If you can't help but cozy up with a good book during the fall season, author Andrea J. Stein can relate. In a chat with BuzzFeed, Stein chats about her favorite cozy reads and the debut of her new women's fiction novel, Dear Eliza.
Garnering a 4-star Goodreads rating since its release on Oct. 2, Dear Eliza tells the story of a young woman whose world is upturned after receiving a letter from her late mother following her father's death. What ensues is a moving exploration of grief, love, family, and self-acceptance.
"I've always been interested in this concept of a character receiving a letter from someone after they've died," says Stein of the novel's inspiration. "As it turns out, I was about 60 pages into writing this book when I lost my own mother. This turn of events certainly had an impact on how I wrote Eliza's story, even if our journeys are completely different. We all cope with grief differently, but the experience itself is such a universally shared thing."
"I wanted this to be a character-driven story about growth and relationships — with a thread of romance," says Stein. "As I was writing, my favorite thing was discovering Eliza's strength alongside her. It was a good reminder that we all may be a little stronger than we think we are."
And, as an avid reader herself, Stein is no stranger to enjoying a good book on a crisp fall day.
1. "I've always felt there's something cozy about diving deep into a character's mind. Dear Eliza is a quieter story that does just this, and there's something homey about that, I think. Not to mention, it opens at the start of autumn when leaves are falling..."
With fall vibes aplenty in her own novel, Stein shares eight other cozy books that BuzzFeed readers can add to their fall reading list:
2. Meredith, Alone by Claire Alexander
3. Between Us by Mhairi McFarlane
4. Emma of 83rd Street by Audrey Bellezza & Emily Harding
5. The Invisible Husband of Frick Island by Colleen Oakley
6. All Adults Here by Emma Straub
7. The Sweet Spot by Amy Poeppel
8. Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes
9. Magical Meet Cute by Jean Meltzer
