Mony just sent me this very sweet list for us to pick and choose from that might just do the trick in helping us escape our current reality. Some super-sexy, some warm and comforting and some just plain ol’ fun (and she categorizes them too, in case you’re in the mood for exactly “that”)!!
I love this idea, and there are a bunch in her list that rocked my world, so I’m anxious to try her other favorites. And I’m anxious for YOUR lists, too. Let’s add ’em!
She said:
Hi Maryse,
Having time on my hands now that we’re self-isolating for coronavirus in Canada, I started working on a little book project.
I pulled together what I call my “feels like a cozy blanket” books that I read when I’m trying to go into zen mode and forget the world for a bit.
Not sure whether others might be interested in sharing their book lists too. And what about you? I’d really love to see what everyone reads!
Last note – thank goodness for the internet and electronic books right now, eh? – that’s Canadian talk 🙂
Keep ‘em coming Maryse!
Mony
Mony’s: My Top Ten “Feels like a Cozy Blanket” Books (in no particular order)
- Manwhore (The Manwhore Series Book 1) by K. Evans <— (Malcolm Saint – THE all-time Manwhore)
JulieO: I loved the MANWHORE series. When Saint falls he falls hard!!
- Beautiful Disaster: A Novel by Jamie McGuire <— (BAD boy / Best book boyfriend)
- Enemies by Tijan <— (HOT jock / slow burn enemies-to-lovers)
Fall (VIP Book 3) by Kristen Callihan <— (Jax, lead singer – Great ice cream scene)- Mystery Man (The Dream Man Series Book 1) by Kristen Ashley <— (Hawk – THE top Alpha Male dog)
- Teardrop Shot: A Friends to Lovers Sports Romance by Tijan <— (Thoughtful / Best book JOCK boyfriend)
- It’s in His Kiss (Lucky Harbor Book 10) by Jill Shalvis <— (Sam – Hot SURFER dude / quirky slow burn)
- Rock Chick by Kristen Ashley <— (Lee, Eddy, Luke – THE best alpha guys)
- Burning Dawn (Angels of the Dark Book 3) by Gena Showalter <— (Thane – HOT dark angel / Very Sassy girl)
- Kiss of the Highlander by Karen Marie Morning <— (Dageus – THE sexiest Scot)
Kim (Northernstar): On day seven of self-isolation after an international trip. 🙂 Oh, quite a few of my fav’s in Mony’s list and some new ones too. Here are a few of my go to “cozy books:
The Hookup (Moonlight and Motor Oil Series Book 1) by Kristen Ashley – (wonderful quirky h and hot Johnny Gamble)- The Bride Test by Helen Hoang ( Khai Diep – H learns to love)
- From Lukov with Love by Mariana Zapata ( Ivan – enemies to lovers / very slow burn)
- The Butterfly Project by Emma Scott (beautiful love story)
- Tied (All Torn Up Book 2) by Carina Cole ( Sexy older man)
Ann: I was thinking yesterday that our world reality will end up as a remote romance, can’t you just imagine someone in isolation and befriended online, or someone stuck in another country?
Here’s my personal 5 star lose all track of time and reality books. I’m sure there’s lots of others that I’ve 5 starred that are worthy of your list, these are the books I reach for when I’m in a book slump, the ones I remember even years later.
The Wall of Winnipeg and Me and Wait for It, by Mariana Zaparta. Also every other book that she’s written because really they’re all great books that totally absorb all your attention. 🤗- On the Island: A Novel by Tracey Garvis Graves.
- Managed (VIP Book 2) by Kristen Callihan.
- The Great Alone: A Novel by Kristen Hannah.
- Not You It’s Me (A Boston Love Story Book 1) by Julie Johnson. Uncharted: a survival love story was great also
- Detained by Ainslie Paton, actually a few of Ainslie’s “Unsuitable“ and “Incapable (Love Triumphs Book 3)” as well.
- Anything by K A Tucker but especially “Until It Fades: A Novel”.
Maryse: Ann this is crazy!!!! I hand wrote my list on a sticky note yesterday as book came to mind, and YOUR list is MY list for the most part except a couple that I haven’t read yet, which means OMG I’M GOING TO LOVE THEM!!!!
Jan: Mony, I love your idea. Ann, I’d totally add Kulti to your list of Mariana Zapata books. One of the greatest heroines ever. Love that book. Hmm, what else would be on my list of cosy escape comfort books?
Well, I’d happily reread any of these:
Carry the World by Susan Fanetti- LaVyrle Spencer historicals like Years, or Hummingbird
- Lisa Kleypas historical series, like the Wallflowers or the Ravenels.
- Wizard of Earthsea fantasy series by Ursula K LeGuin
- Comfort romances like Katy Regnery’s The English Brothers
- The Beautiful series by Christina Lauren for something a bit sexier
I think if we get confined to home here in Australia I will be doing lots of rereading of old favs. I agree with the suggestions of some of those older Kristen Ashleys etc too.
On day seven of self-isolation after an international trip. 🙂
Oh, quite a few of my fav’s in Mony’s list and some new ones too.
Here are a few of my go to “cozy books:
The Hookup by Kristen Ashley – (wonderful quirky h and hot Johnny Gamble)
The Bride Test by Helen Hoang ( Khai Diep – H learns to love)
From Lukov with Love by Mariana Zapata ( Ivan – enemies to lovers / very slow burn)
The Butterfly Project by Emma Scott (beautiful love story)
Tied by Carina Cole ( Sexy older man)
Thank Kim. Put on Butterfly Project and Ties on my to-read list. LOVE Zapata books – just re-read my top 3 last month!
