissions that come in.

Because ideas are drawn from submissions, there is a chance the spirituality of the popular book series may be at risk.

Even though the books are “very good” sellers, according to Nancy Marcks, manager of books at Hackman’s Bible Book Store in Whitehall, Pa., there is discernment in deciding which titles the store will sell.

“We examine them carefully,” Marcks says. “Sometimes there are titles we do not carry.”

Marcks and readers will have more decisions to make in 2008. “You can look for more new titles in the spring,” Rana promises.