Sometimes, it feels like every day is going to be a hard day when you struggle with mental health. Time goes by in the blink of an eye, or it creeps by second by second. Socializing, eating, sleeping, doing daily tasks, and even hobbies seem like a chore. Remember, you are not alone. If you are in crisis, reach out to the helplines, friends, and other resources so you don’t have to carry the burden alone. However, sometimes we don’t want acknowledgment of what we already know; we need a distraction. These five easy reads will take you into a cozy world, leaving behind the darkness.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Toshikazu Kawaguchi offers the perfect cozy coffee shop story, with a hint of magical realism. Kawaguchi is a Japanese international bestselling author and screenwriter. Before Coffee Gets Cold was published in 2020, and it sold five million copies. While the series has six other books, each follows four different characters, meaning they can be read as standalones instead. It is a whimsical and heartfelt story that will melt your heart and distract your mind.
A little coffee shop set up in Tokyo, a generational shop, brewing coffee for over a hundred years. It is tucked away in a back alley, but the rumors never stopped growing: that the owner can make more than just a fantastic coffee for you. He offers the chance to travel back in time, but only briefly. Four customers appear, each having their special reason for going back in time: to see a sister, to receive a letter, to get closure, to meet someone they never knew. However, there are rules to time traveling that may be harder than they look. Never leave the cafe, sit at the same table, and leave the past before the coffee gets cold.
The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary
Beth O’Leary published her first book, The Flatshare, in 2019, and it was a hit. The comedy romance author sold millions of copies of this book, earning herself a nomination for the Comedy Women in Print Prize. The Flatshare is a standalone soft romance full of little jokes that will make you smile at the words on the page.
Tiffy is hardworking, but her world was flipped upside down after a breakup. What better than moving and starting a new life in a new area? The only downside is that Tiffy is broke and needs a cheap place fast. When she starts to feel hopeless, she starts down a path of ads for a flatshare or roommate situation. She finds Leon, a man who works the night shift. A deal was struck: Leon gets the apartment during the day, when Tiffy is at work, and when Leon leaves, the place is Tiffy’s.
Due to their work schedules being so different, they never met. They start communicating about household chores and duties through notes… but the notes continue to go deeper. Despite all the differences, something new starts to blossom for Tiffy. Something terrible, yet terrific.
Books Can Be Deceiving by Jenn McKinlay
Books Can Be Deceiving is the perfect cozy mystery to distract yourself from what is going on in your head and immerse yourself in a low-stress world. Jenn McKinlay is a New York Times bestseller, an author of both cozy romances and cozy mysteries. Books Can Be Deceiving was published in 2011 and is the first book in the Library Lover’s Mystery series, which contains a whopping 16 books, and more are possibly coming. The good news is that the books can all be read as standalone. Books Can Be Deceiving is also the perfect book if you want to start reading the cozy mystery genre.
Lindsey thought she lived a simple life in Briar Creek. She finally started getting comfortable in her job as the director of the town’s library, but things changed drastically when an editor from New York visited this small town. Beth, Lindsey’s best friend, had finished her children’s book and wants to sell it to the editor. With Lindsey’s help, they are sure to get the book sold, until a famous author gets in the way of the sale.
The author happens to be Lindsey’s boyfriend. Out of support for her friend, they both plan to talk to Lindsey’s boyfriend, but when they find him, he is dead. Beth becomes the prime suspect, but Lindsey won’t let that happen. She must act fast as a secret detective to break this mystery before Beth gets locked up.
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
Travis Baldree is an American author, voice actor, and video game designer, hitting most of the marks in the bookish world. His novel Legends & Lattes was published in 2022 and is the first in the series. The author has a recommended reading style, putting the prequel, Bookshops and Bonedust, as the second book due to minor spoilers. Legends & Lattes is a cozy fantasy world full of new lives and romances. It is the perfect book if you need to escape the real world for a few hundred pages.
Viv has lived her fair share of blood and battle. Once a merciless orc stopped at nothing to end her targets and collect her reward, and finally decided that that was no longer the life for her. Instead, she settled in a city called Thune and created a coffee shop, but didn’t know how to make coffee. Not only that, but being in the old profession she had, she made a lot of enemies who are making this new life any easier for her. If she wants this coffee shop to work, she will need help, someone who could mean more to her than she thought.
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman
The last book on this list is another cozy romance, full of heartwarming messages and comedic dialogue. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill was written by Abbi Waxman and published in 2019. She is a USA Today bestselling author known for her unique fiction stories that always have a side of romance. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill is the first in the duology, but it is another series that can be read as a standalone. With that being said, there are recurring characters in the second book, Adult Assembly Required, but the focus is on a different FMC and a different plot. It is still the perfect story for a relatable character and a nice breath of fresh air.
Nina has never wanted anything different than what she has. She has a great job, is on a trivia team, and has her cat. Whenever things feel… empty, she picks up a new book instead. Going out of her comfort zone is not in her cards. But then her father dies, her father that she never knew, and suddenly she has this large family she never had. Worst part? They live close and want to meet her. Nina? Socializing? No way.
Even worse, her trivia rival has started showing an interest in her, but she can’t date her rival. Instead, she should find a new identity, move to an island to live alone, or lock herself in her apartment. None of those are viable options, so Nina has to put herself out there, meet her new family, and possibly explore a new relationship. Maybe a fresh story for her is just what she needs.
Mental health is never an easy struggle; it shouldn’t be expected to be easy or pushed under the rug. All the negative feelings and thoughts are real, but finding one thing at a time to distract and pull away can mean all the difference between a horrible day and an okay day. These cozy books will be perfect to take you away from that darkness, even a little bit.
Looking for books to reclaim your mental health? Check that out here!
Check out the team’s book recs on positive mental health books for youth here!
