In my most fervid daydreams, when the constant chime of technology and the din of traffic outside my window become almost impossible to bear, I like to imagine myself somewhere in a quaint cottage somewhere in a remote woods. (Or, if we’re being entirely honest, in the cozy warmth of a Hobbit Hole, surrounded by the smell of the Shire’s wildflowers and second breakfast spread out before me.) There, I’d be baking bread, canning jam, tending to a pen of goats, cows, and pot-bellied pigs, wearing long, impossibly shapeless prairie dresses and hardly ever a pair of shoes upon my feet. Never mind that I can barely sew a rogue button back onto a jacket—in these reveries, I’m knitting sweaters, trivets, and scarves, before scooping up a blanket and a picnic basket for an early lunch in the shade.
And I’m far from the only one in search of comfort, something inherently welcoming, restful, snug. A cultural movement and aesthetic known colloquially as “cottagecore” shares this fascination with woodland creatures, romantic fairy-tale settings, and the like, while also encompassing a larger commitment at its core—to nature, comfort, belonging, quiet self-reliance, and sustainability. Largely explored online, cottagecore is not necessarily about actually living off the grid in a bucolic pasture—instead, it’s about community and a shared longing, all expressed through hobbies, clothing, and shared interests. And after the past few years, it’s not as much about lace and wicker as it is about reflection and soothing our exhaustion and grief with something that feels pure and peaceful and good.
So, whether you’re looking for the woodsy escape of an immersive yet tranquil story, something to encourage you to unplug and get more in touch with the natural world, or simply an audiobook to accompany you on your next flower-gathering or berry-picking adventure, look no further than this list of our favorite cottagecore listens.
One of my childhood favorites, Arnold Lobel’s delightful tale of two anthropomorphic amphibians dressed in tweed fully captures the cozy, nostalgic ambiance central to cottagecore. While a number of Lobel’s iconic kidlit classics feature outrageously adorable wildlife (from pigs to owls to elephants), there’s just something about the adventures of boundlessly enthusiastic Frog and his more meditative companion, Toad, that encourages a brighter, more whimsical worldview. Whether they’re searching the woods for a lost button or getting into hijinks down by the stream, you’ll be charmed for every moment of this cheery and enchanting short listen.
While you may have encountered Kenneth Grahame’s bucolic countryside many times in your life, you’ve never heard it quite like this. Together, storyteller and lyricist Dina Gregory and singer-songwriter Rosabella Gregory reimagine The Wind in the Willows as a fiercely feminine tale of independence, adventure, and friendship. Echoes of familiar characters are found in the vain yet daring Miss Toad, feisty and wise Mistress Badger, brainy, creative Miss Water Rat, and sheltered sweetheart Mrs. Mole, but it’s the gorgeous crafting of a fully realized, untouched natural world that shines, listen after listen. It’s a brilliant gem that will leave you longing for your own little wildlife pals.
It’s been said time and again, anecdotally and by researchers alike, that time spent in nature can have healing properties for both physical health and mental well-being. In The Way Through the Woods, a different side of this curative ability is unraveled: its power to help one move through the process of grieving and find hope in place of sorrow. Author Long Litt Woon’s moving memoir details her journey into the world of mushrooming following the death of her husband. As Woon takes comfort in both the companionship of other shroomers and the very resilience of fungi itself, she finds a new outlook on life that offers a way through the darkness.
Indigenous author and ecologist Robin Wall Kimmerer has been celebrated in the scientific community for decades, in large part thanks to the pure reverence she has for the natural word. Her awe for our planet’s flora and fauna shine in her groundbreaking Braiding Sweetgrass, a sweeping, lyrical work of nonfiction that encourages listeners to develop a reciprocal relationship with the world at large. Balancing her identity as a Potawatomi woman with her extensive academic background, Kimmerer offers a glimpse of the endless gifts that our cohabitants on Earth—that is to say, plants and animals, big and small—have to offer. Simply put, you will never experience a walk through the woods quite the same way after hearing her insightful take.
Few animal tales are as celebrated—or, let’s face it, adorable—as Beatrix Potter’s legendary stories featuring the likes of Peter Rabbit, Benjamin Bunny, Tom Kitten, and Jemima Puddle-Duck. A favorite bedtime tale of many little listeners and a worthy trip down memory lane for adults seeking that same sense of comfort, this collection of Potter’s complete works contains 23 stories that will warm your heart. Gather round and listen in as Mrs. Tiggy-Winkles the hedgehog sips tea in her cottage or as silly young Squirrel Nutkin escapes the talons of Old Brown the Owl for some wholesome and sweet escapism.
If your closet's overflowing with floor-sweeping pinafores and sun-catching straw skimmers, you just may find kinship with classic heroine Anne Shirley. If you haven’t yet met our favorite redhead, there’s no better place to start than with this exclusive recording of Anne of Green Gables narrated by Academy Award nominee Rachel McAdams. L.M. Montgomery’s tale of Anne, an orphaned young girl inadvertently sent off to an unsuspecting couple seeking a farm boy, is as mesmerizing as it is soul-stirring, a sunny testament to vivacity, joy, and individualism. McAdams effortlessly enlivens Anne’s every misstep and fateful encounter, from finding new friends to the butterflies of that very first crush.
When you take the time to unplug and really experience the endless variety within our natural environment, it’s impossible not to feel a mix of admiration and overwhelming astonishment. The creatures who share our planet with us are capable of some absolutely remarkable feats, possessing skills and behaviors that offer fascinating lessons applicable to our own human lives. Poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil shares some of the enlightenment she gleaned from the landscapes she’s inhabited, detailing the curiosities and joys found along the way with a kind of adoration and open-minded joy that speaks to what plants and animals have to teach us about everything from delight to survival. If you’re going to seek a life more attuned to the land around you, Nezhukumatathil’s viewpoint will help you establish a kind of kinship with those you live alongside.
Okay, okay: It’s one thing to daydream about life living off the land in a remote cottage, but how does one develop the skills necessary to actually do so? If you’re looking to really get into the cottagecore lifestyle, this handy guide from Emily Kent is an excellent place to start. Looking to get started on perfecting your homey baking skills? This listen offers step-by-step instructions on how to whip up a pie from scratch and how to make delectable loaves of freshly baked bread. Or maybe a new hobby, like cross-stitch, candle-making, or even beekeeping are more up your alley—no matter your interest, you’ll find an activity sure to suit your skill level in this listen full of unplugged, homegrown how-to’s.
Though the sudden uptick in a fascination with greener pastures and warmer hearths might seem a little out of place for a generation that grew up alongside the internet, it’s impossible not to see the connection between the endless stressors and dire fixations of our world and the desire for something that feels, well, more natural. But if you need a little bit more than a mug of chamomile to soothe your spirits, conservation icon Jane Goodall is here to offer some words of comfort. As our climate crisis continues to devastate ecosystems and political division worsens, all amidst the turmoil wrought by an ongoing global pandemic, it can be difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel. But Goodall (alongside co-author Douglas Abrams, who worked on self-dev masterpiece The Book of Joy) offers a glass-half-full look at our world—and how we can fight for a better tomorrow.
