Cozy Fiction Books From The 2020s To Get You In The Mood For Fall 2025

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As we move past National Book Lover's Day 2025, it's time to shift into a new literary mood. The autumn months often invoke a sense of coziness, with the crisp, leaf-turning weather prompting us to reach for a warm beverage and our favorite sweater. While some book lovers match these pumpkin-scented vibes with gothic ghost stories or book club-ready dark academia tales, the 2020s have brought plenty of comforting, warm-hearted fiction books that will similarly get you into the fall mood. Essentially, the witchy '90s aesthetic of "Practical Magic" and a cozy TBR list is everything you need for the incoming autumn in 2025.

Though coziness and comfort are very individual, books that are labeled as 'cozy' typically feature an upbeat or lighthearted tone paired with happy conclusions. These titles favor slice-of-life, low-stakes plots over intense drama and action, with common tropes including small town settings, found families, and quirky characters. While typically warm in tone, cozy books can explore deeper topics like grief, belonging, and identity.

The term also covers a variety of sub-genres, with the cozy mystery being one of the most established. In contrast to hard-hitting suspense novels led by jaded detectives, these whodunits are often centered around amateur sleuths and infused with humor and hijinks. The fantasy genre similarly pairs well with coziness, with plenty of titles featuring lighthearted magic and whimsical creatures. In this way, our list of potential reads pulls from several subgenres, offering a little bit of coziness for every fiction reader.

If you're familiar with the cozy book genre, then you've likely encountered "Legends & Lattes" by Travis Baldree as an internet favorite. In the same way, the 2022 release is a great entry point for those looking for something fall-feeling and fantastical. This novel centers around Viv, an orc who decides to leave her life of violence to start a coffee shop. While she's tasked with introducing the world of coffee to the townspeople of Thune and building her business from the ground up, Viv manages to make plenty of unexpected and heartwarming connections along the way.

"This book is so cozy. It is the epitome of a fall read," booktuber Plant Based Bride said about the novel. "This story is a really slow-paced, beautiful tale of found family and figuring out where you belong. The relationships, both platonic and romantic, in this book are so heartwarming." Though "Legends & Lattes" maintains an average rating of 4.06 stars on Goodreads, the minimal plot and low-stakes won't be a good fit for every reader. Still, if a fantastical take on slice-of-life filled with baking descriptions and a sweet queer romance sounds appealing, this is definitely a warm and wholesome read that will get you into the autumnal mood.

Next, "Half a Soul" by Olivia Atwater is a cozy read that combines fantasy and romance, containing whimsical vibes that make it a great addition to a fall-ready TBR. In this regency-set tale, Theodora Ettings is cursed by a faerie at a young age, leaving her without strong feelings of embarrassment or fear. Now, as she enters the London Season alongside her husband-searching cousin, she finds herself entangled in faerie-related affairs after meeting an aloof sorcerer named Elias Wilder. While the two begin investigating a mystery centered around the slums of London, they also find themselves inexplicably drawn to one another.

"This was just so fun, the right mix of all of your favorite historical romance moments, the balls, the gowns, the matchmaking mamas, the witty repartee between love interests," book influencer Mina Reads wrote on Goodreads. "It was a really great read and I'd recommend it for anyone searching for some cozy and/or romantic fantasy." With an average Goodreads rating of 4.06 stars, "Half a Soul" appears on the cozy, autumnal recommendation lists of booktubers like Emmie and BooksandLala, making it a must-read for those who enjoy historical romance and appreciate a helping of charm and whimsy.

In addition to love interest Jamie Kelly landing on our list of the best book boyfriends of the 2020s, "The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches" by Sangu Mandanna marks another great read for the transition into autumn. This 2022 release follows Mika Moon, an orphan witch who's anonymously invited to teach three young witches how to control their magic at Nowhere House. Even though the position breaks the Secret Society of Witches' code, Mika is intrigued by the invitation and soon finds herself entangled in the lives of her charges and their hodge-podge found family, including the grumpy librarian Jamie.

