The crisp weather and changing leaves mean it’s time to curl up with a cup of tea and tuck into a cosy read. Whether you’re searching for Halloween costume inspiration, reminiscing about your back-to-school days or looking to escape the city, writer Julia Novis rounds up eight titles to get you through the changing of seasons.
The incoming dreary weather means most of us will find ourselves spending more time at home, and the longer nights offer the perfect opportunity to catch up on your reading. Beware of stormy nights as Something Wicked This Way Comes and look out for ghouls in The Turn of the Screw, Frankenstein and the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. If solving a mystery is what you need to pull you out of a reading rut, join Poirot in Death on the Nile or make a bargain with the devil in The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. If you’re not going back to school this season but are still looking for words of wisdom, you’ll have it covered from Hemmingway’s Invisible Feast to Ephron’s I Feel Bad About My Neck. Whether you’ve been ignoring the stack on your bedside table or have made it to every book club meeting this year, one of the titles in this list is sure to spark some seasonal inspiration.
For the ones who start planning their Halloween costumes in August
Whilst many people might be mourning the long days left behind with the end of Summer, the Halloween enthusiasts will be making the most of the long nights, and these eerie reads are the perfect way to slip into the spooky season.
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
Halloween arrives a week early when a spooky carnival rolls in with a storm in a small town in Illinois. Follow best friends Will and Jim Nightshade as they make their way through a fantastical adventure, including a merry-go-round that defies the laws of physics and their encounter with Mr. Dark, who runs the show. Fans of fantasy and horror alike will be raptured by Bradbury’s writing.
The Turn of the Screw and Other Ghost Stories by Henry James
Nobody does the uncanny like Henry James. Featuring one of the most famous ghost stories of all time, along with some lesser known works by the author. The novella recounts the story of a governess who moves to the countryside to look after orphaned children and starts seeing apparitions, and has served as inspiration for several later works, including the hit Netflix series The Haunting of Bly Manor. Devour all stories in one sitting or pace yourself into the haunted season.
For the overachievers longing for back-to-school season
If you miss your student days, reminisce on your golden years by revisiting these classics on a rainy afternoon. The perfect way to get into the autumn mood and maybe gain some Halloween costume inspiration.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
When a Summer storm left Mary and Percy Shelley, Lord Byron and John Polidori stuck inside for days, a competition ensued to see who could come up with the best ghost story. Mary Shelley was just eighteen when she came up with the winning tale of Dr Frankenstein’s creature, who would become an iconic figure for centuries to come.
Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Steveson
A defining work of the Gothic genre which explores the nature of good and evil, this novella is the perfect quick read to gift your situationship who tends to go hot and cold (or who thinks ghosting is an acceptable way to get into the spirit of the season).
For the ones who can’t wait to travel again
If you’re taking any opportunity to escape the city during the Summer months, the change of seasons might come with a side of cabin fever. Rest assured, there is a cure that does not involve requesting annual leave or splurging on a plane ticket.
A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemmingway
This memoir follows Hemmingway’s years living in Paris as a young writer. Ditch the Eurostar and crack this open to escape to Paris of the 1920s and brush shoulders with notable figures such as Ezra Pound, James Joyce and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.
Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
If the dreary weather is getting you down, an escape to Egypt might just be what you need. Start in the iconic Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan and sail up the Nile, joining the iconic Hercule Poirot as he solves a murder mystery along the way.
For the ones who are ready for cuffing season
Whilst Summer might be the time to feel untethered, once the temperatures dip and the leaves start to change, even the most fiercely independent people might start itching for some company. Though there’s space for Romance year-round, the light beachside reads give way to something a little cozier this season.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
Addie LaRue makes a deal with the devil in 1714, making her immortal but cursing everyone she meets to forget her, until one day three hundred years later Henry Strauss remembers her name. Crossing temporal and geographical boundaries, follow Addie on her journey and fall in love with your new favourite fictional man along the way.
I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman by Nora Ephron
A yearly rewatch of When Harry Met Sally is a mandatory event once the leaves start to change. Meg Ryan is an iconic reference when it comes to Autumn dressing, and Nora Ephron is an inspiration when it comes to life itself. An avid fan of any of her romcoms will be delighted with Ephron’s voice in I Feel Bad About My Neck. It will undoubtedly find permanent lodging at the back of your head and voice your inner monologue, reminding you that everything is copy along the way.
Words – Julia Novis
