[00:00:00] ANNE BOGEL: Hey readers, I’m Anne Bogel and this is What Should I Read Next?. Welcome to the show that’s dedicated to answering the question that plagues every reader, what should I read next? We don’t get bossy on this show. What we will do here is give you the information you need to choose your next read. And I love the way we are doing that today.

Today’s guest, Dana Reams, sent us in a submission at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/guest with a description of the cozy reader’s gathering she is hoping to hold, actually, I now know intends to hold later this month, and our team instantly wanted to RSVP “yes”.

Since we can’t all gather at Dana’s house this season, we thought we’d do the next best thing and invite Dana to share all about her delightful concept for this gathering, while discussing books with cozy vibes that her guest may enjoy grabbing to peruse in one of the candle-and-blanket-filled reading nooks with a hot cup of tea or cocoa or something else cozy that Dana intends to set up around her home for this event.

[00:01:18] I can’t wait to hear more about how Dana creates richly textured, immersive reading experiences, both for herself in her own reading life and in times like these when she seeks to offer other friends and readers a sense of community and belonging in a season that could use a little boost of coziness.

Let’s get to it.

Dana, welcome to the show.

DANA REAMS: Thank you. I’m glad to be here.

ANNE: Oh, well, I’m so excited to talk. Dana, would you tell us a little bit about yourself? We want to give our readers a glimpse of who you are.

DANA: I’m from Southern Indiana. I’m currently a stay-at-home mom. I have a daughter who’ll be two in just about a week or so. And then we have another one on the way, another girl expected in March.

So a few things besides reading that I enjoy. I like to do some baking, just going on walks or bike rides, connecting with family. And I also enjoy trying to kind of learn some languages a little bit. I hope to do some traveling in the future if possible.

[00:02:27] ANNE: That’s fun. What languages?

DANA: Primarily Spanish. There’s a woman who moved here recently who speaks Swahili or Kiswahili, and I always actually kind of wanted to learn that. So I think that would be fun. Maybe some Japanese. We’ll see.

ANNE: A sampling.

DANA: Mm-hmm.

ANNE: Dana, tell us about your reading life.

DANA: So I have always loved to read for as long as I can remember. I am a third-generation fan of Anna Green Gables. My mom and my grandmom love those books too.

I like all kinds of books from historical fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, poetry, literary fiction, and just really enjoy a book that kind of just immerses me in the world, and maybe I learn something in a really kind of seamless way.

So one thing that I’ve really enjoyed in my reading life the last few years is actually being a part of the Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club, which I joined back in 2019 after I saw you interviewing Celeste Ng at a local library event, so we’re in the same area.

[00:03:40] ANNE: I remember that. That was such a great night.

DANA: It was a good one.

ANNE: I wish we could have met then. I’m glad that Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club is working for you.

DANA: Yeah. I also recently, this past year, started up my own little in-person book club, and it’s with some other moms in the area who like to read. We’ll kind of meet up about every other month, sometimes just the moms, sometimes the moms and the now toddlers. That’s more of a playdate and a book club. So that’s been really fun getting to connect just in person with other readers.

I think because maybe I’m a pretty imaginative person, and so when I’m reading books it really gets my imagination going, and I think I sometimes have a desire to even bring it to life even more.

So maybe there’s a certain food mentioned in the book, so it could be fun to pair that. Or even one of the books I think I’m going to talk about later, when I read it, I could just kind of see it as this watercolor image, so I thought it’d be fun, you know, making something like that. Or I’ve seen those book nooks online, I think, that’s really cute, like where you could create a book nook. You know, just something that-

[00:04:58] ANNE: Wait, hang on. I don’t know what a book nook is.

DANA: Okay, well there’s one woman that I’ve specifically seen on Instagram, I think it’s June’s Book Nooks. And so she’ll make… they’re almost like shoebox size, like they would fit in between your books on your bookshelves. So maybe it’s like a little scene from like Harry Potter, or just a cozy reading corner. And so I just really like the whimsy of that.

ANNE: That’s so cool. I didn’t know that that was a thing that people were doing and sharing online. What caught our eye in your submission that you sent in, in response to our team’s request for fall-themed and seasonal ideas, was a plan for a cozy reader gathering. That sounded like such a delight. Would you tell us all about it?

