Snow is gently falling outside my window as I write this post. Times like these, nothing seems better than a cup of tea and a cozy book by the fire… Join me? In this post, I introduce you to cozy reading, share a few of my favorite cozy books to read this winter, and give you a peek at my cozy TBR list.
This time of year, my New Year’s intentions are firmly in place in my planner, and I know I ought to bundle up and go outside in the frigid air to get more steps and fresh air, but all I really want to do is curl up by the fire with a cup of tea and a really good cozy book.
And even when the weather is delightful, life can be stressful sometimes, and I don’t want to think too hard or feel all the dramatic feels when I read a book. I just want to escape to something quiet and lovely.
Enter cozy reading. But how does one choose a cozy book? And what really makes a book a cozy one?
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What Makes a Cozy Book?
Just like that cozy fire, a cozy book is warm and welcoming. It’s comfortable, approachable, feels good, like a hug. It’s not a guilty pleasure like some beach reads you might hide if someone glanced at the cover. No, a cozy read is something waiting for you after a long work day, beckoning and welcoming. It’s not an assignment, it’s not a have-to-read, it’s personal and private and quiet. It’s also completely subjective. This is so important: one person’s cozy read is not necessarily another’s.
But maybe you’ve never processed this at all. Maybe you’ve craved a good read but didn’t think about what you wanted? Perhaps you’ve never analyzed what your cozy read might be, like me! Here are some thoughts to help you so the next time you long for that cozy book-reading experience, you’ll know what to check out at the library or download onto your e-reader. You could search online by typing in those keywords – “cozy read” – but you will be hit with hundreds of options. I’ve already done the hard work for you, so check it out.
There are a few key ingredients to most cozy books.
Setting
The setting is usually a small town or small in some way. My favorites have at least one horse and a bookstore and a lovely cottage with a pink and yellow English garden. These books typically have a strong sense of place, whether it’s England, Ireland, small town America, Scotland, or a small detective agency in Botswana.
Straightforward Plots
I love a good twisty thriller or a complex story with an unreliable narrator. I also love dual timelines and multiple points of view and creative narratives. But these usually don’t make for a cozy reading experience, right? The plots don’t need to be superficial or Hallmark-y. They just need to follow our innate desire for a logical beginning, middle, and end.
A cozy book doesn’t require a cheat sheet with the characters’ family tree and timelines penciled in so you can keep everyone and everything straight. Unless it’s Dickens or Austen. You might need to flex your memory muscles for these!
There’s conflict, for sure. But it’s not painful or toxic or something to mess with a good night’s sleep. See the next requirement.
Story Wraps Up Neatly
You close the cozy book with a sigh, wishing it didn’t have to end. The good guys win. The family reunites. The couple falls in love. The dog returns home. Thank you, all is well with the world, and yes, I will have another cuppa with a buttery biscuit.
Likable/Relatable Main Characters
The protagonist is like a good friend. Not perfect but golly, you want to spend time with her (or him) and you are cheering for her to figure out the mystery or get the guy or reunite with her father or whatever the story calls for.
Sometimes the protagonist starts out with some quirks that make you a little uncertain. Do I like her? That’s okay. It can still be cozy as long as the author gives you just a hint of goodness and in-real-life foibles. And I’m fine with a female or male protagonist – James Herriott is such a likable guy, and we’d be family friends (if you’re not familiar with James, I’ll introduce you later).
Gentle
A cozy book is clean, without graphic violence, foul language, or explicit bedroom scenes. The romance is often not even the heart of the story.
Good Memories
This is for re-reads because sometimes you just know what book will make you feel cozy. Sometimes it’s cozy just because of where or when you first read it.
Maybe it was on your honeymoon at the beach with your sweetheart next to you? Or perhaps it was on a road trip with an audio book that made you and your family laugh? Did your grandmother read a certain book to you when you were young? Whatever it might be, our memory of when we first read a book is a powerful piece of choosing a cozy book.
The flip side is also true. Even if it’s a cozy read, if you read it during a particularly stressful time, you may not want to revisit it.
