Ten Cozy Fall Books You Won’t Want to Put Down
By Sage Ancowitz ‘27 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer
Tis the season for some cozy book recommendations to read while bundled up in bed or on the plane home for Thanksgiving! These ten books are sure to warm your heart and bring a little autumnal magic to your life.
You, Again by Kate Goldbeck
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Have you ever wanted an updated version of When Harry Met Sally? If so, this is the book for you! You, Again by Kate Goldbeck is a romantic comedy set in New York City following Ari and Josh, two polar opposites that saw sparks faltering instead of flying after they first met. Every few years they run into each other and the hatred is still there, until a tentative friendship blooms while both Josh and Ari are coming out of serious relationships. Ari is going through a divorce after her wife dumped her for someone else, and Josh feels lost without someone to call his own. Yet their strange platonic relationship was bound to blur the lines eventually…
The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen
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While this book doesn’t seem cozy, especially since the main character is an undertaker for a funeral home, the romance and the setting makes all the difference. The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen is a low-stakes romantic fantasy for fans of You’ve Got Mail and Howl’s Moving Castle. When Mercy has to single handedly run her family’s undertaking business, she never gets a moment to herself—nor does she have patience for people like Hart. Hart is a marshal tasked with patrolling the weird and magical wilds of the land of Tanria to prevent zombies from wreaking havoc. After they run into each other yet again, Hart finds himself writing an anonymous letter to Mercy, and to his surprise, she writes back. As their tentative friendship blossoms into something more, they must come to terms with the growing dangers of Tanria while keeping their connection alive.
The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore
Links: Amazon, Apple Books, B&N, Audible
Perfect for Gilmore Girls lovers, The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore follows Jeanie, a young woman who leaves her boring desk job to run her aunt’s cafe in the small town of Dream Harbor. Logan is a local farmer who avoids Dream Harbor’s gossip at all costs, but finds himself inexplicably drawn to the arrival of the town’s irritatingly upbeat new girl. Will Jeanie’s happy-go-lucky attitude win over the grumpy-but-gorgeous Logan, or has this city girl found the one person in town who won’t fall for her charm… or her pumpkin spice lattes?
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
Links: Amazon, Apple Books, B&N, Audible
A cozy adult romance that combines Nanny McPhee and Practical Magic, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna tells the tale of Mika Moon, one of the few witches left in Britain, who’s been told all her life to hide her magic. She follows that rule except for her small rebellion of posting videos pretending to be a witch on social media. Mika assumes no one will take them seriously until someone does, and she is asked to travel to a remote house to teach three young witches how to control their powers. There, Mika becomes entangled with the house’s caretakers, especially the prickly librarian who would do anything to protect the children and sees Mika as a threat to them. Slowly she bonds with the people of the house, but real threats put the young witches at risk of being taken away. Mika must decide whether to continue living by the rules or risk everything to protect the family she didn’t know she was looking for.
Fall I Want by Lyra Parish
Links: Amazon, Apple Books, B&N, Audible
Fall I Want by Lyla Parish follows Zane, a brokenhearted billionaire who visits the small town of Cozy Creek to escape his busy life. Autumn hates Zane at first, but when her cheating ex returns and wants a second chance, Zane pretends they’re dating to stop her from getting her heart broken again. Soon, their relationship turns from fake to real through fall festivities, pumpkin spice lattes, and healed hearts.
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
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Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree is a cozy fantasy about Viv, an orc who gives up her life of battle and bloodshed to run a coffee shop. Unfortunately, her past won’t go away entirely. Old and new rivals, from a battlefield acquaintance jealous of her success to a local gang with their eyes set on Viv’s shop, threaten her new life. However, Viv refuses to let it get her down, and perhaps a good latte will change everyone’s minds about her.
Do Your Worst by Rosie Danan
Links: Amazon, Apple Books, B&N, Audible
When Riley Rhodes is hired to break a curse on an infamous Scottish castle and finally make her family’s occult expertise an actual business, she is determined not to let this chance slip by. But when she arrives at the castle, Clark Edgeware, a handsome archaeologist caught in a family scandal, tries to kick Riley off of his survey site, determined not to let a so-called “curse breaker” ruin his path towards redemption. Riley hopes the curse will help drive Clark away, but it only draws them closer.
If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia
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If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia follows Michelle, a young woman who moves to Vermont to run a bed and breakfast after her divorce. According to Cliff, her next-door neighbor and the local baker, her scones suck and so do her small talk skills. Eventually, when they become friends, Michelle thinks they could become something more. But she’s supposed to pass the inn to her sister in three months and head back to Seattle.
So why can’t she stop thinking about kissing her hot neighbor?
Falling Like Leaves by Misty Wilson
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Falling Like Leaves by Misty Wilson is a cozy autumnal teen rom-com following Ellis, a city girl stuck in a small town where she must confront an old flame. The local barista Cooper Barnet, Ellis’s first kiss, wants nothing to do with her now, but Ellis can’t stop running into him. As her return to Manhattan keeps getting pushed back, she grows to love the town’s energy and the people in it, but she must decide what she really wants her future to be and what that means for her present.
Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks
Links: Amazon, Apple Books, B&N
Pumpkinheads is a cute fall graphic novel by Rainbow Rowell with illustrations by Faith Erin Hicks. Every autumn, while teen best friends Deja and Josiah work together at the best pumpkin patch in Omaha, Nebraska, they always part ways after Halloween. This year is different; they’re both finally high school seniors, and this will be their last season at the pumpkin patch. However, neither of them are ready to let each other go, so Deja comes up with a plan to go out with a bang: See all of the sights, taste all of the snacks, and make their last shift an adventure.