As the weather begins to chill and the leaves start to change, it’s easy to get into the fall spirit. Whether it’s getting spooked at a haunted house, watching scary movies or going to a pumpkin patch, there are countless activities to get into the fall spirit.
Reading a book can also be a great way to encapsulate the feeling of fall. Just like TV shows such as “Gilmore Girls” or movies like “When Harry Met Sally,” there are books that can transport us into an autumnal universe.
To many, fall is a time of change and new beginnings. These books cover the symbolic meaning of fall, while creating a cozy universe to get lost in.
- “Normal People”
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“Normal People” by Sally Rooney follows Marianne and Connell as they navigate their relationship with one another throughout high school and into post-college life. “Normal People” has the classic miscommunication trope, and is full of themes such as finding your true identity.
This book is a perfect fall read because it involves symbols of change, and Rooney’s description of the characters makes you never want to stop reading. Marianne and Connell are so complex with their emotions that figuring each character out and finding what they genuinely want takes up most of the book.
- “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue”
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“The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue,” written by V.E. Schwab, is truly a magic book. The main character, Addie, makes a deal with the Devil to escape being married in the 1700s. Addie wanted freedom and a life of her own, not to be tied down and have to assume domestic duties. However, the deal does not go according to plan.
Luc, the man Addie made a deal with, added some unexpected terms to her wishes. Addie has the chance to live forever, but every person she meets in the future will instantly forget about her. For almost 300 years Addie lives her life under this curse, until one day, a man remembers her for a second time.
This book is thrilling and transports you to a world full of magic, lust and wonder. It is the perfect read to cozy up to on a chilly fall day.
- “Little Women”
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Although “Little Women” is an older book, it still captures the essence of fall. Louisa May Alcott writes this coming-of-age novel about four sisters – Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy March. “Little Women” follows the lives of the four girls as they develop from childhood to adulthood in the 1800s.
The book has two different parts, each taking place three years from the other. “Little Women” is the perfect fall read because the setting of Massachusetts embodies those chilly fall mornings.
“Little Women” contains themes of change and maturity as well as crisis with identity, which all go along with the idea of fall. Plus, there was a recent movie remake of “Little Women” that can help visually display the story as you read along.
- “The Secret History”
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If there’s one book that should be on anyone’s fall reading list, it should be “The Secret History” by Donna Tart. This book has a dark-academia vibe and is set on a college campus in upstate Vermont. Six elitist college students become so immersed in their studies that they end up murdering one of their classmates.
This book is a page-turner from start to finish. The book isn’t a classic mystery novel. The first few pages of the book explain who was murdered, and the rest of it describes how the murder came to be.
The atmosphere created in the book keeps you slightly unsettled and on your toes. If you are looking for a thrilling fall read with dark-academia vibes and vibrant characters, “The Secret History” has it all.
Fall is such a magical time filled with change and new beginnings. These four books are packed with everything you need to get into the fall spirit.
Fall into the season with a cozy book!