It’s fall, my favourite time of year. Time to pull out those sweaters and turtlenecks, turn on the fireplace, grab some blankets, and curl up with a steaming hot beverage. Not only is fall the perfect time to read great books, but it’s also the perfect time to binge watch your favourite comfort movies and TV shows. 

Comfort TV shows are the ones you keep returning to. Even though you’ve seen them already, and you know exactly what happens. That’s part of the fun of them. These are shows you can revisit again and again, because they make you feel cozy and comfortable, and because they bring you joy. I myself am an avid Consumer of Media ™, so I have plenty of favourite comfort TV shows (and movies). 

So, I thought I’d combine my love of reading with my love of watching the same thing over and over again, by recommending you some great books to read, based on YOUR favourite comfort TV shows.

If Your Favourite Comfort TV Show Is….

The Vampire Diaries, you should read…

Blood Moon by Britney S. Lewis

Britney S. Lewis’ Blood Moon is perfect for anyone who thinks Bonnie Bennett was the real hero in The Vampire Diaries. Eighteen-year-old Mira grew up in Timber Plains, Kansas, hearing all about the local legend, that many years ago, werewolves had travelled to their small Midwest town, in order to protect the local humans from the growing threat of vampires. Of course it’s just a story… one that Mira stopped believing in when she was young, just like she stopped believing that her mother (who left without a trace when she was thirteen) would be coming back. Now she’s grown up, and starting freshman year. College feels normal, exactly what she needs… even though her mysterious classmate Julian Santos seems to have something against her. When Mira receives an unaddressed letter from her mother, and is miraculously saved from a twenty foot drop by the one and only Julian Santos, she soon discovers that there’s more truth to the town’s old legends than she could have ever expected, and her family’s role in it is bigger than she could have ever known.

Grey’s Anatomy, you should read…

Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson

Medical trauma, drama, intrigue, and romance… Holly Jackson’s adult thriller debut Not Quite Dead Yet has it all (just like all of our favourite medical soap opera, Grey’s). It’s a compelling, thrilling mystery with a conceit like no other… Jet Mason is trying to solve her own murder. She’s the daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Woodstock, Vermont, and at twenty-seven years old, she’s still waiting for her life to begin…until Halloween night, when she’s violently attacked by an unseen intruder, suffering a catastrophic head injury. The doctor is sure that within a week, the injury will trigger a fatal aneurysm. Jet had never before thought of herself as having enemies, but now she looks at everyone in a new light. As her condition deteriorates, she only has her childhood friend Billy for help. She’s going to find out who killed her, if it’s the last thing she does. 

Gilmore Girls, you should read…

Falling Like Leaves by Misty Wilson

Misty Wilson’s Falling Like Leaves is a cute and autumnal romance for fans of Jenny Han and The Gilmore Girls. Enter the adorable, cozy small town of Bramble Falls, where Ellis has moved with her mother during her senior year. The town is charming, and full of distractions… including the local barista Cooper Barnett, Ellis’ one-time best friend (and first kiss), who has not only had a major glow up, but also wants nothing to do with Ellis. Then, there’s the Falling Leaves Festival, a month-long tourist attraction run by Ellis’ aunt, with nonstop events that Ellis keeps getting dragged to, and keeps bumping into Cooper at. However, the longer she stays in Bramble Falls, the harder it is for her to pretend that she’s not falling for this town, and the people in it, forcing Ellis to consider what it is she really wants for her future. This is the perfect read for people who love the town of Stars Hollow just as much as they love Lorelai, Rory, and Emily.

The Office, you should read…

Colin Gets Promoted and Dooms the World by Mark Waddell

Mark Waddell’s Colin Gets Promoted and Dooms the World is a fun and snarky story full of office politics, and high stakes. Colin is a low-level employee at Dark Enterprises — a Hell-like multinational corporation solving the world’s most difficult problems in deeply questionable ways. After years of toiling away in his cubicle, he is finally ready to climb the corporate ladder and claim a new level of power. The only problem? He’s pretty sure he’s about to be terminated… like actually terminated, which is tough because his BFF has just set him up with a great guy (maybe even too great?). When Colin meets a shadowy figure who promises him his deepest desire, he can’t resist the urge to trade one small, unspecified favour for the promotion he so desperately wants. But that small favour unleashes an ancient evil, and the world might be ending. Getting to the top is never easy, and now it’s up to Colin to try to save the world. Fans of office comedies will love this snarky and satirical story.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, you should read…

