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Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
Cozy Fantasy Reads
Here's another prompt that I could not pick just 10 books for. These are all fantasy books which feel like a warm hug and filled me with joy when I was reading them. Cozy fantasy books are some of my absolute favorites to read.
1. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
- My favorite book I have ever read is Howl's Moving Castle and it to me is the ultimate cozy book. Diana Wynne Jones had a unique writing style that pulled you into her worlds from the very first page. I adore how she wrote every one of her books. Sophie was a character that I related to on a level unlike any heroine that I have read before her. I loved reading about the way she interacted with the world and people around her, especially the titular character, Howl.
- Howl is one of my favorite characters in literature. I love our introduction to this character through the stories that are told about him in Sophie's town. The citizens believe that he steals young women's souls and hearts. This is a trope in many fantasy books about characters like Howl and I love how Diana plays with that through his character. Howl is such a drama queen of a wizard.
- The world that Diana has created in this tale plays with popular fantasy and fairy tale tropes creating a fantasy world that feels unique and authentic. Each of her books could definitely fit on this list for me, but this is the one that feels the most cozy for me.
2. Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
- Legends & Lattes has become one of the most quintessential cozy fantasy books for fans of the subgenre and there is a very good reason why. It is such a charming book. I don't like coffee but would go to Viv's shop in a heartbeat and try Thimble's baked goods. This is the perfect comfort read filled to the brim with wholesome characters, heart, and a found family I adored. Each character stole my heart and I hope we get more of Viv, Cal, Tandri, Thimble, and the many other characters in this world. I will be reading Bookshops & Bonedust and Brigands & Breadknives very soon.
3. The Spellshop series by Sarah Beth Durst
- The Spellshop and The Enchanted Greenhouse are cozy fantasy companions which I highly adore. I enjoyed the world in The Spellshop last year and was eagerly awaiting the sequel. The Enchanted Greenhouse was even better. I wanted to travel to this world so much and visit the magical greenhouse.
4. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
- This wonderful book had everything I wanted: witchy vibes, found family, quirkiness, a cute romance, and a warm cozy feeling. The found family was so special and just filled me with joy. I love Sangu's sense of humor in her books and this had so much of it. Definitely, the perfect book for this time of year.
5. Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson
- Tress's story is one of my favorites so far this year. It has so much I love in books with strong characters, pirates, adventure, and humor. I adore that my favorite character from the Cosmere, Hoid, is the narrator of this tale. His narration is absolutely hilarious and a joy to read. It'll definitely be one I pick up many times.
6. Emily Wilde series by Heather Fawcett
- I read the entire Emily Wilde trilogy in January of this year and fell in love with this world. There are some darker scenes but the overall story feels very cozy. Emily and Wendell's relationship is one of my favorites in literature and my love for this only grows with time.
7. Swordheart by T. Kingfisher
- Many of T. Kingfisher's books feel very cozy even though there are some darker elements to them. One of my favorites that I read this year was Swordheart. It has a beautiful romance and found family dynamics which is always a favorite element in stories for me. Definitely, a fantasy road-trip of my dreams. Cannot wait for the sequel/companion next year.
8. The Tea Dragon Society series and A Song for You & I by Kay O'Neill
- A cute middle grade graphic novel series that has the coziest vibes. I adore every single page of this trilogy. The dragons are so small and adorable! It is a great story of family, friendship, and love that is wonderful in every single way. Kay O'Neill's illustrations are stunning. I also highly recommend their book A Song for You & I which is also cozy. It came out earlier this year.
9. The Herbwitch's Apprentice (Witches of Olderea, #1) by Ireen Chau
- Another great cozy fantasy book I read this year. The witchy aspects were perfect along with the fantastical version of the Regency time period. I love reading Regency books set in a fantasy world. They are always so cozy. I will be reading the sequel next month.
10. The Story of the Hundred Promises by Neil Cochrane
- A clever very loose retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" with queer and trans characters. I particularly loved how this book had various fairy tales throughout. The first part of the book focuses on the character Darragh's journey to find the Enchanter he met when he was thirteen. His story is combined by tales that his land tell of the Enchanter. Then, the second part of the book focuses on the Enchanter, Merrigan's story. I love how Neil Cochrane weaved the various tales into the story. This is not your typical retelling of "Beauty and the Beast," but it does have some elements from it.
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