Once upon a time, I put one of my favorite Jane Austen quotes on my letter board. “Ah, there is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.” I had no idea just how true Mr. Woodhouse’s words would feel in the year to come.
Here we are, staying at home more than ever. As we approach the season of short days and chilly weather here in Kentucky, I’m getting ready to lean into the simple comforts of home even more: Daisy curled up at my feet, steaming cups of tea, my favorite candles—and, of course, plenty of good books.
Today we have a FUN list full of books with “house” or “home” in the title. Although this is a slight departure from our typical themed lists, I think you’ll find that these books do feature similar threads of belonging, community, family, history, and what makes a place feel like home.
This collection includes some of my favorite books that I never thought I’d see together in one list, plus a few titles on my TBR. I hope you find a few intriguing titles to add to your stack of books on the nightstand, on the floor, or wherever the books live in your house.
25 books with “house” or “home” in the title
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The House of Spirits
The Yellow House: A Memoir
The Lake House
At Home in the World: Reflections on Belonging While Wandering the Globe
Anne’s House of Dreams
Greenglass House
The Round House
Bleak House
At Home in Mitford
Jane Austen at Home: A Biography
The Cider House Rules
Home Fire
Home: A Novel
The House on Mango Street
Playing House (Uptown Book 1)
Housekeeping
The Dutch House: A Novel
The Good House
Salt Houses
Homegoing
The Widow of Rose House
Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging
The House in the Cerulean Sea
A Homemade Life
The House of Mirth
What cozy comforts of home are you leaning on these days? Do you have a “house or home” title to add to this list? I can’t wait to read your comments.
P.S. Grab a blanket, your favorite chair, and 20 books to cozy up with this winter or embrace your homebody status and read one of these short novels straight through in one day.
91 comments
Yep, Jan Karon’s Mitford series kept me company through a rough season of loss, grief, and illness that seemed to go on forever –
http://www.lindastoll.net/2020/01/in-which-i-find-comfort-in-book-series.html?m=1
My mom just entered a care facility and after years of not being strong enough to read anything more than a few paragraphs here and there, she’s now devouring her 7th Mitford book.
Go figure!
Re-reading the Mitford series is like reconnecting with old friends…
Yes!
The consistent members of my bookclub are all ladies except one gentleman who attends with his wife. We read pretty widely, and not very many “Women’s bookclub books”. A couple years ago we read the favorite books of each of the members and the gentleman chose a Mitford book! So funny! It truly is a comfort read that appeals to everyone and we all enjoyed it!
Linda, I’m so glad that being professionally cared for is giving your mother energy for reading! Everybody worries about loved ones in care facilities, so it’s great to hear about a positive aspect of it.
My grandmother listened to all the Mitford books during her last couple of years in a nursing home. She was a former librarian who lost her eyesight and these provided a lot of entertainment for her. They are light, comfortable reads.
I would definitely add “At Home” by Bill Bryson. Pure Bryson brilliance!
Yep. Thought of that book right away. Was such an engaging read that your did not know your needed.
Wonderful list! I just wanted to mention anyone wanting to read the Louise Erdrich, get the audiobook! She is hands down my favorite author/narrator!
Thanks for the suggestion! I have a hard time getting into Erdrich’s books, I’ll definitely give them a try on audio to see if that works better for me.
I just listed to LaRose, narrated by Louise also, and I agree…not sure I would have liked it had a read it but she narrates her stories well.
I love her too. Trying to read all of her books. My favorite so far is
The Last Report on the Miracle at Little No Horse
What a fantastic idea! Just using a couple of words and look at the list. Already jotting down several.
“Open House” by Elizabeth Berg is one of my favorites.
Can’t agree more!! Love that one. (Love all of hers actually)
Yes! Elizabeth Berg is one of my favorite authors.
I have always loved House by Tracy Kidder about a family building their first house and all the high points and frustrations. I learned so much from it. Like steps should all be the same height because you will most assuredly trip on the one that is a fraction of an inch higher. I have read it multiple times and I rarely re-read books.
