Best reads for cosy season
Penned on the 17th February 2026
Bookseller Jaimie Poyner, owner of independent bookshop Clemo Books in Newquay, Cornwall, has gathered a selection of books that are wonderful to read during the cosy months.
From bestselling non-fiction to help you weather the chilly days and life-affirming novels that you’ll want to read again and again to a hilarious whodunnit and a pocketbook to plan ahead for the seasons to come.
Jaimie advises that all the following reading recommendations will be best enjoyed with a hot drink, tucked up under a blanket, and perhaps with a roaring fire nearby too.
Fia and The Last Snow Deer by Eilish Fisher
An award-winning book that grown-ups and youngsters aged nine+ will enjoy. This poetically told tale sees Fia and her snow deer face an eternal winter – unless they can decipher the ancient prophecy that brings with it spring’s light.
Muckle Flugga by Michael Pedersen
One of our favourite book club reads. Muckle Flugga, the northernmost point in the British Isles, is the setting for this daring debut novel from poet Pedersen. A lighthouse keeper and his son are the only inhabitants of the island until a stranger’s arrival changes everything.
Wintering by Katherine May
A companion piece for winter and the stormy seasons that life often brings our way. The bestselling meditation on how to retreat and take care of ourselves. The author’s personal stories are woven with literature, mythology and the natural world in a beautiful book.
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
Recently adapted into a film starring Cillian Murphy as the book’s protagonist Bill Furlong, Small Things Like These is an unforgettable novella. Set in 1980s Ireland during the weeks leading up to Christmas, the book explores themes of morality, religion and quiet heroism.
Murder at World’s End by Ross Montgomery
Cornwall, 1910. In the shadow of Halle’s Comet passing overhead a murder takes place and it’s up to an unlikely sleuthing duo to uncover whodunnit. Readers will laugh out loud at the dialogue in this book, but will they solve the mystery before all is revealed?
The Almanac 2026 by Lia Leendertz
Look forward to the year ahead with this seasonal guide to living. Month by month you’ll discover folklore, wildlife to look out for, recipes and moon phases. Perfect to store in your pocket, this little book is a treasure you’ll hold dear throughout the year.
Advent by Gunnar Gunnarson
The Icelandic Christmas classic has been translated into English for the first time in 90 years. Each December shepherd Benedikt walks out into the snowy mountains to retrieve sheep lost in the blizzards. A peaceful book about the anticipation in the days leading up to Christmas.
Fia and The Last Snow Deer by Eilish Fisher
An award-winning book that grown-ups and youngsters aged nine+ will enjoy. This poetically told tale sees Fia and her snow deer face an eternal winter – unless they can decipher the ancient prophecy that brings with it spring’s light.
Fifteen Wild Decembers by Karen Powell
A charming and creative reimagining of Emily Brontë’s life. One of England’s greatest writers, the book explores creativity, sisterhood and survival. An inspiring read and perfect for a wintry evening indoors.
The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller
Two couples find their lives begin to unravel in the ‘big freeze’ of 1963. A page-turning book which delves into ordinary life and the human heart. Nominated for the 2025 Booker Prize, The Land in Winter has been described as ‘a classic in the making’.
Village Christmas: And Other Notes on the English Year
A moving portrait of a vanished world, this book brings together the sights, sounds, landscapes and traditions of the author’s home in the Cotswolds. Seasonal memories from centuries-old May Day rituals to his own patch of garden, from carol singing in crunching snow to pub conversations and songs – it’s brimming with emotion.
@clemobooks
Clemo Books, 33b Bank Street, Newquay, Cornwall, TR7 1DJ