Top 5 Cozy Reads

I can’t believe it’s the last Tuesday in September. This month has just flown by, not to mention this entire year. I remember thinking in January that it was going to take forever to get to summer, and then that it was going to take forever to get to fall, and yet here we are. While it may still not be fall weather (still gonna be pushing 90* this week!), I can dream about what I’m going to be reading once the chilly October air hits! I can’t wait until it’s cold enough for me to wear my cat onesie around the house and snuggle up with a book all evening. (It’ll be a dream come true soon enough, because I won’t have anything else to work on for school!)

This week’s T5T topic, brought to us as always by Shanah @ Bionic Book Worm, has to deal with cozy reads. How do you define cozy, anyway?

co·zy (kōzē), adjective:
giving a feeling of comfort, warmth, and relaxation.
“a cozy cabin tucked away in the trees”
synonyms: snug, comfortable, warm, homelike, homey, homely, welcoming; etc.

Now that sounds like a wonderful way to pass the day. (Also, can we talk about the fact that I’ve written the word “cozy” so many times now that it doesn’t look like a real word anymore?)

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

I think I’ve talked about this one in several lists before, but I don’t think there’s any way to make yourself feel more cozy than reading about someone trekking through the wilderness and nearly freezing their fingers off. (Also, at one point they realize they camped in the same spot that a group of girls did a few days later…and the girls were murdered!) I’d call this one cozy because it fills you with the sense of adventure while still not being overly dramatic. Yes, they have a few close-calls, but it’s nothing super serious. I’m still trying to track a copy of this movie down, because I think it could be an interesting watch.

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien

Ah, since I skipped this one last week, it’s gotta go on the list this week! What’s cozier than following the adventures of a hobbit that probably acts very much like yourself (especially when it comes to eating and keeping things neat) and dreaming that you’re taking that trip, too? Bilbo’s adventure is one that most everyone has either read about or watched by now, but if you haven’t (or if you haven’t reread or rewatched in a while), Fall is the perfect time to do so. Things are changing in our world and it’s fun to see how things change in Bilbo’s personal world, too.

The Cat Who… Mystery Series by Lilian Jackson Braun

What’s a list full of books that help you relax without mentioning some sort of mystery series? This particular series, which begins with The Cat Who Could Read Backwards, has been one of my favorite book series since I was in middle school. The author died a few years back and while it’s rumored she had a few books unpublished, I also don’t want to see those books. The last few books she wrote were not at all consistent with the prior feelings of the series, and it made me sad because you could tell she was losing her way in her own story. The first ten or fifteen books, however, are absolutely stunning and you should certainly pick them up. In some books you can tell who the murderer is right away, while in others it’s very difficult to pick up on until the last little bit. If you’re a fan of cats, too, this is going to become a favorite of yours as well.

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

We’re going to throw this back old-school. I bought this book out of the Scholastic Book Fair flyer when I was in elementary school. It’s the story of a young girl who lives on a ranch with her wealthy parents, until one day it comes crumbling down. Her father is murdered while riding the ranch with his servants, and Esperanza’s mother is blackmailed into wedding her creepy uncle after he burns down their farm. Esperanza, her mother, and a few of their servants manage to escape and make their way north, to California if I remember, and they have to live in migrant worker camps. Esperanza is working to save enough money to bring her Abuela to California. It’s a sweet story, a sort of mix of coming of age and learning how the world works. It’s a quick read because it’s made for middle schoolers, but it will make you think.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

I know, another book I’ve put on numerous lists. This is a book you’ll curl up with and not put down until you finish it. It’s just that good. The ending almost made me cry! I gave it to my mom the very next morning and she stayed up practically all night to finish it, too. She now recommends it to anybody who comes to her in the library looking for something new to read. It’s a few years old, but Kristin Hannah is a well-known author so you should be able to find it relatively easily.

And that’s it! What do you think? Do you think these books are appropriately cozy, or have I just gone off the deep end and picked things that don’t fit your definition of cozy at all? Let me know in the comments!

And as always, keep reading.