During the autumn season, I feel the intense desire to curl up with cozy books nearly every day.
There’s something about blustery afternoons, chilly rain showers, and the rapid cool-down that makes me want to dive into old favorites. I don’t often find myself re-reading. However, I do enjoy a comfort read, and these books and series are the epitome of comfort.
I’m not one for scary stories – yes, even during spooky season. So rather than picking out truly terrifying reads, I went with cozy options and a couple of high fantasy series that are sure to indulge that need for an intense adventure.
related posts
The Greatest Fantasy Books of All Time // What I Read in August // The Best Bookstagram Photo Props
Here are the standalone books and series that I love to read (and read again) during the fall.
Jessica and Emily Burnstein have very different ideas of how this college tour should go.
For Emily, it’s a preview of freedom, exploring the possibility of her new and more exciting future. Not that she’s sure she even wants to go to college, but let’s ignore that for now. And maybe the other kids on the tour will like her more than the ones at school. . . . They have to, right?
For Jessica, it’s a chance to bond with the daughter she seems to have lost. They used to be so close, but then Goldfish crackers and Play-Doh were no longer enough of a draw. She isn’t even sure if Emily likes her anymore. To be honest, Jessica isn’t sure she likes herself.
Together with a dozen strangers–and two familiar enemies–Jessica and Emily travel the East Coast, meeting up with family and old friends along the way. Surprises and secrets threaten their relationship and, in the end, change it forever.
Lydia and Freddie. Freddie and Lydia. They’d been together for more than a decade, and Lydia thought their love was indestructible.
But she was wrong. On her twenty-eighth birthday, Freddie died in a car accident.
So now it’s just Lydia, and all she wants to do is hide indoors and sob until her eyes fall out. But Lydia knows that Freddie would want her to try to live fully, happily, even without him. So, enlisting the help of his best friend, Jonah, and her sister, Elle, she takes her first tentative steps into the world, open to life–and perhaps even love–again.
But then something inexplicable happens that gives her another chance at her old life with Freddie. A life where none of the tragic events of the past few months have happened.
Lydia is pulled again and again across the doorway of her past, living two lives, impossibly, at once. But there’s an emotional toll to returning to a world where Freddie, alive, still owns her heart. Because there’s someone in her new life, her real life, who wants her to stay.
Written with Josie Silver’s trademark warmth and wit, The Two Lives of Lydia Bird is a powerful and thrilling love story about the what-ifs that arise at life’s crossroads, and what happens when one woman is given a miraculous chance to answer them.
In my opinion, you can’t read the first and not read them all. This series is autumn in a nutshell and such a comfort read.
Harry Potter’s life is miserable. His parents are dead and he’s stuck with his heartless relatives, who force him to live in a tiny closet under the stairs. But his fortune changes when he receives a letter that tells him the truth about himself: he’s a wizard. A mysterious visitor rescues him from his relatives and takes him to his new home, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
After a lifetime of bottling up his magical powers, Harry finally feels like a normal kid. But even within the Wizarding community, he is special. He is the boy who lived: the only person to have ever survived a killing curse inflicted by the evil Lord Voldemort, who launched a brutal takeover of the Wizarding world, only to vanish after failing to kill Harry.
Though Harry’s first year at Hogwarts is the best of his life, not everything is perfect. There is a dangerous secret object hidden within the castle walls, and Harry believes it’s his responsibility to prevent it from falling into evil hands. But doing so will bring him into contact with forces more terrifying than he ever could have imagined.
Full of sympathetic characters, wildly imaginative situations, and countless exciting details, the first installment in the series assembles an unforgettable magical world and sets the stage for many high-stakes adventures to come.
This steam punk faerie fantasy is emotional and adventurous. It’s excellent for cozy autumn nights.
One girl’s nightmare is this girl’s faery tale.
She’s a stunner. Edinburgh, 1844. Eighteen-year-old Lady Aileana Kameron, the only daughter of the Marquess of Douglas, has everything a girl could dream of: brains, charm, wealth, a title—and drop-dead beauty.
She’s a liar. But Aileana only looks the part of an aristocratic young lady. she’s leading a double life: She has a rare ability to sense the sìthíchean—the faery race obsessed with slaughtering humans—and, with the aid of a mysterious mentor, has spent the year since her mother died learning how to kill them.
