Do you associate certain books with different seasons? I feel like summer is the time for romance or more lighthearted reads, but by the time fall and winter roll around, I’m in the mood for mysteries and classics and stories set late in the year.
If you’re like me and want to curl up with a good book when it’s cold outside (it already dipped below 20 degrees here this morning!), read on for a few of my favorite novels for fall.
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare. This was my all-time favorite book as a kid, and I reread it again last year and loved it just as much. If you’ve never read this, it’s the story of a teen girl named Kit sent to live with her rigid Puritan family in colonial Connecticut. When Kit befriends a lonely Quaker woman believed to be a witch, she risks her own reputation. Seriously, you need to read this (or reread it).
Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom. You can read it anytime, but I often get the urge to reread this memoir about the author and his favorite college professor during the fall when school has begun again. It’s also just an amazing story about a man in the autumn of his life if you want another reason to pick this one up. P.S. Listen to the audiobook to hear actual clips from Mitch Albom’s interviews with Morrie.
Dracula by Bram Stoker. I think one reason I have a hard time with Twilight and similar vampire books and TV shows is because I read Dracula first. It’s absolutely terrifying (in the best way), and I can’t ever see vampires as appealing. If you’ve never read this classic, make time for it this fall. I also noticed that there’s an audiobook narrated by Tim Curry, so I’m going to check that out immediately.
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I have no shame in admitting that I read this purely as a result of seeing the synopsis on the PBS show Wishbone as a kid. Anyone else remember that show? Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson investigate the murder of Sir Charles Baskerville, who supposedly died of a heart attack — but his friend thinks he died of fright thanks to a family curse that involves giant bloodhounds. This novel is really short and totally worth reading. Maybe read it during the daytime, though.
The Witches by Roald Dahl. I read this out loud one afternoon to my youngest brother when we were kids, and we laughed and laughed. This classic story about a little boy who accidentally attends a witch meeting and learns about their diabolical scheme is perfect for fall and Halloween. Yes, this is a kids’ book, but you’ll love the humor and Roald Dahl’s signature goofiness just as much as an adult.
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. This is one of the best mysteries I’ve ever read. A young biographer named Margaret is chosen to write a biography for the famous writer Vida Winter, who has finally decided to reveal secrets from her own life. Margaret and Vida’s stories become intertwined, and you will have a hard time putting this book down.
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi. I read this when I was in middle school and have always loved it, and it just says fall to me. Thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle is traveling on a ship all alone (and is the only woman on board) and ends up in between a conflict with the sailors and the captain. You may have read this as a kid, but I promise it’s worth a reread.
The Princess Bride by William Goldman. I’m willing to bet you’ve seen the movie (and if you haven’t, go remedy that situation immediately), but have you read the book? It’s actually written by the same man who wrote the screenplay, so it has the same humor and great dialogue as the film. Plus, what more could you want for fall than a giant, rodents of unusual size, pirates, a princess, and a man in a black mask?
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt. Somehow I never read this classic as a kid, but I actually felt it meant more when I read it as an adult last year. This story about Winnie, who accidentally discovers a well of water that gives those who drink it everlasting life, is so poignant and relevant even years after it was written. I love the themes of this book for fall.
Where The Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. I had to end this list with a tearjerker like this one. Nothing says fall to me like a story about a boy’s love for his hunting dogs, even as tragedy occurs. I think my kids need to be a little older before I read this one to them, but I can’t wait to introduce them to Old Dan and Little Ann. This is such a wonderful book.
I’m always looking for new books to curl up with during the fall and winter. What are your favorites?
