# What are the coziest books you know of? (Not just mysteries) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 12, 2016, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-coziest-books-you-know-of-not-just-mysteries/771714 "2016-11-12T23:08:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-coziest-books-you-know-of-not-just-mysteries/771714/21 "2016-11-14T02:29:58Z")
Robert W. Chambers wrote a bunch of novels about rich upper-crust New York “society” people – young and rich and often alcoholic – which are delightfully cozy. In their day, they were often illustrated by Charles Dana Gibson, creator of [“The Gibson Girl.”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibson_Girl) Syrupy romance books, but with quite a nice touch of class. I also always end up coming back to Dickens. “Bleak House” is, I think, cozy in this sense. I read a LOT of science fiction, and would consider Jack Vance a somewhat cozy writer. His “Demon Prince” series (five books) and “Tschai” series (four books) are absolute gems. They’re space-opera action adventure, but the drama is strangely softened, the angst curtailed. There is a faint overlay of dream-reality to them, and they could, in fairness, be called “science fantasy.” ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-coziest-books-you-know-of-not-just-mysteries/771714/22 "2016-11-14T03:47:50Z")
Looking through some of the books I’ve read recently, I’d nominate: The Vicar of Wakefield, by Oliver Goldsmith The Pickwick Papers, by Charles Dickens The Warden, by Anthony Trollope Potash & Perlmutter: Their Copartnership, by Montague Glass ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-coziest-books-you-know-of-not-just-mysteries/771714/23 "2016-11-14T05:12:02Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Even though you’re not limiting it to mysteries, let me recommend Isaac Asimov’s various book-length BLACK WIDOWERS short-story collections: it’s banquet after banquet after banquet at a private club for trivia buffs from all walks of life, where the conversation amiably ranges over assorted topics until they inevitably uncover the mystery du jour and try to solve it by playing armchair sleuth by committee. > > As all’s right with the world, they never fail. Well, that’s not true; in point of fact, they _always_ fail. But in doing so, their back-and-forth discussion always adds up to a fair-play mystery for their _waiter,_ who then points out the obvious. Seconded, but under no circumstances should you binge-read them. Every story is exactly the same which is part of the charm, but after four or five of them, take a break or you will start to get annoyed by the characters. An obscure cozy book which I think is only available in dead tree version is Linda Haldeman’s _Esbe: A Winter’s Tale_. Heartwarming, but with a plot and actual conflict. ---
**Author:** ![Jane\_Smythe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f04885/32.png) [@Jane\_Smythe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jane_Smythe)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-coziest-books-you-know-of-not-just-mysteries/771714/24 "2016-11-14T05:22:26Z")
Coziest book: It is the 5 book series: Children of Violence by Doris Lessing The individual volumes are: ``` Book 1: Martha Quest Book 2: A Proper Marriage Book 3: A Ripple from the Storm Book 4: Landlocked Book 5: The Four-Gated City ``` ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-coziest-books-you-know-of-not-just-mysteries/771714/25 "2016-11-14T15:43:31Z")
The whole _#1 Ladies Detective Agency_ series by Alexander McCall Smith. They are only nominally mysteries. The series is really about the main character and her family and friends and their struggles to be good people. Precious Ramotswe is one of my favorite people in literature. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-coziest-books-you-know-of-not-just-mysteries/771714/26 "2016-11-14T16:50:11Z")
I don’t know that this’ll count, but it’s getting me through the stress: **A Blade of Black Steel** , the sequel to **A Crown for Cold Silver**. They’re brutal, nasty fantasy with a gaggle of antiheroes at the core–but they’re also hilarious. An example set-piece from the second chapter of the second book: [spoiler]An abandoned hero wakes up 50’ up in a tree to discover a deadly asp slithering across his face. He stays still except to look around him, and the movement of his eye attracts the snake, who apparently mistakes his eye for an egg and slithers up to try to eat it. He’s saved only by a shaking in the tree that scares off the snake. The shaking continues, and a rain of snakes falls around him. He looks down to see some sort of ape-man climbing the tree toward him, snarling. Out of options, he leaps feet-first from his perch onto the ape-man, but the ape-man skedaddles, and instead the hero falls 50’ to land face-first on a rock and die. Except really he just belly-flopped in a stinking swamp, snakes pattering all around him. Bruised and bedraggled he gets up to discover 20 ape-men around him, who chirp and pantomime “What’s your name?” Thinking he’ll be worshiped as a god, he points at himself and says, “Maroto, yeah.” They all mimic him, including the one he chased off, who starts jacking off saying “Maroto yeah!” They all laugh and shake their butts at him before beating him down, then picking him up, hustling him across their land and into a cave and out an opening where they swing him off a cliff and into the ocean. Things don’t get much better from there.