She’s a murderer. Now Aileana is dedicated to slaying the fae before they take innocent lives. With her knack for inventing ingenious tools and weapons—from flying machines to detonators to lightning pistols—ruthless Aileana has one goal: Destroy the faery who destroyed her mother.
She’s a Falconer. The last in a line of female warriors born with a gift for hunting and killing the fae, Aileana is the sole hope of preventing a powerful faery population from massacring all of humanity. Suddenly, her quest is a lot more complicated. She still longs to avenge her mother’s murder—but she’ll have to save the world first.
The first volume of a trilogy from an exciting new voice in young adult fantasy, this electrifying thriller combines romance and action, steampunk technology and Scottish lore in a deliciously addictive read.
After losing her fiancé in the Vietnam War, nineteen-year-old Laurel Haley takes a job in England, hoping the distance will mend her shattered heart. Laurel expects the pain might lessen but does not foresee the beguiling man she meets or that they’ll go to Paris, where the city’s magic will take over and alter everything Laurel believes about love.
Thirty years later, Laurel’s daughter Annie is newly engaged and an old question resurfaces: who is Annie’s father and what happened to him? Laurel has always been vague about the details and Annie’s told herself it doesn’t matter. But with her impending marriage, Annie has to know everything. Why won’t Laurel tell her the truth?
The key to unlocking Laurel’s secrets starts with a mysterious book about an infamous woman known as the Duchess of Marlborough. Annie’s quest to understand the Duchess, and therefore her own history, takes her from a charming hamlet in the English countryside, to a decaying estate kept behind barbed wire, and ultimately to Paris where answers will be found at last.
A full-hearted novel about a big-city baker who discovers the true meaning of home–and that sometimes the best things are found when you didn’t even know you were looking
When Olivia Rawlings–pastry chef extraordinaire for an exclusive Boston dinner club–sets not just her flambeed dessert but the entire building alight, she escapes to the most comforting place she can think of–the idyllic town of Guthrie, Vermont, home of Bag Balm, the country’s longest-running contra dance, and her best friend Hannah. But the getaway turns into something more lasting when Margaret Hurley, the cantankerous, sweater-set-wearing owner of the Sugar Maple Inn, offers Livvy a job. Broke and knowing that her days at the club are numbered, Livvy accepts.
Livvy moves with her larger-than-life, uberenthusiastic dog, Salty, into a sugarhouse on the inn’s property and begins creating her mouthwatering desserts for the residents of Guthrie. She soon uncovers the real reason she has been hired–to help Margaret reclaim the inn’s blue ribbon status at the annual county fair apple pie contest.
With the joys of a fragrant kitchen, the sound of banjos and fiddles being tuned in a barn, and the crisp scent of the orchard just outside the front door, Livvy soon finds herself immersed in small town life. And when she meets Martin McCracken, the Guthrie native who has returned from Seattle to tend his ailing father, Livvy comes to understand that she may not be as alone in this world as she once thought.
But then another new arrival takes the community by surprise, and Livvy must decide whether to do what she does best and flee–or stay and finally discover what it means to belong. Olivia Rawlings may finally find out that the life you want may not be the one you expected–it could be even better.
Nadia gets the 7.30 train every morning without fail. Well, except if she oversleeps or wakes up at her friend Emma’s after too much wine.
Daniel really does get the 7.30 train every morning, which is easy because he hasn’t been able to sleep properly since his dad died.
One morning, Nadia’s eye catches sight of a post in the daily paper:
To the cute girl with the coffee stains on her dress. I’m the guy who’s always standing near the doors… Drink sometime?
So begins a not-quite-romance of near-misses, true love, and the power of the written word.
Far beneath the surface of the earth, upon the shores of the Starless Sea, there is a labyrinthine collection of tunnels and rooms filled with stories. The entryways that lead to this sanctuary are often hidden, sometimes on forest floors, sometimes in private homes, sometimes in plain sight. But those who seek will find. Their doors have been waiting for them.
