When the weather starts getting bad (or good depending on which way you look at it) there’s nothing better than grabbing a blanket, a hot drink and a book to curl up with. A ‘cosy read’ can, of course, depend on the person but these are the books that came to mind when we heard the word.
Harry Potter series
by J.K. Rowling
I know I probably sound like a stuck record but personally, the colder months are dedicated to Harry Potter. Although I won’t be rereading them this year, that has always been the time I have read them in the past. Reading about Halloween and Christmas in these books when the castle and grounds are decorated – you just feel as though you’re there, sipping Butterbeer and cosying up by the fire in the Common Room.
Mostly Void, Partially Stars
by Joseph Fink & Jeffrey Cranor
I have loved the Nightvale podcast for years and so I was delighted when I heard they would be getting made into books. For me, curling up with this book and reliving the strange events of Night Vale with its spooky characters and atmosphere is just perfect for this time of year. You’ll laugh, you may even cry and amongst the strangeness, there are also parts that will stop and make you think.
Every Heart a Doorway
by Seanan McGuire
This fantasy novel (and series) came to mind when I was thinking about books for this list. Maybe it’s the play on fairytales that make it a cosy read for me or the atmosphere it portrays. If you don’t know, this book tells the story of a Home for Wayward Children where children have always disappeared under mysterious circumstances. However, they come back… even if they’re not the same person they were before they left. They miss the fantasy world in which they fell in to and yearn for a way back.
The Bear and the Nightingale
by Katherine Arden
This series set against a cold, Russian backdrop is perfect for the colder months. This story follows Vasilisa, who after the death of her mother, has to accept her father returning home from Moscow with a new wife. Vasilisa has grown up on tales around the fire with her siblings but the story she loves most is the chilling story of the Frost Demon. Battling with a harsh stepmother and a land that is slowly dying to a mysterious force, Vasilisa must call on the gifts she has kept hidden for many years.
Alias Grace
by Margaret Atwood
Based on a true story, this amazing novel (and one of my favourites) from Margaret Atwood tells the story of Grace Marks, a suspected murderess in the 19th century. We follow Grace as she moves to a whole new country and starts a new life all the way until present day when she is recounting the fateful events that took place – and the reason she is in prison. Using magazine articles from the time, this atmospheric novel is thrilling from start to end despite its size.
What book just screams ‘cosy’ to you?
Lots of Love,
