The Best Book Genres for a Cosy Night In

What do we want? A cosy night in! When do we want it? Now!

Oh yes, I am in full-on cosy mode. It helps that I’ve been ill this weekend so I’ve been wrapped up in bed most of the time anyway, but I am really in the mood for a long evening spent with a hot chocoloate, a fluffy blanket, and a good book.

The three perfect ingredients: hot chocolate, fluffy blanket, good book.

Personally, I think there are some book genres that lend themselves to cosiness and Autumn evenings more than others, and in this post, I’ll be sharing my top 3 suggestions of genre, along with a few book recommendations.

All book titles are linked to their pages on the Book Depository website. I love the Book Depository and would always recommend it over other online book retailers. For full disclosure, please note that all links to the Book Depository in this post are affiliate links. This costs you no extra money, but means that if you buy the book I earn a small commission. 

1. Historical Fiction

Historical fiction is, for me, a go-to autumnal genre. Something about lavish castles, royal courts and family drama just gets me hooked for a long evening reading session. My favourite historical period to read about has always been the Tudor period, or the Elizabethan era. For that reason, my number one recommendation for a historical fiction read this Autumn is the Philippa Gregory classic, The Other Boleyn Girl. Far superior to any of the film adaptations, Gregory’s book is a romantic and mysterious read that will keep you turning the pages for hours on end. (Bonus TV recommendation: The Tudors! Who remembers that show? My absolute favourite!)

2. Fantasy/High Fantasy

Much in the same vein as historical fiction, the vast settings, sword fighting and elfish charm of fantasy is perfect for a cosy night of reading. Sometimes you can’t beat a dwarvish quest or a battle for the throne, and there’s something about classics such as Lord of the Rings that have that wintery feel to them. Plus, fantasy novels are usually quite lengthy books, which means you need the long winter nights to get stuck into them!

I would of course recommend the  Lord of the Rings trilogy, and The Hobbit. (How gorgeous is this box set?! I’ve got my on this for sure!)

I would also recommend reading the A Song of Ice and Fire series, aka ‘Game of Thrones’. If you’re brave enough that is! These are weighty books, packed full of detail, but well worth the commitment if you can stick with them. Let’s just hope George R. R. Martin eventually gets round to writing the next book!

3. Chick Lit

As much as I have a few fundamental issues with the term ‘chick lit’ (perhaps a discussion for another day!) I do think that this lighthearted, feminine genre has a place on this list. When the cold dark nights are drawing in and the balmy summer evenings filled with mojitos are long behind us, a feel-good romantic comedy can be just the remedy.

The summer holiday reads you see advertised everywhere in July and August aren’t my first choice for a September read, but there are a lot of great ‘chick-lit’ titles out there that I like to reach for when I want a relaxing night in with a glass of wine and a bar of chocolate. My recommendation would be the ultimate in funny-girl icons, Bridget Jones.

There they are, my recommendations for a cosy night in of reading and relaxing. What would be your number one recommendation?

hugs

 

The Self-Care Sloth
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