7 Cozy Fantasies to Curl Up With in Your Reading Nook

Holly’s Pick: Immerse yourself in a charming, cozy Irish village—which happens to be haunted by ghosts—with Jess Kidd’s HIMSELF. This story is about Mahony, who as an adopted child with no lines to his biological past thought his birth mother wanted nothing to do with him. Until one night, when Mahony is drinking at a pub in Dublin, he is slipped a note that leaves him questioning everything. Mahony travels back to his birthplace to discover what might have really happened to his mother. When he arrives, ghosts rise from their grave and flock to Mahony to tell their stories. As he navigates the village, wards off ghosts, and dives deep into his haunted past, I was cozied up in my reading chair, devouring every page. HIMSELF is a gorgeous Irish tale twisted into a dark, yet humorous ghost story written by an author whose books have never let me down.

Emily’s Pick #1: Imagining the ferryman for the dead as a corporate soldier? Genius! Charlie the Ferryman becomes dissatisfied with his literal dead-end job of sailing the dead across the sea to the underworld. So when he decides to save the soul of Alice Spiegel, he finally feels like his own life has meaning, but Inspector Javrouch, liaison for the Ferryman Institute, isn’t about to let someone break the law. While this book has its dark moments, it’s overall bursting with fun action sequences that’ll keep you engaged through to the end.  

Heather’s Pick: What’s this? A fantasy novel with characters who have down-to-earth problems? Say no more: I’m in! PALADIN’S GRACE by T. Kingfisher may be set in a magical realm where paladins (or knights) pledge their life to protect one of a handful of gods, but everything else about the story is surprisingly human. Stephen, a paladin, is still grieving and struggling to find a new life’s purpose three years after the god he had been serving, the Saint of Steel, died unexpectedly. When he and a perfume maker named Grace accidentally stumble upon the scene of an attempted murder, they band together for (her) safety . . . and to help track down a serial killer. Grace has her own emotional baggage to work through, but even in the midst of all the chaos, she finds comfort in Stephen, whose gentle heart tempers his lethal skills. Yes, this fantasy novel is actually more of a romantic adventure, with a sweet hero who likes to knit, to boot. Doesn’t get cozier than that.

Laura’s Pick: I was certain THAT TIME I GOT DRUNK AND SAVED A DEMON would simply be a humorous book about a protagonist who loves wine, cheese, and demons. And it is, partially. But it also involves incredible worldbuilding and a romantic thread that was delightfully deep. Our leading lady, Cinnamon Hotpepper, comes from a family of spice farmers, and she hasn’t always loved demons—why would she? The goddess who protects her world prevents demons from entering, and Cin is content to live her life without danger or adventure. But when a handsome demon shows up and questions her worldview, she has no choice—literally no choice, I mean, he’s a demon—but to join his quest. This book has everything for a fun-filled fantasy: an adventurer who hates adventures, humor, romance, a hint of danger, and a ton of sarcasm. It’s perfect for the nights you want to curl up with a book in one hand and a drink in the other.

Sharon’s Pick: A philosophical inquiry set in a café, BEFORE THE COFFEE GETS COLD is the book that inspired me to seek out more books in this subgenre. Taking place over a hundred years and set in a back alley in Tokyo, the novel centers around a café that is far from ordinary. With the purchase of a cup of coffee, visitors receive the opportunity to travel back in time. However, they must return to the present before the coffee gets cold. Through four perspectives, BEFORE THE COFFEE GETS COLD explores the possibilities and ramifications that come with changing the past and seeking closure.

Emily’s Pick #2: The idea around Karen Hawkins’s Dove Pond series is genius. Set in the fictional small southern town of Dove Pond, each book features a glimmer of magic in the mundane. In the first book, THE BOOK CHARMER, the local librarian can sense the perfect book for a reader. In this second book, which also serves as a standalone, the teas at the local tea shop have been conjuring up some abnormal side effects—producing truth tellers, strange dreams, and more. While Ava Dove, the owner of the tearoom, sets out to find the remedy, other people in the town sort out problems of their own. The story alternates between Ava, Ellen—a grieving architect who is preparing to sell her recently deceased daughter’s house—and Ellen’s granddaughter Kristen, who desperately wants to stay in Dove Pond.

Sara’s Pick: There have been lots of representations of death over the years: clever and cruel, mischievous and mysterious, all kinds of characters that reap the recently deceased. But UNDER THE WHISPERING DOOR brings a new, softer version of Death to take souls to their final resting place. When Wallace suddenly dies, he realizes he never really had a chance to live. So when the Manager of the mysterious tea shop he gets sent to after his death allows him to go back for one week, he means to make the most of it. Quirky, fun, and overall heartwarming, this book is the perfect blend of cozy and mysterious, highlighting what it means to be alive and how to cope with death.