There is a place in Friuli where summer smells of lavender and winter smells of polenta. A place with annoying mosquitoes, wild asparagus that must be picked carefully, and kilos of Montasio cheese destined for frico.
It is from these places that Gaia Cozy Nook was born.
This blog is a collection of the things I love most: the books that keep me company, the audiobooks I listen to while out for a walk, stories inspired by the Friulian countryside, and the thoughts that come to me when a story keeps turning over in my mind even after I’ve closed the last page. You won’t find endless rankings or dozens of articles published every week here. I prefer fewer pieces, written slowly and thoughtfully, because I believe reading needs its own pace, too.
If you love stories, nature, and those little everyday details that often go unnoticed, I hope you’ll feel at home here.
Cozy Stories
Original stories set among the Friulian countryside, the Tagliamento, the woods, and small villages. Stories about ordinary people, silences, seasons, and landscapes I have known all my life.
Cozy Picks
My personal library. Here you’ll find reviews, articles about life as a reader, audiobooks, reading recommendations, and a selection of posts to start with if you’ve just discovered the blog.
Reading Journal
Every Tuesday, I open my reader’s notebook. I share what I’m reading, the books that are surprising me, the audiobooks I listen to while out walking, and the stories waiting their turn on my bedside table.
About Me
My name is Gaia, and I live in Friuli Venezia Giulia.
I mostly read contemporary fiction and American fiction, but every now and then I like to step outside my comfort zone. I have a particular fondness for audiobooks, which keep me company on my walks, and for stories that manage to tell the lives of ordinary people without needing grand twists and turns.
When I’m not reading, you’ll probably find me along a woodland path, beside an irrigation ditch, or with my dog running a few metres ahead of me. Those are exactly the places, and the little details that fill them, that often find their way into my stories.
Where to Start
I suggest starting here.
- Cozy Picks, where I collect the posts I recommend reading first.
- A story from Cozy Stories, if you’d like to discover the more narrative side of the blog.
- The latest Reading Journal, to see what’s keeping me company these days.
Grab a cup of tea or coffee and stay as long as you like.
Stories are never in a hurry.