DANA: So my idea for the cozy reader gathering is that I would just invite some other readers over into my home, and hopefully just create a really just welcoming, relaxing atmosphere where people can take some time to focus on their reading interests for a day.

[00:06:07] So for the fall, I’d hope to maybe have some yummy snacks available for everyone, like pumpkin scones, maybe a charcuterie board or some soup, of course, some hot beverages, like tea or cider or hot cocoa, and I’d hope to maybe have some bookish decor.

I actually, from another little party, I had made these little table runners made out of some old book pages, so I could bring those back out.

ANNE: Table runners out of old book pages?

DANA: Yeah. I think it was like a Babysitter’s Club Book that I made them out of.

ANNE: Oh my gosh.

DANA: It was kind of sad taking it apart, but then put it back together.

[00:06:49] ANNE: I don’t know. I mean, I know that Anna Martin is not the only one who wrote all those books, but I can’t imagine that she would be sad to have her works used in that way. Although I can see myself sitting at the table trying to read every bit of the story, like, which one is this? Do I remember?

DANA: Yeah, it got a little disjointed. They don’t all go in order, but it makes it extra tricky.

ANNE: I love the picture you painted, how you’d welcome people into your home and you’d invite your reader guests to read in any of the cozy nooks that you’d set up throughout your home or to do bookish crafts, like Harry Potter coloring books or DIY your own sprayed book edges, which are all the rage right now. Say more about that. It never would have occurred to me to do my own. I am aware that there are tutorials online, and yet I’m intimidated, you’re not. Say more about this.

[00:07:43] DANA: Oh, well, I’ve never done it myself, but I do think it sounds really fun and something we could try together and see how it goes as a group. Some people I think I’ve seen where they almost paint it really finely. Some people could just give that a try if they wanted.

ANNE: I just realized though, is this a bring your own book situation? Do you have a bunch of old ones? Do I need to send you a box?

DANA: I guess if you wanted to DIY it, you’d have to probably bring your own. I don’t know if I’d let people experiment from our bookshelves for that or not.

ANNE: That’s fair. Books are very personal. I wouldn’t write in your book, so I’m not going to spray your book edges either.

DANA: Yeah. Or maybe if people just wanted to make their own bookmarks or book journaling or something like that, just have some supplies set out so they could just do whatever strikes their fancy.

ANNE: I’m picturing you said you’d have the fireplace going and lots of candles lit, plenty of blankets around, a plethora of bookish activities, places to read, an invitation to peruse bookshelves for a new book to borrow. That sounded lovely.

[00:08:52] Would this be with your existing book club or a broader gathering of readers?

DANA: I went ahead and reached out to the other women in the Mama Book Club. We did pick a date for later in November to all get together. So it’s going to happen, which is really exciting.

ANNE: Okay, it’s going to happen. And today we’re going to see about providing some books for this gathering. I would love to hear how you’re envisioning people interacting with your space and maybe with each other, if you feel like that applies too.

DANA: Yes, I think it would be kind of spontaneous. I’m imagining probably people would come inside, hopefully make them feel welcomed, could grab some snacks if they wanted. I imagine we’d probably maybe do some kind of craft first.

One girl in the group had mentioned she loved crafting and might have some ideas for making bookmarks. And then I was just thinking I could invite people to bring their own book and find a cozy spot to go read and just have some time to themselves. Or if they want to stay at the table and chat some more with other readers, they could do that.

[00:10:02] ANNE: That sounds lovely. Dana, you mentioned that you were passionate about finding ways to create community and bringing different people together. And also that you found yourself longing for a welcome into someone’s home for a comforting reading location where you get to get out of the house, but you’re not in public either. And that you thought it’d be so lovely to provide that for others. As a reader who really tracks what you’re saying there, I just think this sounds lovely.

So, of course, you need some potentially cozy reads to go with this cozy environment you’re setting up. When you think of a cozy read, what does that mean to you? Where does your mind go?