"I definitely recommend this one for a cozy, autumnal, found family, witchy situation," Booktuber BooksandLala said about the novel. "It's all about support and friendship. There's also a romance involved, and I think it's really good for the season." Goodreads reviewers tend to agree, with "The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches" having an average rating of 4.05 stars on the platform. In addition to this, I can personally attest to the charming and wholesome vibes that the cozy novel brings, with fall being the perfect time to cuddle up with a magic-filled story about family and belonging.

Aurelee Wallace's "In The Company of Witches" is the next title on our list, with the mystery novel belonging among the witchy books that will fill your cauldron with feminist energy. Released in 2021, the cozy tale centers around Brynn Warren, a young, recently widowed witch who's tasked with clearing her family's name when a local woman dies at the bed and breakfast Brynn runs with her aunts. As Aunt Nora begins looking like the prime suspect, Brynn must rediscover her ghost-related magic, which has been out of order since the death of her husband, and utilize her investigation skills to uncover the true culprit.

Book content creator Liv's Library drew comparisons between "In The Company of Witches" and fall staples like "Gilmore Girls" and "Hocus Pocus." "The first book is like Stars Hollow B&B vibes, but with the Sanderson sisters and also 'Practical Magic' vibes," she explained. "This book doesn't get too dark on the witchy side of things, but it's just enough to be an emotional read." Other reviewers similarly praise the small town vibes and fun characters, with the cozy mystery garnering a 3.88 star rating on Goodreads. If these are the vibes you want to bring into fall, then this is definitely a title worth checking out.

Whether you're a student or parent, the fall months are all about the back-to-school process for many, which makes "It's Elementary" by Elise Bryant a fitting cozy mystery for the season. Mavis Miller, a single parent and nonprofit worker, finds herself wrapped up in a mystery after she's convinced by club president Trisha Holbrock to head the PTA's new DEI committee. When Principal Smith goes missing directly after an inflammatory PTA meeting that had Trisha fuming, Mavis teams up with the school's good-looking psychologist to uncover the truth about the disappearance. 

"This had such a perfect balance of mystery, romance, social commentary, and self discovery," BooksandLala wrote on Goodreads, expanding on the thought in a YouTube video. "Not that this is the most sophisticated murder mystery in existence–-it is still more of a fun and quirky one, but it has more heart than the typical fun and quirky mysteries that I like." All about parenthood and family with a dash of romance, "It's Elementary" has an average 3.75 rating on Goodreads. While author Ellen Bryon filled us in on the signs that you'll love the cozy mystery genre, you can add the fall-fitting, school setting of this 2024 title as another reason to delve into the cozy reads. 

"We'll Prescribe You A Cat" by Syou Ishida, translated by E. Madison Shimoda rounds out our list of cozy reads that will get you in the mood for fall. Told in interconnected short stories, this magical realism tale is about the Nakagyō Kokoro Clinic for the Soul, a mysterious Kyoto-based clinic that prescribes cats in place of medication. Though the patients are typically puzzled by this unconventional treatment, they find their lives inexplicably changed by their feline companions, embarking on journeys of self-discovery and human-animal bonding.

"If you like cats (duh), magical realism, feel-good stories, and want to experience a whole new take on the cat distribution system, you'll want to gobble this one up!" BookTuber Olive Fellows wrote on Goodreads. Other reviewers note that the coziness of "We'll Prescribe You a Cat" comes from the warm exploration of the relationships between humans and their pets alongside the charm and dark whimsy of the magical realism. Lastly, the fantastical elements of this 2023 release give it a mild edge that is perfectly suited for a bookish transition into autumn.

To create this round-up, we utilized platforms like Goodreads and YouTube to identify books from the 2020s that have been frequently labeled by readers as cozy and fall-ready. Though not all of the above entries are explicitly set during fall, they feature fantastical or real-life elements that are associated with the autumn months, such as witches or school. Other titles include traditionally cozy settings or figures, like coffee shops or cats, that feel fitting for the season.

We limited our selections to titles with an average rating of 3.75 stars or higher on Goodreads, using both personal insight and commentary from bookish content creators to cement our choices. While including a mixture of well-loved cozy titles and lesser-known releases on this list, we also aimed to feature a variety of subgenres diverse in topics, perspectives, and authors.