Hey! I hope everyone’s day’s going awesome. As it’s beginning to get cooler out, I thought it would be the perfect time to share with you guys some of my favorite autumnal reads. So here are some books that I think really just give off fall vibes (which is arguably the vibist season—pumpkin patches, sweaters, what more could you want?).
Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Enola Holmes Series by Nancy Springer
This series follows the significantly younger sister of Mycroft and Sherlock Holmes, Enola. After her mother goes missing on her fourteenth birthday, her brothers return home to investigate her disappearance. They are horrified at how unladylike Enola is and decide to force her to attend a finishing school so she can learn to be a proper wife. Instead, she runs away to London to investigate her mother’s disappearance on her own and hides under their noses as the last thing they’d expect her to be—a lady.
“If any decent woman’s calling consisted of taking her proper place in society (husband and house, plus voice lessons and a piano in the drawing-room), then this particular woman-to-be prefers to remain indecent.”
Nancy Springer, The Case of the Left-Handed Lady
If you’re looking for cozy detective stories, this series is perfect for you. I’ve recommended this series plenty of times on here so I won’t talk about it for too long, but if you like the Netflix adaptation, you totally have to read the books. I love Enola’s character and the books are just such fun reads. Also Nancy Springer’s writing is fairly stunning in my opinion.
Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol
In this graphic novel, Anya falls down a well and finds a skeleton of a girl who met a similar fate to her in the past. Even spookier, she meets her ghost as well. After being rescued, Anya hopes to forget about the whole affair, but instead the ghost follows her around. Although irritating at first, this ghost might not be so bad after all. Anya struggles to fit in at school and a new friend is really just what she needs. Right?
“I’m enough like you to know how you feel. Wanting how others look, what they have, who they have! Everyone else’s life seems so much easier… But that’s all you know! What you want! You don’t know what’s going on inside anyone else’s head.”
Vera Brosgol, Anya’s Ghost
This would be a super fun read for spooky season, as would the other graphic novel in this list, but we’ll get to that later. The plot of this book is super intriguing and I read the whole book in one sitting. It kept me guessing the whole time and I had a really good time reading it. The illustrations are gorgeous and overall it was just a super fun read.
Looking for Alaska by John Green
In this book, Miles “Pudge” Halter decides to go to Culver Creek Boarding School to search for “the Great Perhaps”. Armed with an obsessive amount of memorized famous last words, nothing could prepare him for life at Culver Creek, the friends he makes, and more specifically, Alaska Young. She’s smart, funny, a bit dangerous, and Pudge is definitely in love with her. But that was all before.
“It always shocked me when I realized that I wasn’t the only person in the world who thought and felt such strange and awful things.”
John Green, Looking for Alaska
Honestly, this is the only book on this list that I can’t really put my finger on why I associate it with fall so strongly, but I definitely do. I guess I read it for the first time in the fall, but it’s more than that. The vibe of the book is just reminiscent of fall leaves and cool weather. I don’t think that makes sense, but it’s the best way I can describe it. It’s a coming-of-age story, full of changes that can’t be undone, which I guess you could say metaphorically parallels the autumn—leaves changing colors and the coming of winter whether you’re ready for it or not. It’s a very beautiful story and it’s very reminiscent of this season.
A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
A Study in Drowning follows Effy who has been haunted by visions of the Fairy King, a character in a book by Emrys Myrddin, since she was a little girl. She hopes to be an author like Myrddin but is not allowed to attend the literature college since she is a woman. Instead she attends the architectural college where she is harassed because of her gender. However, when she gets the chance to redesign the manor of the late Emrys Myrddin, she makes several discoveries that open her eyes to the world around her.
“I was a woman when it was convenient to blame me, and a girl when they wanted to use me.”
Ava Reid, A Study in Drowning
This book takes place in a crumbling estate that is slowly sinking into the sea. It gives major dark academia vibes and I think it’d be such a great fall read. Also it’s just a fantastic read in general. It’s so emotional and leaves you guessing. I enjoyed reading this book so much and it will definitely be one I come back to re-read in the future.
Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Illustrated by Lisa Sterle
This graphic novel centers around Becca, who moves to a new high school and jumps at the chance to join the popular clique. There’s just one catch—they’re werewolves. It’s okay though because they only attack boys that try to take advantage of girls at parties. So there’s really no harm done, right? Becca’s willing to believe so because she really wants to fit in for once. However, things begin to get more messy as the cops catch on to the series of murders in the area and the squad begins to buckle under the pressure.
“How close anger and hunger are, really. Like different songs in the same key. They can be hard to differentiate.”
Maggie Tokuda-Hall, Squad
I loved reading this book so much and it gives major Halloween vibes. Lisa Sterle’s illustration style is so cute and the color palette used for this graphic novel is absolutely gorgeous. I didn’t see the ending coming at all and loved watching Becca’s character growth throughout the story. I’d definitely recommend this book to someone looking for a fun, light read this fall!
I hope you found at least a couple book recommendations from this post to read this fall. Let me know down below what your favorite fall books are. I’d love to hear from you and I’m sure others would to! As always, I hope you’re having a great day and this post finds you well!
maybe if you got a dollar for every time i’ve promised you i’m going to read the enola holmes books, you’d be a billionaire by now. look, i’m just SCARED i’m not going to like them?? because i watched the first movie on netflix and DID NOT get the hype. this is me protecting our friendship.
the quote from anya’s ghost is so beautiful though. WILL READ IT JUST FOR THAT THANKS.
Ooh you’ll have to tell me what you think about Anya’s Ghost! Also JUST TRY THE ENOLA HOLMES BOOKS! I promise I’ll forgive you if you don’t like them but like, they’re pretty stunning so I’m pretty sure you will.
Happy Fall!
Thank you!