What You Should Read Next, Based On Your Favorite Part Of Fall
Photo by Max Smirnov from Pexels
I know that I’m far from alone when I claim fall as my favorite season — in fact, a 2013 poll showed that autumn is preferred by 29 percent of Americans, beating out summer by a narrow margin. Having a fall birthday only gave me further reason to await the changing of the foliage each year; I can remember delightful celebrations held at apple orchards, pumpkin patches, and scenic hiking locations.
As a lifelong bookworm, however, one of my very favorite fall traditions involves curling up on the porch or windowsill with a cozy blanket and a good book. And as a self-described “mood reader,” I like nothing better than when the words on the page complement the atmospheric cues of the season in which I’m reading.
If you find yourself in a similar boat, you need look no further for a list of reading suggestions based on what you love most about this most popular of seasons.
If you get a thrill from telling scary stories around a campfire…
You might like The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie. Christie’s mystery novels have been wildly popular since their initial publication in the twentieth century, but I’ve found that most readers gravitate towards those featuring the elderly Miss Marple or the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. The Secret Adversary is Christie’s first novel featuring the young and quirky duo Tommy and Tuppence. Political intrigue, an atmosphere of suspense, and a dash of romance combine to make for an ideal (and gore-free) frightening tale.
If you love to sit with a steaming mug of tea and enjoy the crisp autumn air…
You should read Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery. Although Montgomery’s Anne Shirley is often associated with fall (count how many times you see “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers” on social media!), I think that the slow, brooding tone of the Emily books provides a fitting match for the cooler days and earlier nights of the fall. Like Anne, Emily Murray is a young orphan and, like Anne, she aspires to be a writer. But this is where the similarities end. If you loved Anne of Green Gables but have yet to meet Emily, you’re in for a real treat!
If you always looked forward to the freshly-sharpened pencils and just-printed syllabi of a new school year…
You might enjoy The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green. I confess: I’ve always been a little bit of a nerd, counting the first day of school among my favorite days of the year. Although I’m no longer a student, the first hints of fall always trigger in me a nostalgia for the excitement and sense of discovery that I always experienced when school started back up. The items on my to-do list these days (“call insurance,” “clean the bathroom”) don’t inspire quite the same feelings of curiosity and accomplishment.
Enter John Green’s The Anthropocene Reviewed, in which he presents a series of essays (part history, part memoir) on a wide variety of topics ranging from “Diet Dr Pepper” to “Auld Lang Syne.” At the end of each essay, Green rates the given topic on a five-star scale. I learned a lot of interesting facts the pages of Green’s most recent book—but more significantly, I had the opportunity to reflect on the wonder of the human condition. Filled as it is with touching prose, I think that you’ll find The Anthropocene Reviewed to be a worthy occasion to break out some freshly sharpened pencils and do some underlining.
If you take pleasure in the overcast mornings and gloomy twilight of November…
Try The Secret History by Donna Tartt. Southern novelist Donna Tartt’s debut novel (published in 1992 and celebrating its thirtieth anniversary this year) is perhaps the most atmospheric novel on this list. I started reading it one September day several years ago—and could barely put it down until I’d finished its almost-600 pages. The novel’s tone alternates between idyllic and sinister as it describes a group of classics students who murder a friend and classmate. It is currently experiencing somewhat of a resurgence in popularity, thanks to the “dark academia” trend.
If you like to think of fall as “pie season”…
Pick up Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl. As far as literary genres go, I have a particular soft spot for the food memoir. To me, reading a food memoir feels like being welcomed into a warm, sweet-smelling kitchen by a kind aunt or grandmother, like telling stories and laughing at jokes around the kitchen table, like experiencing the novelty of cuisine from around the globe without ever having to leave my chair. One of my favorite things about fall is all of the culinary delights it has to offer: apple cider, and maple lattes, and pumpkin pies. If you feel the same, you might enjoy picking up a food memoir, too. Ruth Reichl’s account of the time she spent as a food critic for the New York Times is both evocative and wildly entertaining, making it a great introduction to the genre.
If you have a fall-loving child in your life…
Find them a copy of Apple Farmer Annie by Monica Wellington. Autumnal delights are made even better when they are shared with those we love. Apple Farmer Annie is a cheerily illustrated picture book that my siblings and I loved when we were small. In addition to providing a charming story, Monica Wellington includes several apple-themed recipes so that you and your loved ones can take the fall spirit straight from the library to the kitchen.
