7 Books for Cozy Living, Gentle Rituals, and Witchy Wonder✨🌿

Last week, Olivia from Petal + Hearth kindly let me share what a day in my life looks like. I love her posts and immediately knew I needed to see if she would agree to share some of her favorite books with us. She kindly agreed.

Welcome, Olivia!

Books have always been my favorite kind of doorway — into imagination and into lives that feel a little more enchanted than my own.

More than that, books have become anchors for the life I’m trying to live now: slower, softer, more rooted in nature and rhythm.

But before we dive any deeper — hey, I’m Olivia, and I write a blog called Petal + Hearth. I explore seasonal living, cozy rituals, and the quiet joys of a life well-tended. Think: picnics under flowering trees, cast iron recipes for rainy days, moonlit journaling rituals, and wildflower walks with a field guide tucked under one arm. It’s part cottagecore, part nature-witchy, and all grounded in intention and wonder.

When Melissa asked if I’d like to share some lit recommendations with this bookish community, I immediately said yes! The books I return to most are the ones that shift something inside of me. They make the world feel more alive. They whisper: slow down, pay attention, there’s magic here.

So, here are a few titles I’ve loved recently, spanning folklore, field guides, gentle magic, and slow living inspiration. Some are practical, some poetic. All of them feel like a warm cup of something good.

(Hey! It’s Melissa.

I’ve add a few tea recommendations in between Olivia’s book recommendations. Anything you see in italics has been added by yours truly.☕🫖❤️)

What’s That Flower? by DK

This little field guide has become my go-to for nature walks. It’s straightforward, beautifully photographed, and covers many of the most common wildflowers in Europe (I’m based in France). I like to tuck it into my bag when I go foraging or wandering. It helps me see the landscape more clearly and name what’s growing around me (there’s something powerful about knowing the name of a bloom).

Mother Nature gives us so much to enjoy! Beautiful plants that nourish our soul and body. I love finding plants that aid our overall health. This tea made with loose herbs is like a sensory walk through nature - just with a delicious aftertaste.🌿

English Fairy Tales and Legends, by Rosalind Kerven

I bought this one for the cover (you’ll understand when you see it), but I’ve stayed for the stories. This collection is rich with folklore — tales of selkies and enchanted groves, mischievous faeries and quiet courage. I don’t always read it front to back. It’s one of those books I dip into when I want to feel connected to something old and wild and wonder-filled.

Rituals for Life, by Isla Macleod

This is one of the most beautifully illustrated books I own. Macleod offers gentle, powerful ways to root yourself in the natural world through seasonal rituals, rites of passage, and ceremonies that honor transition and change. If you’re someone who loves the idea of marking the equinox with ritual or creating your own nature-based practices, this is a book to return to again and again.

I love the idea of rituals with the seasons. One of my rituals that helps me to slow down and have a bit of intention in my life is having a cup of something warm at the end of the day while I read a few chapters or catch up on Substack posts.

Pagan Paths, by Pete Jennings

While not every chapter aligned perfectly with my personal path, this book is one I recommend often to people who are curious about the history and branches of nature-based spirituality. It’s clear, approachable, and gives a broad overview of pagan traditions without feeling heavy or dogmatic. Think of it as a primer — a way to begin asking questions and exploring your own relationship to the earth, the seasons, and the sacred.

The Comfy Cozy Witch’s Guide to Making Magic in Your Everyday Life, by Jennie Blonde

This one feels like a warm hug. It’s inviting, beginner-friendly, and written with so much heart. What I love most is how it encourages you to define your own path — to see magic in a steaming cup of tea, a well-tended altar, or a moonlit walk. It’s not about getting witchcraft or spirituality “right,” but finding what feels meaningful to you.

What could be more delightfully witchy than a blooming tea?💐

Seven Fairy, an exquisite flowering tea, comes with a hidden surprise. Remove it from the package, and you'd be forgiven for thinking you were brewing a plain bundle of lightly aromatic green tea. Add less than boiling water, however, and watch as the bloom unfurls into a blossom. It’s the perfect way to add a special touch to your everyday magic.

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries, by Heather Fawcett

This is one of those stories that wraps you up and keeps you cozy. Set in a snowy Norwegian village, it’s got fae magic, an introverted scholar heroine, a prickly-sweet romance, and just the right touch of folklore. I read it with a blanket, a candle, and a cup of herbal tea (the best way to experience it).

The Midnight Library, by Matt Haig

I’ll be honest, this wasn’t my all-time favorite… but I’m glad I read it. It’s one of those stories that gets you thinking about all the paths you didn’t take, and how each life (even the quiet ones) holds its own kind of beauty. Any book set in a library filled with infinite possibilities earns its place on a cozy reading list.

Books have changed my relationship with the world around me — and in some ways, my life. I love the idea that one of these reads might do the same for you.

You can find more slow living stories, seasonal rituals, and cozy bookish content at Petal + Hearth. I’d love to hear what books have shifted something in you lately.

Currently Reading. Booked For The Summer by Kathryn Freeman

Catch up on previous posts…

Tea & The Titanic

5 Books That Bring Forgotten Books To Life

Half Agony, Half Hope

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