I recently saw a very elaborate and stylized TikTok (that I forgot to save) where a woman went around from room to room in a home that had been pumpkined out. I don’t mean she raided her local Home Goods for a few candles and ceramic pumpkins. I mean this lady (my hero, truly) put pumpkins and pumpkin-shaped things on every surface of that home she could find. At the end, she took out a gorgeous cake from the fridge and set it on an immaculate marble countertop. In orange piped lettering on top of perfect white frosting were the words, “Welcome to the ‘Ber Months.” And just like that, a phrase became my entire personality.
The ‘ber months (months that end in -ber) are when many of us reach for cozy reading, books with low stakes, chill vibes, and charming plots best enjoyed wrapped in a soft blanket with a warm cup of something nearby. It may not officially be fall yet, but if it’s cozy time in your soul like it is in mine, here are six cozy books by BIPOC authors to curl up with now. Each of these reads will satisfy Task #18 of the 2025 Read Harder Challenge: Read a “cozy” book by a BIPOC author. You’ll find some cozy mysteries, some romances, and some combinations of both. Welcome to the ‘ber months, now let’s get cozy!
 Deja Brew by Celestine MartinLet me just say that this is aumtumned down. It is so thoroughly fall, and just a great book to set the mood of this list off with. In it, ex-celebrity chef Sirena Carawy is having a Bad October. Her cooking powers aren’t powering like they should, she didn’t land a job she really needed, and she even has some Halloween party regrets. As a result, she makes a wish at midnight that has her waking up to a repeat of the month that had just passed. (So, this is like a pumpkin spice-flavored Groundhog Day, basically). Her running into reality star Gus starts to set her back right. He’s in Freya Grove to repair his reputation and his heart after a breakup, and his magic might be just what she needs to fix her own. And fix something else, if you know what I mean. —Erica Ezeifedi |
 Witch of Wild Things by Raquel Vasquez GillilandSage Flores left her hometown years ago after her younger sister died, but returns reluctantly after losing her job when she needs a soft place to land. She slides back into her old gig at the Cranberry Rose Company, where her ability to speak to plants comes in very handy when she’s tasked with tracking down some special plant specimens. There’s just one problem with this mission: Sage is paired with Tennesse Reyes, the boy who broke her heart in high school. Now, on top of her dead sister’s ghost bringing her coffee unbidden and her other sister’s volatile magic creating all kinds of weather-related chaos, Sage has to find a way to resist the man she has spent a lot of time hating. If you love plant magic, magical realism, and second-chance love stories, get into this book and series. |
Bengali (Bangladesh) · 
English (United States) ·