[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-coziest-books-you-know-of-not-just-mysteries/771714/27 "2016-11-14T18:01:30Z")
_The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society_, by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer. I think there’s more real book to this than its reputation as a cozy lets on. _I Capture the Castle_ by Dodie Smith. It definitely has sadness, but overall sweet and charming. For people who will read YA novels, _My Most Excellent Year_ by Steve Kluger is great, it’s like an upbeat view of high school, where people are mostly nice and everyone wants everything to be better. It really is completely unrealistic, but you cheer for all of the characters because they are so nice. (Recommended especially for fans of musical theater) Non-fiction, but I thought it was just adorably winsome, _The Red Leather Diary: Reclaiming a Life Through the Pages of a Lost Journal_ which is essentially this woman finds an old diary, kept by a young woman in the late 1920s, early 1930s, and it’s this great glimpse into the past (so some bad and some good) and then she goes out and finds the actual writer of the diary, obviously an elderly woman at the time this was published. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-coziest-books-you-know-of-not-just-mysteries/771714/28 "2016-11-14T19:23:51Z")
The coziest book I’ve ever read is _The Wind in the Willows_. I have it on my Kindle so I can open it whenever I need to feel safe and happy. ---
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-coziest-books-you-know-of-not-just-mysteries/771714/29 "2016-11-14T20:56:15Z")
Another vote for Wodehouse. ---
**Author:** ![Trancephalic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trancephalic/32/380_2.png) [@Trancephalic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trancephalic)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-coziest-books-you-know-of-not-just-mysteries/771714/30 "2016-11-14T21:11:46Z")
I’ve always found The Phantom Tollbooth both comforting and inspirational, and haven’t ever felt I’ve outgrown it. ---
**Author:** ![Elemenopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5e925/32.png) [@Elemenopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elemenopy)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2016, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-coziest-books-you-know-of-not-just-mysteries/771714/31 "2016-11-17T00:17:23Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > As I’ve gotten older, most of the Little House books have become more terrifying than comforting.\* Farmer Boy\* continues to be pure cozy, though. I agree. But I tear thru all of them again when I need cozy. 🙂 Have you read\*[Wickett’s Remedy](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003EWAPX8/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1)\*? It’s cozy though a bit depressing, in the same vein as _A Tree Grows in Brooklyn._ I love it though. ---
**Author:** ![Chicken\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Chicken\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicken_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2016, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-coziest-books-you-know-of-not-just-mysteries/771714/32 "2016-11-17T06:01:23Z")
> [@Miss\_Mapp](#): > > Go have a look at his [Mapp and Lucia stories](https://www.amazon.com/Queen-Lucia-Miss-Mapp-Classics/dp/1101912103/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1479059503&sr=8-3&keywords=ef+benson). Like a lot of his ghost stories, they are set in the town of Rye under another name. Yes, another vote for Benson’s Mapp & Lucia books. They’re old standbys for me. I needed something cozy last week but was too tired to read, so I crawled into bed and watched the wonderful 2014 version of the series that was streaming on PBS. I’m also comforted by Nancy Mitford’s witty yet cozy novels. Try Monica Dickens’ _One Pair of Hands_ for something cozy and funny. _The Semi-Attached Couple_ and _The Semi-Attached House_ by Emily Eden are nice escapes. Anything by EM Delafield. . . . I also like _The Little Ottleys_ by Ada Leverson. I used to read Colette for a French version of cozy escape, too. ---
