Your Low Cortisol Reading List

I designed colorful, printable bookmarks plus your own reading charts reminiscent for people who miss getting gold stars for being big summer readers.

Jul 23, 2025

∙ Paid

I asked Feeling! Magazine readers to share their favorite low-coritsol fictional reads. You did not disappoint! I want to make a delicious cup of tea and cozy up for hours with stacks of these books. Thank you all for your thoughtful contributions.

(And please add more in the comments to keep the list going if we missed your favorite!)

After your suggestions, I’ve included an additional list of ideas, printable summer bookmarks, and your very own printable reading log for the fridge (for anyone who misses getting gold stars).

Here is what made your list:

From
Jess
: For fiction, I love Japanese novels featuring cats. Hehe, a recent favorite is We’ll Prescribe You a Cat. Not fiction, but my go-to cozy read is A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle.
From
val
: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sandi Mandanna. Top tier cozy vibes
From
lara mia soleil
: If Cats Disappeared From the World by Genki Kawamura, A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
From
Léonie Robur
: I don't really read books anymore (kinda did an overdose of reading few years ago) but l've got some manga recommandations: Chi's Sweet Home by Konami Kanata (a manga about a lost kittens and his life this manga is for kids but it's so cute), U like UFO by Mercening (a french manga about friendship and grief), Otaku Otaku by Fujita (a guide to in love Otaku very sweet and funny), Avec Toi by Keiko, Nishi (didn't find the English title but it's about a stray cat and a Japanese family at the moment — I didn't read that one but it's looks cute)
From
Cora Lee
: I loved Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson. It's especially good as an audiobook — one of the most simply sweet books I've ever encountered.
From
kaj
: Claire Keegan has some short stories that I like to read in the evenings! I’ve read Foster, Small Things Like These, and I am currently reading So Late in The Day.
From
Brittany
: Cozy fiction for fall and winter — I got really into cozy mysteries by Amanda Flowers! For summer, I’ve been reading One Italian Summer, Every Summer After, and anything by Elin Hildebrand!
From
Anna ~ Fleck
: The Bookish Life of Nina Hill was good. I read it years ago and have forgotten it a bit — might be time to revisit!
From
İrem
: Travel Light by Naomi Mitchison & A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
From
CHLOEMORA
: A good heart-warming fiction book is What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama
From
Peace
: Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen!
From
Amy
: My cozy book recommendation is anything by James Herriot. I’ve read several of his books from the All Creatures Great and Small series, and just read his Treasury for Children with my four-year-old and we both greatly enjoyed it. And another whimsical, relaxing suggestion for parents is the Brambly Hedge series. Absolutely delightful illustrations!
From
Amber Wilson
: My favorite feel good fiction is the Mitford series by Jan Karon. I love it so much that I’ve read the entire series 3 times. Reading these books makes me feel like I’ve been on vacation to a place I want to move to.
From
Ellen Bourne
: The classic & popular Hogfather by Terry Pratchett, it’s my comfort book & always makes me laugh & gets me back into reading.
From Lindsay: Bedtime book recs: Miss Benson’s Beetle, Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting (both about older British ladies); Evvie Drake Starts Over, Nora Goes Off Script (both fun romances about women in their mid/late 30s).
From
Paty Shep
: If you like historical fiction, I highly recommend Jacqueline Winspear's super charming Maisie Dobbs series, set in England in the Great Wars. I love a good book series because you can binge it (like Netflix but way better) and really get to know and savor the characters and settings. Nothing better than a hot hot bath with a seasonal candle, bath salts, and drink, and a fabulous cozy book!
From
Kate Raye
: - The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, The Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder, When in Rome (like reading a Hallmark movie!), The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (for children, but so beautiful!)
From
christine marie
: If you haven’t already, I recommend reading A Psalm for the Wildbuilt. I’m not a sci-fi gal, but I love how cozy it is! I highly encourage having a cup of tea to accompany the read.
From
michelle
: I'm not really a cozy book reader, but some that I have found to be warm intellectual hug lately:
- A Psalm for the Wild-Built and A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers. A duology that serves as a lovely reminder to find beauty in the everyday and that existing is enough sometimes.
- Orbital by Samantha Harvey, an existential meditation balancing the grandness of the universe, humanity’s curiosity, and desire for progress with the vulnerability of the earth we inhabit and the fleeting, persistent lives we lead.
- The Anthropologists by Ayşegül Savaş, a slice-of-life novel about two people building a life together, the importance of routines, and ritualizing the mundane.
- Piranesi by Susanna Clarke, a whimsical, fantastical world met with childlike wonder, scientific mind, and journaling. A little darker than the others due to the mystery, but I think it's heartwarming in how it faces it.
From
Koofer
: I’ve read Days at the Morasaki Bookshop and it’s one of the sweetest books to read. Easy read and good reminder that you’re allowed to take it slow in life.
From
Lindsey
: I just finished The Kamogawa Food Detectives. A cute, cozy little story that I listened to as an audiobook for 15 mins before I fell asleep every night.
From
Hannah
: Anne of Green Gables, Housekeeping by Marilynn Robinson, The Thursday Murder Club series
From
Cindy Rodriguez
: Anne of Green Gables, The Lost Bookshop, The Mysterious Bakery on Rue De Paris, The Bookstore Sisters, Before the Coffee Gets Cold
From
Ellie DuHadway Goings
: I prefer children's literature, so I'll recommend two all-time favorite series: The Mysterious Benedict Society and The Penderwicks!
From
Emily Kestel
: Feel-good, low-stakes book recs:
- Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
- Little Pieces of Hope: Happy-Making Things in a Difficult World (During the depths of the pandemic, I would read a page of this book when I went to bed at night!)
- The Midnight Library
- Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret (A throwback! I find great comfort in reading books from my childhood. I'm very nostalgic, lol)
From
Erin Krumenacker
: Anything by Clare Pooley!
From
Alyssa Faykus
: I just finished the Dallergut Dream Department Store, and it was a very cozy, calming read. No drama, just a story about the dreams we see at night.