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7 Cozy Books to Read by the Fireplace

Reading Instruction

A few weeks ago, I read an article from The Atlantic recommending 6 Books to Read by the Fire. The list included Tess of the d’Urbervilles, and that’s when I knew the list wasn’t for me.

No offense to Tess, but her story does not make me feel cozy. When I’m nesting by the fireplace, the last thing I want to do is read about destitution in rural England.

With that in mind, I put together my list of 7 cozy books to read by the fireplace.

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Cozy Books for Winter

While there are plenty of poems, books, and short stories written about winter, these two are cozy favorites. Each one is perfect for a snowy day by the fireplace, eating leftover holiday cookies, and snuggling down in well-worn sweatpants.

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern is an enchanting read. Taking place in a magical library of sorts, Starless Sea is part romance, part road-trip story, and part fairytale. This book is so layered that you can read it over and over again and discover a new beauty each time.

Marrying the Ketchups by Jennifer Close is an ensemble drama about a family that owns a restaurant. While my family has no experience in the hospitality industry, the family traditions, sideswipes, and quirks are all oddly familiar. At the end of the day, Marrying the Ketchups is a warm book for a cold day.

Cozy Books Hallmark Style!

I spent an unreal amount of my holiday break watching Hallmark movies. For whatever reason, this year I found the familiar tropes of cable television especially comforting. These 3 books perfectly capture the patterns of a Hallmark movie. Could there be any books more delightful?

The Royal We and The Heir Affair by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan fit a Hallmark movie niche about a young, beautiful, clever American who falls in love with a European prince. I can’t count how many Hallmark movies I have watched that play with this trope. Maybe it’s the Millenial in me who loved The Princess Diaries, but I adore The Royal We and The Heir Affair. These are such cozy books that you will fall in love with every character (even the antagonists).

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson is the only holiday book on my list. The third book in the Ernest Cunningham mystery series, this is a quick Christmas story. This book reminds me so strongly of Hallmark’s Mistletoe Murders.

Dark Academia

While dark academia is not a genre usually associated with cozy books, this is one of my most-read genres.

The Oxford Inheritance by Ann A. McDonald is comforting in that it’s almost a mystery, it’s almost a supernatural novel, it’s almost romantic. Something about its almost nature makes this a great book for that magical week between Christmas and New Year’s: it’s almost the new year, but not quite. And that’s the perfect time to read this book!

One for My Enemy by Olive Blake is a book I almost hesitate to recommend. This book left me with a tremendous, unforgettable book hangover. However, its riff on Romeo and Juliet is oddly comforting. The language itself is lovely, and each of the characters (even when they’re bloodthirsty) are fanfiction attractive.