Atmospheric, occasionally eerie late fall reads
If you also love a house with secrets but cover your eyes during the previews for horror movies
Much like Anne of Green Gables, I wholeheartedly adore Octobers. But when it comes to Halloween season, I am also a bit of a wimp. Although I can handle more on the page than on the screen, hence why I read all of A Song of Ice and Fire but haven’t seen a minute of Game of Thrones, I still tend to tap out when things get gruesome. However, I love a touch of spookiness and especially a Gothic. Is there a crumbling, perhaps haunted, house? A menacing housekeeper? A secret to be uncovered? A ghost or two? I’m there.
So this week, I’m pulling together a collection of some of my favorite late fall reads. This one is a little light on romance, partially because I have yet to find my perfect witchy romance with a tinge of darkness (let me know if you have a recommendation!) but full of memorable houses, mysteries, and a wide array of ghosts
If you want a classic: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
I reread Rebecca earlier this month and came away thinking that this might be a perfect book. From the first line to the last, it’s flawlessly paced and riveting. It also happens to be a master class in character—has a character who never technically appears on the page ever felt as alive as Rebecca?—and setting, featuring one of the all time great fictional houses. I have this gorgeous Virago edition, in case you’re looking to pick up a copy.
If you want to go back to magic school: Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey
Hard-boiled detective noir meets Lev Grossman’s The Magicians trilogy meets a mystery that wrecks the person trying to solve it, Tana French-style. I read this in one setting a few years ago and it still pops back into my head on a regular basis. It’s a masterful blend of genre and tone and of the magical and the mundane, with students using their magic for petty mischief. Gailey also has a gift for unexpected yet wonderfully apt similes and their writing has a shimmering intensity to it that’s spellbinding.
If you’ve always wanted to say “the game is afoot”: A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas or The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older
I’ve talked about Sherry Thomas’ Lady Sherlock series, which recasts Sherlock Holmes as Charlotte Holmes, a few times here before but it’s so absurdly good that I have to mention it once again. From the clever mysteries to the historical detail to the gorgeous slow-burn romance, it’s my platonic ideal of a historical mystery series. There’s seven books in the series, so it could take you through the entire fall if you were so inclined. If you want to go a little bit further afield, you could voyage to Jupiter with The Mimicking of Known Successes, a cozy mystery and understated but moving sapphic romance. I especially enjoyed this one for its elegant world-building and clever take on Holmes and Watson.
If you want ghosts *and* romance: The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller
Determined to reclaim her life after a nightmarish marriage, a widow ends up turning to a brilliant inventor for his assistance in restoring a rundown, possibly haunted mansion. This has so many elements that I love: a house with a lot of character, a vividly drawn historical setting, a lovely portrayal of finding happiness after heartache, and a kind, understanding, and slightly nerdy hero. I’d recommend all of Biller’s books but this one is particularly perfect for fall.
If you’re looking for something in translation: Where the Wild Ladies Are by Aoko Matsuda
A gleefully subversive collection of retellings of traditional Japanese ghost stories with a feminist bent and a wicked sense of humor. This is fun, smart, delightfully weird and a fascinating look into Japanese folklore. I’d recommend reading the original versions of each of the ghost stories, which are collected in the back, to better appreciate what the whole collection is doing.
If you were obsessed with The Westing Game as a child: Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia
Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts has a city-wide treasure hunt planned out by an eccentric billionaire, rich people drama, a ragtag band of misfits, and a quirky heroine at the center of it all. It also absolutely nails the Boston setting and that strong sense of place, along with its thoughtful look at grief, helps keep it grounded even in its zaniest moments. I think this would be an especially great pick for a long travel day or a bit of a book slump—it’s zippy, fun, and so absorbing.
If you longed for a sword, a magical library, or both as a child: Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
To me, Sorcery of Thorns feels like the classic fantasies by Tamora Pierce or Garth Nix that I gobbled up as a young reader. It features a naive yet courageous heroine, a sorcerer with a wonderfully dry sense of humor, a gripping plot with a dash of romance, and, most importantly, magical libraries. The world of this book feels as rich and lived-in as the well-loved pages of an old book. A fresh, beautifully written take on classic fantasy tropes.
Currently reading: Better Hate Than Never by Chloe Liese. It’s…complicated? I really like the way Liese writes about mental health and she has some lovely turns of phrase. However, the hero’s justification for being mean to the heroine for years is that he was secretly into her and wow, does that trope irk me. We’ll see if his groveling and pasta-making is enough to win me over. (I also feel like I’ve read a few romances lately that are trying to thread the needle between a more traditional alpha romance hero and the cinnamon roll heroes that have been popular in recent years and I don’t know if it quite works for me? I also love a beta hero, so I may not be the target audience.)
What’s making me happy lately:
This back-to-basics season of The Great British Bake-Off. Although my favorite iteration of the show will always be the original with Mary, Mel, and Sue, I’m really liking the addition of new host Alison Hammond and that this season seems to be setting the bakers up for success.
1989 (Taylor’s Version). This might be my favorite of the vaults so far? 1989 is also one of those albums that’s just etched on my brain and listening to it catapults me back to 2014. But in a good way.
After enjoying Vanessa Zoltan on the Material Girls podcast so much last week, I started listening to Hot and Bothered’s Pride and Prejudice season and it’s exactly the nerdy take on one of my all time favorite books that my heart was craving.
I was excited to see what edition of Rebecca you have and it’s the same one as me! I have only read it once and I did very much enjoy it,but I feel it might even be better on a second reading? With regard to witchy but darker themes, without scares, there seems to be a particular theme of magical realism with cursed magical/witch sisters and domestic drama with magic. So the classic Practical Magic, but also Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen and Witch of Wild Things by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland. All good books. I haven’t read it but I believe The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall is much the same.
This is not exactly on topic but I too love a beta hero and I adore Freddy Standish from Cotillion by Georgette Heyer. Have you read it? It’s one of my all time favorites! I also love a spooky gothic and can’t wait to check these out!