Also, one of my all time favorites!
Tracy Kidder is one of my favorite authors. “House was the first book of his I read.
Cozy is not a word I associate with House of Prayer No. 2: A Writer’s Journey Home by Mark Richard, but it is the first book I thought of when I saw the theme for today. It was one of the best audiobooks I have ever read. It is Richard’s life story and he didn’t have the easiest life, but it is a compelling tale.
No Biking in the House Without a Helmet by Melissa Fay Greene is a great story and very different from the memoir I mentioned above.
“No Biking in the House” is such a great book!
Great list but how did you leave out House Lessons by Erica Bauermeister?!? One of my favorite books this year, the renovation of a dilapidated house in the Pacific Northwest is the charming backdrop for lessons in every arena – family, work, marriage, life. A pure delight.
One of my favorites of the year too!
Yes! That was the first one that came to mind.
This was one of my favorites too! I still find myself thinking about it.
Agree – House Lessons should be on this list! A gem…
If Bleak House is okay, then Grief Cottage by Gail Godwin is, also. It is a coming-of-age story set on the Carolina Coast, with a ghost, a quirky aunt, and way too much alcohol.
So many great, comforting books on this list. I loved A Homemade Life, The Lake House, all the Mitford books, and Tsh’s At Home in the World. One not on this list is House Lessons by Erica Bauermeister ~ one of my favorites of the year.
I can add one of my all-time favorite novels, HOUSE AND HOME by Kathleen McCleary. Anyone who has ever been faced with selling a beloved house will identify with the main character’s sense of loss and confusion as she grapples with parenting, marriage, friendship and what home really means.
Myquillyn Smith is an excellent writer-nonfiction:)💕🕯📔
Little House in the Big Woods (and The Long Winter) is always one of my favorites at this time of the year :).
“A Painted House” by John Grisham
I love these themed lists you put out. I always read them and add a bunch to my reading list.
This is so timely, and I think, your best list ever. Suits the time: post election, during COVID, and heading into the forced inside life that winter brings in my climate. I want to read all of these. Thank you.
“Open House” by Jane Christmas. Same title, different book, from the one mentioned above. About moving and renovating, and feeling at home where you are. Narrative nonfiction.
I love how Madeline L’Engle creates families and homes that I want to be part of. I find myself particularly drawn to the Austin family. The whole series is great, but A Ring of Endless Light is my favorite.
Sarah, I LOVED Meet the Austins and subsequent books that I read as a child (which was a long time ago – I’m 67!). I liked them better than the Wrinkle in Time series, actually. I think a couple of my granddaughters might be ready for the series – I need to read them again soon! Thanks for bringing up this series!! 🙂
Her memoirs (Crosswick Journals) set in the family home in the Litchfield hills of Connecticut are wonderful. Circle of Quiet and Two Part Invention are my favorites of the four journals.
I totally agree about the homes in Madeline L’Engle’s books. I sometimes check out her books from the library just to find and re-read scenes that describe the home in the Wrinkle in Time series. I now want to read the Austin family series. Thank you!
I thought this would be a cozy home book list but obviously many of these books are not cozy reads. (I’m not complaining! I definitely got some good ideas for my TBR.)
Books I would add: The House of Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Professor’s House by Willa Cather, and Celia’s House by D.E. Stevenson.
And already on my TBR includes Fun Home by Alison Bechdel, A Dream Called Home by Reyna Grande, and Anywhere but Home by Daniel Speck.
I just listened to The Dutch House on audible and loved it….by the way, it is narrated by none other than TOM HANKS and he really made all the characters come to life in a way that only Tom Hanks can. Highly recommend listening to this book!
I totally agree! I read Dutch House and thought it was great. Then six months later listened to Tom Hanks read it on audio and abolutely loved it! So worthy to listen to this book.
I agree 100%!
Totally agree! Loved his narration. Made the story better.