DANA: One of the places my mind goes is if a book has some yummy, really appetizing sounding foods in it, or they’re making some hot tea or coffee, that is going to add to the coziness factor for me. And maybe it’ll make me want to make something to go along with the reading.

[00:11:03] I think definitely some lovable characters that you enjoy spending time with is going to make it cozier. I think just the writing itself, if you have great sentences and descriptions, that’ll help you just feel really present in the reading experience.

I think for the fall especially, I really enjoy an academic setting, you know, maybe some back-to-school vibes, gives you that nostalgia from when you were in school. So I enjoy that.

Also, I think, you know, maybe seasonal or nature or weather imagery, especially if it went along with the fall or maybe the winter season coming up. I would hope that a cozy read would have minimal trigger warnings or like tragic moments, you know. No gratuitous violence, please.

[00:12:01] I think maybe kind of like how I mentioned before, I really enjoy just… if there’s a whimsical or playful element, a sense of humor, that’s really just going to add to the bringing it alive in your imagination.

One other thing I was thinking, I really enjoy writing where it maybe takes like everyday moments and just really brings those to life, you know, shows you some of the wonder there, helps you slow down and focus on something that maybe you miss and just the rush of everyday life.

ANNE: Okay, that sounds lovely. I’m imagining that not just in the fall, but year-round, it sounds like you’re really drawn to lush descriptions where you can really picture things happening and where you feel like many of your senses are engaged because of the words on the page. Does that sound like you?

[00:12:56] DANA: Yeah, I think so. I do have a bit of a, I guess you could call it a problem where, you know, I was trying to do more book journaling this year but I was capturing so many quotes that I just loved or maybe it gave me an idea for something. But then, you know, I had to return these books to the library and so just capturing all those quotes because there’s just so many images or descriptions I enjoyed and just wanted to gather them up.

ANNE: Okay, I’m going to ignore the problem part, although I do find that very relatable and just notice that you really enjoy a richly textured experience. And so when you capture those details you feel like you’re adding those layers of texture.

DANA: Yeah.

ANNE: Okay. Well, Dana, today we thought it would be fun to try something a little bit different. You mentioned that you may want to put out cozy reads for your guests to choose from. And I love the idea of a thoughtfully curated assortment of books that a reader that I know is putting in front of me and say, “Anne, I chose these with you and your fellow readers in mind. Check them out.” That sounds like such a gift and such hospitality.

[00:14:12] But you brought a few cozy reads that you might recommend and share at this gathering and I did the same thing. I’m so excited to hear what you have in mind for your readers.

DANA: Yeah, I’m excited to hear what you’ll have to share as well.

ANNE: What are you thinking about laying out in late November?

DANA: The first one I have is called the Witch Hat Atelier by Kamome Shirahama. This one is actually a middle-grade manga, which I thought that that could be really fun for this reading party, because it’s something you could potentially read within just a couple hours or get through most of it. So if you want to take some more of the series home with you.

The main character in the story, her name’s Coco, and she has always wanted to learn to use magic. But she didn’t think that was going to be possible for her.

[00:15:09] But eventually, she goes to study at this witch atelier, which means kind of like a workshop or studio, with a few other girls, and they’re just learning how to put their magic into action. And so I thought that gave it some of those kind of back-to-school vibes a little bit, which was fun.

She has a really genuine and just enthusiastic personality. So it’s a joy to just follow her on her adventures. I thought the magic system and this one was really enchanting.

It’s primarily based on the art form of drawing. So instead of wands, they have pens, and they have kind of almost like these little pocket-sized sketchbooks that they might use to draw their little symbols on that then creates the magic. There’s even at one point where they all go on this field trip to this magical stationery shop, which I thought sounded wonderful.

[00:16:14] And then just like the artwork in the manga itself is really well done and just kind of makes it feel like somewhere you might want to go visit.

ANNE: That sounds like something great that you could slip into a little cozy reading nook in your home and enjoy for a bit. Is this the kind of thing that you could read in one sitting?

DANA: I think so. Yeah, maybe a couple hours.

ANNE: Okay, so maybe not during the whole of your cozy readers gathering.

DANA: Yeah.

ANNE: But you could get a good taste.

DANA: Mm-hmm.

