I'm just a girl, looking for cozy books
Pls, help.
I’m one of those annoying people who — despite growing up in the season-less hellscape of LA — makes fall their whole personality. As a typical grew-up-reading-too-many-books person, I am a sucker for crisp weather, something hot to sip on, and a spot to snuggle up with a good book — ideally something that feels ~cozy~. But what makes a book cozy? For me, it’s 1) incredibly engrossing (like I want to read it all in one sitting), 2) captures a certain moody genre (i.e. dark academia, magical realism, holiday romance), and 3) doesn’t make me want to cry my eyes out. The latter is sometimes negotiable (I cry easily).
So now that fall has truly fallen, I’ve been on the hunt for cozy books…but all it’s done is put me in a reading slump. Where have all the cozy books gone?! All I’ve been reading lately has been captivating, but depressing literary fiction. So this newsletter has three purposes (why am I making so many lists?): 1) tell you what I’ve been reading, 2) offer some cozy book recs, and 3) ask YOU for cozy book recs. Please, I’m begging.
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
The book everyone’s been talking about, and with good reason. I listened to this audiobook (narrated by Jennette herself) almost entirely in one day because I simply couldn’t turn it off. It sheds light on the child actor’s inner life before, during, and after her iCarly days and the way both fame and her mother’s abuse shaped her life. It’s absolutely gut wrenching at times, shockingly dark (I said “wtf” multiple times out loud), but also achingly optimistic. The title is attention-grabbing, for sure, but Jennette’s story — and the candid, funny, emotional way she writes it — is the real deal. Naturally, a lot of content warnings for this book so go forth with caution.
Good for people who like: celebrity memoirs, dark humor, getting an inside look at Hollywood
Babel by R.F. Kuang
This is the only book I’ve read recently that fits that ~cozy~ vibe I’m going for — except I read it in August in LA. So, if you’re looking for a dark academia, magical realism, engrossing af book to read this fall: look no further. This hefty novel is set in 19th century Oxford at a secretive school where translation is magic. But there’s also institutional racism, unfettered imperialism, and a whole lotta corruption happening. It’s a fun read, but it also skewers classic academia in a really interesting way that made the book feel incredibly fresh and relevant. This is my first book by Kuang, but I’m excited to check out her other fantasy series after giving this a read.
Good for people who like: dark academia, The Secret History by Donna Tartt, speculative history
I wrote about Babel’s radical take on race and academia for Oprah Daily — you can read more here.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
This is the kind of book that, on paper, doesn’t really sound like it’s *about* anything, but it’s kind of about everything. It follows childhood best friends Sam and Sadie who have reconnected as college students after a falling out. Together, they start a video game company, growing together, and apart, and side-by-side along the way. The novel takes place over the course of decades, so we see all the ways in which these friends change. They make mistakes, fall in love (sometimes with each other, sometimes not), and experience tremendous loss. This is a story that’s as tender as it is brutal, as hopeful as it is sad — I had to pause the audiobook for a couple days at “the sad part” (IFYKYK). This book sits heavy in my chest and I know I’ll carry it with me for a long time.
Good for people who like: video games or 90s nostalgia, A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman, The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan
Sign Here by Claudia Lux
I’m a sucker for weird books, so when I was pitched a book coming out later this month about an office-like Hell, I was pretty sold. Sign Here takes place in literal Hell, except it’s not just torture and fire (although there’s plenty of that). Peyote Trip (who I somehow thought was a lesbian for most of the book, but turned out to be a man lol) works on a level of Hell that focuses on signing souls away. As Peyote focuses on a wealthy family on Earth with dark secrets, he has to team up with a new mysterious colleague. It was a wild ride of a book and I truly didn’t know where it was going a lot of the time. I appreciated the unusual ending — if you’re looking for a typical thriller, this isn’t it, but it would still be a fun Halloween read (it comes out 10/25).
Good for people who like: The Good Place, Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoiki, spooky satires/parodies
Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail by Ashley Herring Blake: What can I say, I’m a sucker for “straight” women meeting lesbians and falling in love…I wonder why.
Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood: Oof, almost DNFed this multiple times. Hazelwood excels at writing chemistry, but the dialogue and plot were cringey. It 100% felt like a rewrite of her first novel, with some names changed.
Making a Scene by Constance Wu: An interesting, if not a bit self-indulgent, memoir that was probably made better by the author reading it herself via audiobook.
All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Matthews: A slow burn of a novel that’s set in that dizzying time limbo of ~2008ish. Quite enjoyable if you like heavy lit fic!
The Nevermoor Series by Jessica Townsend: There’s nothing cozier than this middle grade series about a cursed child, a magical school, and with no transphobic author.
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke: A devourable novel that sets such a unique and visceral setting that I don’t think I’ll ever read something like it again.
Little Weirds by Jenny Slate: A collection of essays so quaint, beautiful, and freeing that they feel like standing on an ocean cliffside with sea salt spraying your face.
Dread Nation by Justina Ireland: I love this YA series that blends the Civil War with zombies.
Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero: I was a total Scooby Doo kid and this horror lite book is basically that for grownups.
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman: One of my all-time faves, a story about humanity, hope, and kindness that manages to not be cheesy.
Okay, I’ve talked enough. Now your turn! Any cozy recs to share? Lemme have ‘em. And, as always, follow me on Instagram to see all of my book reviews.
xoxo,
Kirby