There’s something about Fall- some warm sunny days with crisp cool nights, or cold and foggy mornings, either way it’s the perfect time to curl up with a good book! I find that when Autumn rolls around that I want a certain type of book, something atmospheric that evokes the same feelings that a perfect Fall day or spooky Autumn night does. Here are some of my favorite books for Fall, what are yours?
The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware
Hal lives on the edge of destitution in a cramped flat that is always freezing. She barely scrapes enough money together every month by doing tarot readings on the boardwalk in the same stand that was her late mother’s. One day she receives a mysterious letter in the mail informing her that a relative, Mrs. Westaway has passed on and that she is named in the will. Hal knows that this is a mistake, she has no relatives left but she is desperate and thinks that her cold reading skills could maybe help her pass just long enough to get the money. When she makes it to the estate, Hal learns that she should have stayed home as her stay gets weirder and weirder. Forced to stay in the maid’s room in the attic because every other room is full with Mrs. Westaway’s descendants, Hal plays her cards close to her chest and reveals as little about herself as possible but it seems that someone knows her secret…
Set in England during a rainy and cold Autumn this book sent shivers down my spine while I was reading it. Wrap up with an extra sweater and a cup of hot tea while you enjoy this book.
Other books by Ruth Ware: The Lying Game, The Turn of the Key, In a Dark, Dark Wood
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
This nontraditional take on the story of Dracula is the perfect gothic read for the Fall. Our young protagonist finds a hidden stash of letters in her father’s private library, they record the mysterious events of her parents past and her mother’s terrible fate. Vlad the Impaler, the horrifically real person that the Dracula tale is based off, is the main villain of Kostova’s novel. In an intricately woven tale we learn how each character has come to research the life of Vlad, some find a mysterious and ancient book has been placed among their possessions while left unattended in a library. Others… well others have friends or pets go missing… Each one experiences things they can’t explain, sees things that no one else has seen. The lush descriptions of European countries like France, Slovenia, and Romania will have the reader ready to jet off on an adventure.
Best enjoyed with crusty baguettes, slabs or dark chocolate, and italian soda. To truly immerse yourself in the story have some haunting music playing in the background.
Also by Elizabeth Kostova: The Shadow Land, The Swan Thieves
Sunshine by Robin McKinley
Sunshine has been baking all of her life, her step-father brought her into the bakery when she was young and struggling with school and she found her place in the universe. She can almost forget that her father disappeared when she was small, cut off entirely from his side of the family except for sporadic visits to her grandmother’s house at the edge of the lake. However, she has not been to her grandmother’s house in years, it has become one of the Bad Places. An area where vampires have taken over and attack whomever they please. Vampires are not the only mythical creatures that are real in their world; were-creatures, witches, and more are also real and many are just trying to live their lives. The Others, as they are called are not strictly illegal, they are supposed to register with the government, and accept that they will not be able to get high-standing positions in their chosen field. Sunshine’s father’s family was a member of a prominent witch family but she is more than comfortable in her normal life-monthly movie night with her friends and family, getting up at 4 A.M. to start her cinnamon rolls that are as big as your head, and devouring books in her free time. One weekend, she just needed to get away from the hustle and bustle of the bakery, and the day to day of family life. She drives up her grandmother’s old lakehouse, it’s been years since something bad happened at the lake, and the house is on the opposite side from where the truly awful stuff happened. She is sitting out on the patio when they come, you never hear them when they’re vampires…
Pick up a sinfully sweet pastry from your local bakery, pick a sunny reading spot, and settle in to enjoy this spooktastic book.
See more by Robin Mckinley: Shadows, The Hero and the Crown