I agree that the Dutch House as an audiobook was wonderful. I’m not sure I would have stuck with it had I read it in print, but I loved listening to Tom Hanks’ narration.
“HOUSE” by Tracy Kidder, written in 1985, is written by one of my favorite authors. I just wanted to share.
If anyone hasn’t yet read the Mitford Series…I HIGHLY recommend doing the audiobook format! My favorite audiobook series of all time. The narration by John McDonough is fabulous.
I’m loving this list! Lots of new titles for my TBR pile. Thanks!
Love these type of lists! I added another book to my toppling TBR list. Since it doesn’t seem like the books here need to be “cozy”, here are a few I would add:
From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily and Finding Home by Tembi Locke
Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler
The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom
I loved The Kitchen House! Thanks for the great list!!
Fun list – thank you!
“In My Father’s House” is a sweet book about Corrie Ten Boom’s childhood.
Corrie ten Boom is my hero! I must look for this book! Thank you!
I can’t help but remember the poem “Home” by Edgard Guest whenever house and home are mentioned. My 6th grade teacher, Miss Whiteside (sorry, she could not abide Ms.) gave us a variety of poems to read with the assignment that we were to memorize and recite at least one to the class. I chose this poem https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44313/home-56d2235c059bf and to this day I can still remember and recite most of it.
Thank you, Miss Whiteside (and other poetry-loving teachers) for bringing books and poetry into young people’s lives.
My great-grandmother would recite this poem as she traveled around the world speaking to large and small audiences. It is my FAVORITE poem!
The Giant’s House by Elizabeth McCracken is very good. A librarian and a giant boy find each other. I read it years ago and still think about it.
Oh, I had forgotten that one. What a great book.
Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher is one of her best novels – a story of the friendship between 2 girls and how their lives develop during WWII, and how they find “home” in their various relationships. A great cozy read!
Ah, I need to reread this one. I remember enjoying it the first time
Omg! What a gift. I want to bury myself and do nothing else but read!!
I would like to suggest Visitation by Jenny Erpenbeck – the character is first a parcel and then the house built on it – throughout the history of Germany (a must read for lovers of urbanism). The English translation doesn’t have ‘house’ in the title, but the original title is ‘Heimsuchung’ (and in Dutch it’s called ‘Huishouden’).
Such a fun list! For a great non-fiction pick (though it technically doesn’t say “house” in the title), I’d add: “This is Where You Belong: The Art and Science of Loving the Place You Live” by Melody Warnick.
Thanks for always putting such great lists together. Wishing you a cozy week! 🙂
Oh man, my absolute favorite book about home of all time isn’t on here! Bill Bryson’s fabulous book, At Home: A Short History of Private Life, will change forever how you look at the concept of home.
I loved this one as well
Thank you, Anne for this wonderful list, as others have noted my TBR list has grown. I have read many of them, but there is still lots to discover here!
I want to read all of them! Also:The Big House: a century in the life of an American summer home;House Thinking: a room-by-room look at how we live by Winifred Gallagher; House Hold: a memoir of place by Ann Peters;Home: a short history of an idea by Witold Rybczynski; Shelter for the Spirit: create your own haven in a hectic world by Victoria Moran.
What an incredible compilation of books! Made me want to curl up with tea and a blanket and make my way through the entire list. I reread the Mitford series every other year, it’s a great escape
The Homemaker by Dorothy Canfield Fisher is utterly delightful. Very pretty Persephone edition too.
My first thought was The House Of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus. I loved that book and I want to reread it now.
I recommend The Children’s House by Alice Nelson (who is from my hometown, Perth, Western Australia). Highly readable and current, it covers a number of themes relating to family and belonging. Interestingly, according to my reading log, I read it straight after Home Fire which I loved.
Isn’t it to good to look at your bookshelves and find some of the books mentioned.
For me : Bleak House, Anne’s House of Dreams, The House of Spirits and The Lake House.
Thank you Anne.