Zachary Ezra Rawlins is searching for his door, though he does not know it. He follows a silent siren song, an inexplicable knowledge that he is meant for another place. When he discovers a mysterious book in the stacks of his campus library he begins to read, entranced by tales of lovelorn prisoners, lost cities, and nameless acolytes. Suddenly a turn of the page brings Zachary to a story from his own childhood impossibly written in this book that is older than he is.
A bee, a key, and a sword emblazoned on the book lead Zachary to two people who will change the course of his life: Mirabel, a fierce, pink-haired painter, and Dorian, a handsome, barefoot man with shifting alliances. These strangers guide Zachary through masquerade party dances and whispered back room stories to the headquarters of a secret society where doorknobs hang from ribbons, and finally through a door conjured from paint to the place he has always yearned for. Amid twisting tunnels filled with books, gilded ballrooms, and wine-dark shores Zachary falls into an intoxicating world soaked in romance and mystery. But a battle is raging over the fate of this place and though there are those who would willingly sacrifice everything to protect it, there are just as many intent on its destruction. As Zachary, Mirabel, and Dorian venture deeper into the space and its histories and myths, searching for answers and each other, a timeless love story unspools, casting a spell of pirates, painters, lovers, liars, and ships that sail upon a Starless Sea.
A charming and laugh-out-loud novel by Lauren Graham, beloved star of Parenthood and Gilmore Girls, about an aspiring actress trying to make it in mid-nineties New York City.
Franny Banks is a struggling actress in New York City, with just six months left of the three-year deadline she gave herself to succeed. But so far, all she has to show for her efforts is a single line in an ad for ugly Christmas sweaters and a degrading waitressing job. She lives in Brooklyn with two roommates – Jane, her best friend from college, and Dan, a sci-fi writer, who is very definitely not boyfriend material – and is struggling with her feelings for a suspiciously charming guy in her acting class, all while trying to find a hair-product cocktail that actually works.
Meanwhile, she dreams of doing “important” work, but only ever seems to get auditions for dishwashing liquid and peanut butter commercials. It’s hard to tell if she’ll run out of time or money first, but either way, failure would mean facing the fact that she has absolutely no skills to make it in the real world. Her father wants her to come home and teach, her agent won’t call her back, and her classmate Penelope, who seems supportive, might just turn out to be her toughest competition yet.
Someday, Someday, Maybe is a funny and charming debut about finding yourself, finding love, and, most difficult of all, finding an acting job.
This was the first fantasy series I ever read (at 6 years old) and I highly recommend starting with The Magician’s Nephew and going from there. If you want the biggest bite of Narnia, however, go ahead and read The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. It’s a great starting point.
Narnia…the land beyond the wardrobe door, a secret place frozen in eternal winter, a magical country waiting to be set free.
Lucy is the first to find the secret of the wardrobe in the professor’s mysterious old house. At first her brothers and sister don’t believe her when she tells of her visit to the land of Narnia. But soon Edmund, then Peter and Susan step through the wardrobe themselves. In Narnia they find a country buried under the evil enchantment of the White Witch. When they meet the Lion Aslan, they realize they’ve been called to a great adventure and bravely join the battle to free Narnia from the Witch’s sinister spell.
Tiffy and Leon share a flat
Tiffy and Leon share a bed
Tiffy and Leon have never met…
Tiffy Moore needs a cheap flat, and fast. Leon Twomey works nights and needs cash. Their friends think they’re crazy, but it’s the perfect solution: Leon occupies the one-bed flat while Tiffy’s at work in the day, and she has the run of the place the rest of the time.
But with obsessive ex-boyfriends, demanding clients at work, wrongly imprisoned brothers and, of course, the fact that they still haven’t met yet, they’re about to discover that if you want the perfect home you need to throw the rulebook out the window…
Where do you see yourself in five years?
When Type-A Manhattan lawyer Dannie Cohan is asked this question at the most important interview of her career, she has a meticulously crafted answer at the ready. Later, after nailing her interview and accepting her boyfriend’s marriage proposal, Dannie goes to sleep knowing she is right on track to achieve her five-year plan.
But when she wakes up, she’s suddenly in a different apartment, with a different ring on her finger, and beside a very different man. The television news is on in the background, and she can just make out the scrolling date. It’s the same night—December 15—but 2025, five years in the future.
