A Summer Lover’s Guide to Embracing Autumn
Alright y'all, it's that time of year already! Pumpkin spice is back on the menu, the days are getting shorter, and if you're a gardener like me the harvest is about to be in full swing. I am a summer girl through and through. My birthday is on the summer solstice, all of my favorite activities are summer time activities (hiking, swimming, camping, gardening, etc.) and my brain is just so much happier when it's warm and sunny outside.
Believe me, I'm well aware that I'm in the minority here, but I have a really hard time enjoying fall because in the northern hemisphere I know what's to come afterwards. Nothing but cold, dark, wet winter days until about April of the next year. I used to feel that first chill breeze and I'd try to grab onto something and dig my heels into the ground to stop the world from turning so quickly. But I realized this isn't the best way to live my life as time waits for no one. So a couple years ago I decided I was going to try to make the best of the changing seasons and be present with all the beauty fall has to offer. One of the ways that I do this is I put together a super special spooky/cozy autumnal TBR that I don't touch until September. This gets me excited for fall because it means I get to read some of my favorite genes like horror, psychological thrillers, mystery, and what I like to call “cutesy cozy” books that just feel like a mug of perfectly spiced warm apple cider. Today I'm going to take you through some of my favorite fall reads from years past.
Horror:
1.) I obviously had to start with this category. It is spooky season after all! And starting off strong with one of my favorite authors: Grady Hendrix. If you enjoy horror with a heavy dose of social commentary you can't go wrong with any of his works. Two of my absolute favorites by him are The Southern Book Clubs Guide to Slaying Vampires and Horrorstor. These are two very different stories but both will have you frantically flipping to the next page, and peering into the dark at night wondering if anything more sinister is waiting for you in the shadows. Content warning though, Hendrix is a master of writing some of the most visceral gore I've ever read.
2.) I was going to categorize this next one as a psychological thriller because it definitely has those elements. It has you wondering which was up or down, and what's actually happening. Is the main character losing her grip on reality or are these things actually happening to her? But it also is one of the books that genuinely scared me while I was reading it. I’m talking full body chills, spine tingling, hair on the back of my neck standing on end kind of scary. I wanted to pause the audio book and bury my head under the blankets. And for this reason I have to put it in the horror genre. This book is We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer. It is a phenomenal debut novel that breaks up the twists and turns of this narrative with newspaper articles, blog posts, comment sections, and theories between chapters that gives you a better idea of what might be going on.
3.) Bonus! And I'll just leave you with a five word description for this one:
Hunger Games meets The Bachelor.
The book is Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington. Go check it out.
Psychological Thriller:
1.) One of my all time favorite books in this category is The Quiet Tenant by Clémence Michallon. I read this in the fall of 2023 and I STILL rave about it to anyone who will listen! The book opens through the perspective of Rachel who is being held captive in a locked shed forced to live on the cement floor and wait for “Aidan,” her kidnapper, to come back.When it’s revealed that Aidan has to move himself and his daughter Cecilia to a new home he has no choice but to move his hostage into the house with him and pretend she’s their tenant. The narration is split between Rachel, Cecilia, and Emily (a naive waitress in town who develops a crush on Aidan.) What really ratchets up the suspensefulness of this story is that Raachel’s chapters are written from a second person point of view so it really drags you into the story. This one had me on the edge of my seat, screaming at the characters to just FIGURE IT OUT!! If you’re looking to be sucked into an absolute page turner, try this one out.
2.) Another banger in this genre is I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Ian Reid. I think this is the book I’ll never stop talking about or thinking about or recommending to people. I’ll scream it from the rooftops until at least everyone in the world has at least HEARD of this book. If you’d like a deep dive on it I wrote another blog post about it here It is a relatively short novel, easy to gulp down in one sitting if you’re hooked like I am, but it packs a punch. This is another one that will make you question what’s really happening. The plot twists and turns and just when you think you’ve figured it out Reid pulls the rug out from under your feet again. Each time I read it it leaves me perturbed, befuddled, and wanting to start the book all over again looking for new details that I missed. I can’t recommend this one highly enough!
3.) Bonus! The Last Days of Jack Sparks by Jason Arnopp is a twisty turny, mind fuck with a good dose of British snark thrown in for when things start to get dark. If you're looking for a lower stakes psychological thriller that leaves you questioning what you just read this is the book for you!
Mystery:
1.) I hope you'll agree with me that when I read a mystery I want it to be silly, light-hearted, and relaxing even though most of the time the characters are putting on their detective hats to try to solve a murder or other crime. I want my horror and psychological thrillers to be high stakes and have my heart pounding, but I want my mysteries to be fun. I can't think of a better mystery book that delivers exactly what I'm talking about than Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto. It follows a nosy, head strong elderly woman who wakes up each day following the same old routine. When she discovers the body of a dead man on the floor of her ransacked tea shop she knows she has to take matters into her own hands so the case doesn't get bungled by the incompetent investigators. This book is full of suspicions, mouth watering food prepared by Vera herself, and themes of found family. The sequel Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping on a Dead Man is just as phenomenal if you want to stay in Vera’s world for just a bit longer.
2.) If I can contradict my earlier point of loving light hearted mysteries to put you guys onto All The Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby. This is one I read for book club last year and I wouldn't have normally picked something like this up, but I ended up being hooked! Titus is Charon Virginia's first Black sheriff and he's having to contend not only with the ugly truth of his small town's Confederate past, but also a serial killer who seems to have been lurking in plain sight. Unlike the Vera Wong mysteries, this one is much more distressing so be sure to check the trigger warnings for it. If you want a propulsive plot, suspense, and a political commentary on the insidiousness of small towns with a dark past this is the book for you.
Cutesy Cozy:
1.) To round out my four favorite genres to read in the fall we have what I refer to as the “cutesy cozy” category. I'll admit this one is a little more subjective, but basically it's any book that makes me want to curl up under a blanket with a mug of warm apple cider or maple tea. Anything that evokes the most general sense of autumn, this usually involves witches and spell work. The first book that meets this criteria is The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall. This book has plenty of witchy magic and strong family themes as well as delicious recipes sprinkled between the chapters. It was one of the first books I read that really fit this cutesy cozy theme I now look for every fall season. I will warn you this has some major triggers - family loss, grief, and a suicide attwmyto name a few. Definitely check into these first before picking this one up.
2.) The second book that fits into this genre is A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey. While this story is set during the summer after Lila Rayes graduates from high school, it takes place in England and compared to the Miami heat she's used to the cool, drearyness of England reminds me a lot of fall in Northeast Ohio so I'm counting it! This is a young adult novel that I just ate up. The mouth watering pastries Lila used to make with her grandmother pair perfectly with the tea Orion brews up and it makes for a very cutesy, cozy story. I really loved how Lila pursues what she loves even if it doesn't look exactly how she planned it. Highly recommend this book if you're looking for a fun, easy read!
