'Cosy' audio books

[Zaphodsotherhead]

Inspired by another thread on 'good' audio books...

I listen to Audible books to help me sleep and I've noticed that I have a particular liking for - and it's difficult to describe - books that have a certain 'feel'. I'm finding it mostly in children's books to be honest! The bit in Harry Potter - Prisoner of Azkhaban, where he is on the Knight bus, any descriptions of being indoors with the wind and rain lashing at the windows; being snug and safe in the house or tent...

Can anyone recommend any books that give the same 'feel'? I've tried 'cosy', but that just gives me loads of cosy crime, and 'snug' only gets me How-To-Hygge books. I want the hygge feel from the whole book!

I've got a suggestion that may be just the thing!
'Nothing much happens- bedtime stories for grown-ups'. They are podcasts. The narrator, who has a lovely soft US voice, describes various soothing every day situations. The one I listened to was called A Cabin in the Woods. It was lovely.
My go to cosy listens are Jonathan Cecil reading Wodehouse. Even better than Jarvis.
And my favourite cosy Jarvis listen is A Night to Remember, about the sinking of the Titanic. Shouldn't work, but it does!
Oh - and Novella reading her book How to Eat. That's amazingly soothing and relaxing.Aaah...

Nigella. Not novella.

Oh, Thornyhold and The Cazalets are both well worn and well loved And books I return to again and again. What about Lilian Beckwith OP? A series of books about life on a small remote Scottish Island. I think they are semi autobiographical. They're just lovely.

My DD introduced me to Nothing Much Happens when I was sitting sleepless on a 24 hour flight. Unfortunately they didnt' work - but I know what you mean! Perfect, bland listening and very comforting.

I'd worry that listening to a Nigella book would make me wake up ravenous and forced to raid the kitchen in the middle of the night - does it not have that effect?

Am going to investigate Lilian Beckwith. Small remote islands are just the sort of 'atmosphere' I am looking for, as long as it's day to day doings and not emergency air lifts to hospital and people running out of food during storm season!

I heard some of the Cazelets when they were serialised on Radio 4. I was uncertain as to whether they were my thing, but they've been mentioned so often now that I may have to check those out too.

I am not a Wodehouse fan. Shoot me now.

Yes, it's just every day stories of the people. Lilian moved there in the 1950's I think. They're just gentle stories of gatherings and story telling and simple meals (a lot of preserved herrings and potatoes 😁). There's not much peril at all. She nearly lost her suitcase that wasn't strapped to the car properly "A Rope In Case", so mildly perilous I suppose 😆.
The Cazalets has its uncozy moments, but a lot of it is again the small happenings of their day to day lives. Gorgeous descriptions of their homes, food, clothes etc. Long warm hazy Summers in the Sussex countryside in a beautiful house. Just lovely

Not a Wodehouse fan!

If the R4 version of the Cazalet was acted rather than read then I’d find it too intrusive. Actors acting all over the shop can be quite enervating I find. Whereas a brilliant actor just reading the story is soothing and lovely. I have fallen in love with Timothy West, Prunella Scales, Martin Jarvis, Andrew Sachs, Sam Dastor (Anglo Indian actor who does Kipling and the Raj Quartet) just for the ability to read with meaning but without going all drama studenty.

The girl with the bear legs is cosy, heart warming and relaxing. My go to Hygge book.

Agree about Martin Jarvis and Wodehouse, Dickens and Just William...brilliant. I also return to books read by Anna Massey, Juliet Stevenson, and Jenny Agutter.
I’d recommend ‘This Sceptred Isle’ read by Anne Massey and Paul Eddington, ‘Rebecca’ (Daphne du Maurier) read by Anna Massey, ‘The Blessing’ (Nancy Mitford) read by Jenny Agutter, and ‘Mapp and Lucia’ (E.F. Benson) read by Miriam Margolyes.

Well, on the recommendation of someone, I used this month's credit on 'Christmas at Thrush Green' by Miss Read. I set it to play last night....two chapters in and I was gone for the night. The bits I did hear were brilliant. Nothing much happening, just people chatting about the weather and a drinks party and the forthcoming Nativity Play.

Recommended.

And you've all given me many other places to look for my cosy, so thank you!

Monty Don books

For a longer comfort listen, the Cazalet Chronicles are lovely and beautifully read by Jill Balcon

Seconded

I've now put most of your suggestions on my Wish List.

Just not the Wodehouse.

I know, I'm a philistine...

Little House on the Prairie

The Lucy Boston Green Knowe books aren't individually long enough but as a collection they might be? And the Flambards books by K.M. Peyton. Great thread by the way. Would be a wonderful book club!

I love the Green Knowe books but there's only one available on audio, and there's no way to run books together.

I used to love Flambards, might see if that series is available on Audible too! So many great suggestions here. Hope the thread is being useful to others looking for their 'cosy' read!

Sorry haven’t read thread but have you tried the ‘nothing much happens’ podcasts? They’re brilliant!! I can’t believe I can get to sleep so quickly now. I have to use headphones though because my OH just pisses himself laughing at them.

Will read through now in case anyone knows any similar ones.

We've covered that, Bleak.

Podcasts are no good for me - I'm looking for Audible books that give me the 'cosy'. So more about content of story than anything - lots of sitting indoors and listening to the weather beating on the windows...that sort of thing. They don't have to be related to getting to sleep.

@Zaphodsotherhead I know you said you don't like podcasts but honestly give "Get Sleepy" a try just once or twice, I think you could be surprised. It is only 30-40 mins but I'm usually asleep just after the me story starts and find the stories very atmospheric and cozy.

Also I just leave them on a loop so if I wake up it's still playing, the segue into the next story is always relaxing too.

I will give them a try coveting, never let it be said that I won't try new things! But my real reason for running the Audible books isn't that I can't sleep - I can, and do, sleep really well most of the time. I run the stories that help me feel all cosy and snug and give me that lovely 'everything in the world is well, here, have a hot chocolate, a fuzzy blanket and a hug' feeling, as well as giving my brain something to latch on to if I wake up in the night.

I've downloaded the Sleepy free podcasts from Audible, and will givem them a shot. How do you get them to loop? Do they do that automatically? Because I bought the Stephen Fry's Victorians podcasts (because his voice is the epitome of 'cosy' for me) and was disappointed that it would end after each podcast and require me to wake up and play the next one!

Any Georgette Heyer, OP!

Second the Miss Read suggestion by a pp. Very cosy and gentle. My grandma used to listen to them to get her to sleep and now I do too.

I am LOVING Christmas at Thrush Green. There is something curiously hypnotic in the tiny little conversations and day to day tribulations of a small community. It is very soothing. And the weather takes such centre stage - which I love.

I'm going to get Christmas at Thrush Green now.
Another one I like is Diary of a Provincial Lady. The narrator has a beautiful voice.