It’s finally September, and autumn is in the air. The temperatures are decreasing, days are growing shorter, and the pumpkin patch opens next Saturday! In celebration of the season, we have compiled a list of Fall book recommendations from varying time periods and genres that will transport you to a honey crisp apple orchard, a New England coffee shop, or a large armchair with a blanket, rain steadily tapping against a glass window.
The October Country by Ray Bradbury
Genre: Short Story, Sci-Fi, Horror, Fantasy
Published in 1955 by writer Ray Bradbury, an author known for his gripping social commentary in Fahrenheit 451, The October Country is a collection of nineteen short stories, all of them unsettling and spooky. One of the most famous stories included in this collection is “The Small Assassin,” which follows a couple who just had their first child. The wife, rather than feeling any sort of affection for her child, is perpetually terrified, certain that the baby is going to murder her. Her husband is unconvinced, until he discovers his wife dead after tripping over a doll and falling down a flight of stairs.
Eva Luna by Isabel Allende
Genre: Romance, Magical Realism, Political and Historical Fiction
Written by critically acclaimed novelist Isabel Allende in 1987, Eva Luna follows the life of a young woman who grows up orphaned in South America and works as a servant. Allende is known for her employment of Magical Realism, often creating works that walk the line between fantasy and realistic fiction. In this novel, her story-telling abilities reflect that of her protagonist, who is deeply imaginative and engaging.
Mary Oliver’s Poetry
Themes: Nature, observation, hope, connection, the environment
A winner of the Pulitzer Prize and recipient of the National Book Award, Mary Oliver was known for her life-long devotion to the natural world and her commitment to commemorating the unnoticed occurrences of wildlife. Her poetry also often discusses the passage of time and the changing of seasons, with many lovely poems about autumn, both as a feat of nature and a transitional period.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Tashikazu Kawaguchi
Genre: Magical Realism, Fantasy, Time Travel, Contemporary
Published in 2015 by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, Before the Coffee Gets Cold is a novel loved around the world for its comforting atmosphere and themes of family, community, and love. Almost the entire story takes place between the four walls of a magical cafe in Tokyo where customers are occasionally able to travel back in time. This book is relatively short and a wonderful choice for a read that is both sentimental and uplifting.
Villette by Charlotte Brontë
Genre: Romance, Gothic, Classical, Victorian
The oldest of the books on this list, Villette by Charlotte Brontë was published in 1853. The protagonist is a woman named Lucy Snowe, who, after many familial losses, uproots her life in England and moves to a fictional, eponymously named French town. There, she decides to teach at an all girls’ school where she discovers adventure, romance, and feminine independence.
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutano
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Thriller, Contemporary
Recommended by English 110 and 111 teacher, Mr. Koroshec, Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutano is told from the perspective of elderly tea shop owner, Vera Wong. Vera wakes up one morning to find a dead man in the middle of her teashop, and decides she must take matters into her own hands to solve the mystery and catch the killer. The book has a “funny character, good story, good plot, and it’s murder”, Mr. Koroshec says, which is a perfect read as we begin to transition into October.
Many of these books are available at the San Marcos High School library, or any of our public libraries in town, so make sure to check them out! Regardless of whether you choose to read any of the novels on this list, you already have your own list that’s endlessly growing, or you absolutely hate reading, Autumn is the perfect season to try something new and find a book you love.
