29 Books to Read This Autumn

1. Anne of Green Gables, LM Montgomery

An all time favorite with that cozy October feel, I’ll be sure to be rereading my favorite childhood series. I’ll possibly be watching the series (1985 and 2017 series).

Read with a hot apple cider or perhaps a raspberry cordial.

2. Wingfeather Saga, Andrew Peterson

The Igiby siblings find themselves on an adventure of a lifetime, learning new family truths, avoiding atypical baddies like lizards and toothy cows, and make unexpected friends.

Get out those cozy socks. Trust me.

3. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, JK Rowling

Of all the Harry Potter books, the first one in the series screams Autumn - wild trolls, learning to fly, cats that turn into teachers, 3 headed dogs, and a haunted forest with unicorns. The other books in the series make great Autumn reads, too, especially celebrating Nearly Headless Nick’s ‘birthday’ in Half Blood Prince, though I think the content of that book is a little bit too old for Children’s Literature (more of a YA).

Turn your oil diffuser into a potion making class - clove, sandalwood, orange, and bergamot.

4. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott

Fall back in love with the talented tomboy and author-to-be Jo, tragically frail Beth, beautiful Meg, and romantic, spoiled Amy, united in their devotion to each other and their struggles to survive in New England during the Civil War.

5. Serpent and Dove, Shelby Mahurin

Witch hunters, witches, red heads, and French pastries. It’s a fall vibe. Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned. (Book 1 of 3)

Enjoy with a nice pastry, beignets if they are handy and nearby.

6. Sky in the Deep, Adrienne Young

Raised to be a warrior, seventeen-year-old Eelyn fights alongside her Aska clansmen in an ancient, rivalry against the Riki clan. Her life is brutal but simple: fight and survive. Until the day she sees the impossible on the battlefield—her brother, fighting with the enemy—the brother she watched die five years ago. (Book 1 of 2)

I’m waiting to read this late Autumn as it might be more of wite snow wintery read. To fight the chill, enjoy with a warm cup of tea.

7. Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them. I have yet to read this series. And if I’m being honest, I’ve yet to watch the films (only the first one in the trilogy). I know. I’ve been wanting to read these, as they are my husband’s favorite fictional works. I figure Autumn is the perfect season to give them a turn. I’m very excited.

Read under candlelight.

8. Dearest Josephine, Caroline George

An epistolary love story with a romance and charm that crosses centuries, reminds me so much of what I love about Autumn - letter writing. It’s my favorite time of the year to write letters to family and friends. Maybe because the days are shorter and the air is crisper, so I want to stay inside, I don’t know. I hope this book will inspire a letter writing frenzy.

Keep your stationery nearby.

9. Eragon, Christopher Paolini

When fifteen-year-old Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself. (Book 1 of 4)

Dragons. I’ll be reading with my favorite pet, Ned, by my side (if he’ll let me. Cats, what can I say).

10. Dance of the Burning Sea, E.J. Mellow

Niya Bassette brings the potent gift of dance to the Mousai, but behind her tempting twirls, she carries a heavy secret—that the infamous pirate lord, Alōs Ezra, has been threatening to exploit for years. Now banished from the Thief Kingdom for smuggling, Alōs resurfaces in Niya’s life with a plot to hold her hostage, leveraging what he knows to extort a pardon from the Thief King. (Book 2 of 3)

This will be available October 19, 2021. Read along with sisters.

11. Enola Holmes & the Black Barouche, Nancy Springer

A good old fashioned mystery is what my Autumn needs. Enola Holmes returns in her first adventure since the hit Netflix movie brought her back on the national bestseller lists, introducing a new generation to this beloved character and series. To uncover the secrets held tightly within the Earl's hall, Enola goes undercover, but requires some help--from Sherlock, from the twin sister of the missing woman, and from an old friend, the young Viscount Tewkesbury, Marquess of Basilwether!

I’ll be watching her film on Netflix for the 100th time.

12. Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society, Mary Ann Shaffer

Immediately after World War II in London, Juliet Ashton, a satirical writer entrusted to boost morale during the war with her whit and humor, hunts for a new topic for a book. From page one, through letters and telegrams, readers get to know a bruised but victorious London in the aftermath of the war: an indulgent purchase of a new dress, a sinful bite of a sweet pastry, and an enviable hunt for a book by request through a correspondence with an English Channel islander. It is through Juliet Ashton’s correspondence with islander Dawsey Adams that readers meet the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and the subject of Miss Ashton’s new book. Adams introduces Ashton to the conception of the Book Club (and its confusing pie), the woman responsible for its formation, her mysterious journey, and Guernsey under Nazi occupation.

Can you tell it’s a favorite of mine? I always enjoy rereading this one in Autumn. Bring a highlighter and pencil. You’ll want to mark this one up. So many treasures.

13. Ladies of the Secret Circus, Constance Sayers

Spanning Jazz Age Paris to modern-day American, The Ladies of the Secret Circus is a decadent and magical tale of family secrets and lost love set against the backdrop of an extraordinary circus from the author of A Witch in Time.

Read during the day. It will creep you out at night.

14. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, Gabrielle Zevin

A. J. Fikry’s life is not at all what he expected it to be. He lives alone, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. But when a mysterious package appears at the bookstore, its unexpected arrival gives Fikry the chance to make his life over--and see everything anew. It’s love of books and bookish people will inspire all the autumn feelings.

Scarf and warm drink are required whilst reading.

15. The Brutal Telling: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel, Louise Penny

Gamache follows a trail of clues and treasures—from first editions of Charlotte's Web and Jane Eyre to a spiderweb with a word mysteriously woven in it—into the woods and across the continent, before returning to Three Pines to confront the truth and the final, brutal telling. (Book 5 of 17+) It’s Autumn in Three Pines and I’m excited to catch up on this series. I’m WAY behind.

Read with a cafe au lait; it’s the Gamache special.

16. Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?, Agatha Christie

While playing an erratic round of golf, Bobby Jones slices his ball over the edge of a cliff. His ball is lost, but on the rocks below he finds the crumpled body of a dying man. The man opens his eyes and with his last breath says, "Why didn't they ask Evans?" Haunted by those words, Bobby and his vivacious companion, Frankie, set out to solve a mystery that will bring them into mortal danger. A Britbox adaptation is set to come out soon.

Read with all the lights on. Agatha creeps me out so much sometimes.

17. Stalking Jack the Ripper, Kerri Maniscalco

17 year old Audrey Rose was born a lord's daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.

Against her stern father's wishes and society's expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle's laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.

Read with a cozy blanket.

18. How to Stop Time, Matt Haig

Tom Hazard has just moved back to London, his old home, to settle down and become a high school history teacher. And on his first day at school, he meets a captivating French teacher at his school who seems fascinated by him. But Tom has a dangerous secret. He may look like an ordinary 41-year-old, but owing to a rare condition, he's been alive for centuries. Tom has lived history--performing with Shakespeare, exploring the high seas with Captain Cook, and sharing cocktails with Fitzgerald. Now, he just wants an ordinary life.

Read with an earl grey or, better yet, a London Fog.

19. Villette, Charlotte Bronte

Villette is the gothic tale of Lucy Snowe, who travels to the fictional town of Villette in Belgium to teach at a girl's school. The book explores Lucy's psychological and cultural isolation, and her sense of patriarchal repression as she is drawn relentlessly towards love and adventure.

Enjoy this classic with another kind of classic: hot cocoa, belgium style.

20. The Blue Castle, LM Montgomery

From L.M. Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables, comes another beloved classic and an unforgettable story of courage and romance. Will Valancy Stirling ever escape her strict family and find true love? This comes highly recommended from my dear friend, Deanna. She never disappoints.

Read with an apple cider.

21. Far From the Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy

Is a story of love, hardship, friendship, forgiveness and "reaping what we sow" set in Victorian England. Independent and spirited Bathsheba Everdene has come to Weatherbury to take up her position as a farmer on the largest estate in the area. Her bold presence draws three very different suitors: the gentleman-farmer Boldwood, soldier-seducer Sergeant Troy and the devoted shepherd Gabriel Oak. Each, in contrasting ways, unsettles her decisions and complicates her life, and tragedy ensues, threatening the stability of the whole community.

Read this one while sitting outside underneath a Maple tree on a nice autumn afternoon.

