It’s not Autumn where I am, no. I live in Australia and we’re dusting off the chocolate wrappers from our brief dalliance (mostly with the sweets) from Halloween down here, and decking the halls with festive kangaroos and shrimps on barbie: Christmas is coming. So naturally, I’m going to talk about Autumn and the books one should read within it, even though it’s highly irrelevant.

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly event hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and this week’s prompt is:

Books that Give off Autumn Vibes

Usually, if the prompt is Northern Hemisphere-ist (*glare*) then I invert the prompt. BUT – this time, THIS TIME! – I shall not. Quell ye souls, nay-sayers: because I like pumpkin-carving, autumnal leaves are pretty and I FEEL like it. So, here is my TBR to set you up for Autumn and get your brain ready to dive into even darker magic and epic battles often found in those chunkier books we save for winter.

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1. The Iron King
by Julie Kagawa

I would choose this one because you can really get stuck into the series and I can imagine tucking yourself up into this world of mischief and magic as the leaves are turning. Being a YA fantasy, I think this would also be great for limbering up your mind to tackle the Throne of Glass series, say, if you have some of the later books in a fantasy series like that one you’re trying to get into the mood to FINALLY read.

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2. Poison Study
by Maria V Snyder

Taking a step further into a darker book, I think Poison Study would follow up on the slightly more light-hearted fun of the Iron Fey series. Whilst this is still an easy, Snyder book to binge and it’s not intimidating to pick up, I think you’ll find yourself ready to hide from the chilly weather at the end of this and dive into my serious tomes such as The Name of the Wind.

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3. Shadow and Bone
by Leigh Bardugo

With a couple of good reads under your belt, you might find yourself needing to warm up when it comes to world-building. Those tomes we save for winter are saturated with world-building and complex characters, so why not whet your appetite with some Leigh Bardugo? Shadow and Bone, being the first of her books and the first in a series, is a step in the right direction without being too full on.

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4. Grave Mercy
by Robin LaFevers

And thus, now you are at a crossroads. You’ve dabbled in some light, epic fantasy and tangled with magic – but you want something more . . . something that screams IT’S TOO COLD TO DO ANYTHING BUT BE INVESTED IN A GOOD BOOK. Well, try some LaFevers. This is a epic fantasy at its finest. Not too long, not too short, brimming with dark, deadly and devilish characters – and tasting enough like historical fiction that it’ll be just apt for your needs.

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5. Longbourn
by Jo Baker

But perhaps you’re leaning a different way. You’ve set your eyes on a goal of reading some classics or some more serious books this winter. For winter is truly the only appropriate month to do that. Well, what to do? Read Longbourn! A great and much lighter version of Pride and Prejudice. This is the servants’ story and a really good way to make a bridge between the contemporary binge you’ve been on in summer and swing you towards the more serious outlook of winter.

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6. Red Rising
by Pierce Brown

Whilst this sci-fi book has been very popular, I don’t think there will be many of you in the crowd tonight setting your sights upon a long winter of hard, thought-provoking sci-fis. HOWEVER, in case you are (The Forever War, Childhood’s End, etc) then I would recommend FOR SURE doing some mental gymnastics to get into that mindset with the more YA friendly (at least in book one) version of sci-fi that is found in Red Rising.

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7. The Falconer
by Elizabeth May

But if you’re still not done with epic, historical fantasies, then you need to pick up The Falconer. This is a great murdery, fae-ridden story set in Scotland. Once you’ve had a taste of this story you mind might even decide that you are, after all, ready to move onto to other great epic works of fantasy such as Eragon or A Game of Thrones.

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8. Uprooted
by Naomi Novik

Sometimes, you just want to tone things down from the frivolity of summer and step into a quieter adventure of magic, towers, wizards and woods. Uprooted is the perfect book for such a mood. Still not such a heavy read to be banished into the category of “Save For Rainy Winter Day”, this is an intriguing read with all the things one could want from a fairytale-esque story.

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9. The Novice
by Taran Matharu

Why would this make such a good read for autumn? Well the simple fact for this one is that it’s good epic fantasy but middle grade (though leaning heavily towards YA). If you’re still looking for the right bridge for you to get into The Sword of Shannara or A Court of Thorns and Roses side of fantasy, definitely set yourself up right with the magical and sword-fighting adventures of The Novice.

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10. The Martian
by Andy Weir

But one last look at sci-fi, yeah? Because The Martian fits perfectly for autumn. I find myself reaching for sci-fi far more in the colder months and this is a great in between. The bantering of the main character in this makes a perfect bridge between contemporaries and some exciting science in a serious sci-fi.

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That’s a wrap!

What books are you reading this Autumn/Spring?

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~~ Kirstie ~~

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