Wondra’s Top 10 Books for Fall

Autumn is for readers. Whether you’re lounging beneath a golden-leafed tree or cuddled up under a blanket while the rain lashes against the house, there’s no better time for a good book.

Here are some of my favourite books for fall. Give ’em a try and don’t forget to share your own.

	The Vampire Diaries or The Secret Circle LJ Smith I read at least one of these two every fall – often both. LJ was my favourite author growing up and these are still two of my favourite series. They’ve both got a brilliant combination of that back-to-school feeling, mixed with the supernatural element that is uniquely autumn. Don’t expect either series to be anything like their tv shows, though!
	Autumn Equinox: The Enchantment of Mabon Ellen Dugan This is another yearly read for me. Dugan has a magical way of making a book that could be very dry come alive. I’ve read plenty of books with similar information – correspondences, recipes, spells, etc. – but Dugan presents it in a way that readers can immediately relate to. This really is an essential book for witchy folk.
	Farewell Summer Ray Bradbury The ability Bradbury had of making a story into a metaphor (Or is that making a metaphor into a story?) never ceases to astonish me. Farewell Summer isn’t my favourite Bradbury book but it’s still intensely powerful. It deals with death and life (in that order) and tries to make sense of it all. I felt older and wiser after reading this.
	Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone JK Rowling If you haven’t read the Harry Potter series yet, please crawl out of whatever cave you’re living in and join us in the 21st century. I feel like I don’t even need to justify this book being here because – HARRY POTTER.
	Fangirl Rainbow Rowell Here’s another great back-to-school book. Good story, believable characters, totally familiar feeling of why-the-fuck-am-here-what-the-fuck-am-I-suppose-to-do-now. I absolutely adore the relationship between Cath and Levi, especially her reading to him. That gets my feels. The way each chapter is punctuated with snippets from fictional literature makes the fangirl thing work – and makes every person who’s ever written fanfiction go ”aww”.
	Jane Eyre Charlotte Bronte This is one of my favourite novels of all time. I had a teacher once who described Jane Eyre as ”the closest thing we’d ever read to a romance” in her class. She didn’t tell us we were about to be introduced to one of the greatest love stories of all time. There are a million and one reasons to love Jane Eyre – not the least of which being that the ”plain jane” stays plain while the hunky love interest gets taken down a peg – but, really, it’s on my list for the sheer snuggly goodness.
	Carrie Stephen King The obligatory horror inclusion. There are plenty of King books that are great for fall but this is my favourite because of the whole back-to-school, burn-it-to-the-ground thing going on. If your high school experience was anything like mine, you can identify with Carrie, at least a little. Plus, with its increasingly long nights, Fall is the perfect time for horror.
	The Cider House Rules John Irving You’ve probably seen the movie adaptation of The Cider House Rules and that’s okay. You liked the movie, right? Read the book; it’s better. While the movie has all that gorgeous imagery, the book is deeper, richer, and more intense. It isn’t exactly a warm, squishy read, though. It deals with some pretty serious issues and will probably piss you off at some point or another.
	The Woman in White Wilkie Collins Okay, let’s get this out of the way now: I don’t like crime novels. Mysteries and thrillers are barely acceptable. It takes a lot to get me to read anything that doesn’t have, you know, fangs. But, since this was required reading, I didn’t have much choice in the matter. And I’m so glad it happened that way because I love The Woman in White. One of the reasons is that it doesn’t feel like a crime thriller; it’s more like a ghost story. It’s dark, creepy, and thoroughly engaging.
	M is for Magic Neil Gaiman Autumn always makes me think of things that go bump in the night because it’s a time of growing darkness. M is for Magic is here for its supernatural element. As you’re reading about trolls, ghosts, aliens, whatever, you just accept them as a reality because Gaiman MAKES them real. In his stories there’s always a sense of whimsy closely twined with a feeling of deep melancholy – which is probably what attracts me to his writing!