As a Floridian who has never experienced a true autumn, I have always sought other ways to celebrate fall, even though in Florida it always feels like summer. My favorite way to celebrate fall is to watch some autumn-inspired movies and curl up with a good book, even if it is 90 degrees and sunny outside. This fall is a little different since I’ve started college up in Evanston, Illinois. It is my first time seeing the leaves change, and the weather is much cooler, but I still intend to continue my fall festivities. I want to give you guys some recommendations to commemorate this first fall experience. Here are some fall book recommendations based on your fav fall movies:
1. IF you like “mona Lisa smile”, read “little Women” by Louisa May Alcott
“Mona Lisa Smile” is one of this century’s best coming-of-age womanhood films. Similarly, Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women” (which I realize has its own movie, but come on, that’s low-hanging fruit) is a literary classic, telling the story of four sisters who are transitioning from their girlhood to womanhood in 19th-century America. If you like the coziness of Northeast Autumn and female empowerment, both “Mona Lisa Smile” and “Little Women” will be right up your alley.
2. If you like “Dead Poets Society”, read “If We Were Villains” by M. L. Rio or “The Secret History” by Donna Tartt
I include two recommendations for this one because “If We Were Villains” and “The Secret History” are oh-so similar. Like “Dead Poets Society,” both books center around a group of students at a New England school studying liberal arts. Dark academia is also one of the top fall aesthetics due to the imagery of deciduous trees, cooler temperatures and cobblestone settings. However, the novels convey a bit of a darker tone, with themes of murder, substance use and pretentious students. Regardless, I highly recommend these novels that feel like they are in the same location as “Dead Poets Society” and will have you turning page after page.
3. If you like “When Harry Met Sally”, read “November 9” by Colleen Hoover
A classic rom-com, “When Harry Met Sally” is associated with the fall season due to many of its scenes occurring throughout the fall season. The film’s premise is two people who meet each other multiple times over the years by chance. Colleen Hoover’s (very obviously) fall-related novel “November 9” also has two strangers who meet each other every year on the same day, “November 9”. Hoover’s novel contains a bit more tragedy than “When Harry Met Sally,” yet ultimately follows the same kind of narrative plot line.
4. If you like “Hocus Pocus”, read “Practical Magic” by Alice Hoffman
One of the most popular Halloween movies of all time, “Hocus Pocus” follows three witches who are accidentally resurrected on Halloween night. “Practical Magic” (also made into a movie), follows two sisters who come from a long line of witches. The sisters, who initially reject their family history, learn to embrace their magic and heritage. Both “Hocus Pocus” and “Practical Magic” cover themes of feminine power and unity. This makes them the perfect pairing for a girl’s night where you can read the novel with your besties and then watch the classic film with some popcorn and candy corn!
5. If you like “Twilight”, read “Twilight” by Stephenie Meyer
As a Twihard myself, I had to include this one. “Twilight” is truly the essence of fall. Forestry, fog, the supernatural and drama — “Twilight” was meant to be rewatched and reread during this fall season. Even if you think it’s cheesy, rewatch those movies and read the books. The movies are hilariously lovable, and the books are so good. Let your inner Twihard tween out, put on your team Jacob shirt, and ask the book, “Where the hell have you been, loca?”
6. If you like “Knives Out”, read “The Guest List” by Lucy Foley
“Knives Out” is considered a popular fall movie for many mystery lovers due to the New England foliage and lots of sweaters. If you love a good whodunit movie involving the upper class, just like “Knives Out”, then “The Guest List” by Lucy Foley is a perfect pairing. Taking place on a remote island off the coast of Ireland, the book follows an exclusive celebrity wedding when a murder takes place. Told by multiple unreliable narrators over the course of a few days, the novel is sure to keep you questioning everything.
7. If you like “A Haunting in Venice”, read “Hallowe’en Party” by Agatha Christie
Believe it or not, “A Haunting in Venice” is actually inspired by Agatha Christie’s “Hallowe’en Party,” featuring the same iconic investigator, Hercules Poirot. Halloween is the perfect time for a spooky whodunit, and Christie’s novel clearly is titularly more related to fall and Halloween. In her novel, there is a murder by an “evil presence” at a — who would’ve thought — “Hallow’en party,” while in “A Haunting in Venice,” a hotel guest is mysteriously murdered by scary shadows and spirits.
Honorable fall movie and book Mentions
These are just some extra recommendations that do not necessarily match a book or movie but are still worth watching or reading!
Movies
- “Coraline”
- “The Nightmare Before Christmas”
- “Halloweentown”
- “Good Will Hunting”
- “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles”
- “Young Frankenstein”
- “Mystic Pizza”
- “Scent of A Woman”
Books
- “The Night Circus” by Erin Morgenstern
- “Something Wicked This Way Comes” by Ray Bradbury
- “Harry Potter” by J.K. Rowling
- “Dracula” by Bram Stoker
- “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving
- “Verity” by Colleen Hoover