The cosiest book you ever read

[MellowBird85]

As autumn approaches, I’d really like to find a proper cosy book - the type that you can curl up by the fire with while the rain lashes against the windows but not too twee iykwim? I wouldn’t mind something based in the 18th or 19th century (but not essential). I went on GoodReads and found a list of “Books to Read on a Rainy Day” and all the classics were at the top of the list - Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Pride & Prejudice, etc. I’m willing to give these a go but just thought I’d get some opinions on here first. TIA

[AnnaFiveTowns]

"The Snow Child" but I can't remember the author's name.

The Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse.

[Pinkarsedfly]

The Woman In Black is a good shout if you like your cosiness a bit spooky.

[snozzlemaid]

Another one who came on to say The Shell Seekers by Rosalind Pilcher.

[tryingtobebetterallthetime]

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah.

Both books that feature strong, independent woman and leave you feeling warm and satisfied.

[CoolCarrie]

The Hills Is Lonely, all the sequels and all of Lillian Beckwith’s other books. Cosy and funny. I reread her books every year.

[Freaking0ut]

Another vote for Maeve Binchy... any of her books, I love them. In fact I think I might make her my next read.

[BroomstickOfLove]

Most of the books I was going to suggest have already been mentioned, so I will just add a couple more:

The Blue Castle by L M Montgomery (of Anne of Green Gables fame) in which a meek and downtrodden young woman is given a year to live and decides to cast aside convention and do what she wants.

The Secret Countess by Eva Ibbotson' ( and all of her other romantic novels). I borrowed this one six times from the library before buying a copy of my own.

[Lonelykettleshed]

Like Spudlet I would recommend Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher - either to read or to listen to on Audible. I probably read it every couple of years.

Also Agatha Christie or M C Beaton's Agatha Raisin series.

Re-reading the Chalet School which I read as a child at the minute - mad as a box of frogs but it cheers me up.

[smileannie]

Any of the Miss Read/Thrush Green/Fairacre series.
Nostalgic look at village life with memorable characters.
Think I will read them all again now that they come to mind.

[onemorecakeplease]

Oh I like anything historical by Phillipa Gregory. The queen series are all fabulous.
The wideacre trilogy is okay as well, if a little twee...

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

Winter Solstice and September by Rosamund Pilcher.

A Winter’s Tale, Twelve Days of Christmas and Wish Upon a Star by Trisha Ashley.

[Sgtmajormummy]

Nobody has mentioned Joanna Trollope!
She writes about successful family women with troubled but lovable children/husband/sister living in cosy townhouses with HUGE kitchens where large amounts of tea and advice are dispensed.
No particular title. If you’ve read one you’ve read ‘em all!

[Chickoletta]

Bramble Hedge and the Moomins!

As more grown up suggestions, I love Kate Morton’s The House at Riverton etc. Georgette Heyer
The Poldark books by Winston Graham (so much better than the series)
Under the Greenwood Tree by Thomas Hardy - village life and largely Christmassy.
My guilty pleasure reads are Rebecca Shaw’s Turnham Malpas books.
Agatha Christie

I re-read Pride and Prejudice every Christmas!

[Chickoletta]

Just came back to add Frenchman’s Creek!

[Fishcakey]

Neville Shute's 'What happened to the Corbetts'. Their boat is so cosy. It's my go to camping in the rain read.

[Campervan69]

Has anyone mentioned Mary Stewart? Love her books.

[mossberry]

The Rose Trilogy by Jennifer Donnelly is a bit of a saga set at the turn of the 19th century.
The Russian Concubine series of books by Kate Furnival are excellent.
For a bit of lighthearted mystery, the Aurora Teagarden series by Charlene Harris are worth a read.

[tobee]

D E Stevenson Mrs Tim of the Regiment and the other Mrs Tim Books

Highland Fling by Nancy Mitford

[ThanksMateThanksMate]

Not sure how this is regarded by literary cognoscenti but I was wrapped up one whole Autumn by Memoirs of a Geisha. It just bridged my declining summer-to-Winter season with colour and music and emotion.

[Poppins2016]

Chocolat (Joanne Harris).

Madame (Antoni Libera).

Very different books but both charming in their own way. I'd pick Madame as a "must read" and Chocolat as a "frivolous read".

[historysock]

The Darling Buds of May by H E Bates...
Read it after loving the series as a kid. I so wanted to be one of the kids in that family....I still do actually!

[Coldhandscoldheart]

Mrs Miniver is another nice easy read and also doesn’t need to be read as a big chunk. And she lives in a nice house with Help and it’s all quite warm and nice despite the war.
A little book any of you might enjoy is called Ex Libris by Ann Fadiman. It’s a series of essays about books and reading. I haven’t read it for some time but read it repeatedly when I got it, lent to a friend who got her own copy.

[MellowBird85]

Thank you so much for all your recommendations, I feel spoilt for choice But a lot of you have recommended Rosamund Pilcher so I think I’ll start there. I know I’ll be referring back to this list for many months to come!

[inthekitchensink]

The Autumn anthology is beautiful, there is an anthology for each season
I like to get into witchy spooky or horror types this time of year - loved The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell, Wakenhurst & Dark Matter by Michelle Paver, SilentLand and anything else by Graham Joyce, and anything by Susan Hill such as the haunting of hill house.

Sarah Addison Allen & Alice Hoffman write beautiful books with magical realism & some witchiness (Practical Magic, The girl who chased the moon)

Sarah Moss captures bleak landscapes and imagery like no one else (Night Waking & Ghost Wall)

[PoPpErS1]

I think Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell is amazingly comforting. It doesn't really have a plot, it just narrates the life of a little town in the 19th century.