With Portland’s long rainy season beginning, many are left stuck inside with limited options available. This can leave many of us bored and wanting to curl up in bed. While books won’t get you out of bed, they’re an excellent entertainment option. Reading is a hobby that thankfully has no season, but if it did there is no doubt it would be fall. Here is a list of five fall books to put you in the seasonal spirit. Whether you like horror, lit-fic, or fantasy these books will help you embrace the weather and enter your studious, “Rory Gilmore” era.
The Secret History
Though released in 1996, The Secret History has an allure that keeps readers coming back year after year. It has become a staple to the “Dark Academia” aesthetic online, and it’s easy to see why. Set in a New England college, the story follows a group of academics studying ancient Greek, committing bacchanal rituals and murdering their friend. Even after reading, whether it be the first or third time, there is always more to the story left unanswered. The book carries a level of prestige that’s still accessible to the average reader. The Secret History is complex and beautifully written. It is a darkly obsessive and satirical murder mystery that you will find yourself returning to years later.
Ninth House
The second story, Ninth House, is a slow-burning, supernatural mystery with a background of Yale’s occult secret societies. If you are looking for a fast, crazy-entertaining mystery, this is not for you. This book takes its time to fully develop the characters and its chilly and gothic atmosphere. The slightly slower pace ends up making a more engaging story and gives the reader a reason to care. The author, Leigh Bardugo is widely loved due to her Young Adult series Six of Crows and Shadow and Bone which was recently adapted into a Netflix show. These novels were hard feats to succeed, but Ninth House, her first adult book, did just that. The sequel, Hell Bent, was released at the start of this year. This series is delightfully dark and thrilling.
Her Body and Other Parties
The next book, Her Body and Other Parties is a collection of eight short stories ranging somewhere between gothic horror and psychological realism. Carmen Maria Machado does not hold back as she explores the violence of womanhood in her feminist and queer debut. Her stories are positively surreal, each one more surprising and brutal than the last. Her Body and Other Parties was a well-deserved finalist for the National Book Award for Fiction and is perfect for a cold fall day.
The Idiot
If you’re looking for a book that’s a little less spooky and more of a cozy, autumnal read, then “The Idiot” is for you. The protagonist, Selin, is the daughter of Turkish immigrants and a freshman at Harvard. The book follows her as she finds herself while exploring Paris, her relationships, and the Hungarian countryside. The author recently published her second novel, called Either/Or, which is a continuation of The Idiot and an equally worthy read. The Idiot was a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction finalist and was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction.
Devotions
Whether you’re an avid poetry reader or completely new to the genre and in need of the perfect introduction, you’ll enjoy Mary Oliver. Devotions is a collection of Oliver’s poems throughout her life. Each one is about loving the little things and appreciating birds, trees and life itself. It may sound corny, but they are the furthest thing from it. Her prose is simple yet beautiful and moving. Nothing feels more autumnal than sitting outside on a crisp autumn morning, drinking a pumpkin spice latte and taking in the turning leaves with Devotions open beside you.
Fall is a time for pumpkin patches, scary movies, haunted houses and of course, a good book. Between dark academia and poetry, there is a book on this list for you, whether you are already an avid reader or looking to become one.
