Feel Good Stories: Cozy & Nostalgic Books to Keep You Warm This Winter

Happy December! I hope that you had a great Thanksgiving and spent time with your friends and family. To me, Thanksgiving always serves as the last true fall activity before we jump into the winter months. As the weather has been getting colder, I know that I am looking for ways to feel warmer. I’ve put up my soft lights in my room and almost always end the day with a mug of hot chocolate.  

In December I also always love to try and find some cozy books to read, and often re-read some of my favorites. There is something about nostalgic books that always help me warm up my mind as well, and I love to fall back into my favorite stories. 

If you are also trying to find ways to feel warm this winter, I have a great list of feel good and nostalgic stories for you today. All these novels were chosen by our lovely library service desk student workers and managers, and we hope that they are some of your favorites as well. Some will take you back to your childhood, and others may be your next big read! 

Childhood Favorites 

Charlotte’s Web

by E.B. White 

Our first book to take you back to your childhood reading nook is Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. If you don’t remember this story, it is the classic tale of a Wilbur, a piglet that was saved from an untimely death by a farm girl named Fern. Wilbur, who longs for a friend, soon meets Charlotte, a spider in his new farm home. As Charlotte and Wilbur hatch a plan to keep the pig from being butchered, their friendship grows and Wilbur and the read learn of friendship, loss, and love. This book is full of nostalgia, and is the perfect easy story to reread this winter. And if you have any young readers in your life, make sure to introduce them to the delightful characters of Wilbur and Charlotte. 

Squire

by Sara Alfageeh 

This next book is also featured on our Best First Gen Day Reads and is a perfect heartfelt story for you to read this winter. Squire by Sara Alfageeh is a fantasy graphic novel that revolves around Aiza, a girl who dreams of becoming a Knight in hopes to gain citizenship in a divided empire. However, it is not everything that she hoped it would be, and Aiza must navigate her new world, friendships, and rivalries as she works to find her place.  

The Lightning Thief

by Rick Riordan 

Like all preteens who were obsessed with mythology, Rick Riordan’s books were a staple found in my backpack. The Lightning Thief  is the first book in Riordan’s Percy Jackson & The Olympians series and was my gateway to my love of Greek mythology. The Lightning Thief introduces us to twelve-year-old Percy, a kid who always seems to find his way into trouble. When he discovers that he is actually a demigod, he also finds out he is the prime suspect for the theft of Zeus’ famous lightning bolt. Now, Percy and his friends Grover, the satyr, and Annabeth, the demigod daughter of Athena, must find and return Zeus’ stolen property to clear Percy’s name and bring pieces to Mount Olympus. Whether you were as in love with this series as I was, or have never picked it up before, I defiantly recommend adding this to your upcoming reading list!  

Young Adult Nostalgia  

Carry On

by Rainbow Rowell 

This next book is a great young adult novel by Rainbow Rowell. Carry On tells the story of Simon Snow, a magical “Chosen One” that is possibly the worst Chosen One ever picked. Or at least, that is what his roommate/nemesis Baz says. This LGBTQ+ fantasy novel follows Simon as he navigates his final year at Watford School of Magicks, all while facing the magical monster that is haunting his school. This book is one that has been on my list for a long time and is definitely something I will check out this season! 

On the Come Up

by Angie Thomas 

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas is about Bri, a sixteen-year-old who dreams of being one of the greatest rappers of all time. When her first song goes viral for all the wrong reasons, the media comes at her on all sides. Matched with a looming eviction notice, Bri feels as if her life is beginning to fall apart. Instead of letting anger and sadness drag her down, Bri uses these emotions to climb her way to the top of the charts. Bri’s story tells the importance of fighting for your dreams, even as the odds are stacked against you. 

Turtles All the Way Down

by John Green 

We couldn’t have a nostalgic book list and not include John Green. Turtles All the Way Down follows Aza Holmes as she works with her best friend Daisy to solve the mystery of the disappearance of Russell Pickett, a fugitive billionaire. As the mystery unfolds, Aza must also face her own spiraling thoughts. This novel is another one of Green’s amazing tear-jerkers, and at its core, a heartfelt look at friendship and healing. 

The Hunger Games

by Suzanne Collins 

Next up is the first book of one of my favorite book series of all time, and one I am sure you are familiar with. The Hunger Games is a perfectly crafted dystopian novel about the nation of Panem, with a shining Capitol surrounded by 12 outlying districts. To keep the districts in line, The Capitol forces them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 to participate in a televised fight to the death; the annual Hunger Games. Sixteen-year-old Katniss takes her sister’s place in the 74th Games and now must find a way to survive in the arena built to kill her. Survival is her second nature, but to win, she will have to start to make choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love. Suzanne Collin’s writing is impeccable, and readers will find themselves lost in the world of Panem as they follow Katniss’ journey. 

