Reading in the fall weather is one of the most aesthetically pleasing activities. Nothing’s better than sitting outside as a cool autumn breeze passes through, a book in one hand and a pumpkin spice latte in the other. However, since the weather has yet to get cold enough for me to dress like a Gilmore Girl, I have compiled a list of books that help me look forward to this time of the year, even if it hasn’t quite started yet.
Laurie Gilmore’s Pumpkin Spice CafĂ©Â
True to its name, this book is filled with pumpkin spice and everything nice. After being given her aunt’s cafĂ©, Jeanie must leave her typical 9-5 and move to the cutesy small town, Dream Harbor. Mysterious occurrences begin at the cafĂ© at night, and Jeanie must team up with a local farmer, Logan, to uncover who is trying to sabotage her business. Although this book is one among a large series that follows all the lovable characters in Dream Harbor, Gilmore’s first and second books in the series are perfect for when the weather gets cold.Â
Don’t Let the Forest In by CG Drews
As someone who isn’t usually a horror fan, this book surprisingly tops my favorites list. The intrigue Drews weaves into their writing had me hooked from page one and didn’t let go. Don’t Let the Forest In follows Andrew, whose friend Thomas, someone he’s grown close to over their time at the reclusive Wickwood Academy, has started acting very strangely. He discovers that Thomas’ drawings of monsters have come to life and are hunting their fellow students, leaving the two of them to battle them every night. But, as the story progresses, it becomes clear that things aren’t at all what they initially seemed. Not only is this book an amazing match for those who want to get in the mood for a spooky season, but it is also suitable for those who only seek out the occasional scare.
Coven: A Graphic Novel by Jennifer Dugan and Kit SeatonÂ
Despite loving this graphic novel so much, I actually found it by accident, and I’m glad I did. As someone who believes that the best books can be found at used bookstores, I picked up Coven, being familiar with Dugan’s young adult rom-coms. In this beautifully drawn graphic novel, Emsy must leave her sunny life in California to move to upstate New York, reconnecting with her family’s coven after members are murdered. The mysterious lure of a quiet suburban town riddled with supernatural activity pulled me in immediately. Although this book isn’t too spooky, the images and plot found within it made me extra excited for when the leaves begin to turn orange and yellow.
M.L Rio’s If We Were Villains
Dark academia has always been a trope I’ve been interested in, and nothing encompasses the aesthetic better than If We Were Villains. For a book that primarily follows a group of Shakespeare scholars, it holds so much more, and the further you read, the more immersed you become in the small university that makes Kenyon look like a large state school. Balancing two plot lines, the narrator’s final year at school, and the future, where he is about to be released from prison for a crime he may or may not have committed. If We Were Villains is steeped in mystery, tailor-made for the gradual darkness of fall. Â
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
It may be that I read this book for the first time on the way to my grandparents’ house during Thanksgiving break, or that I happen to reread it every fall, but to me, this will always be a fall comfort read. This book, the first of four in a series, follows Blue, the only non-psychic in a family of all psychics, who has been told her whole life that if she were to kiss her true love, he’d die. However, once she meets her so-called “true love,” things aren’t what you’d expect them to be, and she soon gets pulled into his friend group as they search for a dead Welsh king, possibly buried in the area. This book’s magical realism and the characters’ adventures as they explore a sentient forest in their sleepy small town make you ready to go on a fall hike in the foggy morning or even try to find a magic forest of your own.  Â
Although there are many other books I could recommend in preparation for the fall, these five encompass some of my favorite things about the season: the scary and exciting Halloween celebrations, delicious pumpkin-flavored treats, and all the adventures you can have outside when the weather isn’t too cold or hot. Â