1. The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery -- cottage, winter, fireside reading, cats, book lovers, nature lovers, small town, slow-burn romance
2. Persuasion by Jane Austen -- seaside, friendship, family ties, homebody, bookish discussions, second-chance romance
3. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows -- bookworms, letter-writing, island life, community, found family, gentle romance
4. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery -- farmhouse, found family, nature lovers, friendship, girlhood, small town, flowers
5. The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim -- Italian villa, flowers and nature, self-discovery, friendship, sunshine, fresh air, vacation
6. Jane of Lantern Hill by L. M. Montgomery -- cottage, baking, cooking, reading, writing, family reunion, fathers and daughters, friendship, small town
7. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen -- seaside, book lovers, dancing, drawing, carriage rides, young love, old houses
8. Gone-Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright -- abandoned houses, sunshine, cousins, friendship, secrets, small town
9. The Printed Letter Bookshop by Katherine Reay -- bookshop, small town, friendship, family ties, books everywhere
10. A Little Beside You by Jenni Sauer -- waffles, baking, friendship, found family, sisters, knitting, gentle romance
How about you? What are your favorite cozy reads?
The Blue Castle is an excellent choice. I love that book.
ReplyDeleteMy post: https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-cozy-reads/
Thanks for stopping by, Lydia! I love The Blue Castle too -- I have read it over New Year's for the past few years and I expect to do that again in about a month!
DeleteCan you define what a cozy book is for me? I struggle with trying to figure out what that means whenever I see someone mention it. Does it mean a book that takes place with a few characters in a small setting, or a book that makes you feel cozy, or a book where all the action takes place next to a fireplace in winter with hot chocolate shared by all... I don't think anything I enjoy reading falls under this category, and that's where my confusion comes from. LOL!
ReplyDeleteDKoren, well, as I was compiling this list, I actually thought of you and how none of these books would attract you at all! Lol!
DeleteI think "cozy book" is really subjective -- basically, it's just a book that makes you feel cozy when you read it, I think. But different things make people feel cozy, so that makes everyone have different picks. To me, a cozy book evokes the same feelings as cuddling up on a cold day with a blanket and a warm drink, maybe even having a fire in the fireplace. So that's how these ten books make me feel while I'm reading them -- they're like a literary hug or snuggle.
It's probably kind of related to "comfort reads," except my list of comfort reads would be more about what authors I turn to when I need a comfortable, comforting read. Some of whom are here (L. M. Montgomery and Jane Austen) and some of whom definitely are not (Rex Stout, William Shakespeare...)
Hahaha! That is so funny that you were thinking of me. And thanks for writing that up. That explanation helps some, though I think this is just a foreign concept to me, cuz what makes me feel cozy is reading in an armchair with a cup of tea at my side and a cat on my lap. Wouldn't matter what kind of book, fiction or non-fiction, action or slow or whatever. It's the act of reading that makes me feel cozy, not what book I'm reading, if that makes sense? I'm intrigued by this whole concept because of how little I can relate to it!
DeleteDKoren, well, imagine a book that makes you feel like you're curled up with your cat and your tea in your favorite chair... even when you're reading it on an airplane! That's a cozy book.
DeleteIt's a vibe, you know? But you don't actually like the sorts of books that have a cozy vibe. You do like some cozy movies. I'd call The Holiday and Pride and Prejudice cozy movies. White Christmas andLove Actually too. You could almost call Laura cozy noir. MRAMR is a very cozy book.
Hah! Okay, yeah, you're right. I don't read books that have that vibe. There isn't a single book I can think of that would make me feel that way if I was on an airplane. I don't think any book has ever made me feel that way. But being cozy in general would not be a feeling I would seek out. However! I think perhaps relating this concept to music comes closer to what you're talking about. At least, music has vibes for me, where books don't. I'm still not sure I'd ever feel like I was home while listening to something when I was somewhere else (I think I live way too much in the present), but music at least evokes all kinds of feelings. So, like I don't have any comfort books (nor comfort movies, I realize). But I do have comfort music. Lots of it. Boat tons of it. So, I think that's the best way for me to understand this whole cozy thing... switch it to music! :-D (I feel very weird that everybody else gets this cozy thing, lol.)
DeleteOoh, I had a thought - is this why people like the Shire so much? Would it be considered a "cozy" spot in Middle Earth? A comfortable, homey, cozy place? Cuz I never understand why so many people want to go hang out in the Shire, and this would explain that!
DeleteDkoren, yeah, I think both the Shire and Rivendell are considered "cozy" places, and that's a lot of what draws people to them. The Shire is like Rural Cozy, while Rivendell is Sophisticated Cozy. Think of how Tolkien describes them in The Hobbit in particular -- "it was a hobbit hole, and that means comfort" for Bag End, and he calls Elrond's home in Rivendell "The Last Homely House."
DeleteGuernsey is such a great book!
ReplyDeleteIvy Miranda, it really is!
DeleteThe Guernsey book is a great book and a good choice for today.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Deanna! I do love it.
DeleteGreat list! Many of these are already on my TBR. :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Meezan! I hope you enjoy them when you get to them :-)
DeleteI love how you did this list. SO many cozy words here. I think my favorites are: cottage, homebody, fireside reading, family ties, and small town. Ahhhhh...so cozy :)
ReplyDeleteHappy TTT (on a Wednesday)!
Thanks, Susan! I love cottages, I'm a homebody, I miss living in a small town, I love reading and family and sitting by the fire... yeah, cozy is one of my favorite vibes!
DeleteThank you so much for this list! I need more and more of comforting books these days. Have read Persuasion, Guernsey, and Green Gables. I have meant to read Enchanted April next year, and have been meaning to buy a copy of Blue Castle - so thanks too for the warning. I need to read more of LM Montgomery! And Gone Away Lake seems a charming book, will look for it soon.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Fanda! Comfort reads are definitely really important during certain times of life. I hope you enjoy the ones you read!
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