Top 10 Tuesday: Books to Read in Autumn

September brings autumn with it, and though that may not be official for another three weeks, I want to jump-start the season with a run down of some favorite books to read in the fall.



The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien


Aside from the fact that this book begins in the fall, it just has such an autumnal feel to me throughout. It has forests and traveling and longing for both home and adventure, which encapsulates the spirit of the season for me.



Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury


I'll try not to overload this list with Halloween-ish stories, but Something Wicked is such an autumn-infused story. Will's father even calls the carnival's denizens "The Autumn People". Bradbury and this book may be partly responsible for my own love of autumn.



The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis


Really, Narnia in general can feel autumnal, but The Horse and His Boy is the most autumnal, with its arid atmosphere and the Hermit of the Southern March wearing his cloak the color of autumn leaves. It also has a long journey perfect for autumn. (Have I mentioned my wanderlust kicks in during the fall?)



Dracula by Bram Stoker


Mostly because it's one of my favorite horror stories, this story lands on my list. It spans summer and fall, but the fog and the horror feel more at home in the autumn months, when the world is cycling into the death of winter.



'Salem's Lot by Stephen King


King's Americanized Dracula story, 'Salem's Lot is also a very autumnal story in my mind. The creepiness of the story, the haunted house, and the vampires all make it feel perfect in the chilly hours of an autumn night.



A Very Scary Jack-O'-Lantern by Joanne Barkan


This is an illustrated book from my childhood with glow-in-the-dark pictures. I can remember many afternoons at my grandparents' house where we closed up the curtains and kept only a single lamp on to "charge" the glow-in-the-dark illustrations so we could see every. Last. Jack-o-lantern.



The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling


Every book starts in late summer and fall, and there's usually plenty of autumn ambiance in the books (Philosopher's Stone even has a whole chapter set during Halloween). The journeys, the food, and the magical setting earn this series as a whole a place on the list.



The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin


Another story that features Halloween as part of its story, but this time not as a central element, The Westing Game is a classic middle-grade mystery. It never ceases to surprise and delight me when I read it.



Dreams Underfoot by Charles de Lint


The inaugural Newford collection, this book features plenty of Faerie lore and city smarts alongside some typical autumnal trappings like a Frankenstein's monster and fallen leaves.



Plenilune by Jennifer Freitag



Simply put, it's an interplanetary journey with lots of longing, wanderlust, magic, and foxes. Read it now!


Are there any books you love to read in the fall?

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