It would be a lie to say I’m good at curating a vibe. My Spotify playlists are always all over the place and I end up adding all my comfort songs no matter what the vibe I was trying to achieve was. Whether that be “hot girl walk” or “quietly crocheting,” Tyler the Creator and Ethel Cain will be side by side. My Pinterest boards are a mix of over-the-top maximalism and dark academia, but the one thing I can curate well is what books to read and when. I’ve truly perfected the art and I think my sister would begrudgingly vouch for me on this. So, now that the leaves are falling and everyone on campus is bringing the Docs out of hibernation it’s time to get cozy under a pile of blankets and open up a good fall book.Â
Normal People by Sally Rooney
To preface, I was not prepared for the spiral this book would send me down and how it made me wholeheartedly sob my eyes multiple times throughout the book. The book tells the story of Marianne and Connell as they navigate love, miscommunication, mental health, and finding their identities. This book is perfect for fall as it is very nostalgic and reflective of making the wrong choice and living with it. The TV adaptation of this book is also surprisingly well done with Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar Jones perfectly portraying the intimacy and tenderness between them.Â
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio
Autumn and dark academia go hand in hand in my brain, so If We Were Villains is the perfect read and it ties into Halloweeny vibes as it is filled with suspense and a murder. The book depicts a college group of actor friends and what happens when they all don’t get the roles they expected. The book also has lots of references and the characters quoting Shakespeare and I associate him with the fall. The book has subtle undertones of romance and relationship strain as the school year goes on. Most dark academia books remind me of fall because that’s what I immediately think of if the author says they’re on a college campus.Â
Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart
Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart is a retelling of Romeo and Juliet with a semi-modern twist. Instead of Romeo and Juliet, we have Mungo and James in Ireland tangled up in opposing religious gangs. Ireland is the epitome of fall vibes to me because it has fall rainy weather all year long. The book does take a turn and Mungo struggles through some traumatic experiences, but again, the way it is reflectively told through Mungo’s perspective reminds me of fall, as fall at least for me is a retrospective time before winter completely annihilates me. The story is gorgeously told and is a perfect forbidden romance to read over a steaming cup of chai and cuddled up with your pets.Â
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
You know I couldn’t leave out Twilight because if you are not ritualistically re-reading the whole series in the fall, then you just might be clinically insane. Bella Swan core is fall. There is nothing more for me to say, but I will. If Forks, Washington, the rainiest place on Earth, doesn’t encapsulate fall for you, don’t worry. Stephenie Meyers hits all the stops with romance, brooding, vampires, and werewolves. If I can’t convince you to read the series then at the very least watch the movies because Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson are so awkward it’s truly magical.Â
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
I’ll end my fall book recommendations with another classic, The Perks of Being a Wallflower. This book altered my middle school self and everything that came after it. I think for me, any book that primarily takes place during the school year reminds me of fall, but also any coming-of-age film is very fall-esque to me. I don’t really have to vouch very hard for this book because if someone hasn’t already begged you to read this book or forced you to watch it, then you’re hanging out with the wrong people. The tunnel scene changed me forever and anytime I drive my red truck through a tunnel I want to embrace my inner Emma Watson and let my hair flow through the wind screaming carefree.
This list is slightly biased to books I’ve personally read or re-read, but that means that I have proved they are perfect to read in the fall because I read them as fall began. I know college (and life in general gets busy), but if you pick one of these books to read for October, then a little more of the fall spirit will be instilled in you before Halloween.Â