ANNE: Well, that sounds lovely. I was so intrigued by some nonfiction that you put on your list.

DANA: I included also Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. I really enjoy reading books about writing and just writers talking about their craft. I really especially enjoy this one.

Anne Lamott also emphasizes how writing and working on your writing can also make you a better reader. She talks about how a lot of writers started out as big-time readers. So I enjoyed that aspect of it that she talks about.

[00:17:25] She also discusses how writing can help you kind of pay attention to the world around you maybe in a different way and kind of help slow you down, which I think is just kind of a cozy sort of aspect.

She also just really has a very hospitable kind of voice to how she shares about it. You know, she’s very down to earth. She has a great sense of humor, a few times is making me laugh. And she shares kind of some ideas of maybe little assignments, ways you could approach your writing. It’s not overwhelming or anything like that. It makes you feel like you can just start wherever you’re at and jump into some writing.

ANNE: Is it the reflective, contemplative approach here that makes you feel like it’s a good cozy gathering fit?

DANA: I think so. Yeah. She also kind of just talks about life in general a little bit and reflects on some different memories. She draws a lot from memory to draw ideas for writing.

[00:18:37] Another book that I want to share is by Heather Fawcett, who I feel like in general is a pretty cozy author to read. So this one is called Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries. This one’s a fantasy.

The main character in this series is a really academic individual and she’s out on a research expedition in this remote wintry country. This is the one where I was talking about, I can just kind of see the watercolor imagery, great descriptions of the setting that just really stuck with me and just have that strong sense of place where I felt like I was there.

I guess the format of this one, it’s written like it’s Emily’s journal. And she has all these little footnotes scattered throughout where she’s maybe sharing bits of her field where they study the fairies and just little notes for the reader, which felt really playful as well as kind of academic.

[00:19:43] ANNE: That sounds lovely. Now, you did say that you were debating between two different books, but would you please tell me about the Anne of Green Gables fantasy retelling? Because I did not know about this.

DANA: She has a fantasy retelling of Anne of Green Gables. It’s called The Grace of Wild Things. This one is also more of a middle-grade book. It’s a little similar to the Witch Hat one in which the main character she really wants to do magic, but she’s grown up in this orphanage. So people are kind of a little nervous about any unusual things that she brings about.

But eventually, she goes to this witch’s home, has a little bit of Hansel and Gretel vibes, and she kind of strikes up a deal with her where she’s going to try and complete all these books of spells.

ANNE: How much did your history with Anne of Green Gables play into your reading experience with this one?

[00:20:42] DANA: It’s really fun to see she had some of those little details where you can see like, oh, this is alluding to Marilla or… like the raspberry cordial with Anne, like there’s something, you know, kind of similar but different. And just how she used more of a fantasy style to bring some of that to life. She definitely makes her kindred spirit friends along the way.

It’s set out in the woods where the witch’s home is. So there’s a lot of that nature imagery and just playing.

The magic system in this one was really cool too, where it was almost kind of poetic the way they would have to try and figure out how to meet the spells. Like getting a drop of moon and she would use some… like the moonlight on the river or something like that.

ANNE: That sounds lovely. Thank you for indulging me. What else do you think you might set out for your readers?

[00:21:41] DANA: I also had a poetry collection by Mary Oliver. It’s called Devotions. It draws from some of her different poetry books that she’s written over the years.

I think the poems in this one just feel really accessible and approachable. I feel like she really does a great job of taking these little moments out in nature and just really bringing some of the wonder alive.

It seems like she has a really slowed down way of living and she kind of helps you slow down through the poems and it helps you just focus on, you know, maybe just this little singular moment, like watching a snail climbing a trellis in the morning that you didn’t expect to see, almost like these little miracles.

And I think she has just really great imagery in her poems. You know, you can kind of see it in your mind’s eye. I thought for this one, it could be fun to maybe even read a few of the poems aloud with the other readers as kind of a communal activity.

[00:22:49] And if people wanted, because it’s so imagery heavy, if they wanted to maybe try and recreate something that they can kind of see to accompany a poem, you know, maybe paint a little image or something, I thought that could be fun as a bookish craft idea.