Clearly, all of this is very personal.
What to steer away from?
This is pretty obvious, but just so you remember… If you’re looking for a cozy book to read this winter, you should probably avoid True Crime, Suspense, Literary Fiction, and Thrillers. (I like these genres sometimes but not when I’m craving a cozy read.)
Note, though, that Mystery can be a cozy genre. In fact there are some on my list!
Cozy Books to Read This Winter
So I’m just going to give you two lists. One is a short list of books that fall on my cozy books list with brief descriptions. As I compiled this, I was a little surprised that I don’t have more of them. (One of the reasons I decided to write this post!)
The next is a list of recommended cozy reads from friends and other avid readers I trust. These are going on my TBR.
My Favorite Cozy Reads
Anne of Green Gables
L.M. Montgomery
Heart-warming. Need I say more? This classic will warm you to the toes.
The Shell Seekers
Rosamund Pilcher
I haven’t read this for years but I remember it well because of how it made me feel. Ah. And it’s set in Cornwall and makes me want to garden and wear gum boots and carry a metal pail.
All Creatures Great and Small
James Herriot
Sweet, classic, and set in a rural Yorkshire community. These are the heart-warming tales of a real veterinarian, James Herriot. I remembered how good the books are as I watched the popular PBS miniseries. Yes, that’s a good one and might qualify as a cozy series.
The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency
Alexander McCall
If you like a little mystery, then this is a delightful book – and series with 24 books total – to jump into. Author Alexander McCall has written a hopeful, happy, and entertaining character in Precious Ramotswe. She’s grounded, wise, and loves her Botswanian community, the people, and her country.
The Quiche of Death
M.C. Beaton
I recently wrote about this book, but I wanted to include this here. It’s fun, light, and a cozy mystery.
Circle of Friends
Maeve Binchy
This dates me, for sure, but Maeve Binchy is up there with Rosamund Pilcher as the queen of cozy reads. This book was first published in 1990 and I remember checking it out of the library and reading it with my daughter napping on my lap. Maybe that’s partly why it’s a cozy read for me. Good memories.
That leads me to my final two. I probably choose these because of good memories. So be warned. They may not be cozy reads for you.
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen
Some people might argue with this. Austen can be a challenge to read because 19th century prose is not 21st century prose, but her work is definitely cozy and slow-paced. Curl up with Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy for starters because you probably already know the story from one of the many screen adaptations. Then see if you want to check out her other works because all of her work really is cozy in my book.
Great Expectations
Charles Dickens
It’s another one of those books that might scare you away because of its length and the more challenging style. Again, 19th century. Did I ever tell you that I focused on 19th Century British Literature during my graduate studies? I have some stressful memories of those days, but really, that’s when I learned to love these books. Dive into this one to meet Pip, Estelle, Miss Havisham, and a cast of colorful characters.
For My TBR
84, Charing Cross Road
Helene Hauff
Everything I’ve read tells me this is a sweet romance told through letters between a struggling playwright in Manhattan and an English antiquarian bookseller.
More books in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency
Alexander McCall
Writing this post reminds me how much I liked that first book. I’m not sure why I didn’t finish the series, but I plan to pick up the next one soon.
Any of Dorothy Sayers’ Books
A close writer-friend of mine firmly believes these are cozy reads worth diving into. She never steers me wrong. Sayers’ debut book “Whose Body” was published in 1923 and features debonair aristocrat-sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey. Just his name alone makes me want to pick up the first of fifteen books in the series.
The Ultimate “Cozy” Read Any Time
Finally, the ultimate comfort read is your Bible. Why? Because in it we hear God’s Word of hope in Christ. Nothing else really matters when we have Him. So read and meditate upon one of these psalms to remember true comfort. Here are a few excerpts.
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
Psalm 34
I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Psalm 91
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.You will not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.
Looking for more book recommendations? Check out these posts:
- How to Make a Reading List (Plus Kicking Off my Book Club!)
- How to Pick Your Next Audiobook (Plus a Few of My Favorites!)
- Talented Authors to Read This Year
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