10 Atmospheric, Cozy, & Spooky Books to Read This Autumn/Fall: Part I

 Book Love 

Hello, lovely friend! 

It is September and you know what that means? Yes! It is Autumn! YAY!!! 

Autumn is my favorite season! I love the crisp weather, the changing leaves, the knit sweaters, nostalgic feelings, books, cozy blankets, sweater weather, pumpkin spiced lattes, autumn bakes, pumpkin patches, apple orchards, pumpkin everything, just EVERYTHING that is autumn. 

This year especially I have been craving autumn. So much so that I am currently in the works of outlining a book set in autumn and I will be writing later in the month once the outline is finished. 

Because of how much I love autumn, I wanted to do an autumn-themed post! 

Actually, it will most likely turn into a series. Here is what I’m thinking. Today I am sharing autumn feeling books but after today I want to put together a sort of autumn starter pack! The starter pack will have books, movies, tv shows, music, fashion, baking, and activities all to get you into the autumn mood! 

I am also thinking of doing a Gilmore Girls event sometime in September or October. This isn’t official but it would involve watching Gilmore Girls, reading a book Rory read, baking a fall treat, having coffee, etc. If you are interested in doing this with me, please leave a comment so I can know if you would be in. 

Now that we have gotten that out of the way, let's dive into book recommendations! 

Harry Potter (+illustrated) 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Why I love it for Autumn: It's Harry Potter. There is so much about this book, this whole series that screams autumn. Harry Potter starts in the school year (in autumn) and so much of the book takes place in this season. The dark academia aesthetic, autumn feels, witches, wizards, spells, a castle, monsters, games, and a magic Halloween feast are all things in this book perfect for the autumn and later Halloween season. Not to mention, back to Hogwarts just happened, a yearly event on September 1st for Harry Potter fans. Harry Potter is the perfect book to read this season. Autumn is also the time when I like to reread at least this Harry Potter book. 

Genre: fantasy // children’s fiction 

Gallant 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Why I love it for Autumn: I just read this book and knew it had to go on the list. This is my favorite book from August and it has all the right autumn vibes. It is dark academia, spooky, has a manor house, mystery, ghosts, and ghouls, stormy weather, and it has so many autumn vibes. I highly recommend reading at night with a knit blanket and warm tea. Get the feeling of autumn and Gallant all together. I love this book! 

Genre: Mystery // gothic // paranormal // YA 

Little Women 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Why I love it for Autumn: Little Women is a beautiful classic about four sisters. I love the coziness of the book and the relationships. It feels sweet and nostalgic. You get to see the girls grow up and change like the autumn leaves. They grow from girls to women. You see them struggle, find love, go through loss, and find hope. They find themselves. I highly recommend this book in any season, but in the autumn and winter, it feels extra cozy. 

Genre: Classic // historical // romance 

Pride and Prejudice 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Why I love it for Autumn: Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite novels. I love the feel and aesthetic of the book. Think dark academia, cottagecore, with regency fashion. I love the balls, the manors, old books, sister relationships, and romance. I love how the characters grow. You really get to see the character transformations of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. It is the perfect atmospheric fall read. (also the 2005 movie is stunning and gives you the perfect autumn feel). 

Genre: classic // historical // romance 

Dust 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Why I love it for Autumn: London and Peter Pan. England always feels like autumn to me. The photos, feeling, buildings, dreary and rainy days, stone pavements, cottages, and classic books. Everything about England feels like autumn. I also like reading fantasy most in the autumn and winter seasons. That is when I feel the most like magic and want those feelings. Peter Pan is also just nostalgic, I feel like nostalgia fits perfectly in autumn. This is one of my favorite books of the year. It is SO good! You will love reading this story! 

Genre: fantasy // fairytale retelling // YA 

The Castle of Refuge 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 

Why I love it for Autumn: The cover for one looks like it takes place in autumn. It is orange and gold and feels warm. Melanie Dickerson is a comfort author for me. Whenever I want to read something light and sweet and just a bit cozy, I go to her books. The tale of the ugly duckling is a favorite and I love that it truly is that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. That is the main message throughout the book. Beauty comes from within and not always just from the outside. It is your character that sets you apart. All in all, it is a pleasant and cozy read. (Side note: the beautiful pretender is another read perfect for autumn). 

Genre: historic fiction // Christian fiction // fairytale retelling // romance 

Narnia 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Why I love it for Autumn: NARNIA! Need I say more? All of the Narnia books are my favorite! They each hold such a special place in my heart. All of my love for fantasy comes from this book. It is incredible and I cannot recommend this series enough. There is magic, a great lion, a witch, a magic wardrobe, a snowy forest, magic creatures, a cure, sibling relationships, animals that talk, literally everything I can want in a book here. These are my roots! Some of my favorite memories are of my mom reading this book to me and my sister and drinking tea. It is perfect for family time. 

Genre: classic // fantasy // adventure // children’s fiction 

A Monster Calls 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Why I love it for Autumn: This book is beautiful. I love the drawings and illustrations. I have read this book so many times, the whole thing is so good. (Side note: the artist of this book illustrated all of the illustrated Harry Potter books). There is something about this book (maybe it is the monster or the drawing or the feel of something being lost and things changing) that makes this book feel like autumn. There is this sadness in the book and a beauty. It is very emotional and I think if anything it gets more emotional with each read. A beautiful and moving book, I highly recommend just reading this book. If you have ever experienced loss, hurt, pain, or depression, then read this book. 

Genre: illustrated // magical realism // YA 

The Hunger Games 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Why I love it for Autumn: This is such a good read. I have read this book almost every year for six years (I need to read it again this year to make it official). This is one of my comfort reads (not that it is cozy or anything but I love it and there is something comforting about it). This was the first book I read (at 10 or 11) where I felt like the character was me. I had never previously felt that with a book. So that will always have a special place for me. I’m going to bring it back to aesthetics. The aesthetic of the hunger games is dark academia, coal mines, forest, sister bonds, dystopian, and houses falling apart. There is more but this is the picture I get. 

Genre: Dystopian // YA 

Stepsisters 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Why I love it for Autumn: Fairytale retellings always feel warm and like they should be read in the autumn and winter. Something about Jennifer Donnally’s writing in this book and her other book Poisoned feels dark and autumn. Like a Grimm’s fairytale in more detail. Stepsisters was a very moving and important book to me. The message in it about finding the missing pieces of yourself was really powerful to me. It made me think. It made me wonder and realize that I had missing pieces. That in time I had lost and buried things about myself. It made me realize I wanted to get those pieces back. The book did something to me, not many books do this. 

Genre: fantasy // fairytale retelling // YA 

Bonus (books on my tbr for autumn):

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes 

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien 

Then There Were None by Agatha Christie 

If the Broom Fits by Sarah Stutton 

Discussion Time

Thank you so much for reading this post! I hope you liked this post and found some new autumn-feeling books to get you in the mood! 

I want to hear from you! Tell me what you liked about this post. Have you read any of these books? Are there any you are wanting to read? What is a book you love that reminds you of autumn? I would love to chat! 

If you have any questions or want to talk, make sure to comment down below or find me on Instagram @fablerosemc!  

Be sure to subscribe to this blog to stay in the know because I post new content here every week. 

XOXO Moriyah 💛