Today marks the official beginning of autumn and I, for one, couldn’t be happier! Now’s the time for cozy blankets, pumpkin spice lattes, and apple picking. Bring out the flannels and sweaters, the boots and scarves, and let’s curl up with the perfect fall-themed book. 

Autumn by Ali Smith 

“England is at a turning point. Brexit has just passed and xenophobia and electric fences are dividing the nation. At 32, Elisabeth is still trying to decide what her future holds, and the widespread national uncertainty has left her feeling unsettled. As the nation erupts around her, she looks to her past for comfort, visiting her mother and Mr. Gluck, the neighbor who helped raise her. Daniel Gluck, now more than a century old, was once a constant friend to Elisabeth, but now he lies in a deep sleep that might be his last. Visiting weekly to read to him, Elisabeth realizes how little she knows about the man who was once her devoted companion. With a strong nod to British pop culture, its eponymous art movement, and mid-century feminism, the reluctantly revelatory nature of this story creates a well-rounded allegory symbolic on many levels. The start of Smith’s Seasonal quartet, this is delightfully cerebral and relevant.” 

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery 

“Anne, an eleven-year-old orphan, is sent by mistake to live with a lonely, middle-aged brother and sister on a Prince Edward Island farm and proceeds to make an indelible impression on everyone around her.” 

Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler 

“A year in the life of a beguiling young woman in the wild world of a famous downtown New York restaurant follows her burning effort to become someone of importance through a backwaiter job that enables her indulgences in culinary and intellectual interests.” 

The Secret History by Donna Tartt 

“A transfer student from a small town in California, Richard Papen is determined to affect the ways of his Hampden College peers, and he begins his intense studies under the tutelage of eccentric Julian Morrow.” 

Still Life by Louise Penny 

“When the body of Jane Neal, a middle-aged artist, is found near a woodland trail used by deer hunters outside the village of Three Pines, it appears she’s the victim of a hunting accident. Summoned to the scene, Gamache, an appealingly competent senior homicide investigator, soon determines that the woman was most likely murdered. Like a virtuoso, Penny plays a complex variation on the theme of the clue hidden in plain sight. She deftly uses the bilingual, bicultural aspect of Quebecois life as well as arcane aspects of archery and art to deepen her narrative. Filled with unexpected insights, this winning traditional mystery sets a solid foundation for future entries in the series.” 

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness 

“Discovering a magical manuscript in Oxford’s library, scholar Diana Bishop, a descendant of witches who has rejected her heritage, inadvertently unleashes a fantastical underworld of daemons, witches and vampires whose activities center around an enchanted treasure.” 

The October Country by Ray Bradbury 

“The “Undiscovered Country” of the author’s imagination is revealed in a collection of stories that chronicles an underground city where drowned lovers are reunited, a carnival where a miniature man has his dreams fulfilled every night, and a glass jar that hold memories and nightmares.” 

The Inn at Tansy Falls by Cate Woods 

“When the death of her best friend sends her halfway across the world, Londoner Nell Swift must decide if she’s ready to step outside of her comfort zone and grab a second chance at life. Nell and Megan have been best friends since university, and when Megan dies young at 37, Nell is devastated. What Nell doesn’t know is that before she died, Megan wrote Nell a last request to spread her ashes in Tansy Falls, Vermont, where Megan spent idyllic summers during her childhood. Megan also set up a two-week itinerary that will have Nell visiting Megan’s favorite spots and seeing her favorite people. During the two weeks in Tansy Falls, Nell falls for the small-town charm, plus the charms of a handsome forester named Jackson. At the end, Nell must decide if stepping away from her safe life in London is worth the magic of Tansy Falls. Set against a lush Vermont backdrop and featuring characters that readers will feel like they have known forever, The Inn at Tansy Falls  is a heartfelt contemporary about life, loss, and love that will utterly charm and delight readers and leave them clamoring for a follow-up.” 
 

-Linnea