Kris' Best Cottagecore Books!
"You keep asking why your work is not enough, and I don't know how to answer that, because it is enough to exist in the world and marvel at it. You don't need to justify that, or earn it. You are allowed to just live." --Becky Chambers, A Psalm for the Wild-Built: A Monk and Robot Book
This fall, wrap up with your favorite blanket, steaming mug of tea or coffee, and read one of these cozy fantasy vibe books!
Can't Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne (and A Pirate's Life for Tea, and Tea You at the Altar)
I am always one of the first in line for a sapphic fantasy romance, and this cozy cottagecore sapphic romance is everything. The romance is a big part of the story, but it doesn’t take away from the fantasy world or the coziness of the story. The characters are loveable and adorable, and the frequent mention of love for a good book and a good cup of tea inspires warm feelings every time I recommend the book to a customer. I cannot wait for the next two books in the series!
A Psalm for the Wild-Built: A Monk and Robot Book by Becky Chambers (and A Prayer for the Crown-Shy: A Monk and Robot Book)
As the only science fiction book included in this list, it has a hefty role to fill—but don’t worry, this book, and its sequel, is INCREDIBLE. Chambers enchanted me from the first with beautiful descriptions, painful but true character revelations, and just a pure love for nature and connections that permeate each page. If I could read a book over again for the first time, this is my top pick.
Legends & Lattes: A Novel of High Fantasy and Low Stakes by Travis Baldree (and Bookshops & Bonedust)
The ultimate cozy DND inspired fantasy is this series right here. An adventure-weary orc with a giant great sword wants to open a bookstore based on a magic spell she once read about? I am there with my mug in hand! This story is funny and adorable—and the prequel adds to the world and the background of the character so well! I hope there is more to come from this world, and these characters.
The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
While this book opens with a library burning (GASP!), it continues on to be one of the cutest, coziest books I’ve read in a long time! The main character is a bumble of social anxiety and with her associate (a talking plant that can read but has no eyes), she opens her jam shop on an island filled with mysteries and wonderful people. The story is all about finding comfort in oneself and with the people you choose to surround yourself with. There’s romance, there’s friendship, there’s bear-tree-spirits, and there’s magic and a deep love for books of all kinds.
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett (and Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands and Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales)
The titles of this series feel like a remnant of my childhood if you were one to collect the Wizardology or Fairyopolis books! Follow along with Emily, a Cambridge professor, and her trusty sidekick, Shadow the dog, as they dive into the world of the Fair Folk for entirely academic purposes of course! Please ignore her rival, the (handsome) infuriating Wendell Bambleby, and focus on the secrets and mysteries Emily will uncover first.
Shady Hollow by Juneau Black (and Cold Clay, Mirror Lake, Twilight Falls, and Summers End)
This mystery series is adorable! It’s all about a single town, Shady Hollow, and it’s animal denizens living their everyday lives—until one of them isn’t! Join Vera Vixen, a fox reporter, as she hears rumors that a recent death might have been a murder! Follow the clues and try to figure out where the case is going in this fluffy, but thrilling read!
The Hobbit: 75th Anniversary Edition by J. R. R. Tolkien
One of the most famous fantasy books that started an empire might be credited as the first cottagecore book with its main character, the food-wise Hobbit Bilbo Baggins, yearning for his armchair, his books, and his little hole in the ground during the entire harrowing adventure to the Lonely Mountain. This story is like a warm hug—filled with Tolkien’s original songs and love for the written word and stories, this is a must read for anyone diving into cottagecore books!
ABOUT THE BOOKSELLER
Kris studied for their MA in creative writing in Cardiff, Wales. Their favorite genres are horror, science, manga, and fantasy. Kris cannot DNF a book; they either force their way to the finish or it sits in their TBR pile for all eternity.