Im looking for books that are calm and moderately uneventful. Healing journeys are nice. Every time I find one that looks really good it turns out to be young adult and I can’t relate with them anymore. Not really into fantasy creatures, but fantasy as a genre is ok. Nothing spicy.
by PM_ME_UR_STRBX
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There’s one called Snow Falling on Cedar, I can’t remember the author, but it sounds like a decent fit.
Have you ever read Maeve Binchy?
Cackle by Rachel Harrison. It’s cozy “horror” (it’s not scary, only spooky)
I feel like I recommend this one all the time but it’s so good and fits your criteria: check out *A Town Called Solace* by Mary Lawson.
*The Dictionary Of Lost Words* by Pip Williams. Well worth a read.
A Psalm For the Wild Built and its sequel by Becky Chambers seems like a good fit as would her Wayfarer series starting with A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum contains quite a healing journey and is very cozy too.
There seems to be lots of Korean/Japanese books like this too at the minute, but I’m currently working my way through a few of them. A lot of them involve cats.
I don’t know if this meets the definition of cozy (it does to me) – Before the Coffee Gets Cold is a book of four short stories. The first story I think is the weakest of the group, but the concept is interesting – that you can time travel if you remain seated in one particular chair at a coffee shop only as long as your coffee is warm and that no matter what you do while you time travel, it won’t change the present moment. So then why travel at all? I found each of the stories to be heartwarming while dealing with difficult stuff like grief.
I usually go romance when I want cozy. Susan Wiggs or Nora Roberts (note – some of hers are mystery/romance. I’d suggest jewels of the sun trilogy).
I was going to suggest Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, but realized there is a mystery component to it even though I wouldn’t necessarily consider it a mystery.
Any of the James Herriot books
The Irish Country Doctor series by Patrick Taylor
My Italian Bulldozer by Alexander McCall Smith
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
The People on Platform Five, known as Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting in the US version. Author is Clare Pooley. A group of commuters are forced to interact on morning and unlikely friendships form.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery
Evie Drake Starts Over, Britt Marie Was Here
*Sophie’s Bakery for the Broken Hearted* by Lolly Winston could be a good option. It deals with themes around grief obviously but is ultimately warm-hearted and very funny in places.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches 🙂 SO cozy – the coziest book I’ve read that I can remember 🙂
A Year in the Woods by Helen Hoover
A Short History of a Small Place, T. R. Pearson. An amusing story narrated by a young man, of the events and people of his small town, centred around the mayor’s sister and her out of control pet monkey. It’s really funny and for anyone who has ever lived in a small town, very relatable! His descriptions of the people made me laugh out loud! Pear son’s first novel, and his best imo.
Mitford novel series by Jan Karon fits the bill
Also the first ladies detective agency by alex mccall (?). Has an element of mystery but the main focus is the characters and the lifestyle
The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom
I haven’t read it but Eat Pray Love?
Oh you MUST read the duology by Becky Chambers – A Psalm for the Wild-Built & A Prayer for the Crown Shy. BEAUTIFUL books that literally feel like drinking a warm cup of tea. Can’t recommend enough!!
I Captured the Castle by Dodie Smith
Chocolate by Joanne Harris
Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
The Dove Pond series by Karen Hawkins, starting with *The Book Charmer*
*Midnight at the Blackbird Café* and several other books by Heather Webber.
These are books set in a small town in the American South where there is a small bit of magic, possessed by the MC. Usually the books are about fixing family issues, found family, or dealing with long term family problems. They are very cozy, and have a lot of fun characters. There is also generally a love story.
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa