As much as some might hate to see summer go, fall is just around the corner. It won’t be long until the nights are chilly and we’re longing to wrap scarves around ourselves and sit out by a fire or traipse through a pumpkin patch toting a PSL. If you’re like me and not sad to see summer go, you may be looking to jump into those fall feelings sooner rather than later. There’s no better way to cultivate cozy fall vibes than with a book that transports you there (and maybe some early fall decor)!
Whether you want something light and happy or a little more spooky, there are plenty of books from which to choose. These are just a few I would recommend:
- For a book that gives you a little bit of magic in the real world, wraps you up like a warm hug, and makes you want to become friends with the characters, anything by Sarah Addison Allen is great, specifically Garden Spells and Other Birds.
- It wasn’t my favorite read of all time, but it certainly had me pulling out the Halloween mugs and ready to turn on my favorite Halloween classics. If a lighthearted romance that wraps you up in a spooky little Halloween town sounds like your type of book, try The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling.
- When you think of fall, do you think of a gloomy atmosphere that is just a little bit unsettling and restless, but a place you wish you could explore, if just for a day? This gothic-infused historical romance is a murder mystery that may just be the book that will shift you from summer to fall.
- A few classics that can even be shared as book club style reading with our middle grade readers, Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling and Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery are sure to quickly transport you to a a feeling of comfort, warm hugs, and falling leaves. Let’s not forget The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien which will make you wish for nothing more than a relaxed day in a hobbit hole with tea and then an adventure the next.
- One last book I want to recommend as we charge into autumn is a recent favorite of mine that I will come back to year after year. This story comes to us in a newer genre of cozy fantasy, but makes me forget about the outside world for a while, wishing for a steaming hot latte, a chocolate croissant, and little fantastical friends to make me laugh. Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree is being followed with the prequel Bookshops & Bonedust this November, so no better time to pick it up than now!
My bookish tastes tend to fair on the comforting side. I want to be removed from the stressors of the world and escape into a book that soothes the rough edges. Transitioning into autumn with the falling leaves, slower pace, and a chance to embrace changes gives me a feeling similar to that of a comforting story; that is what I find in these books, and I hope that maybe you can, too.