After a very intense, shocking hour, Dannie wakes again, at the brink of midnight, back in 2020. She can’t shake what has happened. It certainly felt much more than merely a dream, but she isn’t the kind of person who believes in visions. That nonsense is only charming coming from free-spirited types, like her lifelong best friend, Bella. Determined to ignore the odd experience, she files it away in the back of her mind.
That is, until four-and-a-half years later, when by chance Dannie meets the very same man from her long-ago vision.
Brimming with joy and heartbreak, In Five Years is an unforgettable love story that reminds us of the power of loyalty, friendship, and the unpredictable nature of destiny.
This trilogy is the perfect magical escape for autumn. You won’t want to put it down once you’ve begun! You may have noticed my “Kell London” custom mug in the photos above. You can purchase one of your own from Wicked Whimsy Boutique.
Kell is one of the last Antari—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black.
Kell was raised in Arnes—Red London—and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see.
Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they’ll never see. It’s a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.
After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.
Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they’ll first need to stay alive.
I recommend this entire saga. Then read Midnight Sun, a retelling of Twilight from Edward’s perspective (and in my opinion, the superior Twilight)!
About three things I was absolutely positive.
First, Edward was a vampire.
Second, there was a part of him—and I didn’t know how dominant that part might be—that thirsted for my blood.
And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.
Deeply seductive and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight is a love story with bite.
Eileen is sick of being 79.
Leena’s tired of life in her twenties.
Maybe it’s time they swapped places…
When overachiever Leena Cotton is ordered to take a two-month sabbatical after blowing a big presentation at work, she escapes to her grandmother Eileen’s house for some overdue rest. Eileen is newly single and about to turn eighty. She’d like a second chance at love, but her tiny Yorkshire village doesn’t offer many eligible gentlemen.
Once Leena learns of Eileen’s romantic predicament, she proposes a solution: a two-month swap. Eileen can live in London and look for love. Meanwhile Leena will look after everything in rural Yorkshire. But with gossiping neighbours and difficult family dynamics to navigate up north, and trendy London flatmates and online dating to contend with in the city, stepping into one another’s shoes proves more difficult than either of them expected.
Leena learns that a long-distance relationship isn’t as romantic as she hoped it would be, and then there is the annoyingly perfect – and distractingly handsome – school teacher, who keeps showing up to outdo her efforts to impress the local villagers. Back in London, Eileen is a huge hit with her new neighbours, but is her perfect match nearer home than she first thought?
A sweeping, multi-layered romance with a divine twist, by the Printz Honor-winning author of The Passion of Dolssa, set in the perilous days of World Wars I and II.
It’s 1917, and World War I is at its zenith when Hazel and James first catch sight of each other at a London party. She’s a shy and talented pianist; he’s a newly minted soldier with dreams of becoming an architect. When they fall in love, it’s immediate and deep–and cut short when James is shipped off to the killing fields.
Aubrey Edwards is also headed toward the trenches. A gifted musician who’s played Carnegie Hall, he’s a member of the 15th New York Infantry, an all-African-American regiment being sent to Europe to help end the Great War. Love is the last thing on his mind. But that’s before he meets Colette Fournier, a Belgian chanteuse who’s already survived unspeakable tragedy at the hands of the Germans.
Thirty years after these four lovers’ fates collide, the Greek goddess Aphrodite tells their stories to her husband, Hephaestus, and her lover, Ares, in a luxe Manhattan hotel room at the height of World War II. She seeks to answer the age-old question: Why are Love and War eternally drawn to one another? But her quest for a conclusion that will satisfy her jealous husband uncovers a multi-threaded tale of prejudice, trauma, and music and reveals that War is no match for the power of Love.
shop the books
Which cozy books do you enjoy reading when autumn rolls around?
pin for later
Jenny in Neverland says
Your blog is so beautiful – quickly becoming one of my faves! I’ve read HP, Twilight and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and they’re definitely all cosy Autumnal reads. I really love the sound of The Switch! Thank you for these recommendations 🙂
Stephanie Whitman says
You certainly know how to make my day! Thank you so much for the encouragement 🙂 Those are definitely some classic fantasies. Have you read any of the other Chronicles of Narnia? My favorite is either The Horse and His Boy or The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. They’re so excellent. And YES – definitely check out The Switch. It was seriously adorable.
