15 Cozy, Comforting, Stress-Free Books for When You Need an Escape from Reality

Mar. 15, 2025

A selection of the least-stressful books we can find.

When the going gets tough, the tough hide under the covers with a good book. Isn’t that how the saying goes? We polled PEOPLE’s resident bookworms to find out what we’re all reading to get ourselves through election week, the holiday season or any of those times when you just need a break.Some of us de-stress with a good fantasy or romantasy read, where the world we’re dipping into bears little resemblance to the one we’re living in. Others prefer to revert back to childhood and page through a familiar children’s book — bonus decompression points if you can do it with a real-life child snuggled up with you. Still others go for cozy mysteries, escapist thrillers or laugh-out-loud nonfiction.Whatever your bookish coping mechanism, we hope there’s something on this list to salve your soul when you need it.

When the going gets tough, the tough hide under the covers with a good book. Isn’t that how the saying goes? We polled PEOPLE’s resident bookworms to find out what we’re all reading to get ourselves through election week, the holiday season or any of those times when you just need a break.

Some of us de-stress with a good fantasy or romantasy read, where the world we’re dipping into bears little resemblance to the one we’re living in. Others prefer to revert back to childhood and page through a familiar children’s book — bonus decompression points if you can do it with a real-life child snuggled up with you. Still others go for cozy mysteries, escapist thrillers or laugh-out-loud nonfiction.

Whatever your bookish coping mechanism, we hope there’s something on this list to salve your soul when you need it.

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If you’re on social media, you’ve probably seen memes featuring this cozy classic. If not, pour a cup of your favorite warm beverage and settle in: your shoulders will start unclenching within pages.

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From the award-winning cartoonist and producer ofBojack Horsemancomes this self-aware homage to Westerns, likeButch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid— but with Lisa Frank vibes. Perfect for whenever you need a good distraction, it’s short, silly and colorful.

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In this novel that’s “1984meetsThe Umbrella Academywith a pinch of Douglas Adams thrown in,” according to one reviewer, six magical children meet an orphanage master who’s determined to keep them safe — at any cost. It’s a beautiful, inspiring story of found family.

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Fans of Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple will find another kindred in the “delightfully cunning and enormously engaging” Precious Ramotswe, Botswana’s premier lady detective. She enters her profession to “help people with problems in their lives," which is about the most feel-good mission we can imagine.

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Many of us turn to comfort food when we’re having a tough day, and this classic is like a bowl of something cozy in book form. Whether you’re a Meg, a Beth, a Jo, an Amy or some combination of all the sisters, it’s time to give this classic a reread.

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The only better way than reading to enjoy these spit-take funny essays is listening to the audiobook. But word to the wise: Don’t do so in public, unless you want to generate some seriously strange looks as you laugh all the way through.

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A small-town cafe, a grumpy-but-gorgeous farmer — this book is what happens when you turn a pumpkin spice latte into a story. It’s perfect for fans of Hallmark movies and sweet storylines, and a fast enough read for one comforting night.

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This “delightfully nostalgic and soothing” book about a family’s annual vacation to the seaside on the coast of England might inspire you to start your own yearly travel tradition. At the very least, it’ll transport you into someone else’s for awhile.

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The Legacy of Orisha series.Legend of Orisha SeriesTomi Adeyemi

Legend of Orisha SeriesTomi Adeyemi

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A sensation in the author’s native Korea, this novel follows a burnt-out Seoul woman who moves to a quieter area and opens a bookshop to rediscover her sense of purpose. There, she cultivates a place for “lost souls to rest, heal, and remember it’s never too late to scrap the plot and start again.” If that’s not what we all need, we don’t know what is.

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Two people get stuck on a elevator together and decide to go to a wedding together — and that’s just the beginning of this swoony, sexy romance. For those who need their comfort with a side of spice, look no further than the masterful Guillory.

source: people.com