Five Cosy Activities For Audiobook Listening

The feeling of someone reading a bedtime story aloud as you nestle deep into a fuzzy blanket…That might just be the best feeling. If you, too, yearn for that nostalgic feeling of comfort and happiness, that undeniable joy of time slowing to allow you to soak in a story, then you’re in the right place.

Gathered below are five cosy activities for audiobook listening (as well as audiobook recommendations for each activity) that will help immerse you in your listen:

1. Colouring

With guiding lines and countless colour combinations, colouring is a wonderfully soothing audiobook activity. Each design’s framework means you won’t need to worry about what to draw next, letting you focus on your read and the colours coming to life before you. For the ultimate cosy colouring experience, I love Coco Wyo Colouring Books’ cute and uplifting designs!

Audiobook recommendations for colouring:

Until the Clock Strikes Midnight by Alechia Dow (YA cosy fantasy)
A Curious Kind of Magic by Mara Rutherford (YA cosy fantasy)
Embrace the Serpent by Sunya Mara (YA cosy fantasy)
The Tear Collector by R.M. Romero (middle-grade fantasy)
What Wakes the Bells by Elle Tesch (YA fantasy)
Revelle by Lyssa Mia Smith (YA historical fantasy)

2. Puzzling

I can only think of one thing more satisfying than completing a puzzle: completing a puzzle and an audiobook (or multiple audiobooks, depending on the puzzle size). Puzzling is a calming complement to audiobook listening: your mind quiets to solve the puzzle, helping you focus on your audiobook. For an especially immersive puzzling session, choose a puzzle that matches the atmosphere of the book(s) you’re listening to. My go-to for creative, beautiful puzzles are from Piecework Puzzles.

Audiobook recommendations for puzzling:

The Once and Future Queen by Paula Lafferty (retelling of Guinevere’s story from Arthurian legend)
Cinder House by Freya Marske (novella retelling of Cinderella)
The House Saphir by Marissa Meyer (YA retelling of the legend of Blue Beard)
The Leaving Room by Amber McBride (YA novel-in-verse)
A Rather Peculiar Poisoning by Chrystal Schleyer (historical mystery)
A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher (retelling of “The Goose Girl”)

3. Baking

Baking is undeniably cosy: you finish with warm, comforting treats and a kitchen that smells just as tasty. When choosing your recipe, look for something with simple or familiar steps. Banana bread, chocolate chip cookies, and pumpkin muffins are personal favourites that don’t require too much concentration but yield the most delicious results.

Audiobook recommendations for baking:

The Hearth Witch’s Guide to Magic and Murder by Kiri Callaghan (cosy fantasy)
Legendary Frybread Drive-In: Intertribal Stories edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith (YA anthology)
A Harvest of Hearts by Andrea Eames (cosy fantasy)
The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields (cosy fantasy)
The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst (cosy fantasy)
Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe by C.B. Lee (YA cosy fantasy)

4. Nature Walk

If you dream of being a woodland fairy or embarking on a magical quest, a nature walk is the perfect choice. Pop in your earbuds, pull on your shoes, channel your inner Winnie-the-Pooh, and stroll through the world around you. Whether you’re in a big city or the countryside, watch how plants or flowers move as a breeze blows by. A nature walk is one of my favourite ways to ground myself, soaking in the nature around me while listening to my current read.

Audiobook recommendations for a nature walk:

When Trees Testify: Science, Wisdom, History, and America’s Black Botanical Legacy by Beronda Montgomery (non-fiction)
Emily Wilde’s Encylopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett (cosy fantasy)
Kill the Beast by Serra Swift (cosy fantasy)
Forest Euphoria: The Abounding Queerness of Nature by Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian (non-fiction)
The Beautiful Maddening by Shea Ernshaw (YA contemporary fantasy)
The Wild Huntress by Emily Lloyd-Jones (YA fantasy)

5. Gaming

Gaming can offer one of the cosiest audiobook experiences. Cuddling up with a warm cup of tea as sweeping imagery plays before you and a story unfurls in your head? Yes, please. A low-stakes game that is less dialogue-driven with repetitive tasks or puzzles is usually the best choice, allowing you to focus on your audiobook while progressing in your game. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a personal favourite, as I can fish, redecorate, and even go for a swim with few to no interactions with other characters. Teacup is another delightfully cosy game filled with puzzles, tea, and the cutest creatures. Stardew Valley, Unpacking, and A Short Hike also come highly recommended!