Jennifer Prince says
I haven’t read ANY of these. Such a shame! The one about the baker seems like such a cute story. I may have to pick that one up. I really need to renew my library card. I’m such a cheapie when it comes to books – I usually get titles at yard sales, but then it’s a big hunt for the right ones, lol.
Stephanie Whitman says
The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living was adorable. I highly recommend reading The Late Bloomers’ Club first – since it introduces you to the characters – but it’s not totally necessary if you just want a sweet story set in the autumn and winter (primarily). I utilize the library almost exclusively (and audiobooks from Audible) and then I only buy books if I’ve read and loved them and want to read them again. My bookshelf is small but intentional 🙂
Cathalynn Labonté-Smith says
Thanks for the book summaries. Gives me ideas for the bibliophiles in my life.
Stephanie Whitman says
Absolutely! These books really are ideal for autumn because they’re just such comfort reads. I hope you – and your bibliophile friends – are able to benefit from the list 🙂
Lizzie says
These all sound amazing! I wish it would rain more here! That’s the best reading weather. It’s been so dry!
Lizzie
http://www.izzieinlace.com
Stephanie Whitman says
Come visit Virginia – or really anywhere on the East Coast, and you’ll get plenty of that cozy, chilly, rainy weather in the autumn. Also known as my *favorite* weather… for reading or just relaxing!
rebecca says
yes! so many great books + series starters here and so many that I need to add to my list, too. thanks for sharing, as always Steph!
xx rebecca // thecrystalpress.com/blog
Stephanie Whitman says
I think autumn makes me want to read more than any other season. Probably just because autumn = happiness, and reading is equivalent to happiness for me! 🙂
Kelly says
Thank you for the suggestions! I used to curl up with wonderful books and wrap myself in quiet, undisturbed evenings. Then I had kids…HAHA! I know I will also miss these days when they become a thing of the past, so I will soak in them until my fingers wrinkle. But I look forward to being immersed in a great book again soon! And I will be coming back to you for suggestions! Thank you!
Stephanie Whitman says
I will say that one of my top recommendations for busy mamas when it comes to reading is getting an Audible subscription (or utilizing any audiobook app). You can listen on-the-go! It’s not quite the same as curling up with a cozy read, but who knows.. soon enough your kiddos might want to join you for those comfy reading times!
Lucy says
Beth O’Leary’s books are two of the best books I’ve read this year, especially The Flat Share, it’s just such a good feel book! There are also some other lovely choices here too! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
Stephanie Whitman says
I absolutely ADORE The Flatshare. It’s one of my favorite contemporary books of all time. I wasn’t sure how The Switch would compare, but I did truly love it. I appreciated how it wasn’t *so* based around the romantic aspect, and really touched on the different women living their lives at different ages. It was such a comforting read!
Crystal Green says
I love the array of book choices you shared with us. There are several on this list that has piqued my interest. Thank you for sharing your cozy book suggestions with us.
Stephanie Whitman says
I’m so glad to hear that! I really hope you get a chance to read some of them yourself. And if you do, let me know what you think!
Anika says
Great list! The Starless Sea and The Flatshare are two cosy reads I absolutely love. Perfect to curl up with 🙂
Anika | chaptersofmay.com
Stephanie Whitman says
Oh yes, I agree! Ah, obviously I agree because I have them on this list haha! But I’m glad YOU agree! 🙂 I’ve been craving a reread of both of those lately. They’re comfort reads for sure.
Anita says
Nice post. All the stories seem intriguing but I haven’t read any. I love your page aesthetics.
Stephanie Whitman says
I hope you get a chance to read some of these. A lot of them I would consider my favorite books of all time. I guess you could say they come highly recommended!
Kileen says
So many awesome and cute books here! These are books that I could read over and over again for sure! We’re definitely heading into the sweater and book season for sure!
Stephanie Whitman says
Autumn always makes me want to cozy up with a good book, a soft throw, and a hot mug of coffee or spiced mocha! It just makes me so happy to dive into my comfort reads 🙂
Greta says
I’ve never read any of the harry potter books! I always say I’ll get around to them one day.