I was thinking yesterday that our world reality will end up as a remote romance, can’t you just imagine someone in isolation and befriended online, or someone stuck in another country? Here’s my personal 5 star lose all track of time and reality books.
Wall of Winnipeg and Wait for it, by Mariana Zaparta. Also every other book that she’s written because really they’re all great books that totally absorb all your attention. 🤗
On the Island, Tracey Garvis Graves.
Managed, Kristen Callihan.
The Great Alone, Kristen Hannah.
Not You, it’s me, Julie Johnson . Uncharted was great also
Detained, Ainslie Paton, actually a few of Ainslie’s “Unsuitable“ and “Incapable” as well.
Anything by K A Tucker but especially “Until it Fades”.
I’m sure there’s lots of others that I’ve 5 starred that are worthy of your list, these are the books I reach for when I’m in a book slump, the ones I remember even years later.
Ann this is crazy!!!!
I hand wrote my list on a sticky note yesterday as book came to mind, and YOUR list is MY list for the most part except a couple that I haven’t read yet, which means OMG I’M GOING TO LOVE THEM!!!!
Thanks Ann. Had not discovered Ainslie Paton.
Managed would have been on the list but had to keep it short- the whole series is fantastic!
Mony, I love your idea.
Ann, I’d totally add Kulti to your list of Mariana Zapata books. One of the greatest heroines ever. Love that book.
Hmm, what else would be on my list of cosy escape comfort books? Well, I’d happily reread any of these:
Carry The World by Susan Fanetti
LaVyrle Spencer historicals like Years, or Hummingbird
Lisa Kleypas historical series, like the Wallflowers or the Ravenels.
Wizard of Earthsea fantasy series by Ursula K LeGuin
Comfort romances like Katy Regnery’s The English Brothers
The Beautiful series by Christina Lauren for something a bit sexier
I think if we get confined to home here in Australia I will be doing lots of rereading of old favs. I agree with the suggestions of some of those older Kristen Ashleys etc too.
Wow, more new finds – Fanetti, Wizard of Earthsea (love LeGuin – big SF fan). Thanks for the Spencer titles – read Morning Glory and loved it.
Love Kleypas – real comfort books – love Smooth Talking Stranger.
Hmmm, an Aussie, eh? Not to be too stereotypical but love Aussie surfer books (had Aussie BF while backpacking in my 20s…eyebrows wiggle) 🙂
Any surfer recommendations? haha
Also, any non-romance Australian fiction? I’ve liked Geraldine Brooks, Liane Moriarty’s What Alice Forgot (NOT about dementia – thoughtful), and My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin (wow, 1901!) – fabulous movie, and many others.
Okay – way too much time on my hands…bye, Mony
Hi Mony. I love Smooth Talking Stranger too – that whole series actually.
You’ve named some good Aussie authors. I haven’t actually read any surfer books – sorry! There is a whole genre out there of outback set romances though. Plenty of those e.g. Rachael Johns. There are also Australian historicals like The Postmistress by Alison Stuart. And of course Kylie Scott is an Aussie, although her books tend not to be set here. Maybe best to avoid her apocalypse ones at the moment though LOL.
If you liked My Brilliant Career, maybe you might like The Fortunes of Richard Mahoney written in the 1800s by Henry Handel Richardson, who was actually a woman who grew up not too far from where I live. It is a mega-saga type book though – very long. Starts in the Victorian gold rush and follows a long and dramatic life with many ups and downs. Amazing book, although I’m not sure how interesting it would be for non-Aussies. The same author also wrote The Getting of Wisdom, much shorter and was made into a popular film years ago.
Another classic Aussie film based on a book is Picnic at Hanging Rock. Hanging Rock is a real (and beautiful) place, again not that far from where I live. In the book, a whole party of schoolgirls mysteriously disappeared while on a picnic in 1900 and were never found. It’s actually fiction, but at the time the film made it so popular that many people think it really happened. Very spooky story.
Oh my goodness, aren’t you wonderful sending me this information and book titles!
Thank you for taking the time to do that.
I have not heard of these…and love discovering new “obscure” (to me) books. I have added them to my Goodreads to-read list and will be exploring them.
I love books and films about the Australian outback – Walkabout, Charlie’s Country, Rabbit Proof Fence, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, etc. – and so look forward to reading about it.
Also your Aussie historical fiction titles (Peter Carey is on my to-read list too)
(BTW, A Town Like Alice is favourite re-read of mine – yea, Brit author, I know)
With non-romance fiction, I’m “bored” with books from the usual English-speaking countries (Aus, NZ excluded) and now mostly read all kinds of books from your neck of the woods & Asia, e.g. Malaysia, Japan, etc. The Gift of Rain was a favourite, oddest one was a Japanese detective series 🙂 So much to read out there.
Again many thanks for this Jan!!!
PS my husband started LeGuin but seems addicted to watching COVID-19 happenings. (We both enjoy her books.) I’m trying to get him to read for some normalcy & escape…a battle. Sigh
Oh, and my husband is now reading LeGuin’s series!
Great! It’s fab, isn’t it?
I loved the MANWHORE series. When Saint falls he falls hard!!
Oh yea, think it’s my #1…what can I say?
Some other comfort type reads to escape reality:
The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher. Anything by her, really. LOL.
The Chesapeake Bay books by Nora Roberts (plus some of her other series too, I guess!)
Classic historical romances by the legendary Georgette Heyer e.g. Venetia, These Old Shades, Arabella etc
My list keeps growing…thanks!