I know I’m late to this party but I need to add a YA book by Cynthia Voigt called Homecoming. It is the first book in a series about the Tillerman family. You will end up wanting to read them all.
I’ve been thinking about this one recently, as it was one of my childhood favourites. Still on my shelf and awaiting a reread. 🙂
“The Homecoming” is also used for e-book release of novel “Spencer’s Mountain” by Earl Hamner Jr, basis of 1971 film “The Homecoming: A Christmas Story” which inspired THE WALTONS TV series with much of the same cast.
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is a good spooky read!
House Girl by Tara Conklin
The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom from my TBR.
These posts have the best comment sections!
I would add ‘The Cozy Minimalist Home’. By Myquillyn Smith. 😊👌🏻
I’ve been in lockdown for most of this year and so home is the last place I want to be, but it worked. My country’s heading into a COVID-free summer! So stay the course up north.
I’m going to add some oddball suggestions to this list:
*’Home in the Sky’ by Jeannie Baker, a beautiful collage picture book
*’Fun Home’ by Alison Bechdel, a memoir in graphic novel form about growing up in the family funeral parlour
*’The House on the Borderland’ by William Hope Hodgson, classic uncanny horror about a man whose house abuts another dimension
*’House of Stairs’ by William Sleator, a young adult psychological thriller
Great list. Read a few and appreciate your pulling them together.
What a wonderful list, Anne 🙂
I loved this book: Somewhere, Home by Nada Awar Jarrar. She is a Lebanese author and these interlinking tales are set around the lives of three women who are are from their native land or returning home. It’s very evocative and poignant and beautifully written.
A Long Way Home by Brierley Saroo, a memoir about a boy who was separated from his mother in an Indian train station at age five. He didn’t know enough to help authorities find his family, and was eventually adopted by Americans. As an adult, he used Google Earth to find his childhood village. Pretty amazing.
They don’t have “house” or “home” in the title but I have to add “The Glass Castle” by Jeanette Walls; a heartbreakingly beautiful memoir. Also “A Piece of the World” by Christina Baker Kline.
Also, “A Gentleman in Moscow” by Amor Towles.
Yes!!!
Did you know that Karon’s Mitford series was inspired by Miss Read’s Thrush Green and Fairacre books? One of Read’s 30+ novels is “At Home in Thrush Green”.
Another beloved British book series is named after a house, the Green Knowe books by L. M. Boston. Tho house/home doesn’t appear in actual title of those novels, Boston also wrote non-fiction “Memory in a House” about the ancient manor house she lived in for 50 years which is fictionalized as Green Knowe (BTW, Boston intended 1st GK book for adults, but as she insisted including drawings by her son, it was classed as a children’s book.)
Fiction by Elizabeth Enright (niece of architect Frank Lloyd Wright) often revolves around structures & how they become homes, their renovation & additions to the families that live in them. One title is “The Four-Story Mistake” (nick-name of an “old new” house). Fits list theme in spirit, I hope!
I hope I’m not too late to join this conversation. I highly recommend ‘A Good House’ by Bonnie Burnard (1999). It’s a gentle novel about a Canadian family, full of love, and mess, and brokenness, and love, and love.
I have The Lakehouse on my night stand…
I adore this list! I am just finishing the last chapters of At Home in the World and have put the Mitford book on hold at my library!
I would add to this list The Salt House by Lisa Duffy, my most highly recommended book from the summer of 2017. Poignant and expressive, I loved it from its first gripping line to the last. Everything about it — from tone, to setting, to unforgettable characters — pitch perfect.
I finally picked up The Good House after seeing it on this list and it was exactly what I was hoping for, alcoholism in our communities treated with heart, humor and tragic seriousness. This story was fast-paced but had lots of depth in the characters and an unbelievable number hard issues were addressed without making the story depressing. Though I don’t live in New England, these folks could be my neighbors.
Coming Home by Rosamund Pilcher fits the bill!!!
I’m not sure this book was out yet when this list was originally made, but I would add The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. So lovely!