Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
I love reading more ‘cozy/cosy’ books in winter – the kind that warm you up and make you feel all snuggly inside! This one comes with a further explanation too –
Share books that give off a cozy vibe, whether through atmosphere, setting, or some other factor. Please tell us why they’re cozy for you, too!
Top Eight Cozy Reads
Santa Maybe by Mary Jayne Baker
To me, ‘cosy’ reads are the ones that make you feel warm and fuzzy inside, ones you can really imagine curling up on an armchair and reading for hours on end as your hot drink goes cold. Santa Maybe definitely fits that vibe. It specifically invokes a cosy Christmas spirit really well, and there are some really sweet, tender moments with characters cwtched up together – what could be more cosy than that?
Something about this books feels cosy to me, even though there are times the characters find themselves in danger, there are sweet moments between the two leads where they’re in a car or motel room and just getting to know one another. Marin, too, just feels like a cosy sort of character.
Witch, Cat, and Cobb by J.K. Pendragon
A sweet and short novella that definitely hits that cosy feeling! This story of a runaway princess and her cat Fen is such a lovely book, and I was totally hooked into it from the very first page.
Christmas at Honeyford by Tanya Jean Russell
There’s something about Christmas that really pushes a book towards ‘cosy’. In my review, I describe this as an adorable, cosy Christmas romance. I loved reading the way this relationship unfolded, and the sense of community around both Tess and Sam.
This is cosy in a slightly different way – I’d say for this it’s more that Ellie, as a character, feels cosy, with her love of Christmas and bubbly personality. Although they’re totally different, she reminds me in some ways of Marin, and they both bring that ray of sunshine to their love interest’s lives, as well as giving said love interests a sense of comfort and warmth where it was missing before.
That Could Be Enough by Alyssa Cole
This is definitely a sit down and devour in one afternoon kind of book. Like the other couples mentioned on this list, when these two are in a room together it’s truly heart-warming. There’s just enough tension to keep you gripped, but overall it radiates the kind of warmth you want in a cosy book, and leaves you with a satisfied sigh.
Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli
I think it’s the musical aspect of this that makes me think “cosy”, as well as the (relatively) low stakes – for a reader! Because for Kate, the stakes are very high, in the way that everything is ‘end of the world’ for a teenager. Honestly, this was a truly delightful read that had me really feeling for Kate throughout the novel, and as with all good romances, it definitely has it’s tender moments too. If you want something fun, light and cosy, this should be on your radar.
Bingo Love by Tee Franklin, Jenn St-Onge (Artist), Joy San (Colourist), Cardinal Rae (Letterer)
This is an absolutely wonderful second chance romance in graphic novel form. It highlights the difficulties same-sex couples faced in the 60s, and shows what bravery means when Hazel and Mari reunite. It’s wonderfully written, the art is gorgeous, and there’s no way you can finish this without smiling.
There we have my top 8 cosy reads – if you’ve read any of these, I’d love to see what you thought and, of course, let me know your cosy book recommendations too!
Unwrapping Words 