Stephanie Whitman says
They’re a great place to start if you want to dive into fantasy! But I didn’t read them until my 20’s, so don’t feel bad!
Venus says
There are so many things I love to do especially around Autumn and. Reading a book is definitely one of them. After reading through your list I have to say the book ” I was told it would get easier” is one that I would read.
Stephanie Whitman says
Abbi Waxman is one of my all-time favorite authors! She wrote The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, which is probably my favorite book of all time, and I Was Told It Would Get Easier was just as enjoyable and cute. I hope you get a chance to read it too 🙂
Lavenda Memory says
Oooooh! The Folconer looks great and wasn’t on my rador. We have similar taste in free-time reads. Definitely gonna check this trilogy out 🙂
Stephanie Whitman says
I’ll admit that I don’t have many people who I connect with about my love for fantasy books, so it’s fun to see your interest in The Falconer. It’s a great trilogy. The finale book had me crying my eyes out (my husband can attest)!
Marissa Belle says
I’m dying to read The Flat Share – I keep seeing it getting good reviews everywhere and it sounds like something I’d really like. Thank you for sharing this great list! I now have a few more books to add to my TBR 😊
🌿 Marissa Belle × marsybun.com 🌿
Stephanie Whitman says
Oh my gracious, The Flatshare is one of my all-time favorite reads. It’s certainly one of the sweetest romcoms I’ve ever read, and the plot is so unique. I hope you get to give it a go sometime soon!
Merry says
Other than Harry Potter, Twilight, Narnia, I haven’t read the rest of the books you have here! I’m curious about the story of Freddie and Lydia. I’ll See You In Paris, Our Stop, and I absolutely love all the recommendations here <3 I'm adding them to my reading list! Thank you so much!
Stephanie Whitman says
Those are some of the “classics” haha! I think you’d really enjoy The Two Lives of Lydia Bird. It garnered a LOT of attention this summer, for good reason. The author wrote another book that I adored, and I just couldn’t resist her latest release.
Hayley says
I love how pretty your blog is! Thanks for sharing these recommendations for autumnal reading. For me, it’s all about ghosts, witches and magic this time of year. 🙂
Stephanie Whitman says
Oh, that’s so kind of you! Thank you for the encouragement 🙂 I totally get that. It’s why I wanted to include some of my favorite fantasies, like HP, Chronicles of Narnia, and A Darker Shade of Magic. Of course, I have some vampires and faeries in there too because… why not? It’s all about the adventure!
Shirsha says
Your book posts are always so great and your photographs are also the epitome of cozy. 🙂
I’ve somehow always thought of the whole Harry Potter series as a December book, but I can totally see it fitting into an autumnal vibe. I really enjoyed reading The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living, and you know how much I love The Flatshare. I think I am gonna add A Darker Shade of Magic to my reading list – it sounds like the perfect escape with just the right hint of darkness.
I still haven’t gotten around to reading The Starless Sea though – just going through a very non-reading phase right now. 🙁
Stephanie Whitman says
That’s so kind of you! Thank you so much, Shirsha. How interesting that you’d say that about Harry Potter. I suppose the wintery themes are strong as well, but I just think about the start of school, Halloween and witches, etc. as being so autumnal! I can’t help it hehe. I don’t know anyone else who has read The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living, so that makes me SUPER happy! Did you read The Late Bloomers’ Club as well? I think I preferred that one, to be honest, but they’re both so cute.
Nons Mshengu says
This is such a great collection of books. This rainy weather calls for books you can get lost in. I’ll definitely check out a a few, thank you for recommending !
Stephanie Whitman says
Absolutely! I definitely agree with you. I love reading when it’s rainy and dreary outside. It’s so comforting!
Anna English says
I’m not entirely sure why, but HP and the Twilight books remind me of fall/ winter! Great recs!
Stephanie Whitman says
Well, that’s why I included them in this post, of course! There’s something kinda cozy about both of those series.
