Quiz: Which Cozy Book Should You Read This Winter?

It seems like everyone’s talking about cozy fiction these days, and it’s no wonder: cozies are absolutely delightful (imho)! And what better book is there than a cozy for the long winter months?

If you’re not familiar with it, cozy fiction is a somewhat malleable term. According to Writer’s Digest, cozies will “generally feature a smaller cast of characters, be set in a smaller town, and have a more optimistic and upbeat tone. Above all, it has to have a satisfyingly happy ending. They offer comfort to their readers; a safe escape from the realities of our daily lives.”

Cozy Mystery List explains cozy mysteries, which have a particularly long tradition, as “’gentle’ books [with] no graphic violence, no profanity, and no explicit sex. Most often, the crime takes place ‘off stage’ and death is usually very quick…The victim is usually a character who had terrible vices or who treated others very badly.”

In other words, cozy fiction gives you that nice cozy feeling. For me, part of its appeal is its gentleness — what I think of as a kind of safety. What I mean by describing cozy fiction as “safe” fiction is that I feel like I can trust the author of a cozy book to deliver a positive, happy reading experience (even if some characters might die along the way — ahem — cozy mysteries).

So what are you waiting for? Take this quiz and get a recommendation for a recent cozy to keep you company this winter!