ANNE: That sounds so fun. I love those. I had fun imagining what I might set out in such a situation, not that it would have occurred to me to host one. So thank you for the idea where I got to let my imagination run wild.

It was interesting how my brain first went to cozy fantasy, which so often has those elements of the whimsical and the playful. And when you were just talking about how you love food and books that you can actually consume as part of your reading experience or to follow up your reading experience and hot drinks, I was thinking of Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree. You’ve probably read this.

[00:23:48] DANA: Yeah. I was thinking about this one as well.

ANNE: Okay, good. That makes me feel like I’m on the same wavelength. It’s about an orc who retires from the mercenary life and has time on their hands and decides to open up the very first coffee shop in the area.

And so we have these fantastical characters. I think Baldree describes this as high fantasy and low stakes. We have these fantastical characters who are ironing out their cinnamon roll recipes and wowing each other by introducing their pals to the concept of a latte for the first time.

I haven’t read Bookshops & Bonedust, the more recently released prequel yet. Have you, Dana?

DANA: I haven’t. We did get a copy of it, but I haven’t read it yet.

ANNE: Okay. But I always like to know there’s more to come when I really enjoyed a book.

Then for our patrons who were at Fall Book Preview, we talked about a couple cozy fantasies then. One of them was The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong. This is just out. It might actually be a publication at day of this episode, November 5th. But it’s a great cozy fantasy for your fall reading.

[00:25:00] It’s another low-stakes story with a happy ending. It’s got a glimmer of romance. It has cats, which I feel like is often a cozy cue. But it’s about this young woman named Tao who’s always been a loner. She travels the countryside telling people their fortunes.

But she’s learned that when you tell people big fortunes with life-changing implications, that can really bring heartbreak. And she doesn’t want to break anybody’s heart. So instead, she tells them little things like what you’re going to have for dinner next week or who you’re going to bump into.

Ooh, and in that way, it reminds me of Sarah Addison Allen a little bit. For those who want a specific North Carolina set kind of coziness, I think that word applies to her. But through her travels, she picks up a few companions that she wants to stick with. So this really becomes a story of found family. And they’re unlikely companions.

There’s a baker whose products are ugly but delicious, which is how my mom always described her grandmother’s cooking. So I always felt right at home. I felt cozy reading that little bit.

[00:26:04] A reformed thief and a naughty cat and decides, you know, maybe the solitary life isn’t what it’s all about after all. So it’s got eclectic characters, a really earnest tone, and just cozy vibes throughout.

Then I was not planning on sharing this one. But when you mentioned that you really love stories in which the author can bring everyday moments to life and inspire a sense of wonder and help you focus on something that you may miss in the daily hustle and bustle, I thought immediately of Harry’s Trees by Jon Cohen.

We had him on the podcast a long, long time ago. We are in our mid-400s episode-wise, and I think he was in the mid-100s. So 300 divided by 50 weeks. This was many, many years.

But this is a grown-up kind of fairy tale that does have sad things in it. Characters are brought together because they are grieving terrible things.

[00:27:07] When you’re seeking cozy reads, you’re looking for books that don’t have a lot of content warnings. And the backdrop here is great grief. So I would want readers to know that. But you also get in this story redemption and forgiveness and joy. It’s all set amidst the beautiful Pennsylvania forest in the fall and wintertime.

And something I remember Jon Cohen saying about this book is that there’s not really true magic in this story because there’s nothing here that couldn’t actually happen. And yet it feels magical and whimsical and definitely not the stuff of everyday life.

It has the things that just feel so heartwarming. Like there’s unlikely friendships, there’s intergenerational friendships, which always make me feel just all warm and fuzzy on the inside, a book within a book. There’s like a fairy tale that features prominently in the story. There’s a battle to save the local library.

[00:28:07] And there’s this mysterious Good Samaritan in the story who’s traveling the region. He becomes known as the Susquehanna Santa because he’s leaving piles of gold outside some Pennsylvania’s home. And so there’s this air of magic. I don’t need to find a better word than magic. This can be sentimental, but there’s a strong sense of humor throughout, which I think keeps it from becoming twee.