Sarah Lindner says
Looks like lots of great options. Love the Narnia series when I was younger…would be fun to revisit! xoxo, Sarah
Stephanie Whitman says
The Chronicles of Narnia has been on my favorites list since I was a little girl. My box set is so worn out and disheveled, but I still adore it. It’s really special to me!
Carrington | Chaos and Coffee says
Ooooo I’m saving this post! I love reading and want to read even more during the fall. I love curling up with a good book and a cup of coffee, especially once it gets cold out. Thanks for these reccs! Xx.
Stephanie Whitman says
There’s something about autumn that just pushes everyone to want to read more. I’m not 100% sure why, but I know that I LOVE it. Reading is my favorite hobby (or really my only hobby) so I just dive into it!
Melissa says
First, your photos are so cute! They make me feel so cozy. Also I couldn’t agree more. Harry Potter is like the perfect book for fall! Also, The Falconer sounds like a super interesting book!
Stephanie Whitman says
Thank you so much for your encouragement. Coziness is what I’m going for at all times – and my bookstagram basically has autumn vibes all year 🙂 The Falconer is an amazing trilogy. I hope you get a chance to read them at some point!
Ro says
YES! I loved these recommendations as I’m always up for a good book rec! The Two Lives of Lydia Bird has been on my list of books to read for a minute, so I am looking forward to checking that out! I’ll have to look more into some of the others you suggested as well! Thank you for sharing!
Stephanie Whitman says
Oh, I’m so glad to hear it, Ro! I hope you do read The Two Lives of Lydia Bird at some point. Josie Silver is an excellent author and I really love everything she writes!
Lily says
So many great suggestions! I am adding The Two Lives of Lydia Bird and In Five Years. They sound like something I’d love!
Stephanie Whitman says
Those are definitely some seriously sweet contemporaries. I think you’ll love them if you give them a read – and they’re both excellent audiobooks if that’s more your style!
Neely Moldovan says
I’ve read a lot of thes and I just loved our stop and lydia bird! Both were two of my favorites this year.
Stephanie Whitman says
Our Stop was performed by my favorite narrator on Audible, which made me love it even more, I think! And of course, The Two Lives of Lydia Bird was so melancholy and precious. Such a phenomenal and unique story. I couldn’t get enough!
Lee says
As always you’ve given me so many “add to my list” books! I definitely want to read that Lauren graham novel, I had no idea she was moving into writing and I’m excited to check that out!
Stephanie Whitman says
Oh, that novel is quite old! Haha! That came out in 2013 when she was still in Parenthood. Since then, she’s written her memoir and an inspirational/self-help book 🙂 She’s pretty talented all the way around if you ask me. And the best part is that all her books are narrated by her in audiobook form, which makes them 10x more fun to listen to!
Brittany Boone says
These are great, I never think to read certain books during this season. I have only read Harry Potter from that list, but they all sound so great, especially in 5 years!
Brittany
BNBstyling.com
Stephanie Whitman says
In Five Years was an excellent book. I listened to the audiobook and it made me actually cry multiple times, which is super rare! I hope you get a chance to read it 🙂
Hillary Conheady says
I never know what to read so this is a perfect guide! Definitely going to check out some of these books!
Stephanie Whitman says
Well, you’ve come to the right place if you’re looking for book suggestions haha! I have way too many for my own good.
Indya | The Small Adventurer says
I put off starting the Harry Potter books for SO long because I was afraid I wouldn’t like them, but they (well, the first three anyway, as that’s all I’ve read so far!) really ARE such lovely, cozy books! I’m guessing they get a bit more intense – as the movies sure do – but they’re still great to get lost in ☺️
Stephanie Whitman says
I didn’t read them until I was in my 20’s (right before my wedding, actually) so I totally understand. I’d seen the movies a trillion times over, but it was fun to read all the missing elements in the books. I especially enjoyed the Prisoner of Azkaban and Goblet of Fire!
Kelly Diane says
I haven’t read the Chronicles of Narnia books for years. I definitely want to read it again this autumn. Lovely War sounds like an interesting book to read.
Stephanie Whitman says
They’re just the most phenomenal books, really. So well-written and meaningful. They’ve taught me a lot in my life. And I JUST finished Lovely War and can easily say it’s one of my favorite books now – and that’s saying something considering I don’t usually enjoy historical fiction. It was so unique and well-done. The performance on Audible was to die for. Full cast and so many brilliant narrators!