The Princess Knight by Cait Jacobs

Fans of Legally Blonde and Buffy the Vampire Slayer will adore Cait Jacobs’ The Princess Knight. According to everyone, Domhnall and Clía are an ideal match. They’re the prince and princess of neighbouring kingdoms, and their alliance will be ideal…until Domhnall ruins everything by refusing to propose. Clía is heartbroken, but determined, and makes the perfect plan: She’ll follow Domhnall to the elite military academy he’s attending, to show she too can protect her kingdom. Warrior Ronan had promised himself that he’d never lose his focus. He’d fought and sacrificed for his place in the academy, and he has no time for blonde princesses who waltz into arenas as if they’re attending balls. He doesn’t want to be intrigued by Clía, but he understands her, and her hunger to prove herself. So he tells himself there’s no harm in training her…even if she makes his heart race, and even though Domhnall is his best friend. Meanwhile, there’s a very real war looming on the horizon, one that will threaten their kingdoms, and test their hearts…

Friends, you should read…

The Baby Dragon Cafe by A.T. Qureshi

Aamna (A.T.) Qureshi’s The Baby Dragon Cafe is a cozy and delightful romance novel set in a cute little town, in a world full of magical creatures. When Saphira opens her cafe, it’s one of the only places in town that welcomes baby dragons, and she soon discovers why there was such a big gap in the market—it’s because her young dragon patrons keep incinerating her furniture, which means selling coffee isn’t covering all her costs. Meanwhile, local heart-throb Aiden is a gardener, and unfortunately his disobedient baby dragon is a major distraction… but Saphira’s cafe gives him an idea. He’ll ask her to train his dragon, and in return, he’ll pay her enough to help keep the cafe afloat. They know they’re the answer to each other’s problems, but happy-go-lucky Saphira and grumpy Aiden couldn’t be more different. With its great romance, charming Central Perk-like setting, and great characters, this book is sure to have you grinning from ear to ear.

The Good Place, you should read…

The Love Of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood

Kirsty Greenwood’s The Love of my Afterlife is a charming and fun rom-com with a delightful premise, one that fans of The Good Place will adore. A recently deceased woman meets “the one” in the afterlife waiting room, and gets a second chance at life (and love), if she can find him on earth before ten days are up. If she wasn’t already dead, Delphie would DIE of embarrassment. She’s so mortified by her humiliating death, and her embarrassing PJs, but here she is, talking to the hottest man she’s ever seen. He might even be “the one”, but then someone comes running into the room saying there’s been a huge mistake, sending the dreamy stranger back to earth. When Delphie is offered a deal, she jumps at the opportunity to find this mysterious man (her possible soulmate), and to get a fresh start. But, in order to find him in a city of millions, Delphie will have to learn to listen to her heart, ask for a bit of help, and maybe even see the magic in the life she’s leaving behind.

New Girl, you should read…

Tusk Love by Thea Guanzon

Thea Guanzon’s Tusk Love is a DELIGHTFUL fantasy romance set in a world designed by the world’s most famous Dungeons and Dragons’ players, Critical Role. While fans of Critical Role will enjoy the lore, you don’t have to know anything about the series to love this book. And love it, I did. It’s a delightful and cozy romantic fantasy, in the vein of old Harlequin romances. It follows a young, privileged noblewoman with a secret, who, when  er carriage is attacked on the road, is rescued by a grumpy and brooding half-Orc. They decide to travel together to get her (and her precious cargo) where it needs to go. With delightful banter, toe-curling romance, and laugh-out-loud moments, I tore through this book, and would read another DOZEN set in this world. Now, I’m not saying Nick from New Girl is a half-orc, but the grumpy/sunshine trope is out in full force in Tusk Love, and you’re going to find yourself rooting for these too, like you were for Jess and Nick (and Cece and Schmidt).

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Ameema Saeed (@ameemabackwards) is a storyteller, a Capricorn, an avid bookworm, and a curator of very specific playlists and customized book recommendations. She’s a book reviewer, a Sensitivity Reader, a book buyer at Indigo Books & Music, and the Books Editor for She Does the City, where she writes and curates bookish content, and book recommendations. She enjoys bad puns, good food, dancing, and talking about feelings. She writes about books, big feelings, unruly bodies, and her lived experiences, and hopes to write your next favourite book one day. When she’s not reading books, she likes to talk about books (especially diverse books, and books by diverse authors) on her bookstagram: @ReadWithMeemz