In the cacophonous landscape of contemporary literature, where dystopian thrillers compete for shelf space with psychological horror, a quieter revolution has been brewing. The rise of "cozy fiction"—books designed to comfort rather than challenge, to soothe rather than shock—represents one of the most significant literary trends of the 2020s. From the viral success of Travis Baldree's Legends & Lattes to the global phenomenon of Japanese healing fiction, cozy books have emerged as the literary equivalent of a warm embrace in an increasingly uncertain world.
What Makes a Book "Cozy"?
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, according to Writer's Digest. While the term has its roots in the cozy mystery subgenre—a sub-genre of crime fiction in which sex and violence occur offstage, the detective is an amateur sleuth, and the crime and detection take place in a small socially-intimate community, as defined by Wikipedia—it has since expanded far beyond murder mysteries.
Today's cozy fiction encompasses fantasy tales about retired orc warriors opening coffee shops, Japanese novels about mysterious clinics that prescribe cats, and romance stories set in bookshops where love blooms between the stacks. While not exactly a genre itself, cozy reads do often share similar themes and characteristics across a wide range of styles: straightforward plots without too many twists and turns, and positive messages such as living life to the fullest and enjoying the moments we have together, notes the Morgantown Public Library.
The Perfect Storm: Why Now?
The surge in cozy fiction's popularity isn't accidental—it's a direct response to our collective need for comfort during turbulent times. The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally altered reading habits, with many seeking literary refuge from real-world anxieties. "The aesthetic of comfort that really reached its peak during the [COVID-19] pandemic continues to be appealing for readers and audiences today," Michelle Cho, an associate professor in East Asian Studies at the University of Toronto, told CBC News.
In the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by a massive 25%, according to a scientific brief released by the World Health Organization. This surge in mental health challenges created an unprecedented demand for content that could provide emotional relief. People tend to find comfort in certain books, and reading habits and genre preferences can change during periods of stress, researchers noted in The Conversation.
The trend has proven remarkably durable. "The post-pandemic interest in cozy things might be finally making it through trad pub! Cozy across genres — mystery, sci-fi, fantasy, even lit fic," noted Book Riot. Industry professionals predict this trend will continue well into 2025, as readers increasingly seek escapist fiction that promises respite from an overwhelming news cycle and global uncertainties.
A Global Phenomenon: From BookTok to Bookstores
Social media, particularly TikTok's BookTok community, has played a crucial role in amplifying cozy fiction's reach. BookTok helped adult fiction writers sell 20 million print books in 2021, according to Bookscan data. As of mid-2022, sales in the genre increased another 50 percent, reports The Week. The visual, emotional nature of TikTok content proves perfect for showcasing cozy books, with creators often filming themselves reading in aesthetically pleasing settings—think fairy lights, soft blankets, and steaming mugs of tea.
Publishers have taken notice. Major book sellers like Indigo and Barnes and Noble have added "Cozy Japanese Fiction" sections to their websites, stores and online reading challenges, according to CBC News. This institutional recognition signals that cozy fiction has moved beyond niche appeal to become a significant market force.
The International Dimension: Healing Fiction from East Asia
Perhaps nowhere is the cozy fiction trend more pronounced than in the popularity of translated works from Japan and Korea. In the six years since Toshikazu Kawaguchi's Before the Coffee Gets Cold was translated into English, Japanese and Korean cozy books have made a grand impression on the US book scene, notes Book Riot.
These works, often categorized as "healing fiction," bring a distinctly philosophical dimension to the cozy genre. "This introspective bent is something of a trend I've noticed in the Japanese and Korean cozy books I've encountered, and I'm not the only one. This is a trend many have been referring to as 'healing fiction,'" observes Book Riot. Unlike their Western counterparts that often focus on community building, Japanese and Korean cozy fiction tends to center multiple protagonists seeking personal healing and growth.
The Booker Prize website notes translations of Japanese and Korean books have climbed up global bestseller lists, and in the U.K., Japanese fiction is the most popular form of translated literature, reports CBC News.
Top Cozy Fiction to Consider
For readers new to the genre, several standout titles have defined the cozy fiction movement:
Fantasy & Sci-Fi Cozies:
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree - The book that launched a thousand imitators, featuring an orc who retires from adventuring to open a coffee shop
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune - A whimsical tale about a caseworker who discovers a magical orphanage
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers - A gentle exploration of purpose and contentment in a post-scarcity world
Japanese Healing Fiction:
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi - A time-traveling café where customers can visit their past
We'll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida - A mystical clinic in Kyoto that matches people with cats to heal their problems
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa - A young woman finds solace working in her uncle's used bookstore
Cozy Mysteries:
The Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny - Set in the fictional village of Three Pines, Quebec
The Agatha Raisin series by M.C. Beaton - Following a London PR executive who retires to the Cotswolds
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith - Featuring Botswana's first female detective
Contemporary Cozy Fiction:
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid - A reclusive Hollywood icon tells her life story
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig - A philosophical exploration of life's infinite possibilities
The Publishing Industry Response
Traditional publishers have embraced the cozy trend with enthusiasm. Kensington, Crooked Lane Books, and Sourcebooks have been at the forefront of bringing these series back and acquiring new ones, both from well-known authors and fresh new voices, according to Publishers Weekly. The genre's commercial appeal lies partly in its dedicated readership. "Cozy fans love their genre and embrace both the characters in the books and the authors of those books as dear friends," notes Publishers Weekly.
This reader loyalty translates into sustained sales, making cozy fiction an attractive investment for publishers navigating an increasingly volatile market. "Google Trends seems to agree with me on this. Searches for cozy mystery, cozy reading, and cozy fantasy grew 2-10x since 2022," observes The Cozy Owlet.
Looking Forward: The Future of Comfort Reading
As we move deeper into 2025, industry experts predict the cozy trend will continue evolving. "With expected turbulence in politics on the national and international level, even more readers are likely to dip their toes in the cozy waters of books like the 2022 hit Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree," predicts Book Riot.
The genre is also diversifying, with romance infusion into an otherwise less love-centered genre. "From science fiction to historical fiction, thrillers to cozy mysteries, a new genre class is likely to emerge in every main category from this draw to spicy books," notes She Writes.
A Necessary Literary Evolution
Critics might dismiss cozy fiction as literary comfort food—pleasant but insubstantial. Yet this misses the profound service these books provide. "For me the term cozy applied to a book implies it will not be upsetting. No graphic violence/sex, no child abuse, no 'rip your heart out' with the last chapter. Sometimes that type of book is the escape I seek," writes one reader on Reactor.
In an era of climate change, political upheaval, and social media-fueled anxiety, cozy fiction offers something increasingly precious: permission to rest. "In a cozy, there is a happily ever after and justice is served. That does not always happen in the real world. A cozy is a brief escape from the troubles of the real world," explains Publishers Weekly.
The rise of cozy fiction reflects not literary weakness but literary wisdom—an understanding that sometimes the most radical act is to offer hope, that in a world determined to exhaust us, choosing gentleness becomes its own form of resistance. As readers continue to seek solace between the pages, cozy fiction stands ready to provide what we all desperately need: a reminder that stories can heal, that communities can support us, and that happy endings, while perhaps rare in life, remain gloriously abundant in books.
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