Ah, cheese… it isn’t just for sandwiches, or nachos, or fancy fruit plates. In fact, our favorite fromage can go beyond food entirely into a sense of cheesiness, or good-natured corny-ness, that can extend even to our favorite things here at The New York Public Library: books.

In honor of National Cheese Lover’s Day, we asked our book experts to recommend their favorite cheesy books — romance of all stripes, coming-of-age stories, sappy cozy mysteries, anything they wanted — and tell us their favorite kinds of actual cheese, too.

No one does romance cozier than the queen of cozy, Rosamunde Pilcher. One of my all=time favorites is Winter Solstice: a multi-narrative, multi-generational tale of strangers coming together over the holidays in a snowy, small seaside town in Scotland. Grab a blanket and a pot of tea as you snuggle in for a tale of love, connection, and the spirit of family — all with Scottish accents. For more of Pilcher’s cozy Scottish goodness, try September. —Anne Rouyer, Mulberry Street (Jarlsberg)

The Invisible Library series by Genevieve Cogman (which just released its third installment!) is a fantastic romp for all those librarians who wish our jobs had just a biiiit more time travelling and seductive dragon-men assistants. A secret society of librarians travel through time and space, using cunning and a bit of magic to retrieve important works of writing from all kinds of different realities. —Alessandra Affinito, Chatham Square (feta)

In Jenny Colgan’s deliciously cozy novel, Little Beach Street Bakery, our broken-hearted heroine, Polly, escapes to a remote fishing village on the Cornish coast. There she encounters grouchy locals, a handsome fisherman, a puffin named Neal, and a hunky American named, of course, Huckle. Swoony romance and yummy recipes abound. —Annie Lin, Mulberry Street (all cheese is her favorite cheese)

Before I Go by Colleen Oakley is perfectly cheesy. Daisy’s cancer is back, but this time there is no hope of recovery. She sets out to find her handsome, yet hapless husband Jack, a match before she dies. I gobbled it up like thinly sliced manchego on crusty French bread drizzled with honey. —Maura Muller, Volunteer Office

I recently got on a Tessa Dare kick, because I need more fluffy Regency romances in my life. In When a Scot Ties the Knot — part of her Castles Ever After series — Miss Madeline Gracechurch is at home, ensconced in spinsterhood and waiting for Fluffy and Rex (her lobsters) to mate... when a Man shows up. And not just any man — the man to whom she was betrothed, who died. Except for one itsy-bitsy problem: She made him all up. Yet here he is, with fabulous Scottish burr and all. —Kate Fais, Bloomingdale (Halloumi, sharp cheddar, and Wensleydale with cranberries)

The Winter Trilogy by Elin Hilderbrand is one of my favorite feel-good cheesy reads. Starting with Winter Street, set on Nantucket, Hilderbrand introduces readers to a drama-filled family but leaves you with a heart-warming feeling, ready for the next book. —Morgan O’Reilly, Aguilar Library (goat cheese)

The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller is my favorite cheesy story. While the husband and children are away at the county fair, the woman of the household falls hard for the sexy photographer in town to photograph the bridges of Madison County.  Does she stay with her family and farm routines ‘til death does she part, or does she shake up her life and follow the sexy photographer of her dreams around the world? An excellent book, made into an excellent movie, starring Meryl Streep. —Susan Aufrichtig, Terence Cardinal Cooke–Cathedral (Tickler Cheddar)

Just because the copy was so new and shiny, a few years ago, I happened to pick up Born of Persuasion by Jessica Dotta. It’s about an unmarried 17-year-old girl in 1838 England. Her mother has died, and Julia suddenly finds she has two months to find a husband before an anonymous benefactor plans to send her off to Scotland and a life of servitude. As Julia tries to identify her benefactor and change her future, she learns about her mother’s mysterious past and also finds that life among the upper class is quite different and more dangerous than she imagined.  It felt a little bit like reading Downton Abbey, and what could be bad about that? —Ronni Krasnow, Morningside Heights (smoked Gouda)

The Tales of the City books by Armistead Maupin, beloved by many, follow the exploits of the residents of 28 Barbary Lane in San Francisco and have a wonderful ‘70s “cheesiness,” though they also touch on some sobering topics. I would pair these with a nice Swiss fondue, of course! —Jenny Baum, Jefferson Market