As the temperature finally cools off and we experience the whisper of a new season, it’s time to find that perfect book to curl up with in a big cozy chair in a coffee shop or by a fireplace, if you have one. Cozy reads are, of course, different for everyone depending on the books they prefer, but for me they should involve a happy ending, an entertaining cast of characters, a classic who-don-it, and a cat if possible (usually in the real world, curled up on my lap).
Below is a list of cozy stories with elements of love, mystery, and magic for your long and chilly evenings ahead.
The Night Circus
Waging a fierce competition for which they have trained since childhood, circus magicians Celia and Marco unexpectedly fall in love with each other and share a fantastical romance that manifests in fateful ways.
A Familiar Tail: A Witch’s Cat Mystery
Unlucky-in-love artist Annabelle Britton decides that a visit to the seaside town of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, is the perfect way to get over her problems. But when she stumbles upon a smoky grey cat named Alastair, and follows him into a charming cottage, Annabelle finds herself in a whole spell book full of trouble. Suddenly saddled with a witch’s wand and a furry familiar, Annabelle soon meets a friendly group of women who use their spells, charms and potions to keep the people of Portsmouth safe. But they can’t prevent every wicked deed in town.
The Collector
When professional house-sitter Lila Emerson witnesses a murder/suicide from her current apartment-sitting job, life as she knows it takes a dramatic turn. Suddenly, the woman with no permanent ties finds herself almost wishing for one. Artist Ashton Archer knows his brother isn’t capable of violence–against himself or others. He recruits Lila, the only eyewitness, to help him uncover what happened.
Magpie Murders
After working with bestselling crime writer Alan Conway for years, editor Susan Ryeland is intimately familiar with his detective, Atticus Pünd, who solves mysteries in sleepy English villages. His traditional formula has proved hugely successful, so successful that Susan must continue to put up with his troubling behavior if she wants to keep her job. Conway’s latest tale involves a murder at Pye Hall, with dead bodies and a host of intriguing suspects. But the more Susan reads, the more she’s convinced that there is another story hidden in the pages of the manuscript: one of real-life jealousy, greed, ruthless ambition, and murder.
The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
THE RULES OF BLACKHEATH: Evelyn Harcastle will be murdered at 11:00p.m. There are eight days , and eight witnesses for you to inhabit. We will only let you escape once you tell us the name of the killer. Understood? Then lets begin..
The Bookseller’s Secret
Now he’d fled for a second time, to a city where he believed no one would recognize him, identity secure until confronted by Sara Olson. Maintaining cover demanded he stay away from her while at the same time getting close enough to find out how much she knew. This mission impossible caused him to leave his safe zone to obtain information crucial to keeping his secret …
Intercepted
Marlee Harper is the perfect girlfriend. She’s definitely had enough practice by dating her NFL-star boyfriend for the last ten years. But when she discovers he has been tackling other women on the sly, she vows to never date an athlete again. There’s just one problem: Gavin Pope, the new hotshot quarterback and a fling from the past, has Marlee in his sights.
Cats on the Prowl
Willow, the fluffy white Persian cat, gets more than she bargained for when she comes to live at the Nelson Police Station. Nat, the big tabby tom cat, takes her under his wing and starts teaching her the art of the police cat. Before she knows what hit her, Willow finds herself caught up in a web of intrigue, murder, and adventure that will take her to her limit and beyond. With the help of Nat and a curious collection of mysterious alley cats, Willow is on her way to discovering a depth of potential and excitement she never thought possible
This blog post was written by Dianna Bradley, Digital Library Center Metadata Specialist at FSU Libraries.
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