Then when you said humor, I thought of this book that I would not call cozy, but I would call cozy adjacent. It’s by the mystery writer Maureen Johnson, and it’s called Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village.

I really like the idea of having something like this for your gathering because it’s a little gift book. It’s like just a little bit bigger than the size of my hand. It’s thin. It’s illustrated with really funny, almost but not truly gory illustrations. I mean, like… well, my kids are older now, but I wouldn’t be like, “Keep that away from the kids. Oh my gosh, they’ll be scared.” It’s not like that.

[00:29:15] The text is kind of large. It’s laid out for display, not for compactness of text. You could probably browse through this in 10 minutes, take it into your book nook, read your book, maybe not even finish your cup of tea in the time that it takes you to read this.

But it’s this really fun overview of the common tropes in the cozy mystery genre. It’s a stand-up. It’s just funny. It’s tongue-in-cheek. It kind of walks you into a charming English village and then points out how and why and what to look out for because if you’ve read cozy mystery, it’s like, Yes, it’s sweet. It’s charming. It feels so hospitable and wonderful. And also people get murdered all the time. So it’s really fun.

DANA: Those all sound really great.

ANNE: I’m glad to hear it. Dana, why don’t you tell us about one more?

DANA: Okay. It’s called Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum.

ANNE: I love that. It’s perfect here. I mean, you made the rules of your cozy gathering, and I can see how it totally fits.

[00:30:18] DANA: So this one takes place in South Korea. And as you can imagine, it primarily takes place in this neighborhood bookstore by this woman who’s always dreamed of starting one.

A lot of the characters in this book had previously been living in high-pressure, high-stress jobs. It seemed like work culture was pretty intense here and they’re all kind of seeking some rest. And a lot of them find that in the bookshop setting that she’s creating.

Also in the title, you know, it says “welcome”. So it has those welcoming vibes. There’s a barista who’s really working on his craft, so you got those warm coffee feelings. And there’s this woman who comes in to knit for hours, which she’s welcome to do.

Also, like you said, the intergenerational friendships. There’s this high school kid who’s just pretty apathetic about everything, and his mom wants him to go to the bookshop, and it starts to kind of affect him.

[00:31:24] So it’s just fun seeing some of the behind-the-scenes of running the bookshop, definitely see the power of books in this story.

There’s actually a quote in the author’s note that I thought was just really fitting that I’d like to share. She said when she was writing this book, she hoped to create a space that we can escape to, a refuge from the intensity of daily life where we can’t even pause to take a breather. A space to shelter us from the harsh criticisms whipping us to do more, to go faster. A space to snuggle comfortably for a day. A day without something siphoning our energy. A day to replenish what’s lost.” And I thought that just went perfectly with the atmosphere of the reading party and just some of these other books we’re talking about.

ANNE: That is an amazing quote. Well, I can’t add to that. We have to leave it with Hwang Bo-Reum’s words.

[00:32:26] Although I will say, you mentioned that this book had warm coffee feelings. I feel like I need a new subgenre shelf of books with warm coffee feelings because that is a vibe that I adore. Dana, do you have any parting thoughts on your cozy reader gathering?

DANA: I’m just excited that hopefully it’s going to be coming to fruition. I hope everyone has a great time. And I’d be curious to see if anyone else decides to host some reading parties if they pick up any of these books.

ANNE: Oh, please do tell us. Our comments are always open, whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com, or you can write us at [email protected]. We would love to hear. And Dana, you know, we’ll keep you in the loop.

Thank you so much for a wonderful conversation and wishing all the good things for your cozy reader gathering. Thanks for talking books and book plans with me today.

DANA: Yeah, thanks for having me.

[00:33:27] ANNE: Hey, readers, I hope you enjoyed my conversation with Dana, and I’d love to hear what you think she might want to offer her readers at her cozy readers gathering. Find Dana on Instagram @LiteraryGleanings and peruse the full list of titles we talked about today at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com.

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Thanks to the people who make this show happen. What Should I Read Next? is created each week by Will Bogel, Holly Wielkoszewski, and Studio D Podcast Production. Readers, that’s it for this episode. Thanks so much for listening. And as Rainer Maria Rilke said, “Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.” Happy reading, everyone.