Autumnal Reads

Hello Everyone!

I am sure you are all aware by now of the changing season and the fact that it is now Autumn! I love autumn because it is dryer than spring here in the UK and the weather allows me to layer clothes and really get creative with my outfits. All of the stores bring out cosy jumpers and delightful smelling candles for us to buy, but most of all I love the cosy atmosphere and the excuse to stay curled up in bed with a book that it brings with it. It has been autumn for a fair few weeks now, so I’m a little late to the party, but I wanted to celebrate the arrival of autumn with a post all about my favourite books to read in autumn. So let’s get into it!

I am going to start with the obvious here and that is, of course, Harry Potter. Autumn and especially September is the perfect time to read Harry Potter because it is back to school season and the whole series is about a boy going back to wizard school multiple times throughout the books, so it fits perfectly really. I also feel that the warm, welcoming feeling that I get when reading Harry Potter perfectly matches the vibes that autumn gives me.

The second book is one that I actually re-read recently for the reasons I’m about to tell you and that is Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. If you have been around here for a while, then I’m sure you know how much I love Fangirl, but I think it is the perfect book to read in autumn and specifically at the start of Autumn because Cath (the main character) is going to University for the first time and September is of course back to school season, so I think it is the perfect time to give this book a read. I love reading back to school themed books in September because I feel like it is a nice way to ease myself back into the hectic school timetable and mindset after being off for so long. Does anyone else feel that same?

The next book I want to recommend for Autumn is Wonder Woman by Leigh Bardugo. I’m sure you’re all aware about my intense love for Leigh Bardugo at this point, but Wonder Woman is one of her books that I don’t talk about very much even though it was the first of her books that I read. I think this is a great read for Autumn though for several reasons, the first one being the general atmosphere and vibe of the book – I feel like it really matches. The second being that I often like to escape into another world around the start of school season, but I’m often too busy to dedicate time to any long series of high fantasy novels that I would usually read, so I feel like Wonder Woman is fantastical enough to let you escape from real life, but also not too complex for your busy, working schedule.

I’m about to contradict what I just said slightly because the next recommendation I have for you is actually a series, but I don’t think it isn’t too heavy or complex and that series is The Fallen Series by Lauren Kate. These books are quite old now and I know a lot of people don’t like them and I can see why because they aren’t the best executed books ever and a lot of it is predictable, but I like them for their simple, magical romance. I like to describe them to people as being everything I wanted from Twilight, but didn’t get. As I mentioned, they aren’t the best books I’ve ever read, but they are a great trashy romance series to read when you want a break from reading anything serious.

These books might not be up everyone’s alley, but the next books I like to read in Autumn are poetry collections and, more specifically, Amanda Lovelace’s poetry collections. I know not everyone likes poetry, but I do and I find Amanda Lovelace’s poetry to be both calming and inspiring. Her poetry has strong feminist themes and are about picking yourself back up and looking after yourself, which I think everyone needs to be reminded of when school starts up again. They are also very quick reads, so you could easily sit down with a hot drink of your choice in an evening and read it in 30-40 minutes, which is great for some added sense of achievement.

The final book I want to recommend to you is The Normal Series by Holly Bourne. I think most contemporary lovers have read or at least heard of Holly Bourne by now and I am definitely one of them. I adore Holly Bourne and I think her books, especially the normal series, it perfect for Autumn because of the vibes, the message and the simple enjoyment of them. The series tackles a lot of important issues, but also has a strong emphasis on friendships and the difficulties people have with them, which is often a theme in a lot of people’s lives, especially at school. I just really love these books and think they are the perfect autumn read.

That is it for all of my Autumnal reads/recommendations. I hope you enjoyed and maybe found a book/series that you would like to try reading this autumn. I tried to include a range of different genres, so that everyone could find something that they liked the sound of. What kinds of books do you like to read in Autumn? Do the seasons affect your reading or not really? I’d love to know!

Goodbye for now!

Over and Out