22. The Murders in Rue Morgue, Edgar Allen Poe

Known as the first detective storyThe story opens with the discovery of the violent murder of an old woman and her daughter. No grisly detail is spared in the description of the crime scene as it is discovered by neighbours responding to the women’s screams. The police are baffled by the fact that the murderer has managed to escape even though the women’s apartment appears to have been completely sealed from the inside. The genteel but impoverished C. Auguste Dupin and his nameless friend—who narrates the story—offer their services to the police and, through a brilliant interpretation of the clues at the scene, identify the murderer—an escaped orangutan.

I’ll be reading this on a cozy, bright Saturday morning to combat the macabre.

23. Roald Dahl’s Book of Ghost Stories, Roald Dahl

"Spookiness is the real purpose of the ghost story. It should give you the creeps and disturb your thoughts..." Says Mr. Dahl. An anthology of creepy ghost stories curated by Roald Dahl. You might be surprised that his only written work included in the anthology is an introduction. Authors include Edith Wharton, Rosemary Timperley, LP Hartley, J. Sheridan Le Fanu just to name a few.

I’ll be reading these aloud with Bryan. I think a buddy would be nice for these creepy and disturbing stories.

24. Mountain Interval, Robert Frost

Published in 1916 by Henry Holt and Company and was dedicated “To you who least need reminding that before this interval of the South Branch under black mountains, there was another interval, the Upper at Plymouth, where we walked in spring beyond the covered bridge; but that the first interval of all was the old farm, our brook interval, so called by the man we had it from in sale.”

A New England Autumn really can’t be beat. I’ll be reading this outside under an oak at the height of autumn.

25. Conversations with the Universe, Hope Florence

A 3 part collection of poems that embody the journey from emerging out of darkness and into light. Her latest book of poems is said to come out later this autumn. Conversations with the Universe might be a good one to read in Spring.

Reading with tea. Poetry + Tea Thursdays.

26. Hidden Life of Trees, Peter Wohlleben

Are trees social beings? In The Hidden Life of Trees forester and author Peter Wohlleben convincingly makes the case that, yes, the forest is a social network. He draws on groundbreaking scientific discoveries to describe how trees are like human families: tree parents live together with their children, communicate with them, support them as they grow, share nutrients with those who are sick or struggling, and even warn each other of impending dangers. Wohlleben also shares his deep love of woods and forests, explaining the amazing processes of life, death, and regeneration he has observed in his woodland.

Read with a notebook, to scribble and illustrate your thoughts.

27. The Writing of Fiction, Edith Wharton

Contains brilliant advice on writing from the first woman ever to win a Pulitzer Prize -- for her novel The Age of Innocence. In The Writing of Fiction, Wharton provides general comments on the roots of modern fiction, the various approaches to writing a piece of fiction, and the development of form and style. She also devotes entire chapters to the telling of a short story, the construction of a novel, and the importance of character and situation in the novel. Not only a valuable treatise on the art of writing, The Writing of Fiction also allows readers to experience the inimitable but seldom heard voice of one of America's most important and beloved writers, and includes a final chapter on the pros and cons of Marcel Proust.

Read the week before NaNoWriMo. You’ll feel inspired and prepared.

28. The Woodland Homestead, Brett McLeod

Put your wooded land to work! This comprehensive manual shows you how to use your woodlands to produce everything from wine and mushrooms to firewood and livestock feed. You'll learn how to take stock of your woods; use axes, bow saws, chainsaws, and other key tools; create pasture and silvopasture for livestock; prune and coppice trees to make fuel, fodder, and furniture; build living fencing and shelters for animals; grow fruit trees and berries in a woodland orchard; make syrup from birch, walnut, or boxelder trees; and much more. Whether your property is entirely or only partly wooded, this is the guide you need to make the best use of it.

Read with your garden blueprints. I’ll be daydreaming about harvests the whole time.

29. Work: A Story of Experience, Louisa May Alcott

Published in 1873, this autobiographical novel has been called the adult Little Women. This is a semi-autobiographical work.

Read while wrapped in a favorite, cozy sweater, the embodiment of relaxation.

I hope you are able to get some reading done this season, curled up with a nice blanket while enjoying a seasonal favorite drink.

Thanks for reading! I’ll be reviewing some of the books on this list over the next few months.