An Autumnal Reading List

moody reads for the season

Dear Reader,

If you’re like me, autumn could last all year and I would be perfectly fine. And I probably still wouldn’t get around to all my cozy, dark reads.

Sharing a TBR (to be read) list on here seems a bit self-defeating since the act of me sharing it somehow means that I won’t get to half of the books! I am mood reader, and I’ve never quite been able to break out of that. No matter how hard I try, I never follow a set list of books or achieve my reading goals. However, there are some perks. I frequently find the right book at the right time. And my massive book collection means that if I suddenly find myself in the mood for a backlist book or classic, chances are I already have it on my shelf!

Mood Reader: n. a person who chooses books based on their current emotional state.

So, without further preamble, here is a list of books I’ve either read, am currently reading, or want to read this season.

Read

Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Take a twentieth century decade, a vintage medium, magic, a racist villain, and a heroine who is either an ingenue or traditionally unlikable, and you have a Moreno-Garcia book. (This doesn’t describe all of her books, but it certainly describes a fair number!) The fact that I can discern this sort of formula does not decrease my enjoyment of her books in the slightest. She manages to tell fresh stories every time. What I loved most about this book is that the hatred in the villain is the same hatred the heroine starts to see in herself and ultimately must fight against.

from Goodreads: “a fabulous meld of Mexican horror movies and Nazi occultism: a dark thriller about the curse that haunts a legendary lost film--and awakens one woman's hidden powers.” (Buy it here.)

Star Splitter by Matthew J. Kirby

This one is a YA sci-fi thriller about a young woman who, when she arrives at a remote planet, must unravel the mystery of what happened to her parents all the inhabitants of the space station.

This book went a little different direction than I was expecting, but I was totally okay with that! The pacing was fantastic, covering two timelines, and it asked some interesting questions about what constitutes life. (Buy it here.)

The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny

This year I have been listening to all the Inspector Gamache books on audio. They all follow a police inspector who solves mysteries on the same region of rural Quebec. Even with a cast of lovable characters and a beautiful setting, the each book manages to explore deep themes and philosophical questions. Louise Penny, the author, says she would not call her books “cozy mysteries,” and perhaps they run too dark to be categorized that way. And yet, they have that cozy, familiar quality of going back to a place you know well, always with something new to find.

I suggest starting with the first book, Still Life. (Buy it here.)

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

If Jane Austen characters were seasons, Emma would be spring, Elizabeth would be summer, and Fanny Price would be autumn. I can’t stop talking about Mansfield Park! It’s such a deep and thoughtful story and Fanny is a misunderstood character in many ways. I highly recommend this book, even if you have read it before. (Buy it here.)

Currently Reading

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

I am currently re-reading this classic in preparation to teach it to my students. I am excited to take a break from the textbook and dig into a full novel! There is so much symbolism and intentional description that I don’t remember from the first time I read it.

I am loving this edition with notes and an introduction by Karen Swallow Prior! It even includes a section called “How to Read The Scarlet Letter as a Christian.” It’s also in a gorgeous cloth and board binding! (Buy it here.)

Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo

I was in the middle of reading this sequel to Ninth House when I paused to read Tom Lake because of Ann Patchett coming to town. I plan to go back to it next, though. It’s the perfect Halloween read if you’re more into fantasy than horror.

The first book involved a young magician, Alex (“Galaxy”) joining a governing body to police the rituals of magical orders at Yale University. While there, she uncovers a mystery involving a murder. It’s told in multiple timelines, which the author weaves together expertly. In the sequel, the Alex must rescue her friend and fellow magician from the underworld. It has a dark academia vibe and ghosts! (Buy it here.)

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

I haven’t read an Ann Patchett book in years for some reason, and I’ve been enjoying this one so much! While everyone is at home during the COVID lockdown, a mother tells her grown children the story of when she dated a movie star. It is a slow burn plot, but the dual timeline creates the perfect pacing. Strong characters and a great setting! (Buy it here.)

Want to Read

The Bird’s Nest by Shirley Jackson

I always plan to get to this one in October, but it never happens because I always have too many planned for the month! I loved Jackson’s other books, The Haunting of Hill House¹ and We Have Always Lived in the Castle! This book is about a woman descending into madness. I don’t know why this kind of narrative fascinates me so. (My first published short story is a “descent into madness story.²) Perhaps I like because it reminds me of “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. (Buy it here.)

A History of Wild Places

This is another that frequently makes it onto my cold season reading list. Haunting + fairytales + mystery + a strong setting = my jam!

From the synopsis: “Hauntingly beautiful, hypnotic, and bewitching, A History of Wild Places is a story about fairy tales, our fear of the dark, and losing yourself within the wilderness of your mind.”

From a book review³: “Filled with secrets and deception and strange happenings, A History of Wild Places is a poignant tale that will definitely leave you feeling shook... and yet somehow also... bittersweetly whole and nostalgically content. Definitely for fans of M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Village”.” (Buy it here.)

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

I have actually started listening to this audiobook already. I’ve enjoyed the last couple Simone St. James books I’ve read. They usually involved a mystery, a ghost, and some sort of amateur sleuth. The story of this one follows a young woman in 2017 who leaves college and goes to the forgotten town of Fell, New York to investigate her aunt’s disappearance in the 1980s. This is another time slip novel (when the story goes back and forth between two characters in two time periods), and I like what it does for the pacing. I can’t wait for the mystery to unfold! It’s also been optioned for a TV series! However, sadly, I didn’t see any updates on that since 2021. (Buy it here.)

Join the conversation

What are you reading this autumn?

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Note: I don’t get any kickback from the links to purchase the books—I’m not cool enough to figure out how to do that. The links will take you to a site where the purchases support independent bookstores. Or better yet, consider supporting your own local independent bookstore!

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1. See my newsletter called “Why I Write Horror as a Christian” where I talk about the genius of Shirley Jackson’s writing.

2. Read my short story here!

3. Read the full book review of A History of Wild Places here. It makes me want to read this book even more!