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

by Suzanne Collins 

After you finish reading the original Hunger Games trilogy, your next read has to be The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes! Told from a young President Coriolanus Snow’s point of view, we travel back in time to the 10th Hunger Games. As Coriolanus struggles to make ends meet and keep up with his wealthy classmates, he finds himself a mentor of Lucy Gray Baird, the female tribute from District 12. This prequel novel shows how monsters come to be, and allows us to see a glimpse into how the Hunger Games were shaped into the ones we see in Katniss’ story. Make sure to also check out Sunrise on the Reaping, Collin’s second prequel novel, and our review of the book. Released in March of this year, this book takes us to Katniss’ mentor Haymitch’s games, and further connects the strings of the Hunger Games history. Sunrise on the Reaping’s film adaptation will be releasing on November 20th, 2026, so you want to make sure you have it read before then! 

We Were Liars

by E. Lockhart 

Set on a private island steeped in old family traditions, We Were Liars by E. Lockhart is told from the perspective of Cadence Sinclair Eastman, who suffers a traumatic head injury and amnesia after a summer accident. As Cadence returns to her family’s island to uncover the truth behind her accident, she also unearths family secrets. This popular book received a TV adaptation this summer and should definitely go on your TBR list if you haven’t read it already. 

Adult Fiction 

Fourth Wing

by Rebecca Yarros 

Now, if you are on BookTok, I am sure you have heard of this next recommendation. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros is a fantasy novel about twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail, a young woman forced to leave her life as a scribe behind to train as a dragon rider. As Violet works to survive her new life at Basgiath War College, she must also face the threats from other students, including Xaden Riorson, the son of a notorious rebel. This dragon filled book series is ongoing, and the perfect fantasy novel to dive into this winter. 

Love, Theoretically

by Ali Hazelwood 

As a sucker for fluffy romance, Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood may be another book I pick up this month. To pay her bills, Elsie Hannaway does not just spend her time as an adjunct physics professor, but also as a fake girlfriend. Her sweet gig comes crashing down when Jack Smith, the annoyingly attractive and arrogant older brother of her favorite client, stands in the way of Elise and her dream job at MIT. If you are a lover of fake-dating and enemies-to-lovers, with just a hint of STEM on the side, make sure to pick this novel up! 

Conversations with Friends

by Sally Rooney 

Sally Rooney’s debut novel Conversation with Friends follows the lives of two young women, a coolheaded and darkly observant Frances, and her beautiful and endlessly self-possessed best friend/ex-girlfriend Bobbi. After the pair meets Melissa and Nick, a sophisticated couple, they find themselves in the middle of their strange and complex relationship. This novel captures the high emotions of early adulthood, and the quiet moments that shape us. 

Convenience Store Woman

by Sayaka Murata 

Convenience Store Woman is the English-language debut of one of Japan’s most talented contemporary writers, Sayaka Murata. This novel is about thirty-six-year-old Tokyo resident Keiko Furukara. Keiko has never felt like she has fit in – that is until she begins working at the Hiiromachi branch of “Smile Mart” at the age of eighteen. Keiko finds purpose and enjoyment out of the predictable rhythms of her job, even as her friends and family encourage her to embrace a “normal life” in finding a husband and long-term career. This novel is the perfect feel-good story that teaches one to live in their own version of happiness. 

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

by Douglas Adams 

Arthur Dent’s ordinary life is interrupted when Earth is suddenly demolished to make way for a galactic bypass in Douglas Adam’s The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Alex now must travel through a very hostile universe, meeting strange and unique aliens along the way. The novel is a silly and humorous look at the science-fiction genre, and is the perfect book for readers to escape reality for a while. 

Happy Place

by Emily Henry 

Our last cozy recommendation is Happy Place by Emily Henry. This novel follows Harriet and Wyn, the perfect long-term couple that is everyone’s ideal romance. Or, they would be, if they didn’t break up five months ago. When Harriet and Wyn don’t tell their best friends about their breakup, they are forced to pretend to still be together on their friend group’s yearly cabin getaway. As the pair explore their unresolved feelings for each other, they must also convince their company that they are still a happy couple. This book is a lovely look at second chances and long-lasting friendships. 

I hope you find yourself feeling warm at the thought of reading (or re-reading) one of these books. Make sure that you settle down with a nice cup of hot chocolate and a cozy blanket as you dive into one of these amazing recommendations by our library student workers. 

Madeline Davis (’28) is a sophomore at Susquehanna University.  She is a Marketing and Advertising & Public Relations dual major. In addition to her marketing work at the Blough-Weis Library,  Madeline serves as the Public Relations manager for Susquehanna’s Best Buddies chapter and as an editor for Ginkgo Magazine. Outside of school, she enjoys reading, writing, and antiquing with friends.