**Author:** ![TexCat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/texcat/32/9041_2.png) [@TexCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TexCat)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2016, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-coziest-books-you-know-of-not-just-mysteries/771714/33 "2016-11-17T22:26:10Z")
My favorites for when I want to curl up and not get out of bed are Dorothy Sayers’ Lord Peter books and Amanda Cross’s Kate Fansler books. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-coziest-books-you-know-of-not-just-mysteries/771714/34 "2016-11-18T01:29:32Z")
> [@Trancephalic](#): > > I’ve always found The Phantom Tollbooth both comforting and inspirational, and haven’t ever felt I’ve outgrown it. I just put this on my Jólabókaflóð list! I can’t believe I’ve never read it. I love all the suggestions - I’m adding most everything to my Goodreads. I thought of two more: **The Enchanted April** - four unhappy British women of different backgrounds rent an Italian villa for a month and rediscover love & happiness **Good Omens** - what happens when the Antichrist accidentally gets raised in a loving family in a nice English village, with no infernal influences ---
**Author:** ![Skyo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Skyo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skyo)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2016, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-coziest-books-you-know-of-not-just-mysteries/771714/35 "2016-11-20T21:01:54Z")
Rosamund Pilcher is my go-to author, starting with her later works, The Shellseekers through Winter Solstice, my favourite. Another good one is Marcia Willett. All of these are set in the UK, from Cornwall to Scotland, so it probably helps if you’re an anglophile. ---
**Author:** ![Tinker\_Grey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tinker_grey/32/8136_2.png) [@Tinker\_Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tinker_Grey)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2016, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-coziest-books-you-know-of-not-just-mysteries/771714/36 "2016-11-20T21:51:41Z")
> [@Trancephalic](#): > > I’ve always found The Phantom Tollbooth both comforting and inspirational, and haven’t ever felt I’ve outgrown it. I came to post this. I still read it every few years. ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2016, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-coziest-books-you-know-of-not-just-mysteries/771714/37 "2016-11-21T15:23:21Z")
An Irish Country Doctor series, by Patrick Taylor. Nothing bad happens, everything in the village turns out just fine at the end. It is best to read them chronologically, and be aware that Taylor has two series running. One about Dr. Barry, and one about the early life of his boss. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2016, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-coziest-books-you-know-of-not-just-mysteries/771714/38 "2016-11-21T16:43:01Z")
Started this morning on [The Return of the Black Widowers](https://www.amazon.com/Return-Black-Widowers-Isaac-Asimov/dp/0786712481/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1479746404&sr=8-2&keywords=black+widowers+asimov) by Isaac Asimov, as recommended by **The Other Waldo Pepper** in [the cozy books thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=19797933#post19797933) As advertised. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![yanceylebeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yanceylebeef/32/12290_2.png) [@yanceylebeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yanceylebeef)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2016, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-coziest-books-you-know-of-not-just-mysteries/771714/39 "2016-11-21T16:53:09Z")
I reread the Discworld books. They are my go to comfort books. I’m reading the Witches stories right now. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2016, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-coziest-books-you-know-of-not-just-mysteries/771714/40 "2016-11-21T17:36:05Z")
Another vote for _The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency_ by Alexander McCall Smith - an easy, charming read. _Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood_ by Rebecca Wells - a whimsical Southern-sisterhood novel. _The Secret Life of Bees_ by Sue Monk Kidd - a coming-of-age novel set in rural South Carolina during the “Freedom Summer” of 1964. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-coziest-books-you-know-of-not-just-mysteries/771714.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-coziest-books-you-know-of-not-just-mysteries/771714.md?page=3)