This edition of All Booked was originally emailed to subscribers on September 27, 2022. To receive our literary newsletter in your inbox, sign up at independent.com/newsletters.


Hello, book lovelies!

I hope you enjoyed my last newsletter on strange books. For those of you who don’t like strange books, I see you too. My love for strange books is definitely a more recent addition to my reading taste. And because I know strange books aren’t for everyone, I want to take this space to recommend some books that give readers the opposite feeling. These picks are the coziest and comfiest reads that I have read. They are also all books about books. So grab a blanket and a cup of tea, and tuck in with one of these cozy reads. They’re the perfect additions for the cooler days and nights that I have to believe are ahead of us. 

I am a big believer in going into a book knowing as little as possible. I try not to read too much of the synopses or reviews, since most of them over-share. My pitches below are short and sweet just for that reason.


Credit: Courtesy

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin is quite possibly the sweetest book I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. It’s the epitome of a feel-good cozy read. We follow A.J. Fikry, who owns a bookshop on a very remote island in New England. Life is not going his way until one day, someone comes into his life and everything changes. This book is a love letter to reading. I teared up multiple times while reading this story. And coming in at 260 pages, it’s the perfect companion to an autumnal afternoon.


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If you’re looking for something with a bit more romance, then The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan is for you. This book gives off major Hallmark movie vibes — a twentysomething woman moves out of the big city to the Scottish countryside and opens a mobile bookshop. She’s on a mission to bring the love of reading and books to her new community. I read this book a couple of years ago, and I still think about it often. If you love romance with a grumpy love interest, then this is the book for you. 


Credit: Courtesy

Of course this wouldn’t be an All Booked newsletter without a sprinkle of literary murder. Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz is the perfect combination of books, murder mystery, and the English countryside. There is a novel inside this novel that is so well done that for a bit you forget that it’s not the main story. This read is reminiscent of classic crime mysteries — think Agatha Christie. I highly recommend this one; it’s one of my favorite books I’ve read. 


I still very much love reading cozy books and books about books — especially around this time of year. If you have any recommendations for me, please email me at emily@independent.com and let me know! I’m always looking for more books and would love to hear from you.

Your smitten bookworm, Emily


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