Becky says
It was chilly when I woke up this morning and all I could think about was how nice it would be to stay curled in bed reading a book instead of going to work! Autumn is definitely the perfect time to read. I’m still waiting for my copy of Midnight Sun from the library! Twilight is kind of a “guilty pleasure” read for me and sometimes you just need something silly and dramatic!
Stephanie Whitman says
Eeek I love curling up to read in bed on a chilly day, with the windows open and a candle lit.. hot coffee or spiced mocha nearby. Mmmm now I wanna do that today haha! I hope you end up enjoying Midnight Sun. I’m definitely a Twihard and adored all the books and movies (they’re some of my most-read/watched) and I really feel like Stephenie did a phenomenal job with Edward’s perspective. I can easily say I liked it better than the original telling!
Kait says
I definitely don’t have time to read this many books in one season, but so so many of these are jumping out at me! I feel like the city baker moving to the country is exactly my style! But I am also really intrigued by the two lives of Lydia Bird, because it sounds like such a compelling concept. I am so ready to curl up with some coffee and start reading something!
Stephanie Whitman says
Haha! Well, I’m certainly not forcing anyone to read all of them right now, that’s for sure.. though I do suggest reading them all over time 😉 If you end up wanting to read The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living, I suggest checking out The Late Bloomers’ Club first because it does an excellent job introducing the characters (it’s just set in the summertime). Also, I absolutely adored The Two Lives of Lydia Bird. It made me cry.. multiple times.. which is a rarity when I’m reading!
Sarah Lennon says
I really need to get back to reading! I miss it so much and will definitely have to check these out
Deborah says
Great recommendations! I’m so glad to see a couple of familiar books on this list!
Eliza Darlings | Home & DIY Blog says
Such a great list of books! I love to buy more books at this time of year, it’s one of the goals on my autumn bucket list actually so will definitely try and give a few of these a go! Also, your blog is beautiful!
Eliza | http://www.elizadarlings.com
Riana Ang-Canning says
Such a great list! I’m so excited to do some more reading this fall – perfect time to curl up with a book and warm drink. I recently finished listening to Lauren Graham’s memoir so would love to try her fiction book. “I Was Told It Would Get Easier” sounds super fun too – love the mother/daughter relationship and East Coast travel. I read The Flatshare last year and it was great!
Raji says
Great post! These all sound like wonderful reads!
Lauryn Hock says
You’ve inspired me to read ‘Someday, Someday Maybe’! It’s just the book I was looking for.
Yolanda says
The Falconer looks SO good. I love stories about Scotland and anything historical. I just ordered through your link and it’ll be here Sunday. So I have my day planned, tea, cozy blanket outside and this book. Thanks for the great reviews!
Nicole Flint says
Harry Potter hands down will always be my favorite book series. I can read them over and over again. I need to download audible (busy gal over here) so I can check out your other recs!
Aliya says
I I have to read the Josie Silver one! It sounds great! I have a book club at the office so I’ll share this post as so many good ones are on here. Thank you!
Priyanka says
I’ve read Harry Potter, Twilight, Narnia and Someday Someday Maybe. Nice collections you’ve got there. Though I’m not a fan of twilight but I’d like to read other books from your list. 🙂
Ifeoluwa says
I was told it will get easier sounds like a good read! So many things I think about very differently now. I need to pick it up
Cassidy says
Wow! I consider myself a reader and I havnt heard of most of these.
So excited to dive into this list! Definitely getting bookmarked 😍
Emely Turish says
Lauren Graham wrote a book? Im going to have to order that. I love her and NY. We recently watch all the HP movies, but I think it’s time to read the books. Thank you for sharing your recommendations.
Jaimie Tucker says
Just bought the Narnia and Harry Potter sets for our daughter, looking forward to rereading them with her and seeing all the magic through her eyes xo Jaimie
Caitiln says
Truthfully I don’t have any of these books on my list – I shall have to add them!
Em says
So many great recommendations here! I’m actually going to re-read Rebecca this fall so I can be ready when the movie comes to Netflix in October!