Seasonal Reading: Fall
Fall is one of my favorite times of year for many reasons: pumpkin bread, cooler weather, re-watching Gilmore Girls, and reading certain books. Do you read seasonally? Fall is really the only time of year I like to read certain books, so I thought I would share a few with you that I’ve read that are perfect for Fall, and a few that I’m looking forward to reading. Whether you’re already wearing boots and sweaters, or you’re like me and cranking up the A/C and pretending it’s chilly outside, hopefully you can find a few here to add to your nightstand!
Cozy Books
These books make me want to curl up under a blanket with some hot chocolate and not leave the couch for hours!
Harry Potter
This one might seem obvious, but I love re-reading Harry Potter
Still Life
I’m a new Louise Penny fan, and I absolutely loved Still Life. (My review is HERE.) Her Inspector Gamache series, set in the Canadian town of Three Pines, is the perfect cozy mystery for cooler days.
The Nightingale
This is one of my favorite books, and Hannah is one of my favorite authors. This is the story of two sisters living in France during WWII, and the different paths they take to make it through the war. It is loosely based on a true story, and it’s a book I couldn’t put down until I had finished it.
Hook’s Tale: Being the Account of an Unjustly Villainized Pirate Written by Himself
This was published in July, and I have been looking forward to reading it so much. This tells the story of Captain Hook, starting in his childhood, and how he went from a little boy living with his widowed mother to a famed, much-feared pirate. A fairy tale twisted around so the villain is the star? Yes, please!
Creepy Books
It is October, and if there’s ever a time to read seriously creepy stories, it’s now!
Final Girls by Riley Sager
Y’all, I don’t watch slasher movies and I don’t generally read gruesome books, but I made an exception for Final Girls, and you should too! (My review HERE.) The books tells the story of a “final girl,” that is, a girl who was the only person left after a mass murder. I know. Stick with me. It’s a well-told story, and you will be awake and on your toes through the entire thing. Maybe read it with the lights on, though.
Lies She Told by Cate Holahan
I chose this from Book of the Month after Prose and Palate recommended it as a guest judge. Liza Cole is an author whose career isn’t doing so great. Her personal life is also struggling, so she disappears into the murder mystery she’s writing. Before long, her real life is mirroring her literary heroine’s life, and Liza has to figure out what’s really going on. I cannot WAIT to read this on a stormy October night.
Sharp Objects
Really, any Gillian Flynn will do for a creepy read, but Sharp Objects is, in my opinion, her creepiest. Camille Preaker is a reporter who returns to her hometown to investigate the murder of two young girls. She also just happens to have recently completed a stay at a psychiatric hospital. So of course, her own psychological issues and past become intertwined with her investigation. This one is seriously creepy, and it will keep you up at night!
A Long Fatal Love Chase
This book was published posthumously, and I read it years ago. And I’m still thinking about it. Rosamond Vivian, feeling like a prisoner in her grandfather’s house, is whisked away one night (a stormy night, of course) by Philip Tempest to live a life of excitement and passion. However, it’s not all she expected it to be, and Rosamond is soon running away from Philip, who continues to stalk her. This is no Little Women, and I love it!
Mysterious Books
These books aren’t creepy, but they are mysterious. If you want a cozy, intriguing book without feeling like someone is watching you through the window, try one of these!
Practical Magic
Alice Hoffman, queen of magical realism and mystery, has written a prequel to Practical Magic, which is why I’m recommending the two together. Read Practical Magic first (My review HERE.) and then pick up The Rules of Magic on October 10 to get even more of the Owens’ family history. These books have magic, mystery, and family drama, and they are my favorite books to suggest for the Fall.
Station Eleven
This was a surprise favorite for me, and it is one of my absolute favorite books. It’s a dystopian novel set in the not-so-distant future. A flu pandemic hits, civilization ends, and a group of arts-loving people travel around what is left of the country performing music and Shakespeare in an effort to not the arts die out. But when they reach one small town, a prophet prone to violence shakes up their group, and they must escape or risk never making it out at all.
Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero
I received a copy of this book from Doubleday, and I’m looking forward to finally reading it this month! If you ever watched Scooby Doo, or enjoyed Hardy Boys mysteries as a kid, this is the book for you. It is not about the Scooby Doo characters, but it basically tells the story of what would happen when those characters grow up and must come back together to solve a mystery again. This is a fun book for adults who want to return to that world one more time!
The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage (Book of Dust, Volume 1)
I may be on a book-buying ban, but I still pre-ordered this one. This is a prequel to Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass), and if you haven’t read that trilogy and you enjoy mystery, sci-fi, and fantasy all in one, go out and buy them now. Right now. The original trilogy is about a girl named Lyra as she travels through her universe and others trying to figure out . . . well, basically the meaning of life and why everything is the way it is. The Book of Dust is the first in another trilogy, and this one will focus on Lyra as a young child and how she came to be living at Jordan College (where we first see her in The Golden Compass). These books are so, so good, and there is plenty of mystery involved!
Review: Romancing the Throne
As an American, I’m thoroughly obsessed with all things royal. William and Kate, Elizabeth, Diana, those castles. I love all of it. However, most of the books I read surrounding those subjects are non-fiction. I love the history of it all too! But I was ready for a light and fluffy book to break up my reading pile, and I knew it had to be Romancing the Throne
Two sisters, the fashion-conscious Charlotte and studious Libby, are away at separate boarding schools after their family moves up in the social world thanks to their mom’s shoe company. Charlotte’s school, Sussex Park, is prestigious, and her group of friends includes socialites and the next King of England, Prince Edward. When an administrative scandal at Libby’s school forces her to transfer to Sussex Park, Charlotte brings her into the group. By this time, Charlotte and Edward are dating, and she wants nothing more than for her boyfriend and sister to get along. But when they start getting along a little too well, friendships and relationships are broken up, and Charlotte isn’t sure if her happily ever after will ever come.
This is a fun, light book, and if you are a fan of all things royal, you’ll probably enjoy this. It’s not as good as The Royal We, but it was still a great escapist read for this category of book. (And if you haven’t read The Royal We, add that to your list immediately! It’s basically royals fan fiction, but it’s great.) The plot is predictable, but well-written, and I read it in a couple of days because I couldn’t put it down.
While this is a fun, total escapist read, the female characters are surprisingly strong and well done. Yes, they like boys (ok, a prince), and Charlotte loves clothes and makeup, but they don’t let boys dictate their decisions or their futures. Both Charlotte and Libby are strong, smart, and ambitious, and I appreciate that in any form!
If you like women’s fiction and stories about the (fictional) royal family, definitely add Romancing the Throne